Give it a close reading before speculating

The seminary teacher was taking her students through the war with the

Amlicites. The Nephite army under Chief Judge Alma had been caught in the

midst of crossing a river — usually a military disaster — but they were

strengthened by the Lord.

\"And it came to pass that Alma fought with Amlici with the sword, face

to face; and they did contend mightily, one with another\" (Alma 2:29).

One of the students said, half in jest, \"Watch out for the sword of

Laban!\"

But was it a joke? Nephi had led his people in war, wielding the sword

of Laban (Jacob 1:10); centuries later, King Benjamin still had the

sword and used it in battle (Words of Mormon 1:13).

When Benjamin passed the kingship to his son Mosiah, the sword of Laban

was one of the artifacts that came with the king's authority — along

with the Liahona, the brass plates and the plates of Nephi (Mosiah 1:16).

So when Mosiah abolished the hereditary office of king and replaced it

with elected judges, he might well have passed all those symbols of

royal authority to Alma as the first chief judge.

But the scripture doesn't actually say so. Therefore it is only

speculation that Alma had the sword.

Besides, since the scripture specified that Benjamin used that

particular sword in battle, and the same author was writing about the

battle with the Amlicites, one might also suppose that if Alma was also

using Laban's sword, the scripture would have said so. Isn't it also

possible that Mosiah, wishing to abolish the office of king, might have

hidden away — or returned to the Lord for safekeeping — those symbols of