Mulek and Ai – The Strategy Used by Moroni and Joshua

Last updated on: August 14, 2024 at 12:42 pm by Delisa Hargrove

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Mulek and Ai – The Strategy Used by Moroni and Joshua 2024-08-14T12:42:28-10:00 Delisa Hargrove

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Mulek and Ai

When trying to liken the scriptures to myself, it’s cool to see that some of my scripture heroes may have done the same thing!

The description of Moroni’s retaking of Mulek is one of these stories for me.

Captain Moroni and Mulek

In Captain Moroni’s story, the Lamanites captured the city of Mulek. The administrative leader of that area, Teancum, found it impossible to dislodge the Lamanites from the city within the city, and the Lamanites refused to leave the city to fight the Nephites.

Moroni and his army arrive. They convene a war council to brainstorm ideas, but all of their attempts to lure the Lamanites out of Mulek failed.

Then Moroni

resolved upon a plan that he might decoy the Lamanites out of their strongholds.

Therefore he caused that Teancum should take a small number of men and march down near the seashore; and Moroni and his army, by night, marched in the wilderness, on the west of the city Mulek; and thus, on the morrow, when the guards of the Lamanites had discovered Teancum, they ran and told it unto Jacob, their leader.

And it came to pass that the armies of the Lamanites did march forth against Teancum, supposing by their numbers to overpower Teancum because of the smallness of his numbers. And as Teancum saw the armies of the Lamanites coming out against him he began to retreat down by the seashore, northward.

And it came to pass that when the Lamanites saw that he began to flee, they took courage and pursued them with vigor. And while Teancum was thus leading away the Lamanites who were pursuing them in vain, behold, Moroni commanded that a part of his army who were with him should march forth into the city, and take possession of it.

And thus they did, and slew all those who had been left to protect the city, yea, all those who would not yield up their weapons of war.

And thus Moroni had obtained possession of the city Mulek with a part of his army, while he marched with the remainder to meet the Lamanites when they should return from the pursuit of Teancum. (Alma 52:21-26)

The Lamanites followed Teancum’s army out of the city and found themselves surrounded by the armies of Teancum, Lehi, and Moroni. They battled and the Nephites conquered. Moroni offered the remaining Lamanites the option to die, give up their weapons, or become prisoners of war. Most became prisoners of war.

Antipus and Helaman also used this same strategy to retake Antiparah from the Lamanites in Alma 56.

Joshua and Ai

After an incredible victory over Jericho (walls falling down and all), Joshua led the Israelites to the next city on the Lord’s list: Ai. However, the people of Ai beat them so badly that Joshua complained to the Lord. The Lord revealed that someone took an accursed thing from Jericho, so He was not with them in the battle against Ai. Joshua discovered that Achan kept some of Jericho’s booty and he and his family died to cleanse the congregation.

Then the Lord promised to deliver up Ai to Joshua.

So Joshua arose, and all the people of war, to go up against Ai: and Joshua chose out thirty thousand mighty men of valour, and sent them away by night.

And he commanded them, saying, Behold, ye shall lie in wait against the city, even behind the city: go not very far from the city, but be ye all ready:

And I, and all the people that are with me, will approach unto the city: and it shall come to pass, when they come out against us, as at the first, that we will flee before them,

(For they will come out after us) till we have drawn them from the city; for they will say, They flee before us, as at the first: therefore we will flee before them.

Then ye shall rise up from the ambush, and seize upon the city: for the Lord your God will deliver it into your hand.

And it shall be, when ye have taken the city, that ye shall set the city on fire: according to the commandment of the Lord shall ye do. See, I have commanded you.

Joshua therefore sent them forth: and they went to lie in ambush, and abode between Beth-el and Ai, on the west side of Ai: but Joshua lodged that night among the people.

And Joshua rose up early in the morning, and numbered the people, and went up, he and the elders of Israel, before the people to Ai.

And all the people, even the people of war that were with him, went up, and drew nigh, and came before the city, and pitched on the north side of Ai: now there was a valley between them and Ai.

And he took about five thousand men, and set them to lie in ambush between Beth-el and Ai, on the west side of the city.

And when they had set the people, even all the host that was on the north of the city, and their liers in wait on the west of the city, Joshua went that night into the midst of the valley.

And it came to pass, when the king of Ai saw it, that they hasted and rose up early, and the men of the city went out against Israel to battle, he and all his people, at a time appointed, before the plain; but he wist not that there were liers in ambush against him behind the city.

And Joshua and all Israel made as if they were beaten before them, and fled by the way of the wilderness.

And all the people that were in Ai were called together to pursue after them: and they pursued after Joshua, and were drawn away from the city.

And there was not a man left in Ai or Beth-el, that went not out after Israel: and they left the city open, and pursued after Israel.

And the Lord said unto Joshua, Stretch out the spear that is in thy hand toward Ai; for I will give it into thine hand. And Joshua stretched out the spear that he had in his hand toward the city.

And the ambush arose quickly out of their place, and they ran as soon as he had stretched out his hand: and they entered into the city, and took it, and hasted and set the city on fire.

And when the men of Ai looked behind them, they saw, and, behold, the smoke of the city ascended up to heaven, and they had no power to flee this way or that way: and the people that fled to the wilderness turned back upon the pursuers.

And when Joshua and all Israel saw that the ambush had taken the city, and that the smoke of the city ascended, then they turned again, and slew the men of Ai.

And the other issued out of the city against them; so they were in the midst of Israel, some on this side, and some on that side: and they smote them, so that they let none of them remain or escape. (Joshua 8:3-22)

Joshua ensured they followed the Lord’s commands exactly.

The_Defeat_Of_Ai_1197-20 Mulek and AI

The Defeat of Ai

Then Joshua built an altar unto the Lord God of Israel in mount Ebal,

As Moses the servant of the Lord commanded the children of Israel, as it is written in the book of the law of Moses, an altar of whole stones, over which no man hath lift up any iron: and they offered thereon burnt offerings unto the Lord, and sacrificed peace offerings.

And he wrote there upon the stones a copy of the law of Moses, which he wrote in the presence of the children of Israel.

Then Joshua read the entire law to the people.

It’s interesting to me that at the outset of these Book of Mormon war chapters, Moroni similarly reminded the Nephites that their ultimate goals were

to support their lands, and their houses, and their wives, and their children, that they might preserve them from the hands of their enemies; and also that they might preserve their rights and their privileges, yea, and also their liberty, that they might worship God according to their desires.

For they knew that if they should fall into the hands of the Lamanites, that whosoever should worship God in spirit and in truth, the true and the living God, the Lamanites would destroy. (Alma 43:9-10)

As I look to liken these stories to myself, I recognize that while I don’t need to conquer a city or ambush an opposing army, I do need to follow the Lord’s commands and rally around causes to defend and protect liberty. Moroni and Joshua are great examples of doing just that.

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