Pacumeni
takes over the judgement seat in really tragic circumstances. One of his
brother’s had been executed as a traitor by the other, who was then murdered. I
wonder if they had been close before the lust for power lead to all this fighting
and death? It is tragic that having a righteous father didn’t lead to a better
outcome for that family. They had their agency, I suppose. And I am sure, as
now, that being the government leader required sacrifices from his family. That
is always something that is hard to choose.
Coriantumr
was able to take Zarahemla for two reasons that seem important in our life
battles. One the Nephites had been distracted by pride which led to fighting
and contention, and so were not being vigilant in protecting themselves. I can
see that contention does lead to being unable to hear the Spirit and too
distracted to do those things that will protect a home or a soul. The second
was that they had a false sense of security; that the Lamenites would never
come to Zarahemla. Sometimes I think we start to believe our family is safe at
home, or in the church. We are good people and don’t need to be as vigilant
here. But we always have to be vigilant. There is no place in the world so
safe, no life so free from temptation that we don’t need to pray and read
scriptures and remember. It always matters. And once we see the danger, that is
when it is too late to start preparing. That’s when there will be injuries and fatalities.
It has to be before.
And
then Pacumeni get slaughtered, too. That was really a tragic family!
Another
lesson here is to not give up, I guess. Coriantumr was marching through the
middle of the land slaughtering everyone, but the preparations they Nephite’s
had made in their border cities allowed them to trap the Lamenite’s in the
center. Some battles were lost, but good won the war through the preparations
they had made. Imperfection does not mean all is lost.
It
is always crazy to me that at the end of a war, everyone just goes home. Not
just in the Book of Mormon but in modern times, like at the end of WWII. The
German and Japanese armies were sent home in peace.
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