Mormon 6: Last Struggle at Cumorah

How must a commander feel when he knows with certainty that all of those whom he marches into battle will die? How does he cope with the fact that his entire people; a people whose civilization once covered the land and whose culture dominated all others; will be completely wiped from the earth in one “last struggle?” (Mormon 6:6). How does he fake confidence? How does he reassure his soldiers? How does he not break down and weep over the prospect of the destruction of all that he knows and at one point or another likely held dear? How does he stand among his troops and look them in the eye, knowing that they will most certainly perish?

I cannot even begin to imagine how Mormon must have felt as he prepared the Nephites for their final battle at Cumorah. The amount of faith he must have had in the Lord, though, is nothing short of incredible. I’m not sure how else one explains his ability to lead an army doomed before it even reaches the battlefield. At the end of the chapter, he discusses the “anguish” of his soul “because of the slain of [his] people” (Mormon 6:16). He wonders how it is possible that the Nephites could have turned their backs on Jesus even after he stood among their forefathers? Where did they go wrong? How could they be so blind and stupid?

After declaring that their destruction can be attributed to their wickedness and arrogance, he states, “But behold, ye are gone, and my sorrows cannot bring your return” (Mormon 6:20). I wonder if this is a coping mechanism for Mormon; if he’s basically saying, “Welp, can’t change the past, so time to move on,” and if he’s basically trying to avoid dwelling on the death and destruction that lay before him? If so, perhaps his acceptance and desire to move forward provides an answer to the questions in the top paragraph.

Additional thoughts…

• Mormon writes to the Lamanite king requesting that the next battle occur by the hill Cumorah. He mentions in verse 4 that at Cumorah, the Nephites “had hope to gain advantage over the Lamanites” (Mormon 6:4). Hope is the word that stood out to me as I read this sentence; the hill Cumorah = hope. While I understand that it’s likely Mormon was directed by the Spirit to gather at Cumorah so that the Plates of Nephi could be hidden there, I think there’s something to the fact that he mentions that the hill provided the Nephites with hope. Cumorah is a beacon of light for the world. It provided an ideal location for which the Plates could be hidden, and is a key location in the restoration of the Gospel. I’ve only had the opportunity to visit once, and I was rather young at the time, but I remember a strong feeling that it was indeed a very sacred site. I’d bet that it has always been a sacred site, even at the time of the Nephites and the Lamanites, and that the armies that had gathered there felt a similar feeling. 
• In verse 7 it’s mentioned that the wives and children of the Nephites were filled “with that awful fear of death which fills the breast of all the wicked” as the Lamanite armies marched towards them (Mormon 6:7). I’ve never been close to death, and have never been filled with fear as it approached. Still, as I read this verse, I couldn’t help but wonder if it provided insight for a very specific moment in which every single Nephite understood that they would all perish. With fear filling their hearts “did they await to receive them,” Mormon writes, as though they were paralyzed by it. I guess the ultimate point is that the wicked know they are behaving wickedly; they know right from wrong. While they may deny such a fact, as the dark scepter of death falls upon them, they recognize their evil, and more importantly, the fact that it is too late for them to change their ways. 

(Written Tuesday, December 27, 2016)