Seeing that it was useless to carry on a war of extermination against the Nephites, and that everywhere they were defeated by them, the Lamanites returned unto the land of Lehi-Nephi, or as it is more often called the Land of Nephi. Some of the Lamanites settled anew in different parts of the land, many of them going to the Land of Ishmael and others direct to their old homes in the Lamanite domain. Wherever they went they were greeted by the Anti-Nephi-Lehites, and what is further to be noted, they joined them; thus adding to the people of God great numbers of those who beforetime had rejected His Holy Word as proclaimed by the sons of Mosiah and their companions.
The Spirit of the Lord quickly irradiated their whole lives, or, like a light illumined the souls of all the Lamanites who accepted Christ and His Gospel. They, too, as their brethren had done before them, "did bury their weapons of war." The spirit of prophecy which is the Spirit of Christ, was so abundantly with them that in it they became a righteous people. The Lord helped them in their trials and guided them in all their difficulties. He sustained them when enemies from within and without combined with the powers of Hell to seek their destruction. The Book of Mormon notes that "they did walk in the ways of the Lord, and did observe to keep His commandments and His statutes." With their brethren, who had already proved their integrity to righteous principles, they grew daily in the knowledge of God and in that which is just and true, and with them they were as one in serving Him.
Not only did they live pure lives and therein walked uprightly before God and their brethren, but the newcomers were taught the Law of Moses and to observe it. This they did with fullness of heart. From now on, or until the Book of Mormon calls them the People of Ammon, we shall continue to call the combined believers the Anti-Nephi-Lehites. They understood the great purpose of the Law, and saw in it God's promise concerning Christ and His redeeming love. All the statutes and performances of the Law pointed to the coming Messiah who would bring unto them Salvation if only they would follow Him. In their praise of Him, they pondered, how can we follow Him unless we are willing to keep the commandments of God? (See I Nephi 31:10) Their conclusion was unanswerable. Their faith in the coming Messiah, whom they knew as Jesus Christ, was strengthened by their resolve to serve Him, "and thus they did retain a hope through faith, unto Eternal Salvation, relying upon the spirit of prophecy, which spoke of these things."