Mormon
22 verses
Now I finish my record about the destruction of my people, the Nephites. We marched out to face the Lamanites.
And now I finish my record concerning the destruction of my people, the Nephites. And it came to pass that we did march forth before the Lamanites.
I, Mormon, wrote a letter to the king of the Lamanites, asking him to allow us to gather our people in the land of Cumorah, by a hill called Cumorah, so we could face them in battle there.
And I, Mormon, wrote an epistle unto the king of the Lamanites, and desired of him that he would grant unto us that we might gather together our people unto the land of Cumorah, by a hill which was called Cumorah, and there we could give them battle.
The king of the Lamanites granted me what I asked for.
And it came to pass that the king of the Lamanites did grant unto me the thing which I desired.
We marched to the land of Cumorah and set up our tents around the hill Cumorah. It was a land with many waters, rivers, and springs, and here we hoped to gain an advantage over the Lamanites.
And it came to pass that we did march forth to the land of Cumorah, and we did pitch our tents around about the hill Cumorah; and it was in a land of many waters, rivers, and fountains; and here we had hope to gain advantage over the Lamanites.
After three hundred eighty-four years had passed, we gathered all the rest of our people to the land of Cumorah.
And when three hundred and eighty and four years had passed away, we had gathered in all the remainder of our people unto the land of Cumorah.
When we had gathered all our people together in the land of Cumorah, I, Mormon, began to grow old. Knowing this would be the final struggle of my people, and having been commanded by the Lord not to let the sacred records handed down by our fathers fall into the hands of the Lamanites—because the Lamanites would destroy them—I made this record from the plates of Nephi and hid all the records entrusted to me by the Lord in the hill Cumorah, except for these few plates which I gave to my son Moroni.
And it came to pass that when we had gathered in all our people in one to the land of Cumorah, behold I, Mormon, began to be old; and knowing it to be the last struggle of my people, and having been commanded of the Lord that I should not suffer the records which had been handed down by our fathers, which were sacred, to fall into the hands of the Lamanites, (for the Lamanites would destroy them) therefore I made this record out of the plates of Nephi, and hid up in the hill Cumorah all the records which had been entrusted to me by the hand of the Lord, save it were these few plates which I gave unto my son Moroni.
My people, with their wives and children, now saw the armies of the Lamanites marching toward them; filled with that terrible fear of death which fills the hearts of all the wicked, they waited to face them.
And it came to pass that my people, with their wives and their children, did now behold the armies of the Lamanites marching towards them; and with that awful fear of death which fills the breasts of all the wicked, did they await to receive them.
They came to fight against us, and everyone was filled with terror because of how many there were.
And it came to pass that they came to battle against us, and every soul was filled with terror because of the greatness of their numbers.
They attacked my people with the sword, the bow, the arrow, the ax, and all kinds of weapons of war.
And it came to pass that they did fall upon my people with the sword, and with the bow, and with the arrow, and with the ax, and with all manner of weapons of war.
My men were cut down, including my ten thousand who were with me, and I was wounded in the middle of it; but they passed by me and did not kill me.
And it came to pass that my men were hewn down, yea, even my ten thousand who were with me, and I fell wounded in the midst; and they passed by me that they did not put an end to my life.
After they had gone through and killed all my people except for twenty-four of us—including my son Moroni—and we had survived the death of our people, we saw the next day, when the Lamanites had returned to their camps, from the top of the hill Cumorah, the ten thousand of my people who had been killed, with me leading them at the front.
And when they had gone through and hewn down all my people save it were twenty and four of us, (among whom was 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.
We also saw the ten thousand of my people who were led by my son Moroni.
And we also beheld the ten thousand of my people who were led by my son Moroni.
The ten thousand of Gidgiddonah had fallen, and he was among them.
And behold, the ten thousand of Gidgiddonah had fallen, and he also in the midst.
Lamah had fallen with his ten thousand; Gilgal had fallen with his ten thousand; Limhah had fallen with his ten thousand; Jeneum had fallen with his ten thousand; and Cumenihah, Moronihah, Antionum, Shiblom, Shem, and Josh had each fallen with their ten thousand.
And Lamah had fallen with his ten thousand; and Gilgal had fallen with his ten thousand; and Limhah had fallen with his ten thousand; and Jeneum had fallen with his ten thousand; and Cumenihah, and Moronihah, and Antionum, and Shiblom, and Shem, and Josh, had fallen with their ten thousand each.
There were ten more who were killed by the sword, each with their ten thousand; all my people had fallen, except for the twenty-four who were with me, a few who escaped to the southern lands, and a few who deserted to the Lamanites. Their flesh, bones, and blood lay on the ground, left by those who killed them to decay and return to the earth.
And it came to pass that there were ten more who did fall by the sword, with their ten thousand each; yea, even all my people, save it were those twenty and four who were with me, and also a few who had escaped into the south countries, and a few who had deserted over unto the Lamanites, had fallen; and their flesh, and bones, and blood lay upon the face of the earth, being left by the hands of those who slew them to molder upon the land, and to crumble and to return to their mother earth.
My soul was torn with anguish because of the death of my people, and I cried out:
And my soul was rent with anguish, because of the slain of my people, and I cried:
You beautiful people, how could you have turned away from the ways of the Lord? You beautiful people, how could you have rejected Jesus, who stood with open arms to receive you?
O ye fair ones, how could ye have departed from the ways of the Lord! O ye fair ones, how could ye have rejected that Jesus, who stood with open arms to receive you!
If you had not done this, you would not have fallen. But you have fallen, and I mourn your loss.
Behold, if ye had not done this, ye would not have fallen. But behold, ye are fallen, and I mourn your loss.
Oh, you beautiful sons and daughters, fathers and mothers, husbands and wives, you fair ones—how could you have fallen!
O ye fair sons and daughters, ye fathers and mothers, ye husbands and wives, ye fair ones, how is it that ye could have fallen!
But you are gone, and my sorrows cannot bring you back.
But behold, ye are gone, and my sorrows cannot bring your return.
The day will soon come when your mortal body must become immortal, and these bodies that are now decaying will soon become incorruptible. Then you must stand before the judgment seat of Christ to be judged according to your works, and if you are righteous, you will be blessed with your ancestors who have gone before you.
And the day soon cometh that your mortal must put on immortality, and these bodies which are now moldering in corruption must soon become incorruptible bodies; and then ye must stand before the judgment-seat of Christ to be judged according to your works and if it so be that ye are righteous, then are ye blessed with your fathers who have gone before you.
I wish you had repented before this great destruction came upon you. But you are gone, and the Father, the Eternal Father of heaven, knows your situation; and he acts with you according to his justice and mercy.
O that ye had repented before this great destruction had come upon you. But behold, ye are gone, and the Father, yea, the Eternal Father of heaven, knoweth your state; and he doeth with you according to his justice and mercy.