Post by King Lemhi – Son of King Noah
One of my father’s young priests was apparently the only priest converted by the words of Abinadi. He and his followers escaped my father’s guards. We don’t know their fate but we are hopeful that where ever they are, they are well. I would like to tell you a bit about him, this priest we know as Alma.
Alma was a popular young man, a descendant of Nephi, very capable and well liked. Liked enough to have been hand chosen by my father to serve in his court having received the holy priesthood. My father spoke about Abinadi and the problems he created while preaching in the streets and the anger he caused when he declared the word of God to the king and his court personally. I wish we had a record of what Abinadi taught but at this time all of those that were present with Abinadi have fled. The Lamanites have conquered our land and we are in bondage. Our leadership, my father King Noah and the rest of his priests and many others have fled from the invasion. Unfortunately, as the son of the king, I am left to pick up the pieces.
Alma, and the few he was able to convince to follow the teachings of Abinadi seem to be the only ones to escape. Since Alma taught the words of Abinadi, we all assume he made some kind of record. We don’t have that record. All we know is the Alma went around privately teaching repentance. My father could never lay hands on him once he was thrust out of the council.
What Alma taught resonated true to many because hundreds followed him. Nobody knew where these followers met. Only later when my fathers guards were alerted by spies, did we learn they had gone to a place which was called Mormon, having received its name from the king, being in the borders of the land having been infested, by times or at seasons, by wild beasts.
In Mormon there was a fountain of pure water, and Alma escaped to there near the water in a thicket of small trees, where he hid himself in the daytime from the searches of the king.
We knew the place as the Waters of Mormon. This was a beautifully forested place which up in the boarders of the land. Apparently the people Alma would teach would go there for meetings and we are told they were baptizing there as well.
All this was going on without my father really knowing until he discovered a movement among the people, That’s when he sent his servants to watch them. Therefore on the day that they were assembling themselves together to hear the word of the Lord they were discovered and word got back to the king.
My father said that Alma was stirring up the people to rebellion against him; and killing Abinadi was not enough so he sent his army to destroy Alma and his followers.
Somehow Alma got word of the approach of the army and when the army got to Mormon, Alma and his people had fled into the wilderness.
Mosiah 18
