10:1 Now these are the words which Amulek preached unto the people who
were in the land of Ammonihah, saying:
10:2 I am Amulek; I am the son of Giddonah, who was the son of Ishmael,
who was a descendant of Aminadi; and it was the same Aminadi who
interpreted the writing which was upon the wall of the temple, which
was written by the finger of God.
10:3 And Aminadi was a descendant of Nephi, who was the son of Lehi,
who came out of the land of Jerusalem, who was a descendant of
Manasseh, who was the son of Joseph who was sold into Egypt by the
hands of his brethren.
10:4 And behold, I am also a man of no small reputation among all those
who know me; yea, and behold, I have many kindreds and friends, and I
have also acquired much riches by the hand of my industry.
10:5 Nevertheless, after all this, I never have known much of the ways
of the Lord, and his mysteries and marvelous power. I said I never had
known much of these things; but behold, I mistake, for I have seen much
of his mysteries and his marvelous power; yea, even in the preservation
of the lives of this people.
10:6 Nevertheless, I did harden my heart, for I was called many times
and I would not hear; therefore I knew concerning these things, yet I
would not know; therefore I went on rebelling against God, in the
wickedness of my heart, even until the fourth day of this seventh
month, which is in the tenth year of the reign of the judges.
10:7 As I was journeying to see a very near kindred, behold an angel of
the Lord appeared unto me and said: Amulek, return to thine own house,
for thou shalt feed a prophet of the Lord; yea, a holy man, who is a
chosen man of God; for he has fasted many days because of the sins of
this people, and he is an hungered, and thou shalt receive him into thy
house and feed him, and he shall bless thee and thy house; and the
blessing of the Lord shall rest upon thee and thy house.
10:8 And it came to pass that I obeyed the voice of the angel, and
returned towards my house. And as I was going thither I found the man
whom the angel said unto me: Thou shalt receive into thy house—and
behold it was this same man who has been speaking unto you concerning
the things of God.
10:9 And the angel said unto me he is a holy man; wherefore I know he
is a holy man because it was said by an angel of God.
10:10 And again, I know that the things whereof he hath testified are
true; for behold I say unto you, that as the Lord liveth, even so has
he sent his angel to make these things manifest unto me; and this he
has done while this Alma hath dwelt at my house.
10:11 For behold, he hath blessed mine house, he hath blessed me, and
my women, and my children, and my father and my kinsfolk; yea, even all
my kindred hath he blessed, and the blessing of the Lord hath rested
upon us according to the words which he spake.
10:12 And now, when Amulek had spoken these words the people began to
be astonished, seeing there was more than one witness who testified of
the things whereof they were accused, and also of the things which were
to come, according to the spirit of prophecy which was in them.
10:13 Nevertheless, there were some among them who thought to question
them, that by their cunning devices they might catch them in their
words, that they might find witness against them, that they might
deliver them to their judges that they might be judged according to the
law, and that they might be slain or cast into prison, according to the
crime which they could make appear or witness against them.
10:14 Now it was those men who sought to destroy them, who were
lawyers, who were hired or appointed by the people to administer the
law at their times of trials, or at the trials of the crimes of the
people before the judges.
10:15 Now these lawyers were learned in all the arts and cunning of the
people; and this was to enable them that they might be skilful in their
profession.
10:16 And it came to pass that they began to question Amulek, that
thereby they might make him cross his words, or contradict the words
which he should speak.
10:17 Now they knew not that Amulek could know of their designs. But it
came to pass as they began to question him, he perceived their
thoughts, and he said unto them: O ye wicked and perverse generation,
ye lawyers and hypocrites, for ye are laying the foundation of the
devil; for ye are laying traps and snares to catch the holy ones of
God.
10:18 Ye are laying plans to pervert the ways of the righteous, and to
bring down the wrath of God upon your heads, even to the utter
destruction of this people.
10:19 Yea, well did Mosiah say, who was our last king, when he was
about to deliver up the kingdom, having no one to confer it upon,
causing that this people should be governed by their own voices—yea,
well did he say that if the time should come that the voice of this
people should choose iniquity, that is, if the time should come that
this people should fall into transgression, they would be ripe for
destruction.
10:20 And now I say unto you that well doth the Lord judge of your
iniquities; well doth he cry unto this people, by the voice of his
angels: Repent ye, repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
10:21 Yea, well doth he cry, by the voice of his angels that: I will
come down among my people, with equity and justice in my hands.
10:22 Yea, and I say unto you that if it were not for the prayers of
the righteous, who are now in the land, that ye would even now be
visited with utter destruction; yet it would not be by flood, as were
the people in the days of Noah, but it would be by famine, and by
pestilence, and the sword.
10:23 But it is by the prayers of the righteous that ye are spared; now
therefore, if ye will cast out the righteous from among you then will
not the Lord stay his hand; but in his fierce anger he will come out
against you; then ye shall be smitten by famine, and by pestilence, and
by the sword; and the time is soon at hand except ye repent.
10:24 And now it came to pass that the people were more angry with
Amulek, and they cried out, saying: This man doth revile against our
laws which are just, and our wise lawyers whom we have selected.
10:25 But Amulek stretched forth his hand, and cried the mightier unto
them, saying: O ye wicked and perverse generation, why hath Satan got
such great hold upon your hearts? Why will ye yield yourselves unto him
that he may have power over you, to blind your eyes, that ye will not
understand the words which are spoken, according to their truth?
10:26 For behold, have I testified against your law? Ye do not
understand; ye say that I have spoken against your law; but I have not,
but I have spoken in favor of your law, to your condemnation.
10:27 And now behold, I say unto you, that the foundation of the
destruction of this people is beginning to be laid by the
unrighteousness of your lawyers and your judges.
10:28 And now it came to pass that when Amulek had spoken these words
the people cried out against him, saying: Now we know that this man is
a child of the devil, for he hath lied unto us; for he hath spoken
against our law. And now he says that he has not spoken against it.
10:29 And again, he has reviled against our lawyers, and our judges.
10:30 And it came to pass that the lawyers put it into their hearts
that they should remember these things against him.
10:31 And there was one among them whose name was Zeezrom. Now he was
the foremost to accuse Amulek and Alma, he being one of the most expert
among them, having much business to do among the people.
10:32 Now the object of these lawyers was to get gain; and they got
gain according to their employ.