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Annotations |
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Chapter 24
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1 And it came to pass that the Amalekites and the
Amulonites and the Lamanites who were in the land of Amulon, and also in the
land of Helam, and who were in the land of Jerusalem, and in fine, in all the
land round about, who had not been converted and had not taken upon them the
name of Anti-Nephi-Lehi, were stirred up by the Amalekites and by the
Amulonites to anger against their brethren.
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2 And their hatred became exceedingly sore against them,
even insomuch that they began to rebel against their king, insomuch that they
would not that he should be their king; therefore, they took up arms against
the people of Anti-Nephi-Lehi.
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3 Now the king conferred the kingdom upon his son, and he
called his name Anti-Nephi-Lehi.
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4 And the king died in that selfsame year that the
Lamanites began to make preparations for war against the people of God.
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5 Now when Ammon and his brethren and all those who had
come up with him saw the preparations of the Lamanites to destroy their
brethren, they came forth to the land of Midian, and there Ammon met all his
brethren; and from thence they came to the land of Ishmael that they might
hold a council with Lamoni and also with his brother Anti-Nephi-Lehi, what
they should do to defend themselves against the Lamanites.
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6 Now there was not one soul among all the people who had
been converted unto the Lord that would take up arms against their brethren;
nay, they would not even make any preparations for war; yea, and also their
king commanded them that they should not.
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7 Now, these are the words which he said unto the people
concerning the matter: I thank my God, my beloved people, that our great God
has in goodness sent these our brethren, the Nephites, unto us to preach unto
us, and to convince us of the traditions of our wicked fathers.
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8 And behold, I thank my great God that he has given us a
portion of his Spirit to soften our hearts, that we have opened a
correspondence with these brethren, the Nephites.
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9 And behold, I also thank my God, that by opening this
correspondence we have been convinced of our sins, and of the many murders
which we have committed.
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10 And I also thank my God, yea, my great God, that he
hath granted unto us that we might repent of these things, and also that he
hath forgiven us of those our many sins and murders which we have committed,
and taken away the guilt from our hearts, through the merits of his Son.
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11 And now behold, my brethren, since it has been all that
we could do (as we were the most lost of all mankind) to repent of all our
sins and the many murders which we have committed, and to get God to take
them away from our hearts, for it was all we could do to repent sufficiently
before God that he would take away our stain—
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12 Now, my best beloved brethren, since God hath taken
away our stains, and our swords have become bright, then let us stain
our swords no more with the blood of our brethren.
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Alma 24:12-13
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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13 Behold, I say unto you, Nay, let us retain our swords
that they be not stained with the blood of our brethren; for perhaps, if
we should stain our swords again they can no more be washed bright
through the blood of the Son of our great God, which shall be shed for the
atonement of our sins.
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Annotation for Alma 24:12-13 above
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14 And the great God has had mercy on us, and made these
things known unto us that we might not perish; yea, and he has made these
things known unto us beforehand, because he loveth our souls as well as he
loveth our children; therefore, in his mercy he doth visit us by his angels,
that the plan of salvation might be made known unto us as well as unto future
generations.
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15 Oh, how merciful is our God! And now behold, since it
has been as much as we could do to get our stains taken away from us, and our
swords are made bright, let us hide them away that they may be kept
bright, as a testimony to our God at the last day, or at the day that we
shall be brought to stand before him to be judged, that we have not stained our
swords in the blood of our brethren since he imparted his word unto us
and has made us clean thereby.
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Alma 24:15-17
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.
For the sake of discussion, let’s assume they had swords.
Consider how unlikely it would fort them to bury so much as described in
verses 16 and 17. Alma 23:9-12 names seven cities or lands in which the
Lamanites converted. Alma 23:5 tells us they were thousands who converted.
Consider the resources required to gather ore, transport it to the smelting
facility, and then smelt it. These weapons could be made into many other
useful tools like knives, farming instruments, nails or other pieces to
secure wooden joints, leather working tools, etc. What a colossal waste. Is
it likely that they would just bury such a valuable resource? Later these
converts supported the Nephites to defend against the Lamanites. Why put the
weapons in the ground when they could be used by the Nephites?
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16 And now, my brethren, if our brethren seek to destroy
us, behold, we will hide away our swords, yea, even we will bury them deep
in the earth, that they may be kept bright, as a testimony that we have
never used them, at the last day; and if our brethren destroy us, behold, we
shall go to our God and shall be saved.
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Annotation for Alma 24:15-17 above
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17 And now it came to pass that when the king had made an
end of these sayings, and all the people were assembled together, they took their
swords, and all the weapons which were used for the shedding of man’s
blood, and they did bury them up deep in the earth.
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Annotation for Alma 24:15-17 above
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18 And this they did, it being in their view a testimony
to God, and also to men, that they never would use weapons again for the
shedding of man’s blood; and this they did, vouching and covenanting with
God, that rather than shed the blood of their brethren they would give up
their own lives; and rather than take away from a brother they would give
unto him; and rather than spend their days in idleness they would labor
abundantly with their hands.
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19 And thus we see that, when these Lamanites were brought
to believe and to know the truth, they were firm, and would suffer even unto
death rather than commit sin; and thus we see that they buried their weapons
of peace, or they buried the weapons of war, for peace.
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20 And it came to pass that their brethren, the Lamanites,
made preparations for war, and came up to the land of Nephi for the purpose
of destroying the king, and to place another in his stead, and also of
destroying the people of Anti-Nephi-Lehi out of the land.
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21 Now when the people saw that they were coming against
them they went out to meet them, and prostrated themselves before them to the
earth, and began to call on the name of the Lord; and thus they were in this
attitude when the Lamanites began to fall upon them, and began to slay them
with the sword.
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Alma 24:21, 23-24
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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22 And thus without meeting any resistance, they did slay
a thousand and five of them; and we know that they are blessed, for they have
gone to dwell with their God.
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23 Now when the Lamanites saw that their brethren would
not flee from the sword, neither would they turn aside to the right
hand or to the left, but that they would lie down and perish, and praised God
even in the very act of perishing under the sword—
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Annotation for Alma 24:21, 23-24 above
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24 Now when the Lamanites saw this they did forbear from
slaying them; and there were many whose hearts had swollen in them for those
of their brethren who had fallen under the sword, for they repented of
the things which they had done.
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Annotation for Alma 24:21, 23-24 above
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25 And it came to pass that they threw down their weapons
of war, and they would not take them again, for they were stung for the
murders which they had committed; and they came down even as their brethren,
relying upon the mercies of those whose arms were lifted to slay them.
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26 And it came to pass that the people of God were joined
that day by more than the number who had been slain; and those who had been
slain were righteous people, therefore we have no reason to doubt but what
they were saved.
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27 And there was not a wicked man slain among them; but
there were more than a thousand brought to the knowledge of the truth; thus
we see that the Lord worketh in many ways to the salvation of his people.
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28 Now the greatest number of those of the Lamanites who
slew so many of their brethren were Amalekites and Amulonites, the greatest
number of whom were after the order of the Nehors.
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29 Now, among those who joined the people of the Lord,
there were none who were Amalekites or Amulonites, or who were of the order
of Nehor, but they were actual descendants of Laman and Lemuel.
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More than 500 years after Lehites leave Jerusalem we find
this reference to thousands claimed to be “actual descendants of Laman and
Lemuel.”
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30 And thus we can plainly discern, that after a people
have been once enlightened by the Spirit of God, and have had great knowledge
of things pertaining to righteousness, and then have fallen away into sin and
transgression, they become more hardened, and thus their state becomes worse
than though they had never known these things.
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Darned apostates!
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