3 Nephi 3:12-14

¹² Now behold, this Lachoneus, the governor, was a just man, and could not be frightened by the demands and the threatenings of a robber; therefore he did not hearken to the epistle of Giddianhi, the governor of the robbers, but he did cause that his people should cry unto the Lord for strength against the time that the robbers should come down against them.

¹³ Yea, he sent a proclamation among all the people, that they should gather together their women, and their children, their flocks and their herds, and all their substance, save it were their land, unto one place. ¹⁴ And he caused that fortifications should be built round about them, and the strength thereof should be exceedingly great.  And he caused that armies, both of the Nephites and of the Lamanites, or of all them who were numbered among the Nephites, should be placed as guards round about to watch them, and to guard them from the robbers day and night.

3 Nephi 3:12 – 14 (Emphasis mine)

Governor Lachoneus was neither frightened nor intimidated by the demands of Giddianhi.  Like General Moroni₁,’s refusal to give into Ammoron’s demands, he refused to give in to the demands of the enemy.

Behold, Ammoron, I have written unto you somewhat concerning this war which ye have waged against my people, or rather which thy brother hath waged against them, and which ye are still determined to carry on after his death.

Behold, I would tell you somewhat concerning the justice of God, and the sword of his almighty wrath, which doth hang over you except ye repent and withdraw your armies into your own lands, or the land of your possessions, which is the land of Nephi.

Yea, I would tell you these things if ye were capable of hearkening unto them; yea, I would tell you concerning that awful hell that awaits to receive such murderers as thou and thy brother have been, except ye repent and withdraw your murderous purposes, and return with your armies to your own lands.

But as ye have once rejected these things, and have fought against the people of the Lord, even so I may expect you will do it again.

And now behold, we are prepared to receive you; yea, and except you withdraw your purposes, behold, ye will pull down the wrath of that God whom you have rejected upon you, even to your utter destruction.

But, as the Lord liveth, our armies shall come upon you except ye withdraw, and ye shall soon be visited with death, for we will retain our cities and our lands; yea, and we will maintain our religion and the cause of our God.

But behold, it supposeth me that I talk to you concerning these things in vain; or it supposeth me that thou art a child of hell; therefore I will close my epistle by telling you that I will not exchange prisoners, save it be on conditions that ye will deliver up a man and his wife and his children, for one prisoner; if this be the case that ye will do it, I will exchange.

Alma 54:5 - 11

Lachoneus had his people pray to the Lord to be strengthened in their battle against the Robbers, should that day come.  Daniel Peterson explains his actions.  “Lachoneus by his preparations perhaps intended to deprive the Gadianton movement of even the pretence of widespread popular support, to expose its claims of legitimacy as false in full view of the public. Certainly he intended to deny them the means of subsistence in Nephite lands. Further, he erected large and elaborate fortifications and reorganized the leadership of the Nephite armies (see 3 Nephi 3:13-17, 22-25).”[1]

He sent a proclamation that the people should gather in one place.  He had fortifications built around them as a protection against the invading Robbers.  The armies were placed on guard, both day and night, watching for a possible attack.

Relocation of the people for protection was common throughout Nephite history.  John Welch writes:

Another power of the Nephite commander-in-chief seems to have been the power to relocate the entire population and mobilize their property in the war effort. Several times in Nephite history, the people moved (voluntarily or involuntarily) to avert war or to strengthen their defensive position. For such purposes, Nephi moved his fledgling colony from the Land of First Inheritance to the Land of Nephi; and Mosiah, the father of Benjamin, moved his people from Nephi to Zarahemla after a time of "much war and contention" (Omni 1:10-13). Most notably, Lachoneus ordered all Nephites to relocate with their property near the city of Bountiful (see 3 Nephi 3:13, 22-23), and Mormon directed a mass migration of his people in a final effort to regroup and prepare for battle (see Mormon 6:2-5).[2]

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[1] The Gadianton Robbers as Guerrilla Warriors, Daniel C. Peterson, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed October 13, 2012.

[2] Law and War in the Book of Mormon, John W. Welch, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed October 13, 2012.