Alma 43:12 12 And the Nephites would not suffer that they should be
destroyed; therefore they gave them lands for their inheritance.

Alma 43:13 13 And the people of Ammon did give unto the Nephites a large portion of their substance to support their armies; and thus the Nephites were compelled, alone, to withstand against the Lamanites, who were a compound of Laman and Lemuel, and the sons of Ishmael, and all those who had dissented from the Nephites, who were Amalekites and Zoramites, and the descendants of the priests of Noah.

Alma 43:14 14 Now those descendants were as numerous, nearly, as were the
Nephites; and thus the Nephites were obliged to contend with
their brethren, even unto bloodshed.

Alma 43:15 15 And it came to pass as the armies of the Lamanites had
gathered together in the land of Antionum, behold, the armies of
the Nephites were prepared to meet them in the land of Jershon.

Alma 43:16 16 Now, the leader of the Nephites, or the man who had been
appointed to be the chief captain over the Nephites—­now the
chief captain took the command of all the armies of the
Nephites—­and his name was Moroni;

Alma 43:17 17 And Moroni took all the command, and the government of their
wars.  And he was only twenty and five years old when he was
appointed chief captain over the armies of the Nephites.

Alma 43:18 18 And it came to pass that he met the Lamanites in the borders
of Jershon, and his people were armed with swords, and with
cimeters, and all manner of weapons of war.

Alma 43:19 19 And when the armies of the Lamanites saw that the people of
Nephi, or that Moroni, had prepared his people with breastplates
and with arm-shields, yea, and also shields to defend their
heads, and also they were dressed with thick clothing—­

Alma 43:20 20 Now the army of Zerahemnah was not prepared with any such thing; they had only their swords and their cimeters, their bows and their arrows, their stones and their slings; and they were naked, save it were a skin which was girded about their loins; yea, all were naked, save it were the Zoramites and the Amalekites;

Alma 43:21 21 But they were not armed with breastplates, nor
shields—­therefore, they were exceedingly afraid of the armies of
the Nephites because of their armor, notwithstanding their number
being so much greater than the Nephites.

Alma 43:22 22 Behold, now it came to pass that they durst not come against the Nephites in the borders of Jershon; therefore 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.

Alma 43:23 23 But it came to pass, as soon as they had departed into the wilderness Moroni sent spies into the wilderness to watch their camp; and Moroni, also, knowing of the prophecies of Alma, sent certain men unto him, desiring him that he should inquire of the Lord whither the armies of the Nephites should go to defend themselves against the Lamanites.