It will be recalled from Mormon 3:16 that the Lord had commanded Mormon to withdraw as the military commander-in-chief over the Nephites. That had occurred thirteen years earlier when Mormon was only 51 years old. Now Mormon had reached 64 years of age, but the Nephites had never been in such a complete disarray. Apparently the Lord did not object when Mormon felt compelled to return as a volunteer to provide some kind of leadership for the retreating Nephites.
Mormon was shocked as he went out among the people and discovered that they thought he had some magic formula to save them from their afflictions.