Alma 50:1

And now it came to pass that

Moroni did not stop making preparations for war,

or to defend his people against the Lamanites;

for he caused that his armies should commence

in the commencement of the twentieth year of the reign of the judges,

that they should commence in digging up heaps of earth

round about all the cities, throughout all the land

which was possessed by the Nephites.

Alma 50:2

And upon the top of these ridges of earth

he caused that there should be timbers,

yea, works of timbers built up to the height of a man,

round about the cities.

Alma 50:3

And he caused that upon those works of timbers

there should be a frame of pickets built upon the timbers round about;

and they were strong and high.

Alma 50:4

And he caused towers to be erected that overlooked those works of pickets,

and he caused places of security to be built upon those towers,

that the stones and the arrows of the Lamanites could not hurt them.

Alma 50:5

And they were prepared that they could cast stones from the top thereof,

according to their pleasure and their strength,

and slay him who should attempt to approach near the walls of the city.

Alma 50:6

Thus Moroni did prepare strongholds against the coming of their enemies,

round about every city in all the land.

Alma 50:7

And it came to pass that Moroni caused

that his armies should go forth into the east wilderness;

yea, and they went forth and drove all the Lamanites

who were in the east wilderness

into their own lands, which were south of the land of Zarahemla.

Alma 50:8

And the land of Nephi did run in a straight course from the east sea to the west.

Alma 50:9

And it came to pass that when Moroni had driven all the Lamanites out

of the east wilderness, which was north of the lands of their own possessions,

he caused that the inhabitants

who were in the land of Zarahemla and in the land round about

should go forth into the east wilderness,

even to the borders by the seashore,

and possess the land.

Alma 50:10

And he also placed armies on the south, in the borders of their possessions,

and caused them to erect fortifications

that they might secure their armies and their people

from the hands of their enemies.

Alma 50:11

And thus he cut off all the strongholds of the Lamanites

in the east wilderness, yea, and also on the west,

fortifying the line between the Nephites and the Lamanites,

between the land of Zarahemla and the land of Nephi,

from the west sea, running by the head of the river Sidon —

the Nephites possessing all the land northward,

yea, even all the land which was northward of the land Bountiful,

according to their pleasure.

Alma 50:12

Thus Moroni, with his armies,

which did increase daily because of the assurance of protection

which his works did bring forth unto them,

did seek to cut off the strength and the power of the Lamanites

from off the lands of their possessions,

that they should have no power upon the lands of their possession.

Alma 50:13

And it came to pass that the Nephites began the foundation of a city,

and they called the name of the city Moroni;

and it was by the east sea;

and it was on the south by the line of the possessions of the Lamanites.

Alma 50:14

And they also began a foundation for a city

between the city of Moroni and the city of Aaron,

joining the borders of Aaron and Moroni;

and they called the name of the city, or the land, Nephihah.

Alma 50:15

And they also began in that same year to build many cities on the north,

one in a particular manner which they called Lehi,

which was in the north by the borders of the seashore.

Alma 50:16

And thus ended the twentieth year.