KING NOAH'S SUBJECTS REBEL--GIDEON--THE LAMANITES INVADE
LEHI-NEPHI--THE NEPHITES RETREAT--A PART SURRENDER--THE NEW TERMS
OF PEACE--NOAH IS BURNED TO DEATH--LIMHI MADE KING--NOAH'S PRIESTS
ESCAPE--THEY SEIZE SOME LAMANITE MAIDENS--ANOTHER WAR--THE NEPHITES
VICTORIOUS--THE KING OF THE LAMANITES WOUNDED--MUTUAL EXPLANATIONS.
(MOSIAH CHAP. 19 AND 20.)
Soon after the return of Noah's army from their unsuccessful attempt
to capture Alma and his people, a great division grew up amongst that
monarch's subjects. They were heartily tired of his tyranny and his
debaucheries. One of those most dissatisfied was an officer of the
king's army named Gideon. We have no reason to believe that he was at
that time a wicked man though he did rebel against the king, but rather
that he was a good, pure and wise man, for in after life he proved that
he possessed all these virtues. In the disturbances that now arose
between Noah and his people Gideon sought to slay the king. But Noah
fled to the tower near the temple in the city of Lehi-Nephi. Thither
Gideon, sword in hand, quickly followed. The king mounted to the top,
and there his eye accidentally caught sight of an army of Lamanites in
the land of Shemlon. In the terror caused by this unexpected sight, he
appealed to Gideon's patriotism and besought him to spare him. Not that
the king cared for his people, but he made this excuse for pleading for
his own life. Gideon consented, and Noah in mortal terror ordered his
people to flee into the wilderness from before the advancing hosts of
the Lamanites.
The people obeyed their king's command, and with their wives and
children fled into the wilderness. But the forces of the Lamanites,
unencumbered by women and children, soon overtook them. Then the coward
king commanded the men to continue their flight and leave their wives
and children to the mercy of the enemy. Some obeyed and fled, others
would not, but preferred to stay and perish with those to whom they
were the natural protectors. Those who stayed, in the agony of their
terror when the Lamanites drew near, sent their fair daughters to
plead with their enemies for their lives. This act saved them. For the
dark-skinned warriors of Laman were so charmed with the beauty of the
women that they spared all their lives. Yet they took them captives,
carried them back to Lehi-Nephi, and gave them permission to retain
that land, but under some very hard conditions. These conditions were
that they should surrender king Noah into the hands of the Lamanites,
and deliver up one-half of everything they possessed, and continue this
tribute of one-half of their property year by year.
Gideon now sent men to search for Noah that he might be delivered up
to the Lamanites. They found that the men who were with Noah, being
ashamed of their cowardly flight, swore that they would return; and,
if their wives and children had been killed, they would have revenge.
The king commanded that they should not return, at which they grew
angry with him, and burned him to death as he had done Abinadi. His
priests saved themselves from a like terrible fate by flight. When the
men who put Noah to death were about to return to the land of Nephi,
they met Gideon and his party, and informed them of the end of Noah and
the escape of the priests; then, when they heard the news that Gideon
brought, they rejoiced much that their wives and children had been
spared by the Lamanites.
Noah being dead, one of his sons, Limhi by name, was made king. It
was almost an empty honor, for his people were in bondage to the
Lamanites. Still he made a treaty of peace with the king of the
Lamanites, and because he could do no better he agreed to pay a yearly
tribute of one-half of the increase of the products of his subjects.
The Lamanites set guards all around the land, for they were now most
anxious that the Nephites should not escape. The latter were to all
intents and purposes bond-servants, and the Lamanites obtained all the
advantages of their labor without any of the responsibilities that
generally fall upon the slave owner. Out of the tribute the guards that
held them in bondage were paid. This state of things continued without
an outbreak for two years.
In these times there was a romantic spot in the Land of Shemlon, on
the Nephite borders, where the Lamanite maidens were in the habit of
gathering on pleasure bent. Here they sang, danced and made merry with
all the gaiety of youthful innocence and overflowing spirits. One
day when a few were thus gathered they were suddenly surprised, and
twenty-four of their number were carried off by strange men, who, from
their appearance, were unmistakably Nephites.
On learning of this act of treachery the Lamanites were stirred
to uncontrollable anger, and without seeking an explanation they
made a sudden incursion into the territory held by king Limhi. This
attack, however, was not successful, for their movements, though not
understood, had been discovered, and their intended victims poured
forth to meet them.
With Limhi and his people it was a war for existence; to be defeated
was to be annihilated; his warriors therefore fought with superhuman
energy and desperation, and eventually they succeeded in driving the
Lamanites back. So speedy did their flight become, that in their
confusion the Lamanites left their wounded king lying amongst the heaps
of slain. There he was discovered by his victors. In the interview
between him and Limhi that followed, mutual explanations ensued. The
Lamanite king complained bitterly of the outrage committed on the
daughters of his people, while Limhi protested that he and his subjects
were innocent of the base act. Further investigation developed the fact
that some of the iniquitous priests of king Noah, who had fled into the
wilderness from the dreaded vengeance of their abused countrymen, were
the guilty parties. Being without wives, and fearing to return home,
they had adopted this plan to obtain them.
On hearing this explanation, king Laman consented to make an effort
to pacify his angry hosts. At the head of an unarmed body of Nephites
he went forth and met his armies who were returning to the attack. He
explained what he had learned, and the Lamanites, possibly somewhat
ashamed of their rashness, renewed the covenant of peace.
This peace, unfortunately, was of short duration. The Lamanites grew
arrogant and grievously oppressive, and under their exactions and
cruelty the condition of Limhi's subjects grew continually worse,
until they were little better off than were their ancestors in Egypt
before Moses, their deliverer, arose. Three times they broke out in
ineffectual rebellion, and just as often their task-masters grew more
cruel and exacting, until their spirits were entirely broken; they
cowered before their oppressors, and bowed "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."