And it came to pass that when the people of Morianton, who were led by a man whose name was Morianton, found that the people of Lehi had fled to the camp of Moroni, they were exceeding fearful lest the army of Moroni should come upon them, and destroy them; therefore, Morianton put it into their hearts that they should flee to the land which was northward, which was covered with large bodies of water, and take possession of the land which was northward. And behold, they would have carried this plan into effect, (which would have been a cause to have been lamented,) but behold, Morianton, being a man of much passion, therefore he was angry with one of his maidservants, and he fell upon her, and beat her much. And it came to pass that she fled, and came over to the camp of Moroni, and told Moroni all things concerning the matter; and also concerning their intentions to flee into the land northward. Now behold, the people who were in the land Bountiful, or rather Moroni, feared that they would hearken to the words of Morianton, and unite with his people, and thus he would obtain possession of those parts of the land, which would lay a foundation for serious consequences among the people of Nephi; yea, which consequences would lead to the overthrow of their liberty; therefore Moroni sent an army, with their camp, to head the people of Morianton, to stop their flight into the land northward. And it came to pass that they did not head them, until they had come to the borders of the land Desolation; and there they did head them, by the narrow pass which led by the sea into the land northward; yea, by the sea, on the west, and on the east.

And it came to pass that the army which was sent by Moroni, which was led by a man whose name was Teancum, did meet the people of Morianton; and so stubborn were the people of Morianton, (being inspired by his wickedness and his flattering words,) that a battle commenced between them, in the which Teancum did slay Morianton, and defeat his army, and took [p. 386]