At last the Lord heard and listened to their prayers. He saw that they were sorry for all the wicked things they had done, and for the way in which they had treated the Prophet Abinadi. So He looked down in mercy upon them and began to prepare a way for their escape. This is how He did it:
You remember that Zeniff and his followers left the rest of the Nephites to go up to the land of the Lamanites. The people whom Zeniff left were living in a city called Zarahemla. They had as their ruler a wise and good man named Mosiah. A number of times Mosiah's people had gone to him and said, "King Mosiah, what do you think has become of Zeniff and those who went with him to the land of the Lamanites? It is many years since they left us, and we have never heard from them."
And Mosiah would say, "I am sure, my people, I do not know what has become of them. I fear the Lamanites have slain them. It seems to me that if they were alive we would have heard from them."
One day, sixteen large, strong men went to King Mosiah and told him they had decided to go in search of the people of Zeniff. At first Mosiah refused to let them go: he was afraid they might get lost also. But after they had talked with him for some time he consented.
They chose for their leader a man named Ammon. He was a man of great strength and courage. So, with Amnion at their head, and provisions to last them a long time, the party set out in search of their brethren. A large number of men and women, boys and girls followed them to the outskirts of the city, cheering them on their way.
For forty days Ammon and his followers traveled in the wilderness in search of their brethren. They had seen no sign of them, so they began to feel discouraged and to think that their mission had been in vain. They did not know that at that time they were only a short distance from them, and that ere long they would be rejoicing in their company.
At the end of forty days' travel, Ammon and his brethren came to a high hill. At the foot of the hill they put up their tents. After having refreshed themselves, Ammon took three of his brethren and climbed to the top of the hill. When they reached the summit they saw a sight which brought the greatest joy to their hearts. In the valley below was a beautiful city, and in the city were their long-lost brethren.
Ammon and his comrades lost no time in making their way to the city. But just as they were about to enter it they were seized by several menguards of the kingand taken off to prison. The men who arrested Ammon and his brethren did not know who they were: they thought they were spies sent out by the Lamanites.
The next day Ammon and his three companions were brought before King Limhi. The king asked them who they were, and when Ammon told him they were his brethren, and that they had come from Zarahemla in search of him and his people, Limhi rejoiced and praised the Lord. He sent out and brought the other members of Ammon's party into the city and treated them all with the greatest kindness.
The king then told Ammon all that had happened to the people of Zeniff from the time they had left their brethren: how they had broken the commandments of God and had killed the Prophet Abinadi. Because of that the Lord had forsaken them and had suffered them to be brought into bondage to the Lamanites.