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Difference between revisions of "Warfare in the Book of Mormon"
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*{{revisited1|author=William J. Hamblin|article=The Importance of Warfare in Book of Mormon Studies|start=Chapter 16}} | *{{revisited1|author=William J. Hamblin|article=The Importance of Warfare in Book of Mormon Studies|start=Chapter 16}} | ||
*{{warfarebom1|author=Multiple|article=All|start=1}} | *{{warfarebom1|author=Multiple|article=All|start=1}} | ||
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− | *{{rediscovering|author=John L. Sorenson|article=Seasons of War, Seasons of Peace in the Book of Mormon|start | + | *{{rediscovering|author=John L. Sorenson|article=Seasons of War, Seasons of Peace in the Book of Mormon|start=249|end=255}} |
*David L. Webster, ''Defensive Earthworks at Bécan, Campeche, Mexico: Implications for Mayan Warfare'' (New Orleans: Middle American Research Institute, Tulane University, Publication 41, 1976). | *David L. Webster, ''Defensive Earthworks at Bécan, Campeche, Mexico: Implications for Mayan Warfare'' (New Orleans: Middle American Research Institute, Tulane University, Publication 41, 1976). |
Revision as of 19:25, 2 August 2006
This article is a draft. FairMormon editors are currently editing it. We welcome your suggestions on improving the content.
Contents
Armor
Book of Mormon armor does not match the type of armor that Joseph Smith would have been familiar with, nor does it reflect European styles of armor:
19 And when the armies of the Lamanites saw that the people of Nephi, or that Moroni, had prepared his people with breastplates and with arm–shields, yea, and also shields to defend their heads, and also they were dressed with thick clothing—Alma 43:19
Quilted armor
This description matches Mesoamerican quilted armor:
Arm shields
Breastplates
Fortifications
- 4 But behold, how great was their disappointment; for behold, the Nephites had dug up a ridge of earth round about them, which was so high that the Lamanites could not cast their stones and their arrows at them that they might take effect, neither could they come upon them save it was by their place of entrance. (Alma 49:4).
- 3 And it came to pass that after the Lamanites had finished burying their dead and also the dead of the Nephites, they were marched back into the land Bountiful; and Teancum, by the orders of Moroni, caused that they should commence laboring in digging a ditch round about the land, or the city, Bountiful. 4 And he caused that they should build a breastwork of timbers upon the inner bank of the ditch; and they cast up dirt out of the ditch against the breastwork of timbers; and thus they did cause the Lamanites to labor until they had encircled the city of Bountiful round about with a strong wall of timbers and earth, to an exceeding height. 5 And this city became an exceeding stronghold ever after; and in this city they did guard the prisoners of the Lamanites; yea, even within a wall which they had caused them to build with their own hands. Now Moroni was compelled to cause the Lamanites to labor, because it was easy to guard them while at their labor; and he desired all his forces when he should make an attack upon the Lamanites.(Alma 53:3-5).
The Book of Mormon's description of fortifications matches those in use in Mesoamerica. Multiple sites have been found; the city of Becan is well-known:
It should be noted too that the rise of Mesoamerican fortification in the archaelogic record matches the introduction of this form of warfare among the Nephites by Captain Moroni in about 72 B.C. (See Alma 49:8).The first number indicates "Definitive" sites; the second is "Possible" sites:
Ritual warfare
Seasonality of Warfare
Secret Combinations
Tactics
Weapons
Swords
Scott Brian, a graduate student of Archaeology at BYU, has made several reconstructions of a macahuitl, the ancient Mesoamerican weapon that can be described as a wooden club with sharp obsidian blades. Another term that can be legitimately used is "sword" — a term the Spaniards used when they faced this fearsome weapon that could cut better than metal swords.
Cimeters / Scimiters
Bows and Arrows
Further reading
FAIR wiki articles
Warfare in the Book of Mormon
FAIR web site
- Links to articles on the FAIR web site; Topical Guide entries go first
External links
- General articles
- David B. Honey, "Paradigms and Pitfalls of Approach to Warfare in the Book of Mormon (Review of Warfare in the Book of Mormon by Stephen D. Ricks and William J. Hamblin)," FARMS Review of Books 3/1 (1991): 118–140. off-site
- Matthew Roper, "On Cynics and Swords (Review of Of Cities and Swords: The Impossible Task of Mormon Apologetics)," FARMS Review of Books 9/1 (1997): 146–158. off-site
- Swords
- Matthew Roper, "On Cynics and Swords (Review of Of Cities and Swords: The Impossible Task of Mormon Apologetics)," FARMS Review of Books 9/1 (1997): 146–158. off-site
- Brett L. Holbrook, "The Sword of Laban as a Symbol of Divine Authority and Kingship," Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 2/1 (1993). [39–72] link
- Daniel N. Rolph, "'Prophets, Kings, and Swords: The Sword of Laban and Its Possible Pre-Laban Origin'," Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 2/1 (1993). [73–79] link
- Matthew Roper, "Eyewitness Descriptions of Mesoamerican Swords," Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 5/1 (1996). [150–158] link
- Matthew Roper, "Swords and 'Cimeters' in the Book of Mormon," Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 8/1 (1999). [34–43] link
- Anonymous, "Near Eastern Weapon Parallels," Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 8/1 (1999). [39–40] link
- Anonymous, "Out of the Dust: Ancient Steel Sword Unearthed," Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 14/2 (2005). [64–64] link
- Other weapons
- Anonymous, "Near Eastern Weapon Parallels," Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 8/1 (1999). [39–40] link
- Tactics and style of warfare
- John L. Sorenson, "Last-Ditch Warfare in Ancient Mesoamerica Recalls the Book of Mormon," Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 9/2 (2000). [44–53] link
Printed material
- William J. Hamblin, "Warfare in the Book of Mormon," in Rediscovering the Book of Mormon, edited by John L. Sorenson and Melvin J. Thorne (Salt Lake City, Utah: Deseret Book Co.; Provo, Utah: Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 1991), 241–248.
- William J. Hamblin, "The Importance of Warfare in Book of Mormon Studies," in Book of Mormon Authorship Revisited: The Evidence for Ancient Origins, edited by Noel B. Reynolds, (Provo, Utah : Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 1997), Chapter 16. ISBN 093489325X ISBN 0934893187 ISBN 0884944697. off-site GL direct link
- Multiple, "All," in Ricks and Hamblin, eds., Warfare in the Book of Mormon (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book and FARMS, 1990), 1.
- John L. Sorenson, Images of Ancient America: Visualizing Book of Mormon Life (Provo, Utah: FARMS, 1998), 1. ISBN 0934893284
- John L. Sorenson, "Seasons of War, Seasons of Peace in the Book of Mormon," in Rediscovering the Book of Mormon, edited by John L. Sorenson and Melvin J. Thorne (Salt Lake City, Utah: Deseret Book Co.; Provo, Utah: Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 1991), 249–255.
- David L. Webster, Defensive Earthworks at Bécan, Campeche, Mexico: Implications for Mayan Warfare (New Orleans: Middle American Research Institute, Tulane University, Publication 41, 1976).