The Collected Works. Joseph Smith Jr.
he appeared unto
me in the form of an angel, and said unto me: Go and reclaim this
people, for they have all gone astray after an unknown God. And
he said unto me: There is no God; yea, and he taught me that
which I should say. And I have taught his words; and I taught
them because they were pleasing unto the carnal mind; and I
taught them, even until I had much success, insomuch that I
verily believed that they were true; and for this cause I
withstood the truth, even until I have brought this great curse
upon me.
Alma 30:54
54 Now when he had said this, he besought that Alma should pray
unto God, that the curse might be taken from him.
Alma 30:55
55 But Alma said unto him: If this curse should be taken from
thee thou wouldst again lead away the hearts of this people;
therefore, it shall be unto thee even as the Lord will.
Alma 30:56
56 And it came to pass that the curse was not taken off of
Korihor; but he was cast out, and went about from house to house
begging for his food.
Alma 30:57
57 Now the knowledge of what had happened unto Korihor was
immediately published throughout all the land; yea, the
proclamation was sent forth by the chief judge to all the people
in the land, declaring unto those who had believed in the words
of Korihor that they must speedily repent, lest the same
judgments would come unto them.
Alma 30:58
58 And it came to pass that they were all convinced of the
wickedness of Korihor; therefore they were all converted again
unto the Lord; and this put an end to the iniquity after the
manner of Korihor. And Korihor did go about from house to house,
begging food for his support.
Alma 30:59
59 And it came to pass that as he went forth among the people,
yea, among a people who had separated themselves from the
Nephites and called themselves Zoramites, being led by a man
whose name was Zoram—and as he went forth amongst them, behold,
he was run upon and trodden down, even until he was dead.
Alma 30:60
60 And thus we see the end of him who perverteth the ways of the
Lord; and thus we see that the devil will not support his
children at the last day, but doth speedily drag them down to
hell.
Alma 31 Chapter 31
Alma 31:1
1 Now it came to pass that after the end of Korihor, Alma having
received tidings that the Zoramites were perverting the ways of
the Lord, and that Zoram, who was their leader, was leading the
hearts of the people to bow down to dumb idols, his heart again
began to sicken because of the iniquity of the people.
Alma 31:2
2 For it was the cause of great sorrow to Alma to know of
iniquity among his people; therefore his heart was exceedingly
sorrowful because of the separation of the Zoramites from the
Nephites.
Alma 31:3
3 Now the Zoramites had gathered themselves together in a land
which they called Antionum, which was east of the land of
Zarahemla, which lay nearly bordering upon the seashore, which
was south of the land of Jershon, which also bordered upon the
wilderness south, which wilderness was full of the Lamanites.
Alma 31:4
4 Now the Nephites greatly feared that the Zoramites would enter
into a correspondence with the Lamanites, and that it would be
the means of great loss on the part of the Nephites.
Alma 31:5
5 And now, as the preaching of the word had a great tendency to
lead the people to do that which was just—yea, it had had more
powerful effect upon the minds of the people than the sword, or
anything else, which had happened unto them—therefore Alma
thought it was expedient that they should try the virtue of the
word of God.
Alma 31:6
6 Therefore he took Ammon, and Aaron, and Omner; and Himni he
did leave in the church in Zarahemla; but the former three he
took with him, and also Amulek and Zeezrom, who were at Melek;
and he also took two of his sons.
Alma 31:7
7 Now the eldest of his sons he took not with him, and his name
was Helaman; but the names of those whom he took with him were
Shiblon and Corianton; and these are the names of those who went
with him among the Zoramites, to preach unto them the word.
Alma 31:8
8 Now the Zoramites were dissenters from the Nephites; therefore
they had had the word of God preached unto them.
Alma 31:9
9 But they had fallen into great errors, for they would not
observe to keep the commandments of God, and his statutes,
according to the law of Moses.
Alma 31:10
10 Neither would they observe the performances of the church, to
continue in prayer and supplication to God daily, that they might
not enter into temptation.
Alma 31:11
11 Yea, in fine, they did pervert the ways of the Lord in very
many instances; therefore, for this cause, Alma and his brethren
went into the land to preach the word unto them.
Alma 31:12
12 Now, when they had come into the land, behold, to their
astonishment they found that the Zoramites had built synagogues,
and that they did gather themselves together on one day of the
week, which day they did call the day of the Lord; and they did
worship after a manner which Alma and his brethren had never
beheld;
Alma 31:13
13 For they had a place built up in the center of their
synagogue, a place for standing, which was high above the head,
and the top thereof would only admit one person.