--- title: Improvement Era description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930. authors: - Cuthers, John collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 19 number: 6 published: 1916-04 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: 'John Cuthers, "The Book of Mormon Aspect of Preparedness," *Improvement Era* 19, no. 6 (April 1916): 516–517.' source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera1906unse transcription: Transcribed from the Internet Archive scan of each issue (the item for each issue is named in the issue's own source); unnumbered advertising leaves are omitted, printed page numbers are kept as page markers. identifier: improvementera1906unse start_page: 516 end_page: 517 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1916-04) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera1906unse publication_year: 1916 note: The Internet Archive item metadata carries a blanket "© Copyright by Intellectual Reserve, Inc." notice. The library owner judged it inapplicable because this issue was published in 1916, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright. --- # The Book of Mormon Aspect of Preparedness The Book of Mormon Aspect of Preparedness BY JOHN CUTIIKRS [Our correspondent submits to the Era a lengthy argument forPeace which includes the statements of several leading national char-acters, newspaper editorials, and comments upon the conditions inEurope, and the cost of the terrible war that is draining the financesand destroying the lives of the nations. He quotes statements in theP>ook of Mormon concerning Peace from which the following extractis made, with our correspondent's comment thereon.—Editors.] That some at least of the ancient inhabitants of this continentwere averse to the continuous and increased use of weapons ofwar, and of engaging in mortal combat with their brethren, as ameans of settling disputes, is clearly depicted in the followingextract from the Book of Mormon: "Now there was not one soul among all the people who had beenconverted unto the Lord, that would take up arms against theirbrethren; nay, they would not even make any preparations for war;yea and also the king commanded them they should not. * * * "Now, my beloved brethren, since God has taken away our stains,and our swords have become bright, then let us stain our swordsno more with the blood of our brethren. "Behold, 1 say unto you, nay, let us retain our swords that theybe not stained with the blood of our brethren, for perhaps if weshould stain our swords again they could no more be washed brightwith the blood of the Son of our great God, which shall be shed forthe atonement of our sins. * * * "Oh, how merciful is our God! And now, behold, since it hasbeen as much as we could do to get our stains taken away from usand our swords are made bright, let us hide them away that they maybe kept bright as a testimony to God at the last day that we shall bebrought to stand before him to be judged that we have not stainedour swords in the blood of our brethren, since he imparted his wordunto us, and has made us clean thereby. "And now, my brethren, if our brethren seek to destroy us, be-hold we will hide away our swords, yea even we will bury them deepin the earth, that they may be kept bright as a testimony that wehave never used them at the last day; and if our brethren destroy usbehold we shall go to our God and shall be saved. "And now it came to pass that when the king had made an endof these sayings, and all the people were assembled together theytook their swords and all the weapons that were used for the sheddinoof mans blood, and they did bury them up deep in the earth Andthis they did it being in their view a testimony to God and also to menthat they would never use weapons again for the shedding of man'sblood; and this they did vouching and covenating with God thatrather than shed the blood of their brethren, they would give up theirown lives. BOOK OF MORMON ASPECT OF PREPAREDNESS 517 "And thus we see that when these Lamanites were brought tobelieve and know the truth, they were firm, and thus we see that theyburied their weapons of war, for peace. "And it came to pass that their brethren the Lamanites, madepreparations for war, and came up to the land of Nephi for the pur-pose of destroying the king, and to place another in his stead, andalso of destroying the people of Anti-Nephi-Lehi out of theland. * * * "Now when the Lamanites saw their brethren would not fleefrom the sword, neither would they turn aside to the right hand or tothe left, but that they would lie down and perish, and praise God in thevery act of perishing under the sword; * * * "Now when the Lamanites saw this, they threw down theirweapons of war, and they would not take them up again, for they werestung for the murders which they had committed. * * * "And there was not a wicked man slain among them; but therewere more than a thousand brought to a knowledge of the truth, thuswe see that the Lord worked in many ways to the salvation of hispeople" (Alma 24:6-27). THE NATIONS SHALL NO MORE LEARN WAR Nearly everybody desires a world peace, and yet there is notapparent anywhere any man free and able and willing to estab-lish it. On the other hand, there are a considerable number ofmen in positions of especial influence and power who will cer-tainly resist the arrangements that are essential to its establish-ment. Let not this exhaust the question or mankind is doomed to aperpetual, futile struggling of states and nations and peoplesbreaking ever and again into war. Rather let us earnestly entreatour rulers and lawmakers to enact such legislation as will providefor all future national and international questions and difficultiesto be settled by mediation and discussion. Thus war will be en-tirely obliterated and armies and navies will have no pretextfor existence. The money spent for increasing the army andnavy, and weapons and means of warfare, could be used for theerection of sacred edifices wherein the Gospel of Peace wouldbe taught to young and old, and wherein priest and people wouldofficiate in the holy ordinances of true religion, for God's truthand not increased armaments are the only sure foundation uponwhich the world's peace and the security of nations shall be estab-lished forever.