The Nephites Credit Their Victory to God

John W. Welch

The Nephites credited God’s matchless power in delivering all of them from their enemies. They were thankful for that power. When they won, they did not credit themselves and instead gave thanks to the Lord. The Nephites had sworn an oath that they would fight. When an oath or vow was made in the ancient world, they said to God, “If you will give us victory, we will sacrifice or dedicate or do something for you.” After a victory like this, it is very natural that they would have had an explicit obligation to give God thanks in some way. Perhaps this thanksgiving is mentioned here to let readers know that they fulfilled the obligation that they had incurred when they swore their own oath. Their thanks was not just in word, but also in deed, as they did not rest but continued to prepare for the next wave of attacks.

John W. Welch Notes

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