Moroni
26 verses
My beloved son, I'm writing to you again so you know that I am still alive, but I'm writing about something that is troubling.
My beloved son, I write unto you again that ye may know that I am yet alive; but I write somewhat of that which is grievous.
I have had a terrible battle with the Lamanites, in which we did not win; Archeantus has been killed by the sword, along with Luram and Emron, and we have lost many of our best men.
For behold, I have had a sore battle with the Lamanites, in which we did not conquer; and Archeantus has fallen by the sword, and also Luram and Emron; yea, and we have lost a great number of our choice men.
Now, my son, I’m afraid the Lamanites will destroy this people, because they do not repent, and Satan continually stirs them up to anger against each other.
And now behold, my son, I fear lest the Lamanites shall destroy this people; for they do not repent, and Satan stirreth them up continually to anger one with another.
I am working with them constantly, and when I speak the word of God sharply, they tremble and get angry with me; but when I am not sharp, they harden their hearts against it. I am afraid that the Spirit of the Lord has stopped striving with them.
Behold, I am laboring with them continually; and when I speak the word of God with sharpness they tremble and anger against me; and when I use no sharpness they harden their hearts against it; wherefore, I fear lest the Spirit of the Lord hath ceased striving with them.
They are so extremely angry that it seems to me they have no fear of death; they have lost their love for each other, and they constantly crave blood and revenge.
For so exceedingly do they anger that it seemeth me that they have no fear of death; and they have lost their love, one towards another; and they thirst after blood and revenge continually.
Now, my beloved son, despite their hardness, let’s work diligently; because if we stop working, we’ll be condemned. We have a work to do while we’re in this mortal body, so that we can overcome the enemy of all righteousness and find rest for our souls in the kingdom of God.
And now, my beloved son, notwithstanding their hardness, let us labor diligently; for if we should cease to labor, we should be brought under condemnation; for we have a labor to perform whilst in this tabernacle of clay, that we may conquer the enemy of all righteousness, and rest our souls in the kingdom of God.
Now I’m writing a little about the suffering of these people. According to what I’ve learned from Amoron, the Lamanites have many prisoners they captured from the tower of Sherrizah, including men, women, and children.
And now I write somewhat concerning the sufferings of this people. For according to the knowledge which I have received from Amoron, behold, the Lamanites have many prisoners, which they took from the tower of Sherrizah; and there were men, women, and children.
The husbands and fathers of those women and children have been killed; and the women are fed the flesh of their husbands, and the children the flesh of their fathers; and they are given no water, except for a little.
And the husbands and fathers of those women and children they have slain; and they feed the women upon the flesh of their husbands, and the children upon the flesh of their fathers; and no water, save a little, do they give unto them.
Even though the Lamanites have committed terrible abominations, our people in Moriantum have done even worse. They have captured many of the daughters of the Lamanites, and after taking from them what was most dear and precious—their chastity and virtue—
And notwithstanding this great abomination of the Lamanites, it doth not exceed that of our people in Moriantum. For behold, many of the daughters of the Lamanites have they taken prisoners; and after depriving them of that which was most dear and precious above all things, which is chastity and virtue—
After they did this, they murdered them in an extremely cruel way, torturing their bodies until they died. Then, they ate their flesh like wild animals because their hearts are so hardened, and they do this as a sign of bravery.
And after they had done this thing, they did murder them in a most cruel manner, torturing their bodies even unto death; and after they have done this, they devour their flesh like unto wild beasts, because of the hardness of their hearts; and they do it for a token of bravery.
My beloved son, how can a people like this, who are without civilization—
O my beloved son, how can a people like this, that are without civilization—
And only a few years have passed, and they were a civilized and delightful people.
(And only a few years have passed away, and they were a civil and a delightsome people)
But my son, how can a people like this, who take pleasure in so much evil—
But O my son, how can a people like this, whose delight is in so much abomination—
How can we expect that God will hold back his judgment against us?
How can we expect that God will stay his hand in judgment against us?
My heart cries out: Woe to this people. Come in judgment, God, and hide their sins, wickedness, and abominations from your sight!
Behold, my heart cries: Wo unto this people. Come out in judgment, O God, and hide their sins, and wickedness, and abominations from before thy face!
Also, my son, there are many widows and their daughters still in Sherrizah. The army of Zenephi has taken the rest of the provisions that the Lamanites didn’t carry away, leaving these women to wander wherever they can for food. Many elderly women collapse along the way and die.
And again, my son, there are many widows and their daughters who remain in Sherrizah; and that part of the provisions which the Lamanites did not carry away, behold, the army of Zenephi has carried away, and left them to wander whithersoever they can for food; and many old women do faint by the way and die.
The army with me is weak, and the armies of the Lamanites are between Sherrizah and me. Everyone who has fled to Aaron’s army has become a victim of their terrible brutality.
And the army which is with me is weak; and the armies of the Lamanites are betwixt Sherrizah and me; and as many as have fled to the army of Aaron have fallen victims to their awful brutality.
Oh, the wickedness of my people! They have no order and no mercy. I am just a man, and I have only the strength of a man, and I can't enforce my commands any longer.
O the depravity of my people! They are without order and without mercy. Behold, I am but a man, and I have but the strength of a man, and I cannot any longer enforce my commands.
They have become strong in their perversion, and they are equally brutal, sparing no one, not even the old or the young. They take pleasure in everything except what is good, and the suffering of our women and children throughout this land is greater than anything else. Words cannot describe it, nor can it be written.
And they have become strong in their perversion; and they are alike brutal, sparing none, neither old nor young; and they delight in everything save that which is good; and the suffering of our women and our children upon all the face of this land doth exceed everything; yea, tongue cannot tell, neither can it be written.
Now, my son, I won’t focus any longer on this horrible scene. You know the wickedness of these people; you know they have no principles and are past feeling, and their wickedness is even greater than that of the Lamanites.
And now, my son, I dwell no longer upon this horrible scene. Behold, thou knowest the wickedness of this people; thou knowest that they are without principle, and past feeling; and their wickedness doth exceed that of the Lamanites.
My son, I cannot recommend them to God, or he might punish me.
Behold, my son, I cannot recommend them unto God lest he should smite me.
My son, I commend you to God, and I trust in Christ that you will be saved. I pray to God that he will spare your life so you can witness either the return of his people to him or their complete destruction, because I know they will be destroyed unless they repent and return to him.
But behold, my son, I recommend thee unto God, and I trust in Christ that thou wilt be saved; and I pray unto God that he will spare thy life, to witness the return of his people unto him, or their utter destruction; for I know that they must perish except they repent and return unto him.
And if they perish, it will be like the Jaredites, because of the stubbornness of their hearts, seeking blood and revenge.
And if they perish it will be like unto the Jaredites, because of the wilfulness of their hearts, seeking for blood and revenge.
And if they do perish, we know that many of our brothers have deserted to the Lamanites, and many more will also desert to them. So write a few things if you are spared and I die and don’t see you. But I hope that I may see you soon, because I have sacred records that I want to give to you.
And if it so be that they perish, we know that many of our brethren have deserted over unto the Lamanites, and many more will also desert over unto them; wherefore, write somewhat a few things, if thou art spared and I shall perish and not see thee; but I trust that I may see thee soon; for I have sacred records that I would deliver up unto thee.
My son, stay faithful in Christ, and don’t let the things I’ve written trouble you so much that they overwhelm you. Instead, let Christ lift you up, and let his sufferings and death, his appearance to our ancestors, his mercy and patience, and the hope of his glory and eternal life stay in your mind forever.
My son, be faithful in Christ; and may not the things which I have written grieve thee, to weigh thee down unto death; but may Christ lift thee up, and may his sufferings and death, and the showing his body unto our fathers, and his mercy and long-suffering, and the hope of his glory and of eternal life, rest in your mind forever.
May the grace of God the Father, whose throne is high in the heavens, and our Lord Jesus Christ, who sits at the right hand of his power until all things become subject to him, be with you and remain with you forever. Amen.
And may the grace of God the Father, whose throne is high in the heavens, and our Lord Jesus Christ, who sitteth on the right hand of his power, until all things shall become subject unto him, be, and abide with you forever. Amen.