Cry Unto the Lord

The story of the Nephites and their war against the Gadianton robbers shows us I believe the key thing we need to do when facing serious challenges: plead with the Lord for help. Giddianhi wrote to Lachoneus promising their destruction, saying, "I swear unto you with an oath, that on the morrow month I will command that my armies shall come down against you, and they shall not stay their hand and shall spare not, but shall slay you, and shall let fall the sword upon you even until ye shall become extinct."  This was surely a frightening time for the Nephites as this threat loomed over them.  The response of Lachoneus teaches us how we should face our fears and threats today: "He did cause that his people should cry unto the Lord for strength against the time that the robbers should come down against them."  He further told them, "As the Lord liveth, except ye repent of all your iniquities, and cry unto the Lord, ye will in nowise be delivered out of the hands of those Gadianton robbers." Mormon recorded that the Nephites "did exert themselves in their might to do according to the words of Lachoneus" and that "they did put up their prayers unto the Lord their God, that he would deliver them in the time that their enemies should come down against them to battle" (3 Nephi 3:8,12,15-16,25). Over and over they pled with the Lord that He would preserve them from the hands of their enemies. 

           We see I believe one effect of their prayers before the first battle commenced: the robbers took much longer to come against them than they threatened.  It was sometime "in the sixteenth year" that Lachoneus received the letter from Giddianhi promising to come "on the morrow month" to destroy them.  It wasn't until "in the seventeenth year, in the latter end of the year" that the Nephites were able to gather themselves together all into one land (3 Nephi 3:1,22).  Mormon recorded that it was in "the latter end of the eighteenth year" that "those armies of robbers had prepared for battle, and began to come down and to sally forth from the hills."  And it wasn't until it was "in the nineteenth year Giddianhi found that it was expedient that he should go up to battle against the Nephites" and the first battle took place (3 Nephi 4:1,5). So whereas Giddianhi originally promised in the 16th year to come in the next month, it wasn't until the 19th year that he came, giving the Nephites plenty of time to physically get ready.  If he had really come in the 16th or 17th year it likely would have been catastrophic for the Nephites because they weren't yet prepared or gathered together, and surely it was the Lord that delayed their enemies because of their pleadings with Him.

             As the battle commenced the Nephites continued to show us how it is that you face your enemies: through heartfelt prayer to the Lord.  When the robbers showed up in their armor and blood-stained lamb skins ready to massacre the Nephites, this is how the people of Lachoneus responded, "When they saw the appearance of the army of Giddianhi, had all fallen to the earth, and did lift their cries to the Lord their God, that he would spare them and deliver them out of the hands of their enemies."  Once again, their response was to pray with all their hearts for the Lord's help.  The Nephites "did fear their God and did supplicate him for protection" and so "when the armies of Giddianhi did rush upon them they were prepared to meet them; yea, in the strength of the Lord they did receive them." (3 Nephi 4:8,10).  Ultimately they did triumph and they did immediately turn to Him in their victory: "Yea, they did cry: Hosanna to the Most High God. And they did cry: Blessed be the name of the Lord God Almighty, the Most High God."  When it was all done "they knew it was because of their repentance and their humility that they had been delivered from an everlasting destruction" (3 Nephi 4:32-33). It was heartfelt prayer, showing their repentance and humility, that gave them the power of the Lord to overcome their enemies. Surely today in our difficult time with this pandemic it is the same heartfelt and humble pleading with the Lord that will see us through.