Alma 49
1 And now it came to pass in the eleventh month of the nineteenth year, on
the tenth day of the month, the armies of the Lamanites were seen
approaching towards the land of Ammonihah.
2 And behold, the city had been rebuilt, and Moroni had stationed an army
by the borders of the city, and they had cast up dirt around about to shield
them from the arrows and the stones of the Lamanites; for behold, they
fought with stones and with arrows.
3 Behold, I said that the city of Ammonihah had been rebuilt. I say unto
you, yea, that it was in part rebuilt; and because the Lamanites had destroyed
it once because of the iniquity of the people, they supposed that it would
again become an easy prey for them.
4 But behold, how great was their disappointment; for behold, the Nephites
had dug up a ridge of earth round about them, which was so high that the
Lamanites could not cast their stones and their arrows at them that they
might take effect, neither could they come upon them save it was by their
place of entrance.
5 Now at this time the chief captains of the Lamanites were astonished
exceedingly, because of the wisdom of the Nephites in preparing their places
of security.
6 Now the leaders of the Lamanites had supposed, because of the greatness
of their numbers, yea, they supposed that they should be privileged to come
upon them as they had hitherto done; yea, and they had also prepared
themselves with shields, and with breastplates; and they had also prepared
themselves with garments of skins, yea, very thick garments to cover their
nakedness.
7 And being thus prepared they supposed that they should easily overpower
and subject their brethren to the yoke of bondage, or slay and massacre them
according to their pleasure.
8 But behold, to their uttermost astonishment, they were prepared for them,
in a manner which never had been known among the children of Lehi. Now
they were prepared for the Lamanites, to battle after the manner of the
instructions of Moroni.
9 And it came to pass that the Lamanites, or the Amalickiahites, were
exceedingly astonished at their manner of preparation for war.
10 Now, if king Amalickiah had come down out of the land of Nephi, at the
head of his army, perhaps he would have caused the Lamanites to have
attacked the Nephites at the city of Ammonihah; for behold, he did care not
for the blood of his people.
11 But behold, Amalickiah did not come down himself to battle. $ And
behold, his chief captains durst not attack the Nephites at the city of
Ammonihah, for Moroni had altered the management of affairs among the
Nephites, insomuch that the Lamanites were disappointed in their places of
retreat and they could not come upon them.
12 Therefore they retreated into the wilderness, and took their camp and
marched towards the land of Noah, supposing that to be the next best place
for them to come against the Nephites.
13 For they knew not that Moroni had fortified, or had built forts of
security, for every city in all the land round about; therefore, they marched
forward to the land of Noah with a firm determination; yea, their chief
captains came forward and took an oath that they would destroy the people
of that city.
14 But behold, to their astonishment, the city of Noah, which had hitherto
been a weak place, had now, by the means of Moroni, become strong, yea,
even to exceed the strength of the city Ammonihah.
15 And now, behold, this was wisdom in Moroni; for he had supposed that
they would be frightened at the city Ammonihah; and as the city of Noah had
hitherto been the weakest part of the land, therefore they would march
thither to battle; and thus it was according to his desires.
16 And behold, Moroni had appointed Lehi to be chief captain over the men
of that city; and it was that same Lehi who fought with the Lamanites in the
valley on the east of the river Sidon.
17 And now behold it came to pass, that when the Lamanites had found that
Lehi commanded the city they were again disappointed, for they feared Lehi
exceedingly; nevertheless their chief captains had sworn with an oath to
attack the city; therefore, they brought up their armies.
18 Now behold, the Lamanites could not get into their forts of security by
any other way save by the entrance, because of the highness of the bank
which had been thrown up, and the depth of the ditch which had been dug
round about, save it were by the entrance.
19 And thus were the Nephites prepared to destroy all such as should
attempt to climb up to enter the fort by any other way, by casting over stones
and arrows at them.
20 Thus they were prepared, yea, a body of their strongest men, with their
swords and their slings, to smite down all who should attempt to come into
their place of security by the place of entrance; and thus were they prepared
to defend themselves against the Lamanites.
21 And it came to pass that the captains of the Lamanites brought up their
armies before the place of entrance, and began to contend with the Nephites,
to get into their place of security; but behold, they were driven back from
time to time, insomuch that they were slain with an immense slaughter.
22 Now when they found that they could not obtain power over the
Nephites by the pass, they began to dig down their banks of earth that they
might obtain a pass to their armies, that they might have an equal chance to
fight; but behold, in these attempts they were swept off by the stones and
arrows which were thrown at them; and instead of filling up their ditches by
pulling down the banks of earth, they were filled up in a measure with their
dead and wounded bodies.
23 Thus the Nephites had all power over their enemies; and thus the
Lamanites did attempt to destroy the Nephites until their chief captains were
all slain; yea, and more than a thousand of the Lamanites were slain; while,
on the other hand, there was not a single soul of the Nephites which was
slain.
24 There were about fifty who were wounded, who had been exposed to the
arrows of the Lamanites through the pass, but they were shielded by their
shields, and their breastplates, and their head-plates, insomuch that their
wounds were upon their legs, many of which were very severe.
25 And it came to pass, that when the Lamanites saw that their chief
captains were all slain they fled into the wilderness. And it came to pass that
they returned to the land of Nephi, to inform their king, Amalickiah, who
was a Nephite by birth, concerning their great loss.
26 And it came to pass that he was exceedingly angry with his people,
because he had not obtained his desire over the Nephites; he had not
subjected them to the yoke of bondage.
27 Yea, he was exceedingly wroth, and he did curse God, and also Moroni,
swearing with an oath that he would drink his blood; and this because
Moroni had kept the commandments of God in preparing for the safety of his
people.
28 And it came to pass, that on the other hand, the people of Nephi did
thank the Lord their God, because of his matchless power in delivering them
from the hands of their enemies.
29 And thus ended the nineteenth year of the reign of the judges over the
people of Nephi.
30 Yea, and there was continual peace among them, and exceedingly great
prosperity in the church because of their heed and diligence which they gave
unto the word of God, which was declared unto them by Helaman, and
Shiblon, and Corianton, and Ammon and his brethren, yea, and by all those
who had been ordained by the holy order of God, being baptized unto
repentance, and sent forth to preach among the people.