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Show AAD 242 ea BOOK ae OF BOOK a ALMA. the people of Nephi, or that Moroni had prepared his _peopie with breast-plates, and with arm-shields; yea, and also shields to defend their heads; clothing. Now and also they were dressed with thick the army of Zerahemnah with any such thing. They had only was not prepared their swords, and their cimeters, their bows and their arrows, their stones and_ ther slings; but they were naked, save it were a skin which was girded about their loins; yea, all were naked, saveit were the Zoramites and the Amalekites. But they were not armet with breast-plates, nor shields; therefore they were exceed- ing-afraid of the armies of the Nephites, because of their armour, notwithstanding their number being so much grealet than the Nephites. Behold, now it came to pass, that they durst not come therefore against the Nephites in the borders of Jershon; they departed out of the land of Antionum, into the wilderness, and took their journey round about in the wilderness, away by the head of the river Sidon, that they might come into the land of Manti, and take possession of the land; for they did not suppose that the armies of Moroni would know. whither they had gone. But it came to pass, as soon as they had ¢¢ parted into the wilderness, Moroni sent spies into the wilder: 0 thi ness, to watch their camp; and Moroni, also, knowing him desiring bim, prophecies of :Alma,° sent certain men. unto eit eh, '¢is the of armies the whither Lord the that he should inquire of phites should go, to defend thgmselves against the Lamanites of the Lord came unto Alma And it came to pass that the . and Alma informed the messengers of Moroni that the armies © the Lamanites were marching round about in the wilderes that they might come over into the land of Manti, that they mign commence an attack upon the morg weak part of the peop: And those messengers went and delivered the message unio Moroni. Now Moroni, leaving a part of his army in the land o J . Lamanites should com’ shon, lest by any means, a part ofof the city; and Moroni to" the ion possess into that land and take ar ul the remainder part of his army and marched oyer into ts And he caused that all the peeple land of Manti. to batt Lit ves together quarter of the land, should gather themsei and their count); lands against the Lamanites, to defend their were Perr they e their rights and their liberties; therefor And te es. Lamanit the of against the time of the coming sect" be should army his that caused Moroni to pass, that | Li OF ALMA. 343 inthe valley which was near the bank of the river Sidon, which was on the west of the river Sidon, in the wilderness. And Moroni placed spies round about, that he might know when the camp of the Lamanites should come. And now as Moroni knew the intention of the Lamanites, that it was their intention to destroy their brethren, or to subject them and bring them into bondage, that they might establish a kingdom unto themselves, over all the land; and he also knowing that it was the only desire of the Nephites to preserve their lands and their liberty, and their church, therefore he thought it no sin that he should defend them by stratagem; therefore he found, by ‘his spies, which course the Lamanites were to take. Therefore he divided his army, and broughit ¢ part over into the valley, and concealed them on the east, and, onthe south of the hill Riplah; and the remainder he concealed in the west valley, on the west of the river Sidon, ‘wd s0 down into the borders of the land Manti. And thus having placed his army according to his desire, he was preparedto meet them. And it came to pass that the Lamanites came up on the horth of the hill where a part of the army of Moroni was concealed. And it came to pass that as the Lamanites had pass- ed the hill Riplah, and came into the valley, and began to ergss the river Sidon, the army which was concealed on the south of the hill, who was led‘by a man whose name was Lehi; and he led his army forth and encircled the Lamanites about, on the east, in their rea . 7 And it came to pass that HOME amiinites, when they saw the Nephites coming upon them in their rear, turned them about, and hegan to contend with the army of Lehi; and the work of death commenced, on both sides; but it was more dreadful onthe part of the Lamanites ; for their nakedness was exposed to the heavy blows’of the Nephites, with their swords and their cimeters, which brought death almost at every stroke ; while on the other hand, there was now and then a man fell among the Nephites, by their swords, and the loss of blood ; they being shielded from the more vital parts of the ody, or the. more vital parts of the body being shielded from the strokes of the Lamanites, by their breast-plates, and their arm-shields, and their head-plates; and thus the Nephutes ry on the work of death among the Lamanites. And itcame to pass that the Lamanites became frightened, because Sf the great destruction among them, even until they began to |