Nephites Prepare for War Withlamanites

Event 103

Reference: Alma 43:1-14

AND now it came to pass that the sons of Alma did go forthamong the people, to declare the word unto them. AndAlma, also, himself, could not rest, and he also went forth. 2Now we shall say no more concerning their preaching,except that they preached the word, and the truth, accordingto the spirit of prophecy and revelation; and they preachedafter the holy order of God by which they were called.MormonLand ofZarahemla74 B.C.3 And now I return to an account of the wars between theNephites and the Lamanites, in the eighteenth year of thereign of the judges.4 For behold, it came to pass that the Zoramites becameLamanites; therefore, in the commencement of theeighteenth year the people of the Nephites saw that theLamanites were coming upon them; therefore they madepreparations for war; yea, they gathered together theirarmies in the land of Jershon.Land of Jershon5 And it came to pass that the Lamanites came with theirthousands; and they came into the land of Antionum, whichis the land of the Zoramites; and a man by the name ofZerahemnah was their leader. 6 And now, as the Amalekiteswere of a more wicked and murderous disposition than theLamanites were, in and of themselves, therefore,Zerahemnah appointed chief captains over the Lamanites,and they were all Amalekites and Zoramites. 7 Now this hedid that he might preserve their hatred towards theNephites, that he might bring them into subjection to theaccomplishment of his designs. 8 For behold, his designswere to stir up the Lamanites to anger against the Nephites;this he did that he might usurp great power over them, andalso that he might gain power over the Nephites by bringingthem into bondage.Land of Antionum9 And now the design of the Nephites was to support theirlands, and their houses, and their wives, and their children,that they might preserve them from the hands of theirenemies; and also that they might preserve their rights andtheir privileges, yea, and also their liberty, that they mightworship God according to their desires. 10 For they knewLand of Jershon that if they should fall into the hands of the Lamanites, thatwhosoever should worship God in spirit and in truth, thetrue and the living God, the Lamanites would destroy. 11Yea, and they also knew the extreme hatred of theLamanites towards their brethren, who were the people ofAnti-Nephi-Lehi, who were called the people of Ammon—and they would not take up arms, yea, they had entered intoa covenant and they would not break it—therefore, if theyshould fall into the hands of the Lamanites they would bedestroyed. 12 And the Nephites would not suffer that theyshould be destroyed; therefore they gave them lands fortheir inheritance.MormonLand of Jershon74 B.C.13 And the people of Ammon did give unto the Nephites alarge portion of their substance to support their armies; andthus the Nephites were compelled, alone, to withstandagainst the Lamanites, who were a compound of Laman andLemuel, and the sons of Ishmael, and all those who haddissented from the Nephites, who were Amalekites andZoramites, and the descendants of the priests of Noah. 14Now those descendants were as numerous, nearly, as werethe Nephites; and thus the Nephites were obliged to contendwith their brethren, even unto bloodshed.