Alma 62:49-52; 63:1-3

⁴⁹ But notwithstanding their riches, or their strength, or their prosperity, they were not lifted up in the pride of their eyes; neither were they slow to remember the Lord their God; but they did humble themselves exceedingly before him. ⁵⁰ Yea, they did remember how great things the Lord had done for them, that he had delivered them from death, and from bonds, and from prisons, and from all manner of afflictions and he had delivered them out of the hands of their enemies. ⁵¹ And they did pray unto the Lord their God continually, insomuch that the Lord did bless them, according to his word, so that they did wax strong and prosper in the land. ⁵² And it came to pass that all these things were done.  And Helaman died, in the thirty and fifth year of the reign of the judges over the people of Nephi [57 B.C.].

Alma 62:49-52 (Emphasis mine)

Through the preaching of Helaman₂ and his brethren, the people repented and returned to the Lord.  They were not lifted in pride; they remembered the Lord; they humbled themselves; they remembered the great things He did for them, delivering them from the hands of the Lamanites.

Richard Rust explains the importance of faith in the Lord during this trying time.

“While [the Book of Mormon] does not tell us much about matters such as kinds of warriors and battle lines, it does give us, in considerable detail, accounts of the exercise of faith — with the story of the sons of Helaman being a primary example of this. It shows inspired stratagems, the Lord's protection, and the great warrior-prophets' direction. At least on three occasions, the Nephites won when someone (or a whole army) went over the wall of a Lamanite-held city. Each time, it is understood, as in Alma 62:50, that ‘the Lord had delivered them out of the hands of their enemies.’ It demonstrates how the Lord protected or helped the few in the face of the enemy's much greater numbers.”[1]  (Emphasis mine)

“Ancient economies were heavily beset by the ravages of war. Most ancient cities lived in constant fear of being overrun by invading armies or harassed by robber bands. Zarahemla was no exception: at one point the city was easily conquered in a single invasion (see Helaman 4:5). Fighting for one’s very existence in sustained campaigns placed heavy strains on these already fragile economies. Besides costing time away from planting and harvesting crops, wars claimed the lives of scarce workers and leaders. The deaths of captain Moroni, Pahoran, Helaman, and Shiblon in rapid succession at the end of the war years against Amalickiah (see Alma 62:52–Helaman 1:2) left the city of Zarahemla without an obvious leader in Helaman 1.”[2]

Chapter 63

Shiblon and later Helaman take possession of the sacred records—Many Nephites travel to the land northward—Hagoth builds ships, which sail forth in the west sea—Moronihah defeats the Lamanites in battle. About 56–52 B.C.

¹ AND it came to pass in the commencement of the thirty and sixth year of the reign of the judges over the people of Nephi [56 B.C.], that Shiblon took possession of those sacred things which had been delivered unto Helaman by Alma. ² And he was a just man, and he did walk uprightly before God; and he did observe to do good continually, to keep the commandments of the Lord his God; and also did his brother. ³ And it came to pass that Moroni died also.  And thus ended the thirty and sixth year of the reign of the judges.

Alma 63:1-3 (Emphasis mine)

Traditionally, the plates were transferred from father to son.  For some reason, Helaman₂ gave his brother, Shiblon, the plates.  Mormon tells us he was “a just man, and he did walk uprightly before God.”

General Moroni₁ also died.  He died a young man in his early 40’s.  There is only one recorded instance of his being injured in battle (see Alma 52:35).  There is little doubt he suffered other injuries in the war.  It’s possible the wounds he suffered over the years were responsible for his early death.

A. Brent Merrill pays tribute to Moroni₁.

“Moroni yielded command of his armies to his son Moronihah ca. 57 B.C. He died at the relatively young age of forty-two at his home about one year later (see Alma 63:3). Many of the Nephite leaders may have lived to be 70-90 + years old. It therefore seems a little unusual that Captain Moroni lived only about forty-two years. We can only speculate that the strains of seventeen years of war, coupled with wounds suffered in battle (see Alma 52:35), could have brought a premature end to his life. Moroni had fought bravely for some seventeen years, and his career marked a major turning point in Nephite-Lamanite warfare. He faced enormous trials in attempting to preserve the lives and freedom of the Nephites against a foe that far outnumbered his own people. He clearly recognized the need for constant vigilance, and even directed his people to prepare extensive and expensive military defenses during times of ‘peace’ that they might be better protected from possible attack (see Alma 50:1-15). The great Nephite captains who followed inherited much of the tradition, structure, and strategic thought introduced by Chief Captain Moroni.”[3]

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[1] Purpose of the War Chapters in the Book of Mormon, Richard Dilworth Rust, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, access June 2, 2012.

[2] Rollercoaster Economics, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed June 2, 2012.

[3] Nephite Captains and Armies, A. Brent Merrill, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed June 2, 2012.