Alma 24

The Lamanities were a people who had the traditions of their fathers and had plundered, stole, committed adultery, murdered, and many manners of wickedness (Alma 23:4). However, when those Lamanities were converted, they were converted and never did fall away (Alma 23:6). They called themselves the Anti-Nephi-Lehies (Alma 23:17). However, even though the king of all the Lamanities was converted, and his whole household and many of the Lamanites, there were some who were angry and began to rebel against the king (Alma 24:1-2). This fraction began to make preparations for war (4). The leaders of the Anti-Nephi-Lehies came together to council on what they should do to defend themselves against the Lamanities (5). But not one of the Anti-Nephi-Lehies wanted to or would take up arms against their brethren and they wouldn't make any preparation for war (6).

Why? Why did they choose this path?


For they were surely to die. In fact, one thousand and five people did. They were slaughtered. They didn't fight back at all. They "went out the meet them, and prostrated themselves before them to the earth, and began to call on the name of the Lord" (21).

Their reason?

"Now, my best beloved brethren, Since God hath taken away our stains, and our swords have become bright, then let us stain our swords no more with the blood of our brethren. 

"Behold, I say unto you, Nay, let us retain our swords that they be not stained with the blood of our brethren; for perhaps, if we should stain our swords again they can no more be washed bright through the blood of the Son of our great God, which shall be shed for the atonement of our sins" (12-13).

They didn't want to take a chance in the eternal scheme of things. They didn't want to sacrifice their chance at eternal life. They were willing to die because death was better then losing eternal life. Death is not feared when you know you have been the best you could be in life and kept the commandments and you know of the resurrection and of the plan of salvation and eternal life.

Are we recognizing those things in our life that we might want to consider sacrificing so it doesn't get in the way of achieving an eternal life? Are our priorities in the right order?