The Lamanite king led an expedition against the people of Limhi after twenty-four daughters of the Lamanites were carried off from Shemlon (Mosiah 20:5). The Lamanites blamed Limhi’s people, and the king went at the head of his armies up to the land of Nephi to destroy them (Mosiah 20:6-7). In the battle the people of Limhi drove the Lamanites back; the king was wounded and left for dead among the slain, but was found alive (Mosiah 20:12).
Limhi’s people took him bound to King Limhi, who refused to let them kill him and questioned him (Mosiah 20:13-14). The king said he had broken the oath between them and made war in his anger because Limhi’s people had carried away the daughters (Mosiah 20:15). When Limhi told him the abduction was the work of the priests of the deposed King Noah, who had fled into the wilderness, the king was pacified (Mosiah 20:23-24).
The king proposed that both sides go out to meet his approaching army without arms, swearing an oath that his people would not slay Limhi’s (Mosiah 20:24). Going unarmed, he bowed before the assembled Lamanites and pleaded on behalf of the people of Limhi (Mosiah 20:25-26). Seeing them unarmed, the Lamanites had compassion and returned with their king in peace to their own land (Mosiah 20:26).