It would have been fun to live in a time when women gathered
together to dance and sing. Why don’t we do that now?
I think that the person writing this was generous to include
that the priests of Noah were ashamed to return to the city. They were afraid, but
they were also ashamed. Because everyone is human, and everyone has those points
of choice, where they can see what they have done is bad and decide to repent or
to run further away from what is right. Obviously they didn’t repent, but I appreciate
knowing they had that moment. I wonder how long they had watched the girls, which
they shouldn’t have been, before they couldn’t withstand the temptation.
And verse 6 is a classic example about assumptions. The Lamenites
just assumed it was the people of Limhi, I’m sure that made perfect sense to them.
And then reacted without finding out the truth. It’s so easy to do, especially when
it feels like righteous indignation, which this certainly was. But things never
really are that simple.
I think it is also important here that it wasn’t a bad decision
for King Limhi to prepare for war, to employ strategy to win, and to fight like
lions. It is okay to defend ourselves and our families and our people. It’s not
always the wrong choice. And even so, in the midst of the battle, you can see Gideon’s
understanding of the sanctity of life. He didn’t want to continue fighting and shedding
so much blood, he said it was better to live in bondage. Which is interesting especially
since they were in a position of some power over the situation, having won the recent
battle and holding the king of the Lamenites hostage.
I love that the Lamenites had compassion n the people of Limhi
and returned without fighting. Because even these villains of the Book of Mormon
were just people. People are just people.
