The three year period of peace (v. 12) must have included the last part of the eleventh year, the time following the destruction of the city of Ammonihah (vv. 9–16) in the second month of the year (Alma 16:1), and the short time it took the Nephite army to deliver the captives from the Lamanites (vv. 7–8). The Lamanites coming to war in the fourteenth year of the reign of the judges is not recorded, but it apparently was not a major battle. The fourteenth year ended in peace (v. 21).
The mention of temples, sanctuaries, and synagogues in the same sentence (v. 13) tells us these were different types of buildings and used for different purposes. Temples were probably used for ordinances of the Aaronic Priesthood under the law of Moses, but may also have been used for endowments of the Melchizedek Priesthood. The Nephites had the Melchizedek priesthood and had built other temples. Nephi built a temple in the land named after him (2 Nephi 5:16). Jacob taught his people in this temple (Jacob 1:17). King Benjamin taught his people from the temple in the land of Zarahemla (Mosiah 1:18). There may have been a temple in the land of Ammonihah since Amulek’s ancestor had interpreted the writing of the finger of God in a temple (Alma 10:1–2). That supposition is based on Amulek being from Ammonihah. There were multiple temples in the Lamanite lands (Alma 23:2). Although the Lamanite temples may not have been built unto the Lord, they were used for teaching and other religious practices. However, there was no work for the dead prior to the time of Christ’s ministry. The sanctuaries imply that they were places of safety as well as holy places. We know that they were accustomed to “worship God before the altar” (Alma 15:17). Perhaps they were used to offer sacrifices under the law of Moses since the temple included an altar, and were reserved for the more sacred ordinances. The synagogues built after the manner of the Jews were probably used for weekly worship services of the churches. Some have criticized the use of the word synagogue, since they were not in use among the Jews at the time Lehi left Jerusalem. However, it should be remembered that it was probably the closest word that could be used to make the translation from the Nephite language to the English used in 1829. They were not synagogues per se but after the manner of the Jews, or of similar construction. They were not necessarily for the same purpose. We will know more about their use when we get the unabridged record (see 3 Nephi 26:7–12).