Alma 4:11

And it came to pass in the commencement of the ninth year,

Alma saw the wickedness of the church,

and he saw also that the example of the church

began to lead those who were unbelievers on

from one piece of iniquity to another,

thus bringing on the destruction of the people.

Alma 4:12

Yea, he saw great inequality among the people,

some lifting themselves up with their pride, despising others,

turning their backs upon the needy and the naked

and those who were hungry, and those who were athirst,

and those who were sick and afflicted.

Alma 4:13

Now this was a great cause for lamentations among the people,

while others were abasing themselves,

succoring those who stood in need of their succor,

such as imparting their substance to the poor and the needy,

feeding the hungry, and suffering all manner of afflictions, for Christ's sake,

who should come according to the spirit of prophecy;

Alma 4:14

Looking forward to that day,

thus retaining a remission of their sins;

being filled with great joy

because of the resurrection of the dead,

according to the will and power and deliverance of Jesus Christ

from the bands of death.

Alma 4:15

And now it came to pass that

Alma, having seen the afflictions of the humble followers of God,

and the persecutions which were heaped upon them by the remainder of his people,

and seeing all their inequality,

began to be very sorrowful;

nevertheless the Spirit of the Lord did not fail him.

Alma 4:16

And he selected a wise man who was among the elders of the church,

and gave him power according to the voice of the people,

that he might have power to enact laws

according to the laws which had been given,

and to put them in force according to the wickedness and the crimes of the people.

Alma 4:17

Now this man's name was Nephihah, and he was appointed chief judge;

and he sat in the judgment-seat to judge and to govern the people.

Alma 4:18

Now Alma did not grant unto him the office of being high priest over the church,

but he retained the office of high priest unto himself;

but he delivered the judgment-seat unto Nephihah.

Alma 4:19

And this he did that he himself might go forth among his people,

or among the people of Nephi,

that he might preach the word of God unto them,

to stir them up in remembrance of their duty,

and that he might pull down, by the word of God,

all the pride and craftiness and all the contentions which were among his people,

seeing no way that he might reclaim them

save it were in bearing down in pure testimony against them.

Alma 4:20

And thus in the commencement of the ninth year

of the reign of the judges over the people of Nephi,

Alma delivered up the judgment-seat to Nephihah,

and confined himself wholly to the high priesthood of the holy order of God,

to the testimony of the word, according to the spirit of revelation and prophecy.