Helaman is starting the closing statements of his letter to Moroni. This was all one chapter in the 1830 edition, but began in our Chapter 56. It has been a long letter.
Helaman reports that they have been successful at driving the Lamanites out of the Nephite lands on the west and south, but they still have problems. Their “armies are small to maintain so great a number of cities and so great possessions.” They have been victorious and achieved the goal of sending the Lamanite army out of their western lands, but the victory is tenuous. Without reinforcements, they might not be able to hold on to the lands that they have regained.