Mosiah 21:1-16

 Chapter 21

Limhi's people are smitten and defeated by the Lamanites—They meet Ammon and are converted—They tell Ammon of the twenty–four Jaredite plates. About 122–121 B.C.

1  AND it came to pass that Limhi and his people returned to the city of Nephi, and began to dwell in the land again in peace.
2  And it came to pass that after many days the Lamanites began again to be stirred up in anger against the Nephites, and they began to come into the borders of the land round about.
3  Now they durst not slay them, because of the oath which their king had made unto Limhi; but they would smite them on their cheeks, and exercise authority over them; and began to put heavy burdens upon their backs, and drive them as they would a dumb ass—
4  Yea, all this was done that the word of the Lord might be fulfilled.

Mosiah 21:1-4 (Emphasis mine) 

It's been about a year since the incident of the priests kidnapping the Lamanite young women.  There had been peace for a time, but feelings were still strong. 

The Lamanites couldn't kill them because of the oath given Limhi ("... Let us go forth to meet my people, without arms; and I swear unto you with an oath that my people shall not slay thy people."  Mosiah 20:24 - Emphasis mine)  We need to give the Lamanites credit.  At least they lived up to their promises.  So what could they do?

They basically turned the Nephites into slaves.  They would strike them at will.  They began to have them work for them; the work was very hard and taxing.  The Lamanites treated them as nothing more than animals.

Remember the words of Abinadi:  "... Thus saith the Lord, it shall come to pass that this generation, because of their iniquities, shall be brought into bondage, and shall be smitten on the cheek; yea, and shall be driven by men ..." Mosiah 12:2 (Emphasis mine)  

Remember that the people of Limhi are the people that Abinadi warned.  They were called on to repent and return to the Lord.  They chose not to and now the are reaping the bitter fruits of wickedness.  

Mormon's primary purpose in carefully choosing what he writes about is to warn us about the consequences of sin.  The Lord warns us; He sends up prophets; He has given us the scriptures.  Yet, many choose to ignore these warnings.  Mormon wants us to clearly understand that there are consequences for these choices.  We may not be placed in slavery or physically abused as were the people of Limhi.  That does not change the fact that there will be consequences.

In the October 2002 General Conference, Elder Richard Scott talked about the heavy burdens a man felt because of his sins.

"Seated across from me was a despondent man, head buried in hands, sobbing from the inevitable consequences of repeated violations of the commandments of God. He anguished: 'I don’t know what to do. Everything is pressing in on me. I’m tired of running. There is no peace, no happiness. When I pray, no one is listening. What’s the use?'

"... Because of his choices, he has become separated from the truths that would help him. He has not cultivated faith in the Master nor in the power of prayer. His decisions are centered on what could quickly satisfy his cravings. He either ignores problems or lies about them. He has manipulated the generosity of parents and friends to attempt a quick fix to challenges. He does not evaluate the consequences of today’s decisions on tomorrow’s life.

"... I realized he does not see the world as it really is—a place of joy and happiness, of true friendships where faith in Jesus Christ and obedience to His teachings invite the Holy Ghost to prompt correct decisions. He lives in an environment dominated by the influence of Satan. He has not followed sound counsel, because in his world he cannot see how it would possibly work for him. This distorted view of life is reality to him ...

"These promptings and the allure of the forbidden led him down a path that seemed fascinatingly attractive. He was carried on the crest of the wave of appetite and passion, oblivious to the consequences until the inevitable crushing encounter with the laws of God occurred. That produced pain, remorse, and regret ... Because of his sins, he cannot see a way out of his failures. He will not see the tools needed for a new life in his current environment. His tragic, confining world has been created by the violation of eternal law, motivated by desire for a quick response."  (Emphasis mine)

In the April 2003 General Conference, Elder Spencer V. Jones talked about the consequences of sin.

"At times, consequences of sin may appear to be very subtle to the sinner. We may even convince ourselves ... that no one will be able to detect our sins and that they are well concealed. But always to our Heavenly Father and often to spiritually sensitive leaders, parents, and friends, our sins are glaringly apparent."  (Emphasis mine)

5  And now the afflictions of the Nephites were great, and there was no way that they could deliver themselves out of their hands, for the Lamanites had surrounded them on every side.
6  And it came to pass that the people began to murmur with the king because of their afflictions; and they began to be desirous to go against them to battle.  And they did afflict the king sorely with their complaints; therefore he granted unto them that they should do according to their desires.
7  And they gathered themselves together again, and put on their armor, and went forth against the Lamanites to drive them out of their land.
8  And it came to pass that the Lamanites did beat them, and drove them back, and slew many of them.

Mosiah 21:5-8 (Emphasis mine) 

What was the response of the people of Limhi?  Let's go to war.  We can defeat the Lamanites. As a people, they did not turn the Lord, beg for forgiveness, and return to Him.  It was up to them.  They could do it alone.  

The results were predictable.  They Lamanites defeated the people of Limhi.  Many died in the process.

9  And now there was a great mourning and lamentation among the people of Limhi, the widow mourning for her husband, the son and the daughter mourning for their father, and the brothers for their brethren.
10  Now there were a great many widows in the land, and they did cry mightily from day to day, for a great fear of the Lamanites had come upon them.
11  And it came to pass that their continual cries did stir up the remainder of the people of Limhi to anger against the Lamanites; and they went again to battle, but they were driven back again, suffering much loss.
12  Yea, they went again even the third time, and suffered in the like manner; and those that were not slain returned again to the city of Nephi.

Mosiah 21:9-12 (Emphasis mine)

Their response was not to repent, but to go to war again!  They were defeated.  Losing twice was not enough to get them to return to the Lord.  They went forth a third time, and suffered serious losses.  What now?

13  And they did humble themselves even to the dust, subjecting themselves to the yoke of bondage, submitting themselves to be smitten, and to be driven to and fro, and burdened, according to the desires of their enemies.
14  And they did humble themselves even in the depths of humility; and they did cry mightily to God; yea, even all the day long did they cry unto their God that he would deliver them out of their afflictions.
15  And now the Lord was slow to hear their cry because of their iniquities; nevertheless the Lord did hear their cries, and began to soften the hearts of the Lamanites that they began to ease their burdens; yet the Lord did not see fit to deliver them out of bondage.
16  And it came to pass that they began to prosper by degrees in the land, and began to raise grain more abundantly, and flocks, and herds, that they did not suffer with hunger.

Mosiah 21:13-16 (Emphasis mine)

After a third defeat, they finally got the message.  They humbled themselves and willingly submitted themselves to the Lamanites.  They did  the work they were given.  They quietly suffered the physical abuses.  They were a changed people.  They also turned to the Lord and asked him to free them from the afflictions. 

The Lord was slow to hear their prayers.  He knew they needed to truly humble themselves.  If He would have immediately answered their prayers, they would have learned nothing.  By suffering the consequences of their wickedness, they learned great lessons.

Eventually, the Lord heard the prayers.  He slowly began to soften the hearts of the  Lamanites.  Their burdens were eased; they began to prosper and were no longer hungry.  They still remained in bondage.

In the October 2005 General Conference, Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin said:  "Since the days of Adam, the Lord has spoken to His prophets, and while His message differs according to the specific needs of the time, there is one consistent, never-changing theme: Depart from iniquity and journey to higher ground ...As people heed the words of the prophets, the Lord blesses them." (Emphasis mine)  

We see that, as the people of Limhi humbled themselves and began to heed the words of Abinadi, they were blessed.  Had they listened to Abinadi, they would not have had to suffer.  Elder M. Russel Ballard has said "You don’t have to spend time as a Laman or a Lemuel in order to know that it’s much better to be a Nephi or a Jacob." 

Mormon tells us that, if we don't follow the word of the Lord, there will be dire consequences.  This is why he shares with us the story of King Noah and the people of Limhi.  If we repent and turn back to the Lord, Mormon tells us that we will prosper.  This doesn't mean we'll be rich.  It doesn't mean we won't have problems.  It simply means that our lives will be full and we will be a happy people.  Serving the Lord is always the best choice.