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Annotations |
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Chapter 10
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1 Now these are the words which Amulek preached unto the
people who were in the land of Ammonihah, saying:
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2 I am Amulek; I am the son of Giddonah, who was the
son of Ishmael, who was a descendant of Aminadi; and it was that same
Aminadi who interpreted the writing which was upon the wall of the temple,
which was written by the finger of God.
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Alma 10:2-3
More than 500 years after the Lehites left Jerusalem, Amulek claims direct
descent from Lehi. Since millions of descendants of Lehi and Ishmael are
reported to have lived and died in pre-Columbian Americas, we would expect
significant DNA evidence to support the claim. Yet, there is no such
evidence. This is why many of the verses claiming lineage from the House of
Israel are annotated to highlight this issue.
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3 And Aminadi was a descendant of Nephi, who was the
son of Lehi, who came out of the land of Jerusalem, who was a descendant
of Manasseh, who was the son of Joseph who was sold into Egypt by the hands
of his brethren.
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Annotation for Alma 10:2-3 above
Also, 1 Ne 5:14 and 2 Ne 3:4 declare Lehi is a descendant of Joseph, and Alma
10:3 specifies that he descended from Manasseh. It is also claimed that
Ishmael was of the Tribe of Ephraim. “The Prophet Joseph informed us . . .
That Ishmael was of the lineage of Ephraim” (Apostle
Erastus Snow, Journal of Discourses, 23:184). And, “we know that Ishmael, who was the other founder
of the colony, was a descendant of Ephraim. This we learn from the Prophet
Joseph Smith” (Apostle Joseph Fielding Smith, Answers to Gospel Questions,
vol. 3, 197). This presents a couple of challenges.
Priestly rights and responsibilities in the House of Israel were almost
exclusively the responsibility of Levites. “Before Moses died, the
Melchizedek Priesthood and the higher law of the gospel were withdrawn from
the Israelites because of their disobedience . . . The lesser priesthood was
called the Aaronic Priesthood, after Aaron, but is sometimes referred to as
the Levitical Priesthood because all those who possessed it in ancient times
belonged to the tribe of Levi” (Levitical Priesthood).
However, FairMormon says, “The Old Testament records
numerous non-Levitical offerings. Gideon and Samuel were Ephraimites; Saul
was a Benjamite; David and Solomon were of Judah” (FairMormon article
). This issue seems complicated, and there is at least some reason to think
there is a good defense for non-Levites offering sacrifice.
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4 And behold, I am also a man of no small reputation among
all those who know me; yea, and behold, I have many kindreds and friends, and
I have also acquired much riches by the hand of my industry.
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5 Nevertheless, after all this, I never have known much of
the ways of the Lord, and his mysteries and marvelous power. I said I never
had known much of these things; but behold, I mistake, for I have seen much
of his mysteries and his marvelous power; yea, even in the preservation of
the lives of this people.
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6 Nevertheless, I did harden my heart, for I was called
many times and I would not hear; therefore I knew concerning these things,
yet I would not know; therefore I went on rebelling against God, in the
wickedness of my heart, even until the fourth day of this seventh month,
which is in the tenth year of the reign of the judges.
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Alma 10:6-7
Notice that in this case, the Miracle precedes the faith. Verse six explains
Amulek’s rebellion against God, yet in spite of this rebellion, he receives
an angelic visit. This contradicts Ether 12:6, “dispute not because ye see
not, for ye receive no witness until after the trial of your faith.”
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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 of the sins of this
people, and he is an hungered, and thou shalt receive him into thy house and
feed him, and he shall bless thee and thy house; and the blessing of the Lord
shall rest upon thee and thy house.
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Annotation for Alma 10:6-7 above
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8 And it came to pass that I obeyed the voice of the angel,
and returned towards my house. And as I was going thither I found the man
whom the angel said unto me: Thou shalt receive into thy house—and behold it
was this same man who has been speaking unto you concerning the things of
God.
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9 And the angel said unto me he is a holy man; wherefore I
know he is a holy man because it was said by an angel of God.
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10 And again, I know that the things whereof he hath
testified are true; for behold I say unto you, that as the Lord liveth, even
so has he sent his angel to make these things manifest unto me; and this he
has done while this Alma hath dwelt at my house.
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11 For behold, he hath blessed mine house, he hath blessed
me, and my women, and my children, and my father and my kinsfolk; yea, even
all my kindred hath he blessed, and the blessing of the Lord hath rested upon
us according to the words which he spake.
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12 And now, when Amulek had spoken these words the people
began to be astonished, seeing there was more than one witness who testified
of the things whereof they were accused, and also of the things which were to
come, according to the spirit of prophecy which was in them.
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13 Nevertheless, there were some among them who thought to
question them, that by their cunning devices they might catch them in their
words, that they might find witness against them, that they might deliver
them to their judges that they might be judged according to the law, and that
they might be slain or cast into prison, according to the crime which they
could make appear or witness against them.
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14 Now it was those men who sought to destroy them, who
were lawyers, who were hired or appointed by the people to administer the law
at their times of trials, or at the trials of the crimes of the people before
the judges.
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15 Now these lawyers were learned in all the arts and
cunning of the people; and this was to enable them that they might be skilful
in their profession.
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16 And it came to pass that they began to question Amulek,
that thereby they might make him cross his words, or contradict the words
which he should speak.
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17 Now they knew not that Amulek could know of their
designs. But it came to pass as they began to question him, he perceived
their thoughts, and he said unto them: O ye wicked and perverse generation,
ye lawyers and hypocrites, for ye are laying the foundations of the devil;
for ye are laying traps and snares to catch the holy ones of God.
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18 Ye are laying plans to pervert the ways of the
righteous, and to bring down the wrath of God upon your heads, even to the
utter destruction of this people.
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19 Yea, well did Mosiah say, who was our last king, when
he was about to deliver up the kingdom, having no one to confer it upon,
causing that this people should be governed by their own voices—yea, well did
he say that if the time should come that the voice of this people should
choose iniquity, that is, if the time should come that this people should
fall into transgression, they would be ripe for destruction.
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20 And now I say unto you that well doth the Lord judge of
your iniquities; well doth he cry unto this people, by the voice of his
angels: Repent ye, repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
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21 Yea, well doth he cry, by the voice of his angels that:
I will come down among my people, with equity and justice in my hands.
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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 famine, and by pestilence, and
the sword.
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Alma 10:22-23
The only pre-Columbian weapon I can find that was similar
to a sword was the macuahuitl which was made with a plank of wood similar in
shape to a cricket bat with obsidian blades mounted on the edges. It is
similar enough to a sword that it is often referred to as the Aztec sword.
However, the macuahuitl does not seem to fit the Book of
Mormon time frame. “Some groups of Central Mexico, principally in the
transition between the Early and the Late Post-Classic, probably
developed this weapon” (emphasis added, Dr. Marco Antonio Cervera Obregón,
“The macuahuitl: an innovative weapon of the Late Post-Classic in
Mesoamerica”, Arms & Armour, Vol.3, Nov. 2, 2006, p. 146, article from a research journal).
The Post-Classic period is between 900 CE and the Spanish conquest.
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23 But it is by the prayers of the righteous that ye are
spared; now therefore, if ye will cast out the righteous from among you then
will not the Lord stay his hand; but in his fierce anger he will come out
against you; then ye shall be smitten by famine, and by pestilence, and by
the sword; and the time is soon at hand except ye repent.
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Annotation for Alma 10:22-23 above
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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.
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25 But Amulek stretched forth his hand, and cried the
mightier unto them, saying: O ye wicked and perverse generation, why hath
Satan got such great hold upon your hearts? Why will ye yield yourselves unto
him that he may have power over you, to blind your eyes, that ye will not
understand the words which are spoken, according to their truth?
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26 For behold, have I testified against your law? Ye do
not understand; ye say that I have spoken against your law; but I have not,
but I have spoken in favor of your law, to your condemnation.
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27 And now behold, I say unto you, that the foundation of
the destruction of this people is beginning to be laid by the unrighteousness
of your lawyers and your judges.
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28 And now it came to pass that when Amulek had spoken
these words the people cried out against him, saying: Now we know that this
man is a child of the devil, for he hath lied unto us; for he hath spoken
against our law. And now he says that he has not spoken against it.
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29 And again, he has reviled against our lawyers, and our
judges.
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30 And it came to pass that the lawyers put it into their
hearts that they should remember these things against him.
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31 And there was one among them whose name was Zeezrom.
Now he was the foremost to accuse Amulek and Alma, he being one of the most
expert among them, having much business to do among the people.
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32 Now the object of these lawyers was to get gain; and
they got gain according to their employ.
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