It's hard to read scriptures sometimes because I feel like maybe a prompting is going to come along and be like: "you have to go and read this exact scripture right now or it won't be worth it" whereas I would just open it up where I have been reading last and continuing on without too much thought. That puts me in Alma 14 today, and I feel some of the same doubt that that's where I need to be, but I'm going ahead anyway because I don't see a clearer place to study at the moment.

Can you imagine just taking things so personally with the chief religious leader from a different society that you unprison them? Verse 2 suggests that the people of Ammonihah didn't even have a solid complaint against Alma--they claimed Amulek revilked their law and social leaders--Alma just spoke too plainly, I guess? Wouldn't this create some political problems with Zarahemla? Ammonihah would be getting sanctioned and probably rejected from the core Nephite society.

Zeezrom I see as a notable Book or Mormon hero. I've said before how much I like the reformed flawed ones. Part of the complaint against Alma, Amulek and them rested on them disrespecting Zeezrom, and it must have been totally awful to feel like you opened the gate to the evil about to be done here.

This is the most evil act in the Book of Mormon that is clearly described to us. The Book of Mormon is more condemning of secret combinations as an insidious rot to God-centered societies. This doesn't pretend those secret combinations. This is essential evil and malice at its core, this is fully embracing sin and hatred.