In Mosiah 19-22 we read about Lemhi's group living in bondage to the Lamanites. The Lamanites had begun to treat Limhi's people badly; smiting them, bossing them around (I assume that's a reasonable translation of "exercising authority over them"), putting heavy burdens on them and driving them like animals.
The people, of course, were not happy with this treatment. They began tell the king that they wanted to go to battle against the Lamanites and eventually he allowed it.
Here is what happened, from Mosiah 21:
And they gathered themselves together again, and put on their armor, and went forth against the Lamanites to drive them out of their land. And it came to pass that the Lamanites did beat them, and drove them back, and slew many of them. And now there was a great mourning and lamentation among the people of Limhi, the widow mourning for her husband, the son and the daughter mourning for their father, and the brothers for their brethren. Now there were a great many widows in the land, and they did cry mightily from day to day, for a great fear of the Lamanites had come upon them. And it came to pass that their continual cries did stir up the remainder of the people of Limhi to anger against the Lamanites; and they went again to battle, but they were driven back again, suffering much loss. Yea, they went again even the third time, and suffered in the like manner; and those that were not slain returned again to the city of Nephi.
And they did humble themselves even to the dust, subjecting themselves to the yoke of bondage, submitting themselves to be smitten, and to be driven to and fro, and burdened, according to the desires of their enemies. And they did humble themselves even in the depths of humility; and they did cry mightily to God; yea, even all the day long did they cry unto their God that he would deliver them out of their afflictions.
And now the Lord was slow to hear their cry because of their iniquities; nevertheless the Lord did hear their cries, and began to soften the hearts of the Lamanites that they began to ease their burdens...
This story always breaks my heart as I read it. It is understandable that they wanted to go to war against the Lamanites--they were being treated terribly. So they went to war, and were beaten badly and there was great mourning in the land. They went to war a second time, and again a third time. At that point they were defeated so badly that they had no choice but to submit to the Lamanites.
Only then did they remember to ask the Lord for help.
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Contrast that narrative with the account in Chapters 23 & 24, which tells of Alma and his people.
Alma and his group of followers established a city called Helam which was prospering peacefully when they were discovered by the Lamanites. The Lamanites set guards around Helam and give an old acquaintance, Amulon, power over Alma and his people.
In chapter 24 it says:
Amulon began to exercise authority over Alma and his brethren, and began to persecute him, and cause that his children should persecute their children....and put tasks upon them, and put task-masters over them.Their afflictions were so great that they began to pray to God for help. When Amulon made it illegal to pray and told them that anyone who prayed would be put to death, Alma and his people stopped praying vocally, instead they
did pour out their hearts to him; and he did know the thoughts of their hearts.The Lord's response to prayers of these faithful followers was an amazing promise.
And it came to pass that the voice of the Lord came to them in their afflictions, saying: Lift up your heads and be of good comfort, for I know of the covenant which ye have made unto me; and I will covenant with my people and deliver them out of bondage. And I will also ease the burdens which are put upon your shoulders, that even you cannot feel them upon your backs, even while you are in bondage; and this will I do that ye may stand as witnesses for me hereafter, and that ye may know of a surety that I, the Lord God, do visit my people in their afflictions.And then the really beautiful fulfillment to that promise:
And now it came to pass that the burdens which were laid upon Alma and his brethren were made light; yea, the Lord did strengthen them that they could bear up their burdens with ease, and they did submit cheerfully and with patience to all the will of the Lord.
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It is so easy to respond to any situation like Limhi's people did — relying on my own plans and the arm of flesh. Fortunately the results in my own life don't usually involve brutal wars and lots of widows, but they usually are ineffective and leave me frustrated.
Time and time again, it is only after I turn to the Lord for ideas, help, and strength that I find myself able to either live with a problem or see a solution to the problem.
I'm trying to learn this lesson better; hoping that maybe one day my first response will be praying instead of pulling out my weapons and going to war.
It's definitely a work in progress — but at least there is progress...
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