Alma Teaches in Secret
Alma had escaped from King Noah’s guards, and his heart was changed. He turned away from everything he’d done wrong and began moving quietly through the villages, teaching what Abinadi had said. He spoke about what was coming—the day when the dead would rise, when God’s people would be set free through the power, suffering, and death of Christ, and through his rising from death and return to heaven. He taught anyone who would listen. He kept it secret so the king wouldn’t find out. Many believed what he said.
Those who believed him traveled out to a place called Mormon—named after an ancient king. It was on the edge of settled land, in an area where wild animals sometimes roamed. At Mormon there was a spring of clear water. Alma went there often. Near the water was a grove of small trees, and he hid there during the day to stay out of the king’s sight. Everyone who believed him came to that place to hear him teach.
After many days, a large group had gathered at Mormon to hear Alma’s words. All the believers came together to listen. He taught them about turning back to God, about being rescued from sin, and about faith in the Lord.
The Waters of Mormon
Then he said to them: “Here are the waters of Mormon—that’s what this place is called. Now, if you want to join God’s people and be called his own, if you’re willing to carry each other’s burdens and make them lighter, if you’re willing to cry with those who are hurting, to comfort those who need it, and to stand as witnesses of God always—in everything you do, everywhere you go, even to your last breath—so that God can rescue you and include you in the first resurrection and give you eternal life, then I ask you: if that’s truly what you want, what’s stopping you from being baptized in the Lord’s name? It will be your witness before him that you’ve made a promise—that you’ll serve him and follow his ways, so he can pour out his Spirit on you even more freely.“
When the people heard this, they clapped their hands for joy and shouted, “Yes! That’s exactly what we want!”
Alma took Helam, who was one of the first believers, and they walked into the water together. Alma cried out: “Lord, pour out your Spirit on your servant, so I can do this work with a pure heart.” After he prayed, the Spirit of the Lord came on him, and he said: “Helam, I baptize you by the authority of Almighty God, as proof that you’ve made a promise to serve him as long as you live in this mortal body. May the Spirit of the Lord be poured out on you, and may he give you eternal life through the rescue Christ has prepared since the foundation of the world.” When Alma finished speaking, both he and Helam went under the water. When they came up out of the water, they were filled with joy and overflowing with the Spirit.
Then Alma took another person and went into the water a second time. He baptized them the same way as the first, but this time he didn’t go under the water himself. He baptized everyone who came to Mormon that way. There were about two hundred and four people in all. They were baptized in the waters of Mormon and filled with God’s grace.
From that day on, they were called the Church of God, or the Church of Christ. And everyone who was baptized by God’s power and authority was added to his church.
The Church Is Organized
Alma, who had authority from God, chose priests to lead them—one priest for every fifty people—to teach them about the kingdom of God.
He told them to teach only what he had taught them, and what the holy prophets had spoken. He instructed them to preach nothing except turning back to God and having faith in the Lord who had rescued his people. He told them there should be no fighting among them. Instead, they should move forward together with one purpose, one faith, one baptism—their hearts bound together in unity and love. That’s what he told them to teach. And that’s how they became God’s children.
He told them to honor the sabbath day and keep it holy, and also to give thanks to the Lord their God every single day. He also commanded the priests he had chosen to work with their own hands to support themselves. One day each week was set aside for everyone to gather together to learn and to worship the Lord their God, and they met as often as they could manage. The priests weren’t supposed to depend on the people for money. Instead, as a reward for their work, they would receive God’s grace—they’d grow stronger in the Spirit and deeper in their knowledge of God, so they could teach with power and authority that came from him.
Alma also told the church members to share what they had with each other. If someone had a lot, they should give a lot. If someone had only a little, only a little would be expected. And those who had nothing should receive. They should share freely and willingly out of their love for God—giving to priests who were in need, and to anyone who was struggling or didn’t have enough. This is what he taught them, because God had commanded it. And they lived right before God, sharing with each other—both their material goods and their spiritual strength—according to what each person needed.
All of this happened at Mormon—by the waters of Mormon, in the forest near those waters. How beautiful that place was to those who came there and found their Savior! How blessed they were, for they will sing his praise forever.
They did all this out on the borders of the land, where the king wouldn’t know about it.
Discovery and Flight
But the king noticed something was happening among the people, so he sent spies to watch them. On the very day they were gathering to hear the Lord’s word, the king’s spies found them. The king claimed Alma was stirring people up to rebel against him. So he sent his army to destroy them.
Alma and the Lord’s people got word that the king’s army was coming. They packed up their tents, gathered their families, and fled into the wilderness. There were about four hundred and fifty of them.