In the epistle Helaman received from Ammoron, the King of the Lamanites expressed a willingness to surrender to the Nephites the City of Antiparah provided they, in turn, would deliver up to him "those prisoners of war whom we have taken." This offer of the King found no favorable response in the figures compiled by the officers and leaders of the Nephites, for they reasoned that they were sufficiently strong to take the City so offered by the force of arms. In making such an exchange as Ammoron suggested would strengthen the Lamanite army without bettering the condition of the Nephites in like manner. An exchange of prisoners, man for man, was agreeable to Helaman provided it was done without rant or rancor.
Ammoron refused to exchange prisoners as was suggested by Helaman in his answer to the King, "Therefore," the Nephite commander noted, "we began to make preparations to go against the City of Antiparah."
The Lamanites who were garrisoned in the City of Antiparah, seeing the increase of strength brought about by the addition of men and supplies to the Nephite army, fled to the other cities which they had captured from the Nephites, leaving Antiparah almost without inhabitants. Antiparah, now almost abandoned by captor and captives, fell into Nephite hands without a bloody struggle.