Culture: The “guards” constitute a resident garrison, accompanied by families, in a captured city, a situation that occurred in later Mesoamerican city-kingdoms. It is primarily a political move, based on conventions of honor; since, whatever the prowess of the guards, the presence of their women and children makes them more vulnerable and they would still have been outnumbered by the subjugated people. Alma’s people might have overwhelmed this “guard” by their numbers, but now the Lamanite army knew where to find them. This is a garrison of deterrence, not domination.