Book of Mormon Mondays - Charity

Sorry this is a bit late... I really did think of this ahead of time, I just didn't get around to writing it today.

Yesterday, Derek and I read Alma 27.  It's the chapter when the people of Anti-Nephi-Lehi moved to some of the land given them by the Nephites.

When I've read this chapter in the past, I didn't think about it much.  The Anti-Nephi-Lehies needed a place to stay.  They were in trouble and weren't safe in their homelands.  The Nephites were able to give them land and protection.

I never thought about how charitable that act was.  Obviously it was charitable.  It's never easy to make sacrifices.  Theirs was a huge one.  They gave up land and were willing to protect these people who were being targeted by the Lamanites.

Verses 22-23 say...

22 And it came to pass that the voice of the people came, saying: Behold, we will give up the land of Jershon, which is on the east by the sea, which joins the land Bountiful, which is on the south of the land Bountiful; and this land Jershon is the land which we will give unto our brethren for an inheritance.

23 And behold, we will set our armies between the land Jershon and the land Nephi, that we may protect our brethren in the land Jershon; and this we do for our brethren, on account of their fear to take up arms against their brethren lest they should commit sin; and this their great fear came because of their sore repentance which they had, on account of their many murders and their awful wickedness. 

They said that they would protect the Anti-Nephi-Lehies because they didn't want them to break their covenant.  Which was a covenant not to fight because if they fought they might kill someone, and if they killed someone, they might not be able to repent.

How thoughtful and loving were these Nephites!  They were willing to go WAY out of their way to protect a group of people who were holding to a belief that many of the Nephites probably empathized with, but may not have held themselves.

AND, I'm not sure how much time had passed from the time the Anti-Nephi-Lehies had been converted.  It had to have been less than a generation.  The Army of Helaman hadn't happened yet.  Before they were converted, they were Lamanites--enemies of the Nephites.  

Looking at the world today, groups of people who were at one point enemies take years, sometimes generations before there isn't resentment, distrust or animosity towards each other.

How the Nephites were able to put aside these types of feelings--which were very likely to me--and show such love is amazing to me!  They are true examples charity.