BOOK OF MORMON
Alma - Chapter 27 Critique
Setting: Ammon wants to save the Antis, meets Alma, faints from joy, leads the Antis to safety, and has the Antis renamed to the people of Ammon all between 90 and 73 BCE America!
Verses 1-2: 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. 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.
Note: Mormons seek to destroy Christian Apologists through slander apart from facts.
As a young missionary in the Eastern States I learned something about being at peace and entering into the rest of the Lord. My companion and I moved into a small town in New Jersey to find that the local Protestant ministers had prepared their parishioners for our coming. At almost every door we approached, we were met by a smiling face and the words, "Oh, you must be the Mormons. This is for you." They then handed us an anti-Mormon tract. We saved the pamphlets, stacked them in the corner of the living room of the apartment, and soon had a substantial pile of material. Out of curiosity we began to read the stuff during lunchtime. I can still recall the dark and empty feelings that filled my soul as we encountered question after question about certain doctrines and specific moments in the history of the Church. (Robert L. Millet, Alive in Christ: The Miracle of Spiritual Rebirth, 93 - 94.)
Verse 3: Now this people again refused to take their arms, and they suffered themselves to be slain according to the desires of their enemies.
Note: Believers do not foolishly allow themselves to be killed.
2 Samuel 15:14 So David said to all his servants who were with him at Jerusalem, "Arise, and let us flee, or we shall not escape from Absalom. Make haste to depart, lest he overtake us suddenly and bring disaster upon us, and strike the city with the edge of the sword."
Verses 4-5: 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: Let us gather together this people of the Lord, and let us go down to the land of Zarahemla to our brethren the Nephites, and flee out of the hands of our enemies, that we be not destroyed.
Note: Believers do not foolishly allow themselves to be killed.
Matthew 24:15-16 "Therefore when you see the 'abomination of desolation,' spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place" (whoever reads, let him understand), "then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.
Verses 6-7: But the king said unto them: Behold, the Nephites will destroy us, because of the many murders and sins we have committed against them. And Ammon said: I will go and inquire of the Lord, and if he say unto us, go down unto our brethren, will ye go?
Note: Believers do not foolishly allow themselves to be killed.
Luke 21:21 Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those who are in the midst of her depart, and let not those who are in the country enter her.
Verses 8-10: And the king said unto him: Yea, if the Lord saith unto us go, we will go down unto our brethren, and we will be their slaves until we repair unto them the many murders and sins which we have committed against them. But Ammon said unto him: It is against the law of our brethren, which was established by my father, that there should be any slaves among them; therefore let us go down and rely upon the mercies of our brethren. But the king said unto him: Inquire of the Lord, and if he saith unto us go, we will go; otherwise we will perish in the land.
Note: Believers do not foolishly allow themselves to be killed.
Mark 13:14 "So when you see the 'abomination of desolation,'spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not" (let the reader understand), "then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains."
Verses 11-13: And it came to pass that Ammon went and inquired of the Lord, and the Lord said unto him: Get this people out of this land, that they perish not; for Satan has great hold on the hearts of the Amalekites, who do stir up the Lamanites to anger against their brethren to slay them; therefore get thee out of this land; and blessed are this people in this generation, for I will preserve them. And now it came to pass that Ammon went and told the king all the words which the Lord had said unto him.
Note: Believers do not foolishly allow themselves to be killed.
2 Kings 9:3 Then take the flask of oil, and pour it on his head, and say, 'Thus says the LORD: "I have anointed you king over Israel."' Then open the door and flee, and do not delay."
Verse 14: And they gathered together all their people, yea, all the people of the Lord, and did gather together all their flocks and herds, and departed out of the land, and came into the wilderness which divided the land of Nephi from the land of Zarahemla, and came over near the borders of the land.
Note: Sheep have never been raised in the tropical rain forests of South America.
Sheep are among the most important animals that people have tamed because they provide both food and clothing. Long before people began to write history, shepherds watched the flocks of sheep in the fields to guard them against attack by wild animals. Today, sheep are raised in all parts of the world. China ranks as the world's leading sheep-producing country, and Australia ranks second. Other important sheep-raising countries include India, Iran, New Zealand, and Russia. 2004 World Book Encyclopedia.
Verses 15-17: And it came to pass that Ammon said unto them: Behold, I and my brethren will go forth into the land of Zarahemla, and ye shall remain here until we return; and we will try the hearts of our brethren, whether they will that ye shall come into their land. And it came to pass that as Ammon was going forth into the land, that he and his brethren met Alma, over in the place of which has been spoken; and behold, this was a joyful meeting. Now the joy of Ammon was so great even that he was full; yea, he was swallowed up in the joy of his God, even to the exhausting of his strength; and he fell again to the earth.
Note: Believers do not become exhausted from joy.
Colossians 1:9-12 For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy; giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy;
Verses 18-19: Now was not this exceeding joy? Behold, this is joy which none receiveth save it be the truly penitent and humble seeker of happiness. Now the joy of Alma in meeting his brethren was truly great, and also the joy of Aaron, of Omner, and Himni; but behold their joy was not that to exceed their strength.
Note: Believers do not become exhausted from joy.
Nehemiah 8:10 Then he said to them, "Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet, and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not sorrow, for the joy of the LORD is your strength."
Verses 20-21: And now it came to pass that Alma conducted his brethren back to the land of Zarahemla; even to his own house. And they went and told the chief judge all the things that had happened unto them in the land of Nephi, among their brethren, the Lamanites. And it came to pass that the chief judge sent a proclamation throughout all the land, desiring the voice of the people concerning the admitting their brethren, who were the people of Anti-Nephi-Lehi.
Note: Anti-Mormons have never been admitted by the LDS church.
Nobody would suggest for a moment that George D. Smith and Dan Vogel fit the traditional "anti-Mormon" mold in all respects. There are a number of differences between them and the late "Dr." Walter Martin, and between them and the Tanners. (Rodger Anderson, on the other hand, seems fairly conventional.) There is a vast gulf between Mr. Smith and Mr. Vogel and, say, J. Edward Decker's Luciferian theories.fn In the past, anti-Mormon attacks almost invariably came from outside the Church; for the most part, they still do. For the first time since the Godbeite movement, however, we may today be dealing with a more-or-less organized "anti-Mormon" movement within the Church.fn With "anti-Mormon Mormons," as Robert McKay puts it. This, again, raises a number of interesting questions. (Editor's Introduction Questions To Legal Answers Daniel C. Peterson, FARMS Review of Books, vol. 4 (1992), liv.)
Verses 22-23: And it came to pass that the voice of the people came, saying: Behold, we will give up the land of Jershon, which is on the east by the sea, which joins the land Bountiful, which is on the south of the land Bountiful; and this land Jershon is the land which we will give unto our brethren for an inheritance. And behold, we will set our armies between the land Jershon and the land Nephi, that we may protect our brethren in the land Jershon; and this we do for our brethren, on account of their fear to take up arms against their brethren lest they should commit sin; and this their great fear came because of their sore repentance which they had, on account of their many murders and their awful wickedness.
Note: These fictional people and lands never existed in the Amazon jungles.
There are about 20,000 Yanomami. Their communities range in size from a single extended family to about 300 people. In most cases, the entire community lives in a large circular structure made of poles and thatch. The Yanomami have gardens where they grow a number of food crops. But the main crop is a type of banana called the plantain. Traditional Yanomami also travel several months each year hunting animals and gathering wild plant foods. Intense wars have broken out between some Yanomami groups. Anthropologists have offered a number of possible reasons for this warfare, including scarcity of game, competition over women, and competition for Western manufactured goods. 2004 World Book Encyclopedia.
Verses 24-26: And now behold, this will we do unto our brethren, that they may inherit the land Jershon; and we will guard them from their enemies with our armies, on condition that they will give us a portion of their substance to assist us that we may maintain our armies. Now, it came to pass that when Ammon had heard this, he returned to the people of Anti-Nephi-Lehi, and also Alma with him, into the wilderness, where they had pitched their tents, and made known unto them all these things. And Alma also related unto them his conversion, with Ammon and Aaron, and his brethren. And it came to pass that it did cause great joy among them. And they went down into the land of Jershon, and took possession of the land of Jershon; and they were called by the Nephites the people of Ammon; therefore they were distinguished by that name ever after.
Note: Taxes have never been a source of great joy.
Ezra 7:24 Also we inform you that it shall not be lawful to impose tax, tribute, or custom on any of the priests, Levites, singers, gatekeepers, Nethinim, or servants of this house of God.
Verse 27: And they were among the people of Nephi, and also numbered among the people who were of the church of God. And they were also distinguished for their zeal towards God, and also towards men; for they were perfectly honest and upright in all things; and they were firm in the faith of Christ, even unto the end.
Note: The words church and Christ are New Testament words derived from Greek.
church: from the Greek word kyriake. Christ: from the Greek word Christos. Webster's.
Verses 28-29: And they did look upon shedding the blood of their brethren with the greatest abhorrence; and they never could be prevailed upon to take up arms against their brethren; and they never did look upon death with any degree of terror, for their hope and views of Christ and the resurrection; therefore, death was swallowed up to them by the victory of Christ over it. Therefore, they would suffer death in the most aggravating and distressing manner which could be inflicted by their brethren, before they would take the sword or cimeter to smite them.
Note: The cimeter or scimiter was a Muslim weapon of war.
scimiter defined: a sword with a short, curved, one-edged blade, used by Turks, Persians, and Arabs. Webster's.
Verse 30: And thus they were a zealous and beloved people, a highly favored people of the Lord.
Note: Are you beloved of the Lord Jesus Christ?
2 Thessalonians 2:13-14 But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God from the beginning chose you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth, to which He called you by our gospel, for the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, brethren, stand fast and hold the traditions which you were taught, whether by word or our epistle.
Note: Christian Scriptural traditions stand in contrast to Mormon fictional history.