”Know ye that ye must lay down your weapons of war, and delight no more in the shedding of blood, and take them not again, save it be that God shall command you.” (LDS Mormon 7:4)
Mormon saw a lot of war and bloodshed in his life. He continually led the Nephite armies from the time he was 15 years old, (326 AD) until he was 51 (362 AD). He refused to lead them for a time because of the gross wickedness of his people. Then when he was 64 (375 AD), he again took command of the Nephite armies and continued in that capacity until the end of the Nephite nation when he was 74 (385 AD). After a lifetime of experience with war and bloodshed, he wrote this warning to those who would later receive his record.
The rule is to “lay down your weapons of war”. The exception is that “God shall command you”.
When does God command war or allow retaliation? Ever?
God is not warlike. He has a disposition to forgive. He commands that we love our enemies precisely because He loves His enemies. He wants to avoid war. His doctrine is to do away with contention. Jesus gave instruction about how we are to govern ourselves in regard to war in a revelation to Joseph Smith. These instructions deserve our careful study.
In this revelation (all references come from LDS D&C 98 / T&C 98) the Lord explains his law concerning this matter.
First of all, the Lord gives reason to not fear our enemies:
”And I will try you and prove you herewith, and whoever lays down his life in my cause for my name’s sake shall find it again, even life eternal. Therefore, be not afraid of your enemies, for I have decreed in my heart, saith the Lord, that I will prove you in all things, whether you will abide in my covenant even unto death, that you may be found worthy, for if you will not abide in my covenant, you are not worthy of me. Therefore, renounce war and proclaim peace,”
The unsavory idea that you may be asked to lay down your life, even unto death, is tempered by the Lord’s promise that those who lay down their life for his sake, will ”find it again, even life eternal”. It requires faith in the Lord’s words, to act accordingly. The Lord acknowledges that following his will can lead to some innocent people dying. But He promises that they will have eternal life. It may be said, “so persecuted they the prophets who were before you”.
The Lord then addresses individual liberties being violated on a personal or family level:
”Now, I speak unto you concerning your families. If men will smite you or your families once, and you bear it patiently and revile not against them, neither seek revenge, you shall be rewarded. But if you bear it not patiently, it shall be accounted unto you as being meted out a just measure unto you. And again, if your enemies shall smite you a second time, and you revile not against your enemy and bear it patiently, your reward shall be a hundredfold. And again, if he shall smite you a third time and you bear it patiently, your reward shall be doubled unto you fourfold. And these three testimonies shall stand against your enemy if he repent not, and shall not be blotted out. And now verily I say unto you, if that enemy shall escape my vengeance, that he be not brought into judgment before me, then you shall see to it that you warn him in my name that he come no more upon you, neither upon your families, neither your children, nor your children’s children unto the third and fourth generation. And then if he shall come upon you, or your children, or your children’s children unto the third and fourth generation, I have delivered your enemy into your hands. And then if you will spare him, you shall be rewarded for your righteousness, and also your children, and your children’s children unto the third and fourth generation. Nevertheless, your enemy is in your hands, and then if you reward him according to his works, you are justified. If he has sought your life and your life is endangered by him, your enemy is in your hands and you are justified.“
The Lord first addresses the case where a person or family is violated by an enemy. At that point, if you revile back, it will be measured as you acting justly. But your actions do not invoke the Lord’s judgments, either in your favor or against your enemy. It is simply you carrying out a judgment as you see fit. The Lord’s judgment, either to reward you or to punish your enemy is not invoked.
However, if you choose not to revile back at your enemy, the Lord will then recognize your sacrifice and reward you Himself. Choosing not to go after your enemy does invoke the Lord’s judgment in your favor.
If your enemy violates your liberty again a 2nd time and you choose not to revile against your enemy and do not seek revenge but bear it patiently, the Lord will reward you 100 times the reward He gives for taking the 1st offense patiently. Note that he requires to not revile nor seek revenge but to take it patiently to involve Him in the matter. His involvement is to bless you.
If a 3rd violation happens and you choose again to not revile nor seek revenge but do bear it patiently, the reward from the Lord will be, ”doubled unto you fourfold”, which may be taken to mean that the 100x reward for the 2nd violation will again be added but also multiplied 4 times.
At this point, you will have been violated three times and each time, “turned the other cheek”, or in other words not reviled nor sought revenge but have borne these afflictions patiently. The Lord will be involved by rewarding you for patiently bearing each violation, with each subsequent violation and patient response being met with an accelerating reward schedule. Three violations each stand as a firm testimony against your enemy. This is a manner of fulfilling the law of witnesses. Now if your enemy does not repent of these violations against you, these three violations are to be brought before the Lord and will stand as witnesses against them, to invoke the Lord’s judgment upon them.
At this point, you may watch for the Lord to carry out his own judgment against them. But if no such judgment comes, after three violations and no repentance on their part, you can then warn your enemy using the Lord’s name, to not violate you any more, neither your family, nor the children that follow to three and four generations. Using his name is then appropriate. Otherwise, using his name may only be taking it in vain. Then if they do violate you or your family a fourth time, you are then justified before the Lord in carrying out his judgments upon them.
Even then, if upon the fourth violation and after warning them in the name of the Lord, you or your children still choose to not revile against them, the Lord will again reward your righteousness. But this is the time when the Lord does justify taking action against your enemies. The series of taking it upon the cheek and giving the other also, may go to the fourth round. But after the third, you are to take these three witnesses before the Lord and He may then justify you in warning them in the name of the Lord to not smite you again. Then if they do smite a fourth time, you are justified as acting in the Lord’s behalf in judgment against them.
This principle applies, not only individually, or as a family, but also to nations. But invoking the Lord’s name, as if you are acting on His behalf, without doing as He has said, may only be using His name in vain. This is how the Lord commands his people, otherwise they are to lay down their weapons of war.
”Behold, this is the law I gave unto my servant Nephi, and your father Joseph, and Jacob, and Isaac, and Abraham, and all my ancient prophets and apostles. And again, this is the law that I gave unto my ancients — that they should not go out unto battle against any nation, kindred, tongue, or people, save I, the Lord, commanded them. And if any nation, tongue, or people should proclaim war against them, they should first lift a standard of peace unto that people, nation, or tongue, and if that people did not accept the offering of peace, neither the second, nor third time, they should bring their testimonies before the Lord. Then I, the Lord, would give unto them a commandment, and justify them in going out to battle against that nation, tongue, or people; and I, the Lord, would fight their battles, and their children’s battles, and their children’s children, until they had avenged themselves upon all their enemies unto the third and fourth generation. Behold, this is an example unto all people, saith the Lord your God, for justification before me.“
The instruction to not revile nor seek revenge but to take it patiently is for the nation or group of people to raise a standard of peace to those who have proclaimed war against them. After three refusals to accept peace, these are to be brought as testimonies before the Lord and then will the Lord command them in going to battle against their enemies, even to the 3rd and 4th generation.
Now, in the case, both individually and as a nation, that the violator does indeed repent, they are to be forgiven and their sin against you is not to be held against them but is to be blotted out.
”And again, verily I say unto you, if, after your enemy has come upon you the first time, and he repent and come unto you praying your forgiveness, you shall forgive him, and shall hold it no more as a testimony against your enemy, and so on unto the second and third time. And as oft as your enemy repents of the trespass wherewith he has trespassed against you, you shall forgive him, until seventy times seven.”
How many times am I to forgive my neighbor when he repents? Every time, even until seventy times seven, or in other words, always.
But if they do not repent, should they be forgiven and their violation be blotted out?
”And if he trespass against you and repent not the first time, nevertheless, you shall forgive him; and if he trespass against you second time and repent not, nevertheless, you shall forgive him; and if he trespass against you the third time and repent not, you shall also forgive him. But if he trespass against you the fourth time, you shall not forgive him, but shall bring these testimonies before the Lord, and they shall not be blotted out until he repent and reward you fourfold in all things wherewith he has trespassed against you. And if he do this, you shall forgive him with all your heart; and if he do not this, I, the Lord, will avenge you of your enemy a hundredfold, and upon his children, and upon his children’s children, of all them that hate me, unto the third and fourth generation.”
Those are serious consequences. The punishment of the Lord is so severe that it will continue to have an impact, even upon the 3rd and 4th generation of their children. But is there nothing that those children can do about it? Are they stuck suffering the consequences of their father’s violations?
”But if the children shall repent, or the children’s children, and turn unto the Lord their God with all their heart, with all their might, mind, and strength, and restore fourfold for all their trespasses wherewith they have trespassed, or wherewith their fathers have trespassed, or their father’s fathers, then your indignation shall be turned away, and vengeance shall no more come upon them, saith the Lord your God, and their trespasses shall never be brought anymore as a testimony before the Lord against them. Amen.”
This is what the Lord expects of us. It is a law established from before the foundations of the world. It carries with it promises for those who abide by this law, and punishments for those who violate it. It deserves more attention than it has received. Violations of this law have brought curses upon previous generations. We must do better. We can do more to understand it and commit ourselves to abide by it. Doing so can bring blessings, many times, upon our heads.