The Collected Works. Joseph Smith Jr.
to scorn?
Alma 26:24
24 For they said unto us: Do ye suppose that ye can bring the
Lamanites to the knowledge of the truth? Do ye suppose that ye
can convince the Lamanites of the incorrectness of the traditions
of their fathers, as stiffnecked a people as they are; whose
hearts delight in the shedding of blood; whose days have been
spent in the grossest iniquity; whose ways have been the ways of
a transgressor from the beginning? Now my brethren, ye remember
that this was their language.
Alma 26:25
25 And moreover they did say: Let us take up arms against them,
that we destroy them and their iniquity out of the land, lest
they overrun us and destroy us.
Alma 26:26
26 But behold, my beloved brethren, we came into the wilderness
not with the intent to destroy our brethren, but with the intent
that perhaps we might save some few of their souls.
Alma 26:27
27 Now when our hearts were depressed, and we were about to turn
back, behold, the Lord comforted us, and said: Go amongst thy
brethren, the Lamanites, and bear with patience thine
afflictions, and I will give unto you success.
Alma 26:28
28 And now behold, we have come, and been forth amongst them;
and we have been patient in our sufferings, and we have suffered
every privation; yea, we have traveled from house to house,
relying upon the mercies of the world—not upon the mercies of
the world alone but upon the mercies of God.
Alma 26:29
29 And we have entered into their houses and taught them, and we
have taught them in their streets; yea, and we have taught them
upon their hills; and we have also entered into their temples and
their synagogues and taught them; and we have been cast out, and
mocked, and spit upon, and smote upon our cheeks; and we have
been stoned, and taken and bound with strong cords, and cast into
prison; and through the power and wisdom of God we have been
delivered again.
Alma 26:30
30 And we have suffered all manner of afflictions, and all this,
that perhaps we might be the means of saving some soul; and we
supposed that our joy would be full if perhaps we could be the
means of saving some.
Alma 26:31
31 Now behold, we can look forth and see the fruits of our
labors; and are they few? I say unto you, Nay, they are many;
yea, and we can witness of their sincerity, because of their love
towards their brethren and also towards us.
Alma 26:32
32 For behold, they had rather sacrifice their lives than even
to take the life of their enemy; and they have buried their
weapons of war deep in the earth, because of their love towards
their brethren.
Alma 26:33
33 And now behold I say unto you, has there been so great love
in all the land? Behold, I say unto you, Nay, there has not,
even among the Nephites.
Alma 26:34
34 For behold, they would take up arms against their brethren;
they would not suffer themselves to be slain. But behold how
many of these have laid down their lives; and we know that they
have gone to their God, because of their love and of their hatred
to sin.
Alma 26:35
35 Now have we not reason to rejoice? Yea, I say unto you,
there never were men that had so great reason to rejoice as we,
since the world began; yea, and my joy is carried away, even unto
boasting in my God; for he has all power, all wisdom, and all
understanding; he comprehendeth all things, and he is a merciful
Being, even unto salvation, to those who will repent and believe
on his name.
Alma 26:36
36 Now if this is boasting, even so will I boast; for this is my
life and my light, my joy and my salvation, and my redemption
from everlasting wo. Yea, blessed is the name of my God, who has
been mindful of this people, who are a branch of the tree of
Israel, and has been lost from its body in a strange land; yea, I
say, blessed be the name of my God, who has been mindful of us,
wanderers in a strange land.
Alma 26:37
37 Now my brethren, we see that God is mindful of every people,
whatsoever land they may be in; yea, he numbereth his people, and
his bowels of mercy are over all the earth. Now this is my joy,
and my great thanksgiving; yea, and I will give thanks unto my
God forever. Amen.
Alma 27 Chapter 27
Alma 27:1
1 Now it came to pass that when those Lamanites who had gone to
war against the Nephites had found, after their many struggles to
destroy them, that it was in vain to seek their destruction, they
returned again to the land of Nephi.
Alma 27:2
2 And it came to pass that the Amalekites, because of their
loss, were exceedingly angry. And when they saw that they could
not seek revenge from the Nephites, they began to stir up the
people in anger against their brethren, the people of
Anti-Nephi-Lehi; therefore they began again to destroy them.
Alma 27:3
3 Now this people again refused to take their arms, and they
suffered themselves to be slain according to the desires of their
enemies.
Alma 27:4
4 Now when Ammon and his brethren saw this work of destruction
among those whom they so dearly beloved, and among those who had
so dearly beloved them—for they were treated as though they were
angels sent from God to save them from everlasting
destruction—therefore, when Ammon and his brethren saw this
great work of destruction, they were moved with compassion, and
they said unto the king: