17 And it came to pass in the commencement of the
fourteenth year, the war between the robbers and the people of Nephi did
continue and did become exceedingly sore; nevertheless, the people of Nephi did
gain some advantage of the robbers, insomuch that they did drive them back out
of their lands into the mountains and into their secret places. 18
And thus ended the fourteenth year. And
in the fifteenth year [15 A.D.] they did come forth against the people of
Nephi; and because of the wickedness of the people of Nephi, and their many
contentions and dissensions, the Gadianton robbers did gain many advantages
over them.
19 And thus ended the fifteenth year, and thus were
the people in a state of many afflictions; and the sword of destruction did
hang over them, insomuch that they were about to be smitten down by it, and
this because of their iniquity.
3 Nephi 2:17 – 19 (Emphasis mine)
The war continues.
The Nephites gained some ground and drove the Robbers into the
mountains.
The next year, the Robbers gained ground because of the
contentions and dissensions. Lynn Wardle
expands on this scripture:
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). The Gadianton robbers existed because of, and
their success depended upon, "dissenters that went forth unto them"
(Helaman 11:25; 3 Nephi 2:18; 7:12). 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).
The dissent terms
are often used in conjunction with other terms that suggest the meaning of
dissent. The word with which dissent is combined most
frequently is contention (see, e.g., Jarom 1:13; Words of
Mormon 1:16; Alma 51:16; Helaman 3:1, 3, 14, 17; and 3 Nephi 2:18). It is also
combined with iniquity or wickedness (Alma
53:9; 60:32; 62:40; and 3 Nephi 2:18).[1]
By the end of the year, things are not going well. They are facing dissension, contentions, and
afflictions. The “sword of justice” is
hanging over their heads. Prophets had
warned the Nephites through the years.
For example, General Moroni1 wrote to the government:
Behold it is time,
yea, the time is now at hand, that except ye do bestir yourselves in the
defence of your country and your little ones, the sword of justice doth hang
over you; yea, and it shall fall upon you and visit you even to your utter
destruction.
Alma 60:29
Samuel the Lamanite warned the people:
And he said unto them:
Behold, I, Samuel, a Lamanite, do speak the words of the Lord which he doth put
into my heart; and behold he hath put it into my heart to say unto this people
that the sword of justice hangeth over this people; and four hundred years pass
not away save the sword of justice falleth upon this people.
Helaman 13:5
Chapter 3
Giddianhi, the
Gadianton leader, demands that Lachoneus and the Nephites surrender themselves
and their lands—Lachoneus appoints Gidgiddoni as chief captain of the
armies—The Nephites assemble in Zarahemla and Bountiful to defend themselves.
About A.D. 16–18
1 AND now it came to pass that in the sixteenth year
[16 A.D.] from the coming of Christ, Lachoneus, the governor of the land,
received an epistle from the leader and the governor of this band of robbers;
and these were the words which were written, saying:
3 Nephi 3:1 (Emphasis mine)
We are about to read an epistle from the leader of the
Gadianton Robbers to the Nephite governor.
The epistle we are about to read shows a man who represents the height
of arrogance, pride, and hubris.
Hugh Nibley gives us insight to the thinking of Giddianhi,
the leader of the Gadianton Robbers.
A letter from the leader of the
society to the governor of the Nephite land gives remarkable insight into their
psychology. The chief who signs himself the governor of the Society (3 Nephi
3:9) begins by expressing warm admiration for the Nephite governor's firmness
"in maintaining that which ye suppose to be your right and liberty"
(3 Nephi 3:2), showing himself to be a fair-minded and sporting type. In the
next verse he is very patronizing—every inch the "big-shot."[2]
2 Lachoneus, most noble and chief governor of the
land, behold, I write this epistle unto you, and do give unto you exceedingly
great praise because of your firmness, and also the firmness of your people, in
maintaining that which ye suppose to be your right and liberty; yea, ye do
stand well, as if ye were supported by the hand of a god, in the defence of
your liberty, and your property, and your country, or that which ye do call so.
3
And it seemeth a pity unto me, most noble Lachoneus, that ye should be so
foolish and vain as to suppose that ye can stand against so many brave men who
are at my command, who do now at this time stand in their arms, and do await
with great anxiety for the word—Go down upon the Nephites and destroy them.
4 And I, knowing of their unconquerable spirit,
having proved them in the field of battle, and knowing of their everlasting
hatred towards you because of the many wrongs which ye have done unto them,
therefore if they should come down against you they would visit you with utter
destruction. 5 Therefore I have written this epistle, sealing it
with mine own hand, feeling for your welfare, because of your firmness in that
which ye believe to be right, and your noble spirit in the field of battle.
3 Nephi 3:2 – 5 (Emphasis mine)
Giddianhi beings by praising the Nephites “because of your firmness, and also the
firmness of your people, in maintaining that which ye suppose to be your right
and liberty; yea, ye do stand well, as if ye were supported by the hand of a
god, in the defence of your liberty, and your property, and your country, or
that which ye do call so” (v. 2).
Yet, while praising them, he mocks them at the same time by using words
like “that which ye suppose to be your right” or “ye do stand well, as if ye were
supported by the hand of a god, in the defence of your liberty, and your
property, and your country, or that
which ye do call so” (emphasis mine).
He expresses false pity for the Nephites. They are “foolish” thinking they can stand
against the Robbers, as they are so powerful.
They will destroy the Nephites.”
His army has an “unconquerable spirit” and their hatred is
based on “the many wrongs which ye have done unto them.” They will visit the Nephites with “utter
destruction.”
John L. Sorenson expands upon the situation:
By early in the first century AD,
shortly before the crucifixion of the Savior, the troublemakers were still
waving the old flag of ethnic hatred when it was useful to them. For example,
dissenter and robber chief Giddianhi recited the old litany against the
Nephites—"knowing of their [the Lamanites'] everlasting hatred towards you
because of the many wrongs which ye have done unto them" (3 Nephi 3:4).
But the countermotive is revealed in the invitation to the Nephite rulers to
"unite with us and become acquainted with our secret works, and become our
brethren that ye may be like unto us—not our slaves, but our brethren and
partners of all our substance" (3 Nephi 3:7).5 They
faced the paradox that extermination of the Nephites would rob them of subjects
who could be a source of the wealth that taxation or tribute payments would
bring them in perpetuity.[3]
[1] Dissent:
Perspectives from the Book of Mormon, Lynn D. Wardle, Provo,
Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed October 6, 2012.
[2] The
Way of the Wicked, Hugh W. Nibley, Provo, Utah: Maxwell
Institute, accessed October 6, 2012.
[3] Last-Ditch
Warfare in Ancient Mesoamerica Recalls the Book of Mormon, John L. Sorenson,
Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed October 6, 2012.
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