Alma 53:1-7

Chapter 53

The Lamanite prisoners are used to fortify the city Bountiful—Dissensions among the Nephites give rise to Lamanite victories—Helaman takes command of the two thousand stripling sons of the people of Ammon. About 64–63 B.C.

¹ AND it came to pass that they did set guards over the prisoners of the Lamanites, and did compel them to go forth and bury their dead, yea, and also the dead of the Nephites who were slain; and Moroni placed men over them to guard them while they should perform their labors. ² And Moroni went to the city of Mulek with Lehi, and took command of the city and gave it unto Lehi.  Now behold, this Lehi was a man who had been with Moroni in the more part of all his battles; and he was a man like unto Moroni, and they rejoiced in each other's safety; yea, they were beloved by each other, and also beloved by all the people of Nephi.

³ And it came to pass that after the Lamanites had finished burying their dead and also the dead of the Nephites, they were marched back into the land Bountiful; and Teancum, by the orders of Moroni, caused that they should commence laboring in digging a ditch round about the land, or the city, Bountiful. ⁴ And he caused that they should build a breastwork of timbers upon the inner bank of the ditch; and they cast up dirt out of the ditch against the breastwork of timbers; and thus they did cause the Lamanites to labor until they had encircled the city of Bountiful round about with a strong wall of timbers and earth, to an exceeding height.

Alma 53:1 – 4 (Emphasis mine)

Moroni(1) put the prisoners to work burying the dead, both Nephite and Lamanite.  Moroni(1) returned to Mulek and placed Lehi(2) in command.

Lehi(2) has been a major player in the wars.  We first meet him in an earlier war with the Lamanites.  When the Lamanites attempted to cross the river Sidon, they faced an “army which was concealed on the south of the hill, which was led by a man whose name was Lehi, and he led his army forth and encircled the Lamanites about on the east in their rear … When [the Lamanites] saw the Nephites coming upon them in their rear, turned them about and began to contend with the army of Lehi” (Alma 43:35 - 36).  As the battle continued, “the Lamanites became frightened, because of the great destruction among them, even until they began to flee towards the river Sidon. And they were pursued by Lehi and his men; and they were driven by Lehi into the waters of Sidon, and they crossed the waters of Sidon.  And Lehi retained his armies upon the bank of the river Sidon that they should not cross” (Alma 43:39 - 40)

When battling Amalickiah’s army, we read, “Moroni had appointed Lehi to be chief captain over the men of that city; and it was that same Lehi who fought with the Lamanites in the valley on the east of the river Sidon. And now behold it came to pass, that when the Lamanites had found that Lehi commanded the city they were again disappointed, for they feared Lehi exceedingly” (Alma 49:16 – 17).

Mormon now tells a little more about Lehi(2).  “Now behold, this Lehi was a man who had been with Moroni in the more part of all his battles; and he was a man like unto Moroni, and they rejoiced in each other's safety; yea, they were beloved by each other, and also beloved by all the people of Nephi” (verse 2). 

It is no wonder he was a great warrior being “a man like unto Moroni.” 

After the dead had been buried, Moroni(1) had the prisoners to fortify “the land, or the city, Bountiful.”  They dug ditches and built “breastwork of timbers” on the ditches and “they cast up dirt out of the ditch against the breastwork of timbers.” 

There were rules Moroni(1) followed when dealing with prisoners.

“When the Nephites took prisoners, they made good (but not excessive) use of them. Moroni had Lamanite prisoners both bury those slain in battle and fortify the city of Bountiful so that it became a suitable ‘stronghold to retain ... prisoners.’ By doing so, he not only freed up Nephite troops for battle, but he also made guarding the prisoners easier (Alma 53:1-6). If prisoners did attempt to escape or revolt, they were slain (see Alma 57:30-34).

“Prisoners were not sought after, however, as a cheap form of slave labor. Instead, Nephites generally avoided taking prisoners by allowing captured troops to go free if they yielded up their weapons and covenanted not to fight again. Often they allowed prisoners also to go free if they made a similar promise.”[1] (Emphasis mine)

⁵ And this city became an exceeding stronghold ever after; and in this city they did guard the prisoners of the Lamanites; yea, even within a wall which they had caused them to build with their own hands.  Now Moroni was compelled to cause the Lamanites to labor, because it was easy to guard them while at their labor; and he desired all his forces when he should make an attack upon the Lamanites. ⁶ And it came to pass that Moroni had thus gained a victory over one of the greatest of the armies of the Lamanites, and had obtained possession of the city of Mulek, which was one of the strongest holds of the Lamanites in the land of Nephi; and thus he had also built a stronghold to retain his prisoners. ⁷ And it came to pass that he did no more attempt a battle with the Lamanites in that year, but he did employ his men in preparing for war, yea, and in making fortifications to guard against the Lamanites, yea, and also delivering their women and their children from famine and affliction, and providing food for their armies.

Alma 53:5 – 7 (Emphasis mine)

Why did Moroni(1) have the prisoners labor?  “[I]t was easy to guard them while at their labor.”  He needed as many of his men available to fight, so fewer guards were needed.

Moroni(1) was successful in his battle with “one of the greatest of the armies of the Lamanites.”  He sent Teancum to capture Mulek, and eventually Mulek was recaptured.  Fighting ended and the Nephites concentrated on “delivering their women and their children from famine and affliction, and providing food for their armies.”

Using this and similar information, John L Sorenson has studied a possible Nephite calendar.

“Since the soldiers were also farmers (armies were made up almost totally of the equivalent of today's ‘reservists’), they were not normally available for war during the season when they had to labor ‘delivering their women and their children from famine and affliction, and providing food for their armies’ (Alma 53:7). Logically, then, war went on after the farm work was done but before the next planting season had begun.”[2] (Emphasis mine)

“The beginning and ending of the Nephite year frequently falls around the time of major battles … When all such dates are tabulated, the distinct pattern emerges that most wars were fought in the eleventh through second months of the year. (Actually, we are not certain that there were twelve months in this calendar, since the highest number mentioned is eleven; yet based on Near Eastern and Mesoamerican calendar systems, the likelihood is very high that the Nephites at this time followed a pattern of twelve months probably with thirty days per month.) But virtually no battling took place in months six through ten. Instead, that period was when the mass of part-time soldiers were required to till the ground, ‘delivering their women and their children from famine and affliction, and providing food for their armies’ (Alma 53:7).”[3] (Emphasis mine)

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[1] Law and War in the Book of Mormon, John W. Welch, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed April 26, 2012.

[2] Seasons of War, Seasons of Peace in the Book of Mormon, John L. Sorenson, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed April 26, 2012.

[3] The Nephite Calendar in Mosiah, Alma, and Helaman, John L. Sorenson, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed April 26, 2012.