Alma 59

In the 30th year of elected judges, Moroni received Helaman’s letter. He rejoiced to learn of Helaman’s success regaining the lost land and cities from the Lamanites. He broadcast the good news among his people so that they could rejoice too. Immediately Moroni sent a letter to the chief judge, Pahoran, and asked that reinforcements be gathered and sent to Helaman in order to keep what had been so miraculously regained. Moroni began developing plans to also regain the lost cities in his area.

As Moroni was making preparations, Nephihah and the Nephite refugees congregating there were attacked by the Lamanites. The Lamanite army had been newly strengthened with the warriors fleeing from Manti as well as through regular reinforcements received from the Lamanite king. Their armies were so large and well provisioned that they slaughtered the Nephite refugees who didn’t flee, and took the city of Nephihah by storm.

Moroni was unhappy that the government had failed to send enough support to hold Nephihah. He knew how much easier it was to hold a city from falling than it was to conquer one that was in Lamanite hands. It now took Moroni’s entire force to hold on to the remaining cities, and attacking the Lamanites became out of the question.

Moroni and his commanders began to suspect that the wickedness of the Nephite people was behind their recent losses to the Lamanites. They were angry at the apparent indifference of the government to the plight of their country, and the freedom that it stood for. [62 BC]