Alma 43-50

Alma 43-44. It is the 18th year of the reign of judges, 74 BC

• There is a war with the Lamanites.
• Moroni is leader of the Nephites.
• Zarahemna is leader of the Lamanites.

The number of their dead was not numbered because of the greatness of the number, yea, the number of their dead was exceedingly great, both on the Nephites and on the Lamanites. And it came to pass that they did cast their dead into the waters of Sidon and they have gone forth and are buried in the depth of the sea.

Thus ended the 18th year.

Alma 45-49 it is the 19th year of the reign of Judges. It is 73 BC.

• Alma dies - Helaman now leads the church.
• There is dissension in the church.
• Amalikiah seeks to be king.
• There is a civil war.
• Amalikiah and a small number of followers flee and showing the Lamanites.
• Amalikiah becomes king of the Lamanites.
• There is another war and this time it is Moroni versus Amalikiah
• The 19th year of the reign of judges ends.

Alma 50 the 20th year of the reign of Judges begins. It is 71 BC.

• War continues.
• Moroni builds strongholds all around to protect his people.
• Thus ended the 20th year.

Alma 50:17

And in these prosperous circumstances were the people of Nephi in the commencement of the twenty and first year of the reign of Judges over the people of Nephi.

Alma 50:23

And behold there never was a happier time among the people of Nephi, since the days of Nephi, than in the days of Moroni, yea,  even at this time, in the twenty and first year of the reign of the judges.

How could they say there never was a happier time? They had had continuous warfare for 2 years - including a civil war. So many had died they could not count them.

Is it because war is so horrific that when peace comes at last, it is just wonderful to be able to let go of fear and death and enjoy life again? Is it the play of opposition - that by contrast of having experienced the bad they could now enjoy the good? Is it that the enmity between the Lamanites and Nephites was so constant and so long and so seemingly unending, that any respite was so welcomed?

Man's resilience is amazing.

“Resilience is accepting your new reality, even if it's less good than the one you had before. You can fight it, you can do nothing but scream about what you've lost, or you can accept that and try to put together something that's good.”  

― Elizabeth Edwards

 “It’s your reaction to adversity, not adversity itself that 

determines how your life’s story will develop.”

― Dieter F. Uchtdorf

 “Do not judge me by my success, judge me by how many times

 I fell down and got back up again.”

― Nelson Mandela