Amalickiah Seeks for Total Power

Just as soon as Amalickiah had obtained the kingdom, he began to inspire the Lamanites to hate the Nephites. He appointed men to speak from their towers against the Nephites.

By the end of 73 BC, having accomplished his plans so far, Amalickiah sought to reign over all the people, Nephite and Lamanite.

After blinding their minds and making them angry, he gathered a numerous host of Lamanites to battle against the Nephites. Amalickiah was determined (knowing how numerous his people were) to overpower the Nephites and bring them into bondage.

He appointed Zoramites as chief captains, for they were the most acquainted with the Nephite strongholds and the weakest parts of their cities. The chief captains led the Lamanite armies into the wilderness toward the land of Zarahemla.

While Amalickiah had been obtaining power by fraud and deceit, Moroni had been preparing his people to be faithful to the Lord their God. He had also been strengthening the Nephite armies by ordering them to build small forts, to pile up banks of dirt around them to enclose his armies, and to build stone walls around their cities and the borders of all their lands.

Moroni placed the greatest number of men in the cities with the weakest fortifications. He was preparing to support their liberty, lands, wives, children, and peace, so they might live to serve the Lord their God and maintain what their enemies called, “the Christians’ cause.”

Moroni was strong and mighty. He had a perfect understanding and did not delight in bloodshed. His soul rejoiced in the liberty and freedom of his country. His heart swelled with thanksgiving to his God for the many privileges and blessings that He had bestowed upon his people, and he worked hard for their welfare and safety. He was firm in the faith of Christ, and he had sworn an oath to defend his people, their rights, country, and religion, even to the loss of his own blood.

The Nephites were taught to defend themselves against their enemies, shedding blood if necessary. They were also taught never to begin an offense, and only to raise the sword against an aggressor in defense of their lives. They believed that if they were faithful in keeping God’s commandments, He would prosper them in the land and warn them to run or to prepare for war according to their danger.

They also believed that God would tell them where to go to defend themselves against their enemies, and that by doing so, He would deliver them. This was Moroni’s belief. His heart did not glory in the victories of warfare, but rather in doing good, in preserving his people, in keeping God’s commandments, and in resisting sinfulness.

If all men had been, or would be, like Moroni, the very powers of hell would have been shaken forever, and the devil would have never had power over anyone’s heart. Moroni was like Ammon, and also like Mosiah’s other sons. He was also like Alma and his sons, for they were all men of God.

Helaman and his brethren’s service to the Nephites was just as important as Moroni’s service, for they preached God’s word and baptized unto repentance all those who would listen to the gospel. Because of their words, the people humbled themselves. They were highly favored of the Lord and were free from internal wars and contentions for four years. But as I said, toward the end of 73 BC, in spite of their peace among themselves, they were reluctantly compelled to fight their brethren, the Lamanites.

Even though they were very reluctant to fight, their wars with the Lamanites lasted for many years. They were sorry to take up arms because they did not delight in war. They were sorry to be the means of sending so many of their brethren out of this world to an eternal world, unprepared to meet their God.

But they could not lay down their own lives and allow their wives and children to be massacred by the barbaric cruelty of those who had once been their brethren but who had left their church. They could not allow the Lamanites to rejoice in killing them as long as any of them kept God’s commandments, for the Lord’s promise was that if they kept His commandments, they would prosper in the land.