A Study Guide Companion for The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ
ALMA CHAPTERS
43 - 54
CHAPTER 43
It was close to eighteen years since Alma was first voted in as Chief Judge over the land.
Angry, proud and wealthy Zoramites joined restless Lamanites who had long skulked outside the Nephite borders, so these Zoramites became Lamanites; they renounced their Nephite identity and heritage. Over the centuries, Lamanite and Nephite genealogy changed. Now some of the most wicked and murderous among the “Lamanites” were apostate Nephites and their descendants.
Realizing the Lamanites were preparing for war, the Nephite army gathered forces in the land of Jershon. The Ammonites had sworn to not fight or kill. They were evacuated to the land of Melek.
The Lamanite general, Zerahemnah, planned subjection of the Nephite nation. He used apostate Nephites, including Zoramites, as tools within his army to further this wicked plan, “preserving” the hatred the apostates had toward the rest of the Nephites—for the Lamanites’ advantage. He appointed chief captains from the apostates because of their enmity of their former fellow-citizens.
Zerahemnah rightly assumed that because they hated their once fellow-citizen Nephites, the apostate Nephites-turned-Lamanites would whip up the rest of the Lamanites against the Nephites. He hoped this frenzied state of anger would help carry his army to victory in battle and subject the Nephites to slavery.
In contrast to these evil designs, the Nephites’ aims were to “support their lands, and their houses, and their wives, and their children, that they might preserve them from the hands of their enemies…that they might preserve their rights and their privileges…and…their liberty,that they might worship God according to their desires”.
The Nephites knew that the Lamanites, driven by Satan, would try to kill anyone who truly worshiped God (verse 10). Not only did the Lamanites want to destroy Nephites, they were particularly angry toward their fellow Lamanites, the Ammonites, who had been converted to the Gospel.
The devil was obviously chagrined that thousands he counted within his grasp had escaped into the Light of the true Christ. He stirred up resentments and other negative and evil characteristics embodied in unbelieving Lamanites and dissenting apostates who had joined the Lamanites, to try to reclaim the Ammonites back to his awful darkness.
The Nephites cared deeply about the safety and well-being of the converted Lamanites; they gave them lands for their inheritance and also protected them from the wrath of the other Lamanites, first in the land of Jershon, and then in the land of Melek.
The people of Ammon certainly did their part to help the war effort by giving the army “large portions of their substance.”
Nevertheless, the Lamanite force was much bigger than that of the Nephites; the Lamanites knew this and planned for a sure victory. There were enough descendants of Nephite dissenters alone to almost equal all of the rest of the Nephites.
The Lamanite armies gathered on Nephite soil in Antionum, where the Zoramites had settled. They planned to march into Jershon, perhaps thinking they would have an easy victory against what they thought would be the unarmed people of Ammon.
The apostates’ intelligence and the Lamanite advantage in numbers was diminished by their surprise over the Moroni’s preparation of his army. The Nephites were armed with swords, cimeters, and “all manner of weapons of war.” Further, they were covered with breastplates, arm-shields, and head-shields. The Lamanites were naked except for a skin girding their loins with no bodily defense. Apostate Nephites were the only ones with any kind of protective clothing.
The Lamanites immediately saw their disadvantage and stopped their march into Jershon. They decided instead to head for the land of Manti. It was less accessible to them, and they assumed it would not be defended as well as Jershon (verse 22).They did not know of Moroni’s military intelligence (verse 23).
Much more important than the intelligence gathered by the spies, was the Lord’s message. Moroni followed ancient Israelite tradition and asked Alma, God’s prophet, what they should do next. The Lord came unto Alma telling him of Lamanites in the wilderness preparing for attack.
At this point, Moroni split his army, leaving soldiers to defend Jershon against a possible double back attempt by the Lamanites, and taking the rest of them to defend the land of Manti.
Going through Nephite territory, Moroni was able to make it to the land of Manti before the invading Lamanite army could circle around through the wilderness. He rallied the people from the land of Manti and around that area; they joined the army and prepared to defend their homes, their country, and their freedoms.
Moroni had clothed and armed his warriors far better than the Lamanites were clothed and armed. He was also extremely gifted in other military strategies.
Stratagem 1
…Moroni caused that his army should be secreted
in the valley which was near the bank of the river Sidon,
which was on the west of the river Sidon in the wilderness.
Stratagem 2
Moroni placed spies round about, that he might know
when the camp of the Lamanites should come.
Stratagem 3
He divided his army
and brought a part over into the valley, and concealed them on the east,
and on the south of the hill Riplah.
He concealed the rest in the west valley, on the west of the river Sidon,
and down into the borders of the land Manti.
Stratagem 4
Moroni used spies and scouts to bring him intelligence and able men as leaders under him.
The leader of the army which was hidden south of the hill Riplah was named Lehi. Lehi followed Moroni’s instructions and encircled the enemy, coming up from behind.
***
The first major battle of this war began. The Lamanites turned and saw the Nephites behind them and began to fight.
Instead of being a massacre annihilating the Nephites, it was a horrible bloody battle on both sides. However, the Lamanites had the worst losses. The protective clothing that the Nephites wore helped save their lives as they wielded cimeters and swords against the almost naked Laments.
Some Nephites were wounded and killed, but the army—with its smaller force—fought a strong battle against the Lamanites, who were less-prepared.
The work of death is a terribly accurate way to describe the horror of war. No matter if it was Lamanite or Nephite—death in war is death on the devil’s battlefield. Satan had stirred up the hearts of his wicked followers who allowed him into their souls. They turned back to head again for the river Sidon to escape the Nephites..
Lehi and his army chased the Lamanites into the river, and then stood, defending the river bank—so the Lamanites could not get back to where they entered it.
On the other side of the river, Moroni and the part of the army he was leading met them and began killing them.
The Lamanites tried to escape to the land of Manti. However, here more of Moroni’s army came after them.
The trapped Lamanites had nothing to lose; they could not escape. They started fighting and killing with tremendous strength and courage. For a short time, because of the fighting fury of the Lamanites and because of their numbers, they had advantage over the Nephite army which was only half as large.
They fought “like dragons,” killing Nephite soldiers, striking so hard they pierced breastplates and cleaved head-plates apart. Nephite arms were unprotected—and the Lamanites struck them from their bodies.
Many Nephites, dazed by the Lamanites’ unprecedented power of fierceness and the terrible slaughter they were wrecking, were about to turn and run. But Moroni, recognizing his men’s fear, inspired them to remember the reasons they were fighting. The Nephite army rallied, calling fervently on the Lord with one voice.
When they cried to God for help, they were immediately infused with great energy and strength—and the tide of battle again turned (verse 50). Although there were twice as many Lamanites as Nephites, the Nephites herded the Lamanites together in the valley on the bank by the river Sidon.
With Lehi’s army coming from the east and Moroni’s armies on the other sides, the Lamanites were completely circled by fiercely fighting Nephites.
When the Lamanites were trapped before, they came out fighting, spurred on by their leaders. This time, however, the Nephites had humbled themselves into calling with great fervor on the Lord. Now when the Lamanites saw themselves surrounded by Nephites—Moroni on the west of the river Sidon—and Lehi’s troops on the east—instead of again lashing out, they were terror-struck.
The Nephites could have completely slaughtered the Lamanites. But Moroni—certainly inspired by the Lord, and seeing the terror of his enemies—commanded his men to stop killing them.
CHAPTER 44
Moroni did not want slaughter of the remaining Lamanites, but he also did not want the Lamanites to regroup and then try more evil assaults against the Nephites, so the agreement he proposed was to stop fighting if the Lamanites capitulated under certain conditions. He reminded Zerahemna he didn’t want to kill them. The Lamanites were the ones who hostilely came to kill or enslave the Nephites and take their lands and homes, not the other way around. He also reminded the Lamanite leader that the Lamanites hated the Nephites because of their religion.
Moroni pointed out that the God of the very religion that Lamanites hated had now delivered the Lamanites into the hands of the Nephites. Moroni said that the Nephites would never be destroyed unless they sinned and denied their own faith.
In the name of God, the Almighty, and His true Gospel, and by the Nephite wives, children, and God-given lands and liberty, Moroni swore that the Lamanites must capitulate; they must abide by the terms which he laid out to them.
He then stated the terms he would allow for their surrender. They must give up their arms and then promise not to come against the Nephites again.
Moroni then painted a horribly grim picture of their alternative choice. He said that if they wouldn’t agree they would be killed until they all were extinct—then no one would be left alive to attempt to put the Nephites into bondage.
Zerahemnah tried to negotiate Moroni’s terms. He was willing to turn over his arms to Moroni, but he was not willing to give his oath that they would not come again against the Nephites. He defiantly told Moroni that if that was not enough the Lamanites would keep their weapons and perish or conquer.
Zerahemnah scoffed at Moroni’s assertion that the Lord brought the Nephites their victory. He said he believed it was their cunning and protective clothing that had saved them.
Moroni was not about to negotiate. He had firmly stated the only acceptable terms. He gave Zerahemnah back his weapons and told him that they would end the conflict, finishing them off right then. He told Zerahemnah that he would not take back the stated terms. (Moroni had sworn the terms on the things most sacred to him. Israelites put much stock in swearing by sacred things. This practice was still valid in Moroni’s time.) Moroni restated the terms and the alternative to not accepting his generous offer. The Lamanites must submit to the oath and surrender the weapons—or die.
Moroni’s refusal made Zerahemnah so angry that he pulled out his sword and rushed Moroni, trying to kill him on the spot.
One of Moroni’s soldiers knocked Zerahemnah’s raised sword out of his hand. It fell and broke to the hilt. Then the soldier swiftly scalped Zerahemnah. Zerahemnah escaped back into the midst of his soldiers without his scalp.
The soldier picked up the scalp with the tip of his sword and held it up so that all of the Lamanites could see it. He called out a grisly analogy, comparing how the scalp had fallen to the Earth to how all Lamanites would fall dead to the earth, unless they accepted Moroni’s terms.
This demonstration frightened many Lamanites who then came forth, threw down their weapons, and took the oath of peace. They were allowed to depart into the wilderness.
Zerahemnah was used to getting his own way and manipulating others. He placed apostate Nephites in positions of leadership so they would spur his men with anger and hate against the Nephites. Moroni defied him. Further, Zerahemnah not only lost his scalp—many of his own men took the oath of peace and left. He was furious. And in that fury, he rallied the rest of his soldiers; although surrounded, they began again to fight powerfully against the Nephites.
Zerahemnah was not the only angry leader. The stubbornness of the Lamanites angered Moroni. He was upset that they kept fighting their unrighteous cause even though they had been given the offer of amnesty in return of their oath of peace. Since they rejected this offer, he commanded his army to fall upon them to end the conflict as he promised. And so the battle resumed.
Although the Lamanites fought hard, their naked skins and bare heads were vulnerable to Nephites’ swords. As the Nephite soldier had prophesied, they did begin to fall fast.
Zerahemnah, stubborn as he was, realized all his people would be destroyed unless he surrendered. He cried “mightily unto Moroni”
Zerahemnah had refused to do this earlier; many Lamanite and Nephite people were killed. He was certainly not negotiating from a position of strength. If the Nephites refused to spare their lives, they still would not come to war against them again because they would be dead! However, Moroni accepted Zerahemnah’s plea.
Both the Nephites and the Lamanites endured tremendous loss of life during this great battle; the dead were not numbered according to custom because there were so many. The Nephites put the dead into the river Sidon to be carried out to sea for their burial and the survivors returned to their houses and their lands.
These were Alma’s last words, abridged by Mormon. As Alma turned the Plates over to Helaman, the next chapters (although under the title, “Alma”) were abridged from Helaman’s words.
CHAPTER 45
Many soldiers on both sides lost their lives in the battle near Manti, but the Nephites claimed the victory. Their triumph was overcoming a vicious army twice their size that was bent on enslaving or destroying the, and they rejoiced that the Lord had given them this victory.
At the first of the following year, Alma had a serious meeting with his son, Helaman. He asked him a series of direct questions.
Helaman was called to succeed Alma as prophet and leader of Christ’s Church in the Promised Land.
Alma told Helaman the Lord considered him blessed and would prosper him. After this good news, Alma was impressed to tell Helaman of very hard things for both Helaman and for Alma to know. Although Helaman would be “prospered in the land,” because of the wickedness of future Nephites, the Nephite nation would eventually be destroyed.
Alma had Helaman write the words he prophesied about the Nephite nation hundreds of years before the prophecy would come to pass.
The year before Alma prophesied this, Captain Moroni threatened extinction to some Lamanites if they did not capitulate in accordance to his terms. Now Alma prophesied that the Nephites as a whole nation would eventually become extinct—because of their own wickedness. They had terms to live by if they were to continue on the Promised Land. Alma foresaw they would not live by these terms.
Alma prophesied that the Nephites would bring this disaster upon themselves. They would turn to the devil’s works of darkness; they would become lascivious and commit all manner of iniquities.
The Lamanites were also wicked, but they had not been given the same Light and Truth that had been given to the Nephites. Nephites’ sins and effects would occur because they would deliberately chooseevil even after they were given Light and Truth. Iniquity would abound to such an extent that the Nephite nation would be destroyed.
The literal blood descendants—of Nephites—living in the latter-days, descended from those who, centuries ago, either joined the Lamanites or escaped somehow from the main body of Nephites.
Alma went on to say that the true disciples of the Lord would not be numbered among the Lamanites but they would be persecuted and pursued by the Lamanites.
Alma reminded Helaman and future readers that this prophecy would be fulfilled because of the people’s sins. Most of the Nephites, through their wickedness and by their own free will, would bring the prophecy to fulfillment.
In spite of the grimness of the prophecy, Alma was grateful for his blessings. He must have been gratified that all of his sons were now worthy and working in God’s Kingdom. At this solemn occasion, it is likely that he ordained Helaman to be the next Church leader; he also blessed his other sons, then he blessed the Earth for the righteous people’s sake (verse 15). But he cursed the land for the wicked.
The next blessing Alma gave was to the Church. The scripture is clarified to mean that he blessed the faithful Church members who, from that time forth, would be faithful to the Lord and to the covenants they made when they were baptized.
Often when someone knows he or she is going to die soon, that person “gets his or her affairs in order,” preparing to leave things here on Earth operating as smoothly as possible. Alma’s actions showed that he:
Put in place a righteous successor as Church leader,
Had the Lord’s prophecy recorded,
Gave a father’s blessing to all of his sons,
Renewed the reminder of the Lord’s curse and blessing on the Promised Land,
Blessed faithful followers of Christ within the Church,
After Alma had done all these things he disappeared.
And when Alma had done this he departed out of the land of Zarahemla,
as if to go into the land of Melek. And it came to pass that he was never heard of more; as to his death or burial we know not of.
Helaman, was entrusted with writing on the records. It was certainly from his writings that Mormon wrote of the unusual ending to what was known (or unknown) about the end of Alma’s life. The next verse tells that a “saying went abroad” that Alma was “taken up by the Spirit, or buried by the Hand of the Lord, even as Moses.” This means that they believed he was translated.
“According to the Prophet Joseph Smith, ‘translated bodies are designed for future missions.’ That is, some mortal men undergo a change whereby they are enabled to live in the flesh beyond the time when ordinary men die, to perform important labors for the Lord. The Three Nephites and John the Revelator are examples. Moses and Elijah are examples also.
The mantle of authority passed to Helaman; he stepped up to carry the torch. Helaman had been a missionary during much of his grown life - then he went forth as the prophet and leader.
The nation had been upset by Lamanite wars as well as by petty dissensions and disturbances among the people. It was necessary that the Church be united—so Helaman and his brothers went throughout the land, regulating doctrine and appointing local leaders.
Helaman and his brothers were dealing with major problems.
Each time the Lord blessed the Nephites—prospering them for obedience to His commandments—some of them began to exercise unrighteous pride, allowing it to inflict damage to their souls and lead them toward the devil. They now opened the door to this devastating opponent. Banishing the virtues of humility and gratitude, they allowed their nemesis, unrighteous pride, to eventually inflict retribution.
CHAPTER 46
God gave all of His children a wonderful blessing; He opened the glorious opportunity for us to progress—including getting bodies of flesh and bones. And then, because of the atoning Sacrifice of our Savior Jesus Christ, we have the prospect to repent of our sins and become heirs in His great glory. We shouted for joy!
In our pre-Earth existence, Lucifer—Satan—wanted above all to glorify himself. He cared nothing about the rest of us. Wanting to enslave us—he desired to take away the agency Heavenly Father gave us—and force us to do his will—assuming that would give him God’s ultimate Power. He was able to convince “one third part” of Heavenly Father’s spirit children to follow him, giving them the awful promise to become rulers over the rest of us.
These selfish and rebellious spirit children were willing to forget the great blessings offered by Heavenly Father and by Jehovah, Jesus Christ. They used their God-given agency, choosing to join Lucifer’s mutiny against our Gods, to try to destroy our agency and to usurp God’s holy Power. When Lucifer and his followers were cast from Heaven for their nefarious rebellious attempt to rob us of our agency—and to gain God’s glory and Power—he became Satan, the devil.
The devil's goals are always the same. He has ever desired dominance over us—to chain our souls and bring us down to his hell.
In life on the Promised Land, after the tremendous victory the Lord gave the Nephite army—defying all odds—over the huge and formidable Lamanite army, the Nephites rejoiced exceedingly when given the reprieve—retaining their freedom from intended Lamanite slavery. Helaman, his brothers, and other righteous leaders also nourished the Nephites in the Gospel.
Then, a substantial part of these many-times-blessed Nephites rebelled against God and His leaders. Listening to the devil and his followers, just as Lucifer had tried and failed to do in the pre-mortal life, wicked Nephites sought supremacy over the rest of their fellow-citizens. They were determined to kill the righteous part of the Nephites who would not submit to their evil demands for authority..
Satan found a willing listener among the Nephites called Amalickiah. He was a physically strong and persuasive Nephite, Amalickiah wanted to be king over the Nephite nation.
Furious that Helaman and the other righteous Christians preached against the wickedness of unrighteous pride, and refused to condone or accept in any way a treacherous usurpation of power and destruction of freedom, Amalickiah gathered an influential following. He gleaned many followers from among underhanded leaders of the Nephite nation. Prominent among his supporters were ambitious lower judges. Amalickiah persuaded them to follow him—with the promise they would gain personal authority.
Amalickiah could not have deceived his supporters had they not wicked desires in their own hearts to have domination over others. As it was, they played right into his hands when he turned on his persuasive flatteries.
Helaman, prophet and Church leader, and his brethren who were high priests and would be considered general authorities today, tried to nourish Church members with messages from God. But many would not listen, choosing instead to listen to Satan’s messengers.
Many Church members apostatized, influenced by Amalickiah.
Satan encouraged Amalickiah to rebel.
Amalickiah encouraged lower judges to rebel.
Amalickiah encouraged rebellion and apostasy among many Church members.
Amalickiah and his followers sought to overthrow the government and kill the righteous leaders and the followers of God.
One wicked man caused so much havoc among people, seeking to destroy liberty and the Church.
Hearing a wicked man was trying to destroy all these blessings, Moroni got angry! He tore off a piece of his coat and inscribed a battle cry he called “The Title of Liberty,” placing it on a pole for all to see: “In memory of our God, our religion, and freedom, and our peace, our wives, and our children.”
Those who did not belong to the Church called the Church members, “Christians.” Members, glad to belong to Christ’s Church, accepted the name (which had been given them in derision) with honor.
Fastening on all his battle gear, Moroni humbly knelt before God, praying mightily for freedom’s protection as long as a band of Christians would possess the land.
Moroni declared all the land of the Nephites, south and north of the land of Desolation, to be a land of liberty. He forcefully reminded the people that the Promised Land itself was a chosen land—a land of liberty.
Moroni knew that when the people rejected Christ and became wicked, they would be destroyed because of their own wickedness. But he did not think the Lord would allow them to be destroyed if most of the people worshiped the Lord and were trying to be righteous.
Heeding this rallying cry, people came joined the army. They also rent, or tore, their own garments in symbolism, showing they were determined not to forsake God. They called for God to rend them as they had rent their garments if they broke their promises to Him or sinned by being ashamed to accept Christ.
The symbolism of rent, or torn, garments was a practice used throughout Old Testament history. Moroni used the analogy of Joseph of Egypt’s coat being rent by his brothers to the rending of the Nephite army if they were to fall into transgression—or sin against God. He likened the liberty of the Nephites to be the preserved part of Joseph’s coat.
Moroni reminded his new army that the patriarch, Jacob (Israel), grieved, knowing some of his descendants would choose evil and be lost, but rejoiced in those who would choose God and righteousness.
With these words, Moroni went forth gathering those who chose to stand for God and liberty, and against the evil Amalickiah and enslavement.
Amalickiah decided to take those he still had under his influence and flee into Lamanite territory (the land of Nephi). Many apostate Nephites had previously found a place of authority within Lamanite ranks.
Moroni had just fought with the Lamanite army and had some idea of their number strength. He certainly did not think it a good plan to allow Amalickiah’s army to add to these Lamanite figures—to further stir them up against the Nephites. Often apostate Nephites provoked Lamanites to start wars against the main body of Nephites.
Moroni’s army was much larger and the members were dedicated to the Lord and to keeping freedom. He planned to cut off Amalickiah and his troops before they could get to the land of Nephi. With a large zealous army, Moroni marched into the wilderness after Amalickiah and his army.
Amalickiah was only interested in saving himself; his followers were only valuable to him as a means to gaining pre-eminence. Knowing he would never defeat Moroni, Amalickiah abandoned most of his own recruits. Taking a small number of his men, he fled—leaving the rest of his army in the hands of the pursuing Nephites..
Under Nephite law, Moroni as chief commander of the army by appointment (vote) of the people, had the “government,” or authority, to decide what happened within the army —including what happened to prisoners-of-war.
Rather than having the traitors executed at once, Moroni gave them the chance to repatriate, to swear allegiance to the government, and to loyally support the cause of freedom. Covenants were serious for those of Israelite descent. Most of the prisoners, many disillusioned by Amalickiah’s defection, some probably just to save themselves from being put to death, and perhaps some repenting of their treacherous selfish betrayal of trust, chose to make the covenant of freedom.
After this battle, Moroni caused Title of Liberty—complete with its motto—to be raised over all towers in the land. This reminded all Nephites of the blessing of liberty that they enjoyed.
After that time of turmoil, because the people lived righteously, God granted them peace in their land. Helaman and the high priests were able to set the Church in order, and it operated according to God’s Plan for four years.
There were many who lived their lives believing in Christ and then peacefully died with a firm conviction that He redeemed them.
Although ways of treating illnesses is not frequently mentioned in Mormon’s summary, he said that at this time of peace, most deaths were of natural causes. He said that there were plants and roots that treated many of the diseases caused by the climate.
CHAPTER 47
When Moroni and his army routed Amalickiah’s rebellious army, Amalickiah fled with a few chosen followers to the Lamanite king, who was subsequently beguiled, and received this renegade and his men with honor. So in a different setting, Amalickiah renewed “his purpose," which was to gain absolute power.
Amalickiah was persuasive and had gained so much influence with the Lamanite king that he convinced the king to issue a proclamation of war against the Nephites. This proclamation called for the Lamanite army to get ready again to go into battle.
However, the Lamanites rebelled against this proclamation. Many Lamanite warriors had taken an oath that they would not go into battle again against the Nephites. They were afraid of the king, but they were more afraid of the Nephites.
The Lamanites did not enjoy the same freedom as the Nephites. The king put Amalickiah in charge of the part of his army that was obedient to him. He sent them forth to “compel them [the disobedient Lamanites] to arms,” to force the rest of the Lamanites to join his army.
The Lamanite king wholly trusted Amalickiah who, conversely, saw the commander post as a step to dethrone the king. He desired to become king over the Lamanites as well as becoming king over the Nephites.
The disobedient Lamanites had fled to a place called Onidah. Determined to not fight the Nephites, yet fearing the king’s army, they set up a rebel kingdom with Lehonti as their king. They gathered at the top of a mountain (Antipas) and prepared to defend themselves against the rest of the Lamanite army.
Amalickiah had no intention of fighting the disobedient part of the army. They were larger in number than the fragment under his control. Instead, he devised a plan to take control of both factions as well as the whole Lamanite kingdom.
Amalickiah—steeped in treachery—first against fellow-Nephites, then against those who followed him, and now against the Lamanite king, set the stage for two more betrayals—against the segment of the army he was leading, and against the head of the dissenting army of Lamanites, Lehonti. Amalickiah camped his army in the valley of the mountain close to the rebel Lamanite troops. Then he sent a secret embassy up the mountain at night to try to get a private conference with the new king who led rebel Lamanites. He assumed that if he could beguile the leader of the new faction like he had the Lamanite king, he could gain supremacy over the entire army—and the entire Lamanite nation.
Lehonti’s instincts were sound. He did not dare come down to the enemies’ camp. However, using persuasion, Amalickiah asked him a second—then a third time.
Determined to get his way, Amalickiah climbed the mountain himself, close to the camp of the rebel army. Then he sent word that he wanted to confer, and that Lehonti could bring his guards with him, for his own safety. Lehonti finally agreed to meet him, and Amalickiah made a proposal that sounded good to Lehonti.
Amalickiah told Lehonti to bring his army down the mountain to surround his (Amalickiah’s) army, who were camped at the foot, and then he (Amalickiah) would surrender to Lehonti. Amalickiah said that he only asked to be made second-in-command of the new joined-together army.
What a temptation for Lehonti. Without raising a weapon he would gain control over the whole army. He did not stop to consider he was dealing with a traitor. Amalickiah had betrayed his native country, and he offered to betray the king and the warriors under his command. When Lehonti bargained with Amalickiah—he sealed his own fate.
That night Lehonti brought his army and surrounded the king’s army. When the king’s soldiers realized their plight, they pleaded with Amalickiah that they could surrender and join Lehonti’s army rather than be killed. This is exactly what Amalickiah wanted. He then became second in command of the whole army. He was on his way to dethroning the Lamanite king.
The next thing Amalickiah planned was go from number two in command to number one. It is no surprise that he secretly murdered Lehonti. He did it by degrees of poisoning. Amalickiah became commander of the Lamanite army and took the army back to the city of Nephi.
Undoubtedly, the king was glad to see them coming. Anxious to go to battle against the Nephites, he went forth to greet Amalickiah as a returning hero. Amalickiah sent two of his servants to go bow before the king.
As they bowed before him, the king reached out in a gesture of peace to raise Amalickiah’s servants. As the king reached out to lift up Amalickiah’s servants, one of them quickly stabbed the king to death.
The king's scared servants ran off. Then Amalickiah’s servants called out that the king’s servants had killed him and fled. Amaliciah called for everyone to go after the servants.
This deceptive device directed the army and the people’s attention to the king’s innocent servants. No one questioned Amalickiah’s servants’ role. Instead the army, and others who claimed to “love the king,” took off after the king’s servants.
The Lord blessed these wrongly accused servants. Not only did they escape the pursuing army, they ended up among the people of Ammon.
Amalickiah, in the meantime, continued to pursue his ambitions in among the Lamanites. Even though he had failed to catch the fleeing servants, he put on enough of a show to win the people over to him.
After the king’s death, the city was under martial control and Amalickiah, commander of the army, was in complete charge.
The queen, with some authority, inquired into the circumstances of her husband’s death—after Amalickiah sent his handpicked servants to tell her the king’s own servants had killed the king. The queen realized Amalickiah, as head of the army, had power over the people. She sent word to him, asking him to spare the people of the city and also to bring witnesses to tell her exactly how the king had been killed.
Amalickiah’s servants came with him to the queen. Chief among his “witnesses” was the actual killer. Others in the conspiracy were also present, to verify what the killer said. Eventually Amalickiah convinced the queen to marry him. Amalickiah had become king.
CHAPTER 48
As king, Amalickiah shrewdly played on the people’s emotions, stirring them against the Nephites, rather than issuing an unpopular proclamation, as he had encouraged the late king to do.
Amalickiah selected persuasive speechmakers to make political speeches against the Nephites. These speakers spoke from towers where people gathered around to listen.
Since arriving in Lamanite territory, things had gone according to Amalickiah’s evil plans. It was his next step to gain control over all of the Promised Land, including power over Nephites and their territory.
Amalickiah gathered a tremendously powerful army. This time he persuaded all Lamanite warriors to his vantage point. They all willingly agreed to go to war against Nephites. Amalickiah assumed that because of his huge numbers of warriors, he could overpower the Nephites and turn them into slaves.
Amalickiah, like the Lamanite leader Zerahemnah, gave Zoramite dissenters military leadership appointments. They had prior knowledge as to the strongest and weakest territories within the Nephite nation.
When he thought he had everything in place for a successful victory, Amalickiah sent his Lamanite army off toward Zarahemla to conquer the Nephites.
Amalickiah finally attempted to execute his leadership by capturing and enslaving and killing Nephites. However, in the meantime, Captain Moroni had been making extensive preparations for another Lamanite attack. Under the Lord’s inspiration, Moroni prepared the Nephites to successfully meet the coming Lamanite onslaught.
Moroni based his physical activities on strong spiritual values. He was given a brilliant mind as well as a strong body to do what the Lord chose him to do. Although a military leader, his attitude was in tune with God; he joined God’s desire to keep the Promised Land a land of freedom.
Moroni’s Character:
He acknowledged the blessings of God with his whole heart.
He worked hard for the welfare and safety of his people.
He loved his family—his wife and children.
He was prepared to support the efforts of peace.
He worked to help the people “live unto the Lord their God.”
He worked to maintain the “Christian cause.”
As well as teaching the Nephites to defend themselves, Moroni taught them a Godly attitude. Moroni knew that many times his people would have to kill attacking Lamanites in their own defense, but he taught them that they should not be killers—they should not take delight in killing. Although they should defend themselves, even killing the enemy if necessary, they were not to start an offensive attack against their enemy.
The Nephites went through a renewal of faith—believing if they kept His commandments, God would prosper and protect them.
Moroni taught the Nephites that God would attend to details of victory if they were faithful in obeying His commandments. He would make it known to them how to prepare for war, when to fight and when to flee—also, where and when to defend themselves. When necessary to defend themselves, He would deliver them from their enemies.
Mormon emphasized that it was through Moroni’s great faith in Christ that the people believed these things.
He strengthened the armies;
He erected small forts and threw up huge banks of Earth around cities;
He had the people build stone walls around their cities and around the borders of the land;
He put the most soldiers in the weakest areas to help with the defense.
Helaman, son of Alma, and his brothers, Shiblon and Corianton, were Moroni’s contemporaries. Moroni strengthened the defenses of the people and forcefully shared his faith; Helaman and his brothers and other Church leaders also strengthened the faith of the people, taught the word of God, built up the Church, and baptized many “unto repentance."
Because of Helaman and his brethren’s preaching, and the humility of the people, the Nephites enjoyed peace, even while preparing to defend themselves against a foreign invasion. But because of wickedness of some Nephites, they would have many years of war to face.
The righteous Nephites hated having to kill the Lamanites even in self-defense because they hated bloodshed and they were sorry to send the Lamanites out of this world unprepared to meet their God. Christian Nephites, although reluctant to go to war, knew the Lord would bless them if they would keep His commandments.
CHAPTER 49
The Lamanite army, following orders of the evil Amalickiah, marched toward the land of Ammonihah, Having once laid this city to waste, they assumed they could do the same thing again. However, Lamanite intelligence failed to realize that Ammonihah was in a completely different condition—both spiritually and temporally. Moroni had taken over the city, largely rebuilt it, stationed an army by its borders, dug deep trenches around it, and surrounded it with large embankments of dirt.
Amalickiah’s army, thought that if they came in great numbers, this time wearing heavy protective clothing and carrying shields and breastplates, they could easily overcome the Nephites. Ammonihah, having now become a fortress, completely threw off the simple Lamanite battle plan, which was to rush in, then overcome and slaughter or capture the Nephites by sheer number.
Moroni knew that God protected the righteous, and chief among all of Moroni’s so-called “stratagems” was to strengthen his people in their faith in God. Although the Nephites wore protective armor, Moroni and God’s other leaders helped them put on more important raiment—the armor of God—lives dedicated to living His Holy commandments—if they were to stay upon the Promised Land.
The leaders of the Lamanite army were astonished that Ammonihah was no longer vulnerable—not knowing, that although it was now strongly fortified, its main difference was that it was no longer the hotbed of evil that it once had been.The city was well protected. The only way an invading army could come in was by the main entrance (verse 4).
Neither the Nephites nor the Lamanites had ever used this type of defensive warfare in all their centuries in the Promised Land. The Lamanites were used to capturing, killing, and plundering. Nephites were used to defending in hand-to-hand combat.
The Lamanites realized that they could not complete their plan. Realizing that the now fortified city of Ammonihah was too strong for them, Amalickiah’s captains regrouped and marched toward the land of Noah. They expected Noah to be weak. Angry that they were forced to retreat, the chief captains took a solemn oath that they would destroy the people of Noah. Again they were making a disastrous mistake. They had no idea that Moroni had fortified all cities near the borders as he had fortified Ammonihah. The city of Noah was now even stronger than Ammonihah.
Anticipating that the enemy would head for Noah, Moroni put Lehi, an excellent captain, in charge of the city. Lehi had proved himself to be intelligent, brave, and resourceful at the battle by the river Sidon.The Lamanites were frightened. They remembered Lehi and were afraid of him. They may have remembered that they had sworn an oath when he was present and they were breaking that oath. The chief captains, while leading Lamanites to break the oath that they had made to Moroni, were determined to keep the oath they had later made to themselves to destroy the people of Noah.
The trench around the city was so deep and the dirt that had been thrown up made such a high bank, that the only way the Lamanites could approach the city was by the main entrance. The Nephites were prepared to destroy any who tried to come in by the main entrance by shooting arrows and slinging stones at them. They put their strongest armed men with swords and slings to protect their places of security.
The Lamanites tried over and over to breech the entrance. At such a severe disadvantage, they were driven back again and again. Hundreds of Laminites died in “an immense slaughter” In frustration, they tried to dig down the banks of earth to get into the city that way. They only ended up dead, killed by arrows or slings. Dead and wounded bodies began to fill the Nephite trenches. Amalickiah’s chief captains drove their armies until the captains were all killed—as well as over a thousand of their men. No Nephites were killed, but about fifty were wounded—some severely.
After the captains had been killed, the rest of the Lamanite army fled into the wilderness. They returned to king Amalickiah to break the unwelcome news. Amalickiah was not concerned about the more than thousand dead troops. He was, however, furious with the army that they did not win. He had expected by then to have the rest of the Nephites in captivity. He swore he would “drink Moroni’s blood.”
As the nineteenth year of the reign of the judges ended, the Lord blessed the Nephites with peace among themselves and great prosperity in the Church because they listened to His servants, the prophets and teachers.
CHAPTER 50
As Moroni continued his fight for liberty, it was a continuation of the fight for agency that began in the pre-mortal world. As the Lord prospered righteous people, it was in similitude of Eternal rewards for righteousness. When people became wicked, God withdrew blessings and protection.
Moroni did not take the victory at the city of Noah as an excuse to let up in his labors. Instead he continued his plans and worked even harder, making all Nephite territory as safe as possible. He had the people dig trenches as well as build high earthen mounds around all of the cities in the land.
For many years, hostile Lamanites had roamed throughout the eastern wilderness surrounding Nephite territory. They plundered and raided unprotected Nephite people and property. Apostates, such as wicked unbelieving Zoramites, easily joined some of these Lamanites and subsequently caused much trouble. Moroni and his army made a large sweep of the eastern wilderness, driving Lamanites south into their own territory.
With a secure domain, a straight boundary divided Nephite and Lamanite territory from sea to sea to keep Lamanites from infiltrating the borders, Moroni called for Nephite colonization of the newly acquired area.To make the new areas safe from Lamanites, he set up border patrols and built fortifications.
He cleared the eastern and western wilderness of Lamanite strongholds—creating a large expanse of completely Nephite-controlled territory, from the headwaters of the river Sidon on the south beyond the land Bountiful in the north.
Moroni’s tremendous leadership made it desirable for citizens to join the Nephite army. They had faith in him as a commander to keep them as safe as possible. He also must have inspired overwhelming patriotism in his troops.
After about three years of peace, in the land of Morianton, which joined the borders of Lehi by the seashore, the people of Morianton caused contention in a serious land-grabbing dispute against the people in the land of Lehi. The people of Lehi fled to Moroni’s camp and appealed to him for assistance.
The people of Morianton, and their leader, Morianton, who were trying to bully—and actually kill—the people of Lehi, fled from the land to go farther north; they knew that Moroni’s armies were much stronger than they were. Morianton was fired with unrighteous ambition. He wanted to set up a new government in the where he could be in total power. In a terrible temper Morinton beat a maid-servant who fled to Moroni and told him Morianton’s plans.
Moroni immediately realized the implications of having a wicked nation develop on the northern border. Realizing Morianton was persuasive, as were his followers, Moroni did not want to give him the chance to enlist the people in Bountiful to his wicked cause. Accordingly, Moroni sent Teancum, one of his best officers, to stop them.
Teancum and his troops did not overcome Morianton’s group until they reached the area called the land Desolation. There, close to the narrow pass which was between the eastern and western seas, they stopped them.
Apparently Teancum tried first to reason with Morianton, but neither Morianton nor his people would listen to Teancum. A civil war battle began between two Nephite factions. Teancum killed Morianton and took the rest of his people back to Moroni’s camp as prisoners.
Again, as he had done with the Lamanites, Moroni offered this enemy in battle a choice. The prisoners wereprobably given the option of being executed for treason or taking an oath of loyalty. They chose to covenant to keep the peace—and, without Morianton egging them on, they worked out their dispute with the people of Lehi and the two groups were “united.” Moroni let them go back to their own lands.
After king Mosiah’s reign, Alma was voted in as the Chief Judge; therefore—since there was no king, he had charge of the all the sacred records. Mormon wrote that although Nephihah was a righteous man, when he became Chief Judge he had refused to take charge of the sacred records Alma had offered him. Mormon wrote, “…therefore Alma had conferred them upon his son, Helaman.” Helaman was chosen to be High Priest over the Church after Alma.
When Nephihah died, his son, Pahoran was appointed to take his place. We may be sure that he was appointed through the vote of the people, because that is how the government of judges was originally set up by king Mosiah—and continued after Alma resigned his seat.
CHAPTER 51
Some “elite” Nephites, called “king-men” who believed themselves born of “high birth,” maybe because of wealth or political positions, tried to dissolve the government of judges and liberty and replace it with rule by a king and aristocracy. They placed a petition for the change of government before the Chief Judge, Pahoran, which he refused. His attitude made the king-men angry; they promoted having him removed from his seat. If they had their way, he would be removed anyway; there would be a king sitting in the place of the voted-in Chief Judge.
The contention was settled by vote which the king-men lost. When the king-men lost, they were angry. We are not told all of the laws of the Nephite nation at this time, but clearly, from Mormon’s brief statement, the king-men, defeated by the voice of the people, were becoming Lamanite sympathizers. Not only did they refuse to take up arms against the invading Lamanites, they were “glad in their hearts” the Lamanites were coming to battle against the Nephites. We have no information to give us the reasons the king-men were Lamanite supporters; perhaps they hoped to come into power like Amalickiah. We can only assume they were joining the forces of evil in the great battle that began during our pre-mortal lives.
Although thousands of Lamanites were killed in previous attempts against Moroni and his forces, Amalickiah, with guile and coercion, mustered a huge number of “replacement” recruits. Had all Nephites continued in righteousness, they would have had no worry from Amalickiah. However, he chose to come—himself at the head of the armies—when the king-men and their followers were trying to get control of the government.
The king-men were subversive forces within his own nation, and Moroni realized the danger they were causing. Although he worked to physically protect the borders and cities, if the Nephites’ nation was rotten at the core—it would be destroyed.
Moroni was angry with the dissenting group who flaunted their lack of support for their country—enjoying the discomfort and fear growing within Nephite cities.
Moroni’s feelings of angry frustration at the people who had discounted God’s commandments and the cause of freedom, were tearing down the peace he and others had worked and fought so hard to preserve. He knew that in the past that defeat of the Nephites had come because of their own contentions and dissensions.
Moroni sent a petition to the Chief Judge and governor, ratified by the people, that the king-men would be compelled to defend the country with the rest of the Nephites or they would be put to death. This enemy from within was given a choice—support the cause of liberty or die for committing treason against the nation in which they lived.
The first thing Moroni did was to challenge the king-men’s pride of being “high-born.” Apparently their “nobility” was stripped from them and they were expelled from high government positions and probably their wealth was confiscated.
Many king-men decided to fight Moroni and his army. Moroni’s army pulled down their pride and nobility and leveled them to the Earth, but the king-men were not attacked until they first took up arms against the army. Then Moroni’s army leveled them to the Earth, or killed them. Four thousand king-men were killed in the battle. The surviving king-men leaders were imprisoned and the rest took the oath of loyalty to the Nephite nation and joined with other defenders.
Moroni had put down another Nephite insurrection and restored peace. He completely put an end to the “king-men” organization and the rest of those who had been king-men humbled themselves and fought “valiantly” with the rest of the Nephite troops.
The dissenters cost the Nephites tremendously. While Moroni was settling the battles within the ranks of his own people, Amalickiah and his Lamanites marched on the city of Moroni. Because it was not strong enough to stand against that huge army, the Lamanites killed many Nephites and took possession of the city and its fortifications. Those escaping from the city of Moroni fled to Nephihah and joined with the citizens of Nephihah and the people from Lehi—and prepared to fight the Lamanites.
Amalickiah was too shrewd to march to the strongly defended Nephihah. His plan was “divide and conquer;” so he began picking off smaller cities on the sea coast. The people had to stay and attempt to defend their own cities, but they were too few to defend them against the massive Lamanite numbers. Amalickiah left men in the conquered cities to maintain and defend them against Nephite re-capture.
After capturing the smaller cities, Amalickiah set about capturing the larger cities. One by one the cities fell to the Lamanites as this huge army worked its way northward, killing many Nephites.
Moroni had fortified the cities well, but the Lamanites took control of those fortifications. Amalickiah had been successful in his attacks because of the dissentions within the Nephite nation. He marched northward, killing Nephites as he went, striking out for the land of Bountiful.
A few years before, when Morianton tried to get into Bountiful, wanting to go from there into the northern land to set up a separate country, a Nephite captain, Teancum, leading his formidable troops, stopped him. Amalickiah and his army were intent on getting to this same critical area.
Teancum and his seasoned army ere close to that same land. They caught up with Amalickiah as he marched his enormous army northward. Amalickiah had gained worldly success through murder, lies, and deceptions. He had blown up angrily when he learned that his departed chief captains and Lamanite army had succumbed to Moroni. He was willing to fight if his opponents were weaker or less in number than he was.
After fighting all day, Amalickiah’s army was driven back to the seashore. Teancum’s army pitched their tents around the Bountiful borders while Amalickiah’s over-heated and exhausted army prepared to camp for the night.
Teancum returned from the Lamanite camp; then immediately he woke his soldiers and told them what he had done. His troops got ready for any fall-out from the death of Amalickiah.
CHAPTER 52
Teancum calculated the Lamanite army’s reaction correctly. They woke in the morning to find their leader dead and Teancum’s army in military readiness. They speedily retreated south. Amalickiah’s brother, Ammoron, was second-in-command and followed Lamanite tradition by taking command of the Lamanite forces. He told them to keep control of the captured cities. Nephites had fought hard in defense of the fallen cities, and much Lamanite blood had been lost. Ammoron left the area to go back to Nephi to tell the queen she was a widow once more. Ammoron was not only appointed army commander, he was made the new king.
While in Nephi, Ammoron gathered a huge army of warriors and then marched north and west to war against the Nephite cities on the western coast. Since “divide and conquer” worked under Amalickiah’s command as his army swallowed up cities of the east coast, Ammoron determined to use the same strategy to gain control of the whole land.
Meanwhile, on the east coast, Lamanites determined to keep control of the cities they had already conquered. Thanks to Moroni’s great fortifications, the Lamanites were safe, although trapped. Inside the city of Mulek, the city farthest north by the sea, Ammoron instructed them to try to get more Nephite land.
Although Teancum and his troops had chased the Lamanites back to Mulek, Teancum knew it would be a waste of lives to try to storm the well-fortified city. In spite of the slain Lamanites killed in the battle against Teancum and his forces, the city Mulek still housed a massive army. Teancum was wise enough not to try to re-take the city head-on and lose men in a useless battle. Instead, Teancum’s forces surrounded the city in a siege. They kept up the fear in the Lamanites by blatantly casting up their own walls and preparing forts outside the city. He was waiting for reinforcements from Moroni.
Meanwhile, Moroni, with troops on the west coast, had his own hands full. He battled the new forces Ammoron brought from Nephi. Moroni sent Teancum orders: Retain all prisoners who fall into your hands so we can use them as ransom to get back our prisoners. Fortify the land of Bountiful, and secure the narrow pass that leads to the northward lands so the Lamanites cannot harass us from the north. Faithfully maintain the east coast area and scourge the Lamanites there as much as you can. Think of strategies to get the cities back and fortify the other cities that are not under Lamanite control.
Moroni and Teancum were desperately engaged fighting overwhelming numbers of Lamanite soldiers. Moroni and Teancum manifested another of Christ’s ideals—endurance.
Teancum received what may have seemed impossible decrees from his commanding officer, yet loyally, he did not give up in despair; he endured, setting about to fulfill them. Part of his army marched north to secure Bountiful and the northward land. Teancum and the rest of his forces continued to harass the enemy inside the walls and took as many Lamanite prisoners as they could. This was difficult because they had to both guard and feed their Lamanite prisoners. Then Moroni sent him the order to try to take Mulek.
Teancum had already decided that “it was not expedient” to try to fight such a well-fortified city with its massive army. When he received Moroni’s orders, however, he immediately began preparing an attack on the city. When he had done all he could, he abandoned the plan for the present, and then to save his army, he returned to Bountiful to wait for Moroni’s reinforcements.
Toward the end of the year, Moroni arrived in Bountiful. Moroni and his men tried to think of some way to flatter them to come out of the strongholds. First, they sent embassies to issue a challenge to the Lamanite leader who controlled Mulek. But Jacob, the Lamanite leader, refused. Next Moroni decided to try a strategy of decoythat worked during some battles on the western front.
When the Lamanite guards spotted Teancum with only a small group of men, they ran to tell their leader, Jacob. Similar to Amalickiah and Ammoron, Jacob only planned to fight if he thought he would easily win—but Teancum, with only a small group of warriors, did seem easy game. Teancum looked as though he was on the run from Lamanites, retreating toward the eastern sea, going northward toward Bountiful.
Moroni had obtained possession of the city Mulek with a part of his army. In the meantime, Lehi join with Teancum’s group near Bountiful and go after the pursuing Lamanites. Lehi’s army did not overcome the Lamanites until they got close to Mulek. Moroni, with the remainder of his army, marched to meet the Lamanites who will flee from Lehi’s army. Lehi’s army did not overcome the Lamanites until they were close to Moroni’s army. Both armies surrounded the Lamanites. Moroni called for the Lamanites to surrender their weapons and give up; if they did not surrender, he commanded his men to kill them but Jacob, the Lamanite leader refused.
Jacob was determined to cut his way through Moroni’s more powerful troops to get to Mulek—not knowing that the Nephites had already recaptured the city. Moroni was wounded in battle, but Jacob was killed.
As Lehi and his strong warriors fought from the rear, Lamanite troops gave up their weapons of war and surrendered. The Lamanites were so confused, they did not know where to go or whom to strike. Moroni gave the Lamanite troops a chance to live. All the surviving chief captains came forth and threw down their weapons at Moroni’s feet and commanded their men to do the same. But many refused. The Nephites captured the men alive if possible and took their weapons from them and made them march, bound, as prisoners of war. There were more prisoners than all those killed.
CHAPTER 53
Teancum had already captured many Lamanite prisoners. With the great number of new captives, there were major difficulties. The two most urgent were: (1) how to guard them; (2) how to feed them. Keeping them busy was essential. First they had the prisoners bury all the dead Nephite as well as Lamanite warriors. One reason Moroni caused the prisoners to labor was to guard them, another reason was that he needed the Nephite forces for fighting.
Teancum was in charge of Bountiful—where he already had many prisoners. Following Moroni’s orders, he organized the old as well as the new prisoners into an efficient labor force. The prisoners began digging a large ditch around the whole city.Next, they built a breastwork of timber on the inner bank of the ditch.They threw the dirt from the ditch against the breastwork of timbers, creating an extremely tall and strong timber and Earth wall around the whole CITY.
While Teancum ably assumed the task of guarding prisoners and fortifying the city of Bountiful, Moroni and Lehi went to Mulek. Lehi was put in charge of that strong city. Moroni and Lehi were both men of God who loved and respected one another. The Nephites in Mulek and in the whole Nephite nation also loved both heroes.
The rest of the year Moroni, having won possession of Mulek and having made a stronghold of Bountiful, spent valuable time preparing for future battles, obtaining food for the army, as well as taking care of families who had suffered during the wartime travails.
The Lord promised to protect the Nephites and preserve them in the land when they lived righteously. They only lost His holy protection when they caused trouble within their own ranks. While Moroni was busy battling Lamanites on the eastern front, Nephites in the “west sea, south” were engaged in intrigue, causing dissension. Because they were involved in these internal conflicts, the Lamanites captured many of their cities.
Lamanites advanced on the western front, capturing city after city. Seeing the peril of the Nephites, the Ammonites did not want to stay idle while others went into battle to protect their freedom. They wanted to help defend their country.
Helaman and other Church leaders knew the worth of souls was more important than decisive military victories. As Ammonites tetered on the brink of assuming their arms and breaking their oath, God’s leaders persuaded them to change their minds.
The decision was not easy for the Ammonites. They wanted to live according to God’s holy will and Helaman convinced them their serious oath was part of their repentance process; they refrained from breaking their oath, yet they were brave as well as faithful—and they hated to helplessly stand by while the Lamanites—their own kin—conquered more and more Nephite land and killed or enslaved more and more Nephites.
By this time, many of the converted Lamanites’ sons had grown into young men. Because they had not taken the oath that their fathers had sworn, they formed a large group of two thousand and assembled to take up arms. They promised to fight for liberty and to protect their country, even at the expense of their own lives.
Helaman had worked to save the souls of the older Lamanites, who would have broken the oath for others—not themselves—although they did not want to break it. Now Helaman was acclaimed leader by the striplingwarriors. Helaman marched with his stripling warriors to help defend the people in the borders by the west sea, south.
CHAPTER 54
Ammoron’s army had been depleted as the Nephites captured and held many defeated Lamanite prisoners. He sent a message to Moroni, offering to exchange prisoners of war.
Besides economic and strategic concerns, Moroni wanted his people set free. Since the Nephites were fighting the war on their own territory, many captured Nephites were women and children. The Nephites had only Lamanite men as prisoners.
Moroni wanted his people freed and he also wanted relief from the burden of feeding and caring for the Lamanites, but he absolutely did not answer Ammoron’s letter as a supplicant, grateful for the exchange offer. He warned Ammoron to save his soul and stop the unrighteous war.
The Plan of Salvation encompasses two vital concepts. One is the great and infinite Atonement of Jesus Christ. This Sacrifice of our Savior makes the other concept possible. It is repentance. That is how we can take part in the Atonement. Because Christ took our sins upon Himself, and then paid the ultimate punishment for them, He settled the price we all owe demanded by justice.
Our Savior has always reached out His Hand for us to accept this infinite agony and definitive forfeit of His life. We accept His holy Sacrifice when we repent of our sins and always strive to obey His commandments, which are Heavenly Father’s steps to return back to His Presence. Although a great general, Moroni was first and foremost a man of God.
Moroni called on Ammoron to withdraw his forces from Nephite territory or to suffer the wrath of God. Although he obviously did not expect Ammoron to change his evil ambitions, Moroni was constrained to tell him of the awful hell that would await him if he did not cease his murderous purposes.
Moroni vowed that his people would be instruments in the Hand of God to destroy Ammoron and his people if they did not withdraw Moroni point-blank told Ammoron that he
(Ammoron) had rejected God. Moroni warned Ammoron that if he did not withdraw his forces, Nephites would go on the offensive, into Lamanite terrain.
Moroni also said that he would only exchange prisoners if a Nephite family was exchanged for each Lamanite man. Ammoron certainly did not like what Moroni wrote. In his anger he immediately dashed off another epistle to send back to Moroni. In answer to Moroni, he made many erroneous points and wrote outright lies.
