The Sword Of Laban As A Symbol Of Divine Authority And .
Journal of Book of Mormon StudiesVolume 2 Number 1Article 41-31-1993The Sword of Laban as a Symbol of DivineAuthority and KingshipBrett L. HolbrookChurch Educational SystemFollow this and additional works at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/jbmsBYU ScholarsArchive CitationHolbrook, Brett L. (1993) "The Sword of Laban as a Symbol of Divine Authority and Kingship," Journal of Book of Mormon Studies:Vol. 2 : No. 1 , Article 4.Available at: is Feature Article is brought to you for free and open access by the All Journals at BYU ScholarsArchive. It has been accepted for inclusion in Journalof Book of Mormon Studies by an authorized editor of BYU ScholarsArchive. For more information, please contact scholarsarchive@byu.edu,ellen amatangelo@byu.edu.
Title The Sword of Laban as a Symbol of Divine Authorityand KingshipAuthor(s) Brett L. HolbrookReference Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 2/1 (1993): 39–72.ISSN 1065-9366 (print), 2168-3158 (online)Abstract Swords often symbolize divine authority and kingship. Numerous examples from the mythology, literature, and history of the world attest to distinct patterns. The sword of Laban from the Book of Mormonfits these patterns and can be compared to the swordof Goliath. The sword of Laban can also be tracedas part of the royal regalia that provides authoritythroughout Nephite history and later as it appears inthe restoration. The sword of Laban as associated withJoseph Smith came to be an additional witness of hisauthority and of the divine sanction for his work.
The Sword of Laban as a Symbol ofDivine Authority and KingshipBrett L. HolbrookAbstract: Swords have often been seen as symbols of divineauthority and kingship. Numerous examples from the mythology,literature, and history of the world attest to distinct patterns. Thesword of Laban from the Book of Mormon fits these patterns andcan be compared to the sword of Goliath. The sword of Laban canalso be traced as part of the royal regalia that gives authoritythroughout Nephite history, and later as it appears in the Restoration. The sword of Laban as it is associated with Joseph Smithcame to be an additional witness of his authority and of the divinesanction for his work.Symbols are powerful tools found in literature, cultures,and religions all over the world. As a universal language, symbols are defined as "something that represents something else byassociation, resemblance or convention, especially a materialobject used to represent something invisible."1 Anthropological,literary, and biblical studies have utilized the methodology ofinterpreting symbols (symbology) to understand the worldviews and traditions of people. 2Many histories and traditions have included weapons assymbols of authority and royalty: the spear, bow, axe, andThe American Heritage Dictionary, 2d ed. (Boston: HoughtonMifflin, 1985), s.v. "Symbol"; Joseph F. McConkie and Donald W. Parry,A Guide to Scriptural Symhols (Salt Lake City, UT: Bookcraft, 1990), 1;see E. W. Bullinger, Figures of Speech Used in the Bihle (Grand Rapids,MI: Baker Book House, 1968), 769.2See Janet L. Dolgin et aI., eds., Symholic Anthropology (NewYork: Columbia University, 1977), 3-44, 183-94; Hazard Adams,Philosophy of the Literary Symholic (Tallahassee, FL: University Pressesof Florida, \983), 177-99, 263-86; Helen M. Luke, The Inner Story: Mythand Symhol in the Bihle and Literature (New York: Crossroad, 1982).
40JOURNAL OF BOOK OF MORMON STUDIES 211 (SPRING 1993)mace) Since the evolution of the bronze blade around 3000B.C., the sword has also become a fixture in world history andliterature. As an object of war and ceremony, the sword cameinto prominence during the beginning of the second millenniumas harder metals enabled the sword to supplant the mace andaxe. 4 Specific swords of cultic importance have since appearedin almost every culture. An example of such a symbolic sword isthe sword of Laban, first mentioned in the Book of Mormon in 1Nephi 4:9.In Jerusalem around 600 B.C., the powerful Laban wasslain by the young Nephi with Laban's sword. Nephi thenbrought the sword with his father's family across the ocean tothe Americas. The sword was revered in Nephite history andpreserved until the nineteenth century, which hints at the importance of the blade. Because of its limited appearances not muchis known about the sword, but it has shown up enough throughout time to justify investigating the purpose of its preservation.The existing theories about the sword of Laban have suggested it as a standard high-quality Near Eastern sword,S a sacred implement of war,6 or a metaphorical symbol for the wordof God.? As a literary type, some have stated that the sword ofLaban was a fixation of the Nephites that took on powerfulsymbolic importance. That symbolism, though, was of theviolent paradigms in the human condition. 8 The sword has also3See J. E. Cirlot, A Dictionary of Symbols, trans. Jack Sage,2d ed. (New York: Dorset, 1971), s.v. "Weapons"; H. J. T. Johnson,"Regalia," in James Hastings, ed., Encyclopedia of Religion and Ethics(New York: Scribner's, 1951),636; James Hoyle, "The Weapons of God inSamuel," This World 7 (Winter 1984): 120.4Yigael Yadin, The Art of Warfare in Biblical Lands, trans. M.Pearlman (New York: McGraw-Hill, 1963), 1:60-61.SWilliam J. Hamblin and A. Brent Merrill, "Swords in theBook of Mormon," in Stephen D. Ricks and William J. Hamblin, eds.,Warfare in the Book of Mormon (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book andF.A.R.M.S., 1990), 343.6John A. Tvedtnes, "Book of Mormon Tribal Affiliation andMilitary Castes," in Ricks and Hamblin, Warfare in the Book of Mormon,313,321.7Barney Madsen, "A Compass, a Sword, and Stones-andSight: Reflections on Book of Mormon Artifacts," a paper in possession ofauthor, Provo, Utah, 3.8Eugene England, "A Second Witness for the Logos: The Bookof Mormon and Contemporary Literary Criticism," in John M. Lundquistand Stephen D. Ricks, eds., By Study and Also by Faith: Essays in Honor
HOLBROOK, THE SWORD OF LABAN AS A SYMBOL41been declared as the only constant in the Book of Mormon: asymbolic reminder and ensign of the Lord's providence. 9 JohnTaylor compared the preservation of the sword of Laban andother Nephite artifacts to the memorials found in Israel's Ark ofthe Covenant. They were manifestations and types of laws andordinances belonging to the priesthood and purposes of God.IOGordon C. Thomasson has noted that the sword of Labanwas part of the royal treasures Book of Mormon kingspossessed anciently as a tangible sign of their authority. 11 In asurvey of historical and mythical literature, two patterns ofswords appeared: the kingly and the heroic. Both types functionas symbols of divine authority. The sword of Laban can beincluded among them as a combination of the two patterns.Indeed, it is comparable with an ancient Near East prototype: thebiblical sword of Goliath. Tracing the significance and preservation of the sword of Laban through Nephite history and its rolein the restoration of the Church of Jesus Christ in the latter dayswill suggest that it was a symbol of divine authority.The Kingly and Heroic Sword PatternsIn almost every culture legendary swords have existed.1 2Most of those specifically noted in history, literature, andmythology can be categorized as kingly or heroic. Although eachpattern has its differences, each is closely linked; both ultimatelypoint to the sword as a symbol of divine authority.The kingly pattern of swords was that which establishedthe possessor as the chosen ruler on whom divine kingship wasof Hugh W. Nibley (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book and F.A.R.M.S., 1990),2: 106-9.9Joseph F. McConkie and Robert L. Millet, DoctrinalCommentary on the Book of Mormon, vol. 2, Jacob through Mosiah (SaltLake City: Bookcraft, 1988),6; vol. 4, 3 Nephi through Moroni (Salt LakeCity: Bookcraft, 1992),384.10John Taylor, The Mediation and the Atonement (Salt LakeCity: Deseret News, 1882), 122-23.11Gordon C. Thomasson, "Mosiah: The Complex Symbolismand the Symbolic Complex of Kingship in the Book of Mormon," in thisvolume, pages 21-38.12See listings in Gertrude Jobes, Dictionary of Mythology,Folklore and Symbols (New York: Scarecrow, 1962),2:1518-20,3:42227; and Stith Thompson, Motif-Index of Folk-Literature, 3 vols. (Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press, 1966),2:300-301,3:222-25.
42JOURNAL OF BOOK OF MORMON STUDIES 211 (SPRING 1993)conferred. Kingship was a political institution found in nearlyevery ancient and medieval civilization, and the king was believed to be appointed by heaven.!3 The swords of kingshiporiginated in association with historic figures or deities andratified one's office. Anciently, and even in some cultures today,military, religious, and civil offices were often combined in theperson of the king. This tripartite responsibility defined "theking's role in the protection of society as warrior, the guarantorof justice as judge and the right ordering of worship as priest."14As a symbol of power in war, the sword came to be part of theregalia (royal objects) owned by kings that justified theirkingship and rule. The sword was passed on to the heir as atransfer of authority, and the giving of a sword to the new kingwas a widespread feature of coronation ceremonies. IS Societiesdefined kingship in various ways, but the sword's symbolism inthe royal regalia was the temporal representation of divine powerin the sovereign. I6 Swords of a royal pattern appear in literatureand history from Europe, the Far East, and even Africa. 1713Stephen D. Ricks, "King, Coronation, and Covenant inMosiah 1-6," in John L. Sorenson and Melvin J, Thorne, eds"Rediscovering the Book of Mormon (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book andF.A,R,M,S., 1991),209; see also Gordon C, Thomasson, "Togetherness IsSharing an Umbrella: Divine Kingship, the Gnosis, and ReligiousSyncretism," in Lundquist and Ricks, By Study and Also By Faith, 1:52361; Todd R. Kerr, "Ancient Aspects of Nephite Kingship in the Book ofMormon," Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 111 (1992): 85-118,14 Keith W, Whitelam, "Israelite Kingship: The Royal Ideologyand Its Opponents," in R. E, Clements, ed" The World of Ancient Israel(Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1989), 130; see also Daniel 1.Elazar, "Dealing with Fundamental Regime Change," in Jacob Neusner, ed"From Ancient Israel to Modern Judaism: Essays in Honor of Marvin Fox(Atlanta, GA: Scholars, 1989), 105-6.ISJohnson, "Regalia," 636; Ricks, "King, Coronation, andCovenant," 214,Richard W. Thurn, "Blades," in Mircea Eliade, ed,16Encyclopedia of Religion, 16 vols, (New York: Macmillan, 1987),2:237,17 See the examples in Michael D, Coe et aI., Swords and HiltWeapons (New York: Weidenfeld and Nicolson, 1989),36, 148,209-13;see also CirIot, Dictionary of Symbols, s.v, "Sword"; Johnson, "Regalia,"635-38; David Cannadine and Simon Price, eds" Rituals of Royalty(Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1987), 145, 171,320--25; Thurn,"Blades," 237; John A, MacCulloch, ed" The Mythology of All Races, 8vols, (Boston: Jones, 1928),8:228,304; Yves Bonnefoy, ed" Mythologies,
HOLBROOK, THE SWORD OF LABAN AS A SYMBOL43Like the kingly pattern, the heroic pattern of swords,found mainly in literature and mythology, established the possessor as one invested with divine authority. In the heroic traditions the sword was preserved or bestowed by deity, often givento a hero for a specific deed. Consequently the hero who possessed the magical and personalized sword had the grace of thegods. In a way similar to kings, epic heroes were given divineauthority and power with their swords, and the fortunes of eachhero depended upon his sword,18In Europe one such epic hero is the mighty Beowulf ofAnglo-Saxon fame who used the magical swords Naegling,Hrunting, and an unnamed blade to overcome the monsterGrendel. Using a sword against primordial monsters is a common motif; in this Beowulf has been compared with Nephi,19The swords gave heroes power because they represented bladesused by the gods and manifested the "divine cutting power" ofdeity.20 In Indian mythology, the creature Asi ("The Sword")was created to protect the gods, much like God the Father inludaeo-Christian tradition protected the garden of Eden with a"flaming sword" (Genesis 3:24),21 Yahweh himself is known tohave a sword that he used in the cosmogonic battle beforecreation,22 and his word was frequently equated with atrans. Gerald Honigsblum (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1991),2:990-91.18Jobes, Dictionary of Mythology, S.v. "Sword."19Robert E. Nichols, Jr., "Beowulf and Nephi: A Literary Viewof the Book of Mormon," Dialogue 4 (Autumn 1969): 40-47. Interestingly,years after his heroic deeds Beowulf became king among the Geats. KyleGray, "Mightier Than the Pen," Dragon 46 (February 1981): 12; AddeVries, Dictionary of Symbols and Imagery (Amsterdam: North-Holland,1974), S.v "Sword."20 Thurn, "Blades," 237.2IMacCulloch, The Mythology of All Races, 6: 109; see alsoEzekiel 21:15; Ronald S. Hendel, "The Flame of the Whirling Sword: ANote on Genesis 3:24," Journal of Biblical Literature 104 (December 1985):671-74.22 According to Isaiah 27: 1: "In that day the Lord with his soreand great and strong sword shall punish leviathan the piercing serpent, evenleviathan the crooked serpent; and he shall slay the dragon that is in thesea"; cf. also Isaiah 66:16; Deuteronomy 32:41; Judges 7:18-20; FrankMoore Cross, Jr., "The Divine Warrior in Israel's Early Cult," in AlexanderAltmann, ed., Biblical Motifs (Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1966),
44JOURNAL OF BOOK OF MORMON STUDIES 211 (SPRING 1993)sword. 23 As the Messiah of Christianity, Jesus Christ was tocome a second time wielding a sword in the last days ofjudgment (Revelations 14: 14-16).24 Heroes with a sword inhistory and legend derived their symbol of divine power fromsuch figures of deity, and this pattern can also be foundthroughout the world.25The Kingly and Heroic Patterns CombinedIn some tales of swords, the elements from both the kinglyand heroic are combined to symbolize complete divine kingshipand authority. The most famous tale of a sword that symbolizedthis was that of King Arthur from medieval England. His swordwith which he defeated the Saxons was originally known as"Caliburn," but writers later renamed it "Excalibur." Many additions to the tale led to Sir Thomas Malory' s 1485 story of thesword in the stone, which depicts Arthur drawing Excaliburfrom the stone, an act which symbolized his divine right to kingship.2 6 Further Christian symbolism suggested that Arthur wasmade king by Christ's election. Excalibur was a symbol of11-30; G. G. D. Kilpatrick, This Book of Isaiah, vol. 6 in The Interpreter'sBible, 12 vols. (New York: Abingdon, 1956),356.23George Elliot, "Does God Have and Use a Sword?" MethodistReview 40 (December 1924): 934-40; Hoyle, "The Weapons of God," 120,126,130-34; see Ephesians 6:17; Hebrews 4:12; Revelations 1:16.24Cirlot, Dictionary of Symbols, s.v. "Sword."25William Sayers, "Fergus and the Cosmogonic Sword," Historyof Religions 25 (August 1985): 30-56; Proinsias Mac Cana, "Ferghus macRoich," in Eliade, ed., Encyclopedia of Religion, 5:314; Maria Leach, ed.,Funk and Wagnall's Dictionary of Folklore, Mythology and Legend (NewYork: Funk and Wagnall's, 1950), s.v. "Swords"; The Nibelungenlied,trans. A. T. Hatto (London: Penguin, 1969), 28, 128, 283; Coe, Swords,154; MacCulloch, The Mythology of All Races, 12:290-91; Joan O'Brianand Wilfred Major, In the Beginning: Creation Myths from AncientMesopotamia, Israel and Greece (Chico, CA: Scholars, 1982), 55-56;MacCulloch, The Mythology of All Races, 1:80.26Similar tales such as Theseus from Greek and Sigmund fromScandinavian mythology express the same motif; see Thomas Bu1finch, TheAge of Fable (New York: Penguin, 1962), 188-89; deVries, Dictionary ofSymbols, 453.
HOLBROOK, THE SWORD OF LABAN AS A SYMBOL45justice given from God, which justice was the primary functionof kingship,27From examples in history, literature, and legend, commonelements reveal the sword as a symbol of divine authority andkingship. In many cultures, the sword was a necessary part ofthe royal regalia the king received as part of his enthronement.The sword in both patterns was a tangible sign of authority forthe people to recognize that the king or hero was divinelyappointed. In addition to the discussion of swords as symbols ofauthority in literature, iconography has depicted them as such.Statues and portraits of royalty often presented them with swordin hand (cf. fig. I, p. 27; and fig. 5, p. 30),28Many times the swords of heroes and kings disappeared orwere lost, but other swords took their place as if they were theoriginal. The swords carried the same authority, for the symbolism was more important to the people than the object. 29 Swordsthat came from both kings and heroes were unique and wereinvested with a divine sanction-the blessing of deity gave theowner power.Swords from the Near EastThe symbolism and patterns of swords established herewere also prevalent in the Near East. The establishment of kingdoms relied heavily on the ability to achieve legitimacy through27Norris J. Lacy, "Excalibur" and "Sword in the Stone," inNorris J. Lacy, ed., The Arthurian Encyclopedia (New York: Garland, 1986);Rosemary Morris, The Character of King Arthur in Medieval Literature(New Jersey: Rowman & Littlefield, 1982), 42-43; Folklore, Myths andLegends of Britain (London: Reader's Digest, 1977),494-96.28In a painting called the Nine Worthies, three Pagans (Hector,Caesar, Alexander), Jews (Joshua, David, Judas Maccabaeus) and Christians(Arthur, Charlemagne, Godfrey) were all portrayed with a sword as a symbolof their authority and power. Geoffery Ashe, King Arthur, the Dream of aGolden Age (London: Thames and Hudson, 1990), 74, 86. In a sketch byJacques L. David of the coronation of Napoleon, he depicted Napoleon infront of the Pope crowning himself while holding a sword. AntoineSchnapper. David, temoin de son temps (Paris: Bibliotheque des Arts,1980),22.29Johnson, "Regalia," 632; The use of sacred articles that havebeen passed down or represent past items marks a regeneration of sacredtime; see Mircea Eliade, The Myth of the Eternal Return, trans. Willard R.Trask (Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1971),21-27,34-37.
46JOURNAL OF BOOK OF MORMON STUDIES 211 (SPRING 1993)symbolic forms and divine sanction.3 o In ancient Near Easternritual coronations investiture of the king with royal insignia orregalia played an important role.31 The symbols of the regaliaprovided the justification for kings to rule. Iconography was theprevailing mode of representation in the ancient Near East,32aside from iconoclastic Israel, as textual histories were few.The gods often possessed magical weapons of cuttingpower, like the blade the Hittite gods had with which they cutheaven and earth asunder.3 3 Thirteenth-century B.C. rock carvings from Yazilikaya in Anatolia depicted Hittite warrior-godsbearing swords.34 In the U garitic myths, Baal wielded a blade inhis right hand before the divine council and the war goddessAnat killed Mot with a sword.3 5 From the Akkadian myths, thehero-king Gilgamesh had a sword with which he killed thewilderness monster Huwawa and the Bull of Heaven. 36 Asnoted previously, Yahweh, the God oflsrael, has been referredto as using a sword. Many of his servants who visited mortals inhis name also wielded a sword: the "captain of the host of theLord" to Joshua and the "angel of the Lord" to Balaam andDavid (Joshua 5: 13-15; Numbers 22:23, 31; 1 Chronicles21: 16). Such divine beings equipped with swords also appearedin Canaanite and Akkadian texts and iconography.3 7Sumerian stele from 2500 B.C. showed Eannatum, king ofLagash, armed with the earliest type of sickle sword.3 8 Ornamented short swords from the same period were found in royal30Keith W. Whitelam, "The Symbols of Power," BihlicalArchaeologist 49 (S
kingship and rule. The sword was passed on to the heir as a transfer of authority, and the giving of a sword to the new king was a widespread feature of coronation ceremonies. IS Societies defined kingship in various ways, but the sword's symbolism in the royal regalia was the temporal representation of divine power in the sovereign.
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