KnoWhy #122 - Why Did the People of Sidom Go to the Altar for Deliverance? (Alma 15:17)

In Sidom, Alma and Amulek found some of their converts who had fled from Ammonihah. These people humbled themselves and worshiped God “before the altar . . . that they might be delivered from Satan, and from death, and from destruction.” According to Bokovoy, “the earlier laws of Exodus identify altars as places of refuge where someone who had unintentionally committed manslaughter could seek asylum.” Bokovoy remarked, “the Book of Mormon identifies the altar as a place where people could seek deliverance, albeit in a spiritual sense.” This understanding of altars in the Book of Mormon leads to greater appreciation for God’s love and protection of His children through the atonement of Jesus Christ.