My recent post introduced the purpose of this series on examples of thematic repetition in the Book of Mormon. Please read that post first before reading this one. The next post in the series covered two additional examples, found here.
In this post we'll look at two more examples.
Example #4 -- Fidelity saves, lust destroys
I couldn't help but notice two stories about daughters set right next to each other. The first is the story of the fair daughters of the Nephites, who plead with an oncoming army of Lamanites to spare the lives of their people:
11 Now it came to pass that the king commanded them that all the men should leave their wives and their children, and flee before the Lamanites.
12 Now there were many that would not leave them, but had rather stay and perish with them. And the rest left their wives and their children and fled.
13 And it came to pass that those who tarried with their wives and their children caused that their fair daughters should stand forth and plead with the Lamanites that they would not slay them.
14 And it came to pass that the Lamanites had compassion on them, for they were charmed with the beauty of their women. (Mosiah 19)
In the next chapter we read about what was done by those who abandoned their wives and children to flee the Lamanite army:
4 And having tarried in the wilderness, and having discovered the daughters of the Lamanites, they laid and watched them;
5 And when there were but few of them gathered together to dance, they came forth out of their secret places and took them and carried them into the wilderness; yea, twenty and four of the daughters of the Lamanites they carried into the wilderness. (Mosiah 20)
This kidnapping enrages the Lamanites and they direct their anger at the Nephites who had remained with their wives and children and were now in bondage (the people of Limhi).
So in one case the fidelity of husbands to their families allow their daughters to evoke compassion from the approaching army. On the contrary, the faithless priests who abandoned their wives lusted and abducted the daughters of the Lamanites and this led to war and death among the innocent victims of their actions.
Example #5 -- An oath of peace changes hearts
The next example involves a little-known story with several direct connections to a much more well-known story from the Book of Alma:
23 And now Limhi told the king all the things concerning his father, and the priests that had fled into the wilderness, and attributed the carrying away of their daughters to them.
24 And it came to pass that the king was pacified towards his people; and he said unto them: Let us go forth to meet my people, without arms; and I swear unto you with an oath that my people shall not slay thy people.
25 And it came to pass that they followed the king, and went forth without arms to meet the Lamanites. And it came to pass that they did meet the Lamanites; and the king of the Lamanites did bow himself down before them, and did plead in behalf of the people of Limhi.
26 And when the Lamanites saw the people of Limhi, that they were without arms, they had compassion on them and were pacified towards them, and returned with their king in peace to their own land. (Mosiah 20)
The specifics differ a little, but note that a Lamanite king swears an oath of peace, "went forth to meet" them unarmed, bows down before the oncoming army to plead for the unarmed Nephites. This act stirs the would-be attackers to compassion and peace.
Compare to the more well-known account in Alma 24, where the people of Anti-Nephi-Lehi take a similar course of action with a similar result:
6 Now there was not one soul among all the people who had been converted unto the Lord that would take up arms against their brethren; nay, they would not even make any preparations for war; yea, and also their king commanded them that they should not....
17 ... and they did bury them up deep in the earth.
18 And this they did, it being in their view a testimony to God, and also to men, that they never would use weapons again for the shedding of man’s blood; and this they did, vouching and covenanting with God, that rather than shed the blood of their brethren they would give up their own lives; and rather than take away from a brother they would give unto him; and rather than spend their days in idleness they would labor abundantly with their hands....
21 Now when the people saw that they were coming against them they went out to meet them, and prostrated themselves before them to the earth, and began to call on the name of the Lord; and thus they were in this attitude when the Lamanites began to fall upon them, and began to slay them with the sword....
23 Now when the Lamanites saw that their brethren would not flee from the sword, neither would they turn aside to the right hand or to the left, but that they would lie down and perish, and praised God even in the very act of perishing under the sword—
24 Now when the Lamanites saw this they did forbear from slaying them; and there were many whose hearts had swollen in them for those of their brethren who had fallen under the sword, for they repented of the things which they had done. (Alma 24)
