“There Had Been Thousands Slain on Both the Nephites and the Lamanites”

Brant Gardner

The death toll in this war will continue to mount. While wars always result in deaths, this war seems particularly devastating. Even though the Lamanites are taking captives (v. 2), the goal of territorial expansion in this war seems to increase the numbers of casualties. Hassig, in his study of Aztec warfare, comments that body counts are sometimes related to the chroniclers’ purposes, with victories underestimating the dead and defeats overestimating them. Hassig explains:

There are no reliable statistics for the number of Aztec war dead. The available information is anecdotal, giving the number of Aztecs and allies killed versus the enemy victims in specific battles but not for every battle or even for complete campaigns, other than for the ill-fated Tarascan campaign. Consequently, the figures given are used advisedly and may reflect the extremes: great success, as against Alahuiztlan and Oztoman; great failure, as against the Tarascans; and exceptionally disappointing results, as in Tizoc’s campaign against Meztitlan. The great successes probably reflect conquest of an entire town and its civilian populace, while more modest successes probably reflect battles solely against armies.

For instance, in victories, the Aztec report large numbers of captives, and relatively few Aztec dead. In contrast, in defeat the numbers of Aztec dead are much higher.

High casualty rates among the Nephites would remove a greater percentage of young, able-bodied men than it would among the Lamanites/Gadiantons. The Lamanite homeland remains untouched, and obviously it is benefiting from political alliances with Nephite defectors who remained in their homes (Morm. 2:8). In a war of attrition, the Nephites are doomed by their smaller population. Sooner or later, they will not be able to maintain, let alone increase, their field strength.

Second Witness: Analytical & Contextual Commentary on the Book of Mormon, Vol. 6

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