The East Wilderness

When the Lamanites had battles with the Nephites after the destruction of Ammonihah, most of the descendants of the priests of Noah were killed.  Mormon gave us a snippet of an interesting story about what happened to the rest of them: “Among the Lamanites who were slain were almost all the seed of Amulon and his brethren, who were the priests of Noah, and they were slain by the hands of the Nephites; And the remainder, having fled into the east wilderness, and having usurped the power and authority over the Lamanites, caused that many of the Lamanites should perish by fire because of their belief.”  There were righteous Lamanites who, after suffering much affliction, began to “believe in the Lord… and thus there were many of them converted in the wilderness” (Alma 25:4-6).  They perhaps were seeking to distance themselves from the main body of Lamanites by going into this east wilderness, but the remnant of the descendants of the priests of Noah apparently came and overpowered them right after their conversion.  That of course would not have been hard given that these converted Lamanites refused to take up arms.  Then, like the righteous at Ammonihah, these recent converts then literally faced a “fiery trial” (as Peter called it to the saints of his day) for “those rulers who were the remnant of the children of Amulon caused that they should be put to death, yea, all those that believed in these things” (Alma 25:7).  We know very little else about this terrible event, but surely “the Lord receive[d] them up unto himself, in glory” (Alma 14:11).

            There is one more story associated with the “east wilderness” that happened just a handful of years later which I think is instructive.  During the great war between the Nephites and the Lamanites, “Moroni caused that his armies should go forth into the east wilderness; yea, and they went forth and drove all the Lamanites who were in the east wilderness into their own lands, which were south of the land of Zarahemla.”  Moroni seemed to have been trying to create a greater buffer between the Lamanites and the Nephites by driving out the Lamanites more into their own lands and away from Zarahemla.  But he didn’t just drive them out; rather, we read, “when Moroni had driven all the Lamanites out of the east wilderness, which was north of the lands of their own possessions, he caused that the inhabitants who were in the land of Zarahemla and in the land round about should go forth into the east wilderness, even to the borders by the seashore, and possess the land” (Alma 50:7, 9).  It was not enough to rid the place of their enemies but Moroni sought to also fill it with their people so that their enemies would not be able to come back.  In the same manner, it is not good enough for us to turn away books and movies and music that aren’t befitting of a disciple of Christ, but we must also seek to fill our lives with that which is “virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy” (Article of Faith 13).  As we clear out the east wildernesses of our lives by overcoming bad habits and choices, we must also replace them with good habits and those things which will uplift us.