Moroni Fortifies Bountiful
They put guards over the Lamanite prisoners. They made the prisoners bury the dead. The prisoners buried both Lamanite and Nephite soldiers who died. Moroni gave men the job of watching the prisoners while they worked.
Moroni went to the city of Mulek with Lehi. He took control of the city and gave it to Lehi. Lehi was a man who had been with Moroni in most of his battles. He was like Moroni. They were happy for each other’s safety. They loved each other. All the Nephite people loved them both.
After the Lamanites finished burying their dead and the Nephite dead, they marched back to the land of Bountiful. Teancum followed Moroni’s orders. He made them start digging a ditch around the land, or the city of Bountiful. He made them build a wooden wall on the inside of the ditch. They threw dirt from the ditch against the wooden wall. This is how they made the Lamanites work. The prisoners built a strong wall of wood and dirt around the city of Bountiful. They made it very high. This city became a very strong place. They kept the Lamanite prisoners inside this city. They kept them inside the wall that the prisoners built with their own hands. Moroni made the Lamanites work because it was easy to guard them while they worked. He wanted all his soldiers ready for when he attacked the Lamanites.
Moroni won a victory over one of the biggest Lamanite armies. He took control of the city of Mulek. It was one of the strongest Lamanite places in the land of Nephi. He also built a strong place to keep his prisoners.
He didn’t try to fight the Lamanites again that year. He had his men get ready for war. They made forts to protect against the Lamanites. They also saved their women and children from hunger and hard times. They got food for their armies.
Nephites Lose Cities Because of Fighting Among Themselves
The Lamanite armies were on the West Sea to the south. Moroni was not there. Some Nephites were making secret plans. This caused fights among the Nephites. The Lamanites gained ground over the Nephites. The Lamanites took over some of their cities in that part of the land. Because of the wickedness among the Nephites, they were in great danger. The fights and secret plans among them caused this.
The People of Ammon and Their Promise
I have something to say about the people of Ammon. At first, they were Lamanites. But Ammon and his brothers converted them to the Lord. Or rather, God’s power and word converted them. They came down to the land of Zarahemla. The Nephites protected them ever since. Because of their promise, they didn’t fight against their brothers. They promised they would never kill anyone again. They would have kept their promise and died. They would have let their brothers kill them. But Ammon and his brothers loved them very much and felt sorry for them. That’s why they came down to the land of Zarahemla. The Nephites always protected them.
But when they saw the danger and all the hard times the Nephites went through for them, they felt sorry for the Nephites. They wanted to pick up weapons to defend their country. But as they were about to take their weapons of war, Helaman and his brothers talked them out of it. They were about to break the promise they made. Helaman was scared that if they broke their promise, they would lose their souls. So all those who made this promise had to watch their brothers go through hard times and danger.
Two Thousand Young Warriors
But they had many sons. Their sons had not made a promise not to fight their enemies. So they came together at this time. All who could pick up weapons came. They called themselves Nephites. They made a promise to fight for the freedom of the Nephites. They promised to protect the land even if it meant dying. They promised they would never give up their freedom. They would always fight to protect the Nephites and themselves from being slaves. There were two thousand young men who made this promise and took their weapons of war to defend their country.
They had never caused problems for the Nephites before. Now they became a great help. They took their weapons of war. They wanted Helaman to be their leader. They were all young men. They were very brave, strong, and quick. But that’s not all. They could always be trusted with anything. They were honest and serious men. They had been taught to obey God’s commandments and to live right before him.
Helaman led his two thousand young soldiers to help the people at the borders of the land on the south by the West Sea.
This ended the twenty-eighth year that the judges ruled over the Nephite people.