Latter Day Saints; United States -- Description and travel
We have next an episode, giving an account of the missionary adventures of
the sons of Mosiah, in their attempts to evangelize the Lamanites. These
four sons most unexpectedly made their appearance in the land of Zarahemla
after an absence of fourteen years. After they first reached the land of
the Lamanites, they were seized and made slaves in the service of several
princes that reigned there. Ammon, whose adventures are related with the
most minuteness, was a perfect Guy of Warwick. He could encounter and
overcome by his single arm, hundreds of men, all trying at the same time to
overpower him. He gave a specimen of his prowess in this way, in protecting
the king's flock, which he was leading to water, against the efforts of a
band of hostile shepherds who tried to scatter and disperse the flock. The
fame thereof came to the king. He was called into his presence. This opened
the way for him to preach the Gospel to him. While he was speaking the
power of the Holy Spirit was displayed in such a way that the king fell to
the ground, and his wife and servants. They were, of course, all converted.
Ammon now became a great man, and though he encountered much opposition,
and many trials, he and his brethren succeeded in converting all the Kings
and Queens, and most of the people of the Lamanites. They seem, generally,
previous to their conversion, to have had, what in modern times is called
the _power_. They were most generally struck down under the word, and after
remaining insensible awhile, they rose up and began to shout praises to
the Most High, being perfectly transformed. These converted people were
called Anti-Nephi-Lehies. Soon the more fierce tribes of the Lamanites who
still remained unconverted, made war upon these; and as they seem with
these new views to have adopted the doctrine of non-resistance, they were
in danger of being exterminated. Hence by the suggestion of the four
missionaries, they determined to emigrate to Zarahemla. They had already
reached the border of the land, and when the king's sons met Alma, their
principal errand was to ask permission for this people to dwell in the land
of the Nephites. This request was of course granted.
Alma gave very long lectures or charges to his sons, and especially to
Helaman, to whom he committed all the sacred plates, the interpreters, and
the director which guided Lehi through the wilderness. To him he also
uttered this prediction, "Behold I perceive that this very people, the
Nephites, according to the spirit which is in me, in four hundred years
from the time that Jesus Christ shall manifest himself unto them, shall
dwindle in unbelief; yea, and then shall they see wars, and pestilences,
yea, famines and bloodshed, even until the people of Nephi shall become
extinct."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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