Moroni Builds Fortifications
Moroni never stopped preparing for war. At the start of the twentieth year of the judges, he set his armies to work digging up huge mounds of earth around every city the Nephites controlled.
On top of these earthen ridges, they built wooden walls as high as a man. Then they built tall, strong picket fences on top of the wooden walls. They erected watchtowers that overlooked the picket fences, with protected platforms where Lamanite arrows and stones couldn’t reach them. From up there, they could hurl stones down with all their strength and kill anyone trying to get near the city walls. This is how Moroni built strong defenses around every city in the land to hold off enemy attacks.
Securing the Borders
Then Moroni sent his armies into the eastern wilderness. They went in and drove out all the Lamanites, pushing them south into their own territory below Zarahemla. The land of Nephi ran in a straight line from the East Sea to the West. After Moroni cleared the Lamanites out of the eastern wilderness north of their territory, he had the people from Zarahemla and the surrounding areas move out to the eastern wilderness, all the way to the coast, and settle there. He also stationed armies on the southern border and had them build fortifications to protect his armies and people from enemy attack. This cut off all the Lamanite strongholds in the eastern wilderness. He also fortified the west, creating a defensive line between the Nephites and Lamanites—between Zarahemla and the land of Nephi—from the West Sea along the headwaters of the river Sidon. The Nephites controlled all the land to the north, all the territory north of Bountiful, as far as they wanted. Moroni’s armies grew every day because people felt safe under his protection. They worked to cut off Lamanite strength and power, making sure the enemy had no foothold in Nephite territory.
New Cities and Growing Prosperity
The Nephites started building a new city. They named it Moroni. It sat by the East Sea, on the southern border of Lamanite territory. They also laid the foundation for another city between Moroni and Aaron, connecting their borders. They called this city Nephihah. That same year they began building several cities in the north. One in particular they called Lehi, which sat up north along the coast. That’s how the twentieth year ended.
The Nephites entered the twenty-first year of the judges in great prosperity. They thrived and became very wealthy. Their population grew, and they were strong in the land.
God’s Promises Fulfilled
You can see how merciful and just the Lord is in keeping his promises. His words are being proven true right now—the very words he spoke to Lehi:
“You and your children are blessed. They will be blessed as long as they keep my commandments. They’ll thrive in this land. But remember—if they don’t keep my commandments, they’ll be cut off from my presence.”
We can see these promises coming true among the Nephites. Their own quarrels and fights—their murders, robberies, idol worship, sexual sin, and other terrible things among themselves—these brought war and destruction on them. Those who faithfully kept the Lord’s commandments were always delivered, while thousands of their wicked brothers ended up in slavery, killed by the sword, lost in unbelief, or absorbed into Lamanite culture.
But there had never been a happier time among the Nephites since Nephi’s day than during Moroni’s time—right then, in the twenty-first year of the judges.
The twenty-second year of the judges ended peacefully. The twenty-third year did too.
Trouble in Morianton
The twenty-fourth year would have been peaceful as well, except a dispute broke out over the territories of Lehi and Morianton. These two coastal lands bordered each other. The people of Morianton claimed part of Lehi’s land. The argument heated up until the people of Morianton grabbed their weapons and prepared to kill their neighbors. The people of Lehi fled to Moroni’s camp and asked for help. They were clearly in the right.
When Morianton and his people realized that Lehi had gone to Moroni for help, they panicked. They were terrified Moroni’s army would come and wipe them out. So Morianton convinced them to flee north to the land covered with large bodies of water and take control of that territory. They would have succeeded—which would have been a disaster—but Morianton had a violent temper. He got angry at one of his servant girls and beat her badly. She escaped and ran to Moroni’s camp. She told Moroni everything about their plan to flee north.
Moroni worried that once Morianton’s people reached the land Bountiful, they might convince others to join them. If Morianton gained control of those northern lands, it could have serious consequences for the Nephites. It could cost them their freedom. So Moroni sent an army to intercept Morianton’s people and stop their flight north. They didn’t catch them until they reached the borders of the land Desolation. There, at the narrow pass between the seas—the pass that led north along the coast—they blocked their path. The army Moroni sent was led by a man named Teancum. When he met Morianton’s people, they were so stubborn—fired up by Morianton’s wickedness and smooth talk—that a battle broke out. Teancum killed Morianton, defeated his army, took prisoners, and returned to Moroni’s camp. That’s how the twenty-fourth year of the judges ended.
Morianton’s people were brought back. When they agreed to keep the peace, they were allowed to return to their own land. Peace was made between them and the people of Lehi, and both groups were restored to their territories.
A New Chief Judge
That same year peace was restored, Nephihah—the second chief judge—died. He had served with complete integrity before God. He had declined to take possession of the sacred records and treasures that Alma and his fathers considered most holy. Alma had given them instead to his son Helaman. Nephihah’s son was appointed to fill his father’s position. He became chief judge and governor over the people. He took an oath and received a sacred charge to judge righteously, maintain peace and freedom among the people, protect their sacred right to worship the Lord their God, defend God’s cause all his days, and bring criminals to justice. His name was Pahoran. He filled his father’s seat and began his rule at the end of the twenty-fourth year.