A Great Slaughter

Reading:   Alma 27-29

Today is Halloween and therefore it was convenient that the reading was an account of a tremendous battle that reaped death upon the combatants greater then ever before seen among the people...

ALMA 28:2-3,11-12

2    And thus there was a tremendous battle; yea, even such an one as never had been known among all the people in the land from the time Lehi left Jerusalem; yea, and tens of thousands of the Lamanites were slain and scattered abroad. 

3    Yea, and also there was a tremendous slaughter among the people of Nephi; nevertheless, the Lamanites were driven and scattered, and the people of Nephi returned again to their land. 

11    And the bodies of many thousands are laid low in the earth, while the bodies of many thousands are moldering in heaps upon the face of the earth; yea, and many thousands are mourning for the loss of their kindred, because they have reason to fear, according to the promises of the Lord, that they are consigned to a state of endless wo. 

12    While many thousands of others truly mourn for the loss of their kindred, yet they rejoice and exult in the hope, and even know, according to the promises of the Lord, that they are raised to dwell at the right hand of God, in a state of never-ending happiness. 

"...Bodies of many thousands are moldering in heaps upon the face of the earth," wow!  So the stench must have been horrifying.  In fact, when Ammonihah was destroyed it become known as the land of desolation because no one would go there (the odor of death so heavy in the air and all). How then, did the Nephites deal with the odor of death from this battle? Especially considering it had a greater girth of death than any battle up till then.  Definitely ranks up there in gruesomeness (I said rank, haha).

Okay, so Halloween theme aside, the great slaughter and loss of life on both sides was cause for great mourning and yet, in verse 12, we see that the people, "...exult in hope."  Piles of bodies line the fields, not one family escaped without feeling the loss of someone close, and the smell must certainly be a constant reminder; but, they exult in hope and mourn the loss while understanding that their dead were with God, "...in a state of never-ending happiness." That is awesome!

~Kipling