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CHAPTER 58
Helaman, Gid, and Teomner take the city of Manti by a stratagem— |
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1 AND behold, now it came to pass that our
next object was to obtain the city of Manti; but behold, there was no way
that we could lead them out of the city by our small bands. For behold, they
remembered that which we had hitherto done; therefore we could not
adecoy them away from their strongholds.
2 And they were so much more numerous than was our army that we durst not go forth and attack them in their strongholds. 3 Yea, and it became expedient that we should employ our men to the maintaining those parts of the land which we had regained of our possessions; therefore it became expedient that we should wait, that we might receive more strength from the land of Zarahemla and also a new supply of provisions.
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1a
Alma 52:21;
Alma 56:30
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4 And it came to pass that I thus did send an embassy to the
governor of our land, to acquaint him concerning the affairs of
our people. And it came to pass that we did wait to receive
provisions and strength from the land of Zarahemla.
5 But behold, this did profit us but little; for the Lamanites were also receiving great strength from day to day, and also many provisions; and thus were our circumstances at this period of time. 6 And the Lamanites were sallying forth against us from time to time, resolving by stratagem to destroy us; nevertheless we could not come to battle with them, because of their aretreats and their strongholds.
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6a
1 Sam. 24:22;
3 Ne. 4:1
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7 And it came to pass that we did wait in these difficult
circumstances for the space of many months, even until we were about to
aperish for the want of food.
8 But it came to pass that we did receive food, which was guarded to us by an army of two thousand men to our assistance; and this is all the assistance which we did receive, to defend ourselves and our country from falling into the hands of our enemies, yea, to contend with an enemy which was innumerable. 9 And now the cause of these our embarrassments, or the cause why they did not send more strength unto us, we knew not; therefore we were grieved and also filled with fear, lest by any means the judgments of God should come upon our land, to our overthrow and utter destruction.
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7a
Alma 60:9
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10 Therefore we did pour out our souls in prayer to God, that he
would strengthen us and deliver us out of the hands of our
enemies, yea, and also give us strength that we might retain our
cities, and our lands, and our possessions, for the support of
our people.
11 Yea, and it came to pass that the Lord our God did visit us with assurances that he would deliver us; yea, insomuch that he did speak peace to our souls, and did grant unto us great faith, and did cause us that we should hope for our adeliverance in him. 12 And we did take courage with our small force which we had received, and were fixed with a determination to conquer our enemies, and to amaintain our lands, and our possessions, and our wives, and our children, and the cause of our bliberty.
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11a
TG
Deliverance 12a Alma 46:12; 3 Ne. 2:12; Morm. 2:23 b TG Liberty
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Sitting Ducks |
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13 And thus we did go forth with all our might against the
Lamanites, who were in the city of Manti; and we did pitch our
tents by the wilderness side, which was near to the
citya.
14 And it came to pass that on the morrow, that when the Lamanites saw that we were in the borders by the wilderness which was near the city, that they sent out their spies round about us that they might discover the number and the strength of our army. 15 And it came to pass that when they saw that we were not strong, according to our numbers, and fearing that we should cut them off from their support except they should come out to battle against us and kill us, and also supposing that they could easily destroy us with their numerous hosts, therefore they began to make preparations to come out against us to battle.
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13a by the wilderness side, which was near to the city This statement does not mean that there was not wilderness all about the high mountian valley of Manti where the head waters of the Sidon did flow in much strength and size of a great river even then. All that is being stated here is that upon one side of the city the wilderness is much nearer than upon the other sides. This was the wilderness chosen by Helaman to place his army in that they might be detected for they where going to place themselves there to be but 'sitting ducks' and wait for the Lamanites to respond to their assuredly detected presence. | |
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16 And when we saw that they were making preparations to come out
against us, behold, I caused that Gid, with a small number of men, should
asecrete himself in the wilderness, and also that Teomner
and a small number of men should secrete themselves also in the wilderness.
17 Now Gid and his men were on the right and the others on the left; and when they had thus secreted themselves, behold, I remained, with the remainder of my army, in that same place where we had first pitched our tents against the time that the Lamanites should come out to battle. 18 And it came to pass that the Lamanites did come out with their numerous army against us. And when they had come and were about to fall upon us with the sword, I caused that my men, those who were with me, should retreat into the wilderness.
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16a
Josh. 8:13;
Alma 43:31 (30-43); Alma 52:21-31
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19 And it came to pass that the Lamanites did follow after us
with great speed, for they were exceedingly desirous to overtake
us that they might slay us; therefore they did follow us into the
wilderness; and we did pass by in the midst of Gid and Teomner,
insomuch that they were not discovered by the Lamanites.
20 And it came to pass that when the Lamanites had passed by, or when the army had passed by, Gid and Teomner did rise up from their secret places, and did cut off the spies of the Lamanites that they should not return to the city. 21 And it came to pass that when they had cut them off, they ran to the city and fell upon the guards who were left to guard the city, insomuch that they did destroy them and did take possession of the city.
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22 Now this was done because the Lamanites did suffer their
whole army, save a few guards only, to be led away into the
wilderness.
23 And it came to pass that Gid and Teomner by this means had obtained possession of their strongholds. And it came to pass that we took our course, after having traveled much in the wilderness towards the land of Zarahemlaa. 24 And when the Lamanites saw that they were marching towards the land of Zarahemla, they were exceedingly afraid, lest there was a plan laid to lead them on to destruction; therefore they began to retreat into the wilderness again, yea, even back by the same way which they had come.
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23a And it came to pass that we took our course, after having traveled much in the wilderness towards the land of Zarahemla First there are a enough 'and it came to pass' phrases that a good Book of Mormon scholar will consider that a sizable amount of time is passing by. When an army takes a 'march' the matter is not just a matter of hours or even a single day. It takes days. And after traveling 'much' in the wilderness, Helaman finally turns his small army towards the land of Zarahemla. And it will be then and only then that the Lamanites upon one of those particular evenings determine that it is no longer wise to pursue after Helaman and his army likely consisting in a great part of his young striplings who are able to keep always in advance of the Lamanites for days at a time. And when Helaman's spies report that the Lamanites have turned back, that one particular night, Helaman keeps his army awake that they travel a different course, perhaps even a shorter course back beyond the Lamanites march to return to the city of Manti. Then again, the Book of Mormon does not stipulate the number of days before and after this turn around. But just as Helaman was able to keep afront of the larger Lamanite army in the march of flight, they are well able to beat the Lamanites back to Manti who having given up their hurried pursuit are not more leisurely making their unsuspecting way back to Manti. And then they are to find the whole of their strongholds in the land and city of Manti occupied by what they must consider to be a whole other army of Nephite from that which they had been pursuing in the wilderness and thence down toward the land of Zarahemla. One of the more pointed items to be understood here is that there is a vast wilderness between Manti and Zarahemla. One in which the army of Helaman can lead the Lamanites astray, then turn in toward Zarahemla and then turn again back a whole other way to be undected by the Lamanites to beat them back to Manti. And thus it must be considered that when many do but butte these lands together, one upon the other, they do so not according to the Book of Mormon, but of necessity to produce their more limited concept of the lands of the Book of Mormon to make them fit in their limited geographical model of subjective preference. | |
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25 And behold, it was night and they did pitch their tents, for the
chief acaptains of the Lamanites had supposed that the
Nephites were weary because of their march; and supposing that they had
driven their whole army therefore they took no thought concerning the city of
Manti.
26 Now it came to pass that when it was night, I caused that my men should not sleep, but that they should march forward by another way towards the land of Manti. 27 And because of this our march in the night-time, behold, on the morrow we were beyond the Lamanites, insomuch that we did arrive before them at the city of Manti.
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25a
Alma 59:12
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28 And thus it came to pass, that by this stratagem we did take
possession of the city of Manti without the shedding of blood.
29 And it came to pass that when the armies of the Lamanites did arrive near the city, and saw that we were prepared to meet them, they were astonished exceedingly and struck with great fear, insomuch that they did aflee into the wilderness. 30 Yea, and it came to pass that the armies of the Lamanites did flee out of all this quarter of the land. But behold, they have carried with them many women and children out of the land.
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29a
Alma 59:6
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31 And athose cities which had been taken by the
Lamanites, all of them are at this period of time in our possession; and our
fathers and our women and our children are returning to their homes, all save
it be those who have been taken prisoners and carried off by the Lamanites.
32 But behold, our armies are small to maintain so great a number of cities and so great possessions. 33 But behold, we atrust in our God who has given us victory over those lands, insomuch that we have obtained those cities and those lands, which were our own.
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31a
Alma 56:14;
Alma 59:1 33a TG Trust in God
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34 Now we do not know the acause that the
government does not grant us more
strengtha; neither do those men who
came up unto us know why we have not received greater strength.
35 Behold, we do not know but what aye are unsuccessful, and ye have drawn away the forces into that quarter of the land; if so, we do not desire to murmur. 36 And if it is not so, behold, we fear that there is some afaction in the government, that they do not send more men to our assistance; for we know that they are more numerous than that which they have sent.
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34a Now we do not know the cause that the government does not grant us more strength This is a silent testament as to the size of the nation of Zarahemla. The prophet Helaman is located in the land of the head waters of the river Sidon known as Manti. Between Manti and the land of Zarahemla is at least one vast wilderness. Yet Zarahemla resides upon that same river Sidon in the heart or center of the land. Moroni is even further to the north upon the upper east coast were he has been imployed in securing certain cities back from the Lamanites beginning from near unto Bountiful, the city of Mulek and starting back down that northeastern coastline. Helaman had sent at least one embasey to the capital city of Zarahemla months previously and over the months since had receive only one conveyance of goods and an additional 2,000 soldiers. But the distance in space and time from the city of Manti to the city of Zarahemla is such that Helaman does not know the status of the capital city, whether it is fallen into a state of civil unrest and he certainly does not know how Captain Moroni is fareing in the northeast. If the land were more limited in size, space and time, then it would be an easy matter for conveying the distance of the upper half of the Sidon to determine what is going on in Zarahemla, but this is just not the case. Likely some hundreds of miles distance in the land of Manti from Zarahemla, Helaman and his troops are near to parishing from want of food. An easy matter of but a couple of days if the distance is of a less dimision. Even Moroni well be seen to not be in touch with the capital city at a seeming equal distance from it in the northeast. And while the limited Book of Mormon artisians conjure up an entire land perspective from the land of Nephi to the hill of Cumorah not being in itself more distance than the size of the state of Utah, there is evidence right here that the distances from north to south and to the center of the land itself is such which places that size of a land all within the nation of Zarahemla in and of itself. |
34a
Alma 59:13 35a Alma 56:1 36a Alma 61:3
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37 But, behold, it mattereth not—we trust God will
adeliver us, notwithstanding the weakness of our armies,
yea, and deliver us out of the hands of our enemies.
38 Behold, this is the twenty and ninth year, in the latter end, and we are in the possession of our lands; and the Lamanites have fled to the land of Nephi.
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37a
2 Kings 17:39
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39 And those sons of the people of Ammon, of whom I have so highly
spoken, are with me in the city of Manti; and the Lord had supported them,
yea, and kept them from falling by the sword, insomuch that even
aone soul has not been slain.
40 But behold, they have received many wounds; nevertheless they astand fast in that bliberty wherewith God has made them free; and they are strict to remember the Lord their God from day to day; yea, they do observe to keep his statutes, and his judgments, and his commandments continually; and their faith is strong in the prophecies concerning that which is to come.
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39a
Alma 56:56 40a Alma 61:21; TG Trustworthiness b TG Liberty
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41 And now, my beloved brother, Moroni, may the Lord our God,
who has redeemed us and made us free, keep you continually in his
presencea; yea, and may he favor
this people, even that ye may have success in obtaining the possession of all
that which the Lamanites have taken from us, which was for our support. And
now, behold, I close mine epistle. I am Helaman, the son of Alma.
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41a may the Lord our God, who has redeemed us and made us free, keep you continually in his presence There are two doctrinal concepts of importance being expressed here. First from the beginning, Jehovah, the Firstborn spirit Son of God, our redeemer from before the foundation of the world did from the very time of the pre-existance 'make us free' in the providing us agency whereby we might choose for ourselves either right or wrong, good or evil. The second doctrinal concept is that even here below in this fall state, we may abid continually in the presence of God. How that is accomplished is by the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost, our spiritual link to God and the heavens given us at the time of our Baptism and confirmation as members of the Church. And to the extent that we give heed unto that spirit so it is that we may be continually connected to and in the presence of God. | |
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