Alma 53:19 19 And now behold, as they never had hitherto been a disadvantage to the Nephites, they became now at this period of time also a great support; for they took their weapons of war, and they would that Helaman should be their leader.
Alma 53:20 20 And they were all young men, and they were exceedingly valiant for courage, and also for strength and activity; but behold, this was not all--they were men who were true at all times in whatsoever thing they were entrusted.
Alma 53:21 21 Yea, they were men of truth and soberness, for they had been taught to keep the commandments of G.o.d and to walk uprightly before him.
Alma 53:22 22 And now it came to pa.s.s that Helaman did march at the head of his two thousand stripling soldiers, to the support of the people in the borders of the land on the south by the west sea.
Alma 53:23 23 And thus ended the twenty and eighth year of the reign of the judges over the people of Nephi.
Alma 54 Chapter 54
Alma 54:1 1 And now it came to pa.s.s in the commencement of the twenty and ninth year of the judges, that Ammoron sent unto Moroni desiring that he would exchange prisoners.
Alma 54:2 2 And it came to pa.s.s that Moroni felt to rejoice exceedingly at this request, for he desired the provisions which were imparted for the support of the Lamanite prisoners for the support of his own people; and he also desired his own people for the strengthening of his army.
Alma 54:3 3 Now the Lamanites had taken many women and children, and there was not a woman nor a child among all the prisoners of Moroni, or the prisoners whom Moroni had taken; therefore Moroni resolved upon a stratagem to obtain as many prisoners of the Nephites from the Lamanites as it were possible.
Alma 54:4 4 Therefore he wrote an epistle, and sent it by the servant of Ammoron, the same who had brought an epistle to Moroni. Now these are the words which he wrote unto Ammoron, saying:
Alma 54:5 5 Behold, Ammoron, I have written unto you somewhat concerning this war which ye have waged against my people, or rather which thy brother hath waged against them, and which ye are still determined to carry on after his death.
Alma 54:6 6 Behold, I would tell you somewhat concerning the justice of G.o.d, and the sword of his almighty wrath, which doth hang over you except ye repent and withdraw your armies into your own lands, or the land of your possessions, which is the land of Nephi.
Alma 54:7 7 Yea, I would tell you these things if ye were capable of hearkening unto them; yea, I would tell you concerning that awful h.e.l.l that awaits to receive such murderers as thou and thy brother have been, except ye repent and withdraw your murderous purposes, and return with your armies to your own lands.
Alma 54:8 8 But as ye have once rejected these things, and have fought against the people of the Lord, even so I may expect you will do it again.
Alma 54:9 9 And now behold, we are prepared to receive you; yea, and except you withdraw your purposes, behold, ye will pull down the wrath of that G.o.d whom you have rejected upon you, even to your utter destruction.
Alma 54:10 10 But, as the Lord liveth, our armies shall come upon you except ye withdraw, and ye shall soon be visited with death, for we will retain our cities and our lands; yea, and we will maintain our religion and the cause of our G.o.d.
Alma 54:11 11 But behold, it supposeth me that I talk to you concerning these things in vain; or it supposeth me that thou art a child of h.e.l.l; therefore I will close my epistle by telling you that I will not exchange prisoners, save it be on conditions that ye will deliver up a man and his wife and his children, for one prisoner; if this be the case that ye will do it, I will exchange.
Alma 54:12 12 And behold, if you do not this, I will come against you with my armies; yea, even I will arm my women and my children, and I will come against you, and I will follow you even into your own land, which is the land of our first inheritance; yea, and it shall be blood for blood, yea, life for life; and I will give you battle even until you are destroyed from off the face of the earth.
Alma 54:13 13 Behold, I am in my anger, and also my people; ye have sought to murder us, and we have only sought to defend ourselves. But behold, if ye seek to destroy us more we will seek to destroy you; yea, and we will seek our land, the land of our first inheritance.
Alma 54:14 14 Now I close my epistle. I am Moroni; I am a leader of the people of the Nephites.
Alma 54:15 15 Now it came to pa.s.s that Ammoron, when he had received this epistle, was angry; and he wrote another epistle unto Moroni, and these are the words which he wrote, saying:
Alma 54:16 16 I am Ammoron, the king of the Lamanites; I am the brother of Amalickiah whom ye have murdered. Behold, I will avenge his blood upon you, yea, and I will come upon you with my armies for I fear not your threatenings.
Alma 54:17 17 For behold, your fathers did wrong their brethren, insomuch that they did rob them of their right to the government when it rightly belonged unto them.
Alma 54:18 18 And now behold, if ye will lay down your arms, and subject yourselves to be governed by those to whom the government doth rightly belong, then will I cause that my people shall lay down their weapons and shall be at war no more.
Alma 54:19 19 Behold, ye have breathed out many threatenings against me and my people; but behold, we fear not your threatenings.
Alma 54:20 20 Nevertheless, I will grant to exchange prisoners according to your request, gladly, that I may preserve my food for my men of war; and we will wage a war which shall be eternal, either to the subjecting the Nephites to our authority or to their eternal extinction.
Alma 54:21 21 And as concerning that G.o.d whom ye say we have rejected, behold, we know not such a being; neither do ye; but if it so be that there is such a thing, we know not but that he hath made us as well as you.
Alma 54:22 22 And if it so be that there is a devil and a h.e.l.l, behold will he not send you there to dwell with my brother whom ye have murdered, whom ye have hinted that he hath gone to such a place?
But behold these things matter not.
Alma 54:23 23 I am Ammoron, and a descendant of Zoram, whom your fathers pressed and brought out of Jerusalem.
Alma 54:24 24 And behold now, I am a bold Lamanite; behold, this war hath been waged to avenge their wrongs, and to maintain and to obtain their rights to the government; and I close my epistle to Moroni.
Alma 55 Chapter 55
Alma 55:1 1 Now it came to pa.s.s that when Moroni had received this epistle he was more angry, because he knew that Ammoron had a perfect knowledge of his fraud; yea, he knew that Ammoron knew that it was not a just cause that had caused him to wage a war against the people of Nephi.
Alma 55:2 2 And he said: Behold, I will not exchange prisoners with Ammoron save he will withdraw his purpose, as I have stated in my epistle; for I will not grant unto him that he shall have any more power than what he hath got.
Alma 55:3 3 Behold, I know the place where the Lamanites do guard my people whom they have taken prisoners; and as Ammoron would not grant unto me mine epistle, behold, I will give unto him according to my words; yea, I will seek death among them until they shall sue for peace.
Alma 55:4 4 And now it came to pa.s.s that when Moroni had said these words, he caused that a search should be made among his men, that perhaps he might find a man who was a descendant of Laman among them.
Alma 55:5 5 And it came to pa.s.s that they found one, whose name was Laman; and he was one of the servants of the king who was murdered by Amalickiah.
Alma 55:6 6 Now Moroni caused that Laman and a small number of his men should go forth unto the guards who were over the Nephites.
Alma 55:7 7 Now the Nephites were guarded in the city of Gid; therefore Moroni appointed Laman and caused that a small number of men should go with him.
Alma 55:8 8 And when it was evening Laman went to the guards who were over the Nephites, and behold, they saw him coming and they hailed him; but he saith unto them: Fear not; behold, I am a Lamanite.
Behold, we have escaped from the Nephites, and they sleep; and behold we have taken of their wine and brought with us.
Alma 55:9 9 Now when the Lamanites heard these words they received him with joy; and they said unto him: Give us of your wine, that we may drink; we are glad that ye have thus taken wine with you for we are weary.
Alma 55:10 10 But Laman said unto them: Let us keep of our wine till we go against the Nephites to battle. But this saying only made them more desirous to drink of the wine;
Alma 55:11 11 For, said they: We are weary, therefore let us take of the wine, and by and by we shall receive wine for our rations, which will strengthen us to go against the Nephites.
Alma 55:12 12 And Laman said unto them: You may do according to your desires.
Alma 55:13 13 And it came to pa.s.s that they did take of the wine freely; and it was pleasant to their taste, therefore they took of it more freely; and it was strong, having been prepared in its strength.
Alma 55:14 14 And it came to pa.s.s they did drink and were merry, and by and by they were all drunken.
Alma 55:15 15 And now when Laman and his men saw that they were all drunken, and were in a deep sleep, they returned to Moroni and told him all the things that had happened.
Alma 55:16 16 And now this was according to the design of Moroni. And Moroni had prepared his men with weapons of war; and he went to the city Gid, while the Lamanites were in a deep sleep and drunken, and cast in weapons of war unto the prisoners, insomuch that they were all armed;
Alma 55:17 17 Yea, even to their women, and all those of their children, as many as were able to use a weapon of war, when Moroni had armed all those prisoners; and all those things were done in a profound silence.
Alma 55:18 18 But had they awakened the Lamanites, behold they were drunken and the Nephites could have slain them.