3 Nephi 6:1-12

Chapter 6

The Nephites prosper—Pride, wealth, and class distinctions arise—The Church is rent with dissensions—Satan leads the people in open rebellion—Many prophets cry repentance and are slain—Their murderers conspire to take over the government. About A.D. 26–30

The war is over. They left and returned to their lands. They took their food, possessions, and flocks with them.

All robbers who had entered into the covenant[1] to cease their wars, and desired to remain Lamanites, were allowed to stay where they were. Peace finally spread throughout the land.

They had reestablished themselves in their land and began to prosper over the next two years.[2] Their laws established equity and justice. The only thing that would cause the prosperity to end was the Nephites turning away from God’s commandments.

Gidgiddoni[3] and Lachoneus[4] were appointed leaders in the land. New cities were built and other cities were repaired. “In modern times, one way that the loving and lawful reduce inequality is to invest in public goods, goods that provide public services without requiring private ownership. Such goods include public roads, public education, public water and sanitation systems, and publicly provided protection, among many others. We see similar efforts among Book of Mormon people (see Helaman 3:14; 3 Nephi 6:8).”[5]

The Nephites, being the Nephites, began to turn away from righteousness. Disputes developed among the people. They were inflected with the Nephite disease, pride and boastings. “For the wicked boasteth of his heart's desire, and blesseth the covetous, whom the LORD abhorreth” (Psalms 10:3).

“BOAST not thyself of to morrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth” (Proverbs 27:1).

“Whoso boasteth himself of a false gift is like clouds and wind without rain” (Proverbs 25:14).

“But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil” (James 4:16).

While the merchants prospered, there were numerous lawyers.  Lawyers were not always among the righteous part of Nephite society.

Now it was those men who sought to destroy them, who were lawyers, who were hired or appointed by the people to administer the law at their times of trials, or at the trials of the crimes of the people before the judges.

Now these lawyers were learned in all the arts and cunning of the people; and this was to enable them that they might be skilful in their profession.

And it came to pass that they began to question Amulek, that thereby they might make him cross his words, or contradict the words which he should speak.

Now they knew not that Amulek could know of their designs.  But it came to pass as they began to question him, he perceived their thoughts, and he said unto them: O ye wicked and perverse generation, ye lawyers and hypocrites, for ye are laying the foundations of the devil; for ye are laying traps and snares to catch the holy ones of God” (Alma 10:14-17).

“And the people went forth and witnessed against them—testifying that they had reviled against the law, and their lawyers and judges of the land, and also of all the people that were in the land; and also testified that there was but one God, and that he should send his Son among the people, but he should not save them; and many such things did the people testify against Alma and Amulek.  Now this was done before the chief judge of the land” (Alma 14:5).

“[L]ike the characteristic of the constructive use of natural resources, industriousness, improperly applied, can lead to pride (Alma 4:6) and economic stratification (3 Nephi 6:10–14), which undermine the equality and unity of the covenant community and prepare the society for moral collapse.”[6]

Classes in societies developed.  One’s financial worth determined much of status in society. Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy” (1 Timothy 6:17).

This is exactly what had happened earlier in Nephite society.

“Now this great loss of the Nephites, and the great slaughter which was among them, would not have happened had it not been for their wickedness and their abomination which was among them; yea, and it was among those also who professed to belong to the church of God.

“And it was because of the pride of their hearts, because of their exceeding riches, yea, it was because of their oppression to the poor, withholding their food from the hungry, withholding their clothing from the naked, and smiting their humble brethren upon the cheek, making a mock of that which was sacred, denying the spirit of prophecy and of revelation, murdering, plundering, lying, stealing, committing adultery, rising up in great contentions, and deserting away into the land of Nephi, among the Lamanites—

“And because of this their great wickedness, and their boastings in their own strength, they were left in their own strength; therefore they did not prosper, but were afflicted and smitten, and driven before the Lamanites, until they had lost possession of almost all their lands” (Helaman 4:11-13).

The rich could afford to learn while the poor couldn’t. “The necessity of a major time investment in order to become thoroughly familiar with the abstruse matters that framed this, or perhaps any, Nephite writing system is confirmed in 3 Nephi 6:12, where we are told that among the Nephites only the rich could achieve extensive learning, presumably because of the greater leisure at their disposal to master the writing system.”[7]

---

[1] And now it came to pass that when they had taken all the robbers prisoners, insomuch that none did escape who were not slain, they did cast their prisoners into prison, and did cause the word of God to be preached unto them; and as many as would repent of their sins and enter into a covenant that they would murder no more were set at liberty (3 Nephi 5:4).

[2] 26–28 A.D.

[3] Now the chiefest among all the chief captains and the great commander of all the armies of the Nephites was appointed, and his name was Gidgiddoni (3 Nephi 3:18).

[4] AND now it came to pass that in the sixteenth year 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… (3 Nephi 3:1).

[5] “No Poor Among Them,” Lindon J. Robison, Journal of Book of Mormon Studies, Volume 14, Number 1, 2005:92.

[6] Prospering in the Land of Promise, Steven L. Olsen, Accessed on the Maxwell Institute website.

[7] Mormon's Sources, John L. Sorenson, accessed on the Maxwell Institute website.

3 Nephi 5:15-26

Mormon shares his source with us. He possess a records from the time when Lehi left Jerusalem to the present time (around 400 A.D.). This is the time when Mormon is abridging Nephite history. “For behold, this is written for the intent that ye may believe that; and if ye believe that ye will believe this also; and if ye believe this ye will know concerning your fathers, and also the marvelous works which were wrought by the power of God among them” (Mormon 7:9).

“And whoso receiveth this record, and shall not condemn it because of the imperfections which are in it, the same shall know of greater things than these. Behold, I am Moroni; and were it possible, I would make all things known unto you” (Mormon 8:12).

In addition to the records to which Mormon had access, he also makes a record about the things he has seen. He testifies this record is true. The problem with the record is their language prevents them from writing.

The Book of Mormon text reports at several points the difficulty the scribes had in making their statements clear … We may suppose that a similar difficulty was equally felt by all the writers. So when Mormon examined the older writings, he would have faced some problems with those “imperfections.” These obscurities were more than just a matter of the “awkwardness of our hands” that Moroni noted at Ether 12:24. That phrase might refer merely to the technical problem of making proper marks on the unforgiving metal. But he went on to describe the problem beyond that, saying, “we behold our weakness, and stumble because of the placing of our words” (Ether 12:25). Moroni implies that the writing system of the Jaredites, which he considered superior to that of the Nephites, accounted for the greater clarity of that earlier record (as suggested by Ether 12:23–24). Thus it appears that the script system the Nephite writers were using contributed to the lack of clarity.

Since Mormon continued with the same writing system with which Nephi began the record, his writing would have suffered the same disadvantages. He said, “there are many things which, according to our language, we are not able to write” at all (3 Nephi 5:18). “Our language” in this sense obviously refers to their writing system, not to their spoken tongue.

Moroni further tells us that these linguistic difficulties would not have occurred had they used Hebrew script, an alphabetic system, to keep their record; in that case there would have been “no imperfection” (Mormon 9:33).^[1]

“And now, I speak somewhat concerning that which I have written; for after I had made an abridgment from the plates of Nephi, down to the reign of this king Benjamin, of whom Amaleki spake, I searched among the records which had been delivered into my hands, and I found these plates, which contained this small account of the prophets, from Jacob down to the reign of this king Benjamin, and also many of the words of Nephi.

“And the things which are upon these plates pleasing me, because of the prophecies of the coming of Christ; and my fathers knowing that many of them have been fulfilled; yea, and I also know that as many things as have been prophesied concerning us down to this day have been fulfilled, and as many as go beyond this day must surely come to pass—

“Wherefore, I chose these things, to finish my record upon them, which remainder of my record I shall take from the plates of Nephi; and I cannot write the hundredth part of the things of my people (Words of Mormon 1:3-5).”

 “And now, behold, we have written this record according to our knowledge, in the characters which are called among us the reformed Egyptian, being handed down and altered by us, according to our manner of speech. And if our plates had been sufficiently large we should have written in Hebrew; but the Hebrew hath been altered by us also; and if we could have written in Hebrew, behold, ye would have had no imperfection in our record” (Mormon 9:32-33).

“And thou hast made us that we could write but little, because of the awkwardness of our hands. Behold, thou hast not made us mighty in writing like unto the brother of Jared, for thou madest him that the things which he wrote were mighty even as thou art, unto the overpowering of man to read them. Thou hast also made our words powerful and great, even that we cannot write them; wherefore, when we write we behold our weakness, and stumble because of the placing of our words; and I fear lest the Gentiles shall mock at our words” (Ether 12:24-25).

Mormon declares his ancestry. He is a “pure descendant of Lehi” (3 Nephi 5:20). He also traces his descent through Nephi (Mormon 1:5). “[T]he fact that Mormon uses the phrase pure descendant of Lehi to describe himself in 3 Nephi 5:20 would seem to indicate that Lehi’s lineage was a rare one in Mormon’s day.”[2]

Mormon reminds us of God’s covenant with Lehi, “insomuch as the children of Lehi have kept his commandments he hath blessed them and prospered them according to his word” (3 Nephi 5:22).

This has been a common thread throughout the Book of Mormon. “And he hath said that: Inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments ye shall prosper in the land; but inasmuch as ye will not keep my commandments ye shall be cut off from my presence” (2 Nephi 1:20).

“And thus being prepared to meet the Lamanites, they did not prosper against us. But the word of the Lord was verified, which he spake unto our fathers, saying that: Inasmuch as ye will keep my commandments ye shall prosper in the land” (Jarom 1:9).

“For the Lord would not suffer, after he had led them out of the land of Jerusalem and kept and preserved them from falling into the hands of their enemies, yea, he would not suffer that the words should not be verified, which he spake unto our fathers, saying that: Inasmuch as ye will not keep my commandments ye shall not prosper in the land” (Omni 1:6).

“And now, my sons, I would that ye should remember to search them diligently, that ye may profit thereby; and I would that ye should keep the commandments of God, that ye may prosper in the land according to the promises which the Lord made unto our fathers” (Mosiah 1:7).

“Behold, do ye not remember the words which he spake unto Lehi, saying that: Inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments, ye shall prosper in the land? And again it is said that: Inasmuch as ye will not keep my commandments ye shall be cut off from the presence of the Lord. Now I would that ye should remember, that inasmuch as the Lamanites have not kept the commandments of God, they have been cut off from the presence of the Lord. Now we see that the word of the Lord has been verified in this thing, and the Lamanites have been cut off from his presence, from the beginning of their transgressions in the land” (Alma 9:13-14).

“O remember, remember, my son Helaman, how strict are the commandments of God. And he said: If ye will keep my commandments ye shall prosper in the land—but if ye keep not his commandments ye shall be cut off from his presence” (Alma 37:13).

---

[1] Mormon’s Sources, John L. Sorenson, Maxwell Institute website.

[2] A Few Thoughts from a Believing DNA Scientist, John M. Butler, Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 12/1 (2003): 36.

3 Nephi 5:10-14

Mormon has broken into his narrative to explain how he is going about abridging what would become the Book of Mormon. He writes a main source is the plates of Nephi. Other refrences are made by Mormon as he abridges the plates. Moroni also does the same. “Behold I do not mean the end of the book of Helaman, but I mean the end of the book of Nephi, from which I have taken all the account which I have written” (Helaman 2:14).”

“AND now I, Mormon, make a record of the things which I have both seen and heard, and call it the Book of Mormon. And about the time that Ammaron hid up the records unto the Lord, he came unto me, (I being about ten years of age, and I began to be learned somewhat after the manner of the learning of my people) and Ammaron said unto me: I perceive that thou art a sober child, and art quick to observe; Therefore, when ye are about twenty and four years old I would that ye should remember the things that ye have observed concerning this people; and when ye are of that age go to the land Antum, unto a hill which shall be called Shim; and there have I deposited unto the Lord all the sacred engravings concerning this people. And behold, ye shall take the plates of Nephi unto yourself, and the remainder shall ye leave in the place where they are; and ye shall engrave on the plates of Nephi all the things that ye have observed concerning this people” (Mormon 1:1- 4).

“And now, the city of Jashon was near the land where Ammaron had deposited the records unto the Lord, that they might not be destroyed. And behold I had gone according to the word of Ammaron, and taken the plates of Nephi, and did make a record according to the words of Ammaron. And upon the plates of Nephi I did make a full account of all the wickedness and abominations; but upon these plates I did forbear to make a full account of their wickedness and abominations, for behold, a continual scene of wickedness and abominations has been before mine eyes ever since I have been sufficient to behold the ways of man” (Mormon 2:17-18).

“BEHOLD I, Moroni, do finish the record of my father, Mormon. Behold, I have but few things to write, which things I have been commanded by my father … Therefore I will write and hide up the records in the earth; and whither I go it mattereth not … Behold, my father hath made this record, and he hath written the intent thereof. And behold, I would write it also if I had room upon the plates, but I have not; and ore I have none, for I am alone. My father hath been slain in battle, and all my kinsfolk, and I have not friends nor whither to go; and ^chow long the Lord will suffer that I may live I know not … And I am the same who hideth up this record unto the Lord; the plates thereof are of no worth, because of the commandment of the Lord. For he truly saith that no one shall have them to get gain; but the record thereof is of great worth; and whoso shall bring it to light, him will the Lord bless” (Mormon 8:1, 4-5, 14).

Mormon also makes it clear this record is “made with mine own hands” (3 Nephi 5:11).

“[T]he Book of Mormon stands in stark contrast to the Hebrew Bible. While the Bible says virtually nothing about how its records were kept and transmitted and while its narrators hardly ever play even a minor role within the narrative itself, the processes, purposes, and persons of record keeping in the Book of Mormon are central to and ever present in the story. Nephi and Mormon are at the same time the major record keepers and the two central human characters in the narrative. Their respective records also contain numerous asides in which they reflect upon their literary purposes and the nature of the record they attempt to create. Even Christ takes time during his brief ministry to correct and complete the Nephite record and to be sure that his followers understand earth’s mortal history by means of their recorded scriptures.”[1]

It is here we meet Mormon for the first time (3 Nephi 5:12). He introduces himself and the person making this record. He tells us he is named after the land of Mormon. “And it came to pass that as many as did believe [Alma₁] did go forth to a place which was called Mormon, having received its name from the king, being in the borders of the land having been infested, by times or at seasons, by wild beasts. Now, there was in Mormon a fountain of pure water, and Alma resorted thither, there being near the water a thicket of small trees, where he did hide himself in the daytime from the searches of the king … And now it came to pass that all this was done in Mormon, yea, by the waters of Mormon, in the forest that was near the waters of Mormon; yea, the place of Mormon, the waters of Mormon, the forest of Mormon, how beautiful are they to the eyes of them who there came to the knowledge of their Redeemer; yea, and how blessed are they, for they shall sing to his praise forever” (Mosiah 18:4-5, 30).

“I, Alma, having been consecrated by my father, Alma, to be a high priest over the church of God, he having power and authority from God to do these things, behold, I say unto you that he began to establish a church in the land which was in the borders of Nephi; yea, the land which was called the land of Mormon; yea, and he did baptize his brethren in the waters of Mormon” (Alma 5:3).

Mormon declares he is a disciple of Christ. He was called “to declare his word among this people, ta they might have everlasting life” (3 Nephi 5:13). “HEARKEN, O ye Gentiles, and hear the words of Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God, which he hath commanded me that I should speak concerning you, for, behold he commandeth me that I should write…” (3 Nephi 30:1).

“And now I, Mormon, speak unto you, my beloved brethren; and it is by the grace of God the Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ, and his holy will, because of the gift of his calling unto me, that I am permitted to speak unto you at this time” (Moroni 7:2).

Mormon was a true disciple who lived in a day when “every heart was hardened … and there never had been so great wickedness among all the children of Lehi.”⁷ How would you like to have lived in that day? And yet Mormon boldly declared, “Behold, I am a disciple of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.”

Don’t you love Mormon? He knew who he was and what his mission was and was not distracted by the evil that surrounded him. In fact, he considered his calling to be a gift.[2]

The record he is making is done according to God’s will.  This record is being preserved through the prayers of all the righteous and their faith.  For example…

And now behold, this was the desire which I desired of him—that if it should so be, that my people, the Nephites, should fall into transgression, and by any means be destroyed, and the Lamanites should not be destroyed, that the Lord God would preserve a record of my people, the Nephites; even if it so be by the power of his holy arm, that it might be brought forth at some future day unto the Lamanites, that, perhaps, they might be brought unto salvation—

For at the present our strugglings were vain in restoring them to the true faith.  And they swore in their wrath that, if it were possible, they would destroy our records and us, and also all the traditions of our fathers.

Wherefore, I knowing that the Lord God was able to preserve our records, I cried unto him continually, for he had said unto me: Whatsoever thing ye shall ask in faith, believing that ye shall receive in the name of Christ, ye shall receive it.

And I had faith, and I did cry unto God that he would preserve the records; and he covenanted with me that he would bring them forth unto the Lamanites in his own due time.

And I, Enos, knew it would be according to the covenant which he had made; wherefore my soul did rest.

And the Lord said unto me: Thy fathers have also required of me this thing; and it shall be done unto them according to their faith; for their faith was like unto thine” (Enos 1:13-18).

---

[1] The Covenant of the Chosen People: The Spiritual Foundations of Ethnic Identity in the Book of Mormon, Steven L. Olsen, Journal of the Book of Mormon and Other Restoration Scripture 21/2 (2012): 22-23.

[2] Wanted: Hands and Hearts to Hasten the Work, Sister Linda K. Burton, Relief Society General President, April 2014 General Conference.

3 Nephi 5:1-9

Chapter 5

The Nephites repent and forsake their sins—Mormon writes the history of his people and declares the everlasting word to them—Israel shall be gathered in from her long dispersion. About A.D. 22–26

The war has ended and things are back to normal.  The Nephites were keeping God’s commandments and listening to his leaders. No one doubted in the words of the prophets nor that their words would be fulfilled.

They looked for the signs and they knew Christ had come.  They were looking for the other signs which were prophesied. They had turned away from their sins and diligently served God.

After the war, the robbers not killed were taken prisoners.  The word of God was preached to the robbers in prison.  Those that accepted God’s word, repent of their sins, and made a covenant they would not murder were set free.  “And they granted unto those robbers who had entered into a covenant to keep the peace of the land, who were desirous to remain Lamanites, lands, according to their numbers, that they might have, with their labors, wherewith to subsist upon; and thus they did establish peace in all the land” (3 Nephi 6:3).

Those that refused to covenant not to murder were punished to the fullest extent of the law. “Wherefore, for this cause, that my covenants may be fulfilled which I have made unto the children of men, that I will do unto them while they are in the flesh, I must needs destroy the secret works of darkness, and of murders, and of abominations” (2 Nephi 10:15).

This put an end to the secret combinations, for the time. Peace lasted for three years.  Many great and wonderful things came about. So much so “they cannot all be written in this book; yea, this book cannot contain even a hundredth part of what was done among so many people in the space of twenty and five years” (3 Nephi 5:8).

“The prophetic utterances and their historical fulfillment are complementary parts of the same process of showing to God’s children (1) the way that they may return to him through the gospel of Jesus Christ and (2) the consequences for their souls if they do not. For Mormon, this purpose seems to be far more compelling than anything else his record might have accomplished. In fact, circumstances, personalities, and events that do not help explicate this revealed plan and other exalted purposes are treated as extraneous, trivial, or otherwise unworthy to be preserved in this official record. Thus Mormon includes in his abridgment less than one one-hundredth of the historical information available to him.”[1]

How did Mormon select what he put in his abridgement?

“Mormon said several times that his abridgment could not treat more than a fraction of the historical material found on the large plates of Nephi (Words of Mormon 1:5; Jacob 3:13–14; 4:1; 3 Nephi 5:8; 26:6). How, then, did he make his selection of materials among the records he set out to abridge? His primary criterion comes through repeatedly in his book. The aim was to ensure that his readers, especially the future inhabitants of the American promised land and particularly Lehi’s descendants, grasp the significance for them of the promise and prophecy given to father Lehi: ‘Inasmuch as ye will keep my commandments ye shall prosper in the land’ (Jarom 1:9). Actually, it is Amaron’s negative version of Lehi’s dictum to which Mormon gives prime attention: ‘Inasmuch as ye will not keep my commandments ye shall not prosper in the land’ (Omni 1:6). Even the long sections on warfare emphasize that theme; overwhelmingly, Mormon’s writings depict the Nephites poised on the edge of destruction due to their failure to meet the condition of Lehi’s law of survival. He uses little of his narrative to describe people’s happiness and prosperity. Details of the society in the era of peace following the appearance of Christ among them might interest us, but that was not the point he wanted to underline in his history.”[2]

---

[1] Prophecy and History: Structuring the Abridgment of the Nephite Records, Steven L. Olsen, Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 15/1 (2006): 28-29.

[2] Mormon’s Sources, John L. Sorenson, Journal of the Book of Mormon and Other Restoration Scripture 20/2 (2011): 12.

3 Nephi 4:24-33

The robbers are hurting. They overhunted the nearby wilderness and found they had a hard time finding food. They were starving. They had lost many in the Nephites’ raids. Gidgiddoni sent out armies at night. They cutoff the way of retreat the robbers could take.

The next morning, the robbers began their retreat. To their surprise, they found the Nephite armies had cut off their routes of retreat. They faced armies ready to fight.

Rather than fight, thousands surrendered to the Nephites and became prisoners. Those who refused to surrender died in battle.

Zemnarihah was taken prisoner as well. He was hung. When he was dead, the tree was cut down. “Such practices seem odd to us today, but they would make good sense for an Israelite. Ancient tradition required that the tree upon which a criminal was hung be chopped down so that it would not serve as a reminder of the dead criminal. The tree was sometimes even buried with the body. In fact, the Talmud actually recommended that a dead and detached tree be used for hanging so that a live tree did not have to be felled.”[1]

The people asked the Lord to preserve them in righteousness and holiness. They also asked they be able to destroy the secret combinations. “A prophetic symbolic action accompanied by a curse is found in the hanging of Zemnarihah on the top of a tree. After his death the Nephites felled the tree and called, ‘May the Lord preserve his people in righteousness and in holiness of heart, that they may cause to be felled to the earth all who shall seek to slay them . . . even as this man hath been felled to the earth’ (3 Nephi 4:28-29). This act predicted the way the wicked would be slain if they continued their attempts to murder the righteous.”[2]

They cried with one voice asking the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob protect the people. “Yea, and I also remember the captivity of my fathers; for I surely do know that the Lord did deliver them out of bondage, and by this did establish his church; yea, the Lord God, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, did deliver them out of bondage” (Alma 29:11).

As long as the people are righteous, they asked for protection. “Behold, when ye shall rend that veil of unbelief which doth cause you to remain in your awful state of wickedness, and hardness of heart, and blindness of mind, then shall the great and marvelous things which have been hid up from the foundation of the world from you—yea, when ye shall call upon the Father in my name, with a broken heart and a contrite spirit, then shall ye know that the Father hath remembered the covenant which he made unto your fathers, O house of Israel” (Ether 4:15).

“THE words of Christ, which he spake unto his disciples, the twelve whom he had chosen, as he laid his hands upon them—And he called them by name, saying: Ye shall call on the Father in my name, in mighty prayer; and after ye have done this ye shall have power that to him upon whom ye shall lay your hands, ye shall give the Holy Ghost; and in my name shall ye give it, for thus do mine apostles” (Moroni 2:1-2).

They sang, praising God for preserving them from being destroyed by their enemies. They cried “Hosanna to the Most High God. And they did cry: Blessed be the name of the Lord God Almighty, the Most High God” (3 Nephi 4:32).

---

[1] Review of Mormonism: Shadow or Reality? (1987), by Jerald and Sandra Tanner, Matthew Roper, Review of Books on the Book of Mormon 4/1 (1992): 192.

[2] Insights: An Ancient Window – The Newsletter of the Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, Symbolic Action as Prophetic Curse, July 1991.

3 Nephi 4:11-23

The Nephites and the Gadianton robbers are prepared for war. When it began, it was bad. Mormon describe as “the slaughter thereof, insomuch that there never was known so great a slaughter among all the people of Lehi since he left Jerusalem” (3 Nephi 4:11). Here is Mormon’s description of the results of a war in the book of Alma.

And from the first year to the fifteenth has brought to pass the destruction of many thousand lives; yea, it has brought to pass an awful scene of bloodshed.

And the bodies of many thousands are laid low in the earth, while the bodies of many thousands are moldering in heaps upon the face of the earth; yea, and many thousands are mourning for the loss of their kindred, because they have reason to fear, according to the promises of the Lord, that they are consigned to a state of endless wo.

While many thousands of others truly mourn for the loss of their kindred, yet they rejoice and exult in the hope, and even know, according to the promises of the Lord, that they are raised to dwell at the right hand of God, in a state of never–ending happiness (Alma 28:10-12).

Giddianhi has promised to destroy the Nephites. Despite his threats, the Nephites were able to force the robbers to retreat from their army. Gidgiddoni, the Nephite commander, ordered the army to pursue the robbers to the wilderness. He wanted no prisoners. The Nephites were successful in their pursuit.

14 And it came to pass that Giddianhi, who had stood and fought with boldness, was pursued as he fled; and being weary because of his much fighting he was overtaken and slain. And thus was the end of Giddianhi the robber.

The great and powerful Giddianhi, who believed the Nephites didn’t stand a chance against his army, was killed during the robbers’ retreat. “And thus was the end of Giddianhi the robber” (3 Nephi 4:14).

The Nephites retreated to their place of safety. They lived in peace for the next two years.

After the death of “Giddianhi, the robber,” there was a new leader, Zemnarihah. He decided to lay siege, surrounding the Nephites. He believed cutting the Nephites off from their lands would cause them to surrender.

The Nephites had planned for a seven year siege.[1] They were in very good shape. The robbers, on the other hand, were in poor shape.

The robbers’ only source of food was the game in the area. Yet, they overhunted and the game was scarce. They were starving. “People in today's world who are concerned for the environment and our dwindling natural resource base should note that this problem was shared by those whose history was recorded in the Book of Mormon. Among the wicked who had no concern for the future nor for the well-being of their neighbors, natural resources were exploited. They soon exhausted the supply of wild game which was their chief means of support. It was recorded that wild game became scarce in the wilderness insomuch that the robbers were about to perish with hunger (3 Nephi 4:20).”[2]

The Nephites were able to continue to attack the robbers, successfully cutting off their armies. The troops let it be known they wanted to withdraw because of the destruction the Nephites were causing.  Zemnarihah agreed and ended the siege. They moved to the land northward.

---

[1] Therefore, there was no chance for the robbers to plunder and to obtain food, save it were to come up in open battle against the Nephites; and the Nephites being in one body, and having so great a number, and having reserved for themselves provisions, and horses and cattle, and flocks of every kind, that they might subsist for the space of seven years, in the which time they did hope to destroy the robbers from off the face of the land; and thus the eighteenth year did pass away (3 Nephi 4:4).

[2] Economic Insights from the Book of Mormon, Lindon J. Robison, Maxwell Institute Website.

3 Nephi 4:1-10

Chapter 4

The Nephite armies defeat the Gadianton robbers—Giddianhi is slain, and his successor, Zemnarihah, is hanged—The Nephites praise the Lord for their victories. About A.D. 19–22

The Nephites had fled their lands. This was done under Lachoneus’s leadership.

Yea, he sent a proclamation among all the people, that they should gather together their women, and their children, their flocks and their herds, and all their substance, save it were their land, unto one place.

And he caused that fortifications should be built round about them, and the strength thereof should be exceedingly great. And he caused that armies, both of the Nephites and of the Lamanites, or of all them who were numbered among the Nephites, should be placed as guards round about to watch them, and to guard them from the robbers day and night…

And it came to pass in the ^*seventeenth year, in the latter end of the year, the proclamation of Lachoneus had gone forth throughout all the face of the land, and they had taken their horses, and their chariots, and their cattle, and all their flocks, and their herds, and their grain, and all their substance, and did march forth by thousands and by tens of thousands, until they had all gone forth to the place which ^chad been appointed that they should gather themselves together, to defend themselves against their enemies (3 Nephi 3:13-14, 22).

Finally, the robbers came down from their hiding places and began to take hold of the deserted lands and cities.

The robbers realized they had a problem. The areas the now held had no animals for them to hunt and eat. The only place they could be found was in the wilderness. When the Nephites left, they took their flocks and herds as well as the crops they needed to survive.

They couldn’t survive by their normal methods – robberies and plundering. Their only option was to attack the Nephites. “Among the wicked who had no concern for the future nor for the well-being of their neighbors, natural resources were exploited. They soon exhausted the supply of wild game which was their chief means of support. It was recorded that wild game became scarce in the wilderness insomuch that the robbers were about to perish with hunger.”[1]

The Nephites, however, were in one place and had a great number of men to battle the robbers. They also had adequate provisions to survive for a time. They had their flocks, horses[2], and cattle. They could survive for seven years.

The robbers knew they couldn’t grow crops as that would make them vulnerable to an attack. They came to realize their only chance for survival was to battle the Nephites. “Now the dissenters, having the same instruction and the same information of the Nephites, yea, having been instructed in the same knowledge of the Lord, nevertheless, it is strange to relate, not long after their dissensions they became more hardened and impenitent, and more wild, wicked and ferocious than the Lamanites—drinking in with the traditions of the Lamanites; giving way to indolence, and all manner of lasciviousness; yea, entirely forgetting the Lord their God” (Alma 47:36).

The robbers finally attacked. Their uniform consisted of lamb-skin loin cloths. They had dyed themselves in blood and their heads were shaved. They wore head plates and armor. “No people will voluntarily submit to slavery or even to unfair taxes. Thus, the uncaring and selfish who try to impose their will on others without their consent must eventually turn to force as did Giddianhi and his Gadianton robbers. To enslave the Nephites, they did ‘go up to battle against the Nephites’ (3 Nephi 4:5).”[3]

When the Nephites saw the army and their “uniform,” they prayed fervently to God that he would deliver them from the robbers.

Seeing the Nephites in prayer, the robbers shouted in a cry of joy. They believed the Nephites were on their knees because of their fear of their army. This was a mistake. The Nephites were asking the Lord for His protection against the armies of Giddianhi. When the army attacked, they were strengthened by the Lord and prepared to meet them.

---

[1] Economic Insights from the Book of Mormon, Lindon J. Robison, Maxwell Institute website.

[2] Horses were discussed in a previous post.

[3] Economic Insights from the Book of Mormon, Lindon J. Robison, Maxwell Institute website.