Alma 8:20
20 And the man said unto him: I am a Nephite, and I
know that thou art a holy pro[het of God, for thou art the man whom an angel
said in a vision: Thou shalt receive. Therefore, go with me into my house and I
will impart unto thee of my food; and I know that thou wilt be a blessing unto
me and my house.
Amulek, likewise prepared by a vision, knows that Alma
is a prophet and is fully ready to receive him and offer him food.
Culture: It seems surprising that Amulek would announce his lineage as Nephite.
To understand the implications of Amulek’s declaration, we need to review what
it is that he might be saying. First, he may be declaring that he is Nephite as
opposed to Lamanite. The Book of Mormon often uses those two terms as polar
opposites to divide people into the “us/them” categories. This certainly cannot
be the case with Amulek, because he is living in Zarahemla’s polity, which is assuredly
Nephite. Thus it would be extremely surprising for Amulek to declare that he
was Nephite-not-Lamanite. Alma would have deduced that fact simply from where
Amulek lived.
Another possibility is that Amulek is declaring his actual
lineage—that he is of Nephi’s literal “tribe.” Alma’s surest introduction into
these cities he visits would be with direct kin. (Sorenson, An Ancient American
Setting for the Book of Mormon, 311) In fact, Amulek later declares his
descent from Nephi.
The third possibility is that Amulek is declaring his
politico-religious orientation. In context, this reason appears to be the most
logical. Amulek is living in a city dominated by the order of the Nehors, a
conflicting and competing politico-religious order. When Amulek declares that
he is a Nephite, he is telling Alma that he espouses the same politico-religious
worldview as Alma (Nephites, not Nehorite) and is therefore an ally in a
setting where Alma could expect only opposition. For Alma, this declaration of
affiliation would have been more important than a recitation of genealogy. (Brant
A. Gardner, Second Witness: Analytical and Contextual Commentary on the Book
of Mormon, 6 vols. [Salt Lake City: Greg Kofford Books, 2007], 4:147-48)
