|
|
|
|
CHAPTER 48Amalichiah incites the Lamanites against the Nephites—Moroni prepares his people to defend the cause of the Christians—He rejoices in liberty and freedom and was a mighty man of God. [72 B.C.] |
||
|
1 AND now it came to pass that, as soon as
aAmalickiah had obtained the kingdom he began to
binspire the hearts of the Lamanites against the people of
Nephi; yea, he did appoint men to speak unto the Lamanites from their
ctowers, against the Nephites.
2 And thus he did inspire their hearts against the Nephites, insomuch that in the *latter end of the anineteenth year of the reign of the judges, he having accomplished his designs thus far, yea, having been made king over the Lamanites, he bsought also to creign over all the land, yea, and all the people who were in the land, the Nephites as well as the Lamanites.
|
1a
Alma 52:3 (1-3);
Alma 54:5 b Alma 62:35 c Mosiah 2:8 2* [72 B.C.] a Alma 48:21 b D&C 121:39 c Alma 54:24
|
|
|
3 Therefore he had accomplished his design, for he had hardened
the hearts of the Lamanites and blinded their minds, and stirred
them up to anger, insomuch that he had gathered together a
numerous host to go to battle against the Nephites.
4 For he was determined, because of the greatness of the number of his people, to aoverpower the Nephites and to bring them into bondage. 5 And thus he did appoint achief captains of the Zoramites, they being the most acquainted with the strength of the Nephites, and their places of resort, and the weakest parts of their cities; therefore he appointed them to be chief captains over his armies. 6 And it came to pass that they took their camp, and moved forth toward the land of Zarahemla in the wilderness.
|
4a
TG
Tryanny 5a Alma 43:6; Alma 49:5, 23 b Alma 52:20, 33
|
|
|
7 Now it came to pass that while Amalickiah had thus been obtaining
power by fraud and deceit, Moroni, on the other hand, had been
apreparing the minds of the people to be faithful unto the
Lord their God.
8 Yea, he had been strengthening the armies of the Nephites, and erecting small aforts, or places of resorta; throwing up banks of earth round about to enclose his armies, and also building bwalls of stone to encircle them about, round about their cities and the borders of their lands; yea, all round about the landb. 9 And in their weakest fortifications he did place the greater number of men; and thus he did fortify and strengthen the land which was possessed by the Nephites. 10 And thus he was preparing to asupport their liberty, their lands, their wives, and their children, and their peace, and that they might live unto the Lord their God, and that they might maintain that which was called by their enemies the cause of bChristians.
|
8a erecting small forts, or places of
resort At this point in time, Moroni begins by building 'small'
forts of resort for the Nephite armies to retreat to and find refuge in.
8b also building walls of stone to encircle them about [small forts], round about their cities and the borders of their lands; yea, all round about the land This building of walls of protection through out the land shows that Moroni knew well what was about to come about. Some might suggest that with such stone wall building, such evidence should be able to be found today. but this was before the time of Christ and stones used for walls often find their way to other uses through the passage of time if not just tumbling to the ground. |
7a
Alma 49:8 8a Alma 49:13 (2-13, 18-24) b Deut. 3:5 10a Alma 44:5; Alma 46:12 b Alma 46:13
|
Tribute to Moroni |
||
|
11 And Moroni was a astrong and a mighty man; he
was a man of a perfect bunderstanding; yea, a man that did
not delight in bloodshed; a man whose soul did joy in the liberty and the
freedom of his country, and his brethren from bondage and slavery;
12 Yea, a man whose heart did swell with thanksgiving to his God, for the many privileges and blessings which he bestowed upon his people; a man who did labor exceedingly for the awelfare and safety of his people. 13 Yea, and he was a man who was firm in the faith of Christ, and he had asworn with an oath to defend his people, his rights, and his country, and his religion, even to the loss of his blood.
|
11a
TG
Strength b Alma 18:22; TG Understanding 12a TG Welfare 13a Alma 46:20-22; TG Dependability
|
|
|
14 Now the Nephites were taught to defend
themselvesa against their enemies,
even to the shedding of blood if it were necessary; yea, and they were also
taught anever to give an offense, yea, and never to raise
the sword except it were against an enemy, except it were to preserve
their livesa.
15 And this was their afaith, that by so doing God would bprosper them in the land, or in other words, if they were faithful in keeping the commandments of God that he would prosper them in the land; yea, warn them to flee, or to prepare for war, according to their danger; 16 And also, that God would make it known unto them awhither they should go to defend themselves against their enemies, and by so doing, the Lord would deliver them; and this was the faith of Moroni, and his heart did glory in it; not in the bshedding of blood but in doing good, in preserving his people, yea, in keeping the commandments of God, yea, and resisting iniquity.
|
14a Nephites were taught to defend themselves ... to preserve their lives The people of God are not passives who would not take up arms to war if their lives and freedoms were threatened. The only reason the people of Ammon had so covenanted was not to be passives, for they had not been. But they feared that they had shed so much blood in their wickedness before their conversion, that they fear eternal damnation if they would ever kill again after the Lord's forgiveness and acceptance of them into his gospel. And the people of Ammon did support the Nephites with supplies and the finances of war, and their young sons, who had not entered into the covenant with God, would come to fight with the Nephites in the protection of their nation, freedoms, religion and lives. |
14a
Alma 43:46-47;
3 Ne. 3:21 (20-21); Morm. 3:10-11; D&C 98:16 15a TG Steadfastness b Alma 45:8 16a Alma 16:6 (5-8); Alma 43:23-24; 3 Ne. 3:20 (18-21); TG Guidance, Divine b Alma 55:19
|
|
17 Yea, verily, verily I say unto you, if all men had been, and were,
and ever would be, like unto aMoroni, behold, the very
powers of hell would have been shaken forever; yea, the
bdevil would never have power over the hearts of the
children of men.
18 Behold, he was a man like unto aAmmon, the son of Mosiah, yea, and even the other sons of Mosiah, yea, and also Alma and his sons, for they were all men of God. 19 Now behold, Helaman and his brethren were no less aserviceable unto the people than was Moroni; for they did preach the word of God, and they did baptize unto repentance all men whosoever would hearken unto their words.
|
17a
Alma 53:2 b 1 Ne. 22:26; 3 Ne. 6:15; D&C 35:24 18a Alma 28:8 19a Alma 45:22
|
|
|
20 And thus they went forth, and the people did
ahumble themselves because of their
bwords, insomuch that they were highly
cfavored of the Lord, and thus they were free from
wars and contentions among
themselvesa, yea, even for the
space of four years.
21 But, as I have said, in the alatter end of the nineteenth year, yea, notwithstanding their peace amongst themselves, they were compelled reluctantly to contend with their brethren, the Lamanites. 22 Yea, and in fine, their wars never did cease for the space of many years with the Lamanites, notwithstanding their much reluctance.
|
20a they were free from wars and contentions among themselves The number one cause of many a civilization's colapse is not the threat from without but the threat from within. The Nephites had had long histories of internal strive and contention with those who were anti-Christ, nahors, kingsmen and out and our rebellions against God and country, dissenting over to the Lamanites, not particularly to join with them to leave the Nephites, the people of God, alone but to rise up forces against them to destory them. This is a great warning to all nations, especially the nations of America, that they must remain strong from within and committed to the God of the land, who is Jesus Christ, even the Lord God Jehovah. Now the first contention after four years was that dispute between the land of Morianton and the land of Lehi as spoken of in Alma 50;25 (from the end of the 19th year of the judges until the commencement of the 24th year, that is year 20, 21, 22 and 23 passed without internal strife). |
20a
TG
Humility b 1 Ne. 15:20; Hel. 6:5 b 1 Ne. 17:35 21a Alma 48:2
|
|
23 Now, they were asorry to take up arms against
the Lamanites, because they did not delight in the shedding of blood; yea,
and this was not all—they were bsorry to be the means
of sending so many of their brethren out of this world into an eternal world,
cunprepared to meet their God.
24 Nevertheless, they could not suffer to lay down their lives, that their awives and their children should be bmassacred by the barbarous ccruelty of those who were once their brethren, yea, and had ddissented from their church, and had left them and had gone to destroy them by joining the Lamanites. 25 Yea, they could not bear that their brethren should rejoice over the blood of the Nephites, so long as there were any who should keep the commandments of God, for the promise of the Lord was, if they should keep his commandments they should aprosper in the land.
|
23a
Alma 28:11-12;
D&C 42:45 b 3 Ne. 12:44 c Amos 4:12; Alma 20:17 24a Alma 46:12 b TG Martyrdom c TG Cruelty d TG Apostasy of Individuals 25a Alma 45:8
|
|
| * Verse 2 [72 B.C.]. | ||
| This BM Book | Previous BM Chapter | Next BM Chapter | Commentary Page | Home Page |