Following his visits to Zarahemla and Gideon, Alma visits the land of Melek. We don’t hear much about that visit, but it seems to go well. Then, he travels to Ammonihah, where he encounters a very different reception. The people tell him he has no authority over them, and they kick him out of the city. He is about to move on, when an angel tells him to go back with a similar warning to the one his father received from Abinadi: Repent or you will be destroyed. Alma goes back and finds an unexpected ally: a man named Amulek, who welcomes him into his home.
Chapter Outline
- Alma preaches in Melek (v. 1-5)
- Alma is rejected in Ammonihah (v. 6-13)
- An angel commands him to go back (v. 14-17)
- Amulek takes Alma into his home (v. 18-32)
My Takeaways
- We should pray for help as we share the gospel.
- Sometimes, we need to keep trying, even when success seems unlikely.
- Don’t try to do it alone. Recruit others to help in the work of salvation
Featured Blog Posts
❖ Rejected in Ammonihah – alma 8:6-13
Wrestling with God in Mighty Prayer – Alma 8:10
10 Nevertheless Alma labored much in the spirit, wrestling with God in mighty prayer, that he would pour out his Spirit upon the people who were in the city; that he would also grant that he might baptize them unto repentance. (Alma 8:10) Alma encountered resistance when he tried to preach the gospel in the…
❖ Commanded by an angel to return – Alma 8:14-17
Weighed Down with Sorrow – Alma 8:14-16
14 And it came to pass that while he was journeying thither, being weighed down with sorrow, wading through much tribulation and anguish of soul, because of the wickedness of the people who were in the city of Ammonihah, it came to pass while Alma was thus weighed down with sorrow, behold an angel of…
“Thou Hast Great Cause to Rejoice”
After Alma was kicked out of Ammonihah, he was weighed down with sorrow. The angel who sent him back told him that he had “great cause to rejoice.” Our confidence and patience can grow when we focus on the reasons we have to be joyful.
Return to the City of Ammonihah – Alma 8:14-16
14 And it came to pass that while he was journeying thither, being weighed down with sorrow, wading through much tribulation and anguish of soul, because of the wickedness of the people who were in the city of Ammonihah, it came to pass while Alma was thus weighed down with sorrow, behold an angel of…
❖ Alma meets Amulek – Alma 8:18-32
Finding Our Amuleks
After being forced to leave the city of Ammonihah, Alma saw an angel who commanded him to go back. The angel didn’t explain how things would be different this time, just that he should return and preach to the people of Ammonihah again. In response, he returned “speedily” (Alma 8:8-18). Arriving at the city, Alma…
That the Lord Might Show Forth His Power in Them – Alma 8:30-31
30 And Alma went forth, and also Amulek, among the people, to declare the words of God unto them; and they were filled with the Holy Ghost.31 And they had power given unto them, insomuch that they could not be confined in dungeons; neither was it possible that any man could slay them; nevertheless they…
Old Testament Foundations
“Give Me to Drink”
Today, I’ve been thinking about three incidents in which a representative of God, or the Savior Himself, asked a stranger for sustenance: During a severe drought, the prophet Elijah approached a poor widow near the gate of the city of Zarephath. “Fetch me, I pray thee, a little water in a vessel, that I may…
“Shew Thyself Unto Ahab”
Sometimes God directs us to participate in difficult conversations. Elijah initiated a famine by declaring to King Ahab, “There shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word” (1 Kings 17:1). Three years later, there was no doubt in Ahab’s mind that Elijah had caused the famine and that only Elijah could end it.…
Moses Besought the Lord
Some of the work of a leader is done out of sight, away from the people he or she leads. Even before Moses descended from Sinai and saw the golden calf, he had an opportunity to advocate on behalf of his people. The Lord told him what was happening at the bottom of the mountain:…
Wrestling
As Jacob prepared to meet his estranged brother the next day, he spent the night alone. The biblical record says that he wrestled with a man all night and persisted even when his thigh was knocked out of joint. At daybreak, he told the man he would not let him go until he received a…
New Testament Parallels
Straightway
Mark tells us that when Jesus called Peter and Andrew to be His disciples, “They straightway left their nets and followed him.” We likewise often need to act straightway, without unnecessary delays or detours.
Purse nor Scrip
It’s good to be prepared and conscientious, but it’s also important to make room for other people to serve. When Jesus called seventy missionaries and sent them out, two by two, to preach the gospel, He instructed them to travel lightly. “Carry neither purse, nor scrip,” He said, “nor [extra pair of] shoes.” He told…
What Does It Mean to Be “an Hungered?”
Note: This is the second in a series of blog posts about the meaning behind unusual words or phrases in the Book of Mormon. Alma was badly mistreated in the city of Ammonihah. Despite his dedicated efforts on behalf of the people—preaching the word of God, laboring in the Spirit, and “wrestling with God in…
Church History Connections
Not Separated
An Israelite woman named Naomi lived in Moab for many years. Both of her sons married Moabite women. After her husband and both sons died, Naomi decided to return home, and she encouraged both of her daughters-in-law to return to their families. One of them, Orpah, agreed and affectionately bid farewell to Naomi. But Ruth…
“Let Them…Not Tarry”
I made haste, and delayed not to keep thy commandments. Psalm 119:60 There is power in doing what needs to be done as soon as possible, without unnecessary delay. When the Lord instructed Alma to return to the city of Ammonihah, “he returned speedily” (Alma 8:18). Sometime later, when Zeezrom asked Alma and Amulek to…
“Blessed Art Thou”
It is easy to be hard on ourselves. When we feel God’s approval, anxiety can be replaced by confidence. When the Lord directed Lehi to take his family into the wilderness, He prefaced the commandment with the following words of reassurance: Blessed art thou Lehi, because of the things which thou hast done. 1 Nephi…
All Posts Referencing Alma 8
- Responsive Remnants: Patterns of Righteousness in Sodom and Ammonihah (2/25/2026)
- The Savior’s Instructions to Missionaries, Ancient and Modern (8/1/2025)
- “Sweet Evidence” (4/3/2025)
- Weeping for Zion (3/16/2025)
- Strengthen Them (3/12/2025)
- Home (9/5/2024)
- After the Holy Order of God (8/13/2024)
- Received or Cast Out (8/9/2024)
- Exquisite (8/2/2024)
- Zeezrom and the Mob (6/29/2024)
- Being an Amulek (6/20/2024)
- “Thou Hast Great Cause to Rejoice” (6/18/2024)
- Where You Want Me to Go (7/21/2023)
- Their Angels (4/21/2023)
- Straightway (1/28/2023)
- Rise to the Call (11/26/2022)
- “Give Me to Drink” (7/3/2022)
- “Shew Thyself Unto Ahab” (7/1/2022)
- Moses Besought the Lord (5/1/2022)
- Wrestling (3/1/2022)
- Not Separated (11/27/2021)
- Spirit (11/10/2021)
- Angels (11/9/2021)
- “Let Them…Not Tarry” (10/15/2021)
- “I Have Not Spoken in Secret” (9/24/2021)
- Purse nor Scrip (7/29/2021)
- “Blessed Art Thou” (3/9/2021)
- Finding Our Amuleks (6/10/2020)
- What Should I Be Thankful For? (11/28/2019)
- What Should I Do When Prophetic Teachings Are Difficult to Understand or Accept? (10/6/2019)
- Why Are We Blessed When We Are Reviled? (9/9/2019)
- Why Is It Important to Lift Up Our Heads? (9/7/2019)
- How Can I Recognize the Temptations of the Devil? (8/18/2019)
- Is It Wrong to Complain? (5/2/2019)
- How Does God Communicate with Us? (4/16/2019)
- What Does It Mean to Be “an Hungered?” (1/24/2019)
- Weighed Down with Sorrow – Alma 8:14-16 (3/18/2018)
- Wrestling with God in Mighty Prayer – Alma 8:10 (1/18/2018)
- That the Lord Might Show Forth His Power in Them – Alma 8:30-31 (2/14/2017)
- Return to the City of Ammonihah – Alma 8:14-16 (6/9/2015)