Post by Helam,
These last days are filled with emotion. We, a small band of only hundreds following Alma, initially fleeing the priests of King Noah following Alma’s support for Abinadi, then being led and delivered from Amulon and the Lamanites by the great mercy of the Lord, are united with the people of Lemhi ,who if you remember are our former friends and neighbors. Being united brings joy and peace which my limited words fail to express. Add our two groups together, which are descendants of the people of Zeniff, with the Nephites who were following our current King Mosiah’s grandfather King Mosiah.
As I re-read that last sentence I realize I don’t even know what I just said. So let me put this whole emotional reunion into perspective. Mostly for my own good. I do so having just heard the whole story as recorded by the people of Zeniff as well as the records I helped keep of the people of Alma. I think maybe the word emotion which I used may be the wrong word. Let’s use being struck with wonder and amazement, closely followed with exceeding great joy.
So here is the way I understand it all.
About 470 years ago, two groups fled Jerusalem and were led to this promised land. Group one was a family consisting of Lehi, his wife Sarah, four sons and a former slave. Group two was the son of King Zedekiah. This son Mulek, was the only survivor of that royal family. The rest were executed when Jerusalem was conquered and Zedekiah was blinded and taken captive. Mulek came with a group of people and like Lehi’s family were led to the promised land by the Lord. We know little about their history because they had no written record and thus their language became corrupted over time. That second group which we call Mulekites settled here in the land of Zarahemla and though they’ve had lots of wars, have pretty much stayed close.
Soon after arriving here in the promised land, Lehi’s family split into the Nephites and the Lamanites. Many wars and years and about 250 years later following great wars and contentions, the surviving Nephites led by a King Mosiah were led away and eventually found Zarahemla. The Nephites joined with the Mulekites here in Zarahemla and unitedly became Nephites. King Mosiah’s son Benjamin followed his father Mosiah and eventually brought peace when they drove the Lamanites out.
During those years Zeniff took a group and returned back to the land the first Mosiah fled. Doesn’t make much sense to many of us. So, we had two groups of Nephites again – here and in the land north in the heart of Lamanite land. King Benjamin grew old and anointed his son Mosiah the new king and it was this Mosiah that sent Ammon and his team up to find the people Zeniff led away. The Lord brought all of those who’d survived the bondage and destruction back here. As you just read in previous posts, the people of Zeniff had been divided into two groups – the people of Lemhi (King Noah’s son who was Zeniff’s son) and my group led by Alma.
There you have it. We’re all back together again and we all couldn’t rejoice any more than we are. Words won’t express our gratitude enough. Yet, when we consider all those slain by the Lamanites, we were filled with sorrow, and even shed many tears of sorrow.
So much good happened in these eighty or so years we recognize the immediate goodness of God, and his power in delivering Alma and his brethren out of the hands of the Lamanites and bondage. Yet, again when we think about the Lamanites, who are our brethren, of their sinful and polluted state, we’re filled with pain and anguish for the welfare of their souls. Keep in mind that now we are all united, some of our close friends are the children of Amulon and his brethren, who had kidnapped and married the daughters of the Lamanites. These are so displeased with the conduct of their fathers, they will no longer be called by the names of their fathers, therefore they took upon themselves the name of Nephi, that they might be called the children of Nephi and be numbered among those who are called Nephites.
When this whole big conference ended and we’d wept, cried and rejoiced, King Limhi desired that he might be baptized; and all his people were desirous that they might be baptized also. Therefore, Alma went into the water and baptized them the same way he baptized me in the Waters of Mormon.
King Mosiah granted unto Alma that he might establish churches throughout all the land of Zarahemla; and gave him power to ordain priests and teachers over every church.
Since we can’t gather in one assembly we gather in different bodies. We call these bodies churches. There is only one church which is the Church of God but there are seven bodies of this church in the land of Zarahemla. As Alma’s first convert following his conversion by Abinadi, I am pleased to be one of these priests and teachers.
Oh, and one more thing. During this great reunion, I met one of the other authors – Helem. His story is great. We’ve some catching up to do as we share our individual adventures.