Alma 3

After the Battle

The Nephites who were not killed in the war buried the people who had been killed. There were so many dead that they did not count them. After they finished burying their dead, they all went back to their lands, their houses, their wives, and their children.

Many women and children had been killed with the sword. Many of their animals were killed too. Many of their grain fields were destroyed because the armies walked all over them.

Many of the Lamanites and Amlicites who had been killed by the river Sidon were thrown into the water. Their bones are in the bottom of the sea, and there are many of them.

The Marks on the People

The Amlicites looked different from the Nephites. They had marked themselves with red on their foreheads, just like the Lamanites did. But they did not cut their hair short like the Lamanites. The Lamanites had short hair. They were naked except for skins tied around their waists, their armor, and their weapons like bows, arrows, stones, and slings.

The skin of the Lamanites was dark. This was the mark that was put on their fathers. It was a curse on them because of their sin and their fighting against their brothers. Their brothers were Nephi, Jacob, Joseph, and Sam, who were good and holy men. Their brothers tried to destroy them. So they were cursed. The Lord God put a mark on them. He put it on Laman and Lemuel, the sons of Ishmael, and the Ishmaelite women. This was done so their children would look different from their brothers’ children. This way the Lord God could keep his people safe. He did not want them to mix with people who believed wrong things that would destroy them.

Whoever mixed with the Lamanites brought the same curse on themselves. So whoever let the Lamanites lead them away was called by that name, and there was a mark put on them.

Whoever would not believe the traditions of the Lamanites, but believed the records from Jerusalem and the true traditions of their fathers, and believed in God’s commands and kept them, were called the Nephites, or the people of Nephi, from that time on. They are the ones who have kept the true records of their people and also of the Lamanites.

God’s Words Come True

Now we will go back to talking about the Amlicites. They also had a mark put on them. They put the mark on themselves. It was a red mark on their foreheads.

This is how God’s word came true. These are the words he said to Nephi: 'I have cursed the Lamanites. I will put a mark on them so they and their children will be separate from you and your children, from now until forever. But if they stop doing wrong and turn to me, I can forgive them.' 'And again: I will put a mark on anyone who mixes with your brothers, so they may be cursed too.' 'And again: I will put a mark on anyone who fights against you and your children.' 'And again I say, anyone who leaves you will not be called your child anymore. And I will bless you and whoever is called your child, from now until forever.' These were the Lord’s promises to Nephi and to his children.

The Amlicites did not know they were making God’s words come true when they began to mark themselves on their foreheads. But they had fought against God. So it was right that the curse should come on them. I want you to see that they brought the curse on themselves. This is how it is for every person who is cursed. They bring it on themselves.

Another Battle

Not many days after the battle in the land of Zarahemla, another Lamanite army came against the Nephites. They came to the same place where the first army had met the Amlicites. An army was sent to drive them out of their land.

Alma had been hurt in battle, so he did not go to fight the Lamanites this time. But he sent a large army against them. They went up and killed many of the Lamanites. They drove the rest of them out of their land. Then they came back and began to have peace in the land. Their enemies did not trouble them for a while.

The End of the Fifth Year

All these things happened in the fifth year of the judges. All these wars and fights started and ended in that year. In one year, thousands and thousands of people died and went to the eternal world. They went to get what they deserved for their actions. If they were good, they got eternal happiness. If they were bad, they got eternal sadness. It depended on which spirit they chose to follow, whether it was a good spirit or a bad one. Every person gets what they deserve from whoever they choose to follow. This is what the Spirit of prophecy says. So let it be true. This ends the fifth year of the judges.