Stirred Up to Anger

In a podcast this week Brother Ahmad S. Corbitt spoke about a lesson he has learned from the Book of Mormon related to racial discord. He suggested that many examples in the book show us that we should be wary of those who seek to stir us up to anger, particularly towards another race or skin color. We see in particular in the books of Mosiah and Alma instances in which individuals tried to stir up the Nephites and Lamanites, whose skin color was different, against each other. For example, when Zeniff and his group of Nephites lived among the Lamanites, the king “began to stir his people up in rebellion against [Zeniff’s] people; therefore they began to prepare for war, and to come up to battle against [his] people” (Mosiah 10:6). Many people lost their lives because of his efforts to stir up the Lamanites in anger against the Nephites. Later a Nephite named Amlici “did stir up those who were in his favor to anger against those who were not in his favor” (Alma 2:8). Originally this fighting involved only Nephites, but then he somehow convinced the Lamanites to join them in fighting the Nephites: “The Lamanites and the Amlicites, being as numerous almost, as it were, as the sands of the sea, came upon them to destroy them” (Alma 2:27). Countless died because one man stired up the people to anger against one another. Many years later a Zoramite named Zarahemnah who deserted to the Lamanites also sought “to stir up the Lamanites to anger against the Nephites; this he did that he might usurp great power over them, and also that he might gain power over the Nephites by bringing them into bondage” (Alma 43:8). That wicked desire led to another destructive war in which many there were so many dead that they were “not numbered because of the greatness of the number” (Alma 43:21).

               Much of the major war between the Nephites and the Lamanites that followed was also instigated by those who sought to stir up one another to anger against each other. Moroni sought to stop Amalickiah’s dissension for that very reason: “[Moroni] knew that [Amalickiah] would stir up the Lamanites to anger against them, and cause them to come to battle against them; and this he knew that Amalickiah would do that he might obtain his purposes” (Alma 46:30). That’s exactly what happened: “He had taken those who went with him, and went up in the land of Nephi among the Lamanites, and did stir up the Lamanites to anger against the people of Nephi” (Alma 47:1). Later we read that after he became king, “He began to inspire the hearts of the Lamanites against the people of Nephi; yea, he did appoint men to speak unto the Lamanites from their towers, against the Nephites.” And indeed it worked: “He had accomplished his design, for he had hardened the hearts of the Lamanites and blinded their minds, and stirred them up to anger, insomuch that he had gathered together a numerous host to go to battle against the Nephites” (Alma 48:1, 3). Mormon summarized, “Amalickiah had again stirred up the hearts of the people of the Lamanites against the people of the Nephites, and he was gathering together soldiers from all parts of his land, and arming them, and preparing for war with all diligence; for he had sworn to drink the blood of Moroni” (Alma 51:9). So much bloodshed was a result of one man stirring up one people against another. Brother Corbitt’s message was that these stories are here as warning that we should be wary of those seeking power by trying to anger us against another group. Nephi taught us early in the book where that comes from: “At that day shall [the devil] rage in the hearts of the children of men, and stir them up to anger against that which is good” (2 Nephi 28:20). So many in our society today indeed seek to stir us up to anger against other groups or peoples, dividing those who could otherwise be united. The message of the Book of Mormon, on the other hand, is that the Savior “inviteth them all to come unto him and partake of his goodness; and he denieth none that come unto him, black and white, bond and free, male and female; and he remembereth the heathen; and all are alike unto God, both Jew and Gentile” (2 Nephi 26:33).