The Lamanites (A Book of Mormon Sketch) (26 July 1880)

After the glorious appearing of the crucified Redeemer in the Land Bountiful, and during the universal reign of righteousness that followed, the hated name of Lamanite was never heard, only as the people may have sadly referred to the iniquities of old. But in the days of Amos, a very few revolted from the Church and took upon themselves the name of Lamanites; thus there began again to be Lamanites in the land (545). Their numbers were but few and their influence was unnoticed, yet they were the precursors of unnumbered hosts who in after years followed in their wake. From their day iniquity raised its frightful head, and in a short time (A.C. 201) the unity of the Christian Church was dissevered, and false creeds, dogmas and institutions once more found place; these led to gross, inhuman idolatry, and the state of those who accepted them was worse than that of the Lamanites of old.

In the year A.C. 231, a great division occurred, and the people were again divided into two strong contending bodies, who assumed the old names of Nephites and Lamanites.1 But there was a great difference between these opposing races and those who had borne the same name in centuries past. The Nephites of this age were the true believers in Christ, whilst the new Lamanites, (whatever their pedigree) had not dwindled in unbelief, but had wilfully and knowingly rebelled against the truth, whilst their children, through the wickedness and abominations and false teachings of these fathers, dwindled in everything that was good—in knowledge, in handicraft, in civilization, and also in beauty; for now they were a white and lovely people, but soon the old skin of darkness—the fit companion of their filthy habits and the mark of God’s displeasure—came upon them (547). Nor were they alone in their iniquity, the Nephites soon followed in the same path the Gadianton robbers re-appeared, the land was full of violence, and the inspired recorder was compelled to confess (A.C. 300) that “there were none that were righteous save it were the disciples of Jesus.”

Still active hostilities did not break out for some time; but when war commenced, it scarcely ceased until that great battle near Cumorah, which brought extinction to the Nephite race. This war, or series of wars, was one of peculiar horrors. All the old savagery, ten times intensified, was rekindled, transforming the combatants into fiends. Each race seems to have striven to out-rival the other in its bloody and infernal inhumanity. Mormon, the Nephite prophet-general, in an epistle to his son Moroni, sorrowingly relates the fate of the Nephite prisoners—men women and children—taken at Sherrizah (619). He adds: “And the husbands and fathers of those women and children they (the Lamanites) have slain; and they feed the women upon the flesh of their husbands, and the children upon the flesh of their fathers; and no water save a little do they give them. And notwithstanding the abomination of the Lamanites, it doth not exceed that of our people in Moriantum. for behold many of the daughters of the Lamanites have they taken prisoners; and after depriving them of that which was most dear and precious above all things, which is chastity and virtue; and after they had done this thing they did murder them in in a most cruel manner, torturing their bodies even unto death; and after they have done this, they devour their flesh like unto wild beasts, because of the hardness of their hearts; and they do it for a token of bravery.” Such was the horrible. condition into which open, willful, determined rejection of the Gospel had brought both races.

We will not harrow up the feelings of the reader with the details of this last, long-continued agony. Suffice it to say, war broke out A.C. 322. At first the Nephites were victorious, and active hostilities were not resumed until A.C. 326. The fortune of war rested triumphantly first on one army, then on the other. The name of the Lamanite king was Aaron, whilst the youthful Mormon led the armies of Nephi. After a continuance of this most sanguinary conflict, which extended all over the land with the most variable results, a treaty was patched up (A.C. 350), by which it was agreed that the Nephites should hold all North America, and the Lamanites possess the whole Southern Continent, the Isthmus of Panama being the dividing line between the two nations. A peace of tea years followed, when the Lamanitish king invaded the Land Desolation. Year by year the horrors increased, until by mutual agreement the remnants of Nephi gathered in one vast body, met their foes at Cumorah, fought with the desperation of despair, and were overwhelmed and annihilated (A.C. 385).

The Lamanites were now rulers of the western world, their traditional enemies being utterly destroyed. But they did not cultivate peace, and no sooner were the Nephites obliterated, than they commenced fighting among themselves. The lonely Mormon (A.C. 400) tells us that “the Lamanites are at war one with another; and the face of the land is one contined round of murder and bloodshed, and no man knoweth the end of the war.” And again, yet later, he writes: “their wars are exceeding fierce among themselves.”

Such was the sad condition of the Lamanite race in the early part of the fifth century after Christ. Here the inspired record closes; henceforth we have nothing but uncertain tradition. The various contending tribes, in their thirst for blood so long gratified, sunk deeper and deeper into savage degradation; the arts of civilization were almost entirely lost to the great mass of the people. Decades and centuries rolled by, and after a time, in some parts, a better state of things slowly uprose. In Central America, Mexico, Peru, etc., the foundation of new kingdoms were laid in which were gradually built up civilizations peculiarly their own, but in many ways bearing record to the idiosyncrasies of their ancient predecessors. Of this we have here little to do; many of their traditions (though disregarded by mankind) bear unequivocal testimony to the truth of the Book of Mormon, and we have the joyous assurance that as the words of their ancient prophets, recorded therein, have been fulfilled to the letter in their humiliation, and as they have drunk to the dregs from the cup of the bitterness of the wrath of God, so is the glorious day now dawning when the light of the eternal Gospel shall illumine the hearts of their descendants, fill them with the love of God, renew their ancient steadfastness and faith, and make them the fitting instruments in His hands of accomplishing all His holy purposes with regard to them, in which also shall be fulfilled all the gracious, glorious promises made by Jehovah to this transplanted branch of the olive tree of Israel.

• 1. It is worthy of note that the Mexicans of the days of Montezuma and Cortez dated the commencement of their race and national existence from this very same year.—See Mexican Calendar Stone.