Alma 14:1 - 14:5

Alma 14:1 And it came to pass after he had made an end of speaking unto the people many of them did believe on his words, and began to repent, and to search the scriptures.

Alma’s words affected a minority of the people of Ammonihah. They realized Alma was correct in his assessment of the condition of the people and they began to make changes with the help of the scriptures.

When only a minority and maybe only a small one gets the message, then you know there is going to be trouble for the population. It is also interesting that they begin to study the scriptures again. They shows a literate population, but this minority at least up to this point, was willing to let others tell them what they should believe and how they should act. The lawyers teachings were pleasing and the people’s consciences went to sleep, but Alma and Amulek appears to have awaken some of them up.

Alma 14:2 But the more part of them were desirous that they might destroy Alma and Amulek; for they were angry with Alma, because of the plainness of his words unto Zeezrom; and they also said that Amulek had lied unto them, and had reviled against their law and also against their lawyers and judges.

The majority of the citizens of Ammonihah did not like what they had heard from Alma and Amulek and wanted to get rid of them. They were angry because they had said, what they claimed, was evil things against their laws and their lawmakers. In addition, they did not like that they had intimidated Zeezrom and made him look bad in front of everyone.

Alma 14:3 And they were also angry with Alma and Amulek; and because they had testified so plainly against their wickedness, they sought to put them away privily.

No one likes being put down in public, especially these very proud and vain men. Alma and Amulek had pointed out their evil ways in no uncertain terms for all to see. Now the lawyers colluded together on how to get rid of these two irritants without rousing the general public.

After all, Alma had been the chief judge and law enforcer and would be held in very high esteem by the Nephites as a whole and Amulek was a local prominent citizen. You just don’t kill these people without arousing either the people of the town or the other Nephite settlements around them.

Alma 14:4 But it came to pass that they did not; but they took them and bound them with strong cords, and took them before the chief judge of the land.

Well, the town leaders must have found that they would have to act openly and arrested them for sedition and took them before their own judges.

Alma 14:5 And the people went forth and witnessed against them—testifying that they had reviled against the law, and their lawyers and judges of the land, and also of all the people that were in the land; and also testified that there was but one God, and that he should send his Son among the people, but he should not save them; and many such things did the people testify against Alma and Amulek. Now this was done before the chief judge of the land.

The two were accused to two things. First, that they had said their laws were unjust and evil. They had accused their judges of being corrupt and as well as their laws, alone with the people in general because they went along with the judges and lawyers. Second, that they had said that there was one God and he would send His son to earth as a mortal but would not save them. There were other accusations, but these were the main ones.

I guess they were trying to show that Alma and Amulek were preaching against what the lawyers thought the scriptures had said about the mission of the Messiah.