Alma 54
Ammoron and Moroni Exchange Letters
Alma 54:1–3
1 And now it came to pass in the commencement of the twenty and ninth year of the judges, that Ammoron sent unto Moroni desiring that he would exchange prisoners.
2 And it came to pass that Moroni felt to rejoice exceedingly at this request, for he desired the provisions which were imparted for the support of the Lamanite prisoners for the support of his own people; and he also desired his own people for the strengthening of his army.
3 Now the Lamanites had taken many women and children, and there was not a woman nor a child among all the prisoners of Moroni, or the prisoners whom Moroni had taken; therefore Moroni resolved upon a stratagem to obtain as many prisoners of the Nephites from the Lamanites as it were possible.
This is a new chapter in the 1830 edition, as it begins with a new year and a complete change of topic from the story of the stripling soldiers that ended our chapter 53. Early in chapter 53, Mormon had spoken of the Lamanite prisoners. Mormon returns to the issue of prisoners, but now to the question of Nephite prisoners, who the Lamanites were holding.
Mormon gives us an important insight into the nature of this particular war. The Lamanites had invaded Nephite lands, bringing their armies, which were all male. Although it would not be unusual for some women to accompany the armies, the women would not be among those fighting, and therefore it would be rare that a Lamanite prisoner were a woman. Thus, verse 3 confirms that “there was not a woman nor a child among all the prisoners of Moroni.”
The Lamanites, however, had invaded cities, and therefore had taken Nephites in their homes. They certainly had many women and children as prisoners (again as noted in verse 3). This disparity in the types of prisoners also suggests the reason that Ammoron desired a prisoner exchange. With the women and children, Ammoron had mouths to feed that were not available for forced labor. If he could exchange women and children for soldiers, he would be much further ahead.
On Moroni’s side of the equation, these were Nephite women and children, and therefore much more valuable to the Nephites than to the Lamanites. Mormon wanted to free as many as possible.
Moroni’s Letter to Ammoron
Alma 54:4–8
4 Therefore he wrote an epistle, and sent it by the servant of Ammoron, the same who had brought an epistle to Moroni. Now these are the words which he wrote unto Ammoron, saying:
5 Behold, Ammoron, I have written unto you somewhat concerning this war which ye have waged against my people, or rather which thy brother hath waged against them, and which ye are still determined to carry on after his death.
6 Behold, I would tell you somewhat concerning the justice of God, and the sword of his almighty wrath, which doth hang over you except ye repent and withdraw your armies into your own lands, or the land of your possessions, which is the land of Nephi.
7 Yea, I would tell you these things if ye were capable of hearkening unto them; yea, I would tell you concerning that awful hell that awaits to receive such murderers as thou and thy brother have been, except ye repent and withdraw your murderous purposes, and return with your armies to your own lands.
8 But as ye have once rejected these things, and have fought against the people of the Lord, even so I may expect you will do it again.
The exchange of letters requires that there be some at the higher levels of both armies who could read and write. It also preserves the ability of the leaders to exchange information without fearing treachery upon their persons. Since the messengers were not politically important, there was less reason to break the truce required to exchange such messages.
Mormon begins by noting that Yahweh is on his side, and that Yahweh will see them destroyed unless they leave. They would not only be temporally destroyed, but eternally destroyed and consigned to hell.
In spite of that opening statement, Mormon moves to the more likely scenario, noting that “as ye have once rejected these things, and have fought against the people of the Lord, even so I may expect you will do it again.” Mormon remembers that Ammoron is an apostate Nephite who had joined with the Lamanites.
Alma 54:9–11
9 And now behold, we are prepared to receive you; yea, and except you withdraw your purposes, behold, ye will pull down the wrath of that God whom you have rejected upon you, even to your utter destruction.
10 But, as the Lord liveth, our armies shall come upon you except ye withdraw, and ye shall soon be visited with death, for we will retain our cities and our lands; yea, and we will maintain our religion and the cause of our God.
11 But behold, it supposeth me that I talk to you concerning these things in vain; or it supposeth me that thou art a child of hell; therefore I will close my epistle by telling you that I will not exchange prisoners, save it be on conditions that ye will deliver up a man and his wife and his children, for one prisoner; if this be the case that ye will do it, I will exchange.
Moroni’s acquiescence to the reality that Ammoron won’t fear God didn’t mean that he wouldn’t pursue Ammoron with full force. However, the subject finally moves to the prisoner exchange. Moroni is well aware that in a purely military exchange, delivering one Lamanite warrior for a single Nephite woman or child is not considered a fair exchange. Therefore, Moroni counteroffers one Lamanite warrior for a Nephite family.
Alma 54:12–14
12 And behold, if ye do not this, I will come against you with my armies; yea, even I will arm my women and my children, and I will come against you, and I will follow you even into your own land, which is the land of our first inheritance; yea, and it shall be blood for blood, yea, life for life; and I will give you battle even until you are destroyed from off the face of the earth.
13 Behold, I am in my anger, and also my people; ye have sought to murder us, and we have only sought to defend ourselves. But behold, if ye seek to destroy us more we will seek to destroy you; yea, and we will seek our land, the land of our first inheritance.
14 Now I close my epistle. I am Moroni; I am a leader of the people of the Nephites.
Moroni concludes his letter by indicating that this is a firm offer, and if Ammoron does not accept it, then Moroni would take military action: “it shall be blood for blood, yea, life for life.” If Ammoron wants a one-for-one exchange, it could happen, but not in the way he had hoped.
Ammoron’s Reply to Moroni
Alma 54:15–18
15 Now it came to pass that Ammoron, when he had received this epistle, was angry; and he wrote another epistle unto Moroni, and these are the words which he wrote, saying:
16 I am Ammoron, the king of the Lamanites; I am the brother of Amalickiah whom ye have murdered. Behold, I will avenge his blood upon you, yea, and I will come upon you with my armies for I fear not your threatenings.
17 For behold, your fathers did wrong their brethren, insomuch that they did rob them of their right to the government when it rightly belonged unto them.
18 And now behold, if ye will lay down your arms, and subject yourselves to be governed by those to whom the government doth rightly belong, then will I cause that my people shall lay down their weapons and shall be at war no more.
Ancient diplomacy was often more bluster than gentleness, and that is clear in this exchange of letters. Moroni had threatened the Lamanites, and Ammoron threatens back. In Ammoron’s case, he brings up personal grudges (the death of Amalickiah, his brother) and adopted ones (the Nephites had usurped power from Laman).
Ammoron declares that his army is sufficiently powerful that Moroni’s best option would be to lay down arms and surrender. Both men understand that this is all bluster, and neither will cease hostilities so easily.
Alma 54:19–20
19 Behold, ye have breathed out many threatenings against me and my people; but behold, we fear not your threatenings.
20 Nevertheless, I will grant to exchange prisoners according to your request, gladly, that I may preserve my food for my men of war; and we will wage a war which shall be eternal, either to the subjecting the Nephites to our authority or to their eternal extinction.
Even though both letters are filled with threats, the actual purpose of the letters is accomplished rather easily. For Ammoron, the issue really is that he needs to “preserve my food for my men of war.” He is far from his homeland and the supply lines are long. While he has captured cities, he has less access to the fields where the food is growing. Thus, feeding people who he doesn’t care about removes food from those he needs in order to continue the war.
Both men get just what they wanted, although they had to posture anyway.
Alma 54:21–24
21 And as concerning that God whom ye say we have rejected, behold, we know not such a being; neither do ye; but if it so be that there is such a being, we know not but that he hath made us as well as you.
22 And if it so be that there is a devil and a hell, behold will he not send you there to dwell with my brother whom ye have murdered, whom ye have hinted that he hath gone to such a place? But behold these things matter not.
23 I am Ammoron, and a descendant of Zoram, whom your fathers pressed and brought out of Jerusalem.
24 And behold now, I am a bold Lamanite; behold, this war hath been waged to avenge their wrongs, and to maintain and to obtain their rights to the government; and I close my epistle to Moroni.
Ammoron rejected the Nephite religion while he and his brother were still in the land of Zarahemla and were Nephites by name. Therefore, he easily rejects the Nephite God again. When Ammoron declares that he is a “bold Lamanite,” he is underscoring his shift in belief and allegiance away from the Nephite religion and government, and completely accepting the beliefs and government of the Lamanites. The original manuscript has the word now in a different position. In the original, this sentence read: “I am now a bold Lamanite.” That change in the position of now emphasizes the change from Nephite to Lamanite.
There is no chapter break at this point in the 1830 edition.
