# Mosiah 20

*Paraphrase*

### The Kidnapping

There was a place in Shemlon where the Lamanite women would gather to sing, dance, and celebrate together. One day a small group of them came together to sing and dance.

Meanwhile, the priests of King Noah were too ashamed to return to the city of Nephi. They feared the people would kill them, so they didn’t dare go back to their wives and children. While hiding in the wilderness, they discovered where the Lamanite women gathered. They watched and waited. When only a few women had come together to dance, the priests rushed out from their hiding places and seized them. They carried twenty-four of the Lamanite women into the wilderness.

### The Lamanite Attack

When the Lamanites realized their daughters were missing, they were furious—and they blamed Limhi’s people. So they sent their armies to attack. The Lamanite king himself led his warriors up to the land of Nephi to destroy Limhi’s people.

Limhi spotted them from the tower. He saw all their war preparations, so he gathered his people and set an ambush in the fields and forests. When the Lamanites arrived, Limhi’s people burst from their hiding places and attacked. The battle turned brutal. They fought like lions defending their prey. Limhi’s people began pushing the Lamanites back, even though they were outnumbered two to one. But they were fighting for their lives, their wives, their children—so they fought with everything they had. They fought like dragons.

### The Wounded King

After the battle, they found the Lamanite king among the dead—though he wasn’t actually dead. He’d been wounded and left behind when his army fled. They bandaged his wounds and brought him to Limhi. “Look, here’s the Lamanite king,” they said. “He was wounded and left for dead. We brought him to you. Let’s kill him.”

But Limhi said, “Don’t kill him. Bring him here so I can talk to him.” When they brought him forward, Limhi demanded, “Why did you attack us? My people haven’t broken the treaty I made with you. So why did you break the treaty you made with us?”

The king answered, “I broke the treaty because your people kidnapped my daughters. That’s why I came to attack you in my rage.”

Limhi had heard nothing about this. “I’ll search among my people,” he promised. “Whoever did this will die.” He ordered a search to begin.

### Gideon’s Wisdom

But when Gideon, the king’s captain, heard about this, he stepped forward. “Please wait,” he urged. “Don’t search the people. Don’t blame them for this. Don’t you remember your father’s priests—the ones our people tried to kill? Aren’t they hiding in the wilderness? Isn’t it obvious they’re the ones who stole the Lamanite women? Tell the king what really happened so he can calm his people down. They’re already preparing to attack us again, and we’re badly outnumbered. They’re coming with massive armies. Unless the king makes peace with us, we’re going to die. Abinadi’s prophecy is coming true, isn’t it? This is all happening because we refused to listen to the Lord and turn away from our sins. Let’s make peace with the king. Let’s honor the treaty we made with him. Better to live under their rule than to die here. Let’s stop all this bloodshed.”

### Peace Restored

So Limhi explained everything to the king—about his father and the priests who had fled into the wilderness. He told him it was those priests who had kidnapped his daughters.

The king’s anger cooled. “Let’s go meet my people together,” he said. “Don’t bring weapons. I swear to you—my people won’t kill yours.” So they followed the king and went out unarmed to meet the approaching Lamanite army. When they met, the Lamanite king bowed down before his own people and pleaded for mercy on behalf of Limhi’s people. When the Lamanite army saw Limhi’s people standing there unarmed, they had compassion. Their anger faded. They returned peacefully with their king to their own land.

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*Source: [The Book of Mormon](https://bookofmormon.com/paraphrase/mosiah/20)*
