New Year's in the Book of Mormon

Dear Daniel,

It's a New Year!  While you may not have known or understood why we were celebrating, it's a New Year!  I hope this one is filled with wonderful things for you.

New Year's always come with celebrations.  Here in PA, it's a tradition for things to be "dropped".  In New York City, they "drop" an apple, because it's the "Big Apple".  In PA, we drop all sorts of random things, depending on the town you're in.  In Lebanon, they drop a giant 13 foot bologna.  (You pronounce this "baloney", as we should.:)  In Hershey, they "raise" a kiss, and no one knows why they don't "drop" it.  Harrisburg drops a strawberry, York a white rose, Lancaster a red rose.  Palmyra drops a shoe, and from time to time, Cleona drops a pretzel.  Dillsburg drops a pickle, Foulmouth drops a goat.  What else is there? I think Elizabethtown drops a giant M&M.  I'm sure I'm forgetting somewhere.  Yes, we Pennsylvanians are weird!

When I was thinking of what I wanted to share with you, while things are festive, this time of year I often remember the stories in the Book of Mormon that relate.  I know we're likely on different calendars.  There is no place, to my knowledge, that says that when Mormon and Moroni abridged the plates, that they correlated the calendar of the Nephites and Lamanites to our modern-day calendar.  Despite this, there are traditions that seem to take place in the Book of Mormon in relation to months.  I would like to highlight one to you.

There are a few significant events tied into the end of the year.  There are two, in particular, that I can recite by memory, because they tie into one of my favorite persons, which is Teancum.  In Alma 51:34, Teancum puts an end to the evil Amalickiah on the eve of the new year, putting a javelin to his heart.

(photo source - James H. Fullmer.  Really enjoy his work.)

In the book War in the Book of Mormon, (I can't find the author now.  I believe it's either Nibley or Sorenson), the author expounds on the theory that there was great significance to this event.  I wish I could quote directly for you.  He points out that in Arabian countries, for a leader to perish on the eve of the new year, it is considered a terrible omen for the upcoming year.  For Teancum to take out Amalickiah, an apostate Nephite, on New Year's eve, surely meant devastation for the likely superstitious Lamanites that he had been leading.  Following his assassination, the Lamanites backed up their evil war plan for many days, even months.  (Alma 52:2)

(photo source)

Following this event, the war continued off and on.  This war totaled about seven years, when all was said and done.  And what ended it?  Again, this man Teancum.

In Alma 62, it appears to be two days before the new year.  Once again, Teancum and his army (along with the armies of Moroni and Lehi) seem to be all gathered together, preparing for more fighting the next day.  Teancum does his super-sleuthing maneuvers, and kills Ammoron (Amalickiah's brother, who succeeded him as the Lamanite leader).  Ammoron, however, unlike his brother, was alive long enough to have his guards (or whoever) chase down Teancum, and "slew him".

The next day, which was the eve of the new year, as Moroni and Lehi and the others mourned Teancum's death, they defeated the remaining Lamanite army, thus ending the war.  (Alma 62:37-38).

What does this have to do with New Year's?  Often we talk about the New Year being a new beginning.  Here we have a story of one of the most patriotic, effective warriors and leaders in the Book of Mormon, drasticly changing the course of the war, giving his own life in the process.  He likely knew he would die, and he likely knew the war would end when Amalickiah's ridiculous brother Ammoron died.  What Teancum gave up, we don't know for sure.  But rarely in the Book of Mormon do we see a martyr, and it is apparent to me that he was one.  In essence, he was a type, or symbol for Christ.  He gave up his life so that others could live.  Whether or not you respect him or not is up to you.  Only a few dozen years later, Christ would come, and do the same thing.

As you start your "New Year" each year, I hope that as Teancum symbolically allowed an "end" to the war and a fresh start for those surviving, Christ also allows an "end" to our personal wars, giving us a fresh start for the days ahead.

As for you, little Daniel, you are a warrior, just like Teancum.  Don't ever give up.

~Mom <3

Teancum and Obamacare

Yesterday I heard an interesting comment, in response to the US Supreme Court's ruling of Obamacare.  The ruling in a nutshell (for those completely uninformed on US politics) was that Obamacare passed, meaning that all US citizens will be required to have health insurance, or pay a fine (aka tax).  Someone commented how this issue is dividing so many within the country, and they foresee major catastrophes.  They referred to someone acting as Teancum, with a javelin to the heart of the opposition leadership.  I can see the parallel, because most readers of the Book of Mormon who have a clue who Teancum tend to rashly gather simply what he did, and not much about who he really was. 

In the middle of the Book of Mormon, the people the BoM speaks of were living in a very seemingly prosperous time.  It says at one point that they had never enjoyed such prosperity, since the days of Lehi.  This is saying a lot - mainly that in nearly 600 years, this was the most prosperous their civilization had become.  (Parallel: the US's prosperity of recent years, pre-recession.)  During the height of this Nephite prosperity, a group of people who thought they were of "high birth" began gathering together, to try to change the government into a kingship.  This would mean there would be one ruler, some sub-rulers, and control, opression, and even slavery for the rest.

This position was opposed, and eventually brought a lot of trouble to the Nephites.  Enter Teancum.

The was a faction, before this issue of kingships began, that tried taking their little group up to the Lamanites, who were the enemies of the Nephites.  The Lamanites were always provoking wars with the Nephites, so upon learning of this group wanting to go join the Lamanites, Moroni (leader of Nephite army) wanted to do everything he could to stop them.  He knew if they didn't stop this faction, they could have major catastrophes ahead.  So he sent Teancum and his men, who were described as "great warriors" (Alma 51:31).

In Alma 50:33, it says:

33 Therefore Moroni sent an army, with their camp, to head the people of Morianton, to stop their flight into the land northward.

This army was sent "with their camp".  It was not only a long journey (which required camping materials), but meant as a peace-keeping mission.  It doesn't say they went in their full armor, even though they were an army.  Or with cimeters, swords and shields.  They went with their camp to stop their flight.  Verse 35:

35 And it came to pass that the army which was sent by Moroni, which was led by a man whose name was Teancum, did meet the people of Morianton; and so stubborn were the people of Morianton, (being inspired by his wickedness and his ^aflattering words) that a battle commenced between them, in the which Teancum did ^bslay Morianton and defeat his army, and took them prisoners, and returned to the camp of Moroni. And thus ended the twenty and fourth year of the reign of the judges over the people of Nephi.

It appears that not only was Teancum a great warrior, but also sent as a negotiator, to try to convince Morianton and these dissenters to turn around.  He was highly liked, affable, and well loved, and surely he could convince Morianton to come back and figure something out peacably.  But due to Morianton's stubbornness, wickedness and flattering words, a battle commenced.  Do you think Teancum threw the first punch?  Or went in with weapons blazing?  Or do you think Morianton threw it?  I imagine so.  As Teancum was righteous, and was not only a great warrior but also supported by the hand of God, he killed Morianton in self defense, and those who were not defeated to death were taken prisoners.  I believe those prisoners had been given fair enough of a chance to concede to peace.

My point in sharing all of this is that Teancum was not one to wage war for war's sake.  He was sent to prevent it, on a small scale with this faction of Morianton and his cohorts, thereby preventing a larger war with the Lamanites.  He was a peacekeeper, but did what it took to be a great warrior to prevent such things.

In regards to how this applies with our nation's divisions, it inspires one to realize that through the intensity of what Teancum and other Nephite leaders went through, their goal was to keep peace and prosperity.  They had learned the destruction that came to their people through kingships, and did everything they could to prevent war and slavery.  If we relate our country's situation to their situation, if anything we should imitate their virtues of patriotism, involvement, preparation, wisdom, and peacekeeping.  They valued life and liberty, at all costs, but above all, they sought God's will.  People who think it's ok to push their protests to violence are beyond the mark, and encouraging destruction.  War may be prophesied of for the last days, but that does not mean we won't be judged for what we did or didn't do to prevent it.

Book of Mormon Geography

What is this, you ask?  A sketch, or drawing of sorts? 

Why yes, yes it is.  I'm a nerd for Book of Mormon geography, and this is my map of where it all went down. 

While I won't say that it did or didn't happen in one region or another, I will say that this is my interpretation or layout of how it's described during the period from Alma-Helaman.  I appreciate having a layout, so I can envision the movements of all the armies.  Having it set out like this allows me to ponder some questions.  Like in Alma 51, it says that the city of Nephihah was so strongly fortified that Amalickiah refused to go against it.  Instead, he headed for the city of Moroni (bottom right), and then continued on to take Lehi, Morianton, Omner, and Mulek.  (It doesn't mention here anything about Jershon or Antionum.)  They were headed toward Bountiful, when they were repulsed by Teancum and his men, who were "great warriors".  I gather that Teancum and his men were likely the best of the Nephite forces; their elite.  So why were they kept up in the north-east corner, when the Lamanites would've likely come up from their lands, in the south (the land of Nephi)?  Having a good sense of the layout of the land helps bring up questions like these.  Good things worth pondering. 

Another interesting thing is that the "narrow neck of land" took one and a half days for a Nephite to cross, from the east to the west seas (Alma 22:32).  Was this on foot, or horseback?  Something I'd surely like to know.  (And now that I looked, I already need to make an adjustment to my map.  Bountiful goes all the way from the east sea to the west sea, not just the north-east corner.  Alma 22:33)

One can say that the geography got all messed up when Jesus was crucified.  Cities were sunken, burned, raised up and down... so it might all be entirely different from what it was.  But I really enjoy having something to imagine with.  Hopefully someday soon it'll all be revealed.  What a fun day for all that will be!

~Jen:)