“Chapter 22: Alma’s Mission to Ammonihah,” Book of Mormon Stories (1997), 58–63
“Chapter 22,” Book of Mormon Stories, 58–63
Chapter 22
Alma’s Mission to Ammonihah
Alma worried about the Nephites’ wickedness, so he decided to spend all his time preaching the gospel. He chose Nephihah to replace him as chief judge.
Alma taught the gospel throughout the land. When he tried to preach in Ammonihah, the people would not listen. They threw him out of the city.
Alma was sad that the people of Ammonihah were so wicked. He left to go to another city.
An angel appeared and comforted Alma. The angel told him to go back to Ammonihah and preach again. Alma hurried back.
Alma was hungry. As he entered the city, he asked a man for some food. An angel had told the man that Alma would come and that Alma was a prophet of God.
This man, Amulek, took Alma to his home and fed him. Alma stayed with Amulek and his family for many days. He thanked God for Amulek’s family and blessed them.
Alma told Amulek about his calling to teach the people of Ammonihah. Amulek went with Alma to teach the people. The Holy Ghost helped them.
Alma told the people to repent or God would destroy them. He said Jesus Christ would come and save those who had faith in him and repented.
The people of Ammonihah became angry. They tried to throw Alma into prison, but the Lord protected him.
Then Amulek began to teach. Many of the people knew Amulek; he was not a stranger as Alma was. He told them about the angel he had seen.
Amulek said Alma was a prophet of God and spoke the truth. The people were surprised to hear Amulek’s testimony.
Some of the people became angry, especially one wicked man named Zeezrom. They tried to trick Amulek with questions, but he told them he knew about their plan.
Zeezrom wanted to destroy everything that was good. He would cause problems, and then people would pay him money to solve the problems he had created.
Zeezrom could not trick Amulek, so he offered him money to say there is no God. Amulek knew God lives and said Zeezrom knew it too but loved money more than God.
Then Amulek taught Zeezrom about Jesus and about the Resurrection and eternal life. The people were amazed. Zeezrom began to shake with fear.
Zeezrom knew that Alma and Amulek had the power of God because they knew his thoughts. Zeezrom asked questions and listened as Alma taught him the gospel.
Some people believed Alma and Amulek and began to repent and study the scriptures.
But most of the people wanted to kill Alma and Amulek. They tied the two men up and took them to the chief judge.
Zeezrom was sorry he had been wicked and had taught the people lies. He begged the people to let Alma and Amulek go.
Zeezrom and the other men who believed Alma and Amulek’s teachings were thrown out of the city. The wicked people threw rocks at them.
Then the wicked people gathered the women and children who believed and threw them, along with their scriptures, into a fire.
Alma and Amulek were forced to watch the women and children die in the fire. Amulek wanted to use the power of God to save them.
But Alma told Amulek that he was not to stop the killing because the dying people would soon be with God and the wicked people would be punished.
The chief judge slapped Alma and Amulek several times and mocked them because they had not saved the burning women and children. Then he threw them into prison.
Other evil men came to the prison and abused Alma and Amulek in many ways, including starving them and spitting on them.
The chief judge said if Alma and Amulek used the power of God to free themselves, he would believe. He slapped them again.
Alma and Amulek stood up. Alma prayed and asked God to make them strong because of their faith in Christ.
The power of God filled Alma and Amulek, and they broke the ropes that held them. The evil men were scared and tried to run but fell down.
The ground shook, and the prison walls fell on the wicked men. The Lord protected Alma and Amulek, and they were not hurt.
The people of Ammonihah came to see what was happening. When they saw Alma and Amulek walking out of the crumbled prison, they became scared and ran away.
The Lord told Alma and Amulek to go to Sidom. There they found the righteous people. Zeezrom was also there and was very sick.
Zeezrom was glad to see Alma and Amulek. He worried that they had been killed because of what he had done. He asked them to heal him.
Zeezrom believed in Jesus Christ and had repented of his sins. When Alma prayed for him, Zeezrom was immediately healed.
Zeezrom was baptized and began to preach the gospel. Many others were also baptized.
The wicked people of Ammonihah were all killed by a Lamanite army, as Alma had prophesied.