3 Nephi 3:5-10

5 Therefore I have written this epistle, sealing it with mine own hand, feeling for your welfare, because of your firmness in that which ye believe to be right, and your noble spirit in the field of battle.
6 Therefore I write unto you, desiring that ye would yield up unto this my people, your cities, your lands, and your possessions, rather than that they should visit you with the sword and that destruction should come upon you.
7 Or in other words, yield yourselves up unto us, and unite with us and become acquainted with our secret works, and become our brethren that ye may be like unto us—not our slaves, but our brethren and partners of all our substance.
8 And behold, I swear unto you, if ye will do this, with an oath, ye shall not be destroyed; but if ye will not do this, I swear unto you with an oath, that on the morrow month I will command that my armies shall come down against you, and they shall not stay their hand and shall spare not, but shall slay you, and shall let fall the sword upon you even until ye shall become extinct.
9 And behold, I am Giddianhi; and I am the governor of this the secret society of Gadianton; which society and the works thereof I know to be good; and they are of ancient date and they have been handed down unto us.
10 And I write this epistle unto you, Lachoneus, and I hope that ye will deliver up your lands and your possessions, without the shedding of blood, that this my people may recover their rights and government, who have dissented away from you because of your wickedness in retaining from them their rights of government, and except ye do this, I will avenge their wrongs. I am Giddianhi.

My comments:
Giddianhi states in his letter that he is concerned for the welfare of those that do not belong to his band of robbers and murderers. In essence, he states that he and his followers are righteous, while those that do not support his wicked lifestyle are corrupt. He furthers his evil plans by telling the governor of the Nephites, that if the Nephites surrender themselves and their land, that they will be allowed to live.
Life is an important gift. Giddianhi offers what he considers to be most important, the right to continue living. However, he is misguided in his thoughts. What life is there if you are not following Christ? He is the way, the truth, and the life. Were the Nephites to be more concerned for their physical safety, than their spiritual life, they could be led astray here.
As stated in the Pearl of Great Price, “This is My work and My glory, to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.” Anything that goes against that basic premise, threatens to ruin lives. Christ is the tree of life; we come to him and live. Giddianhi is following that same person that enticed Adam and Eve to partake of the forbidden fruit, the consequences of which were to invite death into this life.