And now it came to pass that after Alma had said these things to Helaman, he blessed him, and also his other sons; and he also blessed the earth, for the righteous’ sake. And he said, thus saith the Lord God: Cursed shall be the land, yea, this land, unto every nation, kindred, tongue, and people, unto destruction, which do wickedly, when they are fully ripe; and as I have said, so shall it be: for this is the cursing and the blessing of God upon the land, for the Lord cannot look upon sin with the least degree of allowance. And now, when Alma had said these words, he blessed the church, yea, all those who should stand fast in the faith, from that time henceforth; and when Alma had done this, he departed out of the land of Zarahemla, as if to go into the land of Melek. And it came to pass that he was never heard of more; as to his death or burial, we know not of. Behold, this we know, that he was a righteous man; and the saying went abroad in the church, that he was taken up by the spirit, or buried by the hand of the Lord, even as Moses. But behold, the scripture saith the Lord took Moses unto himself; and we suppose that he has also received Alma in the spirit, unto himself; therefore, for this cause, we know nothing concerning his death and burial.

And now it came to pass in the commencement of the nineteeth year of the reign of the judges over the people of Nephi, that Helaman went forth among the people to declare the word unto them; for behold, because of their wars with the Lamanites, and the many little dissensions and disturbances which had been among the people, it became expedient that the word of God should be declared among them; yea, and that a regulation should be made throughout the church; therefore Helaman and his brethren went forth to establish the church again in all the land, yea, in every city throughout all the land which was possessed by the people of Nephi. And it came to pass that they [p. 369]