17 And it came to pass as the armies of the Lamanites had gathered together in the land of Antionum, behold the armies of the Nephites were prepared to meet them in the land of Jershon.
18 Now the leader of the Nephites, or the man who had been appointed to be the chief captain over the Nephites: now the chief captain took the command of all the armies of the Nephites: and his name was Moroni;
19 And Moroni took all the command, and the governments of their wars. And he was only twenty and five years old when he was appointed chief captain over the armies of the Nephites.
20 And it came to pass that he met the Lamanites in the borders of Jershon, and his people were armed with swords, and with cimeters, and all manner of weapons of war.
21 And when the armies of the Lamanites saw that the people of Nephi, or that Moroni had prepared his people with breastplates, and with arm-shields; yea, and also shields to defend their heads; and also they were dressed with thick clothing.
22 Now the army of Zerahemnah was not prepared with any such thing.
23 They had only their swords, and their cimeters, their bows and their arrows, their stones and their slings; but they were naked, save it were a skin which was girded about their loins; yea, all were naked, save it were the Zoramites and the Amalekites.
24 But they were not armed with breastplates, nor shields; therefore they were exceeding afraid of the armies of the Nephites, because of their armor, notwithstanding their number being so much greater than the Nephites.
25 Behold, now it came to pass, that they durst not come against the Nephites in the borders of Jershon; therefore they departed out of the land of Antionum, into the wilderness, and took their journey round about in the wilderness, away by the head of the river Sidon, that they might come into the land of Manti, and take possession of the land; for they did not suppose that the armies of Moroni would know whither they had gone.
26 But it came to pass, as soon as they had departed into the wilderness, Moroni sent spies into the wilderness, to watch their camp; and Moroni, also, knowing of the prophecies of Alma, sent certain men unto him, desiring him that he should inquire of the Lord whither the armies of the Nephites should go, to defend themselves against the Lamanites.
27 And it came to pass that the word of the Lord came unto Alma, and Alma informed the messenger of Moroni that the armies of the Lamanites were marching round about in the wilderness, that they might come over into the land of Manti, that they might commence an attack upon the more weak part of the people.
