The Desolation of the Nehors

After the conversion of many of the Lamanites by Ammon and his brethren, and the formation of the Anti-Nephi-Lehies, other Lamanites eventually came out to battle against them and killed over one thousand of them.  Mormon commented, “Now the greatest number of those of the Lamanites who slew so many of their brethren were Amalekites and Amulonites, the greatest number of whom were after the order of the Nehors” (Alma 24:28).  So these Lamanite aggressors were largely followers of the same ideas as Nehor taught among the Nephites, “that all mankind should be saved at the last day, and that they need not fear nor tremble, but that they might lift up their heads and rejoice; for the Lord had created all men, and had also redeemed all men; and, in the end, all men should have eternal life” (Alma 1:4).  It is ironic that these Lamanites who professed such a liberal world view—that all mankind should be saved no matter what their beliefs or actions—should persecute so mercilessly those who saw the world differently than they did.  But that seemed to be a trend among all of those who followed the teachings of Nehor, including Nehor himself who slew Gideon and the people of Ammonihah who savagely burned many of the believers. 

               There is another irony in the story of these Lamanite aggressors.  After slaying these Anti-Nephi-Lehies, they seem to have had mixed feelings about killing their own brethren and decided to shift their focus: “And behold, now it came to pass that those Lamanites were more angry because they had slain their brethren; therefore they swore vengeance upon the Nephites.”  So what did they do first?  They attacked the city of Ammonihah: “They took their armies and went over into the borders of the land of Zarahemla, and fell upon the people who were in the land of Ammonihah and destroyed them” (Alma 25:1-2).  The people of Ammonihah were so completely destroyed that Mormon left us this description of the gruesome event: “But behold, in one day it was left desolate…. Their dead bodies were heaped up upon the face of the earth…. And it was called Desolation of Nehors; for they were of the profession of Nehor, who were slain; and their lands remained desolate” (Alma 16:10-11).  So central was their belief in these teachings of Nehor that this land kept that name.  The ironic part is this: all these people of Ammonihah who followed the teachings of Nehor were destroyed by their Lamanite/Amalekite counterparts who also were followers of the teachings of Nehor!  I think it shows that their professed religion was shallow at best and was not an expansive, democratic world view but merely an excuse to seek domination over any people of their choosing.  And it shows the truth of Mormon’s statement about Korihor after his demise: “And thus we see that the devil will not support his children at the last day, but doth speedily drag them down to hell” (Alma 30:60).  He inspired the people of Ammonihah under the pretense of the teachings of Nehor to slay their own brethren; and then he inspired the Lamanites with the same supposed belief system to come slay the people of Ammonihah.  The teachings of Nehor were simply a means to the end Satan desired: “Death and destruction among men” (Alma 28:14).  Our only safety is not in the world’s shallow “anything goes” philosophy but in righteousness and faith in Jesus Christ, in following the admonition of Alma to his son Shiblon: “I would that ye should remember that as much as ye shall put your trust in God even so much ye shall be delivered out of your trials, and your troubles, and your afflictions, and ye shall be lifted up at the last day” (Alma 38:5).