ALMA CHAPTERS 
55 - 63

CHAPTER 56

Helaman wrote to Moroni of events that occurred in the west while Moroni fought in the east. The account involves a flashback of a few years.

Helaman had two major positions. He was High Priest over the Church because his father, Alma, had left him that mantle of authority, and he was also a leader—likely a captain or chief captain—in the war. 

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The people of Ammon were never a burden to the Nephites; they were diligent in supporting them, furnishing food and supplies to aid the war effort. Then 2000 young Ammonite men—mostly teens—who were not old enough to take the oath when their fathers and mothers were converted to Christ, determined that they would fight in their fathers’ place. They asked Helaman to head their little army.

The epistle/diary of Helaman and his stripling warriors covered a time period beginning in the twenty-sixth year of the reign of the judges, but Moroni did not receive it until four years later—at the beginning of the thirtieth year. 

The salutation in this letter demonstrates a bond that existed between Helaman and Moroni, who were driven by common purpose in the war to protect their country, but even more by their brotherhood as faithful believers of our Lord, Jesus Christ.

Helaman explained that 2000 sons of the Ammonites, who were too young to take the oath at the time their parents converted to the Christian faith, chose to take their parents’ place in war—and chose Helaman to be their leader.

The love and admiration Helaman felt for these young sons is manifest constantly through his account of their heroic feats. There was a strong mutual bond between Helaman, the highest Church leader on Earth, and his army. He called them his “sons” and later we see that they called him “Father.”

Helaman and his young band of soldiers marched to the struggling city of Judea.  Many Nephites in that city had been killed in battle, and the survivors were worn down as they tried to hold off invading Lamanites. The Nephite leader rejoiced at the reinforcements.  

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When Helaman’s army arrived in Judea, the brave survivors led by Antipus were in a desperate state. Many soldiers had been killed and chief captains imprisoned.  Ammoron was their commander.

Helaman’s epistle succinctly told Moroni of the western front situation in the twenty-sixth year of the reign of the judges as he and his 2000 sons arrived to first help the people of Judea. Many valiant men had died as the Lamanites captured and then controlled several western Nephite cities: Manti, Zeezrom, Cumeni, and Antiparah. As Helaman arrived, Ammoron’s army was ready to take the weakened city of Judea. 

Seeing new life and blood in the form of Helaman’s army, however, changed Ammoron’s mind about invading. He commanded his troops, instead, to maintain the cities they had already captured.

The Nephites strengthened the city’s defenses and felt ready to meet the Lamanites. They wanted the Lamanites to come to them so they would not have to try to attack the enemy in the captured and fortified cities. Also, knowing that other Nephite cities were not strong enough to defend themselves, the Nephites sent spies to watch what the Lamanites were doing, so they could prevent them from sneaking past Judea to attack cities farther north.

However, the Lamanites did not dare pass by the city of Judea, or march against the city of Zarahemla, or cross the head of the river Sidon over to the city of Nephihah. It became a standoff, with the Lamanites staying in their strongholds (in captured Nephite cities). This balance of power shifted when the Nephites increased in strength as the 2000 reinforcements came from Zarahemla.

Helaman’s stripling warriors’ fathers could not fight, but they determined to help in whatever ways were “allowed.” They brought much-needed provisions for their sons and for the other troops.

At this point, the Lamanites were worried as they noted reinforcements in warriors and provisions, and they began—unsuccessfully—to try to stop supplies or people from reaching the city of Judea.

Realizing that the Lamanite army was uneasy, Antipus ordered a daring strategy to draw them out from the safety of their stronghold.  The most powerful Lamanite army was in Antiparah, a neighboring city in the borders of the seashore. 

As Antipus anticipated, Lamanite spies reported the movement of Helaman and his little army; the Lamanite army then burst forth from Antiparah to follow and kill them. When the Lamanites realized another Nephite army was behind them, they hurried faster, to try to eliminate the small army in front of them rather than to be surrounded.

Antipus saw the danger to Helaman and his sons and sped up his army to join them, but by night time, he had not caught up with the Lamanites. The Lamanites had not overtaken Helaman’s army.  Then, in the extreme darkness, all armies stopped and camped.

By dawn, the huge Lamanite army was already after Helaman’s little army again. Because of the disparity of numbers between these two armies, Helaman refused to let his sons turn and fight, but continued to march rapidly—finally into the wilderness. They marched again—all day, and the next morning the Lamanites again pursued them.

Suddenly, the Lamanites stopped pursuing them. Helaman did not know if Antipus has overtaken them or if they were trying to trap the little army into coming after them. He decided to have a council of war with his young warriors.The “sons of Helaman” cared about others, not considering any danger to themselves. They had great faith—taught to them by their mothers.

Helaman’s army turned around to go against the Lamanites and ran into a tremendous battle. The Lamanites had decided to give up pursuing Helaman’s small army and turned to fight Antipus and his soldiers. Antipus and many of his leaders had been killed, and the rest of the army, who were completely worn out because of the speed of their march, was about to lose the terrible battle. Helaman and his sons got there just in time.

The tide of the conflict turned. The Lamanites, who had been sure of victory, halted and turned upon the young soldiers. Helaman’s army the Lamanites from the rear. The Lamanites were surrounded by fiercely fighting Nephites, and Lamanite causalities were so tremendous that they were forced to surrender.

After the battle, Helaman checked out all of his “sons.” In the heat of battle, he did not know how many of them had been killed—but after the surrender, he counted them. To his great joy and astonishment none of them had died.

Once the prisoners-of-war were captured, a problem was what to do with them. To assure the remnant of this force could not rejoin their fellow troopers, Helaman, who took command after Antipus was killed, selected particular surviving soldiers from Antipus’s army to march the prisoners toward Zarahemla. Then Helaman took his stripling warriors back to Judea.

CHAPTER 57

Helaman’s long epistle to Moroni continues. 

Ammoron, the Lamanite commander, attempted negotiations with Helaman to return the prisoners.  He wrote that if they were returned, the Lamanites would give the city of Antiparah back to the Nephites.

Helaman sent his reply—saying that because he was sure the Nephites were strong enough to capture Antiparah anyway, he would only agree to an exchange of prisoners. Ammoron refused this offer; the Nephites prepared to take back Antiparah by force.

In this instance, Ammoron lost both the city and the opportunity to retrieve his soldiers. When the Lamanites in Antiparah knew Nephites were planning attack, they fled the city. The Nephite army was then able to take Antiparah back without a fight.

As the 29th year of the reign of the judges began, Helaman’s army received both provisions and reinforcements from the Ammonites. Sixty more sons had grown older and joined their brothers.

The cities of Judea and Antiparah were in Nephite hands, but there were yet other Nephite cities under Lamanite control. With a strengthened army, Helaman began to make plans to free the City of Cumeni.

The Nephite army somehow discovered that Lamanites in the city were expecting provisions, so the Nephites surrounded the city. The Lamanites were desperate to get the anticipated supplies, so they came outside the city to attack the Nephites several times, but the alert Nephites slept on their swords, so when the Lamanites attempted to assault them, it was the Lamanites who were killed or driven back into Cumeni. 

Finally the supply train arrived, and Helaman’s army took control of the provisions. The Lamanites inside Cumeni determined to hold the city even though they did not have provisions, so Helaman decided to send the captured provisions to Judea and the new prisoners-of-war to Zarahemla. The Lamanites finally surrendered the city. 

In spite of the victory, the Nephites had a tremendous problem.  The new Lamanite prisoners who had been stationed in Cumeni were belligerent, having surrendered in voice but not in fact. The insurgent prisoners were completely depleting the Nephite army’s manpower and consuming the major portions of the provisions. Helaman was left with only two choices—execute the rebellious prisoners or send them to Zarahemla.

Although it may have been easier to execute all the rebellious Lamanites, Helaman decided to send them to Zarahemla.

The day after sending some of his Nephite soldiers to guard the prisoners on their way to Zarahemla, when those very guards rushed back into the city. Just in time, these guards warned the Nephites waiting in the city that a huge Lamanite army was about to descend on them. Not taking time to find the reasons, Helaman and his two thousand sixty sons grabbed their weapons and prepared for battle.  

While the other Nephites despaired because of the bad fortune and were ready to give in to the attacking Lamanites without a fight, the returning guards and the stripling warriors saved the day.

Even though saving the city of Cumeni won another victory for the Nephites, many men were lost in the battle, but not one of the two thousand sixty stripling warriors had been killed.

Gid was another faithful warrior and true son of God. Helaman had put him in charge of escorting the Lamanite prisoners-of-war to Zarahemla. The day after they left Cumeni, Gid and the other guards rushed back without the prisoners in time to warn those in the city that a large body of attacking Lamanites was almost upon them. The battle was underway so fast that Helaman did not have time to get details of Gid’s experiences. After the wounded were cared for and the dead buried, Gid told his story. Many of the prisoners tried to escape, but Gid’s group was able to gain control after a battle among the prisoners and Gid’s men.

CHAPTER 58

Helaman’s long epistle to Moroni continues. 

Helaman and his army helped save the city of Judea, and then they secured both the cities of Antiparah and Cumeni. Helaman’s next objective was to take the City of Manti back from the Lamanites. He and his team considered possible strategies.

They had already used the strategy of tricking the Lamanite army by decoy and, because the Lamanites remembered and learned from that experience, they had not been able to lead them away from the fortified stronghold, in that way. There were so many more Lamanites than Nephites that an all-out attack would not work. It was necessary to keep enough Nephite soldiers protecting Judea, Cumeni, and Antiparah so the Lamanites could not recapture those cities.

Helaman finally sent a delegation to Zarahemla to apprise the governing body of their desperate situation. The embassy asked that reinforcements and provisions be sent to the army.  Months went by with no help, and their enemies repeatedly received reinforcements and provisions. The army was almost without food when 2000 Nephite escorts brought provisions from Zarahemla, but when compared to the “innumerable” enemy, the fighting force was extremely small.

Helaman was the chief Nephite officer in the western part of the land, but his most important position was as spiritual leader; he led his distressed people in fervent prayer for strength.  Helaman and his people prayed to God—and God answered their prayers. What a blessing for Helaman’s people—turning from despair to peace, faith, and hope—and to realize that they would be delivered by God Himself rather than counting on help from Zarahemla.

With renewed courage as well as guidance from the Holy Spirit, Helaman and his captains adopted a new strategy. They added the small force that they had received to the main body of their army and marched forth to conquer the enemies who had taken possession of their city and land. 

Armed with both faith in God and hope of victory, the Nephite army marched to Manti by night. Although their forces were pitifully small compared with the large Lamanite troops holding Manti, Helaman led the Nephites forth to pitch their tents between the wilderness and the city.

The Lamanites sent their own spies out to count the numbers of camped Nephites. Finding such a small number, they concluded the Nephites’ purpose was to stop supplies from coming into the city. They decided that with their own superior forces they could easily destroy this nuisance—so they prepared for battle.

 Helaman, Gid, and another brave warrior—Teomner—planned a daring strategy to recover Manti. The bold tactic they worked out was now ready for action 

Gid and Teomner’s little bands secretly crept into the wilderness to hide, one on the right and one on the left of the path of pursuit. The rest of Helaman’s army were apprehensively waiting for orders—knowing the overwhelming ferocious Lamanite army was about to attack them—yet knowing that they had to remain in place until the last minute. Suddenly Helaman gave the signal for his army to retreat into the wilderness.

The next step depended on how the Lamanites reacted to what Helaman’s army was doing. 

The Lamanites did just as Helaman had hoped. In their hurry to kill off Helaman’s soldiers, they completely missed the signs of Gid and Teomner’s men hiding on the left and the right of the Lamanites’ route forward. Single-mindedly, the pursuing army marched straight through the middle of the two smaller companies.

With comparatively little bloodshed), Gid and Teomner recaptured Manti while Helaman and the main part of the Nephite army were traveling rapidly through the wilderness, followed by thousands of Lamanite warriors in the direction of Zarahemla.

When the Lamanites realized where the Nephite army was heading, they quickly re-thought their strategy. They turned to retreat to Manti. 

Helaman’s army did not stop to sleep for the night. Helaman marched them back towards Manti another way. Because of this night-time march, they arrived to reinforce Manti before the Lamanites returned.

Although the victory for the city of Manti was won, Helaman knew that Nephites in that part of the land still had tremendous problems.

Helaman wrapped up the epistle to Moroni with several pertinent points:

Helaman questioned that Moroni had perhaps called for the forces because of his own problems—in that case, Helaman did not want to complain.

Helaman was afraid that if Moroni did not have the troops from Zarahemla in his area that there were serious problems within the central government in Zarahemla.

In spite of the problems, Helaman assured Moroni that his own trust in God was still strong.

          Helaman reviewed that they were indeed now in possession of their lands and that the Lamanites had—at least for then, the last part of the twenty-ninth year of the judges—retreated back to Nephi.

Helaman, with love for his Ammonite sons, again mentioned them to Moroni—stressing God’s protection of them and their strong faith and obedience and belief in the prophecies of the coming Savior.

Helaman finally closed his epistles with a testimony of God and a desire for His blessings to be with Moroni personally and also with Moroni as he worked to reclaim Nephite lands and maintain liberty for the people.

CHAPTER 59

Moroni was thrilled about the success of Helaman and his army as he read about the protection of the city of Judea as well as the retaking of the western cities, Antiparah, Cumeni, and Manti; he then immediately published the news to all of the people in his area.

Moroni was grateful for Helaman’s success, but he was troubled by the lack of support for both his own army in the east and Helaman’s army in the west from the capital of the land. Since Pahoran was Chief Judge, Moroni wrote him asking for troops and supplies to strengthen Helaman’s army.

Buoyed up by Helaman’s success, Moroni vigorously rallied his own troops, beginning mapping strategies for retaking the conquered Nephite cities in the east.

We read in previous chapters that when Helaman and his army recovered many western coast cities, Lamanites who were not killed in the take-over fled. Where did they flee? Many of the Lamanites “fled to the land of Nephi”, some taking captive women and children with them; others fled east and at Ammoron’s instructions, they joined the huge army Moroni and his troops were trying to overcome.

Nephihah had become a sanctuary city for displaced Nephites who had fled from the city of Moroni when Amalickiah captured the city and also for exiles from the city of Lehi.

Moroni’s disappointment in the government turned to anger. It was certain that if they had protected, or maintained, the city—which the Nephites controlled, the horrible slaughter would not have occurred.

Moroni had many thoughts regarding the fall of Nephihah. He struggled with the “why,” wondering if it was wickedness of the people gathered there. His chief captains also wondered this.

Because he had counted on Pahoran and the other government leaders in Zarahemla to send troops to protect Nephihah, Moroni had kept his forces in the other cities he had recaptured. He considered the brutal slaughter in Nephihah, as well as the lack of support both to his army and to Helaman’s forces, directly due to the government’s irresponsibility and indifference.

CHAPTER 60

Moroni was bitterly discouraged and angry after Lamanite troops captured Nephihah. He wrote a scathingepistle to Nephite officials, particularly to Pahoran, the elected Chief Judge. He strongly stated his purpose: “I have somewhat to say unto them by the way of condemnation” .

As with most countries, it was the Nephite central government’s responsibility to gather troops and arms for defense. Moroni plainly pointed this out. The central government was in Zarahemla. Moroni succinctly recounted battlefield life and how he and his troops on the eastern front, as well as Helaman and his troops on the western front, had suffered.

Moroni, considering what he saw as a traitorous situation, noted that there was a cause for the terrible effectthat been happening on the war front. He pointed out that it was not the physical deprivations that bothered them most; it was the death of thousands of their fellow soldiers dying when they might not have, because of the central government’s neglect of their responsibilities, particularly in not aiding the troops.

He laid the cause for the slaughter of thousands directly in the government’s lap. He demanded to know the cause of this shameful neglect. He made clear that whatever “caused” the government to neglect the armed forces were merely excuses.

He stated that he absolutely held government leaders liable for the armies’ hardships, tragedies, and precarious positions. Moroni reminded the judges that Nephites had voted for them, or “placed them in a situation of trust and they could have succored them [the soldiers]”—yet the leaders allowed thousands to be killed while giving their blood for the welfare of all Nephites. Even more unfairly tragic—they sacrificed their lives in battle even as they were about to die of hunger because of the “exceeding great neglect” of their own government.

As Moroni wrote to Pahoran, he contrasted what they should have done with what they did, and then he strongly suggested the effect their irresponsible actions would have on them eternally since they grossly neglected their duty.

Moroni speculated possible reasons causing the government to essentially abandon their duty to the army. He continued, strongly claiming that the leaders would likely suffer God’s wrathful judgment for their slothfulness.

Moroni reviewed that it was the Nephites’ fault in the first place that caused the war. Nephite wickedness gave their enemies (the Lamanites) the power in the beginning of the war. War first broke out within the Nephite nation itself, beginning with the king-men. If the Nephites had united their strength, they could have overcome the Lamanites. The desire of power and authority of certain Nephites—the king-men—started the chain reaction, eventually leading to the terrible war.

If the king-men had been true to the cause of freedom, the Nephites could have gone forth in the strength of the Lord and defeated the Lamanites according to the Lord’s word.

Then, Moroni boldly stated, “For we know not but what ye yourselves are seeking for authority. We know not but what ye are also traitors to your country.” 

As though trying to understand the neglect, Moroni asked them if it stemmed from their personal security—they were safe in the heart of the nation so they did not empathize with the troops in the field.

Then Moroni asked them pointed questions:

• Have ye forgotten the commandments of the Lord your God?

• Have ye forgotten the captivity of our fathers?

• Have ye forgotten the many times we have been delivered out of the hands of our enemies?

• Or do ye suppose that the Lord will still deliver us, while we sit upon our thrones and do not make use of the means which the Lord has provided for us?

• Yea, will ye sit in idleness while ye are surrounded with thousands of those, yea, and tens of thousands, who do also sit in idleness, while there are thousands [of soldiers] round about in the borders of the land who are falling by the sword, yea, wounded and bleeding?

• Do ye suppose that God will look upon you as guiltless while ye sit still and behold these things?

Moroni answered his own questions with a warning. He said it would be better to “cleanse our inward vessel” meaning clean up the corrupt government. He warned that he would leave some of his trusted and righteous troops under the protection of God to safeguard the cities they had recaptured.

Moroni referred to devious government leaders, “even the great head of our government” as the “inward vessel” and the rest of the nation as the “outer vessel.” He warned them that because corrupt leaders promoted a corrupt society, he would not allow corrupt government leaders destroy the society they were chosen to protect—as the king-men had previously tried to do.

Moroni nevertheless told them that if they chose not to immediately render support to the defending army, and through their neglect further encumber the cause of freedom, he would come to the land of Zarahemla “with the sword”.

In spite of the terrible losses Moroni had suffered at the hands and sword of Lamanites, he excused them more than wicked Nephites, who had scriptures and prophets. Lamanites were merely following wrong traditions of their ancestors and lies of dissenting Nephites, and they thought they had cause to hate the Nephites.  

He strongly encouraged Nephite leaders to “adhere to the word of God, and send speedily unto me of your provisions and of your men, and also to Helaman.”

If the armies were not sent the necessary reinforcements—which was a vital aspect in defending the country—Moroni and his troops would come to Zarahemla to challenge the leaders.

What Moroni did was for the glory of God. While yet a young man, he had “entered into” a covenant (a solemn agreement) with God. As Moroni closed the letter, he affirmed that he did not want power himself—but if necessary he would pull down corrupt power. He affirmed that he did not want honor of the world—but he wanted the glory of his God and the freedom and welfare of his country.