Alma 53:8-13

⁸ And now it came to pass that the armies of the Lamanites, on the west sea, south, while in the absence of Moroni on account of some intrigue amongst the Nephites, which caused dissensions amongst them, had gained some ground over the Nephites, yea, insomuch that they had obtained possession of a number of their cities in that part of the land. ⁹ And thus because of iniquity amongst themselves, yea, because of dissensions and intrigue among themselves they were placed in the most dangerous circumstances.

Alma 53:8 – 9 (Emphasis mine)

Things were in good shape.  Moroni(1) had retaken the city of Mulek and the Lamanites were in retreat.  Then there was “some intrigue amongst the Nephites, which caused dissensions amongst them.” 

This required Moroni(1)’s attention.  While he was dealing with this dissension, the Lamanites were able to “[obtain] possession of a number of their cities.”  Once again, the Nephites own actions caused problems for them.

“[D]issension invariably is associated with and frequently identified as a cause of evil, suffering, and destruction. Despite the variety of forms of dissent, some mild and seemingly innocuous, dissent is never described or linked with anything good or positive in the Book of Mormon. Every reference to dissent portrays it as a problem, an evil condition, and a harbinger of even greater problems and evils … Frequently, the Book of Mormon notes that dissension directly led to war. Often it was the dissenters from the Nephites who ‘stirred up to anger’ the Lamanites against the Nephites and caused them to ‘[commence] a war with their brethren.’ (Helaman 4:4; 11:24; see also Alma 46–47) … It is no wonder that Mormon declared that contention among the Nephites was ‘a cause of all their destruction’ during the great series of wars described in Alma (Alma 51:16).”[1] (Emphasis mine)

Mormon now changes subjects.  He reminds us about the Ammonites, who covenanted they would not take arms again, even to defend themselves.  They moved to the land of Zarahemla and the Nephites took up their defense. 

¹⁰ And now behold, I have somewhat to say concerning the people of Ammon, who, in the beginning, were Lamanites; but by Ammon and his brethren, or rather by the power and word of God, they had been converted unto the Lord; and they had been brought down into the land of Zarahemla, and had ever since been protected by the Nephites. ¹¹ And because of their oath they had been kept from taking up arms against their brethren; for they had taken an oath that they never would shed blood more; and according to their oath they would have perished; yea, they would have suffered themselves to have fallen into the hands of their brethren, had it not been for the pity and the exceeding love which Ammon and his brethren had had for them. ¹² And for this cause they were brought down into the land of Zarahemla; and they ever had been protected by the Nephites.

¹³ But it came to pass that when they saw the danger, and the many afflictions and tribulations which the Nephites bore for them, they were moved with compassion and were desirous to take up arms in the defence of their country.

Alma 53:10 – 13 (Emphasis mine)

Seeing the problems the Nephites were facing, the Ammonites were ready to bear arms to help defend their new land. 

This covenant came about after they had accepted Christ’s gospel.  Their king spoke to them, reminding them:

And now behold, since it has been as much as we could do to get our stains taken away from us, and our swords are made bright, let us hide them away that they may be kept bright, as a testimony to our God at the last day, or at the day that we shall be brought to stand before him to be judged, that we have not stained our swords in the blood of our brethren since he imparted his word unto us and has made us clean thereby.

And now, my brethren, if our brethren seek to destroy us, behold, we will hide away our swords, yea, even we will bury them deep in the earth, that they may be kept bright, as a testimony that we have never used them, at the last day; and if our brethren destroy us, behold, we shall go to our God and shall be saved.

And now it came to pass that when the king had made an end of these sayings, and all the people were assembled together, they took their swords, and all the weapons which were used for the shedding of man's blood, and they did bury them up deep in the earth.

And this they did, it being in their view a testimony to God, and also to men, that they never would use weapons again for the shedding of man's blood; and this they did, vouching and covenanting with God, that rather than shed the blood of their brethren they would give up their own lives; and rather than take away from a brother they would give unto him; and rather than spend their days in idleness they would labor abundantly with their hands.

And thus we see that, when these Lamanites were brought to believe and to know the truth, they were firm, and would suffer even unto death rather than commit sin; and thus we see that they buried their weapons of peace, or they buried the weapons of war, for peace.

Alma 24:15 – 19 (Emphasis mine)

When they arrived at the land of Zarahemla, they were welcomed by the Nephites.

And it came to pass that the voice of the people came, saying: Behold, we will give up the land of Jershon, which is on the east by the sea, which joins the land Bountiful, which is on the south of the land Bountiful; and this land Jershon is the land which we will give unto our brethren for an inheritance.

And behold, we will set our armies between the land Jershon and the land Nephi, that we may protect our brethren in the land Jershon; and this we do for our brethren, on account of their fear to take up arms against their brethren lest they should commit sin; and this their great fear came because of their sore repentance which they had, on account of their many murders and their awful wickedness.

And now behold, this will we do unto our brethren, that they may inherit the land Jershon; and we will guard them from their enemies with our armies, on condition that they will give us a portion of their substance to assist us that we may maintain our armies.

Alma 27:22 – 24 (Emphasis mine)

Now they were ready to take up arms again and help defend their land, their freedoms, their families, and their religion.

“[W]hen the war became particularly dangerous, and the Ammonites saw the suffering and afflictions born by the Nephites for them, ‘they were moved with compassion and were desirous to take up arms in the defence of their country’ (Alma 53:13). Indeed, they were ‘about to take their weapons of war’ (Alma 53:14), and only the devoted efforts of Helaman and his brethren could persuade them otherwise. In light of the oath they had taken, Helaman ‘feared lest by so doing they should lose their souls’; the Ammonites relented and abstained from entering the war, as they had originally planned (Alma 53:14; Helaman retells this story in an epistle to Moroni in Alma 56:6–8).”[2]    (Emphasis mine)

---

[1] Dissent: Perspectives from the Book of Mormon, Lynn D. Wardle, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed April 27, 2012.

[2] Were the Ammonites Pacifists? Duane Boyce, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed April 27, 2012.