Comments on Alma 35 This chapter gives us the history of the results of the missionary work among the Zoramites (v. 1-13), and informs us what Alma's reaction to it and the general condition of the Nephites is (v. 14-16). v1-2 After they finish preaching to the Zoramites, saying all there was to say, the missionaries all travel over into the land of Jershon, where the converted Lamanites are living. It is plain from the subsequent verses that none of the Zoramites, not even the more penitent ones, left with the missionaries. v3-7 The nonbelievers are in the majority among the Zoramites, and they are angry about the missionary efforts of Alma and the others because it upsets the system they are enjoying (v. 3). The priests, teachers, and leaders covertly find out who the believers are (v. 4-5) and expel them from their lands. The believers follow after the missionaries to the land Jershon (v. 6) where they are accepted and ministered to (v. 7). v3 "the more popular part", I would assume this means the majority of the population, and not the more socially powerful or more charismatic persons in the population. Since the believers are ultimately expelled, one would assume they were in the minority as if they were in the majority then how could they be forced to leave when they outnumber the opposition? v8-13 The Zoramites are angry that the repentant Lamanites have accepted their refugees, so they tell them to expel them as well (v. 8). The repentant Lamanites ignore the Zoramites and do just the opposite with the refugees (v. 9), so the Zoramites threaten them with violence and combine with the hardened Lamanites start contentions again (v. 10-11). The repentant Lamanites and all that are with them move out of Jershon and the Nephite armies move in and a war commences with the Lamanites (v. 12-13). v14-16 Alma and the others all return to Zarahemla after their missionary labors among the Zoramites The Zoramites who did repent joined the Nephites and even joined the ranks of the Nephite army to defend themselves from the Lamanites and apostate Zoramites (v. 14). Alma is very upset about the condition of the Nephites, seeing them grow hardhearted and seeing war spread (v. 15), so he gathers his sons to give them his final instructions before leaving (v. 16). Alma's disgust over the condition of the Lamanites is what ultimately drives him to wander off into the wilderness to never be heard of again, cf. 45:18. After spending so much time preaching to the Nephites to get them to repent he is weighed down entirely too much by their lack of penitence, so he leaves them. Copyright © 2001 by S. Kurt Neumiller . All rights reserved. No part of this text may be reproduced in any form or by any means for commercial gain without the express written consent of the author. Digital or printed copies may be freely made and distributed for personal and public non-commercial use.