Alma 50

(All of my own thoughts are in red type 7/20 green 5/21 orange 8/22 Brown 10/23.)

CHAPTER 50

Moroni fortifies the lands of the Nephites—They build many new cities—Wars and destructions befell the Nephites in the days of their wickedness and abominations—Morianton and his dissenters are defeated by Teancum—Nephihah dies, and his son Pahoran fills the judgment seat. About 72–67 B.C.

  1 And now it came to pass that Moroni did not stop making preparations for war, or to defend his people Pres. Nelson said in October 2020 GC (Embrace the Future With Faith - Women's session)  that we should never stop preparing temporally. 

"I urge you to take steps to be temporally prepared...In that regard, we can learn a lot from Captain Moroni. As commander of the Nephite armies, he faced opposing forces that were stronger, greater in number, and meaner. So, Moroni prepared his people in three essential ways. First, he helped them create areas where they would be safe—“places of security” he called them.⁸ Second, he prepared “the minds of the people to be faithful unto the Lord.”⁹ And third, he never stopped preparing his people—physically or spiritually.¹⁰ Even when things went well, Captain Moroni continued to prepare his p      eople. He never stopped. He never became complacent. The adversary never stops attacking. So, we can never stop preparing! The more self-reliant we are—temporally, emotionally, and spiritually—the more prepared we are to thwart Satan’s relentless assaults.”

against the Lamanites; for he caused that his armies should commence in the commencement of the twentieth year of the reign of the judges, that they should commence in digging up ^aheaps of earth round about all the cities, throughout all the land which was possessed by the Nephites.

  2 And upon the top of these ridges of earth he caused that there should be ^atimbers, yea, works of timbers built up to the height of a man, round about the cities.
  3 And he caused that upon those works of timbers there should be a frame of pickets built upon the timbers round about; and they were strong and high.
  4 And he caused towers to be erected that overlooked those works of pickets, and he caused places of security to be built upon those ^atowers, that the stones and the arrows of the Lamanites could not hurt them. Is your heart and home secure against the stones and arrows of the adversary that he can not hurt you? Look at the "layers" of protection he put in place. First heaps of earth to make ridges, then tall timbers on top of that then a strong and high "frame of pickets" on top of that(?), then towers to overlook those works of pickets, then places of security on those towers. Surely after he step of planning Moroni asked, "what else can I do..."
  5 And they were prepared that they could cast stones from the top thereof, according to their pleasure and their strength, and slay him who should attempt to approach near the walls of the city.
  6 Thus Moroni did prepare strongholds against the coming of their enemies, round about every city in all the land. He anticipated that their adversaries would come again. He prepared for every possible mode of entry in every possible city. 
  7 And it came to pass that Moroni caused that his armies should go forth into the east wilderness; yea, and they went forth and drove all the Lamanites who were in the east wilderness into their own lands, Interesting that he didn’t kill them but just drove them into their own lands which were ^asouth of the land of Zarahemla. These must have been lands illegally taken from the Nephites
  8 And the land of ^aNephi did run in a straight course from the east sea to the west.
  9 And it came to pass that when Moroni had driven all the Lamanites out of the east wilderness, which was north of the lands of their own possessions, he caused that the inhabitants who were in the land of Zarahemla and in the land round about should go forth into the east wilderness, even to the borders by the seashore, and possess the land.
 10 And he also placed armies on the south, in the borders of their possessions, and caused them to erect ^afortifications that they might secure their armies and their people from the hands of their enemies.
 11 And thus he cut off all the strongholds of the Lamanites in the east wilderness, yea, and also on the west, fortifying the line between the Nephites and the Lamanites, between the land of Zarahemla and the land of Nephi, from the west sea, running by the head of the ^ariver Sidon—the Nephites possessing all the land ^bnorthward, yea, even all the land which was northward of the land Bountiful, according to their pleasure.
 12 Thus Moroni, with his armies, which did increase daily because of the assurance of protection which his works did bring forth unto them, did seek to cut off the strength and the power of the Lamanites from off the lands of their possessions, that they should have no power upon the lands of their possession.
 13 And it came to pass that the Nephites began the foundation of a city, and they called the name of the city ^aMoroni; and it was by the east sea; and it was on the south by the line of the possessions of the Lamanites.
 14 And they also began a foundation for a city between the city of Moroni and the city of Aaron, joining the borders of Aaron and Moroni; and they called the name of the city, or the land, ^aNephihah.
 15 And they also began in that same year to build many cities on the north, one in a particular manner What was this "particular manner"? which they called ^aLehi, which was in the north by the borders of the seashore.
 16 And thus ended the twentieth year.
 17 And in these prosperous circumstances were the people of Nephi in the commencement of the twenty and first year of the reign of the judges over the people of Nephi.
 18 And they did prosper ^aexceedingly, and they became exceedingly rich; yea, and they did multiply and wax strong in the land.
 19 And thus we see how merciful and just are all the dealings of the Lord, to the fulfilling of all his words unto the children of men; yea, we can behold that his words are verified, even at this time, which he spake unto Lehi, saying:
 20 Blessed art thou and thy children; and they shall be blessed, inasmuch as they shall keep my ^acommandments they shall prosper in the land. But remember, inasmuch as they will not keep my commandments they shall be ^bcut off from the presence of the Lord.
 21 And we see that these promises have been verified to the people of Nephi; for it has been their quarrelings and their contentions, yea, their murderings, and their plunderings, their idolatry, their whoredoms, and their abominations, which were among themselves, which ^abrought upon them their wars and their destructions. Ultimately, it was the Nephite's own fault that they were ever attacked by the Lamanites. 
 22 And those who were faithful in keeping the commandments of the Lord were delivered at all times, whilst thousands of their wicked Nephite brethren have been consigned to bondage, or to perish by the sword, or to dwindle in unbelief, and mingle with the Lamanites. Is this a bold promise we can count on? that we will be delivered “at all times” if we are faithful? 
 23 But behold there never was a ^ahappier time among the people of Nephi, since the days of Nephi, than in the days of Moroni, yea, even at this time, in the twenty and first year of the reign of the judges. I imagine that their happiness was secured by their preparations.
 24 And it came to pass that the twenty and second year of the reign of the judges also ended in peace; yea, and also the twenty and third year.
 25 And it came to pass that in the commencement of the twenty and fourth year of the reign of the judges, there would also have been peace among the people of Nephi had it not been for a ^acontention which took place among them concerning the land of ^bLehi, and the land of ^cMorianton, which joined upon the borders of Lehi; both of which were on the borders by the seashore.
 26 For behold, the people who possessed the land of Morianton did claim a part of the land of Lehi; does this have anything to do with the "particular manner" in which the city Lehi was built? therefore there began to be a warm ^acontention between them, insomuch that the people of Morianton took up arms against their brethren, and they were determined by the sword to slay them. No diplomacy first? Why were they so quick to take up arms? Sounds so Lamanite-ish...
 27 But behold, the people who possessed the land of Lehi fled to the camp of Moroni, and appealed unto him for assistance; for behold they were not in the wrong.
 28 And it came to pass that when the people of Morianton, who were led by a man whose name was Morianton, found that the people of Lehi had fled to the camp of Moroni, they were exceedingly fearful lest the army of Moroni should come upon them and destroy them.
 29 Therefore, Morianton put it into their hearts that they should flee to the land which was northward, which was covered with ^alarge bodies of water, and take possession of the land which was ^bnorthward.
 30 And behold, they would have carried this plan into effect, (which would have been a cause to have been lamented) but behold, Morianton being a man of much passion, therefore he was angry with one of his maid servants, and he fell upon her and beat her much. Why did the Nephites have "maid servants"? Was she "working" for him or in servitude? 
 31 And it came to pass that she fled, and came over to the camp of Moroni, and told Moroni all things concerning the matter, and also concerning their intentions to flee into the land northward. Interesting that this tidbit is included in the record. This woman is an over-looked heroine of the Book of Mormon. Would love to hear her story. She probably did this action at great personal risk.
 32 Now behold, the people who were in the land Bountiful, or rather Moroni, feared that they would hearken to the words of Morianton and unite with his people, and thus he would obtain possession of those parts of the land, which would lay a foundation for serious consequences among the people of Nephi, yea, which ^aconsequences would lead to the overthrow of their ^bliberty. So important that we look down to the end of the road that we are currently on and see that if Satan is at the head, then the end goal is the overthrow of our liberty. What should we be doing to stop that? 
 33 Therefore Moroni sent an army, with their camp, to head the people of Morianton, to stop their flight into the land northward.
 34 And it came to pass that they did not ^ahead them until they had come to the borders of the land ^bDesolation; and there they did head them, by the narrow pass which led by the sea into the land northward, yea, by the sea, on the west and on the east.
 35 And it came to pass that the army which was sent by Moroni, which was led by a man whose name was Teancum, did meet the people of Morianton; and so stubborn were the people of Morianton, (being inspired by his wickedness and his ^aflattering words) that a battle commenced between them, in the which Teancum did ^bslay Morianton and defeat his army, and took them prisoners, and returned to the camp of Moroni. And thus ended the twenty and fourth year of the reign of the judges over the people of Nephi. A war, not with the Lamanites, but a civil war amongst their own people. 
 36 And thus were the people of Morianton brought back. And upon their ^acovenanting to keep the peace they were restored to the land of Morianton, and a union took place between them and the people of Lehi; and they were also restored to their lands. Was this accomplished easily? Was the nature of the defeat convincing enough to the Nephite defectors to give up their contention?
 37 And it came to pass that in the same year that the people of Nephi had peace restored unto them, that Nephihah, the ^asecond chief judge, died, having filled the judgment-seat with ^bperfect uprightness before God.
 38 Nevertheless, he had refused Alma to take possession of those ^arecords and those things which were esteemed by Alma and his fathers to be most sacred; therefore Alma had conferred ^bthem upon his son, Helaman.
 39 Behold, it came to pass that the son of Nephihah was appointed to fill the judgment-seat, in the stead of his father; yea, he was appointed chief judge and ^agovernor over the people, with an ^boath and sacred ordinance to judge righteously, and to keep the peace and the ^cfreedom of the people, and to grant unto them their sacred privileges to worship the Lord their God, yea, to support and maintain the cause of God all his days, and to bring the wicked to justice according to their crime. This should be the only oath of office for all American government leaders...
 40 Now behold, his name was ^aPahoran. And Pahoran did fill the seat of his father, and did commence his reign in the end of the twenty and fourth year, over the people of Nephi.