years.
Alma 48:21
21 But, as I have said, in the latter end of the nineteenth
year, yea, notwithstanding their peace amongst themselves, they
were compelled reluctantly to contend with their brethren, the
Lamanites.
Alma 48:22
22 Yea, and in fine, their wars never did cease for the space of
many years with the Lamanites, notwithstanding their much
reluctance.
Alma 48:23
23 Now, they were sorry to take up arms against the Lamanites,
because they did not delight in the shedding of blood; yea, and
this was not all—they were sorry to be the means of sending so
many of their brethren out of this world into an eternal world,
unprepared to meet their God.
Alma 48:24
24 Nevertheless, they could not suffer to lay down their lives,
that their wives and their children should be massacred by the
barbarous cruelty of those who were once their brethren, yea, and
had dissented from their church, and had left them and had gone
to destroy them by joining the Lamanites.
Alma 48:25
25 Yea, they could not bear that their brethren should rejoice
over the blood of the Nephites, so long as there were any who
should keep the commandments of God, for the promise of the Lord
was, if they should keep his commandments they should prosper in
the land.
Alma 49 Chapter 49
Alma 49:1
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.
Alma 49:2
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.
Alma 49:3
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.
Alma 49:4
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.
Alma 49:5
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.
Alma 49:6
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.
Alma 49:7
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.
Alma 49:8
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.
Alma 49:9
9 And it came to pass that the Lamanites, or the Amalickiahites,
were exceedingly astonished at their manner of preparation for
war.
Alma 49:10
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.
Alma 49:11
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.
Alma 49:12
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.
Alma 49:13
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.
Alma 49:14
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.
Alma 49:15
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.
Alma 49:16