Alma 27:10-24

10  But the king said unto him: Inquire of the Lord, and if he saith unto us go, we will go; otherwise we will perish in the land.

11  And it came to pass that Ammon went and inquired of the Lord, and the Lord said unto him:

12  Get this people out of this land, that they perish not; for Satan has great hold on the hearts of the Amalekites, who do stir up the Lamanites to anger against their brethren to slay them; therefore get thee out of this land; and blessed are this people in this generation, for I will preserve them.

13  And now it came to pass that Ammon went and told the king all the words which the Lord had said unto him.

14  And they gathered together all their people, yea, all the people of the Lord, and did gather together all their flocks and herds, and departed out of the land, and came into the wilderness which divided the land of Nephi from the land of Zarahemla, and came over near the borders of the land.

Alma 27:10-14 (Emphasis mine)

After being told they would not become slaves, the king told Ammon to inquire of the Lord.  Whatever he says, we will do. 

In answer to Ammon’s prayers, he was told to get the people out of the land.  The Amalekites are stirring up Lamanites to kill them.  If they go, the Lord said He would preserve them.

With that promise, they left their land and arrived near the borders of the land of Zarahemla.

The Anti-Nephi-Lehies once again showed remarkable faith.  They knew there was a chance they would die at the hands of the Nephites because of the violence done to them by these people.  Still, they went forward, trusting in the Lord.

15  And it came to pass that Ammon said unto them: Behold, I and my brethren will go forth into the land of Zarahemla, and ye shall remain here until we return; and we will try the hearts of our brethren, whether they will that ye shall come into their land.

16  And it came to pass that as Ammon was going forth into the land, that he and his brethren met Alma, over in the place of which has been spoken; and behold, this was a joyful meeting.

17  Now the joy of Ammon was so great even that he was full; yea, he was swallowed up in the joy of his God, even to the exhausting of his strength; and he fell again to the earth.

18  Now was not this exceeding joy?  Behold, this is joy which none receiveth save it be the truly penitent and humble seeker of happiness.

19  Now the joy of Alma in meeting his brethren was truly great, and also the joy of Aaron, of Omner, and Himni; but behold their joy was not that to exceed their strength.

20  And now it came to pass that Alma conducted his brethren back to the land of Zarahemla; even to his own house.  And they went and told the chief judge all the things that had happened unto them in the land of Nephi, among their brethren, the Lamanites.

 Alma 27:15-20 (Emphasis mine)

Ammon and his brethren had the Anti-Nephi-Lehies wait while they went into the city to plead their case.  It was here that they met Alma(2).  That event was recorded in Chapter 26.

After Alma(2) heard their story, he took them to his home in Zarahemla.  They meet with the chief judge and related the things that had happened over the last 14 years. 

21  And it came to pass that the chief judge sent a proclamation throughout all the land, desiring the voice of the people concerning the admitting their brethren, who were the people of Anti-Nephi-Lehi.

22  And it came to pass that the voice of the people came, saying: Behold, we will give up the land of Jershon, which is on the east by the sea, which joins the land Bountiful, which is on the south of the land Bountiful; and this land Jershon is the land which we will give unto our brethren for an inheritance.

23  And behold, we will set our armies between the land Jershon and the land Nephi, that we may protect our brethren in the land Jershon; and this we do for our brethren, on account of their fear to take up arms against their brethren lest they should commit sin; and this their great fear came because of their sore repentance which they had, on account of their many murders and their awful wickedness.

24  And now behold, this will we do unto our brethren, that they may inherit the land Jershon; and we will guard them from their enemies with our armies, on condition that they will give us a portion of their substance to assist us that we may maintain our armies.

Alma 27:21-24 (Emphasis mine)

The chief judge called the people together and told them what happened.  It appears there was little opposition to giving the Ammonites land.  The voice of the people was immediately heard. 

They gave them the land of Jershon as the land of their inheritance.  They also respected them and their promise not to bear arms again.  There was one condition.  They would have to pay to help maintain the army.

John Welch explained that allowing them not to serve in the army was quite unusual.

“The only Book of Mormon group given an exemption from military service was the famous people of Ammon. In repenting of their previous shedding of blood, they had sworn an oath that they would never again take up arms (see Alma 24:11-13). After they arrived in Zarahemla, they were granted an extraordinary exemption from active military duty if they would help to sustain the Nephite armies with provisions (see Alma 27:23-24). Surprisingly, the grant of this exceptional privilege was consistent with ancient Israelite law.” [1] (Emphasis mine)

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[1] Exemption from Military Duty, John W. Welch, Maxwell Institute, accessed October 6, 2011.

Alma 27:1-9

Chapter 27

The Lord commands Ammon to lead the people of Anti-Nephi-Lehi to safety—Upon meeting Alma, Ammon's joy exhausts his strength—The Nephites give them the land of Jershon—They are called the people of Ammon. About 90–77 B.C.

1  NOW it came to pass that when those Lamanites who had gone to war against the Nephites had found, after their many struggles to destroy them, that it was in vain to seek their destruction, they returned again to the land of Nephi.

2  And it came to pass that the Amalekites, because of their loss, were exceedingly angry.  And when they saw that they could not seek revenge from the Nephites, they began to stir up the people in anger against their brethren, the people of Anti-Nephi-Lehi; therefore they began again to destroy them.

3  Now this people again refused to take their arms, and they suffered themselves to be slain according to the desires of their enemies.

Alma 27:1-3 (Emphasis mine)

The Amalekites were not as successful as they hoped.  They did not defeat the Nephites.  Since they were angry, they had to take out their anger on someone.  Who better than the Anti-Nephi-Lehites?  Not only could they be defeated, it would be easy because they wouldn’t fight back.

We’re seeing a new type of conflicts.  Todd Compton writes that “[i]n a new conflict, it is the Nephites, or the Amalekites, who begin to destroy the righteous Lamanites, the Anti-Nephi-Lehies (Alma 27:2). This is a striking inversion of the supposed cowboys-and-Indians plot of the Book of Mormon.” [1] (Emphasis mine)

Hugh Nibley described the situation this way. 

“… the Amalekites were still strong and still dangerous. They began a movement against the people of Anti-Nephi-Lehi, who were with the government that had taken over more or less … Remember, these various people who were members of the nation had their districts, states, or provinces they lived in, which were fairly uniform. They were going to make trouble for the king. They did rebel, but they were reduced. They began to destroy the people of Anti-Nephi-Lehi, and the people still refused to take up arms. Well, that was a pushover for them now, but they were really mad about the Anti-Lehi-Nephi people.” ^[2]     (Emphasis mine)

4  Now when Ammon and his brethren saw this work of destruction among those whom they so dearly beloved, and among those who had so dearly beloved them—for they were treated as though they were angels sent from God to save them from everlasting destruction—therefore, when Ammon and his brethren saw this great work of destruction, they were moved with compassion, and they said unto the king:

5  Let us gather together this people of the Lord, and let us go down to the land of Zarahemla to our brethren the Nephites, and flee out of the hands of our enemies, that we be not destroyed.

6  But the king said unto them: Behold, the Nephites will destroy us, because of the many murders and sins we have committed against them.

Alma 27:4-6 (Emphasis mine)

Something had to be done.  Innocent people were dying.  What could be done? 

Ammon went to the king and said that they should flee to the land of Zarahemla.  The king was hesitant.  We will be killed because of the sins we committed against them.  He feared the rest of the Nephites would treat them with the love and concern of Ammon and his brethren.

Duane Boyce explains that there fear was real.

“… the king emphasizes the ‘murders’ and even ‘the many murders’ they had committed against the Nephites. This does not seem to be a metaphorical usage of the term. Again, the record tells us more than once that the Lamanites delighted in shedding Nephite blood ... So reference to the term murder in Anti-Nephi-Lehi’s speech is not surprising. …  the Ammonites’ killings—far from being reluctant—apparently had been wanton, and they had delighted in them. In their repentance, then, the Ammonites were not repenting of acts of killing that had occurred in conventional war … the Ammonites’ repentance was for acts that had been motivated by hatred and by a desire for Nephite blood, and that they explicitly describe as ‘murder’

“Note too that the Ammonite king is speaking of the murders that they themselves had committed … the new king here is speaking specifically of the murders that they, the repentant Lamanites, had committed against the Nephites.“  [3] (Emphasis mine)

7  And Ammon said: I will go and inquire of the Lord, and if he say unto us, go down unto our brethren, will ye go?

8  And the king said unto him: Yea, if the Lord saith unto us go, we will go down unto our brethren, and we will be their slaves until we repair unto them the many murders and sins which we have committed against them.

9  But Ammon said unto him: It is against the law of our brethren, which was established by my father, that there should be any slaves among them; therefore let us go down and rely upon the mercies of our brethren.

Alma 27:7-9 (Emphasis mine)

The king proposed a solution.  Instead of living among the Nephites as equals, they would become slaves until they were able to repair their relationship with them.

Ammon told the king that King Mosiah had abolished slavery.  Instead, they should go and rely upon the mercies of his brethren.

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[1] The Spirituality of the Outcast in the Book of Mormon, Todd M. Compton, Maxwell Institute, accessed October 5, 2011.

[2] Lecture 53: Alma 23-27, Hugh W. Nibley, Maxwell Institute, accessed October 5, 2011.

[3] Were the Ammonites Pacifists? Duane Boyce, Maxwell Institute, accessed October 5, 2011.

Alma 24:20-30

20  And it came to pass that their brethren, the Lamanites, made preparations for war, and came up to the land of Nephi for the purpose of destroying the king, and to place another in his stead, and also of destroying the people of Anti-Nephi-Lehi out of the land.

21  Now when the people saw that they were coming against them they went out to meet them, and prostrated themselves before them to the earth, and began to call on the name of the Lord; and thus they were in this attitude when the Lamanites began to fall upon them, and began to slay them with the sword.

22  And thus without meeting any resistance, they did slay a thousand and five of them; and we know that they are blessed, for they have gone to dwell with their God.

Alma 24:20-22 (Emphasis mine)

The other Lamanites were ready to overthrow the king and place one of their choosing in his place.  They also wanted to destroy the Anti-Nephi-Lehies.

They were ready for war.  They went on the attack and expected a major battle.  They were surprised by the response.

The Anti-Nephi-Lehies went out, lay on the ground, and began praying to the Lord.  Seeing this, the armies attacked them and killed 1,005, meeting no resistance. 

Mormon then breaks in to tell us that they are blessed for the sacrifice.  They have returned to God.

I wonder what manner of men were these Lamanites.  They willingly attacked and killed defenseless people.  Hugh Nibley offers an explanation.

“They offer no opposition. It begins to hurt the consciences of the leaders on the other side and make them sick. As a result they get mad at these people, ‘Won't you resist? Dammit, why don't you fight?’ They get mad enough to slaughter them. It's a paradox here because they didn't want to slaughter them; they forced them to do it. ‘Why do you force us to do this dirty thing?’ This happens at the beginning of the next chapter. ‘Those Lamanites were more angry because they had slain their brethren.’ “ [1]   (Emphasis mine)

23  Now when the Lamanites saw that their brethren would not flee from the sword, neither would they turn aside to the right hand or to the left, but that they would lie down and perish, and praised God even in the very act of perishing under the sword—

24  Now when the Lamanites saw this they did forbear from slaying them; and there were many whose hearts had swollen in them for those of their brethren who had fallen under the sword, for they repented of the things which they had done.

25  And it came to pass that they threw down their weapons of war, and they would not take them again, for they were stung for the murders which they had committed; and they came down even as their brethren, relying upon the mercies of those whose arms were lifted to slay them.

26  And it came to pass that the people of God were joined that day by more than the number who had been slain; and those who had been slain were righteous people, therefore we have no reason to doubt but what they were saved.

27  And there was not a wicked man slain among them; but there were more than a thousand brought to the knowledge of the truth; thus we see that the Lord worketh in many ways to the salvation of his people.

Alma 24:23-27 (Emphasis mine)

I remember first reading these scriptures and feeling anger that these innocent people were brutally murdered.  Why had the Lord allowed this?  Then I continued reading.

Seeing that they praised God even as they were being slaughtered, the Lamanites stopped.  Many realized what they had done, and immediately repented of their actions.  They threw down their weapons and refused to use them again. 

We’re read that more people joined the Anti-Nephi-Lehies then were slain.  Their numbers increased.

Mormon then tells us that not a wicked man died.  All were righteous people.  Then he concludes “…thus we see that the Lord worketh in many ways to the salvation of his people.” (verse 27). 

28  Now the greatest number of those of the Lamanites who slew so many of their brethren were Amalekites and Amulonites, the greatest number of whom were after the order of the Nehors.

29  Now, among those who joined the people of the Lord, there were none who were Amalekites or Amulonites, or who were of the order of Nehor, but they were actual descendants of Laman and Lemuel.

30  And thus we can plainly discern, that after a people have been once enlightened by the Spirit of God, and have had great knowledge of things pertaining to righteousness, and then have fallen away into sin and transgression, they become more hardened, and thus their state becomes worse than though they had never known these things.

Alma 24:28-30 (Emphasis mine)

The Nephite dissenters make an appearance again.  They stirred up the people to attack the Anti-Nephi-Lehies.  Interestingly, none of these dissenters were among the converted.  Only the descendants of Laman and Lemuel were converted.

Then, Mormon emphasizes an important truth.  Once people have experienced the truth, and then fall away into sin and transgression, their hearts become harder and they are even less willing to listen to the words of the Lord.  It would have been better for them to never have known these things.

I’ll close with some words from Hugh Nibley.

“… This was murder they were doing. I mean when you take life it's murder no matter what you call it. Then more of them were joining the church than those who were slain. ‘Now, among those who joined the people of the Lord, there were none who were Amalekites or Amulonites’ … Only the actual descendants of Laman and Lemuel were converted.” [2] (Emphasis mine)

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[1] Lecture 53: Alma 23-27, Hugh W. Nibley, Maxwell Institute, accessed September 27, 2011.

[2] Ibid.