Numbers 35 - Deuteronomy 3

It may be disturbing to some that the children of Israel destroyed nations of people in their quest to obtain their promised lands. As they camped -

"On this side Jordan, in the land of Moab, began Moses to declare this law..." (Old Testament Deuteronomy 1:5)

Moses recounts their travels of the last forty years including recent conflicts when -

"...the LORD said unto me, Behold, I have begun to give Sihon and his land before thee: begin to possess, that thou mayest inherit his land.
32 Then Sihon came out against us, he and all his people, to fight at Jahaz.
33 And the LORD our God delivered him before us; and we smote him, and his sons, and all his people.
34 And we took all his cities at that time, and utterly destroyed the men, and the women, and the little ones, of every city, we left none to remain:
35 Only the cattle we took for a prey unto ourselves, and the spoil of the cities which we took." (Old Testament Deuteronomy 2:31 - 35)

This sounds very aggressive and un-Christlike. Even after that we read -

"THEN we turned, and went up the way to Bashan: and Og the king of Bashan came out against us, he and all his people, to battle at Edrei.
2 And the LORD said unto me, Fear him not: for I will deliver him, and all his people, and his land, into thy hand; and thou shalt do unto him as thou didst unto Sihon king of the Amorites, which dwelt at Heshbon.
3 So the LORD our God delivered into our hands Og also, the king of Bashan, and all his people: and we smote him until none was left to him remaining.
4 And we took all his cities at that time, there was not a city which we took not from them, threescore cities, all the region of Argob, the kingdom of Og in Bashan.
5 All these cities were fenced with high walls, gates, and bars; beside unwalled towns a great many.
6 And we utterly destroyed them, as we did unto Sihon king of Heshbon, utterly destroying the men, women, and children, of every city." (Old Testament Deuteronomy 3:1 - 6)

Why would a loving God do such a thing? We receive some insight with the words of Nephi. Speaking of the children of Israel and their travels in the wilderness -

"And it came to pass that according to his word he did destroy them; and according to his word he did lead them; and according to his word he did do all things for them; and there was not any thing done save it were by his word." (Book of Mormon 1 Nephi 17:31)

And then he explains -

"And after they had crossed the river Jordan he did make them mighty unto the driving out of the children of the land, yea, unto the scattering them to destruction.
33 And now, do ye suppose that the children of this land, who were in the land of promise, who were driven out by our fathers, do ye suppose that they were righteous? Behold, I say unto you, Nay.
34 Do ye suppose that our fathers would have been more choice than they if they had been righteous? I say unto you, Nay." (Book of Mormon 1 Nephi 17:32 - 34)

As we read the promises of the Lord in the 26th Chapter of Leviticus -

"If ye walk in my statutes, and keep my commandments, and do them..." (Old Testament Leviticus 26:3)

And also the consequences -

"...if ye will not hearken unto me, and will not do all these commandments;
15 And if ye shall despise my statutes, or if your soul abhor my judgments, so that ye will not do all my commandments, but that ye break my covenant..." (Old Testament Leviticus 26:14 - 15)

Nephi explains -

"Behold, the Lord esteemeth all flesh in one; he that is righteous is favored of God. But behold, this people had rejected every word of God, and they were ripe in iniquity; and the fulness of the wrath of God was upon them; and the Lord did curse the land against them, and bless it unto our fathers; yea, he did curse it against them unto their destruction, and he did bless it unto our fathers unto their obtaining power over it.
36 Behold, the Lord hath created the earth that it should be inhabited; and he hath created his children that they should possess it.
37 And he raiseth up a righteous nation, and destroyeth the nations of the wicked.
38 And he leadeth away the righteous into precious lands, and the wicked he destroyeth, and curseth the land unto them for their sakes." (Book of Mormon 1 Nephi 17:35 - 38)

As much as we are taught forgiveness, tolerance, and compassion, we must understand -

"...there is a law given, and a punishment affixed, and a repentance granted; which repentance, mercy claimeth; otherwise, justice claimeth the creature and executeth the law, and the law inflicteth the punishment..." (Book of Mormon Alma 42:22)

"...justice exerciseth all his demands, and also mercy claimeth all which is her own; and thus, none but the truly penitent are saved.
25 What, do ye suppose that mercy can rob justice? I say unto you, Nay; not one whit." (Book of Mormon Alma 42:24 - 25)

As we feast upon the word of Christ we begin to see -

"...that he is the same God yesterday, today, and forever..." (Doctrine and Covenants Section 20:12)