Limhi's People Escape to Zarahemla

Ammon, his fifteen men, and King Limhi and his people devoted all their thoughts and energy toward finding a way to deliver themselves out of bondage. After consulting with the people, Ammon and King Limhi called a meeting with everyone to decide on how to deliver themselves. They concluded that since there were too many Lamanites to fight, the only way to deliver themselves out of bondage would be to take their women, children, flocks, herds, and tents, and escape into the wilderness. Gideon said to the king, “Oh king, you have listened to my counsel many times as we have fought the Lamanites. If my advice has been useful to you in the past, listen to me now, and I will be your servant to deliver this people out of bondage.”

King Limhi listened as Gideon explained his strategy for escape: “The Lamanites who guard the pass through the back wall of the city are drunk at night. So let us send a proclamation among all this people to drive their flocks and herds through that back pass and into the wilderness during the night. I will go according to your command and pay the last tribute of wine to the Lamanites, and they will all get drunk. Then we will go through the secret pass on the left of their camp while they sleep. By going around the land of Shilom, we will escape into the wilderness with our women, children, flocks, and herds.”

The king accepted Gideon’s plan. He had his people gather their flocks, and then sent the regular tribute of wine to the Lamanites. He also sent more wine as a present to them. Happy to have the extra wine, they drank it freely and all became very drunk.

As the Lamanites fell asleep drunk, King Limhi’s people, led by Ammon and his fifteen men, departed that night into the wilderness with their flocks and herds. They went around the land of Shilom into the wilderness, bending their course toward the land of Zarahemla. They took all the gold, silver, precious things, and provisions that they could carry.

After traveling many days, they finally arrived in the land of Zarahemla. There they were accepted, and joined Mosiah’s people as his subjects. With joy, Mosiah received them and the records that their men had found.

Meanwhile, the Lamanites had awakened to find Limhi and his people gone, and had sent an army into the wilderness to capture them. But after two days, the Lamanites not only lost Limhi’s trail, but also became lost themselves in the wilderness.