After a suitable rest at his home in Zarahemla, Alma departed, then to commence the second year of his notable mission (82 B.C.) to a place called Melek which was situated on the west of the River Sidon. The Land of Melek appears to have been quite extensive as it included within its borders many Nephite colonies that were far to the west, even to the wilderness wherein the Lamanites roamed in search for food.
In the Land of Melek, throughout both cities and villages, Alma taught the inhabitants thereof the everlasting principles of the Gospel of Christ, bearing personal witness of the coming Redeemer, and calling all within sound of his voice to be baptized in His holy name, thereby taking upon themselves the Name of Christ and showing others by their actions that they truly repented of their sins.
The Spirit of the Lord was so greatly manifest in Alma's labors that most of the people believed his message, and at his behest large numbers of them from every part of the land entered into the waters of Baptism, and with their past sins remitted pledged anew their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, and covenanted to keep His laws and commandments everafter.
Melek, Land of. The boundaries of this land are very indistinctly stated by the inspired writer of the Book of Alma, for it is in that book alone that it is mentioned. However, two things are positively stated (Chapter 8), namely, that it was west of the River Sidon, and that it extended westward as far as the narrow strip of wilderness which ran north and south between the mountains and the Pacific Ocean. We imagine that its eastern borders touched the Land of Zarahemla, and from thence it stretched out as far as the country proved habitable, as it appears to have had a large population, judging from the account given in Alma's ministrations. (82 B.C.) That it embraced a large district of country is proved by the fact that when Alma had finished his labors in the City of Melek, he traveled three day's journey on the north of the Land of Melek before he came to the City of Ammonihah. In later years when it was considered unsafe for the Ammonites to remain longer in Jershon, they were removed to Melek, the proximity of which to Zarahemla, as well as its remoteness from the lands of the Lamanites, rendered it admirably adapted as a place of safety for that persecuted people.
Melek was the name given to a region of country situated west of the River Sidon. No reason is given why it was so called, but its meaning is evident. It was the king's land. The ancient Phoenician word for king is spelled letter for letter the same as in the Book of Mormon (Melek), and the Hebrew word is almost identical.