Page:A dictionary of the Book of Mormon.pdf/264

Moronihah. ground. Zarahemla, with its hallowed associations, its glorious temples, where the daily sacrifice was unceasingly offered, its proud palaces, its luxurious homes, its courts of justice, where the chief judge sat in the magnificence of almost kingly authority to administer the law—this, their queen city, the seat of their government, the centre of their civilization, the home of their highest priesthood, was in the hands of their merciless, vandal-like foes. Nor had the danger stopped; with hurried hands the Nephites built a line of defense across the Isthmus of Panama, from sea to sea, for the unnumbered hosts of their conquerors were still pushing forward. This line of fortification was effectual; it stopped the roll of the barbaric tide northward, and the Lamanite commanders rested with the possession of a continent.

In this war the Nephite dissenters took active part against their white brethren, and to this fact, in part, may be attributed the sudden success that shone on the Lamanite arms. But little by little, in succeeding years, the half-repentant Nephites regained their lost ground, until (B. C. 31) the most northerly half of their possessions had again fallen into their hands; but because of their only partial repentance, their leaders had not strength to lead them farther, and the proud city of Zarahemla still remained in the hands of the warriors of Laman.

In the darkest hours of this war, we read that Moronihah did preach many things unto the people because of their iniquity,  *    *    and did prophesy many things,    *    * and what should come unto them if they did not repent. We thus learn that he, like his father, was not only a great military commander, but a zealous and faithful servant of God, and a prophet. When this third war ceased, he had been commander-in-chief of the Nephite forces for about thirty