The Fruit of Abinadi: Alma and Amulek—Touched by an Angel (Episode Two)

When Influence Polarizes: The Weight of Celebrity in a Prophet’s Mantle

Being in the limelight does not always mean the influence is positive. President Donald Trump leads the free world, but his celebrity is so polarizing that his words were often taken out of context—or loaded with too much context. He divided audiences long before he assumed the presidency. With a global platform, he has the power to inspire billions—for or against something.

If President Trump told people not to tolerate being harassed in public, some might interpret that as an invitation to protest aggressively, as those who oppose his current agenda often do. Would the President truly condone such actions?

The answer depends on whom you ask. But that is not the purpose of this article. This is about a different kind of celebrity—and a different kind of protest. One not waged on social media or televised debate stages, but in the streets of Ammonihah, where a prophet and a man of forgotten faith would confront a nation at war with truth.

In The Fruit of Abinadi: The Angel, the Prophet, and the Forgotten Faith of Amulek (Episode One), I wrote about a man named Amulek who was visited by an angel of God. The angel’s mission? To compel this affluent businessman to host the most recognizable figure in the nation.

That national celebrity was Alma.

Like Donald Trump, Alma’s fame was polarizing. But unlike Trump, Alma did not gain his recognition through wealth, television, or empire. Alma began as a fierce persecutor of the Church founded by his father—also named Alma—and later experienced a profound spiritual transformation.

He became both a prophet and the elected Chief Judge of the Nephites, a position akin to the presidency of a nation. Then he gave it up. Alma resigned his political office to devote himself fully to preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

It was a stunning reversal. A yo-yo of a public life, marked by extremes—persecutor to prophet, judge to preacher. And along the way, he made enemies.

Alma traveled to the city of Ammonihah after learning its people had abandoned the path of righteousness. Imagine former President Donald Trump knocking on doors, trying to teach people about Jesus—that’s the kind of public reaction Alma faced. He walked into a city that knew his name, but not his calling. And they wanted nothing to do with either.

When Prophets Are Rejected: Alma’s Return to Ammonihah by Divine Command

Alma had turned his back on the city of Ammonihah after its citizens abused him and cast him out. Grieving deeply over their cruelty and their rejection of God’s word, he resolved to move on. But as he departed, an angel appeared to him—the same angel who once called him to repentance years earlier.

Despite the hostility he had just endured, the angel commanded Alma to return to Ammonihah. The Lord was not finished with that city. Alma was to go back and warn the people: repent, or face destruction.

Not only were the people of Ammonihah living in open sin, but the angel revealed a deeper threat: the city’s leaders were conspiring against the Nephite nation. Plans of sedition had taken root, aiming to destroy the freedoms of all Nephites—including the sacred right to worship God.

The angel charged Alma to return and warn the people. His divine mission was not only to call them to repentance, but to save them from self-destruction—both spiritual and political.

In preparation for his new assignment, Alma prayed and fasted for many days, seeking the spiritual strength and insight needed to face the very people who had abused him. It would take an extraordinary experience to empower him to return.

It also took something extraordinary to prepare Amulek for that same encounter. He had intended only to visit a relative, as was his custom. But divine plans had been set in motion.

An angel appeared to Amulek—a wealthy man of influence in Ammonihah—and told him to welcome a prophet of God into his home. For doing so, the angel promised, Amulek and his household would be blessed.

From this divine encounter, several truths became clear to Amulek:

• God is real.

• The scriptures are true.

• Keeping the commandments brings blessings.

• God speaks through prophets.

In Amulek's case, meeting the former leader of his nation wasn’t even the most astonishing part. The real marvel was that an angel introduced the event beforehand. Imagine getting an introduction like that from heaven.

ANGEL: Rodric, I am here to tell you that you will play host to the former President of the United States. He is tired and hungry. Go prepare.

RODRIC: Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

ANGEL: You must prepare for him. He is on the way.

RODRIC: Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

ANGEL: Yes, I am an angel. Peace and calm to you. Hurry—he is getting closer.

RODRIC: Okay. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh!

ANGEL: Rodric.

RODRIC: Ahhhhhhhh! What? I mean—yes, sir. Uh, should I say yes, my lord?

ANGEL: I am your fellow servant of God. I’m here to let you know the Lord wants you to help the former President.

RODRIC: I don’t know... Which one will it be? If it’s one of the rascals... I don’t know.

ANGEL: You will know when you see him. It is your responsibility to help those whom the Lord tells you to help.

RODRIC: Fine! I don’t have to like it, though!

Alma, the Prophet No One Wanted

Alma wasn’t a man chasing applause. If anything, he ran from it. Once the highest civil authority in the land, he gave it all up to preach the gospel. That’s like resigning from the presidency to become a traveling street preacher. Imagine the news cycle on that one. What cable news would call noble, others would call delusional. That’s what the people of Ammonihah thought—delusional. To them, Alma had been powerful and useful when he was in the seat of judgment. But now? He was just another voice crying repentance, and the world had heard enough of those.

Alma's face was known. His signature had probably been on legal decrees, reforms, and civil rulings that impacted Ammonihah years before. But the moment he wore the mantle of high priest instead of judge, the people looked at him sideways. Who does he think he is? One minute he’s sentencing criminals, the next he’s quoting prophets and preaching the Messiah? The people weren’t about to let a man they once feared now tell them to change their hearts. His fall in their eyes wasn’t just from office—it was from usefulness.

And yet, isn’t that how the Lord works? Alma was being refined by rejection. His identity was not rooted in applause but in obedience. Like the Savior he preached, Alma came unto his own, and his own received him not. The former judge returned as a spiritual surgeon, called not to sentence but to save. But healing the soul requires breaking through the calluses of pride and convenience—and Ammonihah had layers of both. Alma's return wasn’t a publicity stunt. It was a divine mandate. And this time, God made sure he wouldn’t face the city alone.

And yet, despite all this, Alma was just a man. A man who used to be the problem—then became the prophet. He knew what it meant to be wrong and redeemed. That’s why he had the courage to speak, and the humility to walk back into the same city that spit him out.

I am not mocking in doing this—I hope (maybe a tiny bit). My purpose is to show that these were real people, like you and me, who had extraordinary experiences when all they expected was to go about a normal day—especially Amulek. The next article will examine the changes that unfolded because of these divine meetings with Alma and Amulek.