Jeffersonian Alma the Elder

The Book of Alma the Elder

An account of Alma and his people who were driven into the wilderness by the people of King Noah.

Traditionally composing of Mosiah chapters 23-24

--------------------Chapter 1--------------------

1 Alma had been warned of the armies of King Noah which were coming to kill he and his people.

2 Alma had all of his people gather their livestock and crops and flee into the wilderness and they fled for 8 days.

3 The armies of King Noah were not able to catch them.

4 Alma and his people came to a land that was very beautiful and pleasant. It had good, clean water.

5 They set up their tents and began to farm on the earth and build buildings. They were very industrious and worked hard.

6 Alma's people wanted him to be their king, because they loved him.

7 Alma said to them:

	8 "It is not a good idea to have a king. It is not good to have one man rule over another.

	9 If it were possible to always have good, moral people as your king, I would be fine with this.

	10 You should remember the immorality of King Noah and his teachers. Even I was convinced that they were moral men and did many immoral things.

	11 After I realized the error of my ways and the heartache that came from that realization, I was able to change how I lived my life and help others do the same.

	12 I do not do this for glory, I do this to help others.

	13 You were all oppressed by King Noah and his priests and lived immoral lives because of their examples.

	14 You live different lives now!

	15 We should live lives of liberty and freedom, and trust no one to be your king!

	16 Do not trust teachers unless they live moral lives themselves!"

17 This is what Alma spoke to his people. He also told them that if love their neighbor as much as they love themselves, there would be no contentions among them.

18 Alma was seen as a teacher and good leader, but he was not their king.

19 No one had authority over another.

20 He helped tach people and helped make them teachers themselves.

21 These teachers helped others whenever they were able to.

22 They began to prosper and called the land Helam.

23 They prospered so much that they began to have many children. They built a city, and they called it Helam.

24 These people realized the slavery that they lived under in the land of Nephi. They realized the only reason they were able to escape is because they worked together and lived moral lives.

25 One day, while the people of Helam were tilling the ground, an army of Lamanites came to the borders of their land.

26 All the farmers ran from their fields into the city, and they were very scared.

27 Alma calmed them and told them they had nothing to be afraid of.

28 Alma and his teachers went and surrendered to the Lamanites and subjected themselves to their rule.

29 This Lamanite army had been trying to find King Limhi's people when they escaped. They had been lost in the wilderness for many days.

30 These Lamanites had discovered King Noah's immoral teachers in a land they called Amulon. These immoral teachers had even begun to till the earth.

31 The leader of these teachers was named Amulon.

32 Amulon begged the Lamanites not to kill them. They had their wives (who were the Lamanite women they had abducted) also beg for their lives.

33 The Lamanites had compassion for them because of their wives.

34 Amulon and his fellow immoral teachers traveled with the Lamanite army in search for the land of Nephi when they discovered the land of Helam.

35 The Lamanites promised Alma and his people that if they showed them the way back to the land of Nephi, they would grant them their lives, liberty, and freedom.

36 After Alma showed them the way to the land of Nephi, they did not keep their promise. They posted guards around the land of Helam.

37 Most of the Lamanites returned to the land of Nephi, some stayed in Helam, and some brought their families to Helam.

38 The King Laman the younger, king of all the Lamanites, made Amulon the king and ruler of Helam, as long as he did not do anything contrary to his will.

--------------------Chapter 2--------------------

1 Amulon gained the friendship of the Lamanites, who allowed his fellow immoral teachers again to be teachers over the people.

2 The Lamanites had taken possession of the lands of Shemlon, Shilom, Amulon, and Helam.

3 King Laman the younger, king of all the Lamanites, was named after his father who was named Laman the Elder, who appointed kings to all these lands.

4 He was king over many people and appointed many of Amulon's teachers to also be kings.

5 This is how the Nephite language was taught to the Lamanites.

6 The people were slightly friendly but did not live moral lives.

7 They did, however, keep a history of their people.

8 The Lamanites began to be very rich. They traded with each other and learned how to immorally trade for their own benefit.

9 Amulon was an immoral king to the people of Helam. He mocked those who lived moral lives and taught the children to do the same.

10 Amulon knew Alma, who had once been one of King Noah's teachers. He knew that he believed the words of Abinadi and was expelled by the king. He was angry with Alma.

11 Amulon gave Alma and his people many difficult and laborious tasks, and had people watch to make sure he did it quickly. They were slaves once more

12 The peoples' hardships were very great, and they often cried because of them.

13 Amulon Ordered them to stop crying. He posted guards when they worked, and if anyone cried because of their hardships, they were immediately put to death.

14 Alma and his people did not cry outwardly, but inwardly were still filled with sorrow.

15 Alma came to his people while they worked, and said:

	16 "Lift up your heads and be comforted. I have promised to free you from slavery.

	17 I will ease the burdens on your shoulders, and they will be so light you will not be able to feel them on your back.

	18 You will do this so that you will know that I keep my promises.

	19 I will free you when the sun rises tomorrow."

19 The spirits of Alma's people were lifted, and their day's work seemed easier.

20 Alma had his people father their livestock and crops during the night.

21 While the Lamanites were asleep, Alma and his people once again fled into the wilderness.

22 They celebrated their freedom once more. They were glad they had their families, livestock, and crops.

23 Alma knew that the Lamanites would chase after them when they woke up, and that he and his people must move quickly to ensure their freedom and liberty.

24 Alma believed that the Lamanites would not chase them once they had escaped the valley they were in and journeyed into the wilderness.

25 They wandered in the wilderness for 12 days when they discovered the Kingdom of Zarahemla.

26 King Mosiah the 2nd also received Alma and his people joyously, as he had with Limhi and his people.