Teancum

In the Book of Mormon, Teancum was a Nephite leader who served in the Nephite armies during the days of Captain Moroni; approximately 68-61 B.C. In 68 B.C., he killed the traitor Morianton, defeated and captured Morianton's army, and restored peace to the Nephite people.

In 67 B.C., he also defeated the Nephite traitor and Lamanite king, Amalickiah. King Amalickiah succeeded in conquering seven Nephite cities while Captain Moroni was distracted putting down a rebellion by the king-men. Amalickiah was rolling up cities on the eastern flank of the Nephite lands, thus avoiding Moroni's main army in the center. He was finally stopped by Captain Teancum and his army of select warriors. The "captain" (i.e. general) chose the timing of the attack to correspond to the end of the year. Teancum's well trained men outfought the Lamanite army and then harassed them in their retreat until the Lamanites were exhausted. While both armies slept Teancum and a trusted servant crept into Amalickiah's camp on New Year's Eve. He thrust a javelin into the chest of the sleeping king. Amalickiah died without awakening his servants. Finding their king dead in his tent on the first day of the new year so disheartened the Lamanites that they stopped their surge into the Nephite right flank and retreated to the City of Mulek.

Captain Teancum was reinforced by Moroni and instructed to devise stratagies to retake the lost eastern cities. Over the course of the following three years Teancum fought alongside contemporary Nephites generals Lehi and Moroni against the Lamanites to regain the land of Mulek; they were victorious in this though at great personal cost.

Teancum ultimately met his end in 61 B.C. when he went to assassinate Ammoron, brother and successor of Amalickiah. While the rest of the Nephite army slept, he scaled the wall into a Lamanite held city and attacked the king with a javelin. This time, however, he was not as accurate. His javelin killed Ammoron, but not before Ammoron cried out. This cry woke his servants who pursued the fleeing Teancum. He was caught by the outer wall and killed. Captain Moroni and Captain Lehi mourned his self-sacrifice and avenged him that morning by defeating the Lamanite army and driving it back out of Nephite territory.

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Teancum is also the name of a Nephite town that played an important role during the war in Mormon's time. During the late 4th century, the Lamanites drove the Nephites out of Teancum, and took possession of it.