Hammon's Day

Chapters 9 & 10

Conclusion

 

Chapter 9

 

     Lehi approached them as they found a comfortable place near the back.

     "Not here, young Hammon," he said, warmly greeting Malachi and Rebeccah. "You must be near the front. My nephew will have a lot to say concerning what is happening tonight. You should hear every word. Bring your parents and brother and sisters with you."

     The sky was even brighter, and the last of the sun was sinking below the trees. The deep red of the sun's disk belied the brightness that extended over the remainder of the sky. Hammon saw a flash out of the corner of his eye, and turned, but it was gone. He shrugged.

     "You saw that, too?" Lehi asked.

     "Yes," Hammon returned, relieved he wasn't the only one. "What was it?"

     "I do not know," the prophet said. "But, I am told this night is special beyond all others the earth has known. Let's be still and listen."

     Nephi was walking among the people, smiling and talking quietly. He looked up to see the sun, looked back at Lehi and nodded. Lehi looked over at Timothy, who walked quickly to the base of the steps of the temple. He slowly walked up a few steps and the people around the base quickly sat down. He raised his hands. Before he could speak an angry voice from the main thoroughfare broke the near silence.

     "Tonight is the night!" an angry man shouted.

     Timothy was quiet for a short time, to let the murmuring in the group quiet, then raised his hands again.

     "You're right, brother," he said loud enough to reach to street. "Tonight's the night. For weeks we've had you and your brothers reminding us that tonight was the night. Now it is here. Where is the sun, brother?"

     Hammon stretched his neck to see who Timothy was speaking to. He could not. He only heard a quiet gasp. He couldn't even tell where the gasp had come from.

     "It has gone," Timothy said with some finality. "Yet, the sky is still light. That was the sign, brother. The sun would set, and there would be no darkness. It is here. Brothers and Sisters, we welcome you to be here at this great time. We will ask Lehi to offer a prayer of thanks to our Father."

     Lehi walked, smiling, to the place Timothy vacated. He raised his voice in prayer. Hammon bowed his head, and closed his eyes tightly. From the beginning to the end of that prayer he'd never heard anything like it. He remembered prayers that had moved him, and prayers that had excited him. He even remembered some that filled him with warmth that he couldn't describe. But this prayer filled him with joy, and thanksgiving. He was sure, when Lehi finished, that if the prayer had been only a few more words longer his chest would have burst. With the final "amen" he realized he hadn't been breathing for a long time. He gasped for air, and looked up, his eyes filled with tears. Lehi stood, staring directly at him. Then Lehi descended, and Timothy met him at the base. They embraced.

     "Thank you, Uncle," he said quietly.

     Hammon was sure only those in front could have heard, but everyone knew the bonds of affection between the old man and the young. Timothy walked up several steps, and stood, just contemplating the group. He looked up and smiled, then laughed warmly.

     "Look at it, Brothers and Sisters," he said, raising his hand toward the sky. "In years to come, you will hear men say this was a natural phenomenon. They will have explanations for what has happened here. Brothers and Sisters, there is one, and only one, natural explanation. This night is a fulfillment of prophecy. As our brother out there in the street knows, Samuel prophesied this night five years ago. Samuel knew. We accepted his prophecy on faith. Now we all know. Nephi would like to address you, Brothers and Sisters. Please give him your attention."

     Timothy stepped down the four or five steps, and Nephi met him at the bottom.

     They embraced, and Timothy said quietly, "I love you, my brother."

     "And I you," Nephi returned.

     He walked up the steep steps, one at a time, keeping his eyes on the sky. As he stopped and turned around three balls of fire streaked across the sky, going from west to east, until they disappeared beyond the horizon. The silvery brightness of the sky was now broken by a large ball halfway up the eastern sky. It was mostly round, but nebulous at the edges. Even though it was bright beyond anything in the sky, it was not the source of all the light over them. More fireballs streaked across the sky. Nephi smiled broadly.

     "It is as Samuel prophesied," Nephi said, turning toward the group. "He knew. I believed him. We all did. Now we know that God will do all he says he will do. I am filled with joy at this night, so long awaited throughout the history of the world. I am filled with awe at what our brother, our savior, is about to do for us. You should be, too."

     More fireballs, and the last of the red rays of the sun were gone. Now the entire sky was simply a field of silvery, iridescent light with a huge ball of white fire climbing inexorably toward the zenith.

     "Tomorrow, in the city of Bethlehem, a small village near Jerusalem, our savior will be born," Nephi continued. "His mother is the most pure, the most holy of all women on earth. She bears the son of God. He will be as other babes, innocent with no comprehension of what his mission is. But, Brothers and Sisters, he will grow, and he will learn. From grace to grace, from truth to truth, he will grow in favor with his fellow man and with his father. God is His Father. He will strive to teach all men truth, and will be sinless from first to last. He is and will be the Son of God. He has come to redeem us all."

     He stopped when his voice wavered and cracked. He choked back tears, and wiped his eyes briefly.

     "When the time is fulfilled he will be taken by his enemies and crucified," Nephi said slowly. "He will be executed by the cruelest law in the world. He will go willingly with peace in his heart, and before his body is pierced he will remove himself from his father and take upon himself all our sins."

     He again stopped, filled with too much emotion to continue. He took a moment to look up at the sky again. More fireballs flew past, each flaming from west toward the east.

     "He will die that we may live," he continued. "He will give his life willingly for us. Brothers and Sisters, this is the cornerstone of the great plan of salvation. He so loved us all that he would do this for us. Go, now. Go to your tents, your beds, where ever they may be, on this great field or in your own homes within the city. Go there and pray and give thanks to your father for such a one as your brother who would sacrifice himself for you. Go there and be thankful for our Father's mercy and justice. Go there and think about the sins you have committed, the sins that our Savior, our Brother, will bear, and the sins you will do no more. I seal on you the blessings of the Lord this night. You will have nothing to fear from the mobs or any other this night because of the great goodness of our father in heaven."

     Nephi began to descend the steps slowly, taking each step carefully. Timothy rushed to meet him, as did Lehi. Hammon touched his father on the shoulder, and ran to meet the three of them. Around him the people were rising to leave, most retiring back to the field where their tents were, but some going back into the city.

     Hammon stood between Lehi and Timothy, and stared up at Nephi. His heart was so full he could hardly breath. He was almost overwhelmed with joy. Nephi looked down at him, and he could see the great joy in the man's face.

     "What can I do for you, young man?" Nephi asked, smiling through teary eyes.

     Hammon wiped the tears from his own eyes, and said, "It's all true. I know it's all true, Nephi. I just wanted you to know."

     "That's good, Hammon," Nephi said, putting his hand on the boy's shoulder. "What do you intend to do about it?"

     Hammon thought a moment, then said, "I will stand beside you to preach the gospel any time you want me to. I will do whatever the Lord wants me to do."

     "When?"

     "From now on," Hammon said firmly. "From this day onward."

     "And what of your quarrel with the one with the scar?" the prophet asked.

     "He didn't hurt me," Hammon returned. "Timothy blessed me, and the Lord healed me. What have I to do with him?"

     "Would you preach the gospel to him?"

     Hammon thought a moment. The idea of preaching to someone who was so completely evil had not occurred to him. After a moment he knew the answer.

     "Yes," he said firmly. "I will."

     Nephi smiled, looked at his brother, Timothy, and said, "You have another to teach, Timothy. Teach those who would learn, and quickly. There won't be much time before the final sacrifice of the Savior, and they must all be ready."

     Hammon smiled broadly, and looked around. Except for his family, Miriam and Dan, standing quietly waiting for him, the square was nearly empty. He knew what he was going to do with the rest of his life. It all would begin with learning from Timothy.

     But he didn't know about the last trial he was going to face.

 

Chapter 10

 

     Hammon got up slowly. He had been sitting next to Miriam for a long time. He guessed nearly half the night was gone. It hadn't cooled off as it sometimes did. The sky was still bright, silvery. Lines of shimmering pale yellow were spreading from the east to the western horizon now. The fiery ball was directly overhead, and too bright to look directly at. Some were saying it had a tail that disappeared to the south, but Hammon couldn't see it through the brightness of the entire sky. Fireballs flitted across the sky from time to time, their visibility due in part by their relative color, not their brightness. And there seemed to be a tingling all over his body. He felt his hair standing on end. And he felt at peace with the whole world.

     "Where are you going?" Miriam asked softly.

     Hammon looked at her. He was aware, too, that there had been little conversation. Most of the people around them, in and out of the tents, spoke little or not at all. The ones that did speak did so in hushed, reverent tones. Even the rest of the city was silent. No birds sang, no dogs barked, no rooster crowed. The forests around the city were silent. Even the stream through the temple complex was muted and reverent.

     "I have to walk around some," Hammon answered. "Do you want to come with me?"

     "I do," Leah said sleepily from her mother's lap.

     Dan, asleep next to them, stirred, but didn't wake.

     "No," Rebeccah said quietly to her daughter. "You just sleep. Peace, little one. Be still."

     Leah was asleep again, and Miriam was standing up beside Hammon, taking the hand he'd offered to help her.

     "Don't go very far," Malachi said softly. "There aren't many things to be afraid of right now, but I don't want you to get lost. Landmarks are a little hard to see."

     Hammon nodded. Without shadows, most things took on a shimmering flatness that made all structures look eerily alike. He knew he didn't want to be lost in a strange city under these conditions.

     "I won't be far," Hammon said softly. "Come on, Miriam."

     They walked together, hand in hand, toward the city. The main street was deserted, except for a few people who had been overcome by the events and had fallen to the ground. Reports had come back at first that people were struck down by the hand of God for their disbelief, but the rumors were quickly disavowed. They had been struck by the hand of God, all right, but they were not dead. It was their own guilt that had robbed their limbs of the power to take them away from here. They were helpless.

     Some could speak, others seemed in a daze, but it wasn't until they walked nearly the length of the complex along the main road Hammon found one he knew.

     Scarface lay on his back, his hands partially raised as if pleading. He couldn't move, but his eyes turned as Hammon approached.

     Hammon felt the anger surge up in him. He thought about the night before, and the day in the market, and again on the street with the children. He found himself frowning. Then he thought about the words of Nephi. He struggled with a surge of his own guilt.

     Scarface worked his mouth silently for a moment. He seemed, at first, incapable of any other movement. Then with a great breath and terrible effort he spoke.

     "This is the prophecy," he choked out, trying very hard to control his voice.

     Hammon felt the anger drain away. It was like a rushing of water from an overturned vessel. He took a deep breath and felt a lightness fill him. It was something he had not experienced before. He liked the feeling. He wanted to keep it. He stared down at Scarface.

     "It is the prophecy," he affirmed quietly. "Samuel was right. You knew that, didn't you? I mean, you knew it even before tonight."

     "I didn't want to," Scarface said, struggling with the words. "I burned your camp. I may have killed your parents."

     "You didn't kill my family," Hammon said softly, squatting down beside the man. "They're over there, near the second temple. I found them, or they found me. We're together again."

     "I tried to kill you," the man snapped back, his voice coming easier.

     "You aren't very good at it," Hammon said lightly. "I'm still alive."

     "You could stab me through the heart right now and I couldn't stop you," Scarface said quickly, this time his eyes almost begging. "You should do it. Last night I'd have killed you in a heartbeat! You should kill me, boy. It's your right. You might not get this chance again."

     "I don't have a knife," Hammon returned, feeling a deep anguish in his heart for the wretch he saw before him.

     "Then, take mine!" Scarface snarled.

     "I won't," Hammon said, standing slowly and taking Miriam's hand instead.

     He squeezed her hand and smiled at her. She blushed, and turned her face. Hammon decided he always wanted to remember that moment, the way she looked, the way she turned her head. He squeezed her hand again.

     "I can't live like this," Scarface said, his voice catching. "I'll die soon enough, anyway, if I cannot feed myself, if I cannot care for myself. I'm as good as dead. Help me. Make it quick, not slow."

     Hammon suddenly understood the man's concern, and said, "Your paralysis is only temporary. It's caused by the darkness in your own heart. What's your name?"

     The last he asked because he suddenly had a desire to know who this stranger was. Scarface looked up at him, the snarl falling from his lips, and a blank, almost gentle expression replacing it.

     "I am Shiz," he said softly.

     "Ah," Hammon returned. "A Mulekite name. That's okay. It's a strong name. It's better than what I've been calling you. Shiz. I like it. Did you fight in the wars?"

     Shiz nodded, a tear touching the corner of his eye.

     "What has that got to do with this?"

     "I just wondered where you were wounded. The cut on your face healed, Shiz. The one in your heart can, too, if you want it to. I do have something you can help me with. I don't remember anything that happened last night after you hit me with the club. Everyone around keeps telling me I'm a hero, but no one will tell me why. I don't feel like a hero, and I don't want to be one. But I do want to know what happened last night. What did I do?"

     "You stood up to me," Shiz said simply. "You saw my torch, and you saw my knife, and you refused to let me burn your tent. That was why I clubbed you with the torch! Then, when my men ran into the dark, you followed, screaming and shouting for someone to help stop the murderer! You called me a murderer to my face! I could have killed you then, and I should have, but you passed out. When you collapsed, I stopped and threw you into a dark alley so no one would find you for a long time, and I could get away. Is that what you wanted to know?"

     "How is it everyone else knows, but no one was there to help me?"

     "They couldn't keep up with us," Shiz almost sobbed. "You were the only one."

     Hammon was quiet for a while, then he shook his head slowly.

     "I must have been insane," he said softly.

     "You were protecting your mother," Shiz returned. "I wanted my son to be like you. He died in the wars. He was running from the enemy."

     Hammon nodded, and said, "Sometimes running away is the bravest course of action. When you decide what you want to do with the rest of your life, this affliction will pass, I think. If you decide you want to spend your life helping instead of hurting, come and see Lehi or Nephi, or even Timothy. If you can't find them, find me. I'll take you to them."

     Hammon led Miriam away. Shiz struggled and groaned.

     "I can't make that kind of choice," he said, sobbing.

     "You have to," Hammon called back. "You can't refuse to make it. Not now. Not when you know who is to be born tomorrow. Not when you know all that."

     He continued to lead Miriam away, back toward the temples and the tents. He wanted to be close to his family more than ever. Behind them Shiz was sobbing. They looked up and down the thoroughfare. Some of the people who'd been incapacitated were beginning to stir, others were still immobile. Hammon knew they were all making hard decisions about their lives. He felt his throat tighten again.

     Nephi and Lehi sat on the temple steps studying the sky. Hammon gently guided Miriam toward them. They stood as the two approached and greeted them with hushed tones and gentle embraces.

     Hammon said quietly, "Scarface was over there."

     He waved vaguely with his hand.

     "He can't move. He's like a lot of the others. He told me his name is Shiz. I think he's bitter because he lost his family, his son, in the wars. I don't know how long ago that was, but it's hardened his heart. He wanted me to kill him."

     "Did you?" Nephi asked, raising his eyebrows.

     "Of course not," Hammon said softly. "But, I was wondering. What can a man like that do? He's hurt a lot of people. He may have even killed.  I think he feels real remorse for what he's done, but how can he ever find peace in his heart? Can he ever change, or is the burden he carries too heavy for anyone to bear?"

     "Oh, no," Nephi replied. "His burden is not too heavy. That's why, sometime this morning our Savior will be born. He will take our sins on him, and bear those burdens. All he will ask is that we let him."

     "How do we do that?" Miriam asked quietly.

     "By repenting," Nephi said simply. "We change. We become better. We let him take care of the burdens we are able to cast aside."

     "Is it really that simple?" Hammon asked.

     "Of course it is," Nephi answered. "Look at it this way. Your mother loves you because you saved her life last night. Is that right?"

     "No," Hammon returned. "She loves me because I'm me, not because I do anything special."

     "Exactly," Nephi said. "Your father in heaven loves Shiz as much as he does you, because of who he is. He only wants him to do his best. If he does that, then God will be happy, and Shiz will be happy. God's love for you, or for Shiz, is not dependant. It is given freely. Repentance is the key to returning to live with Him again. Our Savior is preparing to open that door for us right now."

     "What if he fails?" Miriam asked.

     "He won't," Nephi said softly.

     He looked up at the sky, and smiled. Hammon looked up also.

     "It's almost over," he said softly.

     "Oh, no," Lehi corrected. "It's just beginning."

     Hammon nodded, and said, "You said he would die."

     "Our Savior?" Nephi asked. "He will lay down his life for us."

     "But he will have to grow up, first," Hammon said softly. "He will be a baby today, and he will grow up just like we do."

     "That's true," Nephi returned. "He will grow. All children grow. He will learn what his mission is one precept at a time. Then, when the time is right, he will fulfill that mission."

     "He will die for us," Hammon said softly.

     "He will die for us," Nephi affirmed.

     "Will we know when he dies?" Hammon asked.

     Nephi looked thoughtful a moment, glanced at Lehi, then back to Hammon.

     "Oh, yes, Hammon," he said reverently, with confidence. "We will know."

 

 

 

     This was a marvelous time among the Nephites and the Lamanites in the ancient Americas. If you want to know more about their history, and about their knowledge of our Savior, I encourage you to pick up a copy of the Book of Mormon and read. It will, I promise, change your life.