It was marvelous that the Lamanites who were formerly lazy, shiftless and indolent had now become highly industrious people. But who were the Nephites with whom the Lamanite converts were corresponding? At first one might suppose that contact was being made with the Nephites in Zarahemla but this does not turn out to be the case. The correspondence by the converted Lamanites must have been with Ammon and the Nephite missionaries, because several years later when Alma ran into the sons of Mosiah returning with their vast multitude of Anti-Nephi-Lehies it came as a completely and shocking surprise to Alma. It was obvious that the people of Zarahemla knew nothing about the amazing things that had been going on down south. The fact that the converted Christians were corresponding with the Nephite missionaries is borne out in Alma 24:8 which we will shall consider in a moment.