Why do we think Nephites use swords?

I know this is not new, but here is my reason for bringing this up.  I was looking at the latest version of the kid reader Book of Mormon.  In it the Lamanites generally depicted as using a club embedded with obsidian.  Meanwhile, the Nephites are portrayed as swinging objects not unfamiliar to mideval knights.

So when one searches out information about what battle weaponry was used in the Mayan pre-classical era these weapons seem to be commonly used.  The pictures here are actually from a translation of the Florintine Codex depicting Aztec warriors with their “swords”.

Now the origins of sword use in the Book of Mormon and the Sword of Laban have been beaten to death.  I am not Hugh Nibley nor an imminent Archeaologist so I will not challenge the debate, as I have little to ad.  However, after seeing one of these obsidian weapons in use for a show about creating these weapons they were very effective.

In fact based on seeing and descriptions of their use in other areas I can say that they are within the range of the Bronze Age steelish swords of the make of Laban’s.  In fact without a lot of smelting ability it makes logical sense that obsidian swords would be the major weapon of use.  Laban’s weapon, becomes a weapon of power in the new world.  It is a symbol of authority for the Nephites.  Like the Liahona it becomes a symbol of spiritual power.

Nephi in 2nd Nephi 5:14 leads to the famous quote that he “after the manner of [the sword of Laban] did make many swords…”

Now Nephi is specifically described by Jacob (1:10) as having weilded the Sword of Laban in defense of his people.  In fact it does not take long to realize that kings in Nephite times weilded the sword.  Benjamin does so, Words of Mormon 1:13.  The last mention of the Sword itself comes around 124 BC when Benjamin entrusts the sword and all the other relics of Nephi to his sons. (Mosiah 1:16)

So why is the Sword of Laban given the status of a relic amongst the Nephite people?  Why is it so important to be handed down over 400 years to Benjamin.  Why were the elites keeping it as a symbol of power?

Well my suspicion, it is because it is the only metal sword in the new world.  The swords Nephi fashions are not metal, but based on local weaponry.  They are after the manner of Laban’s sword because they can do just as much but they are not a sword in our modern view of a sword.

So much of our imagery in the Book of Mormon of the Nephites being lilly white or carrying european swords and armour are our own creation.  These men and women fit into the culture they were bound to live in.  I doubt highly that any of the Nephites or Lamanites knew how to smelt in a good enough fashion to create a lot of metal.  Most of what they did create or have became relics, sacred artifacts of their creation story.  These items were holy because of their rarity.