The people of Ammonihah are caught off guard by the simple testimony of one of their own. Amulek steps forward to defend Alma with a simple story: I was once like you, successful in business but oblivious to the things of God. But an angel told me that Alma is a prophet of God. The lawyers immediately begin to cross-examine Amulek, prompting him to criticize the lawyers. He declares that they are laying the foundation for the destruction of the people.
Chapter Outline
- Amulek introduces himself and shares his experience with meeting Alma (v. 1-11)
- He rebukes the lawyers who attempt to question him (v. 12-23)
- He distinguishes between the law (which he supports) and the lawyers (whom he condemns) (v. 24-32)
My Takeaways
- You may already know things that you don’t realize you know.
- We need to recognize and acknowledge truths, even when those truths compel us to change.
- We may have been called many times. We are only chosen when we choose to heed the call.
- Loyalty to people can override our more important loyalty: to the truth.
Featured Blog Posts
❖ Amulek’s testimony – Alma 10:1-11
Knowing
As Amulek stepped forward to defend the unpopular prophet Alma, he explained to his neighbors that he had recently become aware of some obvious facts which had previously escaped his notice: “I have seen much of [God’s] mysteries and his marvelous power,” he said; “yea, even in the preservation of the lives of this people.…
Is It Possible to Know Something but Not to Know That You Know It?
In 1880, a young church leader, Heber J. Grant, was challenged by Joseph F. Smith, one of the apostles. Heber had just stated in a sermon that he “believed” the gospel was true. Following the meeting, Joseph asked him, “Don’t you know absolutely that the gospel is true?” “I do not,” was Heber’s reply. The…
Called and Chosen
Twice in the Gospel of Matthew, the Savior makes a distinction between being called or invited (kletoi in Greek) and being chosen or selected (eklektoi). “Many are called,” He says, “but few are chosen” (Matthew 22:14; see also Matthew 22:16). Several Book of Mormon passages emphasize the principle that a person can be called without…
I Obeyed the Voice of the Angel – Alma 10:7-9
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…
Being an Amulek
It’s relatively easy to discount a testimony from a stranger. When a friend or neighbor shares their personal experience, it can be more impactful. Like Amulek, we can help our friends open their hearts to God by sharing our experiences with the gospel.
❖ Amulek rebukes the lawyers – Alma 10:12-23
The Prayers of the Righteous – Alma 10:22-23
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…
Traps and Snares
Amulek explained to the lawyers in Ammonihah that they were laying “traps and snares to catch the holy ones of God.” The devil lays snares for us, preying on our feelings of inadequacy, imperfection, and guilt. We escape those snares by relying on God.
❖ The lawyers vs. the law – Alma 10:24-32
Laws and Lawyers
When King Mosiah introduced a new form of government, he distinguished between the law and the people who administer it. The problem with monarchy is that it is too easy for the king to change the law (Mosiah 29:22-23). But when leaders are chosen by “the voice of the people,” they can be held accountable…
To Blind Your Eyes – Alma 10:24-25
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. 25 But Amulek stretched forth his hand, and cried the mightier unto them, saying: O ye wicked…
“He Hath Lied Unto Us” – Alma 10:28, Alma 12:3
The Book of Mormon teaches plainly that lying is wrong (2 Nephi 9:34, 2 Nephi 26:32, 2 Nephi 28:8, Alma 16:18, 3 Nephi 30:2, 4 Nephi 1:16, Mormon 8:31). God does not tell lies (Enos 1:6, 3 Nephi 27:18, Ether 3:12). The devil is “the father of all lies” (2 Nephi 2:18, 2 Nephi 9:9,…
Old Testament Foundations
Writing on the Wall
God communicates with us in many ways. King Nebuchadnezzar received messages in dreams. (See Daniel 2, Daniel 4.) His son Belshazzar received a more dramatic message in a way that he could not ignore. As he hosted a drunken feast and disrespectfully drank from the cups which had been used for sacred ordinances in the…
When I Called
The book of Isaiah ends on a happy note: a new heaven and a new earth, with joy and peace among those who have been faithful to God. But the text is also tinged with sorrow for those who have not been faithful. Twice, the Lord utters the following lament: “When I called, ye did not…
It Fell on a Day
Three events from the life of a Shunnamite woman are introduced with the phrase “it fell on a day:” The first time she saw the prophet Elisha and persuaded him to eat dinner at her home (2 Kings 4:8). When Elisha and his servant came to stay at her house, and he promised that she…
Manasseh and Ephraim
After Joseph became a ruler in Egypt, he married and had two sons. Their names represent two aspects of his Egyptian experience: Manasseh (מְנַשֶּׁה) means “causing to forget.” Joseph explained the name: “God…hath made me forget all my toil, and all my father’s house” (Genesis 41:51). He was no longer plagued with the memory of…
New Testament Parallels
Out of Much Affliction
Three principles from Paul about suffering: 1. God loves us and will comfort us when we suffer. 2. Suffering can result in growth and progression with God’s help. 3. We can find joy when we suffer, particularly when we maintain an eternal perspective.
Church History Connections
Blessings
The angel who appeared to Amulek commanded him to return home. He told Amulek that he would meet a prophet of God along the way, whom he should invite into his home. The angel promised that this prophet “shall bless thee and thy house; and the blessing of the Lord shall rest upon thee and…
In Darkness at Noon-Day
In a revelation received by Joseph Smith in 1833, the Lord laments the state of church members who fail to recognize what they have. He described them as “walking in darkness at noon-day” (Doctrine and Covenants 95:6). This imagery is reminiscent of the following passage in the book of Job: They meet with darkness in…
“In Part, but Not All”
In 1831, the Lord instructed Leman Copley, a recent convert, to return to his former congregation and share with them the truths he had learned in his new faith. The Lord described his former colleagues as being partly, but not fully, receptive: They desire to know the truth in part, but not all, for they…
All Posts Referencing Alma 10
- “I Have a Work for Thee” (1/9/2026)
- Mahaleel and Our Times of Awakening (9/25/2025)
- “The Harvest Is Past” (5/7/2025)
- Home (9/5/2024)
- Zeezrom and the Mob (6/29/2024)
- Arraigned (6/22/2024)
- Traps and Snares (6/21/2024)
- Being an Amulek (6/20/2024)
- A Hundredth Part: Mormon’s Editorial Decisions (1/3/2024)
- Testimony of Jesus = Spirit of Prophecy (12/30/2023)
- “All These Things Will I Give Thee” (2/3/2023)
- Writing on the Wall (11/4/2022)
- When I Called (10/9/2022)
- It Fell on a Day (7/5/2022)
- “Give Me to Drink” (7/3/2022)
- Manasseh and Ephraim (3/13/2022)
- Heavenly Help (2/22/2022)
- “I Did Eat” (1/13/2022)
- Blessings (11/14/2021)
- Angels (11/9/2021)
- Called and Chosen (10/20/2021)
- In Darkness at Noon-Day (9/3/2021)
- Purse nor Scrip (7/29/2021)
- “In Part, but Not All” (5/12/2021)
- Declare Repentance (2/18/2021)
- “I Always Knew” – Alma 30:52 (7/7/2020)
- “He Hath Lied Unto Us” – Alma 10:28, Alma 12:3 (6/12/2020)
- Laws and Lawyers (6/11/2020)
- Knowing (6/9/2020)
- What Are the Mysteries of God? (1/19/2020)
- What Does It Mean to Be “Ripe in Iniquity?” (11/23/2019)
- How Can I Recognize the Temptations of the Devil? (8/18/2019)
- Is It Possible to Know Something but Not to Know That You Know It? (1/9/2019)
- To Blind Your Eyes – Alma 10:24-25 (7/10/2018)
- I Obeyed the Voice of the Angel – Alma 10:7-9 (3/19/2018)
- The Prayers of the Righteous – Alma 10:22-23 (11/28/2017)
- To Blind Your Eyes – Alma 10:25 (6/13/2015)
- Alma 10:5-6 I Knew…Yet I Would Not Know (11/1/2014)