Still Winning
STILL WINNING:
The Jaredite nation was eventually destroyed, not long before Lehi and his family came to the same land. The last of the Jaredite people was a great warrior by the name of Coriantumr. He was given multiple chances to repent and reunite his people, but he and his followers chose to fight to the end.
Coriantumr and Shiz, the leaders of the two factions of the Jaredites were the last survivors. Shiz had sworn to drink the blood of his rival or die trying. At the end of the last battle, when everyone else was dead, Coriantumr killed Shiz while Shiz had fainted with the loss of blood (see Ether 15).
This song is from Coriantumr's perspective. The champion of all the Jaredites boasts in his strength and then realizes what he had done. Unlike any other song in this project, this one was written as a parody because if it weren't so tragic, it would be almost comical how blind Coriantumr was. Shiz offered to spare his people if he would just turn himself in and allow himself to be killed. But his desire to live and his hate for Shiz was greater than his love for his people. He believed that he could win at all costs.
This war waged for a long time. Eventually, like the Nephites, the Jaredites gathered together for one final battle, also in the same place where the Nephite final battle took place. They fought, rested, fought again, fainted with loss of blood, fled, fought, and eventually they all died. Both Coriantumr and Shiz fainted with the loss of blood, but Coriantumr rose before Shiz and cut his head off. He's the only one left and he's alone, except for Ether who was the voice of warning. Ether had been hiding inside the cavity of a rock throughout this whole war. After the last opponent was killed, Coriantumr fainted and Ether came out of hiding.
Ether eventually passed away and Coriantumr wandered alone until he came upon the people of Zarahemla (a descendant of Mulek, son of King Zedekiah in Jerusalem; see Mosiah 25:2) and lived with them for the space of nine moons (see Omni 1:20-21).
The story of Coriantumr was a tragic reminder that winning isn't everything. Sometimes, it is better to be kind than right. And "Pride goeth before destruction" (see Proverbs 16:18).
