The Struggle for Manti
Our next goal was to capture the city of Manti. But we had a problem—there was no way to lure them out with our small force. They’d learned from our previous tactics, so we couldn’t trick them into leaving their fortifications. They outnumbered us so badly that we didn’t dare attack them head-on in their strongholds. We had to use our soldiers just to hold onto the territory we’d already reclaimed. So we decided to wait for reinforcements and fresh supplies from Zarahemla.
I sent messengers to the governor to update him on our situation. Then we waited for provisions and troops from Zarahemla. But this didn’t help much. The Lamanites were also getting stronger every day, and their supply lines kept flowing. That’s where things stood. The Lamanites kept launching attacks against us, trying to destroy us through clever tactics. But we couldn’t force a decisive battle—they’d just retreat to their fortified positions.
Near Starvation
We waited like this for months, and the situation got desperate. We were nearly starving. Finally, food arrived—guarded by an army of two thousand men who stayed to help us. That was all the help we got to defend ourselves and our homeland from an enemy that seemed endless.
We didn’t know why they weren’t sending more support. It troubled us deeply, and we were afraid that God’s judgment might be falling on our land, leading to our complete destruction. So we poured out our souls in prayer to God. We begged him to make us strong and rescue us from our enemies. We asked for strength to hold our cities, our lands, and our possessions—everything our people needed to survive. And the Lord our God answered us with assurances that he would deliver us. He spoke peace to our souls and filled us with such faith that we began to hope for deliverance through him. We took courage with our small force and set our minds on victory. We were determined to defeat our enemies and defend our lands, our possessions, our wives, our children, and our freedom.
A Clever Trap
With everything we had, we marched against the Lamanites in Manti. We set up camp at the edge of the wilderness, near the city.
The next morning, when the Lamanites saw us camped near the wilderness outside their city, they sent spies to circle our position and figure out how many troops we had. When they saw our numbers were small, they got worried. They feared we’d cut off their supply lines unless they came out and crushed us quickly. Confident in their overwhelming numbers, they started preparing for battle.
When we saw them getting ready to attack, I ordered Gid to hide in the wilderness with a small group of men. I also had Teomner conceal another small unit in the wilderness. Gid and his men positioned themselves on the right, and Teomner’s group on the left. After they were hidden, I stayed with the rest of the army in the same spot where we’d first pitched our tents, waiting for the Lamanites to come out.
The Lamanites marched out with their massive army. As they closed in and were about to attack with their swords, I ordered my men to retreat into the wilderness. The Lamanites chased us at top speed, desperate to overtake and kill us. They followed us into the wilderness, and we led them right past Gid and Teomner’s hiding places without them noticing.
After the Lamanite army passed by, Gid and Teomner sprang from their positions and cut down the Lamanite scouts so they couldn’t warn the city. Then they raced to the city and attacked the small guard force that had been left behind. They wiped them out and captured the city. This worked because the Lamanites had sent almost their entire army to chase us, leaving only a handful of guards behind.
Victory Without Bloodshed
That’s how Gid and Teomner seized their stronghold. Meanwhile, after traveling deep into the wilderness, we changed course and headed toward Zarahemla.
When the Lamanites realized we were heading toward Zarahemla, they panicked. They feared it was a trap to lead them to destruction, so they started retreating back the way they’d come. When night fell, they made camp. The Lamanite commanders assumed we were exhausted from the march. They thought they’d chased our entire army and didn’t give Manti another thought.
That night, I ordered my men to skip sleep and march by a different route back toward Manti. Because we marched through the night, by morning we’d gotten ahead of the Lamanites and reached Manti before them. Through this strategy, we recaptured the city of Manti without losing a single drop of blood.
When the Lamanite armies arrived near the city and saw we were ready for them, they were completely shocked. Terror seized them, and they fled into the wilderness.
Reclaiming the Land
The Lamanite armies abandoned this entire region. But they took many women and children with them as prisoners. All the cities the Lamanites had captured are now back in our hands. Our fathers, our women, and our children are returning home—except for those who were taken prisoner and carried off by the Lamanites.
But our armies are too small to hold so many cities and such vast territory. Still, we trust in our God, who gave us victory over these lands. He helped us reclaim the cities and territory that belonged to us.
We don’t know why the government isn’t sending us more troops. Even the men who brought our supplies don’t know why we haven’t received greater reinforcements. Maybe you’re facing setbacks and had to pull forces to another part of the country. If that’s the case, we won’t complain. But if that’s not it, we’re worried there might be some political faction in the government that’s blocking reinforcements. We know they have more troops available than what they’ve sent us.
Whatever the reason, it doesn’t matter. We trust God will deliver us despite how small our armies are. He’ll rescue us from our enemies.
This is the end of the twenty-ninth year. We hold our lands, and the Lamanites have fled back to the land of Nephi.
God’s Protection
Those remarkable young men from the people of Ammon are here with me in Manti. The Lord has protected them. He’s kept them from falling by the sword—not a single one has been killed. They’ve been wounded many times, but they stand firm in the freedom God has given them. They’re faithful to remember the Lord their God every single day. They carefully keep his laws, his judgments, and his commands. And their faith in the prophecies about the future is unshakable. My dear brother Moroni, may the Lord our God—who has rescued us and set us free—keep you constantly in his presence. May he bless our people so you’ll succeed in reclaiming everything the Lamanites took from us, everything we need to survive. I’ll close my letter now. I am Helaman, son of Alma.