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54 - Book of Mormon - Joseph Smith Jr · Philosophy and Faith

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Speaker 1: Fourth Nephi to Mormon, chapter four. And it came to
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Speaker 1: pass that the thirty and fourth year passed away, and
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Speaker 1: also the thirty and fifth, And behold, the disciples of
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Speaker 1: Christ had formed a Church of Christ in all the
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Speaker 1: lands round about, And as many as did come unto
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Speaker 1: them and did truly repent of their sins, were baptized
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Speaker 1: in the name of Jesus. And they did also receive
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Speaker 1: the Holy Ghost. And it came to pass in the
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Speaker 1: thirty and sixth year the people were all converted unto
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Speaker 1: the Lord upon all the face of the land, both
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Speaker 1: Nephites and Lamanites. And there were no contentions and disputations
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Speaker 1: among them, and every man did deal justly one with another,
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Speaker 1: and they had all things common among them. Therefore there
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Speaker 1: were not rich and poor, bond and free, but they
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Speaker 1: were all made free and partakers of the heavenly gift.
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Speaker 1: And it came to pass that the thirty and seventh
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Speaker 1: year passed away also, and there still continued to be
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Speaker 1: peace in the land. And there were great and marvelous
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Speaker 1: works wrought by the Disciples of Christ, insomuch that they
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Speaker 1: did heal the sick, and raise the dead, and cause
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Speaker 1: the lame to walk, and the blind to receive their sight,
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Speaker 1: and the deaf to hear, And all manner of miracles
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Speaker 1: did they work among the children of men. And in
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Speaker 1: nothing did they work miracles, save it were in the
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Speaker 1: name of Jesus. And thus did the thirty and eighth
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Speaker 1: year pass away, and also the thirty and ninth, and
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Speaker 1: forty and first, and the forty and second, yay, even
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Speaker 1: until forty and nine years had passed away, and also
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Speaker 1: the fifty and first and the fifty and second, yay,
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Speaker 1: and even until fifty and nine years had passed away.
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Speaker 1: And the Lord did prosper them exceedingly in the land. Yay,
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Speaker 1: insomuch that they did build cities again where there had
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Speaker 1: been cities burned. Yay, even that great city Zarahemla did
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Speaker 1: they cause to be built again. But there were many
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Speaker 1: cities which had been sunk, and waters came up in
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Speaker 1: the stead thereof. Therefore these cities could not be renewed.
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Speaker 1: And now behold, it came to pass that the people
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Speaker 1: of Nephi did wax strong and did multiply exceedingly fast,
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Speaker 1: and became an exceedingly fair and delightsome people. And they
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Speaker 1: were married and given in marriage, and were blessed according
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Speaker 1: to the multitude of the promises which the Lord had
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Speaker 1: made unto them. And they did not walk anymore after
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Speaker 1: the performances and ordinances of the Law of Moses. But
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Speaker 1: they did walk after the commandments which they had received
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Speaker 1: from their Lord and their God, continuing in fasting and prayer,
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Speaker 1: and in meeting together oft, both to pray and to
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Speaker 1: hear the word of the Lord. And it came to
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Speaker 1: pass that there was no contention among all the people
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Speaker 1: in all the land. But there were mighty miracles wrought
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Speaker 1: among the disciples of Jesus. And it came to pass
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Speaker 1: that the seventy and first year passed away, and also
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Speaker 1: the seventy and second year yeay, And in fine till
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Speaker 1: the seventy and ninth year had passed away. Yea, even
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Speaker 1: an hundred years had passed away. And the disciples of
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Speaker 1: Jesus whom he had chosen, had all gone to the
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Speaker 1: paradise of God, save it were the three who should tarry.
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Speaker 1: And there were other disciples ordained in their stead. And
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Speaker 1: also many of that generation had passed away. And it
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Speaker 1: came to pass that there was no contention in the
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Speaker 1: land because of the love of God, which did dwell
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Speaker 1: in the hearts of the people. And there were no envyings,
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Speaker 1: nor strifes, no tumults, nor horedoms, nor lyings, nor murders,
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Speaker 1: nor any manner of leschivousness. And surely there could not
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Speaker 1: be a happier people among all the people who had
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Speaker 1: been created by the hand of God. There were no
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Speaker 1: robbers nor murderers. Neither were there Lamanites, nor any manner
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Speaker 1: of heights. But they were in one the children of
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Speaker 1: Christ and heirs to the Kingdom of God. And how
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Speaker 1: blessed were they, for the Lord did bless them in
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Speaker 1: all their doings. Yea, even they were blessed and prospered,
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Speaker 1: until in one hundred and ten years had passed away,
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Speaker 1: and the first generation from Christ had passed away, and
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Speaker 1: there was no contention in all the land. And it
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Speaker 1: came to pass that Nephi, he that kept this last record,
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Speaker 1: and he kept it upon the plates of Nephi, died,
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Speaker 1: and his son Amos kept it in his stead, and
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Speaker 1: he kept it upon the plates of Nephi also, and
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Speaker 1: he kept it eighty and four years, and there was
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Speaker 1: still peace in the land, save it were a small
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Speaker 1: part of the people who had revolted from the Church
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Speaker 1: and taken upon them the name of Lamanites. Therefore there
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Speaker 1: began to be Lamanites again in the land. And it
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Speaker 1: came to pass that Amos died also, And it was
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Speaker 1: one hundred and ninety and four years from the coming
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Speaker 1: of Christ. And his son Amos kept the record in
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Speaker 1: his stead, and he also kept it upon the plates
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Speaker 1: of Nephi. And it was also written in the Book
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Speaker 1: of Nephi, which is this book. And it came to
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Speaker 1: pass that two hundred years had passed away, and the
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Speaker 1: second generation had all passed away, save it were a few.
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Speaker 1: And now I Mormon would that ye should know that
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Speaker 1: the people had multiplied insomuch that they were spread upon
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Speaker 1: all the face of the land, and that they had
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Speaker 1: become exceedingly rich because of their prosperity in Christ. And
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Speaker 1: now in this two hundred and first year, there began
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Speaker 1: to be among them those who were lifted up in pride,
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Speaker 1: such as the wearing of costly apparel and all manner,
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Speaker 1: of fine pearls, and of the fine things of the world.
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Speaker 1: And from that time forth they did have their goods
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Speaker 1: and their substance no more common among them, and they
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Speaker 1: began to divided into classes, and they began to build
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Speaker 1: up churches unto themselves to get gain, and began to
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Speaker 1: deny the True Church of Christ. And it came to
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Speaker 1: pass that when two hundred and ten years had passed away,
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Speaker 1: there were many churches in the land. Yeay, there were
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Speaker 1: many churches which professed to know the Christ. And yet
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Speaker 1: they did deny the more parts of his Gospel, insomuch
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Speaker 1: that they did receive all manner of wickedness, and did
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Speaker 1: administer that which was sacred unto Him, to whom it
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Speaker 1: had been forbidden because of unworthiness. And this church did
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Speaker 1: multiply exceedingly because of iniquity, and because of the power
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Speaker 1: of Satan, who did get hold upon their hearts. And
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Speaker 1: again there was another church which denied the Christ. And
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Speaker 1: they did persecute the True Church of Christ because of
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Speaker 1: their humility and their belief in Christ. And they did
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Speaker 1: despise them because of the many miracles which were wrought
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Speaker 1: among them. Therefore, they did exercise power and authority over
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Speaker 1: the disciples of Jesus who did tarry with them, and
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Speaker 1: they did cast them into prison. But by the power
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Speaker 1: of the Word of God, which was in them, the
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Speaker 1: prisons were rent in twain, and they went forth doing
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Speaker 1: mighty miracles among them. Nevertheless, and notwithstanding all these miracles,
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Speaker 1: the people did harden their hearts and did seek to
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Speaker 1: kill them, even as the Jews at Jerusalem sought to
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Speaker 1: kill Jesus according to his word. And they did cast
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Speaker 1: them into furnaces of fire, and they came forth receiving
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Speaker 1: no harm. And they also cast them into dens of
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Speaker 1: wild beasts, and they did play with the wild beasts,
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Speaker 1: even as a child with a lamb, and they did
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Speaker 1: come forth from among them, receiving no harm. Nevertheless, the
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Speaker 1: people did harden their hearts, for they were led by
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Speaker 1: many priests and false prophets to build up many churches,
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Speaker 1: and to do all manner of iniquity. And they did
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Speaker 1: smite upon the people of Jesus. But the people of
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Speaker 1: Jesus did not smite again. And thus they did dwindle
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Speaker 1: in unbelief and wickedness from year to year, even until
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Speaker 1: two hundred and thirty years had passed away. And now
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Speaker 1: it came to pass in this year. Yeay, in the
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Speaker 1: two hundred and thirty in first year, there was a
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Speaker 1: great division among the people, and it came to pass
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Speaker 1: that in this year there arose a people who were
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Speaker 1: called the Nephites, and they were true believers in Christ.
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Speaker 1: And among them there were those who were called by
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Speaker 1: the Lamanites, Jacobites, Josephites, and Zoramites. Therefore the true believers
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Speaker 1: in Christ and the true worshipers of Christ, among whom
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Speaker 1: were the three disciples of Jesus who should tarry, were
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Speaker 1: called Nephites and Jacobites, and Josephites and Zoramites. And it
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Speaker 1: came to pass that they who rejected the Gospel were
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Speaker 1: called Lamanites and Lemuelites and Ishmaelites. And they did not
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Speaker 1: dwindle in unbelief, but they did wilfully rebel against the
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Speaker 1: Gospel of Christ. And they did teach their children that
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Speaker 1: they should not believe, even as their fathers, from the
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Speaker 1: beginning did dwindle. And it was because of the wickedness
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Speaker 1: and abomination of their fathers, even as it was in
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Speaker 1: the beginning, and they were taught to hate the children
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Speaker 1: of God, even as the Lamanites were taught to hate
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Speaker 1: the children of Nephi from the beginning. And it came
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Speaker 1: to pass that two hundred and forty and four years
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Speaker 1: had passed away, and thus were the affairs of the people,
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Speaker 1: and the more wicked part of the people did wax
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Speaker 1: strong and became exceedingly more numerous than were the people
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Speaker 1: of God. And they did still continue to build up
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Speaker 1: churches unto themselves and adorn them with all manner of
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Speaker 1: precious things. And thus did two hundred and fifty years
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Speaker 1: pass away, and also two hundred and sixty years, and
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Speaker 1: it came to pass that the wicked part of the
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Speaker 1: people began again to build up the secret oaths and
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Speaker 1: combinations of Gadianton. And also the people who were called
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Speaker 1: the people of Nephi began to be proud in their
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Speaker 1: hearts because of their exceeding riches, and become vain like
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Speaker 1: unto their brethren, the Lamanites. And from this time the
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Speaker 1: disciples began to sorrow for the sins of the world.
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Speaker 1: And it came to pass that when three hundred years
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Speaker 1: had passed away, both the people of Nephi and the
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Speaker 1: Lamanites had become exceedingly wicked, one like unto another. And
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Speaker 1: it came to pass that the robbers of Gadianton did
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Speaker 1: spread over all the face of the land, and there
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Speaker 1: were none that were righteous, save it were the disciples
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Speaker 1: of Jesus. And gold and silver did they lay up
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Speaker 1: in store in abundance, and did traffic in all manner
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Speaker 1: of traffic. And it came to pass that after three
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Speaker 1: hundred and five years had passed away, and the people
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Speaker 1: did still remain in wickedness, Amos died, and his brother
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Speaker 1: Amarn did keep the record in his stead. And it
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Speaker 1: came to pass that when three hundred and twenty years
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Speaker 1: had passed away, Amarn, being constrained by the Holy Ghost,
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Speaker 1: did hide up the records which were sacred, yay, even
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Speaker 1: all the sacred records which had been handed down from
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Speaker 1: generation to generation, which were sacred even until the three
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Speaker 1: hundred and twentieth year from the coming of Christ. And
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Speaker 1: he did hide them up unto the Lord, that they
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Speaker 1: might come again unto the remnant of the House of Jacob,
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Speaker 1: according to the prophecies and the promises of the Lord.
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Speaker 1: And thus is the end of the record of a
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Speaker 1: Maren the Book of Mormon Mormon, chapter one. And now
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Speaker 1: I Mormon make a record of the things which I
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Speaker 1: have both seen and heard, and call it the Book
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Speaker 1: of Mormon. And about the time that A Maron hid
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Speaker 1: up the records unto the Lord. He came unto me,
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Speaker 1: I being about ten years of age, and I began
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Speaker 1: to be learned somewhat after the manner of the learning
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Speaker 1: of my people. And a Maren said unto me, I
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Speaker 1: perceive that thou art a sober child and art quick
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Speaker 1: to observe. Therefore, when ye're about twenty four years old,
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Speaker 1: I would that ye should remember the things that ye
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Speaker 1: have observed concerning this people. And when ye are of
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Speaker 1: that age, go to the land Antum unto a hill
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Speaker 1: which shall be called Shim, And there have I deposited
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Speaker 1: unto the Lord, all the sacred engravings concerning this people.
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Speaker 1: And behold, ye shall take the plates of Nephi unto yourself,
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Speaker 1: and the remainder shall ye leave in the place where
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Speaker 1: they are, and ye shall engrave on the plates of
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Speaker 1: Nephi all the things that ye have observed concerning this people.
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Speaker 1: And I Mormon, being a descendant of Nephi, and my
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Speaker 1: father's name was Mormon. I remembered the things which Amarn
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Speaker 1: commanded me. And it came to pass that I, being
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Speaker 1: eleven years old, was carried by my father into the
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Speaker 1: land southward even into the land of Zarahemla. The whole
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Speaker 1: face of the land had become covered with buildings, and
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Speaker 1: the people were as numerous, almost as it were the
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Speaker 1: sand of the sea. And it came to pass in
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Speaker 1: this year there began to be a war between the Nephites,
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Speaker 1: who consisted of the Nephites and the Jacobites, and the
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Speaker 1: Josephites and the Zoramites. And this war was between the
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Speaker 1: Nephites and the Lamanites, and the Lemulites and the Ishmaelites.
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Speaker 1: Now the Lamanites and the Lemulites and the Ishmaelites were
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Speaker 1: called Lamanites, and the two parties were Nephytes and Lamanites.
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Speaker 1: And it came to pass that the war began to
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Speaker 1: be among them in the borders of Zarahemla, by the
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Speaker 1: waters of Sidon. And it came to pass that the
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Speaker 1: Nephites had gathered together a great number of men, even
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Speaker 1: to exceed the number of thirty thousand, And it came
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Speaker 1: to pass that they did have in this same year
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Speaker 1: a number of battles in which the Nephites did beat
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Speaker 1: the Lamanites and did slay many of them. And it
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Speaker 1: came to pass that the Lamanites withdrew their design, and
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Speaker 1: there was peace settled in the land. And peace did
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Speaker 1: remain for the space of about four years, that there
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Speaker 1: was no bloodshed, But wickedness did prevail upon the face
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Speaker 1: of the whole land, insomuch that the Lord did take
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Speaker 1: away his beloved disciples, and the work of miracles and
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Speaker 1: of healing did cease because of the iniquity of the people.
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Speaker 1: And there were no gifts from the Lord, and the
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Speaker 1: holy ghosts did not come upon any because of their
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Speaker 1: wickedness and unbelief. And I being fifteen years of age
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Speaker 1: and being somewhat of a sober mind, therefore I was
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Speaker 1: visited of the Lord and tasted and knew of the
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Speaker 1: goodness of Jesus. And I did endeavor to preach unto
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Speaker 1: this people, but my mouth was shut, and I was
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Speaker 1: forbidden that I should preach unto them, for behold, they
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Speaker 1: had wilfully rebelled against their God, and the beloved disciples
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Speaker 1: were taken away out of the land because of their iniquity.
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Speaker 1: But I did remain among them, but I was forbidden
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Speaker 1: to preach unto them because of the hardness of their hearts,
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Speaker 1: and because of the hardness of their hearts. The land
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Speaker 1: was cursed for their sake, and these gadyanton robbers, who
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Speaker 1: were among the Lamanites, did infest the land insomuch that
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Speaker 1: the inhabitants thereof began to hide up their treasures in
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Speaker 1: the earth, and they became slippery, because the Lord had
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Speaker 1: cursed the land, that they could not hold them nor
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Speaker 1: retain them again. And it came to pass that there
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Speaker 1: were sorceries and witchcrafts and magics, and the power of
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Speaker 1: the evil One was wrought upon all the face of
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Speaker 1: the land, even unto the fulfilling of all the words
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Speaker 1: of Abinadai and also Samuel the Lamanite Mormon, Chapter two.
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Speaker 1: And it came to pass in that same year there
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Speaker 1: began to be a war again between the Nephites and
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Speaker 1: the Lamanites. And notwithstanding I, being young, was large in stature. Therefore,
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Speaker 1: the people of Nephi appointed me that I should be
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Speaker 1: their leader or the leader of their armies. Therefore it
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Speaker 1: came to pass that in my sixteenth year I did
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Speaker 1: go forth at the head of an army of the
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Speaker 1: Nephites against the Lamanites. Therefore, three hundred and twenty and
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Speaker 1: six years had passed away, and it came to pass
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Speaker 1: that in the three one hundred and twenty and seventh year,
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Speaker 1: the Lamanites did come upon us with exceedingly great power,
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Speaker 1: insomuch that they did frighten my armies. Therefore, they would
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Speaker 1: not fight, and they began to retreat towards the north countries.
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Speaker 1: And it came to pass that we did come to
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Speaker 1: the city of Angola, and we did take possession of
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Speaker 1: the city and make preparations to defend ourselves against the Lamanites.
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Speaker 1: And it came to pass that we did fortify the
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Speaker 1: city with our might. But notwithstanding all our fortifications, the
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Speaker 1: Lamanites did come upon us and did drive us out
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Speaker 1: of the city. And they did also drive us forth
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Speaker 1: out of the land of David. And we marched forth
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Speaker 1: and came to the land of Joshua, which was in
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Speaker 1: the borders west by the seashore. And it came to
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Speaker 1: pass that we did gather in our people as fast
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Speaker 1: as it were possible, that we might get them together
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Speaker 1: in one body. But behold, the land was filled with
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Speaker 1: robbers and with Lamanites. And notwithstanding the great destruction which
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Speaker 1: hung over my people, they did not repent of their
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Speaker 1: evil doings. Therefore, there was blood and carnage spread throughout
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Speaker 1: all the face of the land, both on the part
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Speaker 1: of the Nephites and also on the part of the Lamanites.
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Speaker 1: And it was one complete revolution throughout all the face
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Speaker 1: of the land. And now the Lamanites had a king,
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Speaker 1: and his name was Erin, and he came against us
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Speaker 1: with an army of forty and four thousand, and behold,
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Speaker 1: I withstood him with forty and two thousand, And it
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Speaker 1: came to pass that I beat him with my army,
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Speaker 1: that he fled before me. And behold, all this was done,
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Speaker 1: and three hundred and thirty years had passed away, and
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Speaker 1: it came to pass that the Nephites began to repent
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Speaker 1: of their iniquity and began to cry, even as had
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Speaker 1: been prophesied by Samuel the Prophet. For behold, no man
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Speaker 1: could keep that which was his own, for the thieves
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Speaker 1: and the robbers, and the murderers, and the magic art
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Speaker 1: and the witchcraft which was in the land. Thus there
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Speaker 1: began to be a mourning and a lamentation in all
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Speaker 1: the land because of these things, and more especially among
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Speaker 1: the people of Nephi. And it came to pass that
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Speaker 1: when I Mormon saw their lamentation and their mourning and
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Speaker 1: their sorrow before the Lord, my heart did begin to
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Speaker 1: rejoice within me, knowing the mercies and the long suffering
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Speaker 1: of the Lord, therefore supposing that He would be merciful
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Speaker 1: unto them, that they would again become a righteous people.
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Speaker 1: But behold, this my joy was vain. For their sorrowing
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Speaker 1: was not unto repentance because of the goodness of God.
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Speaker 1: But it was rather the sorrowing of the damned, because
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Speaker 1: the Lord would not always suffer them to take happiness
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Speaker 1: in sin. And they did not come unto Jesus with
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Speaker 1: broken hearts and contrite spirits, but they did curse God
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Speaker 1: and wished to die. Nevertheless, they would struggle with the
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Speaker 1: sword for their lives. And it came to pass that
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Speaker 1: my sorrow did return unto me again. And I saw
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Speaker 1: that the day of grace was passed with them, both
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Speaker 1: temporarily and spiritually. For I saw thousands of them hewn
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Speaker 1: down in open rebellion against their God, and heaped up
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Speaker 1: as doune upon the face of the land. And thus
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Speaker 1: three hundred and forty and four years had passed away.
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Speaker 1: And it came to pass that in the three hundred
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Speaker 1: and forty and fifth year, the Nephites did begin to
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Speaker 1: flee before the Lamanites, and they were pursued until they
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Speaker 1: came even to the land of Jayshon, before it was
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Speaker 1: possible to stop them in their retreat. And now the
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Speaker 1: city of Jayshon was near the land where Amaran had
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Speaker 1: deposited the records unto the Lord, that they might not
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Speaker 1: be destroyed. And behold, I had gone according to the
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Speaker 1: word of Amaran and taken the plates of Nephi, and
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Speaker 1: did make a record according to the words of Amaran.
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Speaker 1: And upon the plates of Nephi I did make a
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Speaker 1: full account of all the wickedness and abominations. But upon
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Speaker 1: these plates I did forbear to make a full account
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Speaker 1: of their wickedness and abominations. For behold, a continual scene
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Speaker 1: of wickedness and abominations has been before mine eyes ever
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Speaker 1: since I have been sufficient to behold the ways of man.
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Speaker 1: And woe is me because of their wickedness. For my
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Speaker 1: heart has been filled with sorrow because of their wickedness
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Speaker 1: all my days. Nevertheless, I know that I shall be
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Speaker 1: lifted up at the last day. And it came to
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Speaker 1: pass that in this year the people of Nephi again
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Speaker 1: were hunted and driven, and it came to pass that
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Speaker 1: we were driven forth until we had come northward to
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Speaker 1: the land which was called Shem. And it came to
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Speaker 1: pass that we did fortify the city of m and
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Speaker 1: we did gather in our people as much as it
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Speaker 1: were possible, that perhaps we might save them from destruction.
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Speaker 1: And it came to pass in the three one hundred
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Speaker 1: and forty and sixth year they began to come upon
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Speaker 1: us again, and it came to pass that I did
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Speaker 1: speak unto my people and did urge them with great energy,
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Speaker 1: that they would stand boldly before the Lamanites and fight
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Speaker 1: for their wives and their children, and their houses and
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Speaker 1: their homes. And my words did arouse them somewhat to vigor,
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Speaker 1: insomuch that they did not flee from before the Lamanites,
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Speaker 1: but did stand with boldness against them. And it came
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Speaker 1: to pass that we did contend with an army of
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Speaker 1: thirty thousand against an army of fifty thousand. And it
27:58
Speaker 1: came to pass that we did stand before them with
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Speaker 1: such firmness that they did flee from before us. And
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Speaker 1: it came to pass that when they had fled, we
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Speaker 1: did pursue them with our armies, and did meet them
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Speaker 1: again and did beat them. Nevertheless, the strength of the
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Speaker 1: Lord was not with us, Yea, we were left to ourselves,
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Speaker 1: that the spirit of the Lord did not abide in us.
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Speaker 1: Therefore we had become weak, like unto our brethren. And
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Speaker 1: my heart did sorrow because of this, the great calamity
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Speaker 1: of my people, because of their wickedness and their abominations.
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Speaker 1: But behold, we did go forth against the Lamanites and
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Speaker 1: the robbers of gaddy Anson until we had again taken
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Speaker 1: possession of the lands of our inheritance, and the three
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Speaker 1: hundred and forty and ninth year had passed away. And
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Speaker 1: in the three one hundred and fiftieth year, we made
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Speaker 1: a treaty with the Lamanites and the robbers of gaddy Anton,
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Speaker 1: in which we did get the lands of our inheritance divided,
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Speaker 1: and the Lamanites did give unto us the land northward, Yea,
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Speaker 1: even to the narrow passage which led into the land southward.
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Speaker 1: And we did give unto the Lamanites all the land
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Speaker 1: southward Mormon, chapter three. And it came to pass that
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Speaker 1: the Lamanites did not come to battle again until ten
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Speaker 1: years more had passed away, and behold, I had employed
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Speaker 1: my people, the Nephites, in preparing their lands and their
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Speaker 1: arms against the time of battle. And it came to
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Speaker 1: pass that the Lord did say unto me, cry unto
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Speaker 1: this people, repent ye, and come unto me, and be
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Speaker 1: ye baptized, and build up again my church, and ye
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Speaker 1: shall be spared. And I did cry unto this people.
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Speaker 1: But it was in vain, and they did not realize
30:14
Speaker 1: that it was the Lord that had spared them and
30:17
Speaker 1: granted unto them a chance for repentance. And behold, they
30:23
Speaker 1: did harden their hearts against the Lord their God. And
30:28
Speaker 1: it came to pass that after this tenth year had
30:31
Speaker 1: passed away, making in the hole three hundred and sixty
30:36
Speaker 1: years from the coming of Christ, the king of the
30:39
Speaker 1: Lamanites sent an epistle unto me, which gave unto me
30:44
Speaker 1: to know that they were preparing to come again to
30:48
Speaker 1: battle against us. And it came to pass that I
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Speaker 1: did cause my people that they should gather themselves together
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Speaker 1: at the land desolation, to a city which was in
31:00
Speaker 1: the borders by the narrow pass which led into the
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Speaker 1: land southward. And there we did place our armies that
31:09
Speaker 1: we might stop the armies of the Lamanites, that they
31:12
Speaker 1: might not get possession of any of our lands. Therefore
31:17
Speaker 1: we did fortify them with all our force. And it
31:21
Speaker 1: came to pass that in the three one hundred and
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Speaker 1: sixty and first year, the Lamanites did come down to
31:28
Speaker 1: the city of Desolation to battle against us. And it
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Speaker 1: came to pass that in that year we did beat
31:36
Speaker 1: them insomuch that they did return to their own lands again.
31:42
Speaker 1: And in the three hundred and sixty and second year
31:46
Speaker 1: they did come down again to battle, and we did
31:49
Speaker 1: beat them again, and did slay a great number of them,
31:53
Speaker 1: and they're dead were cast into the sea. And now
31:58
Speaker 1: because of this great thing which my people, the Nephites,
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Speaker 1: had done, they began to boast in their own strength
32:07
Speaker 1: and began to swear before the heavens that they would
32:10
Speaker 1: avenge themselves of the blood of their brethren who had
32:14
Speaker 1: been slain by their enemies. And they did swear by
32:18
Speaker 1: the heavens and also by the Throne of God, that
32:22
Speaker 1: they would go up to battle against their enemies and
32:26
Speaker 1: would cut them off from the face of the land.
32:29
Speaker 1: And it came to pass that I Mormon did utterly
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Speaker 1: refuse from this time forth to be a commander and
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Speaker 1: a leader of this people, because of their wickedness and abomination. Behold,
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Speaker 1: I had led them notwithstanding their wickedness. I had led
32:50
Speaker 1: them many times to battle, and had loved them according
32:54
Speaker 1: to the love of God, which was in me. With
32:57
Speaker 1: all my heart and my soul had been poured out
33:01
Speaker 1: in prayer unto my God all the day long for them. Nevertheless,
33:08
Speaker 1: it was without faith, because of the hardness of their hearts.
33:14
Speaker 1: And thrice have I delivered them out of the hands
33:17
Speaker 1: of their enemies. And they have repented not of their sins.
33:23
Speaker 1: And when they had sworn by all that had been
33:26
Speaker 1: forbidden them by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, that
33:31
Speaker 1: they would go up unto their enemies to battle and
33:35
Speaker 1: avenge themselves of the blood of their brethren, Behold, the
33:39
Speaker 1: voice of the Lord came unto me, saying, vengeance is mine,
33:45
Speaker 1: and I will repay. And because this people repented not
33:51
Speaker 1: after I had delivered them, Behold, they shall be cut
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Speaker 1: off from the face of the earth. And it came
34:01
Speaker 1: to pass that I utterly refused to go up against
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Speaker 1: mine enemies. And I did even as the Lord had
34:09
Speaker 1: commanded me, and I did stand as an idol witness
34:13
Speaker 1: to manifest unto the world the things which I saw
34:18
Speaker 1: and heard, according to the manifestations of the Spirit which
34:23
Speaker 1: had testified of things to come. Therefore I write unto
34:29
Speaker 1: you gentiles, and also unto you house of Israel, when
34:35
Speaker 1: the work shall commence, that ye shall be about to
34:38
Speaker 1: prepare to return to the land of your inheritance. Yea, behold,
34:45
Speaker 1: I write unto all the ends of the earth. Yea,
34:49
Speaker 1: unto you twelve tribes of Israel, who shall be judged
34:54
Speaker 1: according to your works by the twelve whom Jesus chose
34:58
Speaker 1: to be his disciple in the land of Jerusalem. And
35:03
Speaker 1: I write also unto the remnant of this people, who
35:07
Speaker 1: shall also be judged by the twelve whom Jesus chose
35:12
Speaker 1: in this land. And they shall be judged by the
35:15
Speaker 1: other twelve whom Jesus chose in the land of Jerusalem.
35:20
Speaker 1: And these things doth the Spirit manifest unto me. Therefore
35:26
Speaker 1: I write unto you all. And for this cause I
35:31
Speaker 1: write unto you, that ye may know that ye must
35:34
Speaker 1: all stand before the judgment seed of Christ. YEA, every
35:40
Speaker 1: soul who belongs to the whole human family of Adam,
35:45
Speaker 1: and ye must stand to be judged of your works,
35:49
Speaker 1: whether they be good or evil. And also that ye
35:54
Speaker 1: may believe the Gospel of Jesus Christ, which ye shall
35:58
Speaker 1: have among you. And also that the Jews, the covenant
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Speaker 1: people of the Lord, shall have other witness besides Him
36:07
Speaker 1: whom they saw and heard, that Jesus, whom they slew,
36:13
Speaker 1: was the very Christ and the very God. And I
36:18
Speaker 1: would that I could persuade all ye ends of the
36:22
Speaker 1: earth to repent and prepare to stand before the judgment
36:28
Speaker 1: seat of Christ. End of fourth Nephi to Mormon, chapter
36:35
Speaker 1: four