Alma 17
Chapter 17

Alma 17:1 1 And now it came to pass that as Alma was journeying from the
land of Gideon southward, away to the land of Manti, behold, to
his astonishment, he met with the sons of Mosiah journeying
towards the land of Zarahemla.

Alma 17:2 2 Now these sons of Mosiah were with Alma at the time the angel first appeared unto him; therefore Alma did rejoice exceedingly to see his brethren; and what added more to his joy, they were still his brethren in the Lord; yea, and they had waxed strong in the knowledge of the truth; for they were men of a sound understanding and they had searched the scriptures diligently, that they might know the word of God.

Alma 17:3 3 But this is not all; they had given themselves to much prayer,
and fasting; therefore they had the spirit of prophecy, and the
spirit of revelation, and when they taught, they taught with
power and authority of God.

Alma 17:4 4 And they had been teaching the word of God for the space of fourteen years among the Lamanites, having had much success in bringing many to the knowledge of the truth; yea, by the power of their words many were brought before the altar of God, to call on his name and confess their sins before him.

Alma 17:5 5 Now these are the circumstances which attended them in their
journeyings, for they had many afflictions; they did suffer much,
both in body and in mind, such as hunger, thirst and fatigue, and
also much labor in the spirit.

Alma 17:6 6 Now these were their journeyings:  Having taken leave of their
father, Mosiah, in the first year of the judges; having refused
the kingdom which their father was desirous to confer upon them,
and also this was the minds of the people;

Alma 17:7 7 Nevertheless they departed out of the land of Zarahemla, and
took their swords, and their spears, and their bows, and their
arrows, and their slings; and this they did that they might
provide food for themselves while in the wilderness.

Alma 17:8 8 And thus they departed into the wilderness with their numbers
which they had selected, to go up to the land of Nephi, to preach
the word of God unto the Lamanites.

Alma 17:9 9 And it came to pass that they journeyed many days in the wilderness, and they fasted much and prayed much that the Lord would grant unto them a portion of his Spirit to go with them, and abide with them, that they might be an instrument in the hands of God to bring, if it were possible, their brethren, the Lamanites, to the knowledge of the truth, to the knowledge of the baseness of the traditions of their fathers, which were not correct.

Alma 17:10 10 And it came to pass that the Lord did visit them with his
Spirit, and said unto them:  Be comforted.  And they were
comforted.

Alma 17:11 11 And the Lord said unto them also:  Go forth among the
Lamanites, thy brethren, and establish my word; yet ye shall be
patient in long-suffering and afflictions, that ye may show forth
good examples unto them in me, and I will make an instrument of
thee in my hands unto the salvation of many souls.