While a few years have passed since the defeat of Amalickiah’s army at the city of Noah, those who grew into the age to join the army were not quite sufficient to replace those who had been lost. However, in this conflict, Amalickiah would have an advantage that he did not have before. The internal conflict between the kingmen and freemen weakened the defensive forces of the land of Zarahemla. The kingmen “refused to take up arms.” That the kingmen willingly accepted a probable domination by Lamanites, rather than a continuation of the reign of the judges, further underscores the nature of the conflict. The kingmen were much closer to Lamanites in belief than they were to the freemen. Since the Lamanites had long believed differently from the Nephites, it is understandable that the freemen saw the kingmen threat as one that could destroy their way of life.