Many a discussion could be had in the chapters that focus on the Anti-Nephi-Lehites, for me today, I focused on one word in one verse.

Alma 24:18 And this they did, it being in their view a testimony to God, and also to men, that they never would use weapons again for the shedding of man’s blood; and this they did, vouching and covenanting with God, that RATHER than shed the blood of their brethren they would give up their own lives; and RATHER than take away from a brother they would give unto him; and RATHER than spend their days in idleness they would labor abundantly with their hands.

Thought given to me today is that when giving up weapons of rebellion, weapons of pride, weapons of the spirit, we need to replace them with something good RATHER than risk the old weapon being picked up again; Perhaps that is part of the nature of burying the destructive weapons. 

But...(taken from an ensign Feb. 1995 pg 7) 

...these Saints eventually learned, as most of us do, that it is harder to live the gospel day by day than to die for it in an instant,

Rather than...give meaning or take away from those precious saints who gave all that day on the battlefield hundreds of years ago. I add this quote:

Spencer W. Kimball

“...Do not scoff and ignore these Nephite-Lamanites unless you can equal their forebears in greatness and until you can kneel with those thousands of Ammonite Saints in the sand on the field of battle while they sang songs of praise as their very lives were being snuffed out by their enemies.  Could you look heavenward, smiling and singing, while the bloodthirsty demons slashed your body with sword and scimitar?  Perhaps the children of the Ammonites are with us." (Conference Report, Apr. 1954, pp. 106-7)