As Helaman begins his letter he reminds Moroni of the nature of the army he is leading. He first refers to them as “two thousand.” As noted in the analysis of “Counts and Estimates,” this is probably a number related to a particular military unit, and probably did not number precisely two thousand young men. There could have been more, but there could easily have been fewer.
In addition to referring to the size of his military unit, Helaman reminds Moroni of what Moroni ought to remember, that these are sons of the people of Ammon, and they are lineal Lamanites. Why does Helaman take the trouble to tell Moroni something that Helaman says he already knows? First, this may simply be a polite reminder, but even more importantly, the lineage connections of these young men provide a tremendous contrast to their actions. Here are lineal Lamanites who will fight valiantly for the Nephite cause.