# Alma 62

*Paraphrase*

### Moroni’s Joy and Grief

When Moroni received this letter, his heart soared. He was filled with joy because Pahoran had stayed faithful—he wasn’t a traitor to freedom or to his country.

But he also grieved deeply over the wickedness of those who had driven Pahoran from the judgment seat—people who had rebelled against their country and their God.

### Rallying the Nation

Moroni took a small force of men, just as Pahoran had requested, and left Lehi and Teancum in command of the rest of his army. Then he marched toward the land of Gideon.

Wherever he went, he raised the banner of liberty, gathering every man who would join him on his march toward Gideon. Thousands flocked to his banner. They took up their swords to defend their freedom and keep themselves from becoming slaves.

By the time Moroni reached Gideon and joined forces with Pahoran, they had grown extremely strong—even stronger than the forces of Pachus, the king of the rebels who had driven the free people out of Zarahemla and taken over the city.

### Retaking Zarahemla

Moroni and Pahoran marched their armies down into Zarahemla. They advanced on the city and met Pachus’s men in battle.

Pachus was killed. His men were captured, and Pahoran was restored to the judgment seat.

Pachus’s men stood trial according to the law, along with all the king-men who had been captured and thrown in prison. Those who refused to take up arms to defend their country—and instead chose to fight against it—were executed according to the law. This law had to be strictly enforced for the safety of the nation. Anyone found denying the people’s freedom was swiftly executed.

And so the thirtieth year of the judges’ reign over the Nephites came to an end. Moroni and Pahoran had restored peace to Zarahemla by putting to death all who had betrayed the cause of freedom.

Early in the thirty-first year, Moroni immediately sent provisions and six thousand men to Helaman to help him hold that part of the land. He also sent six thousand men and plenty of food to Lehi and Teancum’s armies. All of this was done to fortify the land against the Lamanites.

### The Campaign to Reclaim the Cities

Moroni and Pahoran left a large garrison in Zarahemla, then marched with a massive force toward the land of Nephihah. They were determined to drive the Lamanites out of that city.

As they marched, they intercepted a large Lamanite force, killed many of them, and seized their supplies and weapons. After capturing them, they made the survivors swear an oath that they would never again take up weapons against the Nephites. Once they had taken this oath, Moroni sent them to live with the people of Ammon. About four thousand men—those who had not been killed—went to join them.

After sending them away, Moroni and Pahoran continued their march toward Nephihah. When they reached the city, they set up camp in the plains nearby.

Moroni wanted the Lamanites to come out and fight in the open. But the Lamanites knew how fierce the Nephites were and saw how many of them there were, so they didn’t dare come out that day.

### Taking Nephihah by Night

When night fell, Moroni slipped out in the darkness and climbed to the top of the city wall to scout out where the Lamanite army was camped.

He saw that they were camped on the east side, near the entrance, and they were all asleep. Moroni returned to his army and ordered them to quickly prepare strong ropes and ladders to lower themselves from the wall into the city. Moroni had his men climb the wall and lower themselves into the city on the west side, where the Lamanites weren’t camped. Under cover of night, they all descended into the city using their ropes and ladders. By morning, they were all inside the walls.

When the Lamanites woke up and saw Moroni’s armies inside the city, they panicked and fled through the pass. When Moroni saw them fleeing, he sent his men after them. They killed many, surrounded and captured others, and the rest escaped to the land of Moroni by the seashore.

Moroni and Pahoran had taken the city of Nephihah without losing a single soldier. Many Lamanites, however, had been killed.

### Prisoners Join the People of Ammon

Many of the Lamanite prisoners wanted to join the people of Ammon and become a free people.

All who wanted to were allowed to do so.

So all the Lamanite prisoners joined the people of Ammon and began working hard—plowing the ground, raising grain, and tending flocks and herds. This lifted a great burden from the Nephites, freeing them from having to guard all those prisoners.

### Driving Out the Lamanites

After taking Nephihah and capturing many prisoners—which drastically weakened the Lamanite armies—and after freeing many Nephite prisoners—which greatly strengthened his army—Moroni moved on from Nephihah to the land of Lehi.

When the Lamanites saw Moroni coming, they panicked again and fled before his army. Moroni and his army chased them from city to city until the Lamanites ran straight into Lehi and Teancum. Trapped between the armies, the Lamanites fled down to the seashore until they reached the land of Moroni.

All the Lamanite armies gathered together in one place—the land of Moroni. Their king, Ammoron, was with them. Moroni, Lehi, and Teancum surrounded them with their armies near the borders of the land of Moroni. The Lamanites were trapped—wilderness to the south, wilderness to the east.

### Teancum’s Final Act

They camped there for the night. Both the Nephites and the Lamanites were exhausted from the long march, so neither side planned any nighttime strategies—except for Teancum. He was burning with anger at Ammoron. He blamed Ammoron and his brother Amalickiah for starting this long, terrible war—a war that had brought so much bloodshed and famine.

In his rage, Teancum crept into the Lamanite camp. He lowered himself over the city wall with a rope and moved from place to place until he found the king. He threw a javelin at him, piercing him near the heart. But before Ammoron died, he woke his servant, and they chased down Teancum and killed him.

When Lehi and Moroni learned that Teancum was dead, they were heartbroken. He had been a valiant warrior for his country—a true defender of liberty. He had endured terrible hardships. But now he was gone.

### Victory and Peace Restored

The next morning, Moroni attacked the Lamanites with overwhelming force. They slaughtered them and drove them completely out of the land. The Lamanites didn’t return after that.

And so the thirty-first year of the judges’ reign came to an end. For many years, the people had endured war, bloodshed, famine, and suffering.

There had been murders, fighting, rebellion, and every kind of wickedness among the Nephites. Yet for the sake of the righteous—because of their prayers—they had been spared.

Because the war had dragged on so long, many had become hardened by it. But many others had been softened by their suffering, humbling themselves deeply before God.

### Moroni’s Retirement

After Moroni had fortified the areas most vulnerable to Lamanite attack, he returned to Zarahemla. Helaman returned to his home as well. Peace was restored among the Nephites once more.

Moroni handed command of his armies over to his son Moronihah and retired to his own home to live out the rest of his days in peace.

### Rebuilding the Church

Pahoran returned to the judgment seat. Helaman went back to preaching God’s word to the people. After so many years of war and conflict, the church needed to be reorganized.

So Helaman and his brothers went out preaching with great power. They convinced many people of their wickedness, leading them to repent, turn to the Lord their God, and be baptized.

They reestablished God’s church throughout the land. Laws were put back in place. Judges and chief judges were chosen.

### A Humble and Faithful People

The Nephites began to thrive again. They multiplied and grew very strong in the land. They became extremely prosperous.

But despite their wealth, their strength, and their prosperity, they didn’t become arrogant. They never forgot the Lord their God. They humbled themselves deeply before him. They remembered all the great things the Lord had done for them—how he had delivered them from death, from chains, from prisons, and from every kind of suffering. He had rescued them from their enemies. They prayed constantly to the Lord their God, and he blessed them according to his word. They grew strong and thrived in the land.

All these things came to pass. And Helaman died in the thirty-fifth year of the judges’ reign over the Nephites.

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*Source: [The Book of Mormon](https://bookofmormon.com/paraphrase/alma/62)*
