Book of Mormon ~ Alma 44

Taught by Sue G.

The Nephite army has surrounded Zarahemnah's army.  Instead of destroying them, the Nephites make a proposal.  Moroni offers to spare the Lamanites if Zarahemnah will surrender his army's weapons and make a covenant that his men will not come to war against the Nephites.  Zerahemnah agrees to surrender their weapons but refuses to make the covenant.  Moroni insists on both and Zarahemnah refuses.  The battle continues, Zerahemnah is scalped by one of Moroni's soldiers causing many of the Lamanites to enter the covenant out of fear.  The Nephites defeat the Lamanites.  Those Lamanites who surrender their weapons and take an oath of peace are allowed to flee into the wilderness.  This chapter is the last of the records written by Alma.

Read:  Alma 44:3 & 4

3 But now, ye behold that the Lord is with us; and ye behold that he has delivered you into our hands. And now I would that ye should understand that this is done unto us ^abecause of our religion and our faith in Christ. And now ye see that ye cannot destroy this our faith.

 4 Now ye see that this is the true faith of God; yea, ye see that God will support, and keep, and preserve us, so long as we are^afaithful unto him, and unto our faith, and our religion; and never will the Lord suffer that we shall be destroyed except we should fall into transgression and deny our faith.   

Do you wonder about the Lamanite warriors who made an oath to not take up arms against the Nephites ever again.  Did they keep the oath.  They were clearly afraid to go to war and determined not to.  Even so, treachery, deceit and carelessness prevailed and back to battle the Lamanites went. 

We need to remember this story, for someday circumstances might sneak through our back door and, if we are not careful, trick us into breaking our resolve.