Alma the Younger
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According to the Book of Mormon, Alma the Younger is the son of Alma the Elder, a Nephite prophet. The appellations ("the Younger" and "the Elder") are not used in the Book of Mormon but are used when speaking of these two people. Both Almas are prominent at the same time period in the Book of Mormon for doing similar work, so such a distinction is useful.
[edit] Summary of his life
Alma the Younger lived in Zarahemla during the end of the reign of the Nephite King Mosiah. As a young man, he, the four sons of Mosiah, and others wanted to destroy the church and actively persecuted its members. After they were visited personally by an angel, he received confirmation that his sins were forgiven. He and those who persecuted church members with him abdicated their role as persecutor and became followers of Christ. (See Mosiah 27.)
Alma the Younger subsequently became the first elected chief judge of the Nephites and their religious leader. After deciding that the Nephites were becoming more wicked, he resigned his post as chief judge and began travelling from city to city to preach to the Nephites. He began in Zarahemla, then moved on to Gideon and then, Melek. His next stop was Ammonihah, which proved to be a lot harder than the previous three. (See Alma 1-8.)
In Ammonihah, the people were very wicked, and because Satan had them under his control, they would not listen to Alma. He tried once, but they threw him out, and he decided on a different route: the south. There he met Amulek, who feeds him and houses him for a while. In the city streets, the two of them join up and preach to the people, being countered by a lawyer named Zeezrom. After Amulek had silenced Zeezrom and aroused his conscience, Alma took his turn with similar results. Alma went on, and when finished, was cast into prison with Amulek, and delivered by a miracle. (See Alma 9-14.)
Several years later, he met up with an man named Korihor, who was anti-Christ. This Korihor tried to lead the Nephites astray, but failed miserably once Alma had confronted him, and he also took away Korihor's power of speech. Korihor himself eventually went among a group of Nephite apostates called Zoramites while begging, and was run over and killed in the streets. (See Alma 30.)
These same apostates, called Zoramites, were found to practice things that preverted the ways of the Lord. This led Alma to more missionary work, this time among these people. He was most successful among the poor. (See Alma 51:31-33.)
Alma's final instruction was to his sons, Helaman, Shiblon, and Corianton. He gave them separate lessons, giving the records of the church to Helaman, and then departed, in the 19th year of the reign of the judges, or 73 B.C., as if to go to Melek, but was never heard from again. Both Mormon and Helaman believed that, he was taken like Moses of old, and buried by the Lord. (See Alma 36-42, 45.)
[edit] External links
- Alma the Younger by Robert L. Millet
Preceded by Mosiah II, son of Benjamin, as the last king of the Nephites |
Chief Judge of the Nephites the 1st-9th years of the reign of the judges, or 92-83 B.C. |
Succeeded by Nephihah |
Preceded by King Mosiah II, son of Benjamin, as one of his royal duties |
Nephite military leader the 5th-? years of the reign of the judges, or 87-? BC |
Succeeded by Zoram |
Preceded by Mosiah II, son of Benjamin |
Nephite record keeper the 1st-19th years of the reign of the judges, or 91-73 BC |
Succeeded by Helaman |