Alma 9:6 - 9:10

Alma 9:6 And they said: Who is God, that sendeth no more authority than one man among this people, to declare unto them the truth of such great and marvelous things?

If what God had to tell the people of Ammonihah was so important, why did he only send one person to tell them?

They were only looking for an excuse, of course, but one might wonder why not a large number of witnesses to impress the folks over this?

Alma 9:7 And they stood forth to lay their hands on me; but behold, they did not. And I stood with boldness to declare unto them, yea, I did boldly testify unto them, saying:

When Alma’s listeners then attempted to take him into custody they could not. He began to preach the following:

I think they could lay hands upon him because of what he said next because it pricked their consciences. I guess it could have been some unseen spiritual power. Don’t forget an angel was looking over Alma and had been for years. This thought has made me wonder if that is the case for us all?

Alma 9:8 Behold, O ye wicked and perverse generation, how have ye forgotten the tradition of your fathers; yea, how soon ye have forgotten the commandments of God.

They are an extremely wicked people who are looking for ways to be even more wicked. Alma starts by trying to get them to remember the history of their forefathers. In addition, he asks them if they have forgotten that they have received commandments from God which have not been rescinded.

Alma 9:9 Do ye not remember that our father, Lehi, was brought out of Jerusalem by the hand of God? Do ye not remember that they were all led by him through the wilderness?

He asks them to remember the trials and tribulations of Lehi and his family as they were led out of Jerusalem by the Lord himself. Did they forget that they were led through the wilderness and reserved as they journeyed by the Lord.

I think the object of all reminding them of Lehi was for them to see that they were led by God and that if they did the same they would be blessed in like manner. For destruction now lay over their heads.

Alma 9:10 And have ye forgotten so soon how many times he delivered our fathers out of the hands of their enemies, and preserved them from being destroyed, even by the hands of their own brethren?

He asks them to remember just how many times Lehi was delivered from their enemies and even from their own family members who wanted to kill them as well.