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Annotations |
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Chapter 3
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1 And it came to pass that the Nephites who were not slain
by the weapons of war, after having buried those who had been slain—now the
number of the slain were not numbered, because of the greatness of their
number—after they had finished burying their dead they all returned to their
lands, and to their houses, and their wives, and their children.
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2 Now many women and children had been slain with the sword,
and also many of their flocks and their herds; and also many of their fields
of grain were destroyed, for they were trodden down by the hosts of men.
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The only pre-Columbian weapon I can find that was similar
to a sword was the macuahuitl which was made with a plank of wood similar in
shape to a cricket bat with obsidian blades mounted on the edges. It is
similar enough to a sword that it is often referred to as the Aztec sword.
However, the macuahuitl does not seem to fit the Book of
Mormon time frame. “Some groups of Central Mexico, principally in the
transition between the Early and the Late Post-Classic, probably
developed this weapon” (emphasis added, Dr. Marco Antonio Cervera Obregón,
“The macuahuitl: an innovative weapon of the Late Post-Classic in
Mesoamerica”, Arms & Armour, Vol.3, Nov. 2, 2006, p. 146, article from a research journal).
The Post-Classic period is between 900 CE and the Spanish conquest.
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3 And now as many of the Lamanites and the Amlicites who
had been slain upon the bank of the river Sidon were cast into the waters of
Sidon; and behold their bones are in the depths of the sea, and they are
many.
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4 And the Amlicites were distinguished from the Nephites,
for they had marked themselves with red in their foreheads after the manner
of the Lamanites; nevertheless they had not shorn their heads like unto the
Lamanites.
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5 Now the heads of the Lamanites were shorn; and they were
naked, save it were skin which was girded about their loins, and also their
armor, which was girded about them, and their bows, and their arrows, and
their stones, and their slings, and so forth.
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6 And the skins of the Lamanites were dark, according
to the mark which was set upon their fathers, which was a curse upon them
because of their transgression and their rebellion against their
brethren, who consisted of Nephi, Jacob, and Joseph, and Sam, who were just
and holy men.
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Alma 3:6-10
Verse six clearly tells us that the dark skin was a mark set upon the
Lamanites, and that this mark of the dark skin was a curse. This contradicts
the apologists who try to explain the curse as something other than the mark
of dark skin.
Notice also that this dark skin was to prevent the righteous white skinned
folk from mixing with the Lamanites and believing in incorrect traditions
(verse 8).
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7 And their brethren sought to destroy them, therefore
they were cursed; and the Lord God set a mark upon them, yea, upon
Laman and Lemuel, and also the sons of Ishmael, and Ishmaelitish women.
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Annotation for Alma 3:6-10 above
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8 And this was done that their seed might be
distinguished from the seed of their brethren, that thereby the Lord God
might preserve his people, that they might not mix and believe in
incorrect traditions which would prove their destruction.
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Annotation for Alma 3:6-10 above
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9 And it came to pass that whosoever did mingle his seed
with that of the Lamanites did bring the same curse upon his seed.
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Annotation for Alma 3:6-10 above
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10 Therefore, whosoever suffered himself to be led away by
the Lamanites was called under that head, and there was a mark set upon him.
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Annotation for Alma 3:6-10 above
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11 And it came to pass that whosoever would not believe in
the tradition of the Lamanites, but believed those records which were brought
out of the land of Jerusalem, and also in the tradition of their fathers,
which were correct, who believed in the commandments of God and kept them,
were called the Nephites, or the people of Nephi, from that time forth—
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12 And it is they who have kept the records which are true
of their people, and also of the people of the Lamanites.
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13 Now we will return again to the Amlicites, for they
also had a mark set upon them; yea, they set the mark upon themselves, yea,
even a mark of red upon their foreheads.
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14 Thus the word of God is fulfilled, for these are the
words which he said to Nephi: Behold, the Lamanites have I cursed, and I will
set a mark on them that they and their seed may be separated from thee and
thy seed, from this time henceforth and forever, except they repent of their
wickedness and turn to me that I may have mercy upon them.
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15 And again: I will set a mark upon him that mingleth his
seed with thy brethren, that they may be cursed also.
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16 And again: I will set a mark upon him that fighteth
against thee and thy seed.
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17 And again, I say he that departeth from thee shall no
more be called thy seed; and I will bless thee, and whomsoever shall be
called thy seed, henceforth and forever; and these were the promises of the
Lord unto Nephi and to his seed.
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18 Now the Amlicites knew not that they were fulfilling
the words of God when they began to mark themselves in their foreheads;
nevertheless they had come out in open rebellion against God; therefore it
was expedient that the curse should fall upon them.
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19 Now I would that ye should see that they brought upon
themselves the curse; and even so doth every man that is cursed bring upon
himself his own condemnation.
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20 Now it came to pass that not many days after the battle
which was fought in the land of Zarahemla, by the Lamanites and the
Amlicites, that there was another army of the Lamanites came in upon the
people of Nephi, in the same place where the first army met the Amlicites.
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21 And it came to pass that there was an army sent to
drive them out of their land.
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22 Now Alma himself being afflicted with a wound did not
go up to battle at this time against the Lamanites;
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23 But he sent up a numerous army against them; and they
went up and slew many of the Lamanites, and drove the remainder of them out
of the borders of their land.
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24 And then they returned again and began to establish
peace in the land, being troubled no more for a time with their enemies.
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25 Now all these things were done, yea, all these wars and
contentions were commenced and ended in the fifth year of the reign of the
judges.
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Alma 3:25-26
In one year “thousands and tens of thousands” died in
battle. The numbers of warriors in these battles is staggering, yet there is
absolutely no evidence of these wars fought with swords and cimeters.
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26 And in one year were thousands and tens of thousands of
souls sent to the eternal world, that they might reap their rewards according
to their works, whether they were good or whether they were bad, to reap eternal
happiness or eternal misery, according to the spirit which they
listed to obey, whether it be a good spirit or a bad one.
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Annotation for Alma 3:25-26 above
Also, according to D&C 19:6-12 the words “endless” and “eternal” do not
mean without end when it comes to “endless torment” or “eternal damnation”.
These verses in the D&C explain that these words are used because, “it is
more express than other scriptures, that it might work upon the hearts of the
children of men.” When people read these words in the Book of Mormon, how do
they likely understand the words “endless” and “eternal”? Is this honest
communication if D&C 19 reveals the actual meaning of these words?
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27 For every man receiveth wages of him whom he listeth to
obey, and this according to the words of the spirit of prophecy; therefore
let it be according to the truth. And thus endeth the fifth year of the reign
of the judges.
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