Former Nephites Stir Up the Lamanites

Then the unconverted Amalekites, Amulonites, and Lamanites in the surrounding lands were stirred up by the wicked Amalekites and Amulonites to be angry with their brethren. Their hatred grew, and they began to rebel against their king (Lamoni’s father), and they did not want him to be their king any longer. Then they took up arms against the Anti-Nephi-Lehies. During this time, the king conferred the kingdom upon his son (Lamoni’s brother) and gave him a new name—Anti-Nephi-Lehi. Then the king died in the same year the Lamanites were preparing for war against God’s people.

When Ammon, his brothers, and those who had come up with him realized that the unconverted Lamanites were preparing for war, they all met at Midian. From there they went to Ishmael to hold a council with Lamoni and his brother, Anti-Nephi-Lehi, to discuss what they should do to defend themselves against the Lamanites. None of the Lamanites who had been converted to the Lord would take up arms against their brethren. They would not even make any preparations for war. Their king, Anti-Nephi-Lehi, also commanded them not to take up arms. He said to his people, “I thank my God, my beloved people, that our great God has in His goodness sent our brethren, the Nephites, to preach to us—to convince us of the wickedness of our forefathers’ traditions. I thank my great God that He has given us a portion of His Spirit to soften our hearts, and that we have opened a correspondence with these brethren, the Nephites. And by this correspondence, we have been convinced of our sins and of the many murders we have committed. I also thank my God, my great God, for giving us the chance to repent of these things, for He has forgiven us of our many sins and murders that we have committed, and He has taken away the guilt from our hearts through the merits of His Son. And in our lost condition, it was all we could do to repent of our sins and murders that we had committed so that God would take the guilt away from our hearts, and also take away our stains. My best beloved brethren, since God has taken away our stains, and our swords have become bright, let us not stain them again with the blood of our brethren. For perhaps if we stained our swords again, they could not be washed bright through the blood of the Son of our great God, which will be shed to atone for our sins.

“The great God has had mercy on us, and has made these things known to us so that we would not perish. He has given us a knowledge of His Son before He comes, for He loves our souls as well as the souls of our future children. This is why, in His mercy, He visits us by His angels, who teach us the plan of salvation, which is to be known by us as well as by our future generations. Oh, how merciful is our God! Since we have done all we can do to have our stains removed, and our swords have been made bright, let us hide them away, that they may be kept bright. Then on the last day, when we are brought before God to be judged, our bright swords will be a testimony that we did not stain them with the blood of our brethren after He gave us His word, which word enabled us to repent. And now, even if our brethren seek to kill us, we will now bury our swords deep in the earth, that they may be kept bright as a testimony at the last day that we never used them. And if our brethren do kill us, we will go to our God and be saved.”

After the king said this, the people buried all their swords and weapons deep in the earth. This was their testimony to God, and also to men, that they would never use their weapons again. They covenanted with God that rather than kill their brethren they would give up their own lives—that rather than take from a brother they would give to him—that rather than waste their time in idleness they would work productively with their own hands.

From this we see that when these Lamanites were brought to believe and know the truth, they were firm, and would rather die than commit sin, for they buried their weapons of war to have peace.

Then the wicked Lamanites came to the land of Nephi to kill the king and replace him with another, and to kill the people of Anti-Nephi-Lehi. When the converted Lamanites saw them coming, they went out to meet them, bowed to the earth before them, and called on the name of the Lord. They continued to do this as the Lamanites began to fall upon them and kill them with their swords. Without meeting any resistance, the Lamanites killed 1,005 of them, and we know they have gone to live with their God and are blessed.

Soon the Lamanites realized that their brethren would not run from the sword, nor resist, but would rather lie down and die, praising God while being killed. Many stopped their killing and repented of what they had done, for their hearts had swollen for those who had fallen. Many Lamanites threw down their weapons and would not take them up again. They became like their brethren, relying upon the mercies of those who then raised their arms to kill them.

More Lamanites joined the people of God that day than the number of those who were killed. Not one of the 1,005 who were killed was a wicked man, and more than that were brought to the knowledge of the truth. From this we learn that the Lord works in many ways to save the souls of His people. Most of the Lamanites who killed their brethren were Amalekites and Amulonites, after the order of Nehor. And not one Amalekite or Amulonite joined the people of God. Only those who were descendants of Laman and Lemuel joined. From this we can plainly discern that when people fall away into sin after having been enlightened by the Spirit of God, they become more hardened, and their spiritual condition becomes worse than if they had never been enlightened.