In his work On War, Clausewitz writes: In pursuing the aim of war, "there is only one means: combat. . . . All the effects manifested in [war] have their origin in combat." Moroni, in combat, returns the sword to Zerahemnah. Zerahemnah didn't want to discuss terms anymore. Moroni invited him to take his sword back and continue fighting. That's all we can do--it's the only solution. Unless you choose to make a covenant of peace, you'll just have to go on fighting. Military combat is the only effective way--the pursuance of only one means. "All the effects manifested in [war] have their origin in combat." As Moroni hands Zerahemnah his sword back, he says, "We will end the conflict"--if you don't want to discuss it, there's nothing else to do (cf. Alma 44:10-11). Then the only reason, says Clausewitz, for "suspension of military action [is] . . . to await a more favorable moment for action." When Zerahemnah puts up his sword, he is merely waiting for a more favorable time to strike back. He tells Moroni quite frankly to hand him back his sword and then adds, "We will not suffer ourselves to take an oath unto you, which we know that we will break" (Alma 44:8-10). When he got his sword back, he immediately made a mad lunge for Moroni, only to have the top of his head cut off (see Alma 44:12). You suspend your action to wait for more action. [Hugh Nibley, "Warfare in the Book of Mormon," in Warfare in the Book of Mormon, pp. 134-135]