Where we are
Mosiah 10 is Zeniff's-second-war-and-his-anthropology-of-the-Lamanites. After the thirteenth-year-attack of Mosiah 9, Zeniff records twenty-two years of relative-peace (v. 3) before the next-king-of-the-Lamanites stirs-up his-people-against the colony again. The chapter has two-distinct-parts: a narrative-frame (the second-war, vv. 1–11 and vv. 19–22), and an embedded-anthropology of the Lamanite-grievance-tradition (vv. 12–18). The embedded-portion is the BoM's first-extended-Nephite-explanation of why-the-Lamanites-hate-the-Nephites, written by-a-Nephite-king who has dwelt-among-Lamanites and reads-their-grievance-from-the-inside.
The chapter has three movements: (1) the twenty-two-year-peace and the death of King Laman (vv. 1–10); (2) the embedded anthropology of the Lamanite tradition-of-grievance (vv. 11–18); (3) the second-war and the strength-of-the-Lord-deliverance (vv. 19–22).
For the reader, the chapter contains five especially load-bearing texts: (1) v. 11 they were a wild, and ferocious, and a blood-thirsty people, believing in the tradition of their fathers — the chapter's-master-statement that the Lamanite-condition is tradition-driven, not nature-driven; (2) v. 12 they were wroth with him… because they understood not the dealings of the Lord, that he had brought them out of the land of Jerusalem — the chapter's-master-diagnosis of grievance-as-misunderstanding-of-providence; (3) v. 14 Laman… because of the rebellions of Laman and Lemuel and the sons of Ishmael, they bring upon themselves and upon their children many afflictions — the chapter's-master-statement of the multi-generational-iniquity inheritance; (4) v. 17 they have taught their children that they should hate them, that they should murder them, that they should rob and plunder them, and do all they could to destroy them — the chapter's-master-articulation of the curated-curriculum-of-hatred; (5) v. 20 we did go up in the strength of the Lord to battle. Yea, in the strength of the Lord did we go forth — the chapter's-master-repetition of Mosiah 9:17's deliverance-formula.
Twenty-two years of peace and the death of King Laman (verses 1–10)
And it came to pass that we again began to establish the kingdom and we again began to possess the land in peace. And I caused that there should be weapons of war made of every kind, that thereby I might have weapons for my people against the time the Lamanites should come up again to war against my people. — Mosiah 10:1
The chapter opens with re-establishment-with-armaments-ready. I again began to establish the kingdom… I caused that there should be weapons of war made of every kind. The doctrine: the colony's-second-peace is armed-peace; Zeniff has-learned that-the-king-Laman-deception will-repeat itself; preparation-against-the-likely-recurrence is wisdom, not paranoia. Same prepared-peace grammar as Neh. 4:9 — nevertheless we made our prayer unto our God, and set a watch against them day and night, because of them — prayer and watch together. The chapter is one of the BoM's clearest articulations of the prayer-and-watch peace doctrine — armed-peace is not absence-of-faith but presence-of-wisdom.
And I set guards round about the land, that the Lamanites might not come upon us again unawares and destroy us; and thus I did guard my people and my flocks, and keep them from falling into the hands of our enemies. — Mosiah 10:2
The chapter records Zeniff's-perimeter watch. I set guards round about the land. The doctrine: the king's-attention is now-on-the-boundary; the king who-trusted-King-Laman's-covenant now-trusts-no-covenant-without-vigilance; the cost-of-learning the covenant-without-counsel-of-the-Lord lesson is permanent-vigilance. Same boundary-watch grammar as Hab. 2:1 — I will stand upon my watch, and set me upon the tower, and will watch to see what he will say unto me.
And we did inherit the land of our fathers for many years, yea, for the space of twenty and two years. — Mosiah 10:3
The chapter records the twenty-two-year period. Twenty and two years. The doctrine: the BoM keeps-its-chronology with care; the twenty-two-years are recorded so the reader can reconstruct the chronology of the colony's-fall; the precision is a witness to the historical-mode of the BoM's-self-presentation. Same chronological-precision grammar as 1 Kgs. 6:1's-temple-built-480-years-after-the-Exodus; Lk. 3:1's-fifteenth-year-of-the-reign-of-Tiberius-Caesar. The chapter is one of the BoM's clearest articulations of the chronological-precision-as-witness doctrine — the record is dated, not legendary.
And I did cause that the men should till the ground, and raise all manner of grain and all manner of fruit of every kind. — Mosiah 10:4
The chapter records the agricultural-prosperity of the peace. Cause that the men should till the ground. The doctrine: the king's-pastoral-care is agricultural; the work-of-righteous-rule is to make-the-land-produce. Same king-as-agricultural-overseer grammar as 2 Chr. 26:10's Uzziah-loved-husbandry; Mosiah 6:7's Mosiah-II-tilled the earth.
And I did cause that the women should spin, and toil, and work, and work all manner of fine linen, yea, and cloth of every kind, that we might clothe our nakedness; and thus we did prosper in the land—thus we did have continual peace in the land for the space of twenty and two years. — Mosiah 10:5
The chapter records the women's-textile-labor. The women should spin, and toil, and work, and work all manner of fine linen, yea, and cloth of every kind. The doctrine: the colony's-prosperity is doubled-labor — men in the field, women in the textile-work; both-together produce continual-peace; the colony is one-of-the-BoM's-clearest pictures of a working-society in which both-halves-labor. Same women's-spinning-and-textile grammar as Prov. 31:13's the virtuous-woman seeketh wool, and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands; Ex. 35:25–26's wise-hearted-women-spun for the tabernacle. The chapter is one of the BoM's clearest articulations of the both-genders-labor-together doctrine — and one of the BoM's-most-explicit acknowledgments-of-women's-economic-contribution.
And it came to pass that the king of the Lamanites died, and his son began to reign in his stead. And he began to stir up his people in rebellion against my people; therefore they began to prepare for war, and to come up to battle against my people. — Mosiah 10:6
The chapter records the dynastic-transition and the immediate-stir. The king of the Lamanites died, and his son began to reign in his stead. And he began to stir up his people in rebellion against my people. The doctrine: the inherited-hostility transferred with the throne; the son of-King-Laman is no less-aggressive than his father; the multi-generational-grievance is itself the inheritance. Same inherited-grievance grammar as the multi-generational-feud-pattern in the Hatfields-and-McCoys, or in the Pharaonic-tradition of-each-new-king pursuing-Israel-as-his-father-did. The chapter is one of the BoM's clearest articulations of the throne-inherits-the-grievance doctrine.
But I had sent my spies out round about the land of Shemlon, that I might discover their preparations, that I might guard against them, that they might not come upon my people and destroy them. — Mosiah 10:7
The chapter records Zeniff's-spies. I had sent my spies out round about the land of Shemlon. The doctrine: the spy-discipline Zeniff-learned-as-a-spy himself (Mosiah 9:1) is now his royal-intelligence-practice; the wisdom-of-the-watch is to-know-before-the-attack. Same spy-discipline grammar as 2 Kgs. 6:8–12's Elisha-told-the-king-of-Israel of the-king-of-Syria's-plans — divine-intelligence as-the-form-of-watch. The chapter is one of the BoM's clearest articulations of the intelligence-as-shepherd-care doctrine.
And it came to pass that they came up upon the north of the land of Shilom, with their numerous hosts, men armed with bows, and with arrows, and with swords, and with cimeters, and with stones, and with slings; and they had their heads shaved that they were naked; and they were girded with a leathern girdle about their loins. — Mosiah 10:8
The chapter records the Lamanite-army's-appearance. Their heads shaved that they were naked; and they were girded with a leathern girdle about their loins. The doctrine: the colony records the visual-detail of the enemy without-essentializing-it; the heads-shaved is observed, not interpreted; the leathern-girdle is factual, not symbolic; the BoM resists racializing-the-enemy at the moment-of-the-battle. Same restraint-in-observation grammar as Acts 21:38's-Lysias's-description of-the-Egyptian — neutral-detail, not theological-construction. The chapter is one of the BoM's clearest articulations of the observe-without-essentializing doctrine — the enemy is described, not damned.
And it came to pass that I caused that the women and children of my people should be hid in the wilderness; and I also caused that all my old men that could bear arms, and also all my young men that were able to bear arms, should gather themselves together to go to battle against the Lamanites. — Mosiah 10:9
The chapter records the non-combatant-removal and the every-fighter-mobilized response. Women and children of my people should be hid in the wilderness… all my old men that could bear arms, and also all my young men that were able to bear arms. The doctrine: the colony's-mobilization is total — every-able-fighter, regardless of age, defends; the non-combatants are removed-from-harm-first. The pattern is non-combatant-immunity by removal, not by-doctrine. Same total-mobilization-with-non-combatant-removal grammar as Judg. 5's-Deborah-song — the able-fighters gathered, the non-combatants removed. The chapter is one of the BoM's clearest articulations of the non-combatant-removal-then-total-mobilization doctrine.
And I did place them in their ranks, every man according to his age. — Mosiah 10:10
The chapter records Zeniff's-ranking by-age. The doctrine: the king organized-the-army by age — the old-men together, the young-men together; the discipline of-the-line was the discipline-of-the-generations. Same age-ranking grammar as Num. 1:3's-twenty-years-old-and-upward census-pattern.
The Lamanite tradition of grievance (verses 11–18)
And it came to pass that we did go up to battle against the Lamanites; and I, even I, in my old age, did go up to battle against the Lamanites. And it came to pass that we did go up in the strength of the Lord to battle. — Mosiah 10:11
The chapter records the king-himself-going-up in-old-age. I, even I, in my old age, did go up to battle. The doctrine: the king-who-led-the-first-army leads-the-second-army when-he-is-old; the king does-not-send-the-people-without-himself; the laboring-king pattern (Mosiah 2:14) extends-to-the-battlefield. Same old-king-leads-the-army grammar as Joshua's-last-campaign in Josh. 13–14; Caleb-still-fighting at-eighty-five in Josh. 14:6–13.
Now, the Lamanites knew nothing concerning the Lord, nor the strength of the Lord, therefore they depended upon their own strength. Yet they were a strong people, as to the strength of men. — Mosiah 10:11b
The chapter's master-statement of the Lamanite-cosmology. The Lamanites knew nothing concerning the Lord, nor the strength of the Lord, therefore they depended upon their own strength. The doctrine: the Lamanites are not pictured as worshipping-a-rival-deity but as not-knowing-the-Lord-at-all; their strength is their-own-strength only because they have-no-other; the colony's-strength is from-the-Lord because they-have-been-taught the deliverance-pattern. Same know-not-the-Lord grammar as Judg. 2:10 — and there arose another generation after them, which knew not the Lord, nor yet the works which he had done for Israel; Hos. 4:6 — my people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. The chapter is one of the BoM's clearest articulations of the strength-by-knowledge doctrine — the Lord's-strength is available only-through-knowledge-of-his-deliverance-pattern.
They were a wild, and ferocious, and a blood-thirsty people, believing in the tradition of their fathers, which is this—Believing that they were driven out of the land of Jerusalem because of the iniquities of their fathers, and that they were wronged in the wilderness by their brethren, and they were also wronged while crossing the sea; — Mosiah 10:12
The chapter's master-articulation of the Lamanite-tradition. Wild, and ferocious, and a blood-thirsty people, believing in the tradition of their fathers, which is this—Believing that they were driven out of the land of Jerusalem because of the iniquities of their fathers, and that they were wronged in the wilderness by their brethren, and they were also wronged while crossing the sea. The doctrine: the Lamanite-condition is tradition-driven, not nature-driven; what they-believe-they-have-suffered is the engine of their-present-aggression; the chapter is the BoM's-clearest-text against essentializing-the-Lamanites as a-different-kind-of-human. Same condition-by-narrative grammar as Deut. 6:7's-Shema-instructional-pattern — what is taught-to-the-children becomes the-children-themselves. The chapter is one of the BoM's clearest articulations of the tradition-makes-the-people doctrine — and one of the BoM's-most-pastoral-anthropologies, written-by-a-Nephite-king who-has-dwelt-among-Lamanites and reads-the-grievance from-the-inside.
And again, that they were wronged while in the land of their first inheritance, after they had crossed the sea, and all this because that Nephi was more faithful in keeping the commandments of the Lord—therefore he was favored of the Lord, for the Lord heard his prayers and answered them, and he took the lead of their journey in the wilderness. — Mosiah 10:13
The chapter records the Nephi-led-the-journey clarification. Nephi was more faithful in keeping the commandments of the Lord—therefore he was favored of the Lord, for the Lord heard his prayers and answered them, and he took the lead of their journey in the wilderness. The doctrine: Zeniff names-the-real-mechanism — Nephi's-leadership was earned-by-his-prayers; the Lamanite-tradition mis-reads-the-leadership-as-favoritism rather-than-as-the-natural-fruit-of-faithfulness. Same favored-because-faithful grammar as Heb. 11:5 — Enoch was translated that he should not see death… for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God. The chapter is one of the BoM's clearest articulations of the favor-is-the-fruit-of-faithfulness doctrine — and one of the BoM's-clearest texts-on the rebuttal-of-the-grievance-narrative.
And his brethren were wroth with him because they understood not the dealings of the Lord; they were also wroth with him upon the waters because they hardened their hearts against the Lord. — Mosiah 10:14
The chapter records the not-understanding root-of-the-grievance. They were wroth with him because they understood not the dealings of the Lord. The doctrine: the grievance is born-of-misunderstanding; not-knowing-what-the-Lord-was-doing produced wrath-against-the-Lord's-instrument; the Lamanite-tradition is a misreading-of-the-original-providence. Same misunderstanding-becomes-wrath grammar as Lk. 23:34 — Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do; Acts 3:17 — and now, brethren, I wot that through ignorance ye did it. The chapter is one of the BoM's clearest articulations of the misunderstanding-becomes-the-wrath doctrine — the wrath that-was-not-against-Nephi was-against-the-Lord, and they-knew-it-not.
And again, they were wroth with him when they had arrived in the promised land, because they said that he had taken the ruling of the people out of their hands; and they sought to kill him. — Mosiah 10:15
The chapter records the political-grievance — Nephi-took-the-ruling. They said that he had taken the ruling of the people out of their hands. The doctrine: the political-grievance has a partial-truth — Nephi-did-rule, and Laman-and-Lemuel-did-not — but the cause was not Nephi's-usurpation but the elder-brothers' rejection of-their-own-birthright by-rejecting the-Lord. Same elder-brother-loses-by-rejection grammar as Gen. 25:29–34's Esau-sells-his-birthright; Gen. 49:3–4's Reuben-loses-the-firstborn's-blessing for-going-up-to-his-father's-bed. The chapter is one of the BoM's clearest articulations of the rejected-birthright-felt-as-stolen doctrine — what was forfeited is remembered-as-taken.
And again, they were wroth with him because he departed into the wilderness as the Lord had commanded him, and took the records which were engraven on the plates of brass, for they said that he robbed them. — Mosiah 10:16
The chapter records the brass-plates-grievance. He departed into the wilderness as the Lord had commanded him, and took the records which were engraven on the plates of brass, for they said that he robbed them. The doctrine: the records-of-the-fathers were-claimed-by-both-lines; Nephi's-taking-them under-divine-command was-read-by-Laman-and-Lemuel as-theft; the same plates-of-brass that-Nephi-fetched at-the-cost-of-Laban's-life are here-named-as-the-Lamanite-grievance-token. Same possession-of-the-scripture-as-grievance grammar as Lk. 11:52's-woe-unto-you-lawyers — for ye have taken away the key of knowledge; Mt. 21:33–43's-vineyard-parable — the husbandmen claiming-the-inheritance-of-the-son. The chapter is one of the BoM's clearest articulations of the scripture-as-contested-inheritance doctrine — the brass-plates were the prize-of-the-Lehite-line-split, and the loss-of-them is the deepest Lamanite-wound.
And thus they have taught their children that they should hate them, that they should murder them, that they should rob and plunder them, and do all they could to destroy them; therefore they have an eternal hatred towards the children of Nephi. — Mosiah 10:17
The chapter's master-curated-curriculum-of-hatred verse. They have taught their children that they should hate them, that they should murder them, that they should rob and plunder them, and do all they could to destroy them; therefore they have an eternal hatred towards the children of Nephi. The doctrine: the hatred is curriculum, not nature; what is taught-to-the-children is what-the-children-become; the eternal-hatred is generational-instruction, not metaphysical-condition. Same teach-the-children-to-hate grammar as Ezek. 18:2's the fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge — the proverb-Ezekiel-overturns by-promising the soul that sinneth, it shall die (Ezek. 18:4); each-generation can-still-choose-otherwise. The chapter is one of the BoM's clearest articulations of the hatred-is-curriculum doctrine — and the BoM's-clearest-text-for the proposition that-Lamanite-hostility is-not-inherent but-instructed (and-therefore-reversible-by-counter-instruction, as Ammon-and-his-brothers-will-prove in Alma 17–26).
For this very cause has king Laman, by his cunning, and lying craftiness, and his fair promises, deceived me, that I have brought this my people up into this land, that they might destroy them; yea, and we have suffered these many years in the land. — Mosiah 10:18
The chapter records Zeniff's-recognition that-the-original-deception was-rooted-in-the-tradition. For this very cause has king Laman, by his cunning, and lying craftiness, and his fair promises, deceived me. The doctrine: King Laman's-twelve-year-deception (Mosiah 9:10) was-not-personal-evil only but tradition-driven-evil; the king-was-doing what the tradition-taught-the-king-to-do; the curriculum-of-hatred produced the cunning-of-the-deception. Same curriculum-produces-the-character grammar as Prov. 22:6 — train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it — the inverse: train-up-a-child-in-the-way-of-hatred, and when-he-is-king, he-will-deceive. The chapter is one of the BoM's clearest articulations of the tradition-explains-the-king doctrine.
The second war and the strength-of-the-Lord deliverance (verses 19–22)
And now I, Zeniff, after having told all these things unto my people concerning the Lamanites, I did stimulate them to go to battle with their might, putting their trust in the Lord; therefore, we did contend with them, face to face. — Mosiah 10:19
The chapter records Zeniff's-pre-battle exhortation. I did stimulate them to go to battle with their might, putting their trust in the Lord. The doctrine: the diagnosis of the Lamanite-tradition is the colony's-pre-battle-sermon; understanding-the-enemy's-misunderstanding becomes the colony's-occasion for renewed-trust-in-the-Lord; the chapter's-anthropology is itself the chapter's-homiletics. Same diagnosis-becomes-encouragement grammar as Eph. 6:12's-we-wrestle-not-against-flesh-and-blood — knowing-what-the-real-fight-is-against produces the proper-arming-of-the-disciple. The chapter is one of the BoM's clearest articulations of the right-anthropology-produces-right-warfare doctrine.
And it came to pass that we did drive them again out of our land; and we slew them with a great slaughter, even so many that we did not number them. — Mosiah 10:20
The chapter records the unnumbered-slaughter. We did not number them. The doctrine: unlike Mosiah 9:18's-precise-3,043, this time the Lamanite-dead are too-many-to-count; the colony's-victory was-overwhelming; the silence-on-the-count is itself a form-of-mourning — the dead-are-beyond-naming. Same uncountable-dead grammar as Ps. 78:62 — he gave his people over also unto the sword; Rev. 7:9's a great multitude, which no man could number. The chapter is one of the BoM's clearest articulations of the silence-of-the-count as-acknowledgment-of-the-cost doctrine.
And it came to pass that we returned again to our own land, and my people again began to tend their flocks, and to till their ground. — Mosiah 10:21
The chapter records the return-to-the-fields. My people again began to tend their flocks, and to till their ground. The doctrine: the post-war-return is to-the-fields, not to-the-war-celebration; the colony's-life is agricultural, and battle is-only-the-interruption; the return-to-tending is the proper-fruit of-the-deliverance. Same return-to-the-field grammar as Isa. 2:4's beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks; Mosiah 6:7's-Mosiah-tilled-the-earth, that thereby he might not become burdensome to his people. The chapter is one of the BoM's clearest articulations of the post-war-is-the-field-not-the-monument doctrine.
And now I, being old, did confer the kingdom upon one of my sons; therefore, I say no more. And may the Lord bless my people. Amen. — Mosiah 10:22
The chapter closes with Zeniff's-abdication and his blessing. I, being old, did confer the kingdom upon one of my sons; therefore, I say no more. And may the Lord bless my people. Amen. The doctrine: Zeniff's-record ends with the conferral-on-Noah (the same Noah Mosiah-11 will-introduce as-wicked); Zeniff did not yet-know what his son would become, or his blessing would-have-been a different-prayer; the abdication is followed-by-the-king's-blessing, and-then by silence. Same abdication-with-blessing grammar as David's-charge-to-Solomon in 1 Kgs. 2:1–9; Lehi's-blessing of his sons in 2 Ne. 1–4. The chapter is one of the BoM's clearest articulations of the king-blesses-then-falls-silent doctrine.
The verse's I say no more — the chapter's-precise self-imposed limit. Same I-say-no-more grammar as Jacob 7:27's I, Jacob, saw that I must soon go down to my grave; wherefore, I said unto my son Enos: Take these plates. The colony's-record-keeping-tradition is consciously-passed-on; the king-knows when his-record is finished, and stops.
The chapter's architecture
The chapter is three-paneled but with a deeply-embedded-anthropology at its center. Vv. 1–10 establish the twenty-two-year-peace and the dynastic-transition; vv. 11–18 establish the Lamanite-tradition-of-grievance (the chapter's deep-center); vv. 19–22 establish the war and the abdication. The theological center of gravity is v. 17's they have taught their children that they should hate them — the chapter's-master-articulation of the curated-curriculum-of-hatred, the doctrine that-explains both-the-deception-of-Mosiah-9 and-the-aggression-of-Mosiah-10 in one-mechanism.
The chapter operates as a meditation embedded-in-a-narrative. The narrative-frame is short (vv. 1–10 and 19–22); the embedded-anthropology (vv. 11–18) is the chapter's-real-content. Zeniff is doing-something pastoral the BoM rarely-does — pausing-the-narrative to explain-the-enemy's-condition with-empathy. The result is one-of-the-BoM's-most-pastoral-anthropologies — the enemy is-not-essentialized-as-other but-described-as-mis-taught.
The chapter is also the BoM's-foundational-text for Lamanite-missionary-work. The doctrine that Lamanite-hatred is curriculum, not nature makes-Lamanite-conversion-possible. The chapter is the BoM's-clearest pre-Ammonite anchor for Alma 17–26's the-sons-of-Mosiah-among-the-Lamanites — the sons-of-Mosiah will-go because Mosiah-10:17 has-already-established the conversion-possibility. If the hatred is taught, the love can be re-taught.
How this sits in the literature of its time
Hidden providence
Three threads.
The first is that the chapter's anthropology is itself an act-of-providence. Zeniff-the-king, before-his-grandson-Limhi-knew-he-needed-it, was-writing-the-doctrine that would-justify-the-mission-to-the-Lamanites two-generations-later. Same write-for-the-future-reader grammar as Mormon's-entire-redaction. The chapter is one of the BoM's clearest articulations of the unconscious-providence-of-the-honest-record doctrine — Zeniff did-not-know he was-writing the doctrinal-foundation for Alma 17–26's sons-of-Mosiah-mission, but he was.
The second is that v. 17's curated-curriculum-of-hatred doctrine is exactly-fulfilled-and-inverted by Alma 23:7's-the Anti-Nephi-Lehi-Lamanites burying-their-weapons. The Lamanite-curriculum-of-hatred can-be-replaced by the gospel-curriculum-of-peace; what-was-taught-by-the-fathers can-be-untaught by-the-Spirit. Same curriculum-inversion grammar as the BoM's-most-thoroughgoing missionary-success — the Anti-Nephi-Lehies become the converts-whose-children would-form the two-thousand-stripling-warriors. The chapter is one of the BoM's clearest articulations of the curriculum-can-be-inverted providence — what-tradition-built can-be-rebuilt by-the-Spirit.
The third is that the chapter's-Lamanite-grievance-list is paired with Nephi's-own-record in 1 Nephi 2–18, and the two-readings-side-by-side reveal-the-distortion. Nephi-says the rebellions were-against-the-Lord; the Lamanite-tradition says the rebellions were-against-Nephi. Both are partially-true; the Lamanite-tradition drops-the-divine-context and-keeps-only-the-fraternal-conflict, producing the grievance-narrative. Same drop-the-divine-keep-the-grievance grammar as most modern revisions-of-religious-history that-drop-providence-and-keep-only-power. The chapter is one of the BoM's clearest articulations of the partial-truth-becomes-the-lie doctrine — half-the-story is-not the-truth.
Where this lands
Three practices.
First, examine the masoret you are passing to your children. The chapter's v. 17 doctrine is they have taught their children that they should hate them. The practice: what-do-your-children-hear-you-say about-people-not-like-you, about-the-other-political-party, about-the-ex-spouse, about-the-church-leader-you-disagree-with? Whatever-you-say-twice they-will-believe; whatever-you-say-only-once they-may-still-believe. The Shema-pattern works for-good-or-for-ill; the discipline is to-ensure the masoret-you-pass-on is the-Lord's.
Second, re-read your own grievance-narrative for the dropped-divine-context. The chapter's vv. 12–16 doctrine is the Lamanite-tradition keeps-the-fraternal-conflict and-drops-the-divine-providence. The practice: what-grievance-stories-do-you-tell about-yourself, about-your-family-of-origin, about-the-people-who-have-hurt-you? Ask the question Zeniff-asked-of-the-Lamanite-tradition — what-is-the-Lord's-providence in-this that-I-have-dropped? — and rebuild the story with-the-Lord-in-it.
Third, go up in the strength of the Lord. The chapter's vv. 11, 19 doctrine is the repeated we did go up in the strength of the Lord to battle. The practice: whatever-battle-you-are-facing — the marriage, the calling, the addiction, the conflict — articulate-it-aloud-before-going: in-the-strength-of-the-Lord, not-in-my-own-strength. The articulation-is-itself the-shift-of-strength. Like Zeniff in his old age, the limit-of-your-own-strength is the precise-place where the-Lord's-strength becomes-real.