# Alma 52

*Paraphrase*

### Amalickiah’s Death and Ammoron’s Succession

In the twenty-sixth year of the judges’ reign over the Nephites, the Lamanites woke up on the first morning of the new year to find Amalickiah dead in his tent. They also saw Teancum’s forces ready to fight them. When the Lamanites saw this, they panicked. They abandoned their plans to march north and retreated with their entire army into the city of Mulek, seeking protection behind its fortifications.

Amalickiah’s brother was appointed king over the people. His name was Ammoron—so King Ammoron took his brother’s place on the throne. He commanded his people to hold onto the cities they’d captured through bloodshed. They hadn’t taken a single city without heavy losses.

### Teancum Fortifies His Position

Teancum realized the Lamanites were determined to keep the cities and territory they’d seized. And when he saw how massive their army was, he decided attacking their fortifications would be a mistake. Instead, he kept his men positioned nearby as if preparing for war. In truth, he was preparing to defend himself—building walls and establishing strongholds.

He continued these war preparations until Moroni sent a large number of men to strengthen his army. Moroni also sent him orders to hold onto all prisoners who fell into his hands. Since the Lamanites had taken many Nephite prisoners, Teancum should keep all Lamanite prisoners as ransom for their own. He also ordered him to fortify the land of Bountiful and secure the narrow pass that led north, so the Lamanites couldn’t gain that strategic point and use it to attack them from all sides. Moroni also sent him a message asking him to stay faithful in defending that part of the land. He should watch for every opportunity to strike the Lamanites in that region as hard as he could—maybe he could recapture those lost cities through strategy or some other tactic. He should also fortify and strengthen the surrounding cities that hadn’t fallen to the Lamanites. He added, “I’d come to you, but the Lamanites are pressing us along the western seacoast. I’m heading there to fight them, so I can’t make it to you.”

### Ammoron’s Strategy to Divide the Nephites

King Ammoron had left the land of Zarahemla and informed the queen about his brother’s death. He’d gathered a large army and marched against the Nephites along the western seacoast. His strategy was to harass the Nephites and draw part of their forces to that side of the land, while the troops he’d left behind to hold the captured cities would keep attacking the Nephites along the eastern coast—seizing as much land as they could with whatever strength they had.

And so the Nephites found themselves in this dangerous situation as the twenty-sixth year of the judges’ reign came to an end.

### Moroni Arrives with Reinforcements

But in the twenty-seventh year of the judges’ reign, Teancum—following Moroni’s command—had set up armies to protect the southern and western borders. Then he began marching toward the land of Bountiful to help Teancum retake the lost cities.

Teancum had received orders to attack the city of Mulek and retake it if possible. So Teancum prepared to attack the city of Mulek and marched his army against the Lamanites. But he realized he couldn’t overpower them while they were inside their fortifications, so he abandoned the plan and returned to the city of Bountiful to wait for Moroni’s arrival and the reinforcements he’d bring.

Moroni arrived with his army in the land of Bountiful near the end of the twenty-seventh year of the judges’ reign over the Nephites.

### The War Council’s Plan

At the start of the twenty-eighth year, Moroni, Teancum, and many of the chief captains held a war council to figure out how to make the Lamanites come out and fight them—or somehow lure them out of their strongholds so they could gain the advantage and recapture the city of Mulek.

They sent messengers to the Lamanite army protecting the city of Mulek, to their leader Jacob, challenging him to come out with his armies and meet them on the plains between the two cities. But Jacob, who was a Zoramite, wouldn’t come out to fight them on the open plains.

Since Moroni had no hope of meeting them on fair ground, he came up with a plan to draw the Lamanites out of their strongholds.

### The Trap Is Set

He had Teancum take a small group of men and march down near the seashore. Meanwhile, Moroni and his army traveled by night into the wilderness west of the city of Mulek. The next morning, when the Lamanite guards spotted Teancum, they ran and reported it to Jacob, their leader.

The Lamanite armies marched out against Teancum, thinking they could crush him easily because his numbers were so small. When Teancum saw the Lamanite armies coming at him, he began retreating northward along the seashore. When the Lamanites saw him start to flee, they took courage and chased after him hard. While Teancum was leading away the Lamanites who were chasing him in vain, Moroni ordered part of his army to march into the city and take it.

They did exactly that, killing everyone who’d been left to defend the city—everyone who wouldn’t surrender their weapons. So Moroni captured the city of Mulek with part of his army, while he marched with the rest to meet the Lamanites when they returned from chasing Teancum.

### The Lamanites Are Surrounded

The Lamanites pursued Teancum until they came near the city of Bountiful. There they were met by Lehi and a small army that had been left to protect the city.

When the Lamanite chief captains saw Lehi with his army coming at them, they fled in total confusion. They were afraid they might not make it back to the city of Mulek before Lehi overtook them. They were exhausted from their long march, while Lehi’s men were fresh.

The Lamanites had no idea that Moroni was behind them with his army. The only threat they feared was Lehi and his men. Lehi didn’t try to overtake them. He wanted to wait until they met Moroni and his army.

Before the Lamanites had retreated far, they found themselves surrounded by the Nephites—Moroni’s men on one side and Lehi’s men on the other. All of them were fresh and full of strength, but the Lamanites were worn out from their long march. Moroni ordered his men to attack until they surrendered their weapons.

### Jacob’s Final Stand

But Jacob, their leader—also a Zoramite with an unconquerable spirit—led the Lamanites into battle with savage fury against Moroni.

Since Moroni stood in their path, Jacob was determined to cut through them and reach the city of Mulek. But Moroni and his men were stronger, and they didn’t give ground to the Lamanites. They fought on both sides with savage fury. Many were killed on both sides. Moroni was wounded, and Jacob was killed.

Lehi pressed on their rear with such fury and with such strong men that the Lamanites in back surrendered their weapons. The rest of them, completely confused, didn’t know whether to run or fight. When Moroni saw their confusion, he called out to them: “If you bring out your weapons and surrender them, we’ll stop the bloodshed.”

When the Lamanites heard these words, their chief captains—all who were still alive—came forward and threw down their weapons at Moroni’s feet, and ordered their men to do the same. But many refused. Those who wouldn’t surrender their swords were captured and bound, their weapons were taken from them, and they were forced to march with their brothers into the land of Bountiful.

The number of prisoners they took was greater than the number who’d been killed—more than those killed on both sides combined.

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*Source: [The Book of Mormon](https://bookofmormon.com/paraphrase/alma/52)*
