The Innocent Are Burned

Many people believed him and began to repent and search the scriptures. But most of the people wanted to destroy Alma and Amulek. They were angry with Alma because he spoke so plainly to Zeezrom. They said Amulek had lied to them, and had reviled against their law, their lawyers, and judges. They were angry, for Alma and Amulek had testified plainly against their wickedness. They wanted to take the law into their own hands and kill them privately, but instead they tied Alma and Amulek with strong ropes and took them to the chief judge.

These wicked men witnessed against them, testifying that Alma and Amulek had reviled against their law, their lawyers, judges, and all the people in the land. Among many other things, they testified that Alma and Amulek said there was only one God, who would send His Son among the people, not to save them, but to throw them into a lake of fire and brimstone.

Zeezrom was astonished when he heard his words being repeated in the men’s testimonies. He knew he had caused the blindness of their minds by his lying. His soul began to be tormented as he realized his own guilt, and he began to be surrounded by the pains of hell. He cried out, “I am guilty, and these men are spotless before God!” But the men reviled Zeezrom, saying, “Are you also possessed with the devil?” They spit on him and threw him out. They also threw out the men who believed Alma and Amulek and sent men to throw rocks at them and chase them out of the city.

Then they brought the believers’ wives and children to a fire pit, and all who believed or had been taught to believe in God’s word were thrown into the fire. Then they brought their records—the holy scriptures—and threw them into the fire. They took Alma and Amulek to the place of martyrdom to see the women and children burning. When Amulek saw the pains of the women and children burning in the fire, he was pained, and said to Alma, “How can we witness this awful scene? Let us hold out our hands and exercise God’s power in us to save them.” Alma replied, “The Spirit stops me from holding out my hand. For the Lord receives them up unto Himself in glory. He allows the wicked to murder according to the hardness of their hearts so that His judgments and anger upon them will be just. For the blood of the innocent will stand as a witness, and cry mightily against them at the last day.” Then Amulek said to Alma, “Perhaps they will burn us, too.” Alma responded, “If it is the Lord’s will, but our work is not finished yet, so they will not burn us.”

After the innocent were burned along with their scriptures, the chief judge of the land came and stood before Alma and Amulek who were bound. He slapped their faces and said, “After what you have seen, will you preach to us again that we will be thrown into a lake of fire and brimstone? You did not have the power to save those in the fire, nor did God save them because they believed in your religion.” The judge slapped them again and asked, “What do you have to say for yourselves?” This judge was after the order and faith of Nehor, who killed Gideon. Alma and Amulek did not answer the judge, and he slapped them again and then turned them over to the officers to be thrown into prison.

They all left, but came again the next day. The judge slapped their faces, and so did many others, while saying, “Will you stand again and judge this people and condemn our law? If you have such great power, then why don’t you free yourselves?” Then with clenched teeth, they spit on them and said, “How will we look when we are damned?” They said all kinds of things like this to them, mocking and abusing them for many days. They took away their clothes and gave them no food or water. Alma and Amulek suffered this way, tied up in prison.

By the twelfth day of the tenth month in 82 BC, they had suffered for many days in prison. On this day, the chief judge over the land of Ammonihah went into the prison along with many teachers and lawyers. The chief judge slapped them and said, “If you have power from God, then free yourselves from your ropes. Then we will believe that the Lord will destroy this people as you said.” One by one, all the teachers and lawyers slapped Alma and Amulek, repeating what the chief judge had said. At last, when they had all finished, God’s power came upon Alma and Amulek, and they stood up. Alma cried out, “How long will we suffer these great afflictions, oh Lord? Oh Lord, give us strength to be freed according to our faith in Christ!” Then Alma and Amulek broke the ropes.

When the people saw this, they tried to run, for they were afraid they would be destroyed. They were so afraid, they fell down and could not get out of the prison. Then the earth shook mightily, and the prison walls broke in half and fell to the earth. The chief judge and all the lawyers, priests, and teachers who had abused Alma and Amulek were crushed to death by the falling walls.

The Lord had given Alma and Amulek power according to their faith in Christ and they walked out of the prison unharmed. Then they walked into the city of Ammonihah. Multitudes of people who had heard the great noise had run over to the prison to see what had happened. When they saw Alma and Amulek coming out of the collapsed prison, they were very afraid, and ran from them like a goat with her young running from two lions.