Stirred up by the Amalekites and Amulonites, the unbelieving Lamanites prepared to attack the believers. The believers held a council to decide how to respond, and at their king’s encouragement, they buried their weapons as a testimony to God that they would never again shed blood. The unbelievers attacked and killed more than 1,000 believers. However, many of the attackers felt remorse and joined the believers, throwing down their weapons.
Chapter Outline
- Non-believing Lamanites prepare for war (v. 1-4)
- The king urges believers to bury their weapons (v. 5-16)
- The people bury their weapons (v. 17-19)
- Non-believing Lamanites attack and kill many believers who do not resist. Many of the attackers are converted (v. 20-28).
- None of the Amalekites or Amulonites are converted (v. 29-30)
My Takeaways
- Let go of the emotional “weapons” that you use when you feel threatened, including blaming and stonewalling.
- When we measure outcomes according to God’s perspective instead of worldly ones, we see more clearly.
- Intentionally rejecting the truth today may make it harder to accept it in the future, and can adversely affect those around you as well.
Featured Blog Posts
❖ The king urges believers to bury their weapons – Alma 24:5-16
A Call from Arms
The Lamanites who were converted buried their weapons. This act of consecration is so remarkable that it appears many times in the Book of Mormon, including a final invitation from Mormon to us. President Nelson has also invited us to bury our weapons.
“All That We Could Do” – Alma 24:11, 15
Repentance is hard. Alma was redeemed by God only “after wading through much tribulation, repenting nigh unto death” (Mosiah 27:28). His friends, the sons of King Mosiah, “suffered much anguish of soul because of their iniquities” (Mosiah 28:4). And the Lamanites who were converted by their preaching had to endure “sore repentance” (Alma 27:23). No…
When Is Violence Justified?
“Thou shalt not kill” (Exodus 20:13). The sixth of the Ten Commandments which the Lord gave to Moses on Mount Sinai is clear and uncontroversial. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus expanded the commandment: Not only is it wrong to kill. It’s wrong to be angry. It’s wrong to call people names. These small…
❖ Believers bury their weapons – Alma 24:17-19
Burying My Weapons
The Anti-Nephi-Lehies, who were converted to the gospel by the preaching of the sons of Mosiah, decided as a group to renounce violence. Encouraged by their king, they buried their weapons as a symbol of their commitment to live differently (Alma 24:6-19). The buried weapons had a very literal consequence for them shortly afterward. They…
Rather Than Spend Their Days in Idleness – Alma 24:18
18 And this they did, it being in their view a testimony to God, and also to men, that they never would use weapons again for the shedding of man’s blood; and this they did, vouching and covenanting with God, that rather than shed the blood of their brethren they would give up their own…
❖ Non-believers attack – Alma 24:20-28
The People of God Were Joined…by More Than the Number Who Had Been Slain – Alma 24:26-27
26 And it came to pass that the people of God were joined that day by more than the number who had been slain; and those who had been slain were righteous people, therefore we have no reason to doubt but what they were saved. 27 And there was not a wicked man slain among…
“And Thus We See…”
Periodically, as Mormon relates the history of his people, he interrupts the narrative to share a lesson he hopes we’re learning. He often begins these editorial notes with the phrase, “and thus we see.” Many of these editorial notes appear during the Lamanite mission of the sons of Mosiah. Here are some of them: “And…
❖ No Amalekites or Amulonites are converted – Alma 24:29-30
They Become More Hardened – Alma 24:30
30 And thus we can plainly discern, that after a people have been once enlightened by the Spirit of God, and have had great knowledge of things pertaining to righteousness, and then have fallen away into sin and transgression, they become more hardened, and thus their state becomes worse than though they had never known…
Old Testament Foundations
The Sanctity of Life
A disciple of Jesus Christ has a reverence and respect for living things. “Thou shalt not kill,” God commanded on Mount Sinai (Exodus 20:13, Deuteronomy 5:17, Mosiah 13:21). And Jesus extended that commandment to less violent offenses: don’t get angry; don’t say unkind things. (See Matthew 5:21, 3 Nephi 12:21.) When we recognize that all…
New Testament Parallels
“Put Up Again Thy Sword”
When Peter tried to defend Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane, Jesus taught him an important truth: “All they that take the sword shall perish with the sword.” Peace and patience can be far more persuasive than contention and hostility.
Church History Connections
“It Shall Be Disposed of by a Council”
If you want to increase the probability of making wise decisions, form a council. When Ammon and his fellow missionaries saw that their converts were being slaughtered by their enemies, he convened a council with government leaders to determine how to deal with the crisis. (See Alma 24:5.) When the Nephite army faced precarious circumstances,…
All Posts Referencing Alma 24
- How to Endure Well (10/21/2025)
- Being More Careful (9/28/2025)
- “Defend It” (8/22/2024)
- War and Peace (8/14/2024)
- Targets of Rage (7/12/2024)
- A Call from Arms (7/10/2024)
- The Plan of Salvation (4/18/2024)
- “Put Up Again Thy Sword” (6/15/2023)
- The Sanctity of Life (12/15/2021)
- “It Shall Be Disposed of by a Council” (10/17/2021)
- “A Portion of His Spirit” (7/4/2021)
- Book of Mormon References in Moroni 6 (12/5/2020)
- “They Never Would Shed Blood More” – Alma 53:11 (8/11/2020)
- “And Thus We See…” (7/3/2020)
- “All That We Could Do” – Alma 24:11, 15 (7/2/2020)
- Burying My Weapons (7/1/2020)
- What Are the Roles of Persuasion and Punishment in Motivating Good Behavior? (12/4/2019)
- How Should I Express Gratitude? (11/30/2019)
- What Should I Be Thankful For? (11/28/2019)
- When Is Violence Justified? (10/17/2019)
- What Should I Do When I Feel Guilty? (6/24/2019)
- What Does It Mean to Harden Your Heart? (5/1/2019)
- How Should We Respond When Others Threaten or Attack Us? (4/28/2019)
- They Become More Hardened – Alma 24:30 (3/4/2017)
- The People of God Were Joined…by More Than the Number Who Had Been Slain – Alma 24:26-27 (7/2/2015)
- Rather Than Spend Their Days in Idleness – Alma 24:18 (7/1/2015)