Mosiah 17-18 - The Conversion of Alma

When Abinadi finished speaking, Noah and his priests decided his fate. It’s here that Alma comes to Abinadi’s defense. It almost costs him his life. He ends up fleeing into the wilderness to avoid being killed by the kings servants. While hiding there, he writes down Abinadi’s words and begins his long painful repentance process.

Back in the palace, Noah and his priests condemn Abinadi to death by fire. The account says “faggot” an old-English expression for a bundle of sticks tied together to use as fuel in a fire. They have a lot of surface area so it burns very, very hot. Before he succumbs to the flames, he pronounces a prophetic warning upon Noah and his people. He prophecies Noah will die by fire and that many others will die by fire as a result of the example they set. As you read in the Book of Mormon, you’ll see this prophecy comes true in every horrifying detail.

With Abinadi dead, after he repents (my opinion) Alma begins teaching the people the lessons he learned from Abinadi. Whether he’s more careful than Abinadi was or had protection that Heavenly Father, in His wisdom, withheld from Abinadi, Alma succeeded where Abinadi didn’t. He soon has a following of two hundred people.

Think for a moment of the faith these people had. They believed in what Alma taught enough to join a movement they knew could get them killed. They joined anyway. In time the king did learn of it and sent an army to slaughter them. Warned by God, they flee into the wilderness.

Noah had driven righteous people out of his kingdom. As we’ll see in what happens next, when the righteous are driven from a society, things don’t end well for those who did the driving out.