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CHAPTER 20Lamanite daughters are abducted by the priests of Noah—The Lamanites wage war upon Limhi and his people—They are repulsed and pacified. [Between 145 and 122 B.C.] |
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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.
2 And it came to pass that there was one day a small number of them gathered together to sing and to dance.
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1a
Mosiah 19:6 b Judg. 21:21
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3 And now the priests of king Noah, being ashamed 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
bchildrena.
4 And having tarried in the wilderness, and having discovered the daughters of the Lamanites, they laid and watched them; 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.
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3a to their wives and their children Now the wives and the children of these wicked priest would have become accustomed to the life of living after the manner of priestcraft, that is being supported by the people for the religion they taught. And it would these who were the 'seed', the direct descendants, of the wicked priest who slew Abinadi to whom Abinadi's prophecies would be most applicable to. Thus it is considered that these are they who located in the land of Ammonihah and who it was that fulfilled Abinadi's prophecy recorded in Mosiah 17:15 and fulfilled in Alma 14:8. And these of Ammonihah were like unto their the wicked priests of King Noah, being supported in their priestcraft by the payment of the people as were they of the Nehors of the city and land of Ammonihah. |
3a
Mosiah 19:21 b Mosiah 25:12 5a Mosiah 21:20; Mosiah 23:33 (30-35)
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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 it was the people of Limhi.
7 Therefore they sent their armies forth; yea, even the king himself went 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, even all their preparations for war did he discover; therefore he gathered his people together, and laid wait for them in the fields and in the forests.
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8a
Mosiah 11:12
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9 And it came to pass that when the Lamanites had come
upa, 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. 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.
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9a the Lamanites had come up Here is one item of confirmation concerning the relationship between the land of the Lamanites, Shemlon and the lands of the Nephites, Shilom and Lehi-Nephi. That is Shemlon was upon a lower elevation which is consistant with being on the west seaward side of he land of the Nephites, and that the land of the Nephites did rise up in elevation from that sea level land where the Lamanites did dwell. This made it possible for the Nephites to over see all the land of the Lamanites, Shemlon, from their tower upon the side of the mount north of Shilom. For the view was seaward and down in elevation, laying the whole of the land before their eyes unto the ocean's edge. |
11a
Alma 43:45 b Alma 46:12
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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, 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
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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?
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 I did cause my people to come up to war against thy people. 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.
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14a
Mosiah 19:26 (25-26)
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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? 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.
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17a
Mosiah 19:23 (4-8, 23);
Mosiah 22:3; Alma 1:8-9
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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? 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.
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21a
Mosiah 12:2 (1-8);
Mosiah 21:4 22a Mosiah 19:26 b TG Life, Sanctity of
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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.
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23a
Mosiah 19:23 (21, 23);
Mosiah 23:9, 12, 31 24a Mosiah 21:3
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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, 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.
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23a
TG
Compassion
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