The Wicked Zoramites Create War

After Alma had spoken to his sons, they went to declare the word among the people. Alma could not rest, and he, too, went out to declare the word. Alma and his sons preached the truth according to the spirit of prophecy and revelation—according to the holy order of God, by which they were called.

Now I, Mormon, return to an account of the wars between the Nephites and the Lamanites during 74 BC.

The wicked Zoramites had become Lamanites, and they prepared to fight the Nephites. Seeing this, the Nephites gathered their armies in the land of Jershon. Then thousands of Lamanites came into the Zoramite land of Antionum, led by Zerahemnah. Since the Amalekites and Zoramites were of a more wicked and murderous disposition, Zerahemnah appointed them to be chief captains over the Lamanites. He did this to keep the Lamanites’ hatred toward the Nephites strong. Zerahemnah wanted to use the Lamanites’ anger for his own designs—to conquer the Nephites and make them his slaves. But all the Nephites wanted was to protect their lands, houses, wives, and children from their enemies. They also wanted to preserve their rights, privileges, and liberty to worship God according to their desires. They knew that if they fell to the Lamanites, then all those who worshiped the true and living God in spirit and in truth would be killed. The Nephites knew of the Lamanites’ hatred toward them and toward the people of Anti-Nephi-Lehi, or Ammon’s people—those who would not take up arms, having made a covenant which they refused to break.

If Ammon’s people were to fall into the Lamanites’ hands, they would all certainly die, so the Nephites had given them protection and lands for their inheritance. Ammon’s people gave much of what they had to support the Nephite armies, which were compelled to fight the Lamanites alone. Yet the Lamanites were joined by the Nephite dissenters—the Amalekites, Zoramites and the descendants of Noah’s wicked priests (the Amulonites).

The Lamanites and the dissenters were almost as numerous as the Nephites, who had no choice but to fight their brethren. As the Lamanites gathered in the land of Antionum, the Nephite army was prepared to meet them in Jershon. The chief captain over the entire Nephite army was Moroni, age twenty-five. He and his army met the Lamanites at the Jershon border, armed with swords, scimitars, and all types of weapons.

The Lamanites saw Moroni’s army wearing breastplates, arm-shields, helmets, and thick clothing. Zerahemnah’s army did not have such protection. They only had swords, scimitars, bows, arrows, stones, and slings, and only wore loin cloths, except for the Zoramites and Amalekites.

Because the Nephites were so well protected, the Lamanites were afraid to attack them, even though they greatly outnumbered them. So the Lamanites did not dare come to the Jershon border. They left the land of Antionum and went into the wilderness, going around the Nephite army, near the head of the Sidon River, to take the land of Manti. They thought that Moroni’s army would not know where they had gone.

As soon as they went into the wilderness, Moroni sent spies to watch their camp. Moroni also knew of Alma’s prophecies, so he sent men to ask Alma to find out from the Lord where his army should go to defend themselves against the Lamanites.

The word of the Lord came to Alma, who informed Moroni’s men that the Lamanite army was marching around them into the wilderness, heading toward the land of Manti, to attack their weaker fortifications. Upon receiving this message, Moroni left part of his army in Jershon and took the other part into the land of Manti. Moroni had all the people in Manti gather to battle against the Lamanites—to defend their lands, country, rights, and liberties.

Moroni hid part of his army in a valley near the west bank of the Sidon River, and then sent out spies to discover when the Lamanites would come. He knew it was the Lamanites’ intention to kill their brethren, or to make them slaves and establish a kingdom for themselves over all the land. He also knew the Nephites only wanted to defend their lands, liberty, and church. This is why Moroni did not feel it was wrong to use spies to find out which way the Lamanites were heading.

Moroni used the strategy of dividing his army, hiding part of them in a valley on the east side of the Sidon River, just south of Riplah Hill. He kept the rest hidden in the valley near the west bank of the Sidon River, which ran down toward the Manti border. Having placed his armies according to his desire, Moroni was prepared to meet the Lamanites.

Then, coming from the north side of Riplah Hill, the Lamanite army passed by the hill, and came into the valley where part of Moroni’s army was hiding. As they passed through the valley and began to cross the Sidon River, part of Moroni’s army, led by Lehi, attacked the Lamanites from behind.

When the Lamanites saw the Nephites coming from behind, they turned and fought Lehi’s army. Men on both sides died, but it was more dreadful for the Lamanites. Their bare skin was exposed to the heavy blows of the Nephite swords and scimitars, which brought death at almost every stroke.

A Nephite fell only now and then, having lost too much blood from sword wounds. Their more vital parts were protected by their breastplates, arm-shields, and helmets, so it was mostly the Nephites who carried on the work of death among the Lamanites. Seeing this slaughter, the Lamanites became frightened and started to run toward the Sidon River. Lehi and his men chased them into the river and then waited on the bank while the Lamanites crossed over to the west side.

Then Moroni and his army met the Lamanites in the valley on the west side of the river and began to kill them. The Lamanites ran toward the land of Manti, but were again met by Moroni’s army. Then the Lamanites fought with more strength and courage than they had ever fought before, even from their beginnings. They were inspired by Zerahemnah and their Zoramite and Amalekite chief captains and leaders. They fought with fierce anger, like dragons, killing many Nephites by slicing many of their helmets in half, by piercing many of their breastplates, and by cutting off many of their arms.

But the Nephites were inspired by a better cause. They were not fighting for kingship or power, but for their homes, liberties, wives, children, church, and rites of worship.

They were doing what they felt was their duty to God, for the Lord had said to them and their fathers, “If you are not guilty of the first or second offense, you must not allow yourselves to be killed by your enemies. You will defend your families even if you must kill.”

When Moroni’s men saw the Lamanites’ fierce anger, they were about to run from them. But seeing the situation, Moroni sent word among them to inspire their hearts—to remind them that they were fighting for their lands, their liberty, and their freedom from bondage!

After hearing this, the Nephites turned on the Lamanites, crying with one voice to the Lord their God for their liberty and freedom from bondage. They began to stand against the Lamanites with power during the same hour they had cried to the Lord for their freedom, and they drove many Lamanites into the Sidon River.

The Lamanites outnumbered the Nephites two to one, yet the Lamanites were rounded into one group in the valley near the west bank of the Sidon River. They were surrounded by Moroni’s army on the west and by Lehi’s army on the east side of the river.

When Zerahemnah’s army realized their precarious situation, they were struck with terror. Seeing this, Moroni commanded his men to stop killing them.