You will remember that when Alma arrived in Ammonihah, he was not received as he had been in Gideon and Melek. The people were in an apostate state. They sent him away saying, "We don't belong to your church so you have no ecclesiastical power over us and, since you are no longer the chief judge, you have no legal power over us either." They literally drove him out of town.
Heartbroken, Alma began to head for the next town, a place called Aaron. He hadn't gone far when he was stopped by an angel. Alma tells us that it was, in fact, the same angel who had confronted him when he was persecuting the church. The angel blessed him for his service to God, but told him he must return to Ammonihah. He must preach repentance to them with power and warn them that if they did not repent, they would be destroyed.
Alma did as the angel bid him. He entered Ammonihah by the back gate. I'm sure he felt some trepidation and wasn't sure where to start his preaching when he met a man named Amulek. The first thing Amulek said to him was, "I am a Nephite," which leads me to believe that perhaps the majority of people in the city were not. Alma, who hadn't eaten for several days, asked if he might have some food and something to drink.
Amulek took Alma to his home, then surprised Alma by telling him that he - Amulek - had had a dream by the Spirit that a prophet of God would be coming to him with the message of salvation! After Alma had eaten, he taught Amulek the gospel of the Church of God and of the promised coming of Messiah. Alma blessed Amulek and his household and stayed with them for many days.
When the Spirit once again told Alma it was time to preach repentance and to warn the people, Amulek preached with him as his missionary companion. Some of the greatest doctrinal messages in the Book of Mormon came from the preaching of these two men - a prophet of the Lord and his companion in service.
Tomorrow: the second Antichrist.
Text copyright September 2013, Gebara Education
You will remember that when Alma arrived in Ammonihah, he was not received as he had been in Gideon and Melek. The people were in an apostate state. They sent him away saying, "We don't belong to your church so you have no ecclesiastical power over us and, since you are no longer the chief judge, you have no legal power over us either." They literally drove him out of town.
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