Alma 57

57:1-36 - So it looks like CM is not the only one that Ammoron has been in correspondence with, because Helaman tells CM that "I received an epistle from Ammoron, the king, stating that if I would deliver up those prisoners of war whom we had taken that he would deliver up the city of Antiparah unto us." This is an interesting move by Ammoron, and to me this indicates that he already knows that Antiparah is a weak spot, it seems to me that he's looking to unload it and still trying to get something out of the deal before it falls and he gets nothing. Helaman's response is different from CM's, and the return epistle is structured in a completely different way. Whereas CM was quick to lecture Ammoron about the immorality of the war, and finally agree to the prisoner exchange on conditions, Helaman basically declines Ammoron's offer saying, basically, "it's ok, I think we're strong enough." Very interesting, you'd think that as the prophet, Helaman would be all about preaching repentance to Ammoron, it's just an interesting commentary on the different personalities of Helaman vs. CM, while they are still both uber righteous. Just as we suspected, Ammoron can't maintain the city of Antiparah "and the people of Antiparah did leave the city, and fled into their other cities... and thus the city of Antiparah fell into our hands." A bloodless victory, then Helaman receives soldiers and supplies to the tune of 6,000 men, to include 60 "of the sons of the Ammonites who had come to join their brethren, my little band of two thousand." With all this added strength, the Nephites begin prepping to take the city Cumeni, and laid a siege to the city intercepted all the provisions and soldiers sent to strengthen the Lamanites, "and it came to pass that not many days had passed away before the Lamanites began to lost all hopes of succor; therefore they yielded up the city unto our hands." And another (relatively) bloodless victory, very impressive. Helaman now has his own army to provide for but he also has taken a large amount of prisoners, both those intercepted during the siege and those who surrendered up the city "but it came to pass that our prisoners were so numerous that, notwithstanding the enormity of our numbers, we were obliged to employ all our force to keep them, or to put them to death. For behold they would break out in great numbers, and would fight with stones, and with clubs, or whatsoever thing they could get into their hands, insomuch that we did slay upwards of two thousand of them after they had surrendered themselves prisoners of war." This takes me back to the account of the Lamanites only allowing the chief captains to remain alive and killing all the other captives, but even though it might sound similar, we know that this is not in fact the case, Helaman tells us that the 2,000 were only slain after they started an uprising. And it comes to the point where Helaman has a decision to make "therefore it became expedient for us, that we should put an end to their lives, or guard them, sword in hand, down to the land of Zarahemla." I mean if we think about it logically, the time, man power and resources that it would take to guard all the Lamanite prisoners as they were marched to Zarahemla is pretty substantial. If evaluated solely based on military advantage, killing all the Lamanite prisoners would be the most logical solution, however Helaman is willing to assume all the risk and loss so that the Lamanite prisoners can retain their lives as much as possible. Helaman sends out the prisoners and the guards to Zarahemla "but it came to pass that on the morrow they did return. And now behold, we did not inquire of them concerning the prisoners; for behold, the Lamanites were upon us, and they returned in season to save us from falling into their hands... And it came to pass that those men whom we sent with the prisoners did arrive in season to check them, as they were about to overpower us." In the last battle, Antipus was about to fall into the hands of the Lamanites, but the SWs arrived just in time and with such fury that the whole Lamanite army stopped and changed their focus to them. This time, the soldiers who had taken the prisoners arrived just in time to keep the Nephites victorious. Not only did the guards arrive just in time, "bur behold, my little band of two thousand and sixty fought most desperately; yea, they were firm before the Lamanites, and did administer death unto all those who opposed them. And as the remainder of our army were about to give way before the Lamanites, behold, those two thousand and sixty were firm and undaunted. Yea, and they did obey and observe to perform every word of command with exactness; yea, and even according to their faith it was done unto them; and I did remember the words which they said unto me that their mothers had taught them. And now behold, it was these my sons, and those men who had been selected to convey the prisoners, to whom we owe this great victory; for it was they who beat the Lamanites." Very powerful. The IM quotes President Gordon B. Hinckley as teaching "You reflect this Church in all you think, in all you say, and in all you do,' President Hinckley told the youth. 'Be loyal to the Church and kingdom of God...' President Hinckley told the youth that they are 'out there as the sons of Helaman in a world that is full of destructive influences... But if you put your trust in the Almighty and follow the teachings of this Church and cling to it notwithstanding your wounds, you will be preserved and blessed and magnified and made happy.' Speaking of the world in which they live, President Hinckley told the youth, 'You're in the midst of Babylon. The adversary comes with great destruction. Stand above it, you of the noble birthright. Stand above it.'" Helaman had the dead sorted through and all the wounded "should be taken from among the dead, and caused that their wounds should be dressed." But miraculously "there were two hundred, out of my two thousand and sixty, who had fainted because of the loss of blood; nevertheless, according to the goodness of God, and to our great astonishment, and also the joy of our whole army, there was not one soul of them who did perish; yea, and neither was there one soul among them who had not received many wounds." It was always a weird concept for me that the rest of the army felt joy at hearing that none of the SWs were killed, maybe this sounds stupid of me, but I imagined these battle worn soldiers mourning the loss of their own brothers in arms, and then hearing that these kids were clearly saved by the hand of God, it just seems to me that some might think "why weren't my friends protected by God? Why aren't we good enough?" But that was the old me, now I can totally understand why it would have been amazing news, and that they were all seriously wounded but still survived is as equally impressive. Let's not forget that the Lamanites army was enormous, and interestingly, my amazing friend recommended a book to me entitled "Putting on the Armor of God," and while listening to it today, the author quotes Sister Kathless S. McConkie as asking "Why? Why did Mormon include so much detail about the wars? With all the wonderful spiritual events that must have taken place, why would he use so much valuable space on the plates to record military intrigue and battle strategy?" The author answers, "These scriptural accounts reveal a pattern. When God's people are delivered, it is the result of their righteousness, faith, courage, determination, and masterful military strategy that enables them to defeat an enemy which most often outnumbers them. These accounts are included in scripture to draw attention to the parallels in the spiritual war each of us must fight with Satan in today's modern battlegrounds, to teach the need of strategy, fortifying our weaknesses and vulnerabilities, protecting ourselves with the armor of God, and other principles of spiritual warfare needed to win our battles with Satan." I thought that this was most poignant here, as we learn about the Nephites defeating an enemy that vastly outnumbered them while they were starving to death and heavily relying on young boys who had never seen combat before, and they won!!! How? God protected them and fought along side them.  After the battle had settled down, the wounded treated, and the dead buried, Helaman asked what happened to the Lamanite prisoners, and long story short, after hearing that the Lamanite army was attacking the Nephites, the prisoners did "take courage; and they did rise up in rebellion against us." During this rebellion, "the greater number of them were slain; and the remainder of them broke through and fled from us." Interestingly, Helaman's reaction was much different than my reaction would have been, I would have been upset about the prisoners that escaped and probably eventually rejoined the Lamanite army, fighting against us. But Helaman "was filled with exceeding joy because of the goodness of God in preserving us, that we might not all perish; yea, and I trust that the souls of them who have been slain have entered into the rest of their God." He saw the events as God delivering them, not worrying about the escaped prisoners, because ultimately, the number of Lamanites opposing them was not the determining factor of the war, it was their individual righteousness.