Mormon 2:27 27 And my heart did sorrow because of this the great calamity of my people, because of their wickedness and their abominations.
But behold, we did go forth against the Lamanites and the robbers of Gadianton, until we had again taken possession of the lands of our inheritance.
Mormon 2:28 28 And the three hundred and forty and ninth year had pa.s.sed away. And in the three hundred and fiftieth year we made a treaty with the Lamanites and the robbers of Gadianton, in which we did get the lands of our inheritance divided.
Mormon 2:29 29 And the Lamanites did give unto us the land northward, yea, even to the narrow pa.s.sage which led into the land southward.
And we did give unto the Lamanites all the land southward.
Mormon 3 Chapter 3
Mormon 3:1 1 And it came to pa.s.s that the Lamanites did not come to battle again until ten years more had pa.s.sed away. And behold, I had employed my people, the Nephites, in preparing their lands and their arms against the time of battle.
Mormon 3:2 2 And it came to pa.s.s that the Lord did say unto me: Cry unto this people--Repent ye, and come unto me, and be ye baptized, and build up again my church, and ye shall be spared.
Mormon 3:3 3 And I did cry unto this people, but it was in vain; and they did not realize that it was the Lord that had spared them, and granted unto them a chance for repentance. And behold they did harden their hearts against the Lord their G.o.d.
Mormon 3:4 4 And it came to pa.s.s that after this tenth year had pa.s.sed away, making, in the whole, three hundred and sixty years from the coming of Christ, the king of the Lamanites sent an epistle unto me, which gave unto me to know that they were preparing to come again to battle against us.
Mormon 3:5 5 And it came to pa.s.s that I did cause my people that they should gather themselves together at the land Desolation, to a city which was in the borders, by the narrow pa.s.s which led into the land southward.
Mormon 3:6 6 And there we did place our armies, that we might stop the armies of the Lamanites, that they might not get possession of any of our lands; therefore we did fortify against them with all our force.
Mormon 3:7 7 And it came to pa.s.s that in the three hundred and sixty and first year the Lamanites did come down to the city of Desolation to battle against us; and it came to pa.s.s that in that year we did beat them, insomuch that they did return to their own lands again.
Mormon 3:8 8 And in the three hundred and sixty and second year they did come down again to battle. And we did beat them again, and did slay a great number of them, and their dead were cast into the sea.
Mormon 3:9 9 And now, because of this great thing which my people, the Nephites, had done, they began to boast in their own strength, and began to swear before the heavens that they would avenge themselves of the blood of their brethren who had been slain by their enemies.
Mormon 3:10 10 And they did swear by the heavens, and also by the throne of G.o.d, that they would go up to battle against their enemies, and would cut them off from the face of the land.
Mormon 3:11 11 And it came to pa.s.s that I, Mormon, did utterly refuse from this time forth to be a commander and a leader of this people, because of their wickedness and abomination.
Mormon 3:12 12 Behold, I had led them, notwithstanding their wickedness I had led them many times to battle, and had loved them, according to the love of G.o.d which was in me, with all my heart; and my soul had been poured out in prayer unto my G.o.d all the day long for them; nevertheless, it was without faith, because of the hardness of their hearts.
Mormon 3:13 13 And thrice have I delivered them out of the hands of their enemies, and they have repented not of their sins.
Mormon 3:14 14 And when they had sworn by all that had been forbidden them by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, that they would go up unto their enemies to battle, and avenge themselves of the blood of their brethren, behold the voice of the Lord came unto me saying:
Mormon 3:15 15 Vengeance is mine, and I will repay; and because this people repented not after I had delivered them, behold, they shall be cut off from the face of the earth.
Mormon 3:16 16 And it came to pa.s.s that I utterly refused to go up against mine enemies; and I did even as the Lord had commanded me; and I did stand as an idle witness to manifest unto the world the things which I saw and heard, according to the manifestations of the Spirit which had testified of things to come.
Mormon 3:17 17 Therefore I write unto you, Gentiles, and also unto you, house of Israel, when the work shall commence, that ye shall be about to prepare to return to the land of your inheritance;
Mormon 3:18 18 Yea, behold, I write unto all the ends of the earth; yea, unto you, twelve tribes of Israel, who shall be judged according to your works by the twelve whom Jesus chose to be his disciples in the land of Jerusalem.
Mormon 3:19 19 And I write also unto the remnant of this people, who shall also be judged by the twelve whom Jesus chose in this land; and they shall be judged by the other twelve whom Jesus chose in the land of Jerusalem.
Mormon 3:20 20 And these things doth the Spirit manifest unto me; therefore I write unto you all. And for this cause I write unto you, that ye may know that ye must all stand before the judgment-seat of Christ, yea, every soul who belongs to the whole human family of Adam; and ye must stand to be judged of your works, whether they be good or evil;
Mormon 3:21 21 And also that ye may believe the gospel of Jesus Christ, which ye shall have among you; and also that the Jews, the covenant people of the Lord, shall have other witness besides him whom they saw and heard, that Jesus, whom they slew, was the very Christ and the very G.o.d.
Mormon 3:22 22 And I would that I could persuade all ye ends of the earth to repent and prepare to stand before the judgment-seat of Christ.
Mormon 4 Chapter 4
Mormon 4:1 1 And now it came to pa.s.s that in the three hundred and sixty and third year the Nephites did go up with their armies to battle against the Lamanites, out of the land Desolation.
Mormon 4:2 2 And it came to pa.s.s that the armies of the Nephites were driven back again to the land of Desolation. And while they were yet weary, a fresh army of the Lamanites did come upon them; and they had a sore battle, insomuch that the Lamanites did take possession of the city Desolation, and did slay many of the Nephites, and did take many prisoners.
Mormon 4:3 3 And the remainder did flee and join the inhabitants of the city Teanc.u.m. Now the city Teanc.u.m lay in the borders by the seash.o.r.e; and it was also near the city Desolation.
Mormon 4:4 4 And it was because the armies of the Nephites went up unto the Lamanites that they began to be smitten; for were it not for that, the Lamanites could have had no power over them.
Mormon 4:5 5 But, behold, the judgments of G.o.d will overtake the wicked; and it is by the wicked that the wicked are punished; for it is the wicked that stir up the hearts of the children of men unto bloodshed.
Mormon 4:6 6 And it came to pa.s.s that the Lamanites did make preparations to come against the city Teanc.u.m.
Mormon 4:7 7 And it came to pa.s.s in the three hundred and sixty and fourth year the Lamanites did come against the city Teanc.u.m, that they might take possession of the city Teanc.u.m also.
Mormon 4:8 8 And it came to pa.s.s that they were repulsed and driven back by the Nephites. And when the Nephites saw that they had driven the Lamanites they did again boast of their own strength; and they went forth in their own might, and took possession again of the city Desolation.
Mormon 4:9 9 And now all these things had been done, and there had been thousands slain on both sides, both the Nephites and the Lamanites.
Mormon 4:10 10 And it came to pa.s.s that the three hundred and sixty and sixth year had pa.s.sed away, and the Lamanites came again upon the Nephites to battle; and yet the Nephites repented not of the evil they had done, but persisted in their wickedness continually.
Mormon 4:11 11 And it is impossible for the tongue to describe, or for man to write a perfect description of the horrible scene of the blood and carnage which was among the people, both of the Nephites and of the Lamanites; and every heart was hardened, so that they delighted in the shedding of blood continually.
Mormon 4:12 12 And there never had been so great wickedness among all the children of Lehi, nor even among all the house of Israel, according to the words of the Lord, as was among this people.
Mormon 4:13 13 And it came to pa.s.s that the Lamanites did take possession of the city Desolation, and this because their number did exceed the number of the Nephites.
Mormon 4:14 14 And they did also march forward against the city Teanc.u.m, and did drive the inhabitants forth out of her, and did take many prisoners both women and children, and did offer them up as sacrifices unto their idol G.o.ds.
Mormon 4:15 15 And it came to pa.s.s that in the three hundred and sixty and seventh year, the Nephites being angry because the Lamanites had sacrificed their women and their children, that they did go against the Lamanites with exceedingly great anger, insomuch that they did beat again the Lamanites, and drive them out of their lands.
Mormon 4:16 16 And the Lamanites did not come again against the Nephites until the three hundred and seventy and fifth year.
Mormon 4:17 17 And in this year they did come down against the Nephites with all their powers; and they were not numbered because of the greatness of their number.
Mormon 4:18 18 And from this time forth did the Nephites gain no power over the Lamanites, but began to be swept off by them even as a dew before the sun.
Mormon 4:19 19 And it came to pa.s.s that the Lamanites did come down against the city Desolation; and there was an exceedingly sore battle fought in the land Desolation, in the which they did beat the Nephites.
Mormon 4:20 20 And they fled again from before them, and they came to the city Boaz; and there they did stand against the Lamanites with exceeding boldness, insomuch that the Lamanites did not beat them until they had come again the second time.
Mormon 4:21 21 And when they had come the second time, the Nephites were driven and slaughtered with an exceedingly great slaughter; their women and their children were again sacrificed unto idols.
Mormon 4:22 22 And it came to pa.s.s that the Nephites did again flee from before them, taking all the inhabitants with them, both in towns and villages.