We Did Contend with an Army of 30000 Against an Army of 50000

Alan C. Miner

Mormon notes that in the 346th year, the Nephites "did contend with an army of thirty thousand against an army of fifty thousand" (Mormon 2:25). One might ask, Why would all the Nephites only have an army of 30,000 and the Lamanites only 50,000 if "the people were as numerous almost, as it were the sand of the sea" (Mormon 1:7)? Could the war be proceeding on multiple fronts? Was Mormon only talking about his army? Or was the war not sufficiently serious as to merit the full attention of either the Nephites or the Lamanites? Or did many of the Nephites tend to side with the Lamanites and not care so much for the ideals of the Nephite nation? [Alan C. Miner, Personal Notes] [See the commentary on Mormon 2:4]

Step by Step Through the Book of Mormon: A Cultural Commentary

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