Geography: The city of Lehi-Nephi has a wilderness area in such close proximity that it will provide concealment for these women and children; as Noah’s account shows, he also flees into this wilderness area, followed by his people’s women and children making a last-minute escape (Mosiah 19:9). The area is sufficiently “wild” that the very geography provides protection from the army. Sorenson hypothesizes that this area is the mountainous region west of modern Guatemala City.
Culture: Reinforcing the possibility that the Lamanites’ shaved heads communicate their resolve to conquer or be killed is Zeniff’s action in sending the women and children to the wilderness as a safer location than the city. He also arms the old men, trying to bolster his own numbers to match this much larger army. When Zeniff describes placing his men “in their ranks, every man according to his age,” he is describing the battle ranks of massed warriors, no doubt positioned so that they could protect each others’ flanks. Depth of lines would also provide immediate reinforcements as the fighters in the front fell.
Zeniff says he positioned his men according to age. Probably his most experienced and mature fighting men were in the front line, with perhaps the boys in the middle and the old men in the last row as the final defense. Such a tactic would ensure that the Lamanites would reach them only after fighting all the way through the earlier ranks, preserving the strength of the old men but still utilizing them defensively.