23 Now the chiefest among all the chief captains, and the great commander of all the armies of the Nephites, was appointed, and his name was Gidgiddoni.
24 Now it was the custom among all the Nephites, to appoint for their chief captains, save it were in their times of wickedness, some one that had the spirit of revelation, and also prophecy; therefore this Gidgiddoni was a great prophet among them, and also was the chief judge.
25 Now the people said unto Gidgiddoni, Pray unto the Lord, and let us go up upon the mountains, and into the wilderness, that we may fall upon the robbers and destroy them, in their own lands.
26 But Gidgiddoni saith unto them, The Lord forbid; for if we should go up against them, the Lord would deliver us into their hands;
27 Therefore we will prepare ourselves in the center of our lands, and we will gather all our armies together, and we will not go against them, but we will wait till they shall come against us;
28 Therefore as the Lord liveth, if we do this, he will deliver them into our hands.
29 And it came to pass in the seventeenth year, in the latter end of the year, the proclamation of Lachoneus had gone forth throughout all the face of the land,
30 And they had taken their horses, and their chariots, and their cattle, and all their flocks, and their herds, and their grain, and all their substance,
31 And did march forth by thousands; and by tens of thousands, until they had all gone forth to the place which had been appointed, that they should gather themselves together, to defend themselves against their enemies.
32 And the land which was appointed was the land of Zarahemla and the land which was between the land of Zarahemla and the land Bountiful; yea, to the line which was between the land Bountiful and the land Desolation;
33 And there were a great many thousand people who were called Nephites, who did gather themselves together in this land.
