Verses 5 and 6 introduced Zerahemnah, the leader of the combined Amalekite and Zoramite armies. Verses 16 and 17 introduce his counterpart, Moroni. Moroni was appointed chief captain over the armies of the Nephites, which meant that he “took the command of all the armies of the Nephites.” That language suggests what was an accurate representation of Mesoamerican armies. There were no standing armies, but rather the people of the land were called up from their various cities to defend those cities. As chief captain, the implication was that there were other captains, almost certainly with a captain at the head of the armies that were gathered from each separate city. Moroni coordinated all of the separate armies.