When Moroni responds to Teancum’s request for reinforcements, he is told to simply hold his position and try to keep that part of the land in a stalemate. The Lamanites had sufficient armies that they had also attached on the borders by the west sea. Moroni’s forces were heading there to attempt to prevent on the west coast the deep incursion the Lamanites had achieved on the east coast. If the Lamanites could hold both coasts, it would put significant pressure on the Nephite lands.