Alma 59:1
1 Now it came to
pass in the thirtieth year of the reign of the judges over the people of Nephi,
after Moroni had received and had read Helaman's epistle, he was exceedingly
rejoiced because of the welfare, yea, the exceeding success which Helaman had
had, in obtaining those lands which were lost.
Textual: Mormon’s transition from Helaman’s letter to
Moroni’s next actions restates the year. The letter from Helaman has covered a
number of past years, and while he had indicated that it was the thirtieth year
when the insertion of that letter began, he restates the year to be clear about
the timing of events.
Alma 59:2
2 Yea, and he did
make it known unto all his people, in all the land round about in that part
where he was, that they might rejoice also.
Even though there were overtones of frustration at the end
of Helaman’s letter, the majority of the letter was tremendous news, and would
have had for the war-weary Nephites even greater impact that those stories do
for us. We find inspiration in the stripling warriors, and they surely found
the same, but intensified by the closeness of the situation. Jershon was the
home of the Ammonites, and Jershon lay in the quarter of the land that Moroni
was defending. Surely a messenger had been sent to Jershon to inform the
anxious parents of the miraculous performance of their sons.
Alma 59:3
3 And it came to
pass that he immediately sent an epistle to Pahoran, desiring that he should
cause men to be gathered together to strengthen Helaman, or the armies of
Helaman, insomuch that he might with ease maintain that part of the land which
he had been so miraculously prospered in regaining.
Moroni got the hint that Helaman needed help, and he offers
all that he believes should be necessary. As the commander in chief (Alma
43:17) who had been given special powers (Alma 51:15), he assumed that all he
needed do was remind Pahoran that reinforcements should be sent.
Alma 59:4
4 And it came to
pass when Moroni had sent this epistle to the land of Zarahemla, he began again
to lay a plan that he might obtain the remainder of those possessions and
cities which the Lamanites had taken from them.
Moroni’s intent was to do what Helaman had done, remove the
Lamanites from Nephite territory.
Alma 59:5
5 And it came to
pass that while Moroni was thus making preparations to go against the Lamanites
to battle, behold, the people of Nephihah, who were gathered together from the
city of Moroni and the city of Lehi and the city of Morianton, were attacked by
the Lamanites.
Alma 59:6
6 Yea, even those
who had been compelled to flee from the land of Manti, and from the land round
about, had come over and joined the Lamanites in this part of the land.
As Moroni prepares to move against Lamanite positions, he is
surprised by a Lamanite move against Nephihah. We have seen Nephihah as a
potential target from the western front, and have noted that it appears to lie
on the east side of the Sidon valley between the seashore cities and Manti.
Verse 6 tells us that when the Lamanites fled from the Nephite occupied Manti,
they traveled down the Sidon valley. At some point they met up with other
Lamanite forces, and then planned to take Nephihah. This would be a very
important city to hold as it protected the lower end of the Sidon valley. With
Nephihah in Lamanite possession, the Nephite armies were essentially split with
a Lamanite stronghold between them.
Alma 59:7
7 And thus being
exceedingly numerous, yea, and receiving strength from day to day, by the
command of Ammoron they came forth against the people of Nephihah, and they did
begin to slay them with an exceedingly great slaughter.
The combination of the army that Helaman had called
“innumerable” was now even larger. That combined force is brought against
Nephihah.
Alma 59:8
8 And their armies
were so numerous that the remainder of the people of Nephihah were obliged to
flee before them; and they came even and joined the army of Moroni.
The Lamanite army is successful, and those who could escape
did escape to Moroni’s army. Even though Nephihah lay between the eastern
quarter and the land of Manti, it would appear that it was closer to the
eastern quarter, as that is where they refugees fled.
Alma 59:9
9 And now as Moroni
had supposed that there should be men sent to the city of Nephihah, to the
assistance of the people to maintain that city, and knowing that it was easier
to keep the city from falling into the hands of the Lamanites than to retake it
from them, he supposed that they would easily maintain that city.
Alma 59:10
10 Therefore he
retained all his force to maintain those places which he had recovered.
Moroni garrisons the cities because he understand that it
takes fewer men to defend them than to attack them. For this reason he intends
to send reinforcements to Nephihah, but it has already fallen.
Alma 59:11
11 And now, when
Moroni saw that the city of Nephihah was lost he was exceedingly sorrowful, and
began to doubt, because of the wickedness of the people, whether they should
not fall into the hands of their brethren.
Alma 59:12
12 Now this was the
case with all his chief captains. They
doubted and marveled also because of the wickedness of the people, and this
because of the success of the Lamanites over them.
Mormon gives us the moral of the story. The Nephites are not
valiant in their righteousness, therefore they are losing. The proof of their
unrighteousness is that they are losing. We recognize that this thinking does
not take into account the effects of agency, but we may forgive Moroni and his chief
captains for their assumptions. They have just had the miraculous preservation
of the Ammonite youths, and they surely assumed that the same blessings should
have been available to all. That they were losing ground had a certain logic in
blaming those loses on the people’s lack of sufficient righteousness.
Alma 59:13
13 And it came to
pass that Moroni was angry with the government, because of their indifference
concerning the freedom of their country.
Textual: Mormon did not intend a chapter break at
this point, and the chapter break we have mis-assigns verse 13. Verse 13 is a
transition form the general information to the specific action of Moroni’s
epistle to Pahoran. As a transition, it belongs with the following information,
not at the end of the general introduction.
