Mosiah 23:31 - 23:39

Mosiah 23:31 And behold, they had found those priests of king Noah, in a place which they called Amulon; and they had begun to possess the land of Amulon and had begun to till the ground.

While this Lamanite army was trying to find their way back to the land of Nephi, they stumbled upon the priests of king Noah. They had settled down with the Lamanite daughters they had kidnap and started farming in a place they called Amulon.

Mosiah 23:32 Now the name of the leader of those priests was Amulon.

Their leader was one of these ex-priests of king Noah named Amulon.

Mosiah 23:33 And it came to pass that Amulon did plead with the Lamanites; and he also sent forth their wives, who were the daughters of the Lamanites, to plead with their brethren, that they should not destroy their husbands.

Anyway when they were discovered by this Lamanite army, Amulon sent forth their Lamanite wives to plead for their lives as they were still on the “most wanted list” among the Lamanites for the kidnapping of these girls.

Mosiah 23:34 And the Lamanites had compassion on Amulon and his brethren, and did not destroy them, because of their wives.

When they could see that these girls had not been harmed but had become families, the Lamanite welcome them as part of the Lamanite culture.

Mosiah 23:35 And Amulon and his brethren did join the Lamanites, and they were traveling in the wilderness in search of the land of Nephi when they discovered the land of Helam, which was possessed by Alma and his brethren.

The priest and their Lamanite wives now joined together and were traveling back to Nephi when they in turn stumbled upon Alma and his people in Helam.

Mosiah 23:36 And it came to pass that the Lamanites promised unto Alma and his brethren, that if they would show them the way which led to the land of Nephi that they would grant unto them their lives and their liberty.

Because the Lamanites were still lost and the priests of Noah didn’t know the way to Nephi either, they promised Alma if he would show them the way, they would leave them in peace.

Mosiah 23:37 But after Alma had shown them the way that led to the land of Nephi the Lamanites would not keep their promise; but they set guards round about the land of Helam, over Alma and his brethren.

However, the Lamanite reneged on the deal and kept some of their numbers to occupy Helam and rule over Alma and his people.

Mosiah 23:38 And the remainder of them went to the land of Nephi; and a part of them returned to the land of Helam, and also brought with them the wives and the children of the guards who had been left in the land.

The remainder return to Nephi but a number of them returned to Helam with their families to act as overseers and guards.

Mosiah 23:39 And the king of the Lamanites had granted unto Amulon that he should be a king and a ruler over his people, who were in the land of Helam; nevertheless he should have no power to do anything contrary to the will of the king of the Lamanites.

The king of the Lamanites also gave commanded of the Lamanite guards and to look after his interests that he now had in Helam, Amulon the leader of king Noah’s priests. But Amulon did not get complete autonomy but could only follow the king of the Lamanites wishes.