Alma 57
Helaman and His Army Take Antiparah and Cumeni
Alma 57:1–5
1 And now it came to pass that I received an epistle from Ammoron, the king, stating that if I would deliver up those prisoners of war whom we had taken that he would deliver up the city of Antiparah unto us.
2 But I sent an epistle unto the king, that we were sure our forces were sufficient to take the city of Antiparah by our force; and by delivering up the prisoners for that city we should suppose ourselves unwise, and that we would only deliver up our prisoners on exchange.
3 And Ammoron refused mine epistle, for he would not exchange prisoners; therefore we began to make preparations to go against the city of Antiparah.
4 But the people of Antiparah did leave the city, and fled to their other cities, which they had possession of, to fortify them; and thus the city of Antiparah fell into our hands.
5 And thus ended the twenty and eighth year of the reign of the judges.
Helaman1 relates a letter that he received from Ammoron requesting a prisoner exchange, perhaps similar to the request Ammoron had sent to Moroni (see Alma 54:1). These requests suggest that while Ammoron’s troops have been successful in gaining territory and fortifying cities, they were also successful in capturing women and children who were a drain on the available food (see Alma 54:20). That we see a second letter suggests that the Lamanite supply lines were stretched thin and that Ammoron desired to increase his ability to provide for his armies, as opposed to providing for his prisoners.
Helaman1’s response indicates that the Nephites were beginning to be successful in retaking territory. Helaman1 had told the story of the stripling soldiers, and perhaps that was only one of several stories of Nephite victories. The result is that Helaman1 refuses to exchange prisoners, and declares that they will, instead, attack the city of Antiparah.
The Lamanite situation was more dire than Ammoron’s letter would have suggested, and therefore the Lamanites withdraw from Antiparah and the city is retaken without incident. That event is the last that Helaman1 records for the twenty-eighth year, which corresponds in time to the ending of our chapter 53.
Alma 57:6–8
6 And it came to pass that in the commencement of the twenty and ninth year, we received a supply of provisions, and also an addition to our army, from the land of Zarahemla, and from the land round about, to the number of six thousand men, besides sixty of the sons of the Ammonites who had come to join their brethren, my little band of two thousand. And now behold, we were strong, yea, and we had also plenty of provisions brought unto us.
7 And it came to pass that it was our desire to wage a battle with the army which was placed to protect the city Cumeni.
8 And now behold, I will show unto you that we soon accomplished our desire; yea, with our strong force, or with a part of our strong force, we did surround, by night, the city Cumeni, a little before they were to receive a supply of provisions.
The implications of Ammoron’s offer to exchange prisoners, and his ultimate withdrawal from Antiparah (as seen in verses 1–5), were that the Lamanite supply lines had become an issue. Perhaps Helaman1 and the other captains learned from that example, and when they prepare to retake the city of Cumeni, they surround it prior to the time that it would have received new provisions.
In contrast to the limited supply lines of both new personnel and food for the Lamanites in Cumeni, Helaman1’s forces were able to receive six thousand new soldiers, and sixty more of the sons of the Ammonites. In addition to personnel, they received provisions. The Lamanites were besieged, and the Nephites had the advantage of being closer to their own lands and had more open supply lines. They used that advantage at Cumeni.
Alma 57:9–12
9 And it came to pass that we did camp round about the city for many nights; but we did sleep upon our swords, and keep guards, that the Lamanites could not come upon us by night and slay us, which they attempted many times; but as many times as they attempted this their blood was spilt.
10 At length their provisions did arrive, and they were about to enter the city by night. And we, instead of being Lamanites, were Nephites; therefore, we did take them and their provisions.
11 And notwithstanding the Lamanites being cut off from their support after this manner, they were still determined to maintain the city; therefore it became expedient that we should take those provisions and send them to Judea, and our prisoners to the land of Zarahemla.
12 And it came to pass that not many days had passed away before the Lamanites began to lose all hopes of succor; therefore they yielded up the city unto our hands; and thus we had accomplished our designs in obtaining the city Cumeni.
The Nephite army that was camped around Cumeni was able to cut off supplies, and thereby keep them for themselves. That made the situation more difficult inside the city. Two things happened. The first was that the Nephite armies had more than ample provisions, and they had prisoners. The prisoners were sent to the land of Zarahemla, and the excess of provisions went to Judea.
The second event occurred sometime later. The siege worked, and the lack of supplies essentially starved out the Lamanites in the city, who surrendered.
Lamanites Try to Retake Cumeni
Alma 57:13–15
13 But it came to pass that our prisoners were so numerous that, notwithstanding the enormity of our numbers, we were obliged to employ all our force to keep them, or to put them to death.
14 For behold, they would break out in great numbers, and would fight with stones, and with clubs, or whatsoever thing they could get into their hands, insomuch that we did slay upwards of two thousand of them after they had surrendered themselves prisoners of war.
15 Therefore it became expedient for us, that we should put an end to their lives, or guard them, sword in hand, down to the land of Zarahemla; and also our provisions were not any more than sufficient for our own people, notwithstanding that which we had taken from the Lamanites.
Although the Lamanites had surrendered the city, they hadn’t completely surrendered their hope of escape. Thus, they would attempt to break free, causing more fighting, such that two thousand of them were killed “after they had surrendered themselves prisoners of war.”
This created a problem that had to be solved. As Helaman1 noted, they needed to either take the prisoners to a place where there were more men to guard them, or they needed to kill them. Perhaps in accordance with the principles Moroni espoused, keeping them prisoners was preferred to killing them. The decision was made to send them to the land of Zarahemla, as had been previously done with Lamanite prisoners (see verse 11).
Alma 57:16–18
16 And now, in those critical circumstances, it became a very serious matter to determine concerning these prisoners of war; nevertheless, we did resolve to send them down to the land of Zarahemla; therefore we selected a part of our men, and gave them charge over our prisoners to go down to the land of Zarahemla.
17 But it came to pass that on the morrow they did return. And now behold, we did not inquire of them concerning the prisoners; for behold, the Lamanites were upon us, and they returned in season to save us from falling into their hands. For behold, Ammoron had sent to their support a new supply of provisions and also a numerous army of men.
18 And it came to pass that those men whom we sent with the prisoners did arrive in season to check them, as they were about to overpower us.
The prisoners were sent off with men to guard them. In the meantime, Ammoron had finally sent new provisions and a large army to relieve Cumeni. They were too late for that task, but they found a somewhat depleted Nephite army and attacked. Into this heated battle returned the men who had been sent to guard the prisoners. There had to have been a fairly large number of them, as there were apparently many prisoners. If two thousand had been killed attempting to escape, there may have been at least that many remaining.
When the men who were sent to guard the prisoners returned, they found a battle raging, and fought, presumably from the rear of the Lamanite army, causing them to fight on two fronts simultaneously.
Alma 57:19–23
19 But behold, my little band of two thousand and sixty fought most desperately; yea, they were firm before the Lamanites, and did administer death unto all those who opposed them.
20 And as the remainder of our army were about to give way before the Lamanites, behold, those two thousand and sixty were firm and undaunted.
21 Yea, and they did obey and observe to perform every word of command with exactness; yea, and even according to their faith it was done unto them; and I did remember the words which they said unto me that their mothers had taught them.
22 And now behold, it was these my sons, and those men who had been selected to convey the prisoners, to whom we owe this great victory; for it was they who did beat the Lamanites; therefore they were driven back to the city of Manti.
23 And we retained our city Cumeni, and were not all destroyed by the sword; nevertheless, we had suffered great loss.
Helaman1 credits the Nephite victory to those men who returned, and to his young Ammonite soldiers. The young men had at least one engagement behind them, and, in this one, they did everything that they were commanded to do.
They defeated the Lamanite army, which was driven back to the city of Manti, which was at the major entrance point to the Nephite lands from the Lamanite lands to the south. The army returns to Cumeni to assess their losses, and to heal.
Alma 57:24–27
24 And it came to pass that after the Lamanites had fled, I immediately gave orders that my men who had been wounded should be taken from among the dead, and caused that their wounds should be dressed.
25 And it came to pass that there were two hundred, out of my two thousand and sixty, who had fainted because of the loss of blood; nevertheless, according to the goodness of God, and to our great astonishment, and also the joy of our whole army, there was not one soul of them who did perish; yea, and neither was there one soul among them who had not received many wounds.
26 And now, their preservation was astonishing to our whole army, yea, that they should be spared while there was a thousand of our brethren who were slain. And we do justly ascribe it to the miraculous power of God, because of their exceeding faith in that which they had been taught to believe—that there was a just God, and whosoever did not doubt, that they should be preserved by his marvelous power.
27 Now this was the faith of these of whom I have spoken; they are young, and their minds are firm, and they do put their trust in God continually.
In the previous engagement involving the young Ammonite soldiers, when they returned to aid Antipus’s army, there were no significant injuries noted. This engagement, however, was more brutal, and there were more who were seriously wounded, with two hundred of the young men having fainted due to loss of blood. Nevertheless, none had been killed. Helaman1 accounted their preservation to their faithfulness, as he had before. These young men become, for Helaman1, the living verification of the Lord’s covenant of the land. The righteous would be preserved. These young men were righteous. They were preserved.
Gid Explains What Happened to the Prisoners
Alma 57:28–32
28 And now it came to pass that after we had thus taken care of our wounded men, and had buried our dead and also the dead of the Lamanites, who were many, behold, we did inquire of Gid concerning the prisoners whom they had started to go down to the land of Zarahemla with.
29 Now Gid was the chief captain over the band who was appointed to guard them down to the land.
30 And now, these are the words which Gid said unto me: Behold, we did start to go down to the land of Zarahemla with our prisoners. And it came to pass that we did meet the spies of our armies, who had been sent out to watch the camp of the Lamanites.
31 And they cried unto us, saying—Behold, the armies of the Lamanites are marching towards the city of Cumeni; and behold, they will fall upon them, yea, and will destroy our people.
32 And it came to pass that our prisoners did hear their cries, which caused them to take courage; and they did rise up in rebellion against us.
With the battle ended, those who had remained at Cumeni were finally able to ask about the reason that the men who had guarded the prisoners had been able to return so quickly. Since those men were some of those credited with saving the Nephites, the questions were for information only, and not for suspicion.
What was discovered was that the guards had learned of the Lamanite attack, and the Lamanites being guarded also heard of it. That gave the Lamanite prisoners the courage to attack, which they did.
Alma 57:33–36
33 And it came to pass because of their rebellion we did cause that our swords should come upon them. And it came to pass that they did in a body run upon our swords, in the which, the greater number of them were slain; and the remainder of them broke through and fled from us.
34 And behold, when they had fled and we could not overtake them, we took our march with speed towards the city Cumeni; and behold, we did arrive in time that we might assist our brethren in preserving the city.
35 And behold, we are again delivered out of the hands of our enemies. And blessed is the name of our God; for behold, it is he that has delivered us; yea, that has done this great thing for us.
36 Now it came to pass that when I, Helaman, had heard these words of Gid, I was filled with exceeding joy because of the goodness of God in preserving us, that we might not all perish; yea, and I trust that the souls of them who have been slain have entered into the rest of their God.
The confusion of the moment doubtless resulted in the deaths of many of the Lamanite prisoners, but many of them also escaped. With no one to guard, the Nephites returned to assist in Cumeni.
Helaman1 concludes this part of the story by declaring that Yahweh had preserved them. Certainly, the nearly miraculous return of the guards was an important part of their eventual defeat of the new Lamanite army at Cumeni; it was seen as evidence for that divine preservation.
There is no chapter break at this point in the 1830 edition.
