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Book of Mormon Commentary
Alma Chapter 10
Alma 10:27 And now my brethren, I wish from the inmost part of my heart, yea, with great anxiety,
even unto pain, that ye would hearken unto my words, and cast off your sins, and not procrastinate the
day of your repentance;
This revealed the deep concern Alma had for the Nephites of Ammonihah. He continued his
appeal by admonishing them to "humble yourselves....watch and pray continually, that ye may not
be tempted above that which ye can bear” (28). He closed his message to them urging them to
repent "that ye may not be bound down by the chains of hell, that ye may not suffer the second
death" (30).
BELIEVERS BURNED OR IMPRISONED, VER. 33-53
Alma 10:36 But it came to pass that they did not; but they took them and bound them with strong cords,
and took them before the chief judge of the land.
Some of the people believed, but most of them "were angry with Alma, because of the plainness of
his words unto Zeezrom" (33). They claimed Amulek had reviled their law, their lawyers, and
their judges (34). At first the leaders of the people sought to put Alma and Amulek in prison
"privily" (35). But they changed their plan for some reason and took them openly. Perhaps some
assurance was received from the officers that there was no danger in the latter course.
Alma 10:40 And it came to pass that Zeezrom was astonished at the words which had been spoken; and
he also knew concerning the blindness of the minds which he had caused among the people, by his lying
words;
The record tells that "his soul began to be harrowed up, under a consciousness of his own guilt"
(41). He then confessed, “Behold I am guilty, and these men are spotless before God" (42). Since
he was their chief spokesman among the lawyers, it would seem that the people would reverse
their stand. However, such was not the case. They turned against Zeezrom saying: “Art thou also
possessed with the devil?" (43). He was classed with the believers. They spit on him and cast him
out with the believers and sent men to stone them.
Alma 10:45 And they brought their wives and children together, and whosoever believed or had been
taught to believe in the word of God, they caused that they should be cast into the fire;
Civilization is a thin veneer over a savage breast at times. These were Nephites, not degenerate
sons of Laman who were burning innocent women and children for their beliefs or for what they
might believe! They also burned their records and scriptures.
Then satisfied that they had instilled great fear in those who might be leaning toward the church,
they again turned their attention to Alma and Amulek. They "carried them forth to the place of
martyrdom, that they might witness the destruction 0£ those who were consumed by fire" (47).
The sight pained Amulek so much that he suggested to Alma, "Let us stretch forth our hands, and
exercise the power 0£ God which is in us, and save them from the flames" (49). The suffering of
these women and children should have melted the hardest heart among them. Amulek was not