Chapter 10
King Laman dies—His
people are wild and ferocious and believe in false traditions—Zeniff and his
people prevail against them. About 187–160 B.C.
1 AND it came to pass
that we again began to establish the kingdom and we again began to possess the
land in peace. And I caused that there
should be weapons of war made of every kind, that thereby I might have weapons
for my people against the time the Lamanites should come up again to war
against my people.
2 And I set guards
round about the land, that the Lamanites might not come upon us again unawares
and destroy us; and thus I did guard my people and my flocks, and keep them
from falling into the hands of our enemies.
3 And it came to pass
that we did inherit the land of our fathers for many years, yea, for the space
of twenty and two years.
4 And I did cause that
the men should till the ground, and raise all manner of grain and all manner of
fruit of every kind.
5 And I did cause that
the women should spin, and toil, and work, and work all manner of fine linen,
yea, and cloth of every kind, that we might clothe our nakedness; and thus we
did prosper in the land—thus we did have continual peace in the land for the
space of twenty and two years.
6 And it came to pass
that king Laman died, and his son began to reign in his stead. And he began to stir his people up in
rebellion against my people; therefore they began to prepare for war, and to
come up to battle against my people.
7 But I had sent my
spies out round about the land of Shemlon, that I might discover their
preparations, that I might guard against them, that they might not come upon my
people and destroy them.
8 And it came to pass
that they came up upon the north of the land of Shilom, with their numerous
hosts, men armed with bows, and with arrows, and with swords, and with
cimeters, and with stones, and with slings; and they had their heads shaved
that they were naked; and they were girded with a leathern girdle about their
loins.
9 And it came to pass
that I caused that the women and children of my people should be hid in the
wilderness; and I also caused that all my old men that could bear arms, and
also all my young men that were able to bear arms, should gather themselves
together to go to battle against the Lamanites; and I did place them in their
ranks, every man according to his age.
10 And it came to pass
that we did go up to battle against the Lamanites; and I, even I, in my old
age, did go up to battle against the Lamanites.
And it came to pass that we did go up in the strength of the Lord to
battle.
Mosiah 10:1-10
Having defeated the Lamanite
armies, Zeniff’s people went back to working the land. Even so, Zeniff ensured they had weapons
necessary to defeat the Lamanites should they come them again.
Guards were placed throughout
the land to prevent surprise attacks.
Zeniff ensured his people were protected from the Lamanites.
“Equally impressive were King
Zeniff’s heroics while defending his kingdom against Lamanite invasion. Zeniff
protected his people not only by setting ‘guards round about the land, that the
Lamanites might not come upon [them]’ (Mosiah 10:2), but also by sending out
spies into enemy territories to discover Lamanite movements and preparations
for war (Mosiah 10:7).”[1]
There was peace in the land
for twenty-two years.
During that time, the men
were the farmers, tilling the ground and planting and harvesting grains and
fruits. The women would spin cloth and linen for clothing.
At the end of the twenty-two
years, the king died. His son inherited
the throne. He immediately began to
rouse his people against the Nephites.
They prepared for and attacked Zeniff’s people.
Zeniff, however, had sent
spies to watch the Lamanites. Through
his spy network, he learned the Lamanites were preparing for war.
The Lamanites began their
battle north of the land of Shilom.
There were many Lamanites in the army.
They were well-armed. They had
bows and arrows, swords and cimeters, and stones and slings. Their heads were shaved and they were nearly
naked, wearing only a leather girdle.
Hugh Nibley explains the reason for the Lamanite “attire.”
“You notice the standard
equipment here—the leather clothing and the wild hairdo. They are like a
motorcycle gang, aren’t they? They had the equipment and their heads shaved,
and they were naked except for the leather garments they had on. They were
trying to inspire terror, of course, and this is a very important thing.”[2]
Zeniff had the women and
children taken into the wilderness for their safety. All men, young and old, who could bear arms
gathered together and were organized in ranks according to age.
“The same basic duty to serve
in the army existed in Nephite law and society. Indeed, Moroni had power to
punish any person in the land of Zarahemla who would not ‘defend [his] country’
(Alma 51:15; see 46:35). Like Saul and Yaqim-Addu, he symbolically portrayed
the brutal fate of those who would not fight (see Alma 46:21–22). Under extreme
and desperate circumstances, this duty fell even upon old men, women, and
children (see Mosiah 10:9; Alma 54:12).”[3]
Even though Zeniff was an old
man, he led the army in the battle against the Lamanites. When they went to battle, they “did go up in
the strength of the Lord to battle.”
“When the Lamanites finally
attacked, Zeniff led virtually the entire male
population into battle, including all old and ‘young men that were able to
bear arms’ (Mosiah 10:9). Zeniff emphatically noted, ‘even I, in my old age,
did go up to battle against the Lamanites’ (Mosiah 10:10). Thus, although
Zeniff’s people went ‘up in the strength of the Lord to battle’ (Mosiah 10:10),
victory was due in no small part to King Zeniff’s tactical prowess and
battlefield valor.”[4]
An observation: this is another possible reference to the war
mentioned by Amaleki, where King Benjamin led his people to victory over the
Lamanites (Omni 1:24).
[3] Echoes
and Evidences of the Book of Mormon – A Steady Stream of Significant
Recognitions, John W. Welch, Maxwell Institute.
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