the Nephites and the Lamanites, in the eighteenth year of the reign of the judges. For behold, it came to pass that the Zoramites became Lamanites; therefore in the commencement of the eighteenth year, the people of the Nephites saw that the Lamanites were coming upon them; therefore they made preparations for war; yea, they gathered together their armies in the land of Jershon. And it came to pass that the Lamanites came with their thousands; and they came into the land of Antionum, which was the land of the Zoramites; and a man by the name of Zerahemnah was their leader. And now as the Amalekites were of a more wicked and a murderous disposition than the Lamanites were, in and of themselves, therefore Zerahemnah appointed chief captains over the Lamanites, and they were all the Amalekites and the Zoramites. Now this he did, that he might preserve their hatred towards the Nephites; that he might bring them into subjection, to the accomplishment of his designs; for behold, his designs were to stir up the Lamanites to anger against the Nephites; this he did that he might usurp great power over them; and also that he might gain power over the Nephites, by bringing them into bondage, &c. And now the design of the Nephites was to support their lands, and their houses, and their wives, and their children, that they might preserve them from the hands of their enemies, and also, that they might preserve their rights and their privileges; yea, and also their liberty, that they might worship God according to their desires; for they knew that if they should fall into the hands of the Lamanites, that whosoever should worship God, in spirit and in truth, the true and the living God, the Lamanites would destroy; yea, and they also knew the extreme hatred of the Lamanites towards their brethen, who were the people of Anti-Nephi-Lehi; who were called the people of Ammon; and they would not take up arms; yea, they had entered into a covenant, and they would not break it; therefore, if they should fall into the hands of the Lamanites, they would be destroyed. And the Nephites would not suffer that they should be destroyed; therefore they gave them lands for their inheritance. And the people of Ammon did give unto the Nephites a large portion of their substance, to support their armies; and thus the Nephites were compelled, alone, to withstand against the Lamanites, who were a compound of Laman and Lemuel, and the sons of [p. 360]