The Book Of Alma (Chap. 43)

Alma 43:1
And now it came to pass that the sons of Alma did go forth
among the people, to declare the word unto them. And Alma, also,
himself, could not rest, and he also went forth.

Alma 43:2
Now we shall say no more concerning their preaching, except
that they preached the word, and the truth, according to the
spirit of prophecy and revelation; and they preached after the
holy order of God by which they were called.

Alma 43:3
And now I return to an account of the wars between the
Nephites and the Lamanites, in the eighteenth year of the reign
of the judges.

Alma 43:4
For behold, it came to pass that the Zoramites became
Lamanites; therefore, in the commencement of the eighteenth year
the people of the Nephites saw that the Lamanites were coming
upon them; therefore they made preparations for war; yea, they
gathered together their armies in the land of Jershon.

Alma 43:5
And it came to pass that the Lamanites came with their
thousands; and they came into the land of Antionum, which is the
land of the Zoramites; and a man by the name of Zerahemnah was
their leader.

Alma 43:6
And now, as the Amalekites were of a more wicked and murderous
disposition than the Lamanites were, in and of themselves,
therefore, Zerahemnah appointed chief captains over the
Lamanites, and they were all Amalekites and Zoramites.

Alma 43:7
Now this he did that he might preserve their hatred towards
the Nephites, that he might bring them into subjection to the
accomplishment of his designs.

Alma 43:8
For behold, his designs were to stir up the Lamanites to anger
against the Nephites; this he did that he might usurp great power
over them, and also that he might gain power over the Nephites by
bringing them into bondage.

Alma 43:9
And now the design of the Nephites was to support their lands,
and their houses, and their wives, and their children, that they
might preserve them from the hands of their enemies; and also
that they might preserve their rights and their privileges, yea,
and also their liberty, that they might worship God according to
their desires.

Alma 43:10
For they knew that if they should fall into the hands of the
Lamanites, that whosoever should worship God in spirit and in
truth, the true and the living God, the Lamanites would destroy.

Alma 43:11
Yea, and they also knew the extreme hatred of the Lamanites
towards their brethren, who were the people of Anti-Nephi-Lehi,
who were called the people of Ammon—and they would not take up
arms, yea, they had entered into a covenant and they would not
break it—therefore, if they should fall into the hands of the
Lamanites they would be destroyed.

Alma 43:12
And the Nephites would not suffer that they should be
destroyed; therefore they gave them lands for their inheritance.

Alma 43:13
And the people of Ammon did give unto the Nephites a large
portion of their substance to support their armies; and thus the
Nephites were compelled, alone, to withstand against the
Lamanites, who were a compound of Laman and Lemuel, and the sons
of Ishmael, and all those who had dissented from the Nephites,
who were Amalekites and Zoramites, and the descendants of the
priests of Noah.

Alma 43:14
Now those descendants were as numerous, nearly, as were the
Nephites; and thus the Nephites were obliged to contend with
their brethren, even unto bloodshed.

Alma 43:15
And it came to pass as the armies of the Lamanites had
gathered together in the land of Antionum, behold, the armies of
the Nephites were prepared to meet them in the land of Jershon.

Alma 43:16
Now, the leader of the Nephites, or the man who had been
appointed to be the chief captain over the Nephites—now the
chief captain took the command of all the armies of the
Nephites—and his name was Moroni;

Alma 43:17
And Moroni took all the command, and the government of their
wars. And he was only twenty and five years old when he was
appointed chief captain over the armies of the Nephites.

Alma 43:18
And it came to pass that he met the Lamanites in the borders
of Jershon, and his people were armed with swords, and with
cimeters, and all manner of weapons of war.

Alma 43:19
And when the armies of the Lamanites saw that the people of
Nephi, or that Moroni, had prepared his people with breastplates
and with arm-shields, yea, and also shields to defend their
heads, and also they were dressed with thick clothing—

Alma 43:20
Now the army of Zerahemnah was not prepared with any such
thing; they had only their swords and their cimeters, their bows
and their arrows, their stones and their slings; and they were
naked, save it were a skin which was girded about their loins;
yea, all were naked, save it were the Zoramites and the
Amalekites;

Alma 43:21
But they were not armed with breastplates, nor
shields—therefore, they were exceedingly afraid of the armies of
the Nephites because of their armor, notwithstanding their number
being so much greater than the Nephites.

Alma 43:22
Behold, now it came to pass that they durst not come against
the Nephites in the borders of Jershon; therefore they departed
out of the land of Antionum into the wilderness, and took their
journey round about in the wilderness, away by the head of the
river Sidon, that they might come into the land of Manti and take
possession of the land; for they did not suppose that the armies
of Moroni would know whither they had gone.

Alma 43:23
But it came to pass, as soon as they had departed into the
wilderness Moroni sent spies into the wilderness to watch their
camp; and Moroni, also, knowing of the prophecies of Alma, sent
certain men unto him, desiring him that he should inquire of the
Lord whither the armies of the Nephites should go to defend
themselves against the Lamanites.

Alma 43:24
And it came to pass that the word of the Lord came unto Alma,
and Alma informed the messengers of Moroni, that the armies of
the Lamanites were marching round about in the wilderness, that
they might come over into the land of Manti, that they might
commence an attack upon the weaker part of the people. And those
messengers went and delivered the message unto Moroni.

Alma 43:25
Now Moroni, leaving a part of his army in the land of
Jershon, lest by any means a part of the Lamanites should come
into that land and take possession of the city, took the
remaining part of his army and marched over into the land of
Manti.

Alma 43:26
And he caused that all the people in that quarter of the land
should gather themselves together to battle against the
Lamanites, to defend their lands and their country, their rights
and their liberties; therefore they were prepared against the
time of the coming of the Lamanites.

Alma 43:27
And it came to pass that Moroni caused that his army should
be secreted in the valley which was near the bank of the river
Sidon, which was on the west of the river Sidon in the
wilderness.

Alma 43:28
And Moroni placed spies round about, that he might know when
the camp of the Lamanites should come.

Alma 43:29
And now, as Moroni knew the intention of the Lamanites, that
it was their intention to destroy their brethren, or to subject
them and bring them into bondage that they might establish a
kingdom unto themselves over all the land;

Alma 43:30
And he also knowing that it was the only desire of the
Nephites to preserve their lands, and their liberty, and their
church, therefore he thought it no sin that he should defend them
by stratagem; therefore, he found by his spies which course the
Lamanites were to take.

Alma 43:31
Therefore, he divided his army and brought a part over into
the valley, and concealed them on the east, and on the south of
the hill Riplah;

Alma 43:32
And the remainder he concealed in the west valley, on the
west of the river Sidon, and so down into the borders of the land
Manti.

Alma 43:33
And thus having placed his army according to his desire, he
was prepared to meet them.

Alma 43:34
And it came to pass that the Lamanites came up on the north
of the hill, where a part of the army of Moroni was concealed.

Alma 43:35
And as the Lamanites had passed the hill Riplah, and came
into the valley, and began to cross the river Sidon, the army
which was concealed on the south of the hill, which was led by a
man whose name was Lehi, and he led his army forth and encircled
the Lamanites about on the east in their rear.

Alma 43:36
And it came to pass that the Lamanites, when they saw the
Nephites coming upon them in their rear, turned them about and
began to contend with the army of Lehi.

Alma 43:37
And the work of death commenced on both sides, but it was
more dreadful on the part of the Lamanites, for their nakedness
was exposed to the heavy blows of the Nephites with their swords
and their cimeters, which brought death almost at every stroke.

Alma 43:38
While on the other hand, there was now and then a man fell
among the Nephites, by their swords and the loss of blood, they
being shielded from the more vital parts of the body, or the more
vital parts of the body being shielded from the strokes of the
Lamanites, by their breastplates, and their arm-shields, and
their head-plates; and thus the Nephites did carry on the work of
death among the Lamanites.

Alma 43:39
And it came to pass that the Lamanites became frightened,
because of the great destruction among them, even until they
began to flee towards the river Sidon.

Alma 43:40
And they were pursued by Lehi and his men; and they were
driven by Lehi into the waters of Sidon, and they crossed the
waters of Sidon. And Lehi retained his armies upon the bank of
the river Sidon that they should not cross.

Alma 43:41
And it came to pass that Moroni and his army met the
Lamanites in the valley, on the other side of the river Sidon,
and began to fall upon them and to slay them.

Alma 43:42
And the Lamanites did flee again before them, towards the
land of Manti; and they were met again by the armies of Moroni.

Alma 43:43
Now in this case the Lamanites did fight exceedingly; yea,
never had the Lamanites been known to fight with such exceedingly
great strength and courage, no, not even from the beginning.

Alma 43:44
And they were inspired by the Zoramites and the Amalekites,
who were their chief captains and leaders, and by Zerahemnah, who
was their chief captain, or their chief leader and commander;
yea, they did fight like dragons, and many of the Nephites were
slain by their hands, yea, for they did smite in two many of
their head-plates, and they did pierce many of their
breastplates, and they did smite off many of their arms; and thus
the Lamanites did smite in their fierce anger.

Alma 43:45
Nevertheless, the Nephites were inspired by a better cause,
for they were not fighting for monarchy nor power but they were
fighting for their homes and their liberties, their wives and
their children, and their all, yea, for their rites of worship
and their church.

Alma 43:46
And they were doing that which they felt was the duty which
they owed to their God; for the Lord had said unto them, and also
unto their fathers, that: Inasmuch as ye are not guilty of the
first offense, neither the second, ye shall not suffer yourselves
to be slain by the hands of your enemies.

Alma 43:47
And again, the Lord has said that: Ye shall defend your
families even unto bloodshed. Therefore for this cause were the
Nephites contending with the Lamanites, to defend themselves, and
their families, and their lands, their country, and their rights,
and their religion.

Alma 43:48
And it came to pass that when the men of Moroni saw the
fierceness and the anger of the Lamanites, they were about to
shrink and flee from them. And Moroni, perceiving their intent,
sent forth and inspired their hearts with these thoughts—yea,
the thoughts of their lands, their liberty, yea, their freedom
from bondage.

Alma 43:49
And it came to pass that they turned upon the Lamanites, and
they cried with one voice unto the Lord their God, for their
liberty and their freedom from bondage.

Alma 43:50
And they began to stand against the Lamanites with power; and
in that selfsame hour that they cried unto the Lord for their
freedom, the Lamanites began to flee before them; and they fled
even to the waters of Sidon.

Alma 43:51
Now, the Lamanites were more numerous, yea, by more than
double the number of the Nephites; nevertheless, they were driven
insomuch that they were gathered together in one body in the
valley, upon the bank by the river Sidon.

Alma 43:52
Therefore the armies of Moroni encircled them about, yea,
even on both sides of the river, for behold, on the east were the
men of Lehi.

Alma 43:53
Therefore when Zerahemnah saw the men of Lehi on the east of
the river Sidon, and the armies of Moroni on the west of the
river Sidon, that they were encircled about by the Nephites, they
were struck with terror.

Alma 43:54
Now Moroni, when he saw their terror, commanded his men that
they should stop shedding their blood.