Mosiah 27

The insults by the unbelievers became so great that many church members began to whisper complaints. King Mosiah sent a letter saying that all people should be equal and telling nonbelievers to stop bothering church members. There began to be peace again in the land. The people began to be numerous building large cities and villages in all parts of the land. The Lord visited them and blessed them to be a large and wealthy people.

But the sons of Mosiah joined the nonbelievers. Alma, the son of Alma, became a wicked man. He was a man who spoke many powerful words. He led many of the people to sin. He went secretly with the sons of Mosiah trying to destroy the church and lead away the people of the Lord.

As they were traveling, an angel of the Lord appeared. The angel spoke with a voice of thunder that made the ground shake. They were so scared they fell to the ground.

The angel said: Alma, why do you trouble the church of God? The Lord hears the prayers of his people and his servant, Alma, your father. Your father has prayed with much faith for you. Because of his faith, the Lord has spared you and sent me to show you His power.

Can you see me before you? I am sent from God. Does not my voice shake the earth? Can you still argue against the power of God? I say to you, Alma, do not try to destroy the church. These were the last words that the angel spoke to Alma. Then the angel departed.

Alma and the sons of Mosiah fell again to the earth; great was their fear. They had seen an angel. His voice was like thunder; it shook the earth. They knew only God’s power could shake the earth like it was going to shake apart.

Alma was so shocked that he could not speak, or even open his mouth. He became so weak that he could not move his hands. He was carried to his father and laid down.

His father was happy, for he knew that this was the power of God. He gathered the people together so they could see what the Lord had done for his son. After they had fasted and prayed for two days and nights, Alma the younger stood and began to speak.

He said: I have repented of my sins and have been saved by the Lord. I am born of the Spirit. The Lord said to me: Do not wonder that all people must be born again. Yes, born of God, they are changed from their sinful condition to a state of good. They are saved by God and become new. Only then can they inherit God’s kingdom.

I have been in the darkness. My soul was racked with terrible pain. I had rejected Christ the Lord. After wading through misery, almost to death, the Lord in mercy brought me out of the awful chains of sin. Now I know Christ will come and that He remembers every person. Every knee will bow and every tongue will say that He is God.

From this day on, Alma and four of the sons of Mosiah, Ammon, Aaron, Omner and Himni, who were with Alma at the time the angel appeared to them, traveled through all the land preaching the word of God.

Unbelievers often beat them. Still, they tried to repair the damage they did to the people of the church. They became tools in the hands of God to bring many people to God. They were blessed, for they spread peace and showed the people that the Lord rules.