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Book of Mormon Commentary
Alma Chapter 24
NEPHITES RECAPTURE CITY OF MULEK, VER. 1-49
Alma 24:4 And it came to pass that he did command that his people should maintain those cities which
they had taken by the shedding of blood; for they had not taken any cities, save they had lost much
blood.
In the previous chapter we learned that the armies of Amalickiah had taken six fortified cities on
the east coast. Because that history received brief mention, it appeared that the Nephites must have
given up without much struggle. This was not true. There was much bloodshed before any city
was captured. After Amalickiah's death, his brother, Ammoron, was appointed king.
"Teancum thought it was not expedient" to attack the Lamanites in their forts, so he busied his
armies in "casting up walls round about, and preparing places of resort" ( 6, 7), until Moroni could
send reinforcements. Moroni sent orders for him to "retain all the prisoners who fell into his
hands. ..as a ransom for those whom the Lamanites had taken" (9). Moroni said, “I would come
unto you, but behold, the Lamanites are upon us in the borders of the land by the west sea; and
behold, I go against them" (13).
Alma 24:14 Now the king (Ammoron) had departed out of the land of Zarahemla, and had made known
unto the queen concerning the death of his brother, and had gathered together a large number of men,
and had marched forth against the Nephites, on the borders by the west sea;
Here he was endeavoring to harass them and hold a large army on the defensive while his armies
in the fortified cities they had captured on the east sea would harass the Nephite army there (15).
Moroni directed Teancum to establish armies to protect the south and west borders of the land
Bountiful, then he would assist with his men to retake the cities they had lost. Teancum prepared
to make an assault on Mulek, but when he saw that he had no chance to overpower them, "he
abandoned his designs" until Moroni's army could help. When Moroni came the chief captains
held a council of war, seeking some way to entice the Lamanites to leave the protected city of
Mulek (23).
Alma 24:24 And it came to pass that they sent embassies to the army of the Lamanites, which protected
the city of Mulek, to their leader, whose name was Jacob, desiring him that he would come out with his
armies to meet them upon the plains, between the two cities.
Jacob, a Zoramite, refused; so Moroni resolved to use a decoy to entice "the Lamanites out of their
strongholds" (27). He caused that Teancum with a small army should march to the east seashore,
while Moroni and his army marched into the wilderness west of Mulek by night. When the guards
discovered Teancum the next day, they informed Jacob. He lost no time in marching against
Teancum, "because of the smallness of his numbers" (29). Teancum saw them coming, and moved
northward along the seashore. His strategy worked; for Jacob saw them fleeing, and gave pursuit.
This gave Moroni the opening he was seeking to move on Mulek.
Alma 24:33 And thus they did, and slew all those who had been left to protect the city; yea, all those
who would not yield up their weapons of war.