The People Give Thanks
The people of Nephi were very happy because the Lord had saved them from their enemies again. So they thanked the Lord their God. They fasted a lot and prayed a lot. They worshiped God with great joy.
Alma Teaches Helaman
In the nineteenth year that the judges ruled over the people of Nephi, Alma came to his son Helaman. He said to him: “Do you believe the words I spoke to you about those records that have been kept?” Helaman said to him: “Yes, I believe.” Alma said again: “Do you believe in Jesus Christ, who will come?” He said: “Yes, I believe all the words you have spoken.” Alma said to him again: “Will you keep my commandments?” He said: “Yes, I will keep your commandments with all my heart.” Then Alma said to him: “God blesses you. And the Lord will help you do well in this land.”
Alma’s Prophecy About the Nephites
“But I have something to tell you about the future. What I tell you, you must not make known. Yes, what I tell you must not be made known until it happens. So write down the words I will say. These are the words: I know that this very people, the Nephites, will stop believing in four hundred years from the time that Jesus Christ shows himself to them. I know this because of the Spirit that is in me. Then they will see wars and diseases. They will see famines and bloodshed until the people of Nephi are all gone. This will happen because they will stop believing and fall into darkness and bad behavior and all kinds of sins. I tell you this because they will sin against so much light and knowledge. I tell you that from that day, even the fourth generation will not all pass away before this great sin comes. And when that great day comes, the time will very soon come that those who are now part of the people of Nephi will no longer be part of the people of Nephi. This includes the children of those who are now part of the people of Nephi. But whoever is left and is not destroyed on that great and terrible day will be part of the Lamanites. They will become like them except for a few who will be called the disciples of the Lord. The Lamanites will chase them until they are all gone. Because of sin, this will happen.”
Alma Blesses and Departs
After Alma said these things to Helaman, he blessed him and his other sons. He also blessed the earth for the good people. He said: “The Lord God says this: The land will be cursed. Yes, this land will be cursed to destruction for every nation, family, language, and people who do wicked things when they are fully ripe. As I have said, so it will be. This is the curse and the blessing of God upon the land, for the Lord cannot allow sin at all.” After Alma said these words, he blessed the church. He blessed all those who would stay strong in the faith from that time on.
When Alma had done this, he left the land of Zarahemla as if to go to the land of Melek. He was never heard of again. We do not know about his death or his burial. We know that he was a good man. The saying went around in the church that he was taken up by the Spirit or buried by the hand of the Lord, just like Moses. But the Scripture says the Lord took Moses to himself. We think that he has also received Alma in the Spirit to himself. So for this reason, we know nothing about his death and burial.
Helaman Teaches the People
At the start of the nineteenth year that the judges ruled over the people of Nephi, Helaman went out among the people to teach them the word. Because of their wars with the Lamanites and the many little fights and troubles among the people, the word of God needed to be taught among them. The church needed to be organized. So Helaman and his brothers went out to build up the church again in all the land. They did this in every city in all the land that the people of Nephi had. They chose priests and teachers throughout all the land over all the churches.
Pride Among the People
After Helaman and his brothers had chosen priests and teachers over the churches, some people started to fight among them. They would not listen to the words of Helaman and his brothers. They became proud and thought they were better because they had so many riches. So they became rich in their own eyes and would not listen to the words of Helaman and his brothers. They would not walk the right way before God.