- 62Now when Moroni received this letter, he was encouraged and filled with joy because of Parhoron’s faithfulness, learning he wasn’t a traitor to the freedom and cause of his country. 2On the other hand, he was also very sad for the iniquity of those who had driven Parhoron from the judgment seat who clearly had rebelled against their country and God.
- 3Moroni took a small number of men, as Parhoron requested, and put Lehi and Teancum in command of the rest of his army and then marched to Gideon. 4He raised the Declaration of Liberty every place he went and recruited all the force he could during his march to Gideon.
- 5Thousands flocked to his banner and took up their swords in defense of their freedom, refusing to be slaves. 6After Moroni recruited all the men he could during his march, he arrived at Gideon. After combining his forces with Parhoron’s, they were very strong, clearly stronger than the men of Pachus, the defectors’ king. He was the one who chased away the freemen from Zarahemla and now ruled there.
- 7So Moroni and Parhoron led their armies to Zarahemla and took the battle to the city and confronted Pachus’ followers. 8Then Pachus was killed and his men taken prisoners; and Parhoron was restored to his judgment seat. 9Pachus’ followers and any captured and imprisoned kingmen were tried under the law. Then they were executed according to the law. Not only Pachus’ men and the kingmen were put to death, but also anyone who refused to take up arms to defend their country and instead decided to fight against it. 10It was absolutely necessary for this law to be enforced for the safety of their country. Anyone who was found denying the people’s freedom was quickly executed under the law. 11That ended the 30th year of the judges’ rule over the Nephites, with Moroni and Parhoron having restored peace to Zarahemla among their own people, having imposed the death penalty on everyone unfaithful to the cause of freedom.
- 12At the start of the 31st year of the judges’ rule, Moroni immediately had supplies and an army of 6,000 men sent to Helaman to assist him in preserving that part of the land. 13He also had an army of 6,000 men with enough food sent to the armies of Lehi and Teancum. This was done to fortify the land against the Lamanites.
- 14Then Moroni and Parhoron left a large army in Zarahemla and marched with a large army to Nephihah. They were resolved to remove the Lamanites from that city.
- 15As they marched to the land, they captured a large group of Lamanites after killing many of them and took their supplies and weapons. 16After they had captured them, they had them covenant that they would never again take up weapons against the Nephites. 17When they had made this covenant, they sent them to live with Ammon’s people. Those who hadn’t been killed numbered about 4,000.
- 18After sending them away, they resumed the march to Nephihah. When they arrived at Nephihah, they camped in the plains of Nephihah near the city. 19Now Moroni wanted the Lamanites to fight the battle on the plains. But the Lamanites knew how committed and fearless they were, and could see the size of their armed forces, so they didn’t dare come out against them; therefore the battle didn’t start that day. 20When night came, Moroni went under the cover of darkness and climbed up the wall to observe the area where the Lamanites camped with their army.
- 21They were all asleep by the east entrance. Then Moroni returned to his army and made them quickly assemble ropes and ladders to get over the wall and inside the city.
- 22Moroni led his men over the wall into the west side of the city opposite to where the Lamanites’ army camped.
- 23So they infiltrated the city at night using ropes and ladders to scale the wall. When morning came, they were all inside the city walls. 24When the Lamanites woke up and saw Moroni’s armies inside the walls, they were extremely frightened, and they ran out through the gate. 25When Moroni saw them running away, he had his men chase them, and they killed many and surrounded many others and took them prisoner. The rest escaped to the land of Moroni, by the seashore. 26In this way, Moroni and Parhoron had taken the city of Nephihah without the loss of one life; but many of the Lamanites were killed.
- 27Now many of the Lamanite prisoners wanted to join Ammon’s people and become free, 28and everyone who wanted to join them was allowed to do so, if they wished. 29Therefore Lamanite prisoners joined Ammon’s people and started working extremely hard, tilling the ground and raising all kinds of grain, as well as flocks and herds of every kind. And so the Nephites were relieved of a great burden, and didn’t need to deal with the Lamanite prisoners.
- 30Now Moroni had taken the city of Nephihah, and captured many prisoners. That substantially reduced the Lamanite armies. He also recovered many of the Nephite prisoners, which substantially strengthened Moroni’s army. Afterward, he left Nephihah to go to the land of Lehi.
- 31When the Lamanites saw Moroni was heading directly toward them, they were again frightened and ran away from Moroni’s army. 32Moroni and his army chased them from city to city until they encountered Lehi and Teancum. And the Lamanites retreated from Lehi and Teancum, going all the way to the seashore and the land of Moroni. 33There the Lamanite armies consolidated into one single, large body in the land of Moroni. Now Ammoron the Lamanite king was also there.
- 34Moroni, Lehi, and Teancum camped with their armies surrounding the Lamanites at the land of Moroni, by the south and east borders of the wilderness. 35And so they camped for the night, since both the Nephites and the Lamanites were tired from the long march. No conflict began that night, except for Teancum. He was bitterly angry with Ammoron, because he considered Ammoron and his brother Amalickiah to be responsible for this great unending war with the Lamanites, which resulted in so much fighting, slaughter, and hunger.
- 36In his bitter anger, Teancum crept into the Lamanite camp and over the city walls. He climbed from place to place, until he found the king; and he threw a javelin at him, which pierced him near the heart. But the king woke up his servant before he died, and he chased Teancum and killed him.
- 37When Lehi and Moroni learned Teancum was killed, they were heartbroken. He was a man who fought valiantly for his country — a true friend of liberty — and he had endured terrible hardships. But now he was dead, his life departing from this earth.
- 38On the following day, Moroni attacked the Lamanites with such fury that there was a great slaughter, and they retreated out of the land. They fled and didn’t return again to fight the Nephites. 39And so ended the 31st year of the judges’ rule over the Nephites. They had endured wars, carnage, hunger, and hardships for many years. 40There had been murders, conflicts, defections, and all kinds of iniquity among the Nephites. Nevertheless, because of the prayers of the righteous they were spared. 41But because of the years of war between the Nephites and Lamanites, many had become coldhearted; and others were softened by their hardships and were deeply humbled before God.
- 42After Moroni fortified the areas most exposed to the Lamanites with an adequate defense, he returned to the city of Zarahemla. Helaman also returned to his place. And peace returned to the Nephites. 43Moroni turned over command of his armies to his son, named Moronihah. He retired to his house, to spend the rest of his days in peace. 44Parhoron returned to his judgment seat. Helaman returned to preaching God’s word to the people. Indeed, because there had been so many wars and conflicts, the congregation needed to receive attention. 45Therefore Helaman and his brothers traveled and taught God’s word with authority, convincing many people of their wickedness, which led them to repent of their sins and be baptized in the name of the Lord who is God.
- 46And so they once more established God’s congregation throughout the land. 47The administration of their laws received attention, with new judges and chief judges being chosen. 48And the Nephites began to flourish and increase in numbers and grow strong in the land once more, and they began to grow very rich. 49But despite their wealth, strength, or prosperity, they weren’t prideful, and no one thought themselves better than another. They weren’t slow to remember the Lord their God, either, but they sincerely humbled themselves before Him. 50They remembered how the Lord had done great things for them, He rescued them from death, chains, prisons, and from so many difficulties; He had rescued them from their enemies. 51And they prayed to the Lord their God continually, and the Lord blessed them as He promised, and they grew strong and flourished in the land. 52All this was accomplished before Helaman died, in the 35th year of the judges’ rule.
Chapter 29