Alma 43

After Alma finished speaking with his sons, they all went out among the people to declare the word of God.

In the 18 th year of elected judges, the Zoramites joined forces with, and became, Lamanites themselves. The wars between the Nephites and the Lamanites were renewed. When the Nephites saw that the Lamanite army was coming upon them they gathered their own army and made preparation for war. The Lamanite army of thousands of warriors was led by a man named Zerahemna. He appointed Amalekites and Zoramites as chief captains because of their particularly wicked and murderous disposition. He did this by design in order to nourish his army’s hatred of the Nephites. His plan was to stir up anger among the Lamanites towards the Nephites, grab more power, and reduce the Nephites to slavery.

The Nephites only wanted to live in peace, but they had to protect their lands, families, freedom, and religious convictions from the invading Lamanite army. They knew that the Lamanites would destroy anyone who worshipped the Nephite’s true God. They also knew of the great hatred the Lamanites held for the Ammonites who had converted, and now would not even bear arms to defend themselves. If they fell into Lamanite hands, the Ammonites would be slaughtered. This is something the Nephites would not allow to happen because the Ammonites had contributed generously in support of their own defense.

The Lamanite army was comprised of the descendants of Laman, Lemuel, the sons of Ishmael, the priests of Noah, and former Nephites who had separated themselves. The Nephite army was commanded by Moroni1, who was 25 years old.

When the armies met at the boundary of the Ammonite lands, the Nephites were well prepared for war with all kinds of weapons, armor, shields, and padded clothing to protect themselves. The Lamanite army was not prepared for such a force. They were armed with swords, slings, bows and arrows. Except for the Amalekites and Zoramites the Lamanites came to battle clothed in only their loin skins. Because the Nephites were so well armed, armored, and protected, the Lamanites became fearful of them in spite of their substantial numerical advantage. Seeing this great disparity of preparation, the Lamanite army dispersed back into the wilderness to attack somewhere else. They figured that Moroni would never know where they intended to go.

As soon as the Lamanite army dispersed Moroni sent spies into the wilderness to watch their camp. He also sent a party back to Zarahemla hoping that Alma might ask God for guidance as to where the Lamanite army was headed. Through Alma, Moroni’s messengers learned from God that the Lamanite army was marching through the wilderness to attack a Nephite weak point in Manti.

When Moroni received this news, he left some of his army in the Ammonite lands and moved the rest of his army to Manti. When he arrived he organized the people there to defend their lands and country, their rights and freedoms. They were well prepared for battle before the Lamanites arrived. Moroni divided his army into several forces, and hid them on opposite sides of the nearby valley, beside the Sidon River. In order to attack Manti the Lamanite army would need to cross the river. Spies were positioned to alert Moroni when the Lamanites came near. With his army concealed and ready to fight, Moroni was well prepared to meet the enemy when they arrived.

When the Lamanite army approached the river and prepared to cross it, the portion of Moroni’s army concealed on the far side of the river, rushed out to enclose the Lamanites from behind. The Lamanites saw the ambush and turned to fight, with the river to their backs. Because the Nephites were armored with breastplates, helmets, and shields, while the Lamanites were not, a slaughter ensued. The Lamanites fell heavily with very few Nephite casualties.

The remaining Lamanites panicked because of the enormous destruction and fled toward the river, pursued by the Nephite army. When all of the Lamanites had been driven into the river in an attempt to escape, Moroni brought his army out of hiding on the river’s opposite side. The slaughter then intensified. When the Lamanites tried to flee in another direction, a third contingent of Moroni’s army engaged them.

The surrounded Lamanites fought like dragons to free themselves from the trap they’d fallen into. While many Nephites were killed by the ferocity of the Lamanite defense, the Nephites were inspired by a higher cause. They were not fighting for conquest or power, but rather for the defense of their homes and families, their freedom, and the right to worship their God. They felt that it was their duty to fight because God had told their ancestors that they should not allow themselves to be killed if they were attacked. God had said, “Defend your families, even it means killing your enemies.”

When the Nephites saw how intensely the Lamanites fought in their attempts to escape, many of them began to relent. Seeing this, Moroni sent messengers among his army to inspire them. “Think of your lands and your freedom,” he said. So the Nephite army renewed their fighting, crying out to God for liberty and freedom from slavery.

At the onset, the Lamanite army had been twice the size of the Nephite army. Now they were reduced to a terrified group surrounded on both sides of the river. When the Lamanites’ terror overcame them and they stopped fighting, Moroni ordered that his men should stop the killing. [74 BC]