The King’s Army Returns
The king’s army returned after searching everywhere for Alma’s people. They came back empty-handed.
The king’s forces were now small—weakened from their losses—and the people who remained started splitting into factions. The smaller group began threatening the king. Tensions ran high, and a fierce conflict broke out.
Gideon’s Revolt
One man in particular stood out: Gideon. He was strong, and he hated the king. In his rage, he drew his sword and swore he would kill him. They fought. When the king realized Gideon was about to overpower him, he ran for his life and climbed the tower near the temple. Gideon chased him and was about to climb up to finish him off when the king glanced toward the land of Shemlon—and saw the Lamanite army pouring across the border.
The king cried out in desperation: “Gideon, spare me! The Lamanites are coming! They’ll wipe us all out—they’ll destroy my people!” The truth is, the king cared more about saving his own skin than his people. But Gideon spared him anyway.
Flight Into the Wilderness
The king ordered everyone to run from the Lamanites. He led the way as they all fled into the wilderness—men, women, and children. The Lamanites chased them down and caught up. They began killing people.
Then the king gave a desperate command: all the men should abandon their wives and children and keep running. Many refused. They chose to stay and die with their families. The rest obeyed the king and left them behind.
The Daughters Plead for Mercy
Those who stayed had their young daughters step forward and plead with the Lamanites to spare their lives. The Lamanites felt compassion for them. The beauty of these young women moved their hearts. So the Lamanites spared them and took them captive. They marched them back to the land of Nephi and let them stay there under strict conditions: they had to hand over King Noah, surrender half of everything they owned—half their gold, silver, and precious things—and pay annual tribute to the Lamanite king.
Among the captives was one of the king’s sons, a man named Limhi. Limhi didn’t want to see his father killed. But he wasn’t blind to his father’s sins. Limhi himself was a good man.
The King’s Fate
Gideon sent men secretly into the wilderness to find the king and those with him. They found the men who had fled—but not the king or his priests. These men had sworn an oath: they would return to the land of Nephi, and if their wives and children had been killed, they would take revenge and die fighting.
The king ordered them not to go back. That was the last straw. Furious, they seized him and burned him alive. They were about to kill the priests too, but the priests escaped.
As the men headed back toward the land of Nephi, they met Gideon’s men. Gideon’s men told them everything: their wives and children were alive, and the Lamanites had agreed to let them stay in the land—as long as they paid tribute of half their possessions. The men told Gideon’s group what they’d done: they had killed the king, and his priests had run deeper into the wilderness. After the funeral rites were finished, they all returned to the land of Nephi, celebrating that their families had survived. They told Gideon what had happened to the king.
A New King and an Uneasy Peace
The Lamanite king swore an oath that his people would not kill them. Limhi, the king’s son, was chosen by the people to be their new king. He made his own oath to the Lamanite king that his people would pay the tribute—half of all they had.
Limhi set about rebuilding the kingdom and bringing peace to his people. The Lamanite king posted guards all around the land to keep Limhi’s people from escaping into the wilderness. He paid these guards with the tribute he collected from the Nephites. For two years, King Limhi and his people lived in peace. The Lamanites left them alone and didn’t try to destroy them.