Come, Follow Me July 8-14: Alma 23-29
In 2024, the Maxwell Institute will offer a weekly series of short essays on the Book of Mormon, in support of the Church-wide Come, Follow Me study curriculum. Each week, the Maxwell Institute blog will feature a post by a member of the Institute faculty exploring an aspect of the week’s reading block. We hope these explorations will enrich your study and teaching of the Book of Mormon throughout the coming year.
Superman, Strawberry Ice Cream, and Stains
By Jeffrey G. Cannon
As a young boy, my favorite superhero was Superman. I often wore a blue t-shirt with the iconic S symbol under a white dress shirt like Superman’s alter ego, Clark Kent. Sometimes, I even wore a clip-on tie. One night, a scoop of strawberry ice cream fell off my cone at a local ice cream parlor and rolled down the front of my favorite white shirt. It left a notable pink stain that multiple washings failed to remove. The shirt was ruined, and I was devastated.
The words “stain,” “stains,” and “stained” appear nine times in the Book of Mormon—All of them in two chapters of the Book of Alma. In chapter 5, Alma the Younger preaches to the people of Zarahemla and uses stained garments as a metaphor for sin. In chapter 24, Lamoni’s father, the king of the Lamanites, forbids those of his people who had been converted by the sons of Mosiah to defend themselves from the attacks of their unconverted countrymen. The king, who is never given a name in the text, uses a similar metaphor of staining adapted to the experience of the once-violent Lamanites. Instead of stained garments, the king talks about swords that have been stained with blood.
. . . for it was all we could do to repent sufficiently before God that he would take away our stain—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. (Alma 24:11–13, emphasis added)
Consequently, these converted Lamanites famously buried their swords and covenanted never to use them again (Alma 24:16–17). In further witness of their new faith, the converted Lamanite king gave his people the enigmatic name of Anti-Nephi-Lehies (Alma 23:17).
Like many converts, the Anti-Nephi-Lehies emphasized different elements of their new religion that were relevant to their situation and in contrast to their former way of life. After generations of war, their pacifism was one such conspicuous feature of their new faith. Perhaps it was especially important to the Nephite record keepers, whose own people were the traditional enemies of the Lamanites. However, it was not the only distinguishing characteristic of their discipleship. We learn that the Anti-Nephi-Lehies “were also distinguished for their zeal towards God, and also towards men; for they were perfectly honest and upright in all things; and they were firm in the faith of Christ, even unto the end” (Alma 27:27).
Nevertheless, the Book of Mormon’s emphasis on the converted Lamanites’ aversion to war is important to the reader in its demonstration of a principle taught by President Harold B. Lee.
The most important of all the commandments of God is that one that you are having the most difficulty keeping today. If it is one of dishonesty, if it is one of unchastity, if it is one of falsifying, not telling the truth, today is the day for you to work on that until you have been able to conquer that weakness. Put that aright and then you start on the next one that is most difficult for you to keep. That’s the way to sanctify yourself by keeping the commandments of God. [1]
We, like the Anti-Nephi-Lehies, have our own difficulties. There are commandments that we struggle to keep. Perhaps our challenges arise out of individual, family, or cultural circumstances. We too can “repent sufficiently before God that he w[ill] take away our stain” (Alma 23:17).
[1] Harold B. Lee, devotional, Long Beach, California, April 29, 1973, quoted in Clyde J. Williams, ed., The Teachings of Harold B. Lee: Eleventh President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1996), 82.
Images
Ben Crowder, Weapons of War, 2020. The Book of Mormon Art Catalog, [bookofmormonartcatalog.org/catalog/weapons-of-war/.]
Unknown, [One Thousand and Five], c. 1963. The Book of Mormon Art Catalog, [bookofmormonartcatalog.org/catalog/one-thousand-and-five/.]
Scott McGregor Snow, People of Ammon Taught in Their Youth. The Book of Mormon Art Catalog, [bookofmormonartcatalog.org/catalog/people-of-ammon-taught-in-their-youth/].
