4.06.2009

pgs. 184 and 185...there was a place...where the daughters of the Lamanites did gather...to sing, and to dance, and to make themselves merry.

9 And the king commanded the people that they should flee before the Lamanites, and he himself did go before them, and they did flee into the wilderness, with their women and their children.
10 And it came to pass that the Lamanites did pursue them, and did overtake them, and began to slay them.
11 Now it came to pass that the king commanded them that all the men should aleave 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.
15 Therefore the Lamanites did spare their lives, and took them captives and carried them back to the land of Nephi, and granted unto them that they might possess the land, under the conditions that they would deliver up king Noah into the hands of the Lamanites, and deliver up their property, even aone half of all they possessed, one half of their gold, and their silver, and all their precious things, and thus they should pay tribute to the king of the Lamanites from year to year.
16 And now there was one of the sons of the king among those that were taken captive, whose name was aLimhi.
17 And now Limhi was desirous that his father should not be destroyed; nevertheless, Limhi was not ignorant of the iniquities of his father, he himself being a just man.
18 And it came to pass that Gideon sent men into the wilderness secretly, to search for the king and those that were with him. And it came to pass that they met the people in the wilderness, all save the king and his priests.
19 Now they had sworn in their hearts that they would return to the land of Nephi, and if their awives and their children were slain, and also those that had tarried with them, that they would seek revenge, and also perish with them.
20 And the king commanded them that they should not return; and they were angry with the king, and caused that he should suffer, even unto adeath by fire.
21 And they were about to take the priests also and aput them to death, and they fled before them.
22 And it came to pass that they were about to return to the land of Nephi, and they met the men of Gideon. And the men of Gideon told them of all that had happened to their wives and their children; and that the Lamanites had granted unto them that they might possess the land by paying a tribute to the Lamanites of one half of all they possessed.
23 And the people told the men of aGideon that they had slain the king, and his bpriests had fled from them farther into the wilderness.
24 And it came to pass that after they had ended the ceremony, that they returned to the land of Nephi, rejoicing, because their wives and their children were not slain; and they told Gideon what they had done to the king.
25 And it came to pass that the king of the Lamanites made an aoath unto them, that his people should not slay them.
26 And also Limhi, being the son of the king, having the kingdom conferred upon him aby the people, made boath unto the king of the Lamanites that his people should pay ctribute unto him, even one half of all they possessed.
27 And it came to pass that Limhi began to establish the kingdom and to establish apeace among his people.
28 And the king of the Lamanites set aguards round about the land, that he might bkeep the people of Limhi in the land, that they might not depart into the wilderness; and he did support his guards out of the tribute which he did receive from the Nephites.
29 And now king Limhi did have continual peace in his kingdom for the space of two years, that the Lamanites did not molest them nor seek to destroy them.
THE BOOK OF MOSIAH
CHAPTER 20
Lamanite daughters are abducted by the priests of Noah—The Lamanites wage war upon Limhi and his people—They are repulsed and pacified. Between 145 and 122 B.C.
1 Now there was a place in aShemlon where the daughters of the Lamanites did gather themselves together to sing, and to bdance, and to make themselves merry.
2 And it came to pass that there was one day a small number of them gathered together to sing and to dance.
3 And now the priests of king Noah, being ashamed to return to the city of Nephi, yea, and also fearing that the people would aslay them, therefore they durst not return to their wives and their bchildren.
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 adaughters of the Lamanites they carried into the wilderness.
6 And it came to pass that when the Lamanites found that their daughters had been missing, they were angry with the people of Limhi, for they thought it was the people of Limhi.
7 Therefore they sent their armies forth; yea, even the king himself went before his people; and they went up to the land of Nephi to destroy the people of Limhi.
8 And now Limhi had discovered them from the atower, even all their preparations for war did he discover; therefore he gathered his people together, and laid wait for them in the fields and in the forests.
9 And it came to pass that when the Lamanites had come up, that the people of Limhi began to fall upon them from their waiting places, and began to slay them.
10 And it came to pass that the battle became exceedingly sore, for they fought like lions for their prey.
11 And it came to pass that the people of Limhi began to drive the Lamanites before them; yet they were not half so numerous as the Lamanites. But they afought for their lives, and for their bwives, and for their children; therefore they exerted themselves and like dragons did they fight.
12 And it came to pass that they found the king of the Lamanites among the number of their dead; yet he was not dead, having been wounded and left upon the ground, so speedy was the flight of his people.

Girls today like to sing and dance and have fun together. So did the girls around 150 B.C. This is one of those stories that helps me see that we are probably more similar to the people in the Book of Mormon than we think.
This story also shows Satan busy at work...the Lamanites wage war and kill many of Limhi's people even though they were innocent of the abduction. I think that is one of Satan's best tools, to stir up anger against the wrong people while the real evil is allowed to continue.