Alma 52 - 63

This week in Institute we studied what I refer to as the "Doctrine of War". This outlines the Lords' instructions to His righteous people on how and when to engage in warfare.

The first concept in this Doctrine is discovered in Alma 43:46 which reads:

"for the Lord had said unto them, and also unto their fathers, that: Inasmuch as ye are not guilty of the first offense, neither the second, ye shall not suffer yourselves to be slain by the hands of your enemies."

This teaching is expanded in Doctrine and Covenants 98:33-36

And again, this is the law that I gave unto mine ancients, that they should not go out unto battle against any nation, kindred, tongue, or people, save I, the Lord, commanded them.

And if any nation, tongue, or people should proclaim war against them, they should first lift a standard of peace unto that people, nation, or tongue;

And if that people did not accept the offering of peace, neither the second nor the third time, they should bring these testimonies before the Lord;

Then I, the Lord, would give unto them a commandment, and justify them in going out to battle against that nation, tongue, or people.

So, under the condition of defence against a number of unprovoked attacks, going to war would be justified by the Lord.  This point is re-stated in Alma 48:14, 44:2 and 61:9-10. Alma 48:14 teaches:

Now the Nephites were taught to defend themselves against their enemies, even to the shedding of blood if it were necessary; yea, and they were also taught never to give an offense, yea, and never to raise the sword except it were against an enemy, except it were to preserve their lives.

teaching that the righteous were not to give an offense, or to "raise the sword" or go to war in offense.

There are numerous examples of this in the Book of Mormon, starting with the wars mentioned in Alma.  An interesting case in point is when the righteous Nephites were besieged by the Gadianton robbers, and wished to take an offencive foray into the Gadiantons:

Now the people said unto Gidgiddoni: Pray unto the Lord, and let us go up upon the mountains and into the wilderness, that we may fall upon the robbers and destroy them in their own lands. (3 Nephi 3:20)

Gidgiddoni replies:

The Lord forbid; for if we should go up against them the Lord would deliver us into their hands; therefore we will prepare ourselves in the center of our lands, and we will gather all our armies together, and we will not go against them, but we will wait till they shall come against us; therefore as the Lord liveth, if we do this he will deliver them into our hands. (3 Nephi 3:21)

The promise by the Lord for taking this defencive stance is one of Delivery (which in itself is a key theme running through the Book of Mormon - but perhaps that's a theme for another day!)

Significantly, this pattern is not followed by the unrighteous Nephites at the end of the Book of Mormon, and Mormon comments on this situation and its consequence:

they began to boast in their own strength, and began to swear before the heavens that they would avenge themselves of the blood of their brethren who had been slain by their enemies.

And they did swear by the heavens, and also by the throne of God, that they would go up to battle against their enemies, and would cut them off from the face of the land.

Mormon then adds that he refused to lead the unrighteous Nephite armies and concluded that the Nephites were defeated by the Lamanites because they were the aggressors in battle (Mormon 4:4) 

Referring back to the section from the Doctrine and Covenants, another concept in the "Doctrine of War" is that Nephite captains were reluctant to take up arms (Alma 48:21-23).  They tried to gain the advantage over aggressors without shedding blood (for example in the case of Gidgiddoni mentioned above, they withdrew from the perimeters of the land with the aim of leaving no easy food for the Gadiantons to access).  They also were quick to end conflicts with a covenant of peace rather than fighting to annihilation.

The basic principles which we see applied are that a righteous people do not take the offense and defend themselves only after the second or third offense, after having tried other means to obtain peace, and the quickly grant peace to any who wish it, rather than a "fight to the end".

Where does this leave us?  Ponder in your journal what this section means to you, and how as a righteous Latter-day Saint you deal with aggressors and conflict and violence? What perspective can we gain from the Anti-Nephi-Lehi's? 

A closing thought from President Gordon B. Hinckley:

“I think our Father in Heaven must have wept as He has looked down upon His children through the centuries as they have squandered their divine birthright in ruthlessly destroying one another” (in Conference Report, Apr. 2003, 82; or Ensign, May 2003, 79).

Resources:

Gordon B. Hinckley : War and Peace

Renounce War, Proclaim Peace