At this rate, I should be able to reach the end of the Book of Mormon by 2018 :).
I have read and re-read these chapters as questions popped into my mind about them. Re-reading the chapters like this always seems to bring more insight about the things I wonder about. I would urge you, as you read the scriptures, to re-read parts that puzzle you or pique your interest, then ask for guidance from the Lord as you ponder. I believe this is how we reconcile what is in the scriptures to our lives; this is how we apply what happened in a scriptural context to our real life. (ok, off my soap-box).
I can see the events depicted in Alma 2 and 3 happening in any society. The time-frame setting of these chapters is the fifth year of the reign of the Judges. The government is still brand new; kinks in the system were still getting worked out. I believe that in any societal situation there are people who, hungry for power, look for some way to advance themselves. The Nephite nation was assailed by power-hungry Amlici, a man who wanted to be crowned king. Amlici was a smooth talking flatterer who gained support with many of the people to the point that it was a real possibility that he would achieve his goal. It all came down to a vote - the people cast their say in the matter and Amlici's attempt was defeated.
I guess Amilici was a sore loser... He convinced his followers that they should make him king anyway and then arm themselves for civil war. What followed this treasonous act was wide-spread bloodshed within the Nephite nation. To make matters worse, Amlici allied himself and his people with the Lamanite army and tried to subject his Nephite people to forceful obeisance. In the end, the freedom-loving Nephites prevailed, but at a terrible cost; many Nephites were slain; many, many Nephite families suffered loss of loved ones; the Nephite nation had been dealt terrible blow.
Thoughts about these events:
++ The voting process: It appears there was a voting procedure in place. This process was probably the same process that was used, when Mosiah proposed the judges system of government, to choose the judges in the first place. It must have been adequate and trusted by the people; we don't read of any debate over the validity of the vote. We only read that Amlici's rejection of the results.
++ Amlici's desire to be king was not a result of his concern for the people or for their society. He incited displeasure for the current system among his followers and pushed for a monarchy which would give him power over all of the people. When things didn't go his way, he pushed his followers into treason. He rejected any concern for the people by arming his followers for civil war. I believe that he corresponded with the Lamanites and made a compact with them before he started warfare. This would explain how there happened to be a large Lamanite army right where Amlici and his followers could join up with them. This would explain how there happened to be not one but two Lamanite armies. Amlici was a traitor to his people and would have them become part of the Lamanites just so he could be called a ruler over the people.
++ The divisiveness that Amlici sowed became very costly to the Nephite nation. Any group of people - families, wards, cities or nations - will fracture from divisiveness. Divisiveness tears down, ruins, destroys. "And Jesus ... said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand" (Matthew 12:25). Unity brings people together, makes them strongly bonded, builds them up and provides a vehicle for happiness. More importantly, it is what God wants. "And the Lord called his people Zion, because they were of one heart and one mind, and dwelt in righteousness; and there was no poor among them" (Moses 7:18). We must strive for unity in our families, in our churches, in our communities.
++ It is interesting that when war preparations were made, there was a list of weapons that the people armed themselves with: "...they did arm themselves with swords, and with cimeters, and with bows, and with arrows, and with stones, and with slings, and with all manner of weapons of war" (Alma 2: 12). It looks almost like a checklist.... Swords? Check. Cimeters? Check. Weapons of war of every kind? Check. I don't know why that fascinates me..... Maybe because I'm a boy? :)
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++ There is a lot of details about the war and battles. In fact, the book of Alma has what is sometimes called the "war chapters". Why is war described in detail in this book, which contains such powerful spirit and numerous witnesses of it's divine origin? There are several good answers to this question, but I think they boil down to this: We are to learn a spiritual lesson from what is written here. The spiritual lesson from the "war chapters" is just as important as the spiritual lesson from Jacob's olive tree allegory or from Nephi's narrative about the tree of life. As I re-read these chapters with this in mind it occurred to me that in several places the Nephites are strengthened by the Lord. "...Nevertheless the Lord did strengthen the hand of the Nephites..." (Alma 2:18). "Nevertheless, the Nephites being astrengthened by the hand of the Lord, having prayed mightily to him that he would deliver them out of the hands of their enemies..." (Alma 2:28). "And it came to pass that Alma... cried, saying: O Lord, have mercy and spare my life, that I may be an instrument in thy hands to save and preserve this people. Now when Alma had said these words he contended again with Amlici; and he was strengthened..." (Alma 2: 30-31). The crux of this lesson, the one that to me is important enough to appear at least 3 times in this chapter, is that the Lord supports His people. We can call on the Lord for strength in our time of need. We must be prepared spiritually to be able to rely on His aid when we need it.
++ The effects of this brief but bloody war cannot be appreciated until you have read the beginning of chapter 3. Verse 1 tells us that they could not count all of the dead for sheer volume. Verse 2 tells us that there were many women and children that were slain. This sounds like near-annihilation of the Nephite civilization. I don't think that it is possible for us in this time to visualize what an experience this must have been. It is a history lesson to us on how a proud, power-hungry, ambitious man can inflame people into a out-and-out disaster. For us personally, how devastating is it to a person's life when a little sin is allowed to erupt into a full-fledged moral conflict.
As a side-note, I always pause at the phrase "...now the number of the slain were not numbered, because of the greatness of their number..." (Alma 3:1). I wonder if this alliteration is the literal translation of a Nephite phrase, or if the phrase we see is Joseph Smith's interpretive wording. In either case, the message is correct and very clear, there is no doubt.
++ Last note: There is a lot of attention to why the Lamanites were marked. This follows a description of how the Amlicites had marked themselves, which they did to distinguish themselves from the Nephites, or the people of God. Unwittingly the Amlicites were fulfilling God's prophesy that anyone who rebelled against Him would be marked. How convenient that they did it to themselves! Anyone who pulls away from church activity and from living the Gospel standards marks themselves subtly. They may not recognize the difference, but those who hold true to the Gospel can observe the difference. The countenance of the person is different - almost like a light has left them. This happened to the Amlicites. It happens to people today and can happen to anyone who does not actively live the Gospel standards and obey God's commandments.
There is richness of wisdom in the Book of Mormon. May we learn from it's passages and apply the lessons to our lives.
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