Alma 11

The law of Mosiah provided that judges would receive a wage according to the time they spent on the cases before them. If someone refused to pay a debt, he was called before a judge, who heard the evidence. When the evidence was ruled upon, people were compelled to pay what they owed or were cast out as thieves.

For many judges, the sole purpose of taking the job was to get paid. They conspired to create riots and disturbances to get more employment from the resulting lawsuits brought before them. Now, they conspired against Alma and Amulek.

Zeezrom was very skilled in the ways of the devil and sought to destroy that which was good. He asked Amulek, “Will you answer a few questions for me?”

“Yes,” Amulek replied. “But I will say nothing contrary to the spirit of God which is in me.”

“Here is a small bag of silver. I will give this to you if you will deny the existence of God,” Zeezrom said.

“Why do you tempt me, you child of hell?” Amulek asked. “The righteous do not yield to temptations. You know there is a God, but unfortunately you love money more than him. You have no intention of giving me this money, anyhow. You just want to see if you can buy my denial of God so that you can destroy me. For this evil, you will receive your just reward.”

“So, you say there is a true and living God?” asked Zeezrom.

“Yes, there is a true and living God.”

“Is there more than one God?” asked Zeezrom.

“No,” replied Amulek.

“How do you know this?”

“An angel has told me,” said Amulek.

“And who is it that will come, the Son of God?” asked Zeezrom.

“Yes.”

“Will he save his people in their sins?” Zeezrom inquired.

“He will not. It is impossible for him to violate his word,” answered Amulek.

Zeezrom turned to the people and said, “Remember his answer. He has said there is but one God. He says that the Son of God will come, but will not save his people. Amulek, here, seems to think he has authority to command God.”

“That is a lie,” Amulek responded. “You said that I spoke as if I had authority to command God, because I said he would not save his people in their sins. What I said was that he cannot violate his word. God has said that no unclean thing can inherit the kingdom of heaven. How can you be saved unless you inherit the kingdom of heaven? Therefore, you cannot be saved in your sins.”

“Is the Son of God the very Eternal Father?” asked Zeezrom.

“Yes. He is the very Eternal Father of heaven and of earth, and all things in them. He is the beginning and the end, the first and the last,” answered Amulek. “He will come to the world to redeem his people and he will take upon himself the sins of those who believe in his name. Only those who believe in him will have eternal life and salvation. The wicked will remain as they were, but will not die. Everyone will arise from the dead and stand in judgment before God according to their actions. Jesus Christ’s death will raise the dead from their temporal death. The spirit and the body will be reunited in perfect form. We will be brought to stand before God just as we are now, knowing everything, and in perfect remembrance of all our guilt. This restoration will come to all, young and old, enslaved and free, men and women, wicked and righteous. Not even a hair of their heads will be lost. Each of us will be arraigned before the court of God’s justice to be judged according to our actions, whether they are good or whether they are evil. Our mortal bodies will be raised to immortal bodies with their spirits united together, never to be divided. The whole will become spiritual and immortal. There will be no more corruption.”

When Amulek finished speaking, the people were astounded and Zeezrom began to tremble. [82 BC]