Fighting for Desolation

Amidst the terrible wars recounted by Mormon that made up the last years of the Nephite civilization, there was a peculiar and repetitive struggle over the region of Desolation.  While the stories of the battles regarding the end of the Nephites certainly are not very uplifting, I think there is some symbolism at least in this unusual fight over Desolation that might serve as a warning for us. 

Mormon wrote, “I did cause my people that they should gather themselves together at the land Desolation.”  After the Nephites fortified themselves there, “the Lamanites did come down to the city of Desolation to battle “and the Nephites “did beat them.”  In the next year the Lamanites came again to Desolation and the Nephites “did beat them again” (Mormon 3:5, 7, 8).  In the next year, though, the Lamanites came again to battle and “did take possession of the city Desolation, and did slay many of the Nephites” (Mormon 4:2).  Soon thereafter the Nephites repulsed the Lamanites and “took possession again of the city Desolation” (Mormon 4:8).  Only a few verses later we read, “And it came to pass that the Lamanites did take possession of the city Desolation” (Mormon 4:13).  Two verses later the Nephites took it back: “They did beat again the Lamanites, and drive them out of their lands” (Mormon 4:15).  A short time later “the Lamanites did come down against the city Desolation; and there was an exceedingly sore battle fought in the land Desolation, in the which they did beat the Nephites” (Mormon 4:19).  From what I can tell that was the last fight over the land of Desolation, and the Lamanites continued from that point on to destroy the Nephites.  This means that in the short space of about 14 years there were at least 7 major battles over Desolation, and the city changed hands 5 times between the two civilizations!

So the Nephites lost tens of thousands of lives fighting again and again for “Desolation,” and it brought them nothing but desolation.  Surely this name was not by chance; after rejecting God the only thing the Nephites had left to fight for was a city called Desolation, and ultimately all that remained from their choices was desolation.  If they had focused first on repenting and keeping the commandments of God, He would have preserved them.  But instead they received the result of the Savior’s promise to the Jews who killed the prophets and rejected the Savior: “Behold, your house is left unto you desolate” (Matt. 23:38).  Perhaps the lesson for us in our day is that our primary effort should not be to fight for a city named Desolation; or in other words, we should not put our greatest energy into spiritually lifeless causes that ultimately will mean nothing if we haven’t put the gospel first.