- 22Ammon and king Limhi discussed with the people how to get free from slavery. They even brought everyone together to take a vote of the people about it. 2But since there were so many Lamanites, it was impossible for Limhi’s people to fight their way free from slavery by force, so they couldn’t come up with a way to liberate themselves other than taking their women, children, flocks, herds, and tents and retreating into the wilderness.
- 3Then Gideon came forward and addressed the king, saying: Your majesty, you’ve taken my advice many times before while we fought our Lamanite brothers. 4And now, your majesty, if I haven’t given you bad advice, or if you’ve listened to me before and found I gave you good counsel, I ask you to consider my counsel now; because I have a way to free this people from slavery. 5The king wanted to hear him, and Gideon said: 6Consider the back passageway through the back wall behind the city. The Lamanite guards get drunk at night. So let’s announce to the people to gather their flocks and herds, so they can herd them into the wilderness at night. 7And I’ll go with your permission and pay the latest tribute of wine to the Lamanites, and they’ll get drunk. Then we’ll pass through the secluded pass on the left of their camp while they’re passed-out drunk. 8This is how we can leave with our women, children, flocks, and herds into the wilderness; and we’ll avoid the land of Shilom. 9The king adopted Gideon’s plan 10and had his people gather their flocks. And he sent the Lamanites the wine tribute, sending more wine as a gift to them. They drank the wine king Limhi sent them without restraint.
- 11And so king Limhi’s people ran away during the night into the wilderness with their flocks and herds. They avoided the land of Shilom while leaving and set their course toward the land of Zarahemla, letting Ammon and his men show the way. 12They had taken all the gold, silver, valuable things, and supplies they could carry with them as they left, and they went on with their journey. 13After traveling many days in the wilderness, they arrived in Zarahemla and joined Mosiah’s people and became his subjects. 14Mosiah gladly received them, and he also accepted their records and the records found by Limhi’s people. 15When the Lamanites discovered they had left the land at night, they sent an army into the wilderness to chase them. 16After they had pursued them for two days, they lost their tracks and became completely disoriented in the wilderness.
Chapter 10