Alma 53
Alma 53:1–3
1 And it came to pass that they did set guards over the prisoners of the Lamanites, and did compel them to go forth and bury their dead, yea, and also the dead of the Nephites who were slain; and Moroni placed men over them to guard them while they should perform their labors.
2 And Moroni went to the city of Mulek with Lehi, and took command of the city and gave it unto Lehi. Now behold, this Lehi was a man who had been with Moroni in the more part of all his battles; and he was a man like unto Moroni, and they rejoiced in each other’s safety; yea, they were beloved by each other, and also beloved by all the people of Nephi.
3 And it came to pass that after the Lamanites had finished burying their dead and also the dead of the Nephites, they were marched back into the land Bountiful; and Teancum, by the orders of Moroni, caused that they should commence laboring in digging a ditch round about the land, or the city, Bountiful.
At the end of the previous chapter in our modern edition, we learned that many prisoners were taken. There was no chapter break in the 1830 edition, so these verses discussing what was done with those prisoners were part of the original story.
Rather than lock the prisoners away, they were organized into forced labor. The first requirement was to bury the dead. In a previous engagement, the Nephites had thrown the Lamanite bodies in the river. Since the Lamanites were the ones doing the burying, they were allowed to provide the same burial for both their dead and those of the Nephites.
There was no indication that any kind of oath was taken of these prisoners, and it was therefore prudent to have Nephites standing guard over them. Verse 3 picks up on the labors of the prisoners, which will continue in the next verses. That makes verse 2 feel like an interruption in the story. Rather than an interruption, however, it is a conclusion. Verse 2 finishes the story of what Chief Captain Moroni did, which was to install Lehi2 in Mulek. As a seasoned leader, Lehi2 significantly improved the defensibility of Mulek.
Alma 53:4–5
4 And he caused that they should build a breastwork of timbers upon the inner bank of the ditch; and they cast up dirt out of the ditch against the breastwork of timbers; and thus they did cause the Lamanites to labor until they had encircled the city of Bountiful round about with a strong wall of timbers and earth, to an exceeding height.
5 And this city became an exceeding stronghold ever after; and in this city they did guard the prisoners of the Lamanites; yea, even within a wall which they had caused them to build with their own hands. Now Moroni was compelled to cause the Lamanites to labor, because it was easy to guard them while at their labor; and he desired all his forces when he should make an attack upon the Lamanites.
The prisoners continued with their forced labor, and part of those labors was to reinforce the city of Bountiful. The Lamanites had nearly reached the city, and it was an important defense against any enemies that might come from the north. Although we have not yet heard of any specifically, Moroni nevertheless wanted that critical point strengthened, and used captive Lamanites to do the work.
Eventually, these prisoners are housed in Bountiful, and Moroni’s armies were freed to cover other locations.
Alma 53:6–7
6 And it came to pass that Moroni had thus gained a victory over one of the greatest of the armies of the Lamanites, and had obtained possession of the city of Mulek, which was one of the strongest holds of the Lamanites in the land of Nephi; and thus he had also built a stronghold to retain his prisoners.
7 And it came to pass that he did no more attempt a battle with the Lamanites in that year, but he did employ his men in preparing for war, yea, and in making fortifications to guard against the Lamanites, yea, and also delivering their women and their children from famine and affliction, and providing food for their armies.
This campaign ends with a victory in Mulek, and then, rather than continue the conflict, Moroni concentrates on defensive positions, and the very important task of making sure that there was food available. One the typical problems of war, depending upon the season, was that it could easily lead to famine if the fields were trodden down, or if there were insufficient men available for either planting or harvest. In this case, it appears that this may have been earlier in the year and therefore planting season.
Two Thousand Sons of the Anti-Nephi-Lehies Join the War
Alma 53:8–9
8 And now it came to pass that the armies of the Lamanites, on the west sea, south, while in the absence of Moroni on account of some intrigue amongst the Nephites, which caused dissensions amongst them, had gained some ground over the Nephites, yea, insomuch that they had obtained possession of a number of their cities in that part of the land.
9 And thus because of iniquity amongst themselves, yea, because of dissensions and intrigue among themselves they were placed in the most dangerous circumstances.
The text is not particularly clear about the nature of the dissensions, but since it says that there was “some intrigue amongst the Nephites,” we may assume that it is internal Nephite issues that weakened some of their defenses. Thus, while Moroni has been in the east coast shoring up some defenses there, the Lamanites had been able to expand their hold “on the west sea, south.”
Alma 53:10–12
10 And now behold, I have somewhat to say concerning the people of Ammon, who, in the beginning, were Lamanites; but by Ammon and his brethren, or rather by the power and word of God, they had been converted unto the Lord; and they had been brought down into the land of Zarahemla, and had ever since been protected by the Nephites.
11 And because of their oath they had been kept from taking up arms against their brethren; for they had taken an oath that they never would shed blood more; and according to their oath they would have perished; yea, they would have suffered themselves to have fallen into the hands of their brethren, had it not been for the pity and the exceeding love which Ammon and his brethren had had for them.
12 And for this cause they were brought down into the land of Zarahemla; and they ever had been protected by the Nephites.
There is another event that occurs in this year, but it was unrelated to specific military actions. Therefore, Mormon introduces this new story, with a rather abrupt transition from a new threat near the west sea, south, about the people of Ammon. It has been a while since Mormon has mentioned them, and so he recapitulates enough of their story that his readers will know for certain the essential details that lay behind it.
The Ammonites were known as the Anti-Nephi-Lehies when they lived in Lamanites lands, and they immigrated to Nephite lands and were originally given Jershon as a land for their inheritance. These were the people who had taken an oath not to take up arms. This story will develop the effect that oath had upon the Nephites.
The first important part of the story was that the Nephites knew and accepted the oath they had taken, and therefore the Nephites protected them (see Alma 27:24). The defection of the Zoramites in Antionum opened a direct threat against the Ammonites, so they had to be moved to Melek (see Alma 35:13).
Alma 53:13–15
13 But it came to pass that when they saw the danger, and the many afflictions and tribulations which the Nephites bore for them, they were moved with compassion and were desirous to take up arms in the defence of their country.
14 But behold, as they were about to take their weapons of war, they were overpowered by the persuasions of Helaman and his brethren, for they were about to break the oath which they had made.
15 And Helaman feared lest by so doing they should lose their souls; therefore all those who had entered into this covenant were compelled to behold their brethren wade through their afflictions, in their dangerous circumstances at this time.
Even though Moroni had recaptured Mulek, there were still Lamanites entrenched in former Nephite lands on the eastern border of the Nephite lands. The situation was worsening on the western front. The people of Ammon could not help but understand the situation and the need of the Nephites to recruit all available men to be in the army. They clearly understood that the Nephites had taken them in and protected them, and therefore felt that they owed the Nephite nation what support they could give. They had already declared that they would support them with food, but it appeared that more was going to be needed.
They were “about to take their weapons of war.” However, Helaman1 and his brethren learned of their intentions and worked hard to dissuade them. The reason was that they had taken an oath. While the Nephites could use their military expertise, Helaman1 was afraid “lest by so doing they should lose their souls.” The covenant was taken that seriously. Helaman1 felt it so strongly that he would not risk the souls of those who had once been Lamanites and therefore enemies, even given the great military need. Such was the power of covenants.
Alma 53:16–18
16 But behold, it came to pass they had many sons, who had not entered into a covenant that they would not take their weapons of war to defend themselves against their enemies; therefore they did assemble themselves together at this time, as many as were able to take up arms, and they called themselves Nephites.
17 And they entered into a covenant to fight for the liberty of the Nephites, yea, to protect the land unto the laying down of their lives; yea, even they covenanted that they never would give up their liberty, but they would fight in all cases to protect the Nephites and themselves from bondage.
18 Now behold, there were two thousand of those young men, who entered into this covenant and took their weapons of war to defend their country.
Even though it is easy to see why some readers might suggest that the Anti-Nephi-Lehies, now known as Ammonites, were pacifists, that reading is clearly incorrect. What they were is absolutely faithful to their covenants, even when their particular covenant was different from the Nephites around them, and when it might have led to problems for the Nephites. Their desire was not to avoid fighting, but to fulfill their covenant to lay down arms. The purposes were very different.
Those differences are made clear when they suggest that they have sons who had been too young to have made the covenant. Without having made the covenant, they were not bound by it, and they were able to fight. Checking through the timetables from the time of their covenant to these sons making their own covenant to fight, these young men might have been twelve to fourteen years of age.
Alma 53:19–23
19 And now behold, as they never had hitherto been a disadvantage to the Nephites, they became now at this period of time also a great support; for they took their weapons of war, and they would that Helaman should be their leader.
20 And they were all young men, and they were exceedingly valiant for courage, and also for strength and activity; but behold, this was not all—they were men who were true at all times in whatsoever thing they were entrusted.
21 Yea, they were men of truth and soberness, for they had been taught to keep the commandments of God and to walk uprightly before him.
22 And now it came to pass that Helaman did march at the head of his two thousand stripling soldiers, to the support of the people in the borders of the land on the south by the west sea.
23 And thus ended the twenty and eighth year of the reign of the judges over the people of Nephi.
Helaman1 is selected as the leader of this force of young men. Mormon will tell more about these young men later, but at this time the point is to demonstrate the importance of covenants. The first covenant was for the parents who had covenanted not to pick up arms, and how even though they desired to help, Helaman1 would not allow them to break the covenant. Nevertheless, they were sufficiently desirous to help that they found a way, and their sons made a new covenant to fight in their stead. Mormon’s moral for this part of the story is that these young men “were men who were true at all times in whatsoever thing they were entrusted.” Given what those young men learned from their parent’s examples of the importance of keeping covenants, it is not very surprising that they should feel the same way about the covenant that they had made.
The chronology of these verses is somewhat confusing. In the last verse, Mormon tells us that it is the end of the twenty-eighth year. This original chapter began in the twenty-sixth year (Alma 52:1, where our current chapters 52 and 53 were originally the same chapter). Thus, this chapter told the events from the twenty-sixth year to the ending of the twenty-eight. This is important because we will learn that Helaman1 marched out with his stripling soldiers in the twenty-sixth year. See Alma 56:9.
This ends a chapter in the 1830 edition.
