11:1 Now it was in the law of Mosiah that every man
who was a judge of the law, or those who were appointed
to be judges, should receive wages according to the time
which they labored to judge those who were brought before
them to be judged. |
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11:2 Now if a man owed another, and he would not pay
that which he did owe, he was complained of to the judge;
and the judge executed authority, and sent forth officers
that the man should be brought before him; and he judged
the man according to the law and the evidences which were
brought against him, and thus the man was compelled to
pay that which he owed, or be stripped, or be cast out
from among the people as a thief and a robber. |
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11:3 And the judge received for his wages according
to his time--a senine of gold for a day, or a senum of
silver, which is equal to a senine of gold; and this is
according to the law which was given. |
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11:4 Now these are the names of the different 1pieces
of their gold, and of their silver, according to their
value. And the names are given by the Nephites, for they
did not reckon after the manner of the Jews who were at
Jerusalem; neither did they measure after the manner of
the Jews; but they altered their reckoning and their
measure, according to the minds and the circumstances of
the people, in every generation, until the reign of the
judges, they having been established by king Mosiah. |
[1] New
World archaeology has found no evidence that the native
Americans used any form of coin or money. |
11:5 Now the reckoning is thus--a senine of gold, a
seon of gold, a shum of gold, and a limnah of gold. |
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11:6 A senum of silver, an amnor of silver, an ezrom
of silver, and an onti of silver. |
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11:7 A senum of silver was equal to a senine of
gold, and either for a measure of barley, and also for a
measure of every kind of grain. |
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11:8 Now the amount of a seon of gold was twice the
value of a senine. |
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11:9 And a shum of gold was twice the value of a
seon. |
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11:10 And a limnah of gold was the value of them all.
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11:11 And an amnor of silver was as great as two
senums. |
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11:12 And an ezrom of silver was as great as four
senums. |
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11:13 And an onti was as great as them all. |
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11:14 Now this is the value of the lesser numbers of
their reckoning-- |
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11:15 A shiblon is half of a senum; therefore, a
shiblon for half a measure of barley. |
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11:16 And a shiblum is a half of a shiblon. |
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11:17 And a leah is the half of a shiblum. |
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11:18 Now this is their number, according to their
reckoning. |
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11:19 Now an antion of gold is equal to three
shiblons. |
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11:20 Now, it was for the sole purpose to get gain,
because they received their wages according to their
employ, therefore, they did stir up the people to
riotings, and all manner of disturbances and wickedness,
that they might have more employ, that they might get
money according to the suits which were brought before
them; therefore they did stir up the people against Alma
and Amulek. |
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11:21 And this Zeezrom began to question Amulek,
saying: Will ye answer me a few questions which I shall
ask you? Now Zeezrom was a man who was expert in the
devices of the devil, that he might
destroy that which was good; therefore, he said unto
Amulek: Will ye answer the questions which I shall put
unto you? |
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11:22 And Amulek said unto him: Yea, if it be
according to the Spirit of the Lord, which is in me; for
I shall say nothing which is contrary to the Spirit of
the Lord. And Zeezrom said unto him: Behold, here are six
onties of silver, and all these will I give thee if thou
wilt deny the existence of a Supreme Being. |
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11:23 Now Amulek said: O thou child of hell, why tempt ye me? Knowest thou that the
righteous yieldeth to no such temptations? |
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11:24 Believest thou that there is no God? I say unto
you, Nay, thou knowest that there is a God, but thou
lovest that lucre more than him. |
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11:25 And now thou hast lied before God unto me. Thou
saidst unto me--Behold these six onties, which are of
great worth, I will give unto thee--when thou hadst it in
thy heart to retain them from me; and it was only thy
desire that I should deny the true and living God, that
thou mightest have cause to destroy me. And now behold,
for this great evil thou shalt have thy reward. |
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11:26 And Zeezrom said unto him: Thou sayest there is
a true and living God? |
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11:27 And Amulek said: Yea, there is a true and
living God. |
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11:28 Now Zeezrom said: 1Is there more than one God? |
[1] Smith
later changed his theology to include polytheism - the
belief that there are many Gods, and that man could
become a God. This notion is contrary to the Book of
Mormon, although, ironically, the Bible does contain
traces of early Hebrew polytheistic beliefs. |
11:29 And he answered, No. |
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11:30 Now Zeezrom said unto him again: How knowest
thou these things? |
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11:31 And he said: An angel hath made them known unto
me. |
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11:32 And Zeezrom said again: Who is he that shall
come? Is it the Son of God? |
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11:33 And he said unto him, Yea. |
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11:34 And Zeezrom said again: Shall he save his
people in their sins? And Amulek answered and said unto
him: I say unto you he shall not, for it is impossible
for him to deny his word. |
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11:35 Now Zeezrom said unto the people: See that ye
remember these things; for he said there is but one God;
yet he saith that the Son of God shall come, but he shall
not save his people--as though he had authority to
command God. |
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11:36 Now Amulek saith again unto him: Behold thou
hast lied, for thou sayest that I spake as though I had
authority to command God because I said he shall not save
his people in their sins. |
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11:37 And I say unto you again that he cannot save
them in their sins; for I cannot deny his word, and he
hath said that no unclean thing can inherit the kingdom
of heaven; therefore, how can ye be saved, except ye
inherit the kingdom of heaven? Therefore, ye cannot be
saved in your sins. |
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11:38 Now Zeezrom saith again unto him: 1Is the
Son of God the very Eternal Father? |
[1] It
appears that Smiths early theology was closer to
the Sabellian heresy than orthodox Christianity.
Sabellius believed that Christ and the Father were one
and the same being, and that the Father suffered upon the
cross. Smith made some attempts to change this theology
for the 1837 printing of the Book of Mormon (see the changes to I Nephi), but apparently realised that this
would entail a major revision of the Book of Mormon, and
abandoned the project. |
11:39 And Amulek said unto him: Yea, he is the very
Eternal Father of heaven and of earth, and all things
which in them are; 1he is the beginning and the end, the first and
the last; |
[1] Revelation 22:13: I am...the beginning and the
end, the first and the last. |
11:40 And he shall come into the world to redeem his
people; and he shall take upon him the transgressions of
those who believe on his name; and these are they that
shall have eternal life, and salvation cometh to none
else. |
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11:41 Therefore the wicked remain as though there had
been no redemption made, except it be the loosing of the
bands of death; for behold, the day cometh that all shall
rise from the dead and stand before God, and be judged
according to their works. |
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11:42 Now, there is a death which is called a
temporal death; and the death of Christ shall loose the bands of this temporal death,
that all shall be raised from this temporal death. |
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11:43 The spirit and the body shall be reunited again
in its perfect form; both limb and joint shall be
restored to its proper frame, even as we now are at this
time; and we shall be brought to stand before God,
knowing even as we know now, and have a bright
recollection of all our guilt. |
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11:44 Now, this restoration shall come to all, both
old and young, both 1bond and free, both male and female, both the
wicked and the righteous; and even there shall not so
much as a hair of their heads be lost; but every thing
shall be restored to its perfect frame, as it is now, or
in the body, and shall be brought and be arraigned before
the bar of Christ the Son, and God the Father, and the Holy
Spirit, which is one Eternal God, to be judged according
to their works, whether they be good or whether they be
evil. |
[1] Galatians 3:28: There is neither Jew nor
Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither
male nor female... |
11:45 Now, behold, I have spoken unto you concerning
the death of the mortal body, and also concerning the
resurrection of the mortal body. I say unto you that this
mortal body is raised to an immortal body, that is from
death, even from the first death unto life, that they can
die no more; their spirits uniting with their bodies,
never to be divided; thus the whole becoming spiritual
and immortal, that they can no more see corruption. |
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11:46 Now, when Amulek had finished these words the
people began again to be astonished, and also Zeezrom
began to tremble. And thus ended the words of Amulek, or
this is all that I have written. |
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