Alma and Amulek

The last few lessons over last week and this week, we are studying Alma and Amulek's mission to Ammonihah.  I have found some interesting things through my study.  First of all, I love these two guys because they weren't like Nephi who was obedient from the womb.  These two had their own issues.  Alma was a real stinker in his younger years.  It took an angel to help him see the light.  Amulek lived in a city where Christ was really not taught although he had knowledge of the truth. I assume he was less-active.

In reading Alma 10:11, Amulek lists the people with which the Lord has blessed him.  He lists:

My women and my children,

my father and my kinsfolk.

I assume he has many friends as well because he tells us he is a man of no small reputation.  That tells me he is well known and respected in his community.

After telling the people to repent, they are bound and thrown into prison.  Then a horrible thing happens.  The men who believe in the words of Alma and Amulek are cast of out of the city and stones are thrown at them.  Then the wives and children of the believers are brought together and thrown into a fire along with their scriptures. (Alma 14:8)  It occurs to me that there must have been some sort of sorting process to determine who were the believers and who were not.  Were they questioned?  Was there a house to house search?  That is unclear but there had to be an opportunity for the people to accept or deny their belief in Christ.

Then someone had a great idea.  Alma and Amulek are brought forth from the prison to witness the burning of the women and children. Amulek begs Alma in 14:10 to stretch forth their hands and use their authority to save the victims from the flames.  Alma tells us in verse 11 that the Spirit constrainth him.

Forward to Alma 15:16.  Amulek is again talking about all he gave up and those who rejected him.  He says "being rejected by those who were once his friends and also by his father and his kindred."  Where are his women and children????  The only thing I can summize is that they too were believers and were killed.

Here is where my mind began to work.  It is very possible that Alma and Amulek were brought out of prison to watch this holocaust because Amulek's women and children were going to be thrown into the fire and he was going to be forced to watch.  Now think of Amulek's words to Alma and imagine his pleading in 14:10.  I read it feeling Amulek's very sorrowful heart.

Here are some other thoughts.  What mother wouldn't do anything to save her children?  Yet, these women knowing that their children would be killed would not deny the Christ.  How easy would it be to say the words, "I am not a believer" to save the lives of your children?  Interestingly though, after Alma and Amulek left the city following an incredible "prison break", the Lamanites surprise attacked the city of Ammonihah and killed everyone left there.  Even if you saved your children by denying the Christ you would have been killed anyway. 

What would I have done?  Would I have saved my children and myself only to fall victim to the Lamanite army or would I have stood firm in my conviction that Jesus is the Christ?  I like to think I would have done the right thing but since I have never had to face my children's mortality and my own I cannot say that I would have remained true.  I have my own trials in life but none so difficult as those mothers faced.