We’ve previously looked at Alma 17-27 previously. I want to pick up with Alma 28.
Chapter 28
The Lamanites are defeated in a tremendous battle—Tens of thousands are slain—The wicked are consigned to a state of endless woe; the righteous attain a never–ending happiness. About 77–76 B.C.
1 AND now it came to pass that after the people of Ammon were established in the land of Jershon, and a church also established in the land of Jershon, and the armies of the Nephites were set round about the land of Jershon, yea, in all the borders round about the land of Zarahemla; behold the armies of the Lamanites had followed their brethren into the wilderness.
2 And thus there was a tremendous battle; yea, even such an one as never had been known among all the people in the land from the time Lehi left Jerusalem; yea, and tens of thousands of the Lamanites were slain and scattered abroad.
3 Yea, and also there was a tremendous slaughter among the people of Nephi; nevertheless, the Lamanites were driven and scattered, and the people of Nephi returned again to their land.
4 And now this was a time that there was a great mourning and lamentation heard throughout all the land, among all the people of Nephi—
5 Yea, the cry of widows mourning for their husbands, and also of fathers mourning for their sons, and the daughter for the brother, yea, the brother for the father; and thus the cry of mourning was heard among all of them, mourning for their kindred who had been slain.
6 And now surely this was a sorrowful day; yea, a time of solemnity, and a time of much fasting and prayer.
7 And thus endeth the fifteenth year of the reign of the judges over the people of Nephi;
Alma 28:1-7 (Emphasis mine)
A quick note. Chapter 18 ended around 77 B.C. This chapter picks up where Chapter 18 ends and with the settlement of the people of Anti-Nephi-Lehi (hereafter referred to as Ammonites) in Jershon.
As the Ammonites settled in Jershon, the Nephites deployed the armies around the land to protect them. This was a good thing because Lamanite armies had followed them.
This led to a mighty battle. Mormon informs us that this was the worst battle seen among the people in the land since Lehi had left Jerusalem. This battle caused much death and suffering among both people.
The Nephites turned to the Lord for comfort. It was a time of fasting and prayer in their time of tremendous suffering.
What does Mormon mean by discussing the deaths and “tens of thousands of Lamanites … slain and scattered…?” (verse 3) A. Brent Merrill explains:
“The text does not specify how many soldiers took part in these battles and what the actual number of casualties were for each side. This is because the reference to ‘thousands’ and ‘tens of thousands’ being cut off is an imprecise indicator (compare to Alma 28:2; note the reference to ‘slain and scattered’). For example, it is unclear whether this refers to actual casualties, or whether it just indicates that units of ‘thousands’ and ‘tens of thousands’ were defeated. What is clear is that Nephite wars were gradually becoming larger and more destructive than those of the preceding six centuries.” [1] (Emphasis mine)
8 And this is the account of Ammon and his brethren, their journeyings in the land of Nephi, their sufferings in the land, their sorrows, and their afflictions, and their incomprehensible joy, and the reception and safety of the brethren in the land of Jershon. And now may the Lord, the Redeemer of all men, bless their souls forever.
9 And this is the account of the wars and contentions among the Nephites, and also the wars between the Nephites and the Lamanites; and the fifteenth year [76 B.C.] of the reign of the judges is ended.
10 And from the first year to the fifteenth has brought to pass the destruction of many thousand lives; yea, it has brought to pass an awful scene of bloodshed.
11 And the bodies of many thousands are laid low in the earth, while the bodies of many thousands are moldering in heaps upon the face of the earth; yea, and many thousands are mourning for the loss of their kindred, because they have reason to fear, according to the promises of the Lord, that they are consigned to a state of endless wo.
12 While many thousands of others truly mourn for the loss of their kindred, yet they rejoice and exult in the hope, and even know, according to the promises of the Lord, that they are raised to dwell at the right hand of God, in a state of never–ending happiness.
Alma 28:8-12 (Emphasis mine)
We get a brief summary about what had been happening. We learn about Ammon and his brethren, their sufferings and successes. We learn about the wars that caused so much death and suffering. We also learn that, while there is sorrow because of the deaths, there was joy knowing the promises of the Lord and that they are in a state of never-ending happiness.
Who wrote this summary? John Tvedtnes believes Alma(2) wrote these words.
“These statements, in present rather than past tense, imply that the writer was Alma, not Mormon. Further evidence of contemporaneity is found in the wording of Alma 28:9, where we read ‘and the fifteenth year of the reign of the judges is ended,’ rather than simply ‘ended,’ as Mormon would write, and Alma 28:10, where it reads ‘has brought to pass,’ rather than ‘had.’ “ [2] (Emphasis mine)
As the chapter ends, Mormon shares his observations.
13 And thus we see how great the inequality of man is because of sin and transgression, and the power of the devil, which comes by the cunning plans which he hath devised to ensnare the hearts of men.
14 And thus we see the great call of diligence of men to labor in the vineyards of the Lord; and thus we see the great reason of sorrow, and also of rejoicing—sorrow because of death and destruction among men, and joy because of the light of Christ unto life.
Alma 28:13-14 (Emphasis mine)
Mormon’s final observations remind us that, because of the cunning plans of the devil, we suffer great inequality because of sin and transgression.
On the other hand, Mormon tells us that while we have sorrow because of death and destruction, we also have “joy because of the light of Christ unto life.”
A final observation about the light of Christ.
“Thus, if we have the light of Christ then we know the power of God. We experience it even if we do not have [an intellectual] understanding of it. Implicit in our experience of life in the world is the knowledge that God has the power to do good and to persuade us to do good … To know he is the omnipotent ruler is to know we need not fear that Satan will win the confrontation between good and evil, for our Father has the eternal power to bring about good.” [3] (Emphasis mine)
[1] Nephite Captains and Armies, A. Brent Merrill, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed November 12, 2011.
[2] The Voice of an Angel, John A. Tvedtnes, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed November 12, 2011.
[3] Romans 1: Notes and Reflections, Verses 18-23, Maxwell Institute, accessed November 12, 2011.
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