Alma 24: 6

6 Now there was not one soul among all the people who had been converted unto the Lord that would take up arms against their brethren; nay, they would not even make any preparations for war; yea, and also their king commanded them that they should not.

What was the order of things related to this consensus of opinion? Did the king command them to not take up arms and they obeyed? Did they all unitedly decide not to? Was it a combination of both? How in the world does anything for any reason get 100% consensus in a society? That in and of itself is amazing. 

I still do not know what impact the king’s edict had on the people. But even if any of the people were considering defending themselves, they ultimately chose not to, regardless of whether the thought or idea came from them or their good king. The bottom line was that they were willing to lay down their lives, in similar fashion as the Savior did, than to take the life of a brother. Or even to run away!

Why didn’t they run? That is the even more amazing thing about this. They wouldn’t flee! They would simply trust in God, leaving their very lives in the hands of God in the face of a deadly attack from their enemies. 

But again, why didn’t they run! Why didn’t they flee!? I can understand why they would not take up arms. They had lost all desire for blood, and feared that if they lifted their swords once more and stained them again with the blood of God’s children, they might offend God and lose the mercy He had so graciously proffered them. 

But why not run??? Was that considered a cowardly act??? Even the Savior, when the mob was trying to kill him by seeking to throw him off a cliff, did not just lay down and let them do it. How is it that they choose to simply trust in God the Father than run away from their enemies, choosing to die rather than take the life of an enemy? That is the only reason I can think of, for surely they valued their lives! That desire, to fear death and do everything in our power to preserve our lives, is built into all of us. 

Perhaps it was a matter of honor. Their honor prevented them from running. And their honoring God prevented them from taking up arms.