27 Now it came to pass that many of the Lamanites that were
prisoners were desirous to join the people of Ammon and become a free people.
28
And it came to pass that as many as were desirous, unto them it was granted
according to their desires. 29 Therefore, all
the prisoners of the Lamanites did join the people of Ammon, and did
begin to labor exceedingly, tilling the ground, raising all manner of grain,
and flocks and herds of every kind; and thus were the Nephites relieved from a
great burden; yea, insomuch that they were relieved from all the prisoners of
the Lamanites.
Alma 62:27-29 (Emphasis mine)
After dealing with continual war, the Lamanite prisoners had
enough of war. “Plainly everybody was
getting rather tired of war when thousands of Lamanite warriors began to see
the light—that the people of Ammon were the really sensible people after all.
And so the wicked Lamanites … were dismissed without even a reprimand, and in
short order became model citizens of the Nephite realm (Alma 62:29). This also
solved the vexing prisoner of war problem.”[1]
It says a lot about the Ammonites that they were willing to
accept these Lamanite prisoners into their society. Here were men who had recently been fighting
to destroy the Nephites. Now these former
warriors “were desirous to join the people of Ammon and become a free people.”
30 Now it came to pass that Moroni, after he had
obtained possession of the city of Nephihah, having taken many prisoners, which
did reduce the armies of the Lamanites exceedingly, and having regained many of
the Nephites who had been taken prisoners, which did strengthen the army of
Moroni exceedingly; therefore Moroni went forth from the land of Nephihah to
the land of Lehi. 31 And it came to pass that when the Lamanites saw that
Moroni was coming against them, they were again frightened and fled before the
army of Moroni.
32 And it came to pass that Moroni and his army did
pursue them from city to city, until they were met by Lehi and Teancum; and the
Lamanites fled from Lehi and Teancum, even down upon the borders by the
seashore, until they came to the land of Moroni. 33 And the
armies of the Lamanites were all gathered together, insomuch that they were all
in one body in the land of Moroni. Now
Ammoron, the king of the Lamanites, was also with them.
Alma 62:30-33 (Emphasis mine)
The numerous prisoners taken and sent to live with the
Ammonites reduced the size of the Lamanite army. The reduced armies fled before Moroni1’s
advancing army. All the Lamanites
gathered in the land of Moroni. And,
their king, Ammoron, once again appears in the record.
Hugh Nibley explains the situation.
“The Lamanite armies in the field, knowing that the war was going against
them, drew together for mutual support, as beaten armies will, but their
fighting spirit was kept up by Ammoron, the brother of that Amalickiah
who had sworn undying hatred of Moroni, embracing the old philosophy of ‘kill
or be killed,’ ‘it is either you or me,’ in which both the conjunctions are
wrong, ‘kill and be killed . . . it is you and me’
being the verdict of history.”[2] (Emphasis
mine)
34 And it came to pass that Moroni and Lehi and Teancum did
encamp with their armies round about in the borders of the land of Moroni,
insomuch that the Lamanites were encircled about in the borders by the
wilderness on the south, and in the borders by the wilderness on the east. 35
And thus they did encamp for the night.
For behold, the Nephites and the Lamanites also were weary because of the greatness
of the march; therefore they did not resolve upon any stratagem in the
night–time, save it were Teancum; for he was exceedingly angry with Ammoron,
insomuch that he considered that Ammoron, and Amalickiah his brother, had been
the cause of this great and lasting war between them and the Lamanites,
which had been the cause of so much war and bloodshed, yea, and so much famine.
Alma 62:34-35 (Emphasis mine)
Both armies “were weary because of the greatness of the
march.” The armies of Moroni1,
Lehi2, and Teancum surrounded the Lamanites. “[T]hey they did not resolve upon any
stratagem in the night–time, save it were Teancum.”
Teancum was not only dissatisfied, but he had enough. He was angry because of the bloodshed and
famine caused by the war. He laid the
blame at the feet of Amalickiah and Ammoron.
They were responsible for all the war, the suffering, and death.
“In fact, war is seen as the destructive force that it is,
leading not only to death by violent means but also to famine (see Alma 62:35,
39), either because armies ravage the crops or because farmers must leave their
fields to fight and have no time to plant.”[3]
Teancum took matters in his own hands.
36 And it came to pass that Teancum in his anger did go forth
into the camp of the Lamanites, and did let himself down over the walls
of the city. And he went forth with a
cord, from place to place, insomuch that he did find the king; and he did cast a
javelin at him, which did pierce him near the heart. But behold, the king did awaken his servants
before he died, insomuch that they did pursue Teancum, and slew him. 37
Now it came to pass that when Lehi and Moroni knew that Teancum was dead they
were exceedingly sorrowful; for behold, he had been a man who had fought valiantly
for his country, yea, a true friend to liberty; and he had suffered very many
exceedingly sore afflictions.
But behold, he was dead, and had gone the way of all the earth.
Alma 62:36-37 (Emphasis mine)
Teancum went to the Lamanite camp and found Ammoron. When he did, he thrust a javelin “near the heart.” Before he died, Ammoron was able to wake up
his servants who pursued and killed Teancum.
Mormon pays tribute to Teancum. “[H]e had been a man who had fought valiantly
for his country, yea, a true friend to liberty; and he had suffered very many
exceedingly sore afflictions.”
“Among the Aztecs, one of the few avenues open to a man for
social advancement beyond the status of his parents was to demonstrate valor in
combat. If he proved himself valiant, which included vanquishing his
enemies by cutting off their arms, he could gain such privileges as the right
to enjoy special foods and dress in fine clothing. It would make sense that in
an earlier era among the Nephites and Lamanites, superior performance in the
frequent wars would have enhanced social prestige in a similar way. One considers,
for example, the high esteem in which the warrior Teancum was held for an act
of daring (see Alma 62:37).”[4] (Emphasis mine)
38 Now it came to pass that Moroni marched forth on the
morrow, and came upon the Lamanites, insomuch that they did slay them with a
great slaughter; and they did drive them out of the land; and they did flee,
even that they did not return at that time against the Nephites. 39
And thus ended the thirty and first year of the reign of the judges over the
people of Nephi [60 B.C.]; and thus they had had wars, and bloodsheds, and
famine, and affliction, for the space of many years.
Alma 62:38-39 (Emphasis mine)
The next day Moroni1 took the battle to the
Lamanites. The Nephites “did slay them
with a great slaughter; and they did drive them out of the land; and they did
flee, even that they did not return at that time against the Nephites.” The war was over.
The great war with the Lamanites consumer chapters. Yet, the final battle that defeats the
Lamanites is covered in one verse (38).[5]
“Ammoron suffered the same fate as his brother when Teancum
tried to repeat his former performance by stabbing the king in his tent—he succeeded
but lost his own life in the attempt (Alma 62:33—36). With the death of their
leader, the Lamanites finally withdrew. Then Moroni made a careful inspection
of all the country's defenses and went into retirement (Alma 62:38—43).”[6]
[1] A
Rigorous Test: Military History, Hugh Nibley, Provo, Utah: Maxwell
Institute, accessed May 31, 2012.
[3] Women
in the Book of Mormon, Camille Williams, Provo, Utah: Maxwell
Institute, May 31, 2012.
[4] Ammon
and the Mesoamerican Custom of Smiting off Arms, Bruce H. Yerman, Provo,
Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed May 31, 2012.
[5] "Their
Fathers" - Letters and Autobiography, Richard Dilworth Rust, Provo,
Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed May 31, 2012.
No comments:
Post a Comment