Zoramites Become Angry with Believers

When Amulek was through speaking, he and Alma left the crowd and went over to the land of Jershon. After the rest of his brethren had preached the word to the Zoramites, they joined Amulek and Alma in Jershon. Then the more popular Zoramites consulted with one another about what had been preached, and they became angry, for it destroyed their priestcraft. This is why they had not listened to the words. Then they assembled all the people in the land, and asked them what they thought about the preaching. The rulers, priests, and teachers did not let the people know their plans, so the people expressed their opinions. By this deception, the rulers, priests, and teachers identified those who were in favor of the preaching, and then exiled them from the land. The many people who were exiled came over to the land of Jershon. In Jershon, Alma and his brethren ministered to them.

The Zoramites remaining in Zoram were angry with Ammon’s people for taking in their outcasts. Their wicked chief ruler sent an order to Ammon’s people, telling them to send away the Zoramites who had come into their land. He threatened Ammon’s people, but they were not afraid of his words. They received all the poor Zoramites that came over to them. They fed and clothed them, gave them lands for their inheritance, and administered to them according to their wants. This made the Zoramites very angry with Ammon’s people, and they stirred up the Lamanites to also become angry. By the end of 75 BC, the Zoramites and Lamanites began to prepare for war against Ammon’s people and the Nephites.

Ammon’s people left the land of Jershon and came over to the land of Melek, and allowed the Nephite army to occupy the land of Jershon. Then a war between the Lamanites and Nephites began in 74 BC.

Alma and his two sons (Shiblon and Corianton), Ammon, and their brethren returned to the land of Zarahemla, having been instruments in God’s hands to bring many Zoramites to repentance. And those who had been exiled were given lands in Jershon. There they took up arms to defend themselves, their wives, children, and lands. Alma was very sad, and his heart sorrowed over his people’s sinfulness, wars, bloodshed, and contentions. Alma had declared the word, or had sent others to declare it, in every city. But now the people’s hearts were growing hard, and they were offended by the strictness of the word. Alma gathered his sons, Helaman, Shiblon, and Corianton, to give each of them instructions pertaining to righteousness.