How many months Helaman and his men waited for assistance is not given (v. 7). The morale of an army is certainly affected by their physical needs and their feelings of being supported by the government. In a letter to John Hancock on September 24, 1776, George Washington had many soldiers of the same rank with different pay. Congress was paying men unfairly. In his letter he wrote “… unless some speedy and effectual measures are adopted by Congress, our cause will be lost.” “Difficult circumstances” (v. 7) aptly describes the conditions of Helaman and his sons.