Here are some
additional comments or questions sent in by readers of this website:
Comment #1: “When it says that Moroni or Moronihah
foritifed lands and cities, what makes you think this means more than just he
beefed up the troops that guarded these areas?” Erich P.
Response: There are
several scriptures that suggest this was more than just adding and stationing
more troops. Such as, “Yea, he had been strengthening the armies of the
Nephites, and erecting small forts, or places of resort; throwing up banks of
earth round about to enclose his armies, and also building walls of stone to
encircle them about, round about their cities and the borders of their lands;
yea, all round about the land” (Alma 48:8). “For they knew not that Moroni had
fortified, or had built forts of security, for every city in all the land round
about” (Alma 49:13).
A fort overlooking the Urubamba River in the
Sacred Valley
“And he also placed
armies on the south, in the borders of their possessions, and caused them to
erect fortifications that they might secure their armies and their people from
the hands of their enemies” (Alma 50:10). “And it came to pass that he did no
more attempt a battle with the Lamanites in that year, but he did employ his
men in preparing for war, yea, and in making fortifications to guard against
the Lamanites, yea, and also delivering their women and their children from
famine and affliction, and providing food for their armies” (Alma 53:7). “And
it came to pass that he did cause the Lamanites, whom he had taken prisoners,
that they should commence a labor in strengthening the fortifications round
about the city Gid” (Alma 55:25). Even Lachoneus got into the act: “And he
caused that fortifications should be built round about them, and the strength
thereof should be exceedingly great. And he caused that armies, both of the
Nephites and of the Lamanites, or of all them who were numbered among the
Nephites, should be placed as guards round about to watch them, and to guard
them from the robbers day and night” (3 Nephi 3:14).
Comment #2: “What about the mention of steel that Nephi
mentions in the items he lists as what he taught his people. Is there any other
mention of steel among the Nephites?” Julio.
Response: “And we
multiplied exceedingly, and spread upon the face of the land, and became
exceedingly rich in gold, and in silver, and in precious things, and in fine
workmanship of wood, in buildings, and in machinery, and also in iron and
copper, and brass and steel, making all manner of tools of every kind to till
the ground, and weapons of war—yea, the sharp pointed arrow, and the quiver,
and the dart, and the javelin, and all preparations for war” (Jarom 1:8). As
the saying goes, you can take whatever is mentioned in the Book of Mormon to
the bank.
Comment
#3: “If the land bridge
between Central America and South America was not there... Assuming that the
land was underwater... Just like the entire eastern part of South America was..
Could we not also assume that that this east to west running neck of land could
have been shorter than 144 miles back then? Still this land runs in the wrong
direction... But it could have been a bit more narrow back then... No?” Mr.M
A Paleogeographic reconstruction of Central America in Geology Times
shows the study of Kirby, Jones and MacFadden of the Atrato Seaway, an opening
between South and Central America, later joined through tectonic plate movement
Response: Anything is possible,
however, while there is geologic evidence, and most geologists studying the
area have agreed, and that the deep ocean drilling ship Glomar Challenger has verified that Panama was once submerged, and
some feel even the Caribbean was more raised around the islands, there is no
geologic evidence yet uncovered, and no geologic discoveries yet show that
North America, Mexico or Mesoamerica were different than we now basically see
them, except that the Gulf of California did not exist and Mexico and Baja
California were once one land mass—at least all the geologic models show it
this way.
Comment #4: “It appears from reading the record, that
most of the Nephite-Lamanite wars occurred in the last century B.C., and then
continued after the 200-plus years of peace, with Mormon battling the Lamanites
all the way to the Nephite annihilation. I find it interesting that not much is
mentioned of the time prior to Mosiah. It appears that times were more peaceful
then. Do you know why?” Justin Mark.
Response: Actually,
the scriptural record shows that there was as much fighting before Mosiah’s
time as there was afterward. From the very beginning following the separation
of Nephi from his older brothers, that he knew there would be wars with the
Lamanites (2 Nephi 5:14), and that before Nephi’s death, they “had wars and
contentions” with the Lamanites (2 Nephi 5:34). Nephi also predicted that
“there shall be great wars and contentions among my people” (2 Nephi 26:2).
Jacob tells us that Nephi wielded the sword of Laban in their defense before
his death (Jacob 1:120), and that the Nephite wars were listed on the large
plates (Jacob 3:13). Enos “saw wars between the Nephites and Lamanites” in his
time (Enos 1:24), Jarom tells us they made weapons of war and defeated the
Lamanites in wars (Jarom 1:8-9) during much of the first two hundred and thirty
years (Jarom 1:13), and Omni says that there were many seasons of serious war
and bloodshed (Omni 1:3) and the more wicked part of the Nephites were
destroyed in his days (Omni 1:5), with Abinadom telling us there was “much war
and contention” between the Nephites and Lamanites (Omni 1:10). These wars
covered a period from soon after Nephi separated from his older brothers and
the time of Abinadom, about 200 B.C. From there we pick up Mosiah in 130 B.C.
Wars were constant between the Lamanites and
Nephites for most of their 1000 year history
Obviously, then, the
Nephites and Lamanites fought numerous battles during those 350 years. The
reason we don’t know much about them was because the details of those wars were
recorded on the large plates, which other than the first 116 pages that were
lost, have not been translated, till we reach the book of Mosiah. The earlier
time was not more peaceful, we just don’t have much information about the wars
and contentions that occurred during that time.
Comment
#5: “I had a gospel doctrine teacher who said the most
stupid things, like "If you have not gotten your food storage by now, it
is already to late to start. There is not enough time left," and
"Before Adam fell, the earth was in orbit around Kolob. When Adam fell,
the earth flew across space into its current orbit.” I called BS on him a
couple of times in class. Unable to handle all of the BS and deceptive
practices of the church, I had to leave it. His reward for teaching the most
absurd falsehoods I have ever heard? He was put into the bishopric” F.M.
Response: We have all had people
tell us things that are not accurate—after all, people are people with their
own opinions, feelings and attitudes. Your inability to differentiate between a
person’s comments and the doctrines of the Church are unfortunate. However,
there are numerous things that we think we know and do not. First of all, why
anyone would say that about food storage is difficult to answer. On the other
hand, the Earth was organized elsewhere than in its present position. President
John Taylor in 1857 made this statement (Origin
and Destiny of Woman), which also appeared in the Liahona the Elders’ Journal (March 7, 1908), when he said, “Thou longed, thou sighed and thou
prayed to thy Father in heaven for the time to arrive when thou couldst come to
this earth, which had fled and fallen from where it was first organized, near
the planet Kolob.” Charles D. Evans said the same in 1894 (Matter and Spirit),
and in the Millennial Star 56, 49 p
778), said, “The earth doubtless fell also an immeasurable distance from the
presence of its Maker, from the mansion or abode of Kolob.” Also David B.
Timmins “Free Agency, Determinism, and Chaos Theory,” Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought (1995). The idea is not one
your teacher pulled out of a hat, but has been part of LDS thinking and
teaching for more than a century that I know about.
