A

Aaron and brethren had refused the kingship. Pursuant to the departure Mosiah proclaimed against a kingdom and a republican form of government was set up, chapter xiii, 91 B. C.

Arriving at the borders of the land of the Lamanites the missionaries separate themselves, Aaron going first to the city of Jerusalem in the land of Jerusalem. Being rejected there he visits Ani-Anti where he finds some of his brethren, with whom he later journeys to the land of Middoni. Here Aaron and some of the brethren were imprisoned; though they subsequently meet with deliverance through the influence of Ammon and King Lamoni.

Aaron and brethren depart from Middoni and we next find them before Lamoni's father, the king over all the land, who is miraculously converted. Alma, chapters xiii and xiv.

Aaron and brethren returned to Zarahemla and reported their labors 77 B. C. In B. C. 75 Aaron accompanied Alma to Antionum and he appears to have accompanied other missionaries to Jershon, after which we read no more of him, xvi:78-84; 240-245.

Another city of Aaron is spoken of as joining the land of Moroni, one boundary of which was the sea. (q. v. Borders of A.)

The Book of Mormon embodies several abridgments. The first was by Nephi: "Behold I make an a. of the record of my father."-I Ne. i:17. Nearly 1,000 years later the prophet Mormon "made an a. from the plates of Nephi"-W. of Morm. 4. The same Mormon refers to his condensed account of the destructive wars of his people as an "abridgment," in Morm. ii:36. This is But an example of the "imperfections" and "faults" which the book itself confesses would be found in their usage, because abridgment presupposes the existence of something to be abridged. Mormon's contribution in this case was original. Another, and perhaps the third and final a. of the B. of M. at large, consists of the portion of the book of Ether proper which Moroni saw fit to hand down to us, retaining the original name Ether as its heading. Moroni says he omitted the forepart of the record from creation down to the tower of Babel (Eth. i:3-5). He says "I give from the tower down until they were destroyed." That would not constitute what he did hand down an a., but when he says in regard to what he did hand down in his closing words, vi:l08-"the hundredth part I have not written," we have the apparent essentials of an a. See Moro. i:l.

When Alma protested against the injustice of King Noah toward Abinadi and his life was sought, he fled into retirement. Afterward he taught the people privately the words of Abinadi and with his converts sought safety and seclusion in a place called Mormon. Here he began baptizing, ordained priests and organized the church. All was glorious for a time, till by espionage their performance came to the knowledge of King Noah who ordered their destruction. But they eluded his army and after "eight days journey" they (about 450 souls, ix:10) came to a land they named Helam. In this place they were discovered by the Lamanites and they next became the victims of Lamanitish oppression and servitude under taskmasters. In this crisis the Lord comes to their rescue and brings them into the land of Zarahemla after thirteen days in the wilderness, ix:38-50. Now, Alma, who had been their leader and had declined the kingship, does a great work in Zarahemla by his preachings, baptisms and ordinations. He is received by King Mosiah and granted that he might establish churches throughout all the land, xi:97-104. He had authority over the church as high priest (par. 14) and was its founder, in their land, xiii:67, 68. The church, however, had its persecutors, among them the sons of Mosiah and Alma, the son of Alma.

The present Alma in his early years was a wicked persecutor of the church established by his father, and was turned from his course, Paul-like, by the appearance of an angel. Immediately he repented and forthwith began to propagate that which he had endeavored to tear down. Mosiah having before his death, with the voice of the people, changed the form of government from a monarchial to a republican one, Alma Jr., is appointed first chief judge, holding at the same time by conferment of his father the high priestship and "charge concerning all the affairs of the church," Mos. xiii: 63-66. When he had occupied the seat of chief judge for eight years the wickedness of the church had waxed that strong that he found it prudent to relinquish the judgeship into the hands of Nephihah in order that he might give his entire time to spiritual affairs and to the reclamation of his people. He successfully visited the cities of Zarahemla and Gideon and the land of Melek, but he was rejected and reviled in the city of Ammonihah. On his second visit to Ammonihah he is ministered to and fed by Amulek who becomes his colaborer. The history thereafter tells of their preaching to the peo-ple of that city - of Alma and Zeezrom - of Almo and Antionah - of the imprisonment of Alma and Amulek and their miraculous deliverance - of their departure from Ammonihah - of the conversion of Zeezrom and Sidon - of the joyful meeting of Alma and Ammon - of Korihor before Alma - of Alma's mission to the Zoramites; and finally his commandments to his sons and his farewell blessings upon them. In Al. i:l-27, we read of the arraignment before him of Nehor for heresy and murder This great prophet Alma was also custodian of all the records and the interpreters which King Mosiah had conferred upon him, Mos. xiii:l-8. In the eighteenth year of the reign of the Judges (B. C. 73) he in turn confers them upon his son Helaman, Alma xvii:31-58. It is to be believed that Alma wrote the closing portion of the Book of Mosiah and the Book of Alma from chapter i up to (but not including) chapter xxi.

The history of this remarkable man extends from 73 B. C. to 66 B. C., over seven years, or from the 19th to the 25th year inclusive of the reign of the Judges. The former part of his life was spent in Zarahemla; the last six years, save when north-ward to war with the Nephites, was spent in the land of Nephi. He fought his last battle in the Panamanian or inter-American narrows where he was also slain. Al. xxi:29 to xxiii:44.

The majority of the A. were brought back by Mo-roni, who intercepted their flight, and were compelled under penalty of death to "covenant to support the cause of freedom"; but few denied the covenant. Al. xxi:61-70.

It was in the first year of the reign of the Judges when A. and brethren left Zarahemla (Al. xii:1-13); and as we read, "thus endeth the fifteenth year" chap. xv:36-44, after the instatement of his converts in Jershon and the big battle with the Lamanites is recorded, it is to be understood that that mission consumed about fourteen years-from B. C. 91 to B. C. 77.

Ammon served as high priest over the people of Jershon and in 74 B. C. Korihor was arraigned before him and the chief judge. Soon after, he went with Alma on a mission to the Zoramites. After returning he accompanied Alma to Zarahemla, from whence he is lost to history. Mos. xi: 162-207; xii:l-21; Al. xii; xiii:23-3l; xiv-xvi.

One feature of A's generalship which makes him conspicuous in the B. of M., is his correspondence with Moroni in respect to exchange of prisoners. He does not appear to have maintained the generalship that his brother displayed, as he loses much that his brother predecessor had conquered. Al. xiv-xxix.

The apostasy which had merely begun in the time of his father, before A. D. 194, now became general ere the death of Amos II, insomuch that it is said that both the people of Nephi and the Lamanites had become exceedingly wicked, one like unto another, and the robbers of Gadianton did spread over all the land. 4 Ne. 24-59.

When the prophet Alma II returned to the city of Ammonihah by command of the angel he found a ready friend and host in Amulek who had likewise been warned by an angel to receive the former. After Alma had tarried many days with this honorable man, who is spoken of as a man of many kindreds and friends and also of much riches, the two of them proceeded to preach to the hard-hearted inhabitants of that city. They met with some success as to conversions, but their success was attended with the most dire consequences in that their converts were either expelled from the city or burned. Such was the force with which the citizens sought to annihilate them when they found themselves unable to abate them by other means; and when the lawyer Zeezrom - who for a time had championed the cause of the opposers of these men of God - had both been effectually withstood and converted. When their converts had been either cast out or burned, Alma and A. found themselves in prison, subjected to all the indignities persecutors could heap upon them. On a sudden the Lord came to their rescue: their fetters falling, the walls tumbling and killing their abusers, the two servants of God released by his power. They depart from Ammonihah and come to Sidom where they find Zeezrom. Next A. goes on a mission with others to the Zoramites: from whence he goes to the land of Jershon and is lost to view. Al. vi:23-42; vii-xi; xvi:78-84, 201-245.

As the "priests of Noah" they were Nephites racially; as the "brethren of Amulon" in the land of Amulon when they were discovered by the Lamanites, the fathers were Nephites and the mothers Lamanites; the children Nephitish-Lamanitish; later then when the original settlers referred to had all passed away they were, as Amulonites, all Nephitish-Lamanitish. None of them were converted by Mosiah's sons and with the Amalekites they were the foremost persecutors of the Christian Nephites, Al. xiv:21, 22, 54-58. Later they were hunted and destroyed by the Lamanites in fulfillment of Abinadi's prophecy. Al. xiv:66-72.

It is not entirely plain whether the title of A. became applied to them in consequence of its having been previously, for some cause, conferred upon the king A. or whether it was conferred upon the king on account of its having been previously accepted by the people. We incline to the former idea that they were so designated as the subjects or people of (king) A.

Eventually these people lost their nominal - if not also racial - identity by an absorption into the Nephite race. They are referred to in particular as late at least as 46 B. C. as composing a part of those who moved northward, Hel. ii: 10,11. About 63 B. C. two thousand of them who had not taken the oath in the land of Nephi took up arms to assist the Nephites against Lamanite invaders. Al. xxiv:67-77.