When
the Nephites were fighting the Lamenites and they would not kill anyone who
promised not to hurt them anymore, why did they believe them? Enough to send
them to live with the people of Ammon who were basically defenseless. And did
they send them to live there out of racism, or separatism? Or was it, as
someone once theorized, because of their righteousness they were the best
missionaries? Did they let them go home and get their families first? Or was
sent them to live with the Ammonites really code for some kind of prison there?
It
is interesting that the Lamenites didn’t have guards around the whole wall if
it was climbable. I am sure there are lessons here about making sure all parts
of our lives our guarded, but I also feel like there is a lesson about doing
your own work. The Lamenite army had not designed and built the fortifications,
and all that back work and planning and effort is what made them more useful to
the Nephites. I feel like they would have known to guard the wall. There is strength
in struggle and work that is difficult to replicate. Can it be replicated? Do I
need to allow my own children to struggle more? Not dangerously, but work
things out themselves for greater understanding. It is probably like
testimonies, also. Relying for a time on others does offer some protection, but
nothing like the deep understanding and strength that comes from your own
effort and confirmation.
Here
again, the Lamenites that said they wanted to be free were allowed to join the
people of Ammon. The Nephites definitely tempered their politics and fear with
compassion and human dignity. All the prisoners chose to go work hard and be
reformed. Would more people choose that given that opportunity now? I wonder
about the practicalities. How did they get land? Where did the live when they
first got to the city of Ammon. Did the people there take them into their homes
and give up their land? How did they eat, and get the implements to start
farming? Just being sent there wouldn’t have been enough, there must have been
some kind of life restarting help?
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