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.
49:2 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.
49:3 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.
49:4 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.
49:5 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.
49:6 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.
49:7 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.
49:8 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.
49:9 And it came to pass that the Lamanites, or the Amalickiahites,
were exceedingly astonished at their manner of preparation for war.
49:10 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.
49:11 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.
49:12 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.
49:13 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.
49:14 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.
49:15 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.
49:16 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.
49:17 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.
49:18 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.
49:19 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.
49:20 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.
49:21 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.
49:22 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.
49:23 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.
49:24 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.
49:25 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.
49:26 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.
49:27 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.
49:28 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.
49:29 And thus ended the nineteenth year of the reign of the judges
over the people of Nephi.
49:30 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.