# A Dictionary of the Book of Mormon/Laman (III)

​LAMAN. A king of the Lamanites, apparently the son of the last named, though it is possible he was his grandson. His father's name is said to have been the same as his own. Presuming ​him to have been the son of the monarch who made the treaty with Zeniff, he came to the throne about B C. 160, and immediately commenced war with the Nephites in the land of Lehi-Nephi. As long as Zeniff lived the Lamanites were unsuccessful, and were driven back to their own possessions with great slaughter; but when the weak and corrupt Noah reigned in the place of his father, they became more successful. Their first invasion in Noah's reign was, however, unsuccessful, but after his people had slain the prophet Abinadi, the Lord used the Lamanites to scourge them for their iniquities. The hosts of this people came upon Lehi-Nephi from the borders of Shemlon. Noah ordered a precipitate retreat into the wilderness; but being incumbered with women and children, the Lamanites overtook them. The coward king commanded that the women and children should be left to the mercy of the invaders, and that the men continue their flight. Some obeyed but many refused. Those who remained with their families caused their women to plead with the Lamanites for their lives. Then the latter, charmed with the beauty of the Nephite women, had compassion on them, spared their lives, but held the Nephites in tribute—one-half of all they possessed was the amount of the Lamanite exaction. Laman set guards around the land of Nephi, to prevent the escape of any of the Nephites; their tribute was too valuable to the indolent Lamanites to permit of its decrease or stoppage. In this condition things remained for two years.
At this time there was a romantic spot in the land of Shemlon, where the Lamanitish maidens where in the habit of gathering on pleasure bent. Here they sang, danced and made merry with all the gaiety of youthful innocence and overflowing spirits. One day, when a few were thus gathered, they were suddenly surprised, and twenty-four of their number were carried off by strange ​men, who, from their appearance, were unmistakably Nephites.
On learning of this aft of treachery the Lamanites were stirred to uncontrollable anger, and without seeking an explanation they made a sudden incursion into the territory held by king Limhi. This attack, however, was not successful, for their movements, though not understood, had been discovered, and their intended victims poured forth to meet them.
With Limhi and his people it was a war for existence: to be defeated was to be annihilated; his warriors therefore fought with superhuman energy and desperation, and eventually they succeeded in driving the Lamanites back. So speedy did the flight become, that in their confusion the Lamanites left their wounded king lying among the heaps of slain. There he was discovered by the victors. In the interview between him and Limhi that followed, mutual explanations ensued. The Lamanite king complained bitterly of the outrage committed on the daughters of his people, while Limhi protested that he and his subjects were innocent of the base act. Further investigation developed the fact that some of the iniquitous priests of king Noah, who had fled into the wilderness from the dreaded vengeance of their abused countrymen, at the time that monarch was killed, were the guilty parties. Being without wives, and fearing to return home, they had adopted this plan to obtain them.
On hearing this explanation, king Laman consented to make an effort to pacify his angry hosts. At the head of an unarmed body of Nephites he went forth and met his armies who were returning to the attack. He explained what he had learned, and the Lamanites, possibly somewhat ashamed of their rashness, renewed the covenant of peace.
This peace, unfortunately, was of short duration. The Lamanites grew arrogant and ​grievously oppressive, and under their exactions and cruelty the condition of Limhi's subjects grew continually worse, until they were little better off than were their ancestors in Egypt before Moses their deliverer arose. Three times they broke out in ineffectual rebellion, and just as often their task-masters grew more cruel and exacting, until their spirits were entirely broken; they cowered before their oppressors, and bowed "to the yoke of bondage, submitting themselves to be smitten, and to be driven to and fro, and burdened according to the desires of their enemies."
In process of time the Lord softened the hearts of the Lamanites, so that they began to ease the burdens of their slaves, but He did not deliver the Nephites out of bondage at once. They, however, gradually prospered, and raised more grain, flocks and herds, so that they did not suffer with hunger. And in the Lord's due time they escaped from their Lamanite oppressors and in safety reached the land of Zarahemla.
Great was the excitement among the subjects of Laman when they found their Nephite vassals had disappeared. An army was immediately sent in pursuit. It followed the fugitives for some distance, but did not overtake them, and lost itself in the wilderness. In their wanderings the Lamanite troops found the priests of Noah and their Lamanitish wives, and later they came across the people of Alma in the land of Helam. The Lamanites extended their suzerainty over both these peoples, and king Laman appointed Amulon, the leader of the priests of Noah, the local ruler.
Amulon and the priests, possibly because of their Lamanitish wives, soon gained great favor with king Laman and were made teachers to his people. Educated in the language of the Nephites, they began to instruct the Lamanites therein. They taught the Lamanites nothing of the ​religion of their Israelitish fathers, or of the law of Moses, but instructed them how to keep their records, and to write one to another. Laman now ruled over a numerous people, inhabiting distant regions, governed by tributary kings and rulers. Having no written standard, the language of the Lamanites had become greatly corrupted. The coming of the priests of Noah among them gave rise to the introduction of a higher civilization. As a result, they increased in wealth, and trade and commerce extended among them. They became cunning and wise, and therefore powerful, but were still addicted to robbery and plunder, except among themselves.