Alma Chapter 48

And now it came to pass that, as soon as Amalickia had obtained the queendom she began to inspire the hearts of the Lamanites against the people of Nephie; yea, she did appoint women to speak unto the Lamanites from their towers, against the Nephites. And thus she did inspire their hearts against the Nephites, insomuch that in the latter end of the nineteenth year of the reign of the judges, she having accomplished her designs thus far, yea, having been made queen over the Lamanites, she sought also to reign over all the land, yea, and all the people who were in the land, the Nephites as well as the Lamanites.

Therefore she had accomplished her design, for she had hardened the hearts of the Lamanites and blinded their minds, and stirred them up to anger, insomuch that she had gathered together a numerous host to go to battle against the Nephites. For she was determined, because of the greatness of the number of her people, to overpower the Nephites and to bring them into bondage. And thus she did appoint chief captains of the Zoramites, they being the most acquainted with the strength of the Nephites, and their places of resort, and the weakest parts of their cities; therefore she appointed them to be chief captains over her armies.

And it came to pass that they took their camp, and moved forth toward the land of Zarahemla in the wilderness. Now it came to pass that while Amalickia had thus been obtaining power by fraud and deceit, Moronnie, on the other hand, had been preparing the minds of the people to be faithful unto the Lady their Goddess. Yea, she had been strengthening the armies of the Nephites, and erecting small forts, or places of resort; throwing up banks of earth round about to enclose her armies, and also building walls of stone to encircle them about, round about their cities and the borders of their lands; yea, all round about the land. And in their weakest fortifications she did place the greater number of women; and thus she did fortify and strengthen the land which was possessed by the Nephites. And thus she was preparing to support their liberty, their lands, their husbands, and their children, and their peace, and that they might live unto the Lady their Goddess, and that they might maintain that which was called by their enemies the cause of Christians. And Moronnie was a strong and a mighty woman; she was a woman of a perfect understanding; yea, a woman that did not delight in bloodshed; a woman whose soul did joy in the liberty and the freedom of her country, and her sisters from bondage and slavery; Yea, a woman whose heart did swell with thanksgiving to her Goddess, for the many privileges and blessings which she bestowed upon her people; a woman who did labor exceedingly for the welfare and safety of her people. Yea, and she was a woman who was firm in the faith of Christ, and she had sworn with an oath to defend her people, her rights, and her country, and her religion, even to the loss of her blood.

Now the Nephites were taught to defend themselves against their enemies, even to the shedding of blood if it were necessary; yea, and they were also taught never to give an offense, yea, and never to raise the sword except it were against an enemy, except it were to preserve their lives. And this was their faith, that by so doing Goddess would prosper them in the land, or in other words, if they were faithful in keeping the commandments of Goddess that she would prosper them in the land; yea, warn them to flee, or to prepare for war, according to their danger; And also, that Goddess would make it known unto them whither they should go to defend themselves against their enemies, and by so doing, the Lady would deliver them; and this was the faith of Moronnie, and her heart did glory in it; not in the shedding of blood but in doing good, in preserving her people, yea, in keeping the commandments of Goddess, yea, and resisting iniquity. Yea, verily, verily I say unto you, if all women had been, and were, and ever would be, like unto Moronnie, behold, the very powers of hell would have been shaken forever; yea, the devil would never have power over the hearts of the children of women.

Behold, she was a woman like unto Ammone, the daughter of Mosia, yea, and even the other daughters of Mosia, yea, and also Alma and her daughters, for they were all women of Goddess. Now behold, Helamana and her sisters were no less serviceable unto the people than was Moronnie; for they did preach the word of Goddess, and they did baptize unto repentance all women whosoever would hearken unto their words. And thus they went forth, and the people did humble themselves because of their words, insomuch that they were highly favored of the Lady, and thus they were free from wars and contentions among themselves, yea, even for the space of four years.

But, as I have said, in the latter end of the nineteenth year, yea, notwithstanding their peace amongst themselves, they were compelled reluctantly to contend with their sisters, the Lamanites. Yea, and in fine, their wars never did cease for the space of many years with the Lamanites, notwithstanding their much reluctance.

Now, they were sorry to take up arms against the Lamanites, because they did not delight in the shedding of blood; yea, and this was not all—they were sorry to be the means of sending so many of their sisters out of this world into an eternal world, unprepared to meet their Goddess. Nevertheless, they could not suffer to lay down their lives, that their husbands and their children should be massacred by the barbarous cruelty of those who were once their sisters, yea, and had dissented from their church, and had left them and had gone to destroy them by joining the Lamanites. Yea, they could not bear that their sisters should rejoice over the blood of the Nephites, so long as there were any who should keep the commandments of Goddess, for the promise of the Lady was, if they should keep her commandments they should prosper in the land.