Mosiah 23

The Lord blessed Alma’s people. They came to a beautiful land of pure water. The called the land Helam. They pitched their tents and began to farm the ground and build buildings.

They wanted Alma to be their king, for the people loved him. He said to them: It is not wise for us to have a king. If we could always have good kings, it would be good for us to have a king.

Remember the sins of King Noah and his priests. I myself was caught in their lies and we did many bad things. After much sadness, the Lord made me a tool in his hands to bring many of you to know his truth. But I do not glory, for I am unworthy of glory.

By God’s power you are free from King Noah and from the bonds of sin. I hope you will keep your freedom. Trust no man to be your king. Trust no one to be your teacher or minister, unless he is a man of God and keeps his commandments.

Alma was their high priest and taught everyone to love his neighbor as himself. No one was given authority to preach or teach unless God told Alma to allow it. The teachers were all good men. They watched over their people and fed them with goodness.

The people grew rich. The Lord decided to test their patience and faith and show them that only God can save them. While they were farming the land, a Lamanite army came to the borders of their land. The men ran back from their fields and gathered in the city of Helam. The people were scared of the Lamanites.

Alma stood among them and told them to have courage. Their God would save them. So they hushed their fears and began to pray to the Lord to spare them, their wives and their children. And the Lord softened the hearts of the Lamanites. Alma and his brothers went and gave themselves and their lands to the Lamanites.

The Lamanite army had been lost in the wilderness from chasing Ammon and the people of Limhi. They found the priests of King Noah. The leader of the priests, Amulon, sent their stolen Lamanite wives to beg the army for mercy for their husbands. The Lamanites did not kill them, but told them to join them in their search for a way back to the land of Nephi. On their way back home, they came upon Alma’s people.

The Lamanite ruler promised Alma and his brothers that if they would show them the way back to the land of Nephi, they would not kill them, but give them freedom. After Alma showed them the way, the Lamanites did not keep their promise. They put guards around the land of Helam, over Alma and his brother.

The king made Amulon, the leader of Noah’s priests, ruler over the people of Alma.