Mosiah 24

Amulon became a trusted retainer of King Laman, the new Lamanite king who was named after his father. He taught them how to write and keep records. This enabled the Lamanites to greatly increase their wealth and trade with each other. As they became more powerful, they also became more overbearing.

As king of Helam, Amulon became the overseer of Alma and his people, whom he took delight in persecuting. Alma and Amulon had once been fellow priests under King Noah. While Alma had been inspired and transformed by Abinadi’s words, Amulon held them both in contempt. Amulon blamed Alma for the fall from his previous status as high priest in the kingdom of Noah to his present status as subject of King Laman, so he worked Alma’s people like animals and put them under the constant supervision of heavy-handed taskmasters. The hardships imposed on Alma’s people became so great that they cried out to God for help. Amulon ordered them to stop their crying and instructed their guards to kill anyone they found praying to God.

Alma and his people then prayed to God in silence. “I hear your silent prayers,” God said to them. “I know of your covenants to me. You may be comforted in your torment by knowing that I promise to deliver you from your slavery. Until then, I will ease your burdens so that you won’t even feel them. I do this so that you will know that I am with you in your hardships.”

With the weight of their burdens lifted by God, the people of Alma submitted cheerfully to the circumstances. Their faith and their patience was so great that God again came to them saying, “Tomorrow I will deliver you from slavery.”

During the night, Alma’s people gathered their livestock and provisions. The next morning, God induced a deep sleep upon the Lamanites and all their taskmasters. While they were asleep, the people of Alma fled the land of the Lamanites. After traveling a day in the wilderness, they rested and gave thanks to God for his mercy in delivering them from slavery. They knew that no one but God could have freed them.

God told Alma to make haste and get his people out of the Lamanites’ land, because their presumptive masters were now awake and in angry pursuit. “When you move on,” God said, “I will stop them here and let them chase you no further.”

After twelve more days of travel in the wilderness, they reached the land of Zarahemla and were received joyfully by King Mosiah. [120 BC]