The leaders of Ammonihah responded violently to Alma and Amulek’s preaching. They arrested the preachers and called witnesses to testify against them. When Zeezrom tried to defend them, they banished him and all other men who believed. Then, they committed a horrific crime, burning to death the women and children who believed. Alma and Amulek endured additional abuse in prison before being miraculously freed.
Chapter Outline
- Alma and Amulek arrested and tried; Zeezrom tries to defend them (v. 1-7)
- Martyrdom of women and children (v. 8-17)
- Alma and Amulek miraculously delivered from prison (v. 18-29)
My Takeaways
- A witness has more credibility when he or she is willing to pay a price for their testimony.
- God doesn’t always spare us from trials and suffering. We must be willing to trust Him.
- God allows us to make bad choices so that we can be accountable for our actions.
Featured Blog Posts
❖ Alma and Amulek arrested – Alma 14:1-7
Zeezrom and the Mob
Mob mentality means making decisions based on the expectations of a group. The mob in Ammonihah couldn’t be convinced by a second witness (Amulek), a third witness (Zeezrom) or a miracle (deliverance from prison). We must make independent decisions.
❖ Martyrdom – Alma 14:8-17
Martyrdom
A martyr is a witness. The word “martyr” appears three times in the King James version of the Bible. It is a translation of the Greek word martus (μάρτυς), which is translated many other places as “witness.” Perhaps standing up for what is right always requires some courage, but when a person is willing to…
Our Work Is Not Yet Finished – Alma 14:12-13
12 Now Amulek said unto Alma: Behold, perhaps they will burn us also. 13 And Alma said: Be it according to the will of the Lord. But, behold, our work is not finished; therefore they burn us not. (Alma 14:12-13) We all know that we have limited control over our lives. King Benjamin taught his…
❖ Deliverance from prison – Alma 14:18-29
Even Until the Last – Alma 14:24-25
24 And the chief judge stood before them, and smote them again, and said unto them: If ye have the power of God deliver yourselves from these bands, and then we will believe that the Lord will destroy this people according to your words. 25 And it came to pass that they all went forth…
Old Testament Foundations
“Their Bounds Are Set”
Freedom to choose is not the same thing as unlimited power. That seems pretty obvious, but in our pursuit of freedom, we sometimes fail to acknowledge our constraints. And when other people are misbehaving, we may forget that they, too, operate within constraints, seen or unseen. Job pointed out that the ultimate constraint on every…
Brimstone
When God warned Abraham that the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah would be destroyed, Abraham pleaded with Him to spare the righteous. God agreed. If there be ten righteous people in those cities, He promised, I will not destroy them. (See Genesis 18:17-32.) Messengers from God subsequently warned Lot and and his family to leave…
Even Until the Last – Alma 14:24-25
24 And the chief judge stood before them, and smote them again, and said unto them: If ye have the power of God deliver yourselves from these bands, and then we will believe that the Lord will destroy this people according to your words. 25 And it came to pass that they all went forth…
New Testament Parallels
Imprisoned
Many servants of God have accomplished great things while imprisoned. Elder Stevenson pointed out that these individuals “were defined more by what they were able to do with the Lord’s help than by what they could not do as a result of their confinement.”
He Answered Them Nothing
Sometimes, the best answer is no answer at all. As Jesus endured unjust trials, He responded to some questions with silence. Alma and Amulek did the same in the prison in Ammonihah. Sometimes, disciples of Christ must resist the impulse to respond.
Nunc Dimittis
There is a serenity in knowing that our work is done, but there is also a calm assurance in the sense that we have more to do and that there will be enough time to do it. Simeon’s confidence that he would see the Messiah and his contentment when that promise was fulfilled illustrate the…
Church History Connections
Innumerable
There are lots of good people in this world. That’s one message I get from Joseph F. Smith’s Vision of the Redemption of the Dead. Although the question which prompted this revelation was a logistical one—how could the Savior preach to so many disobedient spirits during the brief period between His death and His resurrection—another…
All Posts Referencing Alma 14
- Received or Cast Out (8/9/2024)
- Zeezrom and the Mob (6/29/2024)
- Faith Halls of Fame (11/11/2023)
- Imprisoned (7/29/2023)
- He Answered Them Nothing (6/24/2023)
- Blind (4/30/2023)
- Nunc Dimittis (1/12/2023)
- Rise to the Call (11/26/2022)
- The Book of Judges and the Book of Mormon (6/5/2022)
- Glory (12/28/2021)
- The Living Christ and the Book of Mormon (12/26/2021)
- “Their Bounds Are Set” (10/21/2021)
- Brimstone (6/10/2021)
- “Fools Mock” (5/2/2021)
- “And Thus We See…” (7/3/2020)
- Martyrdom (6/17/2020)
- Zeezrom (6/16/2020)
- Lost (6/13/2020)
- “He Hath Lied Unto Us” – Alma 10:28, Alma 12:3 (6/12/2020)
- Laws and Lawyers (6/11/2020)
- What Should I Do When I Feel Guilty? (6/24/2019)
- What Can We Learn from the Prayers Recorded in the Book of Mormon? (3/28/2019)
- Our Work Is Not Yet Finished – Alma 14:12-13 (2/14/2017)
- Even Until the Last – Alma 14:24-25 (6/21/2015)
- Alma 14:11 The Spirit Constraineth Me That I Must Not Stretch Forth Mine Hand (11/4/2014)