Four quick observations on today’s reading in Alma 53:
1.
The people of Ammon had already shown how seriously they took their oath not to fight, and probably how seriously oaths were taken in their culture (compare 1 Nephi 4:37), by their willingness to die rather than to break it. In this chapter, the Nephites too demonstrate their seriousness about the oath; they choose to forego help that would have been militarily very useful to their defense against Lamanite aggression rather than permit the people of Ammon to go back on their word. But this isn’t a commitment to pacifism; the Nephites themselves are willing to fight, and they’re willing to accept military assistance from the sons of the covenanting Ammonites because those sons had not been of age to take the oath.
2.
The defensive walls constructed by the Nephites are very simple affairs. They’re nothing like the wall painted by Arnold Friberg, shown above.
3.
Once again, it’s internal dissension that weakens the Nephites and makes them vulnerable to Lamanite attacks. This is often the case. And it’s the case with us individually, too. If we’re internally divided, halfway committed to keeping the commandments and our covenants but also halfway tempted to abandon them, the chances of spiritual disaster are much increased. “If a kingdom be divided against itself,” says the Savior in Mark 3:24, “that kingdom cannot stand.” And, adds James 1:8, “A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.”
4.
The choice, by the young Ammonites, of Helaman as their leader — a prophet and record-keeper rather than a professional military man — speaks eloquently of their spiritual orientation, their idealism, and their faith.
Posted from Newport Beach, California
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In