Mormon
22 verses
The Lamanites didn’t come to battle again until ten more years had passed. During that time, I had my people, the Nephites, prepare their lands and their weapons for when the next battle would come.
And it came to pass that the Lamanites did not come to battle again until ten years more had passed away. And behold, I had employed my people, the Nephites, in preparing their lands and their arms against the time of battle.
The Lord said to me, "Call out to this people—Repent, come to me, be baptized, and rebuild my church, and you will be spared.
And it came to pass 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.
I pleaded with the people, but it was in vain; they didn't realize that the Lord had spared them and given them a chance to repent. They hardened their hearts against the Lord their God.
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 God.
After the tenth year ended, making a total of three hundred sixty years since the coming of Christ, the king of the Lamanites sent me a letter letting me know that they were preparing to come again to battle against us.
And it came to pass that after this tenth year had passed 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.
I had my people gather together at the land of Desolation, to a city on the borders by the narrow pass that led into the land southward.
And it came to pass 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 pass which led into the land southward.
We stationed our armies there to stop the Lamanite armies from taking any of our lands, so we fortified ourselves against them with all our strength.
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.
In the three hundred sixty-first year, the Lamanites came down to the city of Desolation to fight against us, and that year we defeated them so completely that they returned to their own lands again.
And it came to pass 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 pass that in that year we did beat them, insomuch that they did return to their own lands again.
In the three hundred sixty-second year, they came down again to battle. We defeated them again, killed many of them, and their dead were thrown into the sea.
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.
Because of this great thing my people, the Nephites, had done, they started to boast about their own strength and swore before heaven that they would take revenge for the blood of their brothers who had been killed by their enemies.
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.
They swore by the heavens and by the throne of God that they would go to battle against their enemies and destroy them from the land.
And they did swear by the heavens, and also by the throne of God, that they would go up to battle against their enemies, and would cut them off from the face of the land.
From this time on, I, Mormon, completely refused to be a commander and leader of this people because of their wickedness and abominations.
And it came to pass 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.
I had led them, and even though they were wicked, I had led them many times into battle and loved them with all my heart, with the love of God that was in me. I had poured out my soul in prayer to God for them all day long; but it was without faith because their hearts were so hard.
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 God which was 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 was without faith, because of the hardness of their hearts.
I have delivered them from their enemies three times, and they still have not repented of their sins.
And thrice have I delivered them out of the hands of their enemies, and they have repented not of their sins.
After they swore by everything our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ had forbidden, that they would go fight their enemies and take revenge for the blood of their brothers, the voice of the Lord came to me, saying:
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:
Vengeance is mine, and I will repay; and because these people did not repent after I delivered them, they will be cut off from the face of the earth.
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.
I completely refused to go up against my enemies, and I did just as the Lord commanded me. I stood as a passive witness to show the world the things I saw and heard, according to the revelations of the Spirit that testified of things to come.
And it came to pass 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.
So I am writing to you, Gentiles, and also to you, house of Israel, when the work begins, that you will be about to prepare to return to the land of your inheritance.
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;
I am writing to everyone across the earth, to you, the twelve tribes of Israel, who will be judged according to your works by the twelve whom Jesus chose to be his disciples in the land of Jerusalem.
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.
I am also writing to the remnant of this people, who will be judged by the twelve whom Jesus chose in this land; and they will be judged by the other twelve whom Jesus chose in the land of Jerusalem.
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.
The Spirit shows me these things, so I am writing to all of you. I am writing so you will know that everyone must stand before the judgment seat of Christ—every person from the entire human family of Adam—and you will be judged for your actions, whether they are good or evil.
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;
I am writing so that you may believe the gospel of Jesus Christ, which you will have among you, and so that the Jews, the covenant people of the Lord, will have another witness besides the one they saw and heard, that Jesus, whom they killed, was truly the Christ and truly God.
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 God.
I wish I could persuade everyone throughout the world to repent and get ready to stand before the judgment seat of Christ.
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.