Giddianhi, the leader of the Gadianton Robbers has sent the
Nephites an epistle. He continues…
6 Therefore I write unto you, desiring that ye would yield up
unto this my people, your cities, your lands, and your possessions, rather than
that they should visit you with the sword and that destruction should come upon
you. 7 Or in other words, yield yourselves up unto us,
and 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.
8 And behold, I swear unto you, if ye
will do this, with an oath, ye shall not be destroyed; but if ye will not do
this, I swear unto you with an oath, that on the morrow month I will command
that my armies shall come down against you, and they shall not stay their hand
and shall spare not, but shall slay you, and shall let fall the sword
upon you even until ye shall become extinct.
3 Nephi 3:6 – 8 (Emphasis mine)
He lists his demands.
Surrender the cities, their lands, and their possessions to the
Robbers. If they don’t, they will take
all these things and destroy the Nephites.
John Welch clarifies this situation.
Among Book of Mormon peoples,
military commanders typically corresponded with each other before launching any
attacks. Even where hatred ran deep, and even when there was no chance that the
proposed terms would be accepted, the parties asked for capitulation or
extended terms of surrender before going to battle. Thus, the bloodthirsty
Giddianhi gave Lachoneus a choice between yielding up his cities, lands, and
possessions to unite as partners with Giddianhi s people, or else be destroyed
(see 3 Nephi 3:6-8).[1]
Instead of being destroyed, become one of us, Giddianhi
writes. “[U]nite 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” (v. 7).
And
it came to pass that they did have their signs, yea, their secret signs, and
their secret words; and this that they might distinguish a brother who had
entered into the covenant, that whatsoever wickedness his brother should do he
should not be injured by his brother, nor by those who did belong to his band,
who had taken this covenant.
And
thus they might murder, and plunder, and steal, and commit whoredoms and all
manner of wickedness, contrary to the laws of their country and also the laws
of their God.
And
whosoever of those who belonged to their band should reveal unto the world of
their wickedness and their abominations, should be tried, not according to the
laws of their country, but according to the laws of their wickedness, which had
been given by Gadianton and Kishkumen.
Now
behold, it is these secret oaths and covenants which Alma commanded his son
should not go forth unto the world, lest they should be a means of bringing
down the people unto destruction.
Now
behold, those secret oaths and covenants did not come forth unto Gadianton from
the records which were delivered unto Helaman; but behold, they were put into
the heart of Gadianton by that same being who did entice our first parents to
partake of the forbidden fruit—
Helaman 6:22 - 26
If they agree to make an oath, and become a part of the
Robbers, they will be spared. But,
Giddianhi warns Lachoneus, if they don’t, “I will
command that my armies shall come down against you, and they shall not stay
their hand and shall spare not, but shall slay you, and shall let fall the
sword upon you even until ye shall become extinct” (v. 8).
In Ether, we see an example of what the oaths entailed.
And
it came to pass that Akish gathered in unto the house of Jared all his
kinsfolk, and said unto them: Will ye swear unto me that ye will be faithful
unto me in the thing which I shall desire of you?
And
it came to pass that they all sware unto him, by the God of heaven, and also by
the heavens, and also by the earth, and by their heads, that whoso should vary
from the assistance which Akish desired should lose his head; and whoso should
divulge whatsoever thing Akish made known unto them, the same should lose his
life.
Ether 8:13 - 14
[1] Law
and War in the Book of Mormon, John W. Welch, Provo, Utah:
Maxwell Institute, accessed October 8, 2012.
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