Book of Mormon |
Annotations |
Chapter 50
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1 And now it came to pass that Moroni did not stop making
preparations for war, or to defend his people against the Lamanites; for he
caused that his armies should commence in the commencement of the twentieth
year of the reign of the judges, that they should commence in digging up
heaps of earth round about all the cities, throughout all the land which was
possessed by the Nephites.
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2 And upon the top of these ridges of earth he caused that
there should be timbers, yea, works of timbers built up to the height of a
man, round about the cities.
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3 And he caused that upon those works of timbers there
should be a frame of pickets built upon the timbers round about; and they
were strong and high.
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4 And he caused towers to be erected that overlooked those
works of pickets, and he caused places of security to be built upon those
towers, that the stones and the arrows of the Lamanites could not hurt them.
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5 And they were prepared that they could cast stones from
the top thereof, according to their pleasure and their strength, and slay him
who should attempt to approach near the walls of the city.
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6 Thus Moroni did prepare strongholds against the coming
of their enemies, round about every city in all the land.
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7 And it came to pass that Moroni caused that his armies
should go forth into the east wilderness; yea, and they went forth and drove
all the Lamanites who were in the east wilderness into their own lands, which
were south of the land of Zarahemla.
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8 And the land of Nephi did run in a straight course from
the east sea to the west.
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9 And it came to pass that when Moroni had driven all the
Lamanites out of the east wilderness, which was north of the lands of their
own possessions, he caused that the inhabitants who were in the land of
Zarahemla and in the land round about should go forth into the east
wilderness, even to the borders by the seashore, and possess the land.
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10 And he also placed armies on the south, in the borders
of their possessions, and caused them to erect fortifications that they might
secure their armies and their people from the hands of their enemies.
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11 And thus he cut off all the strongholds of the
Lamanites in the east wilderness, yea, and also on the west, fortifying the
line between the Nephites and the Lamanites, between the land of Zarahemla
and the land of Nephi, from the west sea, running by the head of the river
Sidon—the Nephites possessing all the land northward, yea, even all the land
which was northward of the land Bountiful, according to their pleasure.
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12 Thus Moroni, with his armies, which did increase daily
because of the assurance of protection which his works did bring forth unto
them, did seek to cut off the strength and the power of the Lamanites from
off the lands of their possessions, that they should have no power upon the
lands of their possession.
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13 And it came to pass that the Nephites began the
foundation of a city, and they called the name of the city Moroni; and it was
by the east sea; and it was on the south by the line of the possessions of
the Lamanites.
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14 And they also began a foundation for a city between the
city of Moroni and the city of Aaron, joining the borders of Aaron and
Moroni; and they called the name of the city, or the land, Nephihah.
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15 And they also began in that same year to build many
cities on the north, one in a particular manner which they called Lehi, which
was in the north by the borders of the seashore.
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16 And thus ended the twentieth year.
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17 And in these prosperous circumstances were the people
of Nephi in the commencement of the twenty and first year of the reign of the
judges over the people of Nephi.
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Alma 50:17-20
Prosperity gospel at least associated with riches in verse 18.
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18 And they did prosper exceedingly, and they became
exceedingly rich; yea, and they did multiply and wax strong in the land.
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Annotation for Alma 50:17-20 above
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19 And thus we see how merciful and just are all the
dealings of the Lord, to the fulfilling of all his words unto the children of
men; yea, we can behold that his words are verified, even at this time, which
he spake unto Lehi, saying:
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Annotation for Alma 50:17-20 above
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20 Blessed art thou and thy children; and they shall be
blessed, inasmuch as they shall keep my commandments they shall prosper in
the land. But remember, inasmuch as they will not keep my commandments they
shall be cut off from the presence of the Lord.
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Annotation for Alma 50:17-20 above
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21 And we see that these promises have been verified to
the people of Nephi; for it has been their quarrelings and their contentions,
yea, their murderings, and their plunderings, their idolatry, their
whoredoms, and their abominations, which were among themselves, which brought
upon them their wars and their destructions.
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22 And those who were faithful in keeping the commandments
of the Lord were delivered at all times, whilst thousands of their wicked
brethren have been consigned to bondage, or to perish by the sword, or to
dwindle in unbelief, and mingle with the Lamanites.
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Sometimes when the problem of evil is expressed,
apologists will argue that God allows evil to be perpetrated because he
values moral agency so much that he will not intercede on behalf of the
victim out of respect for the agency of the perpetrator.
Hopefully most will find this idea of unwillingness to intercede repugnant without
further explanation. However, for those needing more explanation, notice that
this verse actually affirms that God will intercede to prevent wickedness.
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23 But behold there never was a happier time among the
people of Nephi, since the days of Nephi, than in the days of Moroni, yea,
even at this time, in the twenty and first year of the reign of the judges.
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24 And it came to pass that the twenty and second year of
the reign of the judges also ended in peace; yea, and also the twenty and
third year.
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25 And it came to pass that in the commencement of the
twenty and fourth year of the reign of the judges, there would also have been
peace among the people of Nephi had it not been for a contention which took
place among them concerning the land of Lehi, and the land of Morianton,
which joined upon the borders of Lehi; both of which were on the borders by
the seashore.
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26 For behold, the people who possessed the land of
Morianton did claim a part of the land of Lehi; therefore there began to be a
warm contention between them, insomuch that the people of Morianton took up
arms against their brethren, and they were determined by the sword to
slay them.
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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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27 But behold, the people who possessed the land of Lehi
fled to the camp of Moroni, and appealed unto him for assistance; for behold
they were not in the wrong.
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28 And it came to pass that when the people of Morianton,
who were led by a man whose name was Morianton, found that the people of Lehi
had fled to the camp of Moroni, they were exceedingly fearful lest the army
of Moroni should come upon them and destroy them.
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29 Therefore, Morianton put it into their hearts that they
should flee to the land which was northward, which was covered with large
bodies of water, and take possession of the land which was northward.
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30 And behold, they would have carried this plan into
effect, (which would have been a cause to have been lamented) but behold,
Morianton being a man of much passion, therefore he was angry with one of his
maid servants, and he fell upon her and beat her much.
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31 And it came to pass that she fled, and came over to the
camp of Moroni, and told Moroni all things concerning the matter, and also
concerning their intentions to flee into the land northward.
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32 Now behold, the people who were in the land Bountiful,
or rather Moroni, feared that they would hearken to the words of Morianton
and unite with his people, and thus he would obtain possession of those parts
of the land, which would lay a foundation for serious consequences among the
people of Nephi, yea, which consequences would lead to the overthrow of their
liberty.
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33 Therefore Moroni sent an army, with their camp, to head
the people of Morianton, to stop their flight into the land northward.
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34 And it came to pass that they did not head them until
they had come to the borders of the land Desolation; and there they did head
them, by the narrow pass which led by the sea into the land northward, yea,
by the sea, on the west and on the east.
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35 And it came to pass that the army which was sent by
Moroni, which was led by a man whose name was Teancum, did meet the people of
Morianton; and so stubborn were the people of Morianton, (being inspired by
his wickedness and his flattering words) that a battle commenced between
them, in the which Teancum did slay Morianton and defeat his army, and took
them prisoners, and returned to the camp of Moroni. And thus ended the twenty
and fourth year of the reign of the judges over the people of Nephi.
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36 And thus were the people of Morianton brought back. And
upon their covenanting to keep the peace they were restored to the land of
Morianton, and a union took place between them and the people of Lehi; and
they were also restored to their lands.
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37 And it came to pass that in the same year that the
people of Nephi had peace restored unto them, that Nephihah, the second chief
judge, died, having filled the judgment-seat with perfect uprightness before
God.
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38 Nevertheless, he had refused Alma to take possession of
those records and those things which were esteemed by Alma and his fathers to
be most sacred; therefore Alma had conferred them upon his son, Helaman.
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39 Behold, it came to pass that the son of Nephihah was
appointed to fill the judgment-seat, in the stead of his father; yea, he was
appointed chief judge and governor over the people, with an oath and sacred
ordinance to judge righteously, and to keep the peace and the freedom of the
people, and to grant unto them their sacred privileges to worship the Lord
their God, yea, to support and maintain the cause of God all his days, and to
bring the wicked to justice according to their crime.
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40 Now behold, his name was Pahoran. And Pahoran did fill
the seat of his father, and did commence his reign in the end of the twenty
and fourth year, over the people of Nephi.
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