20 And thus they went forth, and the
people did humble themselves because of their words, insomuch that they were
highly favored of the Lord, and thus they were free from wars and contentions
among themselves, yea, even for the space of four years.
21 But, as I have said, in the latter end of the
nineteenth year, yea, notwithstanding their peace amongst themselves, they
were compelled reluctantly to contend with their brethren, the Lamanites.
22
Yea, and in fine, their wars never did cease for the space of many years with the
Lamanites, notwithstanding their much reluctance.
Alma 48:20-22 (Emphasis mine)
The Nephites had experienced a four-year period of peace
because of their righteousness. What
changed was the fact that the Lamanites were attacking the Nephites,
Reluctantly, they were force to fight “their brethren, the Lamanites.”
“This was Moroni's own attitude, and like Alma he insists on designating
the enemy as his ‘brethren,’ and he means it. This, then, would seem to
be a case of ‘the good people against the bad people,’ until we remember that
the Lamanites were equally reluctant to fight the Nephites, our
story being a lesson in ‘the great wickedness one very wicked man can cause.’"[1]
(Emphasis mine)
Because of the wickedness caused by Amalickiah, the “wars
never did cease for the space of many years with the Lamanites, notwithstanding
their much reluctance” on both sides.
“… [Moroni’s] magnanimous nature as a lover of peace and
fair play always prevailed. He always calls the enemy his brothers, with
whom he is loathe to contend. You cannot ask for a less warlike spirit than
that of an army who ‘were compelled reluctantly to contend with their brethren,
the Lamanites,’ who waged war ‘for the space of many years, . . .
notwithstanding their much reluctance’; who were ‘sorry to take up arms against
the Lamanites, because they did not delight in the shedding of blood; yea
. . . they were sorry to be the means of sending so many of their
brethren out of this world’ (Alma 48:21–23). “[2]
(Emphasis mine)
23 Now, they were sorry to take up arms against the
Lamanites, because they did not delight in the shedding of blood; yea, and this
was not all—they were sorry to be the means of sending so many of their brethren
out of this world into an eternal world, unprepared to meet their God. 24 Nevertheless, they
could not suffer to lay down their lives, that their wives and their children
should be massacred by the barbarous cruelty of those who were once their brethren,
yea, and had dissented from their church, and had left them and had gone to
destroy them by joining the Lamanites. 25
Yea, they
could not bear that their brethren should rejoice over the blood of the
Nephites, so long as there were any who should keep the commandments of God,
for the promise of the Lord was, if they should keep his commandments they
should prosper in the land.
Alma 48:23-25 (Emphasis mine)
There was a religious component to their sorrow. They “were sorry to be the means of sending
so many of their brethren out of this world into an eternal world, unprepared
to meet their God.”
In spite of this sorrow, they would not allow their families
to “be massacred by the barbarous cruelty of those who were once their brethren,
yea and had dissented from the church.” They
would not allow them to “rejoice over the blood of the Nephites.” Among whom
would have been their families. They
were going to keep the commandments, knowing they would prosper as a people
through their faith.
John Welch discusses the Nephites’ approach to war.
“In a heated and fair battle, Nephite military leaders had no qualms
about pursuing and slaying the enemy, as when Alma led the Nephites,
and they ‘did pursue the Amlicites all that day, and did slay them with much
slaughter, insomuch that there were slain of the Amlicites twelve thousand five
hundred thirty and two souls’ (Alma 2:19; cf. Alma 43:38-41; 44:7; 51:32;
52:25, 32). The Nephites understood well the need to ‘defend themselves against
their enemies, even to the shedding of blood if it were necessary’ (Alma
48:14); yet they did not delight in the shedding of blood’ (Alma 48:23) and
would have preferred not to slay their enemies at all (see Alma 44:1). Whenever they obtained reasonable advantage
over their enemies, they were quick to disarm their enemies and cease the work
of destruction (see Alma 43-44; 52:37-39).”[3]
(Emphasis mine)
[1] A
Rigorous Test: Military History, Hugh Nibley, Provo, Utah: Maxwell
Institute, accessed April 9, 2012.
[2] Freemen
and King-men in the Book of Mormon, Hugh Nibley, Provo, Utah:
Maxwell Institute, accessed April 9, 2012.
[3] Law
and War in the Book of Mormon, John W. Welch, Provo, Utah: Maxwell
Institute, accessed April 9, 2012.
No comments:
Post a Comment