Emphasis Scriptures

The word 'destroy' occurs 461 times in the standard works.

129 of those occurances are found in the list of scriptures highlighted below. These verses have the highest concentration of the word 'destroy' in the standard works and contain 28% of all occurances. Assuming 30 seconds per verse, it would take about 50 minutes to read the entire list.

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Hel. 2:3-6 (4 in 4 verses)

3 Ne. 6:29-7:2 (4 in 4 verses)

Gen. 19:13-14 (3 in 2 verses)

Dan. 8:24-25 (3 in 2 verses)

Mosiah 29:7-8 (3 in 2 verses)

Alma 26:25-26 (3 in 2 verses)

D&C 10:6-7 (3 in 2 verses)

Ps. 118:10-12 (3 in 3 verses)

3 Ne. 9:9-11 (3 in 3 verses)

D&C 10:23-25 (3 in 3 verses)

D&C 10:25-27 (3 in 3 verses)

Gen. 18:28 (2 in 1 verse)

Num. 33:52 (2 in 1 verse)

Deut. 9:3 (2 in 1 verse)

Josh. 11:20 (2 in 1 verse)

2 Sam. 14:11 (2 in 1 verse)

2 Kgs. 18:25 (2 in 1 verse)

2 Chr. 20:23 (2 in 1 verse)

Ezra 6:12 (2 in 1 verse)

Esth. 9:24 (2 in 1 verse)

Ps. 106:23 (2 in 1 verse)

Isa. 36:10 (2 in 1 verse)

Isa. 65:8 (2 in 1 verse)

Dan. 2:24 (2 in 1 verse)

Amos 9:8 (2 in 1 verse)

Matt. 5:17 (2 in 1 verse)

Rev. 11:18 (2 in 1 verse)

2 Ne. 30:10 (2 in 1 verse)

Mosiah 19:7 (2 in 1 verse)

Mosiah 27:10 (2 in 1 verse)

Alma 9:19 (2 in 1 verse)

Alma 24:16 (2 in 1 verse)

Alma 46:10 (2 in 1 verse)

Alma 54:13 (2 in 1 verse)

3 Ne. 12:17 (2 in 1 verse)

D&C 132:57 (2 in 1 verse)

Gen. 18:23-24 (2 in 2 verses)

Gen. 18:31-32 (2 in 2 verses)

Deut. 7:4-5 (2 in 2 verses)

Deut. 7:23-24 (2 in 2 verses)

Deut. 9:25-26 (2 in 2 verses)

Deut. 12:2-3 (2 in 2 verses)

Deut. 20:19-20 (2 in 2 verses)

2 Sam. 20:19-20 (2 in 2 verses)

Esth. 4:7-8 (2 in 2 verses)

Jer. 15:6-7 (2 in 2 verses)

Ezek. 25:15-16 (2 in 2 verses)

1 Ne. 13:30-31 (2 in 2 verses)


Mosiah 10:17-18 (2 in 2 verses)

 10:17 And thus they have taught their children that they should hate them, and that they should murder them, and that they should rob and plunder them, and do all they could to destroy them; therefore they have an eternal hatred towards the children of Nephi.

 10:18 For this very cause has king Laman, by his cunning, and lying craftiness, and his fair promises, deceived me, that I have brought this my people up into this land, that they may destroy them; yea, and we have suffered these many years in the land.




Mosiah 12:8-9 (2 in 2 verses)

Mosiah 23:33-34 (2 in 2 verses)

Alma 8:16-17 (2 in 2 verses)

Alma 27:1-2 (2 in 2 verses)

Hel. 9:24-25 (2 in 2 verses)

Hel. 15:16-17 (2 in 2 verses)

3 Ne. 15:6-7 (2 in 2 verses)

Ether 13:15-16 (2 in 2 verses)

D&C 5:32-33 (2 in 2 verses)

Exact Word Count

  FULL PART ALL
OT 228 183 411
NT 33 21 54
BM 166 128 294
1 Ne. 7 13 20
2 Ne. 19 23 42
Jacob 4 0 4
Enos 2 2 4
Jarom 0 2 2
Omni 0 1 1
Mosiah 25 11 36
Alma 57 45 102
Hel. 21 10 31
3 Ne. 20 3 23
Morm. 3 4 7
Ether 6 14 20
Moro. 2 0 2
DC 27 18 45
PGP 7 3 10
TOTAL 461 353 814

Mosiah 8:12
And I say unto thee again: Knowest thou of any one that can translate? For I am desirous that these records should be translated into our language; for, perhaps, they will give us a knowledge of a remnant of the people who have been destroyed, from whence these records came; or, perhaps, they will give us a knowledge of this very people who have been destroyed; and I am desirous to know the cause of their destruction.

Mosiah 9:1
I, Zeniff, having been taught in all the language of the Nephites, and having had a knowledge of the land of Nephi, or of the land of our fathers' first inheritance, and having been sent as a spy among the Lamanites that I might spy out their forces, that our army might come upon them and destroy them-- but when I saw that which was good among them I was desirous that they should not be destroyed.

Mosiah 9:2
Therefore, I contended with my brethren in the wilderness, for I would that our ruler should make a treaty with them; but he being an austere and a blood-thirsty man commanded that I should be slain; but I was rescued by the shedding of much blood; for father fought against father, and brother against brother, until the greater number of our army was destroyed in the wilderness; and we returned, those of us that were spared, to the land of Zarahemla, to relate that tale to their wives and their children.

Mosiah 10:2
And I set guards round about the land, that the Lamanites might not come upon us again unawares and destroy us; and thus I did guard my people and my flocks, and keep them from falling into the hands of our enemies.

Mosiah 10:7
But I had sent my spies out round about the land of Shemlon, that I might discover their preparations, that I might guard against them, that they might not come upon my people and destroy them.

Mosiah 10:17
And thus they have taught their children that they should hate them, and that they should murder them, and that they should rob and plunder them, and do all they could to destroy them; therefore they have an eternal hatred towards the children of Nephi.

Mosiah 10:18
For this very cause has king Laman, by his cunning, and lying craftiness, and his fair promises, deceived me, that I have brought this my people up into this land, that they may destroy them; yea, and we have suffered these many years in the land.

Mosiah 11:17
And king Noah sent guards round about the land to keep them off; but he did not send a sufficient number, and the Lamanites came upon them and killed them, and drove many of their flocks out of the land; thus the Lamanites began to destroy them, and to exercise their hatred upon them.

Mosiah 12:8
And it shall come to pass that except they repent I will utterly destroy them from off the face of the earth; yet they shall leave a record behind them, and I will preserve them for other nations which shall possess the land; yea, even this will I do that I may discover the abominations of this people to other nations. And many things did Abinadi prophesy against this people.

Mosiah 12:9
And it came to pass that they were angry with him; and they took him and carried him bound before the king, and said unto the king: Behold, we have brought a man before thee who has prophesied evil concerning thy people, and saith that God will destroy them.

Mosiah 13:3
Touch me not, for God shall smite you if ye lay your hands upon me, for I have not delivered the message which the Lord sent me to deliver; neither have I told you that which ye requested that I should tell; therefore, God will not suffer that I shall be destroyed at this time.

Mosiah 17:19
Thus God executeth vengeance upon those that destroy his people. O God, receive my soul.

Mosiah 18:33
And now the king said that Alma was stirring up the people to rebellion against him; therefore he sent his army to destroy them.

Mosiah 19:7
And now the king cried out in the anguish of his soul, saying: Gideon, spare me, for the Lamanites are upon us, and they will destroy us; yea, they will destroy my people.

Mosiah 19:17
And now Limhi was desirous that his father should not be destroyed; nevertheless, Limhi was not ignorant of the iniquities of his father, he himself being a just man.

Mosiah 19:29
And now king Limhi did have continual peace in his kingdom for the space of two years, that the Lamanites did not molest them nor seek to destroy them.

Mosiah 20:7
Therefore they sent their armies forth; yea, even the king himself went before his people; and they went up to the land of Nephi to destroy the people of Limhi.

Mosiah 20:18
For do ye not remember the priests of thy father, whom this people sought to destroy? And are they not in the wilderness? And are not they the ones who have stolen the daughters of the Lamanites?

Mosiah 21:26
Nevertheless, they did find a land which had been peopled; yea, a land which was covered with dry bones; yea, a land which had been peopled and which had been destroyed; and they, having supposed it to be the land of Zarahemla, returned to the land of Nephi, having arrived in the borders of the land not many days before the coming of Ammon.

Mosiah 23:2
And the Lord did strengthen them, that the people of king Noah could not overtake them to destroy them.

Mosiah 23:33
And it came to pass that Amulon did plead with the Lamanites; and he also sent forth their wives, who were the daughters of the Lamanites, to plead with their brethren, that they should not destroy their husbands.

Mosiah 23:34
And the Lamanites had compassion on Amulon and his brethren, and did not destroy them, because of their wives.

Mosiah 27:10
And now it came to pass that while he was going about to destroy the church of God, for he did go about secretly with the sons of Mosiah seeking to destroy the church, and to lead astray the people of the Lord, contrary to the commandments of God, or even the king--

Mosiah 27:16
Now I say unto thee: Go, and remember the captivity of thy fathers in the land of Helam, and in the land of Nephi; and remember how great things he has done for them; for they were in bondage, and he has delivered them. And now I say unto thee, Alma, go thy way, and seek to destroy the church no more, that their prayers may be answered, and this even if thou wilt of thyself be cast off.

Mosiah 28:12
And this he did because of the great anxiety of his people; for they were desirous beyond measure to know concerning those people who had been destroyed.

Mosiah 28:17
Now after Mosiah had finished translating these records, behold, it gave an account of the people who were destroyed, from the time that they were destroyed back to the building of the great tower, at the time the Lord confounded the language of the people and they were scattered abroad upon the face of all the earth, yea, and even from that time back until the creation of Adam.

Mosiah 29:7
And now if there should be another appointed in his stead, behold I fear there would rise contentions among you. And who knoweth but what my son, to whom the kingdom doth belong, should turn to be angry and draw away a part of this people after him, which would cause wars and contentions among you, which would be the cause of shedding much blood and perverting the way of the Lord, yea, and destroy the souls of many people.

Mosiah 29:8
Now I say unto you let us be wise and consider these things, for we have no right to destroy my son, neither should we have any right to destroy another if he should be appointed in his stead.

Mosiah 29:23
And he enacteth laws, and sendeth them forth among his people, yea, laws after the manner of his own wickedness; and whosoever doth not obey his laws he causeth to be destroyed; and whosoever doth rebel against him he will send his armies against them to war, and if he can he will destroy them; and thus an unrighteous king doth pervert the ways of all righteousness.