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What is war?

war   n.

1.  
1. A state of open, armed, often prolonged conflict carried on between nations, states, or parties.
2. The period of such conflict.
3. The techniques and procedures of war; military science.
2.  
1. A condition of active antagonism or contention: a war of words; a price war.
2. A concerted effort or campaign to

First recorded war in this world?

Genesis 6:13 And the children of men were numerous upon all the face of the land. And in those days, Satan had great dominion among men, and raged in their hearts; and from thenceforth came wars and bloodshed. Genesis 7:20 And from that time forth, there were wars, and bloodshed among them; but the Lord came and dwelt with his people, and they dwelt in righteousness.

What are God’s views on war? Compare and Contrast these…

Alma 20:51 And they were doing that which they felt was the duty which they owed to their God; for the Lord had said unto them, and also unto their fathers, That inasmuch as ye are not guilty of the first offense, neither the second, ye shall not suffer yourselves to be slain by the hands of your enemies.

Alma 21:47 And he said, Surely God shall not suffer that we, who are despised because we take upon us the name of Christ, shall be trodden down and destroyed, until we bring it upon us by our own trangressions.

What are God’s views on peace?

How does one reconcile peace and war?

Does God Ever Justify war?

Deuteronomy 20:12 And if it will make no peace with thee, but will make war against thee, then thou shalt besiege it;

Proverbs 20:18 Every purpose is established by counsel; and with good advice make war. (see ‘Good Advice’, DC 95)

Isaiah 36:10 And am I now come up without the Lord against this land to destroy it? the Lord said unto me, Go up against this land, and destroy it.

War for what reasons? When?  Why?

Mosiah 9:119 But they fought for their lives, and for their wives, and for their children; therefore they exerted themselves, and like dragons did they fight.

Alma 26:56 Now they never had fought, yet they did not fear death: and they did think more upon the liberty of their fathers, than they did upon their lives; yea, they had been taught by their mothers, that if they did not doubt, that God would deliver them.

Alma 27:23 But behold, this is not all, ye have withheld your provisions from them, insomuch that many have fought and bled out their lives because of their great desires which they had for the welfare of this people

God Leads War…

Joshua 6:2 And the Lord said unto Joshua, See, I have given into thine hand Jericho, and the king thereof, and the mighty men of valor.  And ye shall compass the city, all ye men of war, and go round about the city once. Thus shalt thou do six days.

When did God’s People Lose at War??

Mosiah 9:144 And it came to pass that the people began to murmur with the king, because of their afflictions; and they began to be desirous to go against them to battle….read next several verses.

Command to ‘Pray for Enemies.’  Why?

3 Nephi 5:90 But behold I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them who despitefully use you and persecute you,

Matthew 5:46 But I say unto you, love your enemies; bless them that curse you; do good to them that hate you; and pray for them which despitefully use you and persecute you;

Alma 1:85 Nevertheless the Nephites, being strengthened by the hand of the Lord, having prayed mightily to him that he would deliver them out of the hands of their enemies;

Alma 16:178 For he said, Thou art merciful O God, for thou hast heard my prayer, even when I was in the wilderness: yea, thou wast merciful when I prayed concerning those who were mine enemies, and thou didst turn them to me:

Alma 16:219 Yea, humble yourselves, and continue in prayer unto him; cry unto him when ye are in your fields; yea, over all your flocks; cry unto him in your houses, yea, over all your household, both morning, mid- day, and evening; yea, cry unto him against the power of your enemies; yea, cry unto him against the devil, who is an enemy to all righteousness.

Alma 26:131 Therefore we did pour out our souls in prayer to God, that he would strengthen us and deliver us out of the hands of our enemies; yea, and also give us strength, that we might retain our cities, and our lands, and our possessions, for the support of our people.

Here is the key:

 Moroni 8:32 Pray for them, my son, that repentance may come unto them.

Spiritual gifts used to help God’s people in war..

3 Nephi 2:24 Now it was the custom among all the Nephites, to appoint for their chief captains, save it were in their times of wickedness, some one that had the spirit of revelation, and also prophecy; therefore this Gidgiddoni was a great prophet among them, and also was the chief judge.

Alma 20:34 And he also knowing that it was the only desire of the Nephites to preserve their lands, their liberty, and their church, therefore he thought it no sin that he should defend them by stratagem; therefore he found, by his spies, which course the Lamanites were to take.

The Early Church’ stance—held right to bear arms and protect this land.

Church History Vol 1.  Chpt 18:511 As a people we hold ourselves amenable to the laws of the land, and while the government remains as it is, the right to emigrate from State to State, from territory to territory, from county to county, and from vicinity to vicinity, is open to all men of whatever trade or creed, without hindrance or molestation; and as long as we are justifiable and honest in the eyes of the law, we claim it, whether we remove by single families, or in bodies of hundreds, with that of carrying the necessary arms and accouterments for military duty. And we believe that all honest men, who love their country and their country's glory, and have a wish to see the law magnified and made honorable, will not only help perpetuate the great legacy of freedom, that came unimpaired from the hands of our venerable fathers, to us, but they will also protect us from insult and injury, and aid the work of God, that they may reap a reward in the regions of bliss, when all men receive according to their works.

“Process” of  “Righteous War?”

From  DC 95:5a

 Alma 20:51 And they were doing that which they felt was the duty which they owed to their God; for the Lord had said unto them, and also unto their fathers, That inasmuch as ye are not guilty of the first offense, neither the second, ye shall not suffer yourselves to be slain by the hands of your enemies.

We are Called to:

DC 95: 6c And if any nation, tongue, or people should proclaim war against them, they should

1. First lift a standard of peace unto that people, nation, or tongue, and if that people did not accept the offering of peace, neither the second nor the third time.

2. they should bring these testimonies before the Lord; then,

3. I, the Lord, would give unto them a commandment, and justify them in going out to battle against that nation, tongue, or people,
   6e and

4. I, the Lord, would fight their battles, and their children's battles and their children's children until they had avenged themselves on all their enemies, to the third and fourth generation;
   6f behold, this is an ensample unto all people, saith the Lord, your God, for justification before me.

But if Repentance Occurs…

7a And again, verily I say unto you,

1. If, after thine enemy has come upon thee the first time, he repent and come unto thee praying thy forgiveness thou shalt forgive him, and shall hold it no more as a testimony against thine enemy, 7b and so on unto the second and the third time, and
2. as oft as thine enemy repenteth of the trespass wherewith he has trespassed against thee, thou shalt forgive him, until seventy times seven;
   
3. 7c and if he transgress against thee and repent not the first time, nevertheless thou shalt forgive him;

4. and if he trespass against thee the second time, and repent not, nevertheless thou shalt forgive him;

5. and if he trespass against thee the third time and repent not, thou shalt also forgive him;

6. 7d but if he trespass against thee the fourth time, thou shalt not forgive him but shall bring these testimonies before the Lord, and they shall not be blotted out until he repent and reward thee fourfold in all things wherewith he has trespassed against you;

7. 7e and if he do this thou shalt forgive him with all thine heart, and if he do not this, I, the Lord, will avenge thee of thine enemy an hundredfold; and upon his children, and upon his children's children, of all them that hate me, unto the third and fourth generation;

8. 7f but if the children shall repent, or the children's children and turn unto the Lord their God with all their hearts, and with all their might, mind, and strength, and restore fourfold for all their trespasses, wherewith they have trespassed, or wherewith their fathers have trespassed or their father's fathers,

Therefore, we are to show Mercy if Repentance occurs.  Has Saddam ever repented?

What is the Righteous People’s purpose--to Fight for what?

Alma 20:50 Nevertheless, the Nephites were inspired by a better cause; for they were not fighting for monarchy nor power; but they were fighting for their homes, and their liberties, their wives, and their children, and their all; yea, for their rites of worship, and their church;

Alma 20:70 And now Zerahemnah, I command you, in the name of that all-powerful God, who has strengthened our arms, that we have gained power over you by our faith, by our religion, and by our rites of worship, and by our church, and by the sacred support which we owe to our wives and our children, by that liberty which binds us to our lands and our country; yea, and also by the maintenance of the sacred word of God, to which we owe all our happiness;

What about covenants?

Alma 15:23   And it came to pass that the voice of the people came, saying: Behold, we will give up the land of Jershon, which is on the east by the sea, which joins the land Bountiful, which is on the south of the land Bountiful; and this land Jershon is the land which we will give unto our brethren for an inheritance.
24 And behold, we will set our armies between the land Jershon and the land Nephi, that we may protect our brethren in the land Jershon;
25 And this we do for our brethren, on account of their fear to take up arms against their brethren, lest they should commit sin: and this their great fear came, because of their sore repentance which they had, on account of their many murders, and their awful wickedness.

 What was the sin??? To War or to Break Covenant?

Was it warring that was the sin they feared?  NO, it was to break a covenant promising to or not to do something.  Our covenant with God as Christians does not preclude us from defending our country.  These people had covenanted to never take arms again or be destroyed; their sons, however, were hailed as the most spiritually strong warriors among the Nephites.

 Moroni and President Bush.  Compare the description of Moroni with the intent of the leader of the United States.

140 Yea, verily, verily I say unto you, if all men had been, and were, and ever would be, like unto Moroni, behold, the very powers of hell would have been shaken for ever; yea, the devil would never have power over the hearts of the children of men.
141 Behold, he was a man like unto Ammon, the son of Mosiah, yea, and even the other sons of Mosiah; yea, and also Alma and his sons, for they were all men of God.
142 Now behold, Helaman and his brethren were no less serviceable unto the people, than was Moroni; for they did preach the word of God, and they did baptize unto repentance, all men whosoever would harken unto their words.
143 And thus they went forth, and the people did humble themselves because of their words, insomuch that they were highly favored of the Lord; and thus they were free from wars and contentions among themselves; yea, even for the space of four years.
144 But as I have said in the latter end of the nineteenth; yea, notwithstanding their peace amongst themselves, they were compelled reluctantly to contend with their brethren, the Lamanites;
145 Yea, and in fine, their wars never did cease for the space of many years with the Lamanites, notwithstanding their much reluctance.

Warnings from the Ancients to Americans of the Latter Day…

Don’t let secret combinations grow.  We have already been warned and commissioned.

Ether 3:95 And whatsoever nation shall uphold such secret combinations, to get power and gain, until they shall spread over the nation, behold, they shall be destroyed, for the Lord will not suffer that the blood of his saints, which shall be shed by them, shall always cry unto him from the ground for vengeance upon them, and yet he avenge them not;

 A stern warning was given from two previous American societies that fell due to terrorism--Stop it, or it will stop you. Ether 3:96

“Our nation faces a threat to our freedoms, and the stakes could not be higher.  We are the target of enemies who boast they want to kill:  kill all Americans, kill all Jews, and kill all Christians.

“We’ve seen that type of hate before, and the only possible response is to confront it, and to defeat it.

“…We wage a war to save civilization itself.

“…We did not seek it, but we will fight it and we will prevail.

-Words to the Nation from President George W. Bush November 8, 2001

The Righteous Peoples’ Attitude toward war?

What was/is the only ‘ultimate cure?’

Helaman 2:74 And now my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation,

3 Nephi 2:20 Yea, he said unto them, As the Lord liveth, except ye repent of all your iniquities, and cry unto the Lord, that they could in no wise be delivered out of the hands of those Gadianton robbers.

3 Nephi 2:86 And now it came to pass that when they had taken all the robbers prisoners, insomuch that none did escape who were not slain, they did cast their prisoners into prison, and did cause the word of God to be preached unto them;

What advice did these prophets, who saw their own civilizations crumble because of secret acts of terrorism, give to us in the last days?

Ether 3:94 And now I, Moroni, do not write the manner of their oaths and combinations, for it hath been made known unto me that they are had among all people, and they are had among the Lamanites, and they have caused the destruction of this people of whom I am now speaking, and also the destruction of the people of Nephi; (i.e. BOTH Jaredite and Nephite civilizations died due to acts from secrect combinations leading to terrorism)

Ether 3:95 And whatsoever nation shall uphold such secret combinations, to get power and gain, until they shall spread over the nation, behold, they shall be destroyed, for the Lord will not suffer that the blood of his saints, which shall be shed by them, shall always cry unto him from the ground for vengeance upon them, and yet he avenge them not;

Ether 3:96 Wherefore, O ye Gentiles, it is wisdom in God that these things should be shewn unto you, that thereby ye may repent of your sins, and suffer not that these murderous combinations shall get above you, which are built up to get power and gain, and the work, yea, even the work of destruction come upon you;

Conclusion:  Remember, God is in the ‘business of Saving Souls’…

DC 22:23b and there is no end to my works, neither to my words; for this is my work and my glory, to bring to pass the immortality, and eternal life of man.

Remember that this is God’s #1 macro purpose—to offer salvation to mankind.  It is not to prove a nation right or wrong, or to always prevent his people from suffering hardships inflicted by their enemies.  His perfect desire is that people live and leave this world prepared to meet him.  That means having repented of sin and made covenant with Him.  THIS IS THE KEY.  To die without proper preparation to meet God defeats the purpose of living in this world. 

It is/was with this understanding that Moroni’s people were reluctant to take up arms against their enemies—they didn’t want to be the means of sending souls to God unprepared to meet him—this insured spiritual suffering in the prison house until the resurrection.