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.
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