Alma meets alone with Zarahemnah, promising to spare him and his army if they turn over their weapons and promise not to attack them again. Zarahemnah turns over his weapons, but refuses to take an oath “which we know that we shall break.” The battle resumes, and when Zarahemnah sees that he cannot win, he agrees to Moroni’s terms. He and his men surrendered their weapons, took the oath, and departed in peace.
Chapter Outline
- Moroni lays out terms for Zarahemnah’s surrender (v. 1-7)
- Zarahemnah rejects the terms, tries to kill Moroni, and stirs up his army to fight again (v. 8-16)
- Zarahemnah and his army accept the terms of surrender, including promising never to fight the Nephites again (v. 17-24)
My Takeaways
- We can be courageous in defending what is right while treating those who oppose us with dignity and respect.
- When we humble ourselves, we can see more clearly, accept uncomfortable facts, and adapt to our circumstances.
Featured Blog Posts
❖ Moroni offers terms of surrender – Alma 44:1-7
We Do Not Desire to Be Men of Blood – Alma 44:1
1 And it came to pass that they did stop and withdrew a pace from them. And Moroni said unto Zerahemnah: Behold, Zerahemnah, that we do not desire to be men of blood. Ye know that ye are in our hands, yet we do not desire to slay you. (Alma 44:1) A defining characteristic of…
❖ Zarahemnah rejects the terms – Alma 44:8-16
We Are Not of Your Faith – Alma 44:9
9 Behold, we are not of your faith; we do not believe that it is God that has delivered us into your hands; but we believe that it is your cunning that has preserved you from our swords. Behold, it is your breastplates and your shields that have preserved you. (Alma 44:9) Pride is insidious.…
Old Testament Foundations
Breaking a Yoke
A yoke is a wooden beam placed on the necks of two animals so that they can pull together. That’s the literal definition. Throughout the scriptures, the term is also used metaphorically to represent servitude or oppression. Perhaps that’s because the Hebrew word for yoke—ol (עֹל)—is related to the verb alal (עָלַל), which means to…
All Posts Referencing Alma 44
- Breaking a Yoke (2/27/2022)
- King-Men and Freedom of Speech (1/14/2021)
- When Is Violence Justified? (10/17/2019)
- We Do Not Desire to Be Men of Blood – Alma 44:1 (4/7/2018)
- We Are Not of Your Faith – Alma 44:9 (8/3/2015)