Alma 48
Amalickiah Leads the Lamanites to War
Alma 48:1–4
1 And now it came to pass that, as soon as Amalickiah had obtained the kingdom he began to inspire the hearts of the Lamanites against the people of Nephi; yea, he did appoint men to speak unto the Lamanites from their towers, against the Nephites.
2 And thus he did inspire their hearts against the Nephites, insomuch that in the latter end of the nineteenth year of the reign of the judges, he having accomplished his designs thus far, yea, having been made king over the Lamanites, he sought also to reign over all the land, yea, and all the people who were in the land, the Nephites as well as the Lamanites.
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 overpower the Nephites and to bring them into bondage.
The story of Amalickiah began when he desired to be a king among the Nephites (see Alma 46:3–4). At this point, he has become the king of the Lamanites, but he has not forgotten his previous desire, and perhaps his previous anger at having been cast out of the land of Zarahemla. Therefore, he stirs up the Lamanites to go into the land of Zarahemla to attempt to bring the land of Zarahemla under his control as well.
As with other conquests, the point of the conquest wasn’t to gain territory and impose their government on the land, but rather to bring the Nephites into bondage. In Mesoamerica, this was a tribute relationship, where the conquering nation would allow the conquered city to retain its government and way of life, but also required tribute on an annual basis.
Alma 48:5–6
5 And thus he did appoint chief 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.
Amalickiah places Zoramites in important positions. They were a people most recently part of the Nephite lands, and therefore would have had the best and most recent information about Nephite strengths and weaknesses. Of course, one of the weaknesses would be in the southeastern section where the Zoramites had once been central to the defense of Nephite lands from that entry point.
Having done so, the army moves. At this point, Mormon halts his story of the Lamanite actions and returns to a focus on Chief Captain Moroni. To do so, Mormon moves back slightly in time to show what Moroni had been doing during the time that Amalickiah had been consolidating power among the Lamanites.
Moroni Strengthens Nephite Defenses
Alma 48:7–10
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 preparing 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 forts, or places of resort; throwing up banks of earth round about to enclose his armies, and also building walls of stone to encircle them about, round about their cities and the borders of their lands; yea, all round about the land.
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 support 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 Christians.
Chief Captain Moroni understood that when Amalickiah escaped capture, he would both go to the Lamanites, and he would likely stir them up to invade. Moroni could not have anticipated how dramatically Amalickiah would rise in power and ability to direct the Lamanite armies, but Moroni still thought it prudent to defend the land with more than just men. In addition to strengthening the armies, Moroni erected “small forts, or places of resort.”
The idea of the small fort was that it was a defensible position that served only a military purpose. These were not walled cities, but military outposts. When the text says that he “[threw] up banks of earth round about,” this was a typical means of simple fortification. A pit was dug around the area to be protected, and the dirt removed from the pit was built up on the interior side of the trench.
It is interesting that Mormon also mentions stone walls. While some locations would have had them, some might have had the more typical wooden walls erected on the top of the mounded dirt. Both types of fortifications are known archaeologically in Mesoamerica, though most of them are attested in later times.
Alma 48:11–13
11 And Moroni was a strong and a mighty man; he was a man of a perfect understanding; 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 welfare and safety of his people.
13 Yea, and he was a man who was firm in the faith of Christ, and he had sworn with an oath to defend his people, his rights, and his country, and his religion, even to the loss of his blood.
In the comments on Alma 43:26–28, it was suggested that Mormon was more interested in the people involved in the wars than in the wars themselves. In these three verses we see the nature of Mormon’s interest in, and admiration for, Chief Captain Moroni. These three verses are not part of the story, they are simply Mormon’s expression of admiration for Moroni’s character. Doubtless, when Mormon named his own son after Chief Captain Moroni, he was hoping that these qualities would also manifest in his son, Moroni.
Alma 48:14–16
14 Now the Nephites were taught to defend themselves against their enemies, even to the shedding of blood if it were necessary; yea, and they were also taught never to give an offense, yea, and never to raise the sword except it were against an enemy, except it were to preserve their lives.
15 And this was their faith, that by so doing God would prosper 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 whither 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 shedding of blood but in doing good, in preserving his people, yea, in keeping the commandments of God, yea, and resisting iniquity.
In Alma 43:46–47, Mormon gave the Lord’s commandment on military matters for the Nephites: “And they were doing that which they felt was the duty which they owed to their God; for the Lord had said unto them, and also unto their fathers, that: Inasmuch as ye are not guilty of the first offense, neither the second, ye shall not suffer yourselves to be slain by the hands of your enemies. And again, the Lord has said that: Ye shall defend your families even unto bloodshed. Therefore for this cause were the Nephites contending with the Lamanites, to defend themselves, and their families, and their lands, their country, and their rights, and their religion.”
These verses place that commandment in the context of their defensive preparations. Since they were not to “give an offense,” they needed to be prepared for a strong defense against any who might come against them. As the label for “enemy,” the Lamanites were typically the enemy they had to defend against. That will continue through the end of the Book of Mormon, but we will see the Gadiantons arise as a different enemy, and one that foretold the eventual Nephite destruction.
Verse 16 ties the defensive warfare into the covenant of the land, where the Nephites would be protected upon their righteousness. Thus, verse 16 notes that the Nephites should keep the commandments of God. It is important for modern readers to understand that while the covenant of protection was certain, it was not one that meant that the Nephites did not have to act on their own behalf. They needed to act as though they were on their own, but trusting that, with Yahweh’s assistance, their efforts would be sufficient.
Alma 48:17–18
17 Yea, verily, verily I say unto you, if all men had been, and were, and ever would be, like unto Moroni, behold, the very powers of hell would have been shaken forever; yea, the devil would never have power over the hearts of the children of men.
18 Behold, he was a man like unto Ammon, 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.
Mormon had extolled Chief Captain Moroni’s virtues in verses 12–13, then continued with the story of the defenses. However, that story included the Yahweh’s covenant, and that led Mormon to return to his admiration of Moroni as a man of firm faith. There are perhaps few better goals than to have it said of any of us that: “if all men had been, and were, and ever would be, like unto Moroni, behold, the very powers of hell would have been shaken forever; yea, the devil would never have power over the hearts of the children of men.” That is praise that Mormon reserved for Captain Moroni. Even with the importance of Alma1 and Alma2 to Nephite society, even with all of their faith, Mormon never said anything of the like about either of them.
He does use Alma2 and the sons of Mosiah2 as similar models of righteous men. He knows that Chief Captain Moroni was not the only righteous Nephite, but Mormon’s personal admiration for Moroni is obvious. Perhaps some of that admiration was due to his empathy of a man of God being caught up in the ungodlike business of war.
Alma 48:19–21
19 Now behold, Helaman and his brethren were no less serviceable 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.
20 And thus they went forth, and the people did humble themselves because of their words, insomuch that they were highly favored of the Lord, and thus they were free from wars and contentions among themselves, yea, even for the space of four years.
21 But, as I have said, in the latter end of the nineteenth year, yea, notwithstanding their peace amongst themselves, they were compelled reluctantly to contend with their brethren, the Lamanites.
Having mentioned the faithfulness of Chief Captain Moroni, and then Alma2 and the sons of Mosiah2, Mormon picks up on the theme of the spread of the Nephite religion. He had spoken of Helaman1’s efforts in Alma 46:38. At that time, Mormon had indicated that they had arranged the affairs of the church and that their work would last for four years. At this time, it is less than a year after that statement. Thus, the four years mentioned in verse 20 are the very same four years Mormon indicated in Alma 46:38. Just as Alma 46:37 noted that they only had peace until “nearly the end of the nineteenth year of the reign of the judges,” so in verse 21 does Mormon repeat that by the end of the nineteenth year they “were compelled reluctantly to contend with their brethren, the Lamanites.”
It would appear that Mormon has gotten back on track of his intended story, which is the war with the Lamanites that begins in the ending of the nineteenth year, and which begins officially in the beginning of our chapter 49, although there is no intervening chapter break in the 1830 edition.
Alma 48:22–25
22 Yea, and in fine, their wars never did cease for the space of many years with the Lamanites, notwithstanding their much reluctance.
23 Now, they were sorry 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 sorry to be the means of sending so many of their brethren out of this world into an eternal world, unprepared to meet their God.
24 Nevertheless, they could not suffer to lay down their lives, that their wives and their children should be massacred by the barbarous cruelty of those who were once their brethren, yea, and had dissented 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 prosper in the land.
Even though Mormon has repeated text that suggests that he is ready to reenter his planned text, he does not move to do so immediately. As a writer, he is still thinking about the last information that he inserted into the story, that of the relationship of the Nephites towards the Lamanites. These verses finish his ideas, noting that even though there was often warfare, “they were sorry to take up arms against the Lamanites, because they did not delight in the shedding of blood.”
Perhaps one of the reasons that Mormon notes this of the people under Chief Captain Moroni’s charge was the stark contrast to the people Mormon had to lead, a people who had become as bloodthirsty as the Lamanites. In these verses, at least, Mormon can show what the Nephites should have been like, even though those he knew no longer had those qualities.
