31 And it came to pass that he flattered them by his words, saying: My brethren, be of good cheer and let us go in search of the flocks, and we will gather them together and bring them back unto the place of water; and thus we will preserve the flocks unto the king and he will not slay us.
32 And it came to pass that they went in search of the flocks, and they did follow Ammon, and they rushed forth with much swiftness and did head the flocks of the king, and did gather them together again to the place of water.
33 And those men again stood to scatter their flocks; but Ammon said unto his brethren: Encircle the flocks round about that they flee not; and I go and contend with these men who do scatter our flocks.
34 Therefore, they did as Ammon commanded them, and he went forth and stood to contend with those who stood by the waters of Sebus; and they were in number not a few.
Alma 17:31-34 (Emphasis mine)
Ammon realized this is the opportunity for which he was looking. His fellow servants feared for their lives. Under his leadership, he got them together and found the sheep.
This angered those who scattered the sheep. They were ready to do it again. Ammon stood before them ready to protect the sheep.
As was pointed out in my last post, this scattering of the sheep was a part of a “game” being played. This was not as violent as other acts, especially against the Nephites.
Duane Boyce writes that this form of violence was a way of life for many Lamanites.
“So about the time of the missionary labors of the sons of Mosiah, in addition to waging large-scale war against the Nephites from time to time, the Lamanites also engaged in a violent form of banditry—‘robbing and plundering’ the Nephites, and actually taking delight in murdering them. It’s also relevant in this context to remember that Ammon was threatened with death twice while among the Lamanites, and that he was spared only through the power of the Lord (see Alma 17:34–37; 19:14–20; Mosiah 28:7).
“In sum, prior to their conversion, the Lamanites were a people who for centuries had: (1) hated the Nephites; (2) waged aggressive war from time to time to destroy them; (3) sought to murder the Nephites and actually “delighted in” and “loved” murdering them; and (4) sought to plunder and rob the Nephites to gain gold and silver without labor.”[i] (Emphasis mine)
35 Therefore they did not fear Ammon, for they supposed that one of their men could slay him according to their pleasure, for they knew not that the Lord had promised Mosiah that he would deliver his sons out of their hands; neither did they know anything concerning the Lord; therefore they delighted in the destruction of their brethren; and for this cause they stood to scatter the flocks of the king.
36 But Ammon stood forth and began to cast stones at them with his sling; yea, with mighty power he did sling stones amongst them; and thus he slew a certain number of them insomuch that they began to be astonished at his power; nevertheless they were angry because of the slain of their brethren, and they were determined that he should fall; therefore, seeing that they could not hit him with their stones, they came forth with clubs to slay him.
Alma 17:35-36 (Emphasis mine)
It is not surprising Ammon knew how to fight back. First, he knew he would be protected by the Lord. Next, we find that Ammon was most likely prepared. A. Brent Maxwell writes that “[t]he story of Ammon defending King Lamoni's flocks may also illustrate the advantage Ammon had (as the son of King Mosiah) in receiving superior military training and weapons (see Alma 17:7—Ammon was extremely well armed when he started his journey; see also Alma 17:36-37).”[ii] (Emphasis mine)
38 Now six of them had fallen by the sling, but he slew none save it were their leader with his sword; and he smote off as many of their arms as were lifted against him, and they were not a few.
39 And when he had driven them afar off, he returned and they watered their flocks and returned them to the pasture of the king, and then went in unto the king, bearing the arms which had been smitten off by the sword of Ammon, of those who sought to slay him; and they were carried in unto the king for a testimony of the things which they had done.
Alma 17:35-39 (Emphasis mine)
Seeing they were losing by stones, they went against Ammon with the sword. Ammon fought back bravely. Only the leader of the band was killed. He cut off arms of the rest.
Let’s look at this custom of fighting with the sword and cutting off arms in war.
From the article Swords in the Book of Mormon, Hamblin and Merrill write:
“The second major incident involving swords is the story of Ammon and the brigands at the waters of Sebus (see Alma 17:26-39, ca. 90 B.C.). While defending the flocks of King Lamoni, Ammon was attacked by a band of brigands who had been marauding in the region. He killed a number of them at long range with his sling, after which ‘they came forth with clubs to slay him. But behold, every man that lifted his club to smite Ammon, he smote off their arms with his sword; for he did withstand their blows by smiting their arms with the edge of his sword’ (Alma 17:36-37). This incident is important since it clearly indicates that Nephite swords were edged weapons used for cutting. Thrusting or stabbing with swords is rarely mentioned in the Book of Mormon. The weapon is generally ‘raised’ and is used to smite,’ which imply a cutting action, as explicitly described in the incident with Ammon.
“Ammon's sword technique deserves some attention … in most situations one would expect a sword to make a deep gash but not actually to sever the arm. In order to sever an arm with a sword, the sword must be extremely sharp, must be swung swiftly, and must strike against a limb that is either somehow fixed, or that is moving toward the sword blade.
“Thus Ammon's sword technique makes perfect military sense. He waits for the enemy to attack him with his club. As the club is raised and brought down swiftly toward Ammon, Ammon swings his sword in a fast powerful blow aimed at the forearm. The combination of the attacker's swing toward Ammon and the force of Ammon's own swing is sufficient to sever the forearm. Thus, according to the Book of Mormon, Ammon waited for precisely the right moment to initiate his arm-severing sword technique with maximum efficacy against his enemy.”[iii] (Emphasis mine)
Yerman writes about the cultural pattern of cutting off an enemy’s arm.
Once the battle ends, Ammon goes back to taking care of the King’s sheep. They are watered and cared for. They then returned the sheep to the King’s pasture.
I would think that the story of what happened has gone before them. The King had to be waiting for their return. After their work was done, they went into the King, carrying the arms of the enemy as their trophy.
“The Book of Mormon story about Ammon smiting off the arms of the Lamanite thieves who scattered King Lamoni's flocks fits a cultural pattern known from pre-Spanish Mesoamerica. Cutting off an enemy's arm in battle not only rendered him utterly helpless but also netted the victor a grisly trophy to carry from the scene of battle that would validate his prowess in hand-to-hand combat. Documents from Mexico and Guatemala reveal such a pre-Columbian custom.” [iv] (Emphasis mine)
[i]Were the Ammonites Pacifists? Duane Boyce, Maxwell Institute, accessed September 3, 2011.
[ii] Nephite Captains and Armies, A. Brent Merrill, Maxwell Institute, accessed September 3, 2011.
[iii]Swords in the Book of Mormon, William J. Hamblin, and A. Brent Merrill, Maxwell Institute, accessed September 3, 2011.
[iv]Ammon and the Mesoamerican Custom of Smiting off Arms, Bruce H. Yerman, Maxwell Institute, accessed September 3, 2011.
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