Mosiah 20

(All of my own thoughts are in red type 6/20 Green 3/21 Orange 6/22  Brown 6/23.)

Chapter 20

Some Lamanite daughters are abducted by the priests of Noah—The Lamanites wage war upon Limhi and his people—The Lamanite hosts are repulsed and pacified. About 145–123 B.C.

  1 Now there was a place in ^aShemlon where the daughters of the Lamanites did gather themselves together to sing, and to ^bdance, and to make themselves merry. No matter what the "beliefs" of others are, or who they learn to "hate", people are people. We need to connect to our common humanity. Here we see these girls loved to sing and dance. Not sure what "make themselves merry" means. Could be sketchy...or could be a coping mechanism for when they are feeling down or depressed or sad.  
  2 And it came to pass that there was one day a small number of them gathered together to sing and to dance.
  3 And now the priests of king Noah, being ashamed they were wicked but they knew they had done wrong to return to the city of Nephi, yea, and also fearing that the people would ^aslay them, therefore they durst not return to their wives and their ^bchildren. Fear and shame were more powerful than humility, honesty, love, duty, and faithfulness. They had once felt powerful and invincible, but now there was no king to support them in their wickedness and Satan is never there to protect you.
  4 And having tarried in the wilderness, and having discovered the daughters of the Lamanites, they laid and watched them; This reminds me of David who watched Bathsheba and it led to his great sin and even murder.
  5 And when there were but few of them gathered together to dance, they came forth out of their secret places and took them and carried them into the wilderness; yea, twenty and four of the ^adaughters of the Lamanites they carried into the wilderness. So their lusts were more powerful and controlling than their sense of right and wrong. They only cared for their own safety and desires. If they couldn't return to a position of power and authority, they would not return. But they still wanted to satisfy their lusts or their desires to have families. There must have been at least 24 priests then, each taking one girl. 
  6 And it came to pass that when the Lamanites found that their daughters had been missing, they were angry with the people of Limhi, for they thought One of Satan's greatest tools... to get us to 'think' wrong conclusions it was the people of Limhi.
  7 Therefore they sent their armies forth; yea, even the king himself went They were ticked before his people; and they went up to the land of Nephi to destroy the people of Limhi.
  8 And now Limhi had discovered them from the ^atower, great "watchman on the tower" symbolism even all their preparations for war did he discover; therefore he gathered his people together, and laid wait just be prepared and wait for it for them in the fields and in the forests. Did they live within eyesight that they could see their preparations? 
  9 And it came to pass that when the Lamanites had come up, that the people of Limhi began to fall upon them from their waiting places, and began to slay them.
 10 And it came to pass that the battle became exceedingly sore, for they fought like lions for their prey. Which side was fighting like lions? I'm guessing it was the Lamanites. I wonder if the Nephites were wondering what had provoked this aggression or if they had just come to expect that it could happen anytime for no other reason than their longstanding hatred.
 11 And it came to pass that the people of Limhi began to drive the Lamanites before them; yet they were not half so numerous as the Lamanites. But they ^afought for their lives, and for their ^bwives, and for their children; therefore they exerted themselves and like dragons did they fight. The Lamanites fought like hungry lions, but the Nephites fought like dragons! 
 12 And it came to pass that they found the king of the Lamanites among the number of their dead; yet he was not dead, having been wounded and left upon the ground, so speedy was the flight of his people.
 13 And they took him and bound up his wounds, this is truly "love your enemies" or at least have compassion on them and brought him before Limhi, and said: Behold, here is the king of the Lamanites; he having received a wound has fallen among their dead, and they have left him; and behold, we have brought him before you; and now let us slay him. Hmm...why bind up his wounds just to slay him later?
 14 But Limhi said unto them: Ye shall not slay him, but bring him hither that I may see him. And they brought him. And Limhi said unto him: What cause have ye to come up to war against my people? Behold, my people have not broken the ^aoath that I made unto you; therefore, why should ye break the oath which ye made unto my people? This may be the core of the anger. They each thought the other had broken their oath. Interesting that the Lamanites just attacked without even sending a warning or accusation that because they took their daughters they were going to come and destroy them... why? 
 15 And now the king said: I have broken the oath because thy people did carry away the daughters of my people; therefore, in my anger This causes much destruction in the world and in families and in relationships I did cause my people to come up to war against thy people. You would think they would at least threaten them that if they didn't return their daughters they would go to war.
 16 And now Limhi had heard nothing concerning this matter; therefore he said: I will search among my people and whosoever has done this thing shall perish. Therefore he caused a search to be made among his people.
 17 Now when ^aGideon had heard these things, he being the king’s captain, he went forth and said unto the king: I pray thee forbear, and do not search this people, and lay not this thing to their charge.
 18 For do ye not remember the priests of thy father, whom this people sought to destroy? And are they not in the wilderness? And are not they the ones who have stolen the daughters of the Lamanites? I think Gideon was given this impression/idea by the Spirit. 
 19 And now, behold, and tell the king of these things, that he may tell his people that they may be pacified towards us; for behold they are already preparing to come against us; and behold also there are but few of us.
 20 And behold, they come with their numerous hosts; and except the king doth pacify them towards us we must perish.
 21 For are not the words of Abinadi ^afulfilled, which he prophesied against us—and all this because we would not hearken unto the words of the Lord, and turn from our iniquities? We must always check the possibility that our trials are just judgment for our sins...
 22 And now let us pacify the king, and we fulfil the ^aoath which we have made unto him; for it is better that we should be in bondage than that we should lose our ^blives; therefore, let us put a stop to the shedding of so much blood. It's one thing to fight for your life and liberty, it's another to fight to extinction. Bondage is better. Especially when you have a history rich in bondage, repentance and deliverance. And when you are guilty, maybe bondage sounds like just punishment and part of your restitution.
 23 And now Limhi told the king all the things concerning his father, and the ^apriests that had fled into the wilderness, and attributed the carrying away of their daughters to them.
 24 And it came to pass that the king was pacified towards his people; and he said unto them: Let us go forth to meet my people, without arms; and I swear unto you with an ^aoath that my people shall not slay thy people. Trust is being restored
 25 And it came to pass that they followed the king, and went forth without arms to meet the Lamanites. And it came to pass that they did meet the Lamanites; and the king of the Lamanites did bow himself down before them, this is a sign that the people are in power, not the king and he's acknowledging that and did plead in behalf of the people of Limhi.
 26 And when the Lamanites saw the people of Limhi, that they were without arms, they had ^acompassion on them and were pacified towards them, and returned with their king in peace to their own land. This, to me, is a sign that these Lamanites were good in their hearts. They had been taught the traditions of their fathers, and didn't have the tools to handle their anger if they thought they were "right" but they weren't hard-hearted. I'll have to see if I can track these particular Lamanites to see if they convert in the future.