Obedient to these plain instructions, Zoram and his sons crossed over the river Sidon with their armies, and marched southward beyond the borders of the land of Manti, into that portion of the great southern wilderness which lay east of the river Sidon. There they came upon the enemy, as the word of the Lord had declared, and there they joined in battle. The Lamanites were defeated, scattered and driven into the wilderness, and the Nephite captives were delivered. Great was the joy in the land of Zarahemla when it was found that not one Nephite had been lost of all those taken prisoners; but every one, great and small, had escaped the horrors of slavery in the hands of the Lamanites, and they all returned in peace to possess their own lands. Here we have a most happy result of seeking the word of the Lord and then faithfully carrying out his instructions. Again there was peace throughout the land, and the name of Zoram is no more mentioned in the sacred record. During this period of peace, Alma and his fellow-priesthood preached God's holy word in the power and demonstration of the Spirit, and with much success. Great prosperity came to the church throughout all the lands of the Nephites. At this happy time there was no inequality among them; the Lord poured out his Spirit on all the face of the land, as Alma supposed to prepare the hearts of his people for the coming of Christ. Like many others of the ancient prophets, he antedated that glorious appearing. He little knew of the wars and contentions, the apostasies and dissensions, the spiritual tribulation and material commotion that would precede that blessed day. But with this prospect full in view, he labored and rejoiced, preached, blessed and prophesied, never tiring in his energies, and feeling sorrowful only because of the hard-heartedness and spiritual blindness of some of the people. In one most glorious event, Alma had unspeakable joy. His youthful companions, the sons of king Mosiah, returned from their fourteen years' mission amongst the Lamanites, during which time, after sore trials and great tribulation, they, by the grace of the Father, had brought many thousands of that benighted race to a knowledge of the principles of the everlasting gospel.