Alma 43

(All of my own thoughts are in red type 8/20 Green 5/21 yellow green 5/21 orange 8/22 Brown 10/23)

CHAPTER 43

Alma and his sons preach the word—The Zoramites and other Nephite dissenters become Lamanites—The Lamanites come against the Nephites in war—Moroni arms the Nephites with defensive armor—The Lord reveals to Alma the strategy of the Lamanites—The Nephites defend their homes, liberties, families, and religion—The armies of Moroni and Lehi surround the Lamanites. About 74 B.C.

  1 And now it came to pass that the sons of Alma did go forth among the people, to declare the word unto them. And Alma, also, himself, could not ^arest, and he also went forth. He seems to still be driven, after all these years, by his own experience with hell, to warn people about its reality and the need to repent. It’s impressive that his high position doesn’t cause him to just “delegate” the work to others. He still wants to go out himself among the people. 
  2 Now ^awe shall say no more concerning their preaching, except that they preached the word, and the truth, according to the spirit of prophecy and revelation; and they preached after the ^bholy order of God by which they were called. I wish our prophets were more open and clear about what, where, and why we need to repent. Also, that they would preach such that we were clear they were teaching according to the “spirit of prophecy and revelation”. 
  3 And now ^aI return to an ^baccount of the wars between the Nephites and the Lamanites, in the eighteenth year of the reign of the judges.
  4 For behold, it came to pass that the ^aZoramites became Lamanites; The apostates joined the enemy At this point “Lamanites” isn’t a genealogy, but an ideology. therefore, in the commencement of the eighteenth year the people of the Nephites saw that the Lamanites were coming upon them; therefore they made preparations for war; yea, they gathered together their armies in the land of Jershon.
  5 And it came to pass that the Lamanites came with their thousands; and they came into the land of ^aAntionum, which is the land of the Zoramites; and a man by the name of ^bZerahemnah was their leader.
  6 And now, as the ^aAmalekites were of a more wicked and murderous disposition than the Lamanites were, This is one of the reasons that retention is so important in the church and why we must labor to minister and teach with purity. I can see this starting to brew within the church. It already feels a little too late to reclaim people from their blind beliefs, but I suppose I should still try. It just seems like they'll go "Lamen/Lemuel" on me and want me dead...but God preserved Nephi, so don't fear that...in and of themselves, therefore, Zerahemnah appointed chief ^bcaptains over the Lamanites, and they were all Amalekites and ^cZoramites.
  7 Now this he did that he might preserve their ^ahatred towards the Nephites, that he might bring them into subjection to the accomplishment of his designs. 
Notice that allowing someone to stir up hatred in your heart brings you “into subjection”. You are actually chaining yourself to their will and not acting in your own agency, even if you think you are. So deceptive!
  8 For behold, his ^adesigns were to ^bstir up the Lamanites to anger against the Nephites; this he did that he might usurp great power over them, the Lamanites. See...He was trying to control his own people. They were not free either. and also that he might gain power over the Nephites by bringing them into bondage.  Notice that he wants power over the people he is stirring up to anger. Do they realize this?
  9 And now the design of the Nephites was to support their lands, and their houses, and their ^awives, and their children, that they might preserve them from the hands of their enemies; and also that they might preserve their ^brights and their privileges, yea, and also their ^cliberty, that they might worship God according to their desires. Where is our collective desire to care for our families and preserve them from our enemies and to preserve our rights and privileges and our liberty to worship God as we desire...???
 10 For they knew that if they should fall into the hands of the Lamanites, that whosoever should ^aworship God in ^bspirit and in truth, the true and the living God, the Lamanites would ^cdestroy. Their freedom of religion was at the heart of the attack. This is coming!
 11 Yea, and they also knew the extreme hatred of the Lamanites towards their ^abrethren, who were the ^bpeople of Anti-Nephi-Lehi, who were called the people of Ammon—and they would not take up arms, yea, they had entered into a covenant and they would not break it—therefore, if they should fall into the hands of the Lamanites they would be destroyed. The Lamanites could not let the people alone who had left them. Why?
 12 And the Nephites would not suffer that they should be destroyed; therefore they gave them lands for their inheritance.
 13 And the people of Ammon did give unto the Nephites a large portion of their substance to ^asupport their armies; and thus the Nephites were compelled, alone, to withstand against the Lamanites, who were a compound of Laman and Lemuel, and the sons of Ishmael, and all those who had dissented from the Nephites, who were Amalekites and Zoramites, and the ^bdescendants of the priests of Noah.
 14 Now those descendants were as numerous, nearly, as were the Nephites; and thus the Nephites were obliged(duty-bound) to contend with their brethren, The Nephites ever considered them brothers...even unto bloodshed. 
 15 And it came to pass as the armies of the Lamanites had gathered together in the land of Antionum, behold, the armies of the Nephites were prepared to meet them in the ^aland of Jershon.
 16 Now, the leader of the Nephites, or the man who had been ^aappointed to be the ^bchief captain over the Nephites—now the chief captain took the command of all the armies of the Nephites—and his name was Moroni; This is the first we hear of Moroni....He's just a 25 year old young man. He's not a prophet or a great "anything" in the church...but he must have had some kind of reputation to be appointed head of all the armies.
 17 And Moroni took all the command, and the government of their wars. And he was only twenty and five years old when he was appointed chief captain over the armies of the Nephites.
 18 And it came to pass that he met the Lamanites in the borders of Jershon, and his people were armed with swords, and with cimeters, and all manner of ^aweapons of war.
 19 And when the armies of the Lamanites saw that the people of Nephi, or that Moroni, had ^aprepared his people with ^bbreastplates and with arm-shields, yea, and also shields to defend their heads, and also they were dressed with thick clothing—
 20 Now the army of Zerahemnah was not prepared with any such thing; they had only their ^aswords and their cimeters, their bows and their arrows, their ^bstones and their slings; and they were ^cnaked, save it were a skin which was girded about their loins; yea, all were naked, save it were the Zoramites and the Amalekites; and feeling EXTRA naked compared to the Nephites!
 21 But they were not armed with breastplates, nor shields—therefore, they were exceedingly afraid of the armies of the Nephites because of their armor, notwithstanding their number being so much greater than the Nephites. It is not about the numbers. It's about preparation.
 22 Behold, now it came to pass that they durst not come against the Nephites in the borders of Jershon; therefore they departed out of the land of Antionum into the wilderness, and took their journey round about in the wilderness, away by the head of the river Sidon, that they might come into the land of ^aManti and take possession of the land; for they did not suppose that the armies of Moroni would know whither they had gone.
 23 But it came to pass, as soon as they had departed into the wilderness Moroni sent spies into the wilderness to watch their camp; and Moroni, also, knowing of the prophecies of Alma, sent certain men unto him, desiring him that he should ^ainquire of the Lord ^bwhither the armies of the Nephites should go to defend themselves against the Lamanites. Moroni recognized the prophet as his spiritual leader and even more than that, he knew the prophecies of Alma. I don't know if "personal revelation" was a "thing" back then, but just wondering why he didn't feel like he could/should pray to get his own answer...
 24 And it came to pass that the ^aword of the Lord came unto Alma, and Alma informed the messengers of Moroni, that the armies of the Lamanites were marching round about in the wilderness, that they might come over into the land of Manti, that they might commence an attack upon the weaker part of the people. And those messengers went and delivered the message unto Moroni. The Lord totally told Alma what the Lamanites were doing. That is a very quick and specific answer to prayer!
 25 Now Moroni, leaving a part of his army in the land of Jershon, lest by any means a part of the Lamanites should come into that land and take possession of the city, took the remaining part of his army and marched over into the land of Manti.
 26 And he caused that all the people in that quarter of the land should gather themselves together to battle against the Lamanites, to defend their lands and their country, their rights and their liberties; therefore they were prepared against the time of the coming of the Lamanites.
 27 And it came to pass that Moroni caused that his army should be secreted in the valley which was near the bank of the river Sidon, which was on the west of the river Sidon in the wilderness.
 28 And Moroni placed spies round about, that he might know when the camp of the Lamanites should come.
 29 And now, as Moroni knew the ^aintention of the Lamanites, that it was their intention to destroy their brethren, or to ^bsubject them and bring them into bondage that they might establish a kingdom unto themselves over all the land;
 30 And he also knowing that it was the ^aonly desire of the Nephites to preserve their lands, and their ^bliberty, and their church, therefore he thought it no sin that he should defend them by ^cstratagem; therefore, he found by his spies which course the Lamanites were to take.
 31 Therefore, he divided his army and brought a part over into the valley, and ^aconcealed them on the east, and on the south of the hill Riplah;
 32 And the remainder he concealed in the west ^avalley, on the west of the river Sidon, and so down into the borders of the land Manti.
 33 And thus having placed his army according to his desire, he was prepared to meet them.
 34 And it came to pass that the Lamanites came up on the north of the hill, where a part of the army of Moroni was concealed.
 35 And as the Lamanites had passed the hill Riplah, and came into the valley, and began to cross the river Sidon, the army which was concealed on the south of the hill, which was led by a man whose name was ^aLehi, and he led his army forth and encircled the Lamanites about on the east in their rear.
 36 And it came to pass that the Lamanites, when they saw the Nephites coming upon them in their rear, turned them about and began to contend with the army of Lehi.
 37 And the work of death commenced on both sides, darn it! Why did some of the Nephites have to die? but it was more dreadful on the part of the Lamanites, for their ^anakedness was exposed to the heavy blows of the Nephites with their swords and their cimeters, which brought death almost at every stroke.
 38 While on the other hand, there was now and then a man fell among the Nephites, by their swords and the loss of blood, they being shielded from the more vital parts of the body, or the more vital parts of the body being shielded from the strokes of the Lamanites, by their ^abreastplates, and their armshields, and their head-plates; and thus the Nephites did carry on the work of death among the Lamanites.
 39 And it came to pass that the Lamanites became frightened, because of the great destruction among them, even until they began to flee towards the river Sidon.
 40 And they were pursued by Lehi and his men; and they were driven by Lehi into the waters of Sidon, and they crossed the waters of Sidon. And Lehi retained his armies upon the bank of the river Sidon that they should not cross.
 41 And it came to pass that Moroni and his army met the Lamanites in the ^avalley, on the other side of the river Sidon, and began to fall upon them and to slay them.
 42 And the Lamanites did flee again before them, towards the land of Manti; and they were met again by the armies of Moroni.
 43 Now in this case the Lamanites did fight exceedingly; yea, never had the Lamanites been known to fight with such exceedingly great strength and courage, no, not even from the beginning. In their moment of greatest fear, the Lamanites did not want to give up...
 44 And they were inspired by the ^aZoramites and the Amalekites, who were their chief captains and leaders, and by Zerahemnah, who was their chief captain, or their chief leader and commander; yea, they did fight like dragons, Their intensity paid off to some degree... and many of the Nephites were slain by their hands, yea, for they did smite in two many of their head-plates, and they did pierce many of their breastplates, and they did smite off many of their arms; and thus the Lamanites did smite in their fierce anger. Anger is a very very powerful weapon!
 45 Nevertheless, the Nephites were inspired by a ^abetter cause, for they were not ^bfighting for monarchy nor power but they were fighting for their homes and their ^cliberties, their wives and their children, and their all, yea, for their rites of worship and their church.
 46 And they were doing that which they felt was the ^aduty which they owed to their God; for the Lord had said unto them, and also unto their fathers, that: ^bInasmuch as ye are not guilty of the ^cfirst offense, neither the second, ye shall not suffer yourselves to be slain by the hands of your enemies.
 47 And again, the Lord has said that: Ye shall ^adefend your families even unto ^bbloodshed. Therefore for this cause were the Nephites contending with the Lamanites, to defend themselves, and their families, and their lands, their country, and their rights, and their religion.
 48 And it came to pass that when the men of Moroni saw the fierceness and the anger of the Lamanites, they were about to shrink and flee from them. And Moroni, perceiving their intent, sent forth and inspired their hearts with these thoughts—yea, the thoughts of their lands, their liberty, yea, their freedom from bondage. Satan inspires his side with anger and God inspires His side with truth.
 49 And it came to pass that they turned upon the Lamanites, and they cried with one voice ^bunto the Lord their God, for their ^cliberty and their freedom from bondage.
 50 And they ^abegan to stand against the Lamanites with power; and in that selfsame hour that they cried unto the Lord for their freedom, the Lamanites began to flee before them; and they fled even to the waters of Sidon. Never forget the great great power in calling upon the name of the Lord. 
 51 Now, the Lamanites were more ^anumerous, yea, by more than double the number of the Nephites; nevertheless, they were driven insomuch that they were gathered together in one body in the valley, upon the bank by the river Sidon.
 52 Therefore the armies of Moroni encircled them about, yea, even on both sides of the river, for behold, on the east were the men of Lehi.
 53 Therefore when Zerahemnah saw the men of Lehi on the east of the river Sidon, and the armies of Moroni on the west of the river Sidon, that they were encircled about by the Nephites, they were struck with terror.
 54 Now Moroni, when he saw their ^aterror, commanded his men that they should stop shedding their blood. Satan inspires with anger and hate to instill fear, but when God is on your side, all the other side ends up with is the very fear they tried to inflict on you.