Redaction: Mormon emphasizes his reasons for describing these events. Despite the “murders, and contentions, and dissensions, and all manner of iniquity among the people of Nephi,” they eventually triumphed because of the righteous among them. The sins he catalogues are associated with the king-men and other attempts to adopt Lamanite social and political structures.
Mormon selected the stories of Helaman and his Ammonite warriors because they represent an extraordinarily firm faith in the Nephite religion that led to their eventual triumph in battle. Pahoran is a faithful man beset by traitors but triumphs in the end through his continued faithfulness. And Moroni is Mormon’s ultimate example of a righteous man fighting for Nephite ideals. Thus, in this single verse, Mormon discloses his motives in telling their stories. They all teach that, despite dire troubles and tribulations, faith in Yahweh and obedience to his laws will bring protection and, ultimately, deliverance according to the promise he has made.