Amulek Being Rejected by His Father and His Kindred

Alan C. Miner

In Alma 10:11 we find that Amulek, in relating the ministerings of an angel to him regarding Alma, declares: "For behold, he hath blessed mine house, he hath blessed me, and my women, and my children, and my father and my kinsfolk; yea, even all my kindred hath he blessed, and the blessing of the Lord hath rested upon us according to the words which he spake." Yet we find that at the end of their preachings that,

it came to pass that Alma and Amulek, Amulek, having forsaken all his gold, and silver, and his precious things, which were in the land of Ammonihah, for the word of God, he being rejected by those who were once his friends and also by his father and his kindred, . . . therefore, [Alma] took Amulek and came over to the land of Zarahemla, and took him to his own house, and did administer unto him in his tribulations, and strengthened him in the Lord. (Alma 15:16, 18)

According to Larry Dahl, Amulek's decision apparently involved much more than a preaching mission. It was also a rejection of his former life. It was, in fact, a double rejection, a reciprocal rejection--"Amulek having forsaken all his gold, and silver, and his precious things, which were in the land of Ammonihah, for the word of God, he being rejected by those who were once his friends and also by his father and his kindred." (Alma 15:16) Was he rejected by his wife and children as well as by his friends and his father? . . . Alma 10:11 indicates that "women" and "children" were part of his "house.". . . After leaving Ammonihah and preaching at Sidom, Amulek went with Alma to Zarahemla. "Alma . . . took him to his own house, and did administer unto him in his tribulations, and strengthened him in the Lord" (Alma 15:18). There is no mention of any family being with him. If indeed the "kindred" who rejected him included his own wife and children, it is no wonder he was suffering "tribulations" and needed the strengthening influence of a loving friend. . . .

Nothing more is said about Amulek's activities. However, he is quoted later by Helaman (Helaman 5:10) and Aminadab (Helaman 5:41), and he is referred to by Moroni as one who had faith sufficient to cause prison walls to tumble (Ether 12:13). We are left to wonder how and with whom he spent his later years. [Larry E. Dahl, "The Plan of Redemption," in Studies in Scripture: Book of Mormon, Part 1, pp. 313-314, 320]

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