Mosiah Ch23

Just when you thought we were finally back from the flashback we go into another one! This is the story of that group of people that fled with Alma away from King Noah. The first thing that happens is Alma refusing to be the peoples new king and The Lord begins to chasten his people.

The Lord had strengthened the people when they had fled from King Noah and they journeyed for 8 days to settle in a beautiful land (v1-4). As they lived there they were industrious and prospered because Alma refused to be king because he did not want the power to get to him like he once had (v5-9). He was tempted by the power he had when he was a priest of Noah and refused to put himself in that situation again. He is so strong :)

He is now humbled and does not unworthily glory himself but declares that the people are free from that oppression (v10-13). He offers up himself as a teacher because he is a man of God who taught love for each other and no contentions (v14-16). Alma, being the high priest of the church, called other teachers to teach and nourish the people in the land they called Helam (v17-19). As they were there, they prospered and were given trials by The Lord to strengthen their faith if they trusted him (v20-22).

The people were put into bondage but delivered by The Lord and this trial strengthened them and brought them joy in the end (v23-24). Here's how they got into bondage: a Lamanite army appeared and the people gathered in fear in the city to be conforted by Alma (v25-27). They prayed to The Lord, were conforted, and shown mercy by the Lamanites and brought into bondage without any loss of life (v28-29).

This army had been the one that had chased after the people of Limhi not to long ago (v30). There were a few differences though because they had run into the old priests of Noah. They had been hiding and surviving under the leadership of Amulon in a town they called Amulon with those kidnapped daughters (now their wives) (v31-33). Those wives saved the priests and they all joined the army, which brings us back to them wandering and coming upon Alma's group (v34-35).

They promise to spare them if they show the Lamanite army back home to the land of Nephi (v36). Alma trusted them and learned never to trust Lamanites because they were not wanting to back to not having a group of people supporting them (v37). The cunning former priest of Noah, Amulon, was allowed to be the ruler of the people of Alma as long as he did the will of the Lamanite king (v38-39). Unfair and bound to cause problems!