Chapter 14
The iniquity of the
people brings a curse upon the land—Coriantumr engages in warfare against
Gilead, then Lib, and then Shiz—Blood and carnage cover the land.
Because of the wickedness of the people, a curse spread
across the land. If a person put up a tool or sword, it couldn’t be found on
the morrow. “And it shall come to pass, saith the Lord of Hosts, yea, our great
and true God, that whoso shall hide up treasures in the earth shall find them
again no more, because of the great curse of the land, save he be a righteous
man and shall hide it up unto the Lord” (Helaman 13:18).
They began to hold on to their swords with their right hand.
He would do this to defend his property and family.
Two years after Coriantumr killed Shared in battle, his
brother rose up and attacked. He was defeated by Coriantumr and chased into the
wilderness.
The battle continued in the wilderness. Thousands died. Coriantumr
laid siege in the wilderness. The brother of Shared went out at night and
killed part of Coriantumr’s army. It appears they were in a drunken stupor. Shared
continued on to the land of Moron and placed himself upon Coriantumr’s throne.
Coriantumr and his army lived in the wilderness for two
years. During that time, he strengthened his army.
Moroni then tells us the brother of Shared is named Gilead.
During that time, Gilead also strengthened his army through the secret
combinations. Then, he was murdered by his high priest as he sat on the throne.
While the high priest escaped, Lib killed him and took over the kingdom. Moroni
describes him as “a man of great stature, more than any other man among all the
people” (Ether 14:10).
During the first year of Lib’s reign, Coriantumr attacked
the land of Moron. He and Lib fought and Lib wounded the arm of Coriantumr.
Even so, his army continued the attack, forcing Lib to flee to the seashore.
Lib attacked Coriantumr’s army and fled back into the
wilderness of Akish. Coriantumr’s army continued to withdraw to the plains of
Agosh. Coriantumr had taken all his people with him. The battle continued there
and Coriantumr killed Lib. Lib’s brother, Shiz, took over the army and attacked
Coriantumr. He forced Coriantumr’s army to retreat.
While Shiz was pursuing Coriantumr, he burned many cities,
killing women and children. Because of his brutality, the people asked “Who can
stand before the army of Shiz?” (Ether 14:17).
The people began to flock towards the armies. Some fled to
Shiz, others fled to Coriantum.
This devastating war of bloodshed and carnage let the land
strewn with dead bodies. “And I will fill his mountains with his slain men: in
thy hills, and in thy valleys, and in all thy rivers [HEB ravines], shall they
fall that are slain with the sword” (Ezekiel 35:8). They didn’t bury the dead
because the battles were so swift, no one stayed behind. The stench of death
spread throughout the land.
Shiz continued to pursue Coriantumr. He had sworn to avenge
his brother’s death by Coriantumr’s hand; however, the word of the Lord came to
Ether, telling him Coriantumr would not die by the sword. “And thus we see that
the Lord did visit them in the fulness of his wrath, and their wickedness and
abominations had prepared a way for their everlasting destruction” (Ether
14:25).
Coriantumr was chased to the seashore, where he battled the
army of Shiz for three days. The destruction was terrible among the armies of
Shiz. People became frightened and fled from Coriantumr’s army to the land of
Corihor. There, they pitched their tents in that valley.
Coriantumr’s army went to the valley of Shurr and pitched
their tents there. He sounded a trumpet calling the armies of Shiz to battle.
“Now polarization had reached the critical stage: ‘And thus
we see that the Lord . . . had prepared a way for their everlasting destruction’
(Ether 14:25), says Moroni, looking straight at us. As the people of Shiz
retreated, they ‘swept off the inhabitants before them, all that would not join
them’ (Ether 14:27). Meanwhile, ‘Coriantumr did gather his armies together upon
the hill Comner, and did sound a trumpet unto the armies of Shiz to invite them
forth to battle’ (Ether 14:28), suggesting the formal set battles of epic
literature and the Middle Ages, as ‘polarized’ as a chess game.”[1]
The fight continued. Shiz attacked Coriantumr and wounded
him so severely, he was believed to have died. Seeing the massive loss of life,
Shiz commanded his people to withdraw back to their camp.
[1] The
Prophetic Book of Mormon, Hugh W. Nibley, Maxwell Institute website.
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