Alma 58:26-41

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. 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.

Alma 58:26-28 (Emphasis mine)

At night, Helaman₂ had is army march towards Manti.  They had marched beyond the Lamanites and arrived at the undefended city of Manti.  They were able to take the city “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 flee 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. ³¹ And those 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.

Alma 58:29-31 (Emphasis mine)

When the Lamanites returned to Manti, they “were astonished exceedingly and struck with great fear” seeing the Nephites now held the city of Manti.  The Lamanites “did flee into the wilderness” and out of “this quarter of the land.”

Sadly, they continued the despicable practice of taking innocents prisoners.  They “carried … many women and children out of the land.” 

Many of the cities that had been taken by the Lamanites were now held by the Nephites.  People were returning to their homes.

³² But behold, our armies are small to maintain so great a number of cities and so great possessions. ³³ But behold, we trust 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.

³⁴ Now we do not know the cause that the government does not grant us more strength; 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 ye 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 faction 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.

Alma 58:32-36 (Emphasis mine)

Helaman₂ writes Moroni₁ “our armies are small to maintain so great a number of cities and so great possessions.”  Why wasn’t the government providing us with the manpower we need?  He tells  Moroni₁, “we do not know but what ye are unsuccessful, and ye have drawn away the forces into that quarter of the land; if so, we do not desire to murmur.”

“Helaman permitted his 2,000 to go into a rest area at Manti (Alma 58:39), and waited for news from the capital, wondering what could have possibly gone wrong. We know they have more men and material than they have been sending us, he writes to Moroni; perhaps you have been having trouble and they had to send it to you, in which case we have no complaints; but ‘if it is not so, behold, we fear that there is some faction in the government’ blocking the much-needed aid. ‘But, behold,’ he concludes, ‘it mattereth not—we trust God will deliver us’ (Alma 58:34—37).”^[1] (Emphasis mine)

³⁷ But, behold, it mattereth not—we trust God will deliver 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.

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 one soul has not been slain. ⁴⁰ But behold, they have received many wounds; nevertheless they stand fast in that liberty 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.

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 presence; 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.

Alma 58:37-41 (Emphasis mine)

We Helaman₂’s great faith as he ends his letter. “[W]e trust God will deliver us, notwithstanding the weakness of our armies, yea, and deliver us out of the hands of our enemies.” 

“Alma's son Helaman wrote to Moroni a decade or more after his father's departure: ‘we trust God will deliver us, notwithstanding the weakness of our armies, yea, and deliver us out of the hands of our enemies’ (Alma 58:37). There would also appear to have been a ritual thanksgiving after a victorious battle in which Jehovah was praised for delivering the people.”[2] (Emphasis mine)

He again remarks about “those sons of the people of Ammon.”  Not one had died in battle.  “[T]hey have received many wounds; nevertheless they stand fast in that liberty wherewith God has made them free.” 

And Helaman₂ ends his epistle to Moroni₁.

Richard Rust examines Helaman₂’s epistle.

“Helaman's letter is particularly interesting in its gripping narrative of remarkable stratagems that recover one city after another for the Nephites. This narrative epitomizes the repeated Book of Mormon motif of a small force dealing successfully with an innumerable one—provided there is righteous commitment to a cause. Helaman's solution is to use ingenuity and plan creative stratagems, yet acknowledge the deliverance of the Lord: ‘It is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do,’ as Nephi said (2 Nephi 25:23).”[3] (Emphasis mine)

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[1] A Rigorous Test: Military History, Hugh Nibley, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed May 17, 2012.

[2] The Book of Mosiah: Thoughts about Its Structure, Purposes, Themes, and Authorship, Gary L. Sturgess, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed May 17, 2012.

[3] "Their Fathers" - Letters and Autobiography, Richard Dilworth Rust, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed May 17, 2012.