And They Did Bury Their Swords

The Lamanites of the highlands of Guatemala were converted to the Lord.  The Book of Mormon mentions seven cities as being converted.  I don't think those numbers of mass conversions were repeated until 1978 in Africa when entire villages presented themselves to LDS missionaries for baptism.

This Lamanite conversion was remarkable in that the people experienced a mighty change of heart and became literally born again.  Their countenance changed from darkness to light.  Remember, these had been a warlike and violent people to whom killing of human beings was of no more consequence than killing and animal for food.  You might say that violence and murder were an addiction to them.  When they knew the Lord, the enormity of their wickedness was brought with a clarity to their minds and hearts.  They vowed that they would do anything to retain this new Light that had entered into their lives.

Recognizing this, the king addressed his people on the subject.  They were so afraid that if they retained their swords, they might be tempted to raise them against another human being and lose the grace with which they had been saved.  As a result, they all vowed that they would bury their weapons of war deep in the earth so that they could present their swords unstained with human blood to the Lord.  The Book of Mormon describes it thus:

And now it came to pass that when the king had made an end of these sayings, and all the people were assembled together, they took their swords, and all the weapons which were used for the shedding of man’s blood, and they did bury them up deep in the earth. (Alma 24: 17)

This practice was known to have occurred among the Maya in Mesoamerica during this time period (about 75 BCE).  According to the archaeological record, weapons were actually broken and thus "killed" before being buried as an offering to God.

These incredible disciples of God literally suffered themselves to be killed rather than take up their swords again.  The aggression toward them by the unconverted Lamanites became so intense, that Ammon and his brothers led these Lamanites with new, clean souls to live among the Nephites in Zarahemla.  They were eventually given the city of Jershon for their home.

 

Text copyright December 2013, Gebara Education

Pictures from www.lds.org