Alma 44:12-18

12  And now when Moroni had said these words, Zerahemnah retained his sword, and he was angry with Moroni, and he rushed forward that he might slay Moroni; but as he raised his sword, behold, one of Moroni's soldiers smote it even to the earth, and it broke by the hilt; and he also smote Zerahemnah that he took off his scalp and it fell to the earth.  And Zerahemnah withdrew from before them into the midst of his soldiers.

13  And it came to pass that the soldier who stood by, who smote off the scalp of Zerahemnah, took up the scalp from off the ground by the hair, and laid it upon the point of his sword, and stretched it forth unto them, saying unto them with a loud voice:

14  Even as this scalp has fallen to the earth, which is the scalp of your chief, so shall ye fall to the earth except ye will deliver up your weapons of war and depart with a covenant of peace.

Alma 44:12-14 (Emphasis mine)

Since Zerahemnah refused Moroni(1)’s terms of surrender, Moroni(1) returned his sword.  He immediately attacked Moroni(1), intending to kill him on the spot.

One of Moroni(1)’s soldiers struck out and Zerahemnah and managed to break his sword.  He struck him in the head and removed part of his scalp.  He took the scalp, put it on the point of his sword, and told them that except they agree to peace, they will fall to earth.

William Hamblin and A. Brent Merrill discuss this event.

“The final major incident involving swords occurred at the surrender of Zerahemnah after the battle at the river Sidon (see Alma 44:8-15, ca. 74 B.C.). After Moroni had defeated him, the Lamanite chief captain Zerahemnah ‘delivered up his sword and his cimeter, and his bow into the hands of Moroni’ (Alma 44:8) in token of surrender. However, when Zerahemnah refused to take an oath of peace, Moroni did not accept his surrender, and Zerahemnah's weapons were ritually returned. This type of ritual disarming as part of surrender is a well-known and universal military custom. … However, Moroni and Zerahemnah were enacting a ritual of surrender, and Moroni ritually returned the weapons to show the Nephite soldiers who were watching that the surrender and truce were not in effect and that they should be on guard for further conflict.

“Zerahemnah then attempted to kill Moroni, but was stopped by one of Moroni’s personal guards … Apparently Zerahemnah swung his sword at Moroni, but the sword of a watchful guardsman parried the blow. The force of the parry knocked the sword from Zerahemnah's hand and broke it at the hilt … [I]f Zerahemnah's sword were to break, there would be a high probability that it would break at the hilt, just as described in the Book of Mormon … Moroni's guardsman then aimed a blow at Zerahemnah's head, but succeeded only in scalping him. A light glancing sword blow against the head could scrape across the skull and succeed in slicing off a portion of the scalp. The scalp of the unfortunate Zerahemnah was then ‘laid’ on the point of the guardsman's sword, raised aloft, and paraded before the Lamanites.” [1] (Emphasis mine)

15  Now there were many, when they heard these words and saw the scalp which was upon the sword, that were struck with fear; and many came forth and threw down their weapons of war at the feet of Moroni, and entered into a covenant of peace.  And as many as entered into a covenant they suffered to depart into the wilderness.

16  Now it came to pass that Zerahemnah was exceedingly wroth, and he did stir up the remainder of his soldiers to anger, to contend more powerfully against the Nephites.

17  And now Moroni was angry, because of the stubbornness of the Lamanites; therefore he commanded his people that they should fall upon them and slay them.  And it came to pass that they began to slay them; yea, and the Lamanites did contend with their swords and their might.

18  But behold, their naked skins and their bare heads were exposed to the sharp swords of the Nephites; yea, behold they were pierced and smitten, yea, and did fall exceedingly fast before the swords of the Nephites; and they began to be swept down, even as the soldier of Moroni had prophesied.

Alma 44:15-18 (Emphasis mine)

Seeing the scalp, many Lamanites agreed to Moroni(1)’s terms and were allowed to leaves. 

Zerahemnah was very, very angry.  (No doubt, losing his scalp didn’t help his mood any.)  He stirred up his soldiers and the war started again.

Moroni(1) was tired of the stubbornness of the Lamanites.  He commanded his army to fight and kill the enemy.  While the Lamanites fought hard, they rapidly fall before the swords of the Nephites.  They were seeing the prophecy of Moroni(1) come true.

Let’s further look at the situation surrounding this event.

“A[n] … example of symbolic action as a prophetic curse is found in the episode of the scalping of Zerahemnah. After Moroni’s soldier scalped Zerahemnah, the warmongering chief of the Lamanites, he displayed the scalp on the point of his sword and stated with a loud voice, ‘even as this scalp has fallen to the earth . . . so shall ye fall to the earth except ye will deliver up your weapons of war and depart with a covenant of peace’ (Alma 44:12-14).

“The symbolic actions in these examples were so effective that in each instance the audience reacted immediately and positively. Those who viewed Moroni gathered around the title of liberty; those who witnessed the felling of the tree had a great emotional and spiritual experience (3 Nephi 4:30-33); and the followers of Zerahemnah who were present when he was scalped ‘were struck with fear’ and ‘threw down their weapons of war’ and promised to live in peace (Alma 44:15).” [2] (Emphasis mine)

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[1] Swords in the Book of Mormon, William J. Hamblin, and A. Brent Merrill, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed December 19, 2011.

[2] Insights: An Ancient Window, Insights, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed December 19, 2011.