Exact Word Count Mormon) I remembered the things which Ammaron commanded me. carried by my father into the land southward, even to the land of Zarahemla. numerous almost, ass=hlgree>as it were the sand of the sea. between the Nephites, and the Lamanites and the Lemuelites and the Ishmaelites. peace settled in the land; and peace did remain for the space of about four years, that there wass=hlblue>as no bloodshed. visited of the Lord, and tasted and knew of the goodness of Jesus. shut, and I wass=hlblue>as forbidden that I should preach unto them; for behold they had wilfully rebelled against their God; and the beloved disciples were taken away out of the land, because of their iniquity. forbidden to preach unto them, because of the hardness of their hearts; and because of the hardness of their hearts the land wass=hlblue>as cursed for their sake. wrought upon all the face of the land, even unto the fulfilling of all the words of Abinadi, and also Samuel the Lamanite. large in stature; therefore the people of Nephi appointed me that I should be their leader, or the leader of their armies. in the borders west by the seashore. fast ass=hlgree>as it were possible, that we might get them together in one body. filled with robbers and with Lamanites; and notwithstanding the great destruction which hung over my people, they did not repent of their evil doings; therefore there wass=hlblue>as blood and carnage spread throughout all the face of the land, both on the part of the Nephites and also on the part of the Lamanites; and it wass=hlblue>as one complete revolution throughout all the face of the land. Aaron; and he came against us with an army of forty and four thousand. And behold, I withstood him with forty and two thousand. And it came to pass that I beat him with my army that he fled before me. And behold, all this wass=hlblue>as done, and three hundred and thirty years had passed away. had been prophesied by Samuel the prophet; for behold no man could keep that which wass=hlblue>as his own, for the thieves, and the robbers, and the murderers, and the magic art, and the witchcraft which wass=hlblue>as in the land. vain, for their sorrowing wass=hlblue>as not unto repentance, because of the goodness of God; but it wass=hlblue>as rather the sorrowing of the damned, because the Lord would not always suffer them to take happiness in sin. passed with them, both temporally and spiritually; for I saw thousands of them hewn down in open rebellion against their God, and heaped up ass=hlgree>as dung upon the face of the land. And thus three hundred and forty and four years had passed away. possible to stop them in their retreat. near the land where Ammaron had deposited the records unto the Lord, that they might not be destroyed. And behold I had gone according to the word of Ammaron, and taken the plates of Nephi, and did make a record according to the words of Ammaron. been before mine eyes ever since I have been sufficient to behold the ways of man. been filled with sorrow because of their wickedness, all my days; nevertheless, I know that I shall be lifted up at the last day. called Shem. much ass=hlgree>as it were possible, that perhaps we might save them from destruction. not with us; yea, we were left to ourselves, that the Spirit of the Lord did not abide in us; therefore we had become weak like unto our brethren. in vain; and they did not realize that it wass=hlblue>as 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 God. in the borders, by the narrow pass which led into the land southward. in me, with all my heart; and my soul had been poured out in prayer unto my God all the day long for them; nevertheless, it wass=hlblue>as without faith, because of the hardness of their hearts. the Lord had commanded me; and I did stand ass=hlgree>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. the very Christ and the very God. also near the city Desolation. 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. among the people, both of the Nephites and of the Lamanites; and every heart wass=hlblue>as hardened, so that they delighted in the shedding of blood continually. wass=hlblue>as among this people. sacrifices unto their idol gods. a dew before the sun. an exceedingly sore battle fought in the land Desolation, in the which they did beat the Nephites. sist them; and they gave me command again of their armies, for they looked upon me ass=hlgree>as though I could deliver them from their afflictions. without hope, for I knew the judgments of the Lord which should come upon them; for they repented not of their iniquities, but did struggle for their lives without calling upon that Being who created them. we had fled to the city of Jordan; but behold, they were driven back that they did not take the city at that time. all in vain, for so great were their numbers that they did tread the people of the Nephites under their feet. swifter than the Lamanites' did escape, and those whose flight did not exceed the Lamanites' were swept down and destroyed. wass=hlblue>as laid before mine eyes; but I, knowing that these things must surely be made known, and that all things which are hid must be revealed upon the house-tops-- naught among them-- therefore I write a small abridgment, daring not to give a full account of the things which I have seen, because of the commandment which I have received, and also that ye might not have too great sorrow because of the wickedness of this people. chaff before the wind. chaff is driven before the wind, or ass=hlgree>as a vessel is tossed about upon the waves, without sail or anchor, or without anything wherewith to steer her; and even ass=hlgree>as she is, so are they. a scroll? a lion, and tear you in pieces, and there is none to deliver. called Cumorah, and there we could give them battle. in a land of many waters, rivers, and fountains; and here we had hope to gain advantage over the Lamanites. filled with terror because of the greatness of their numbers. my son Moroni) and we having survived the dead of our people, did behold on the morrow, when the Lamanites had returned unto their camps, from the top of the hill Cumorah, the ten thousand of my people who were hewn down, being led in the front by me. rent with anguish, because of the slain of my people, and I cried: slain by the Jews, and by the power of the Father he hath risen again, whereby he hath gained the victory over the grave; and also in him is the sting of death swallowed up. killed by them, and I even remain alone to write the sad tale of the destruction of my people. But behold, they are gone, and I fulfil the commandment of my father. And whether they will slay me, I know not. been their fall; yea, great and marvelous is the destruction of my people, the Nephites. so great that the Lord would not suffer them to remain with the people; and whether they be upon the face of the land no man knoweth. a descendant of Nephi. the Lord liveth he will remember the covenant which he hath made with them. if one should speak from the dead. if ye were present, and yet ye are not. But behold, Jesus Christ hath shown you unto me, and I know your doing. hamed to take upon you the name of Christ? Why do ye not think that greater is the value of an endless happiness than that misery which never dies-- because of the praise of the world? a scroll, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, yea, in that great day when ye shall be brought to stand before the Lamb of God-- then will ye say that there is no God? not read the scriptures; if so, he does not understand them. k of you, have all these things passed, of which I have spoken? Hass=hlblue>as the end come yet? Behold I say unto you, Nay; and God hass=hlblue>as not ceased to be a God of miracles. not a miracle that by his word the heaven and the earth should be; and by the power of his word man wass=hlblue>as created of the dust of the earth; and by the power of his word have miracles been wrought? God ceased to be a God of miracles and yet be an unchangeable Being? And behold, I say unto you he changeth not; if so he would cease to be God; and he ceaseth not to be God, and is a God of miracles. k the Father in the name of Christ it shall be granted him; and this promise is unto all, even unto the ends of the earth. k the Father in the name of Jesus for what things soever ye shall stand in need. Doubt not, but be believing, and begin ass=hlgree>as in times of old, and come unto the Lord with all your heart, and work out your own salvation with fear and trembling before him. k not, that ye may consume it on your lusts, but ass=hlblue>ask with a firmness unshaken, that ye will yield to no temptation, but that ye will serve the true and living God. though I spake from the dead; for I know that ye shall have my words. |