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47 - Book of Mormon - Joseph Smith Jr · Sacred Texts Archive

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Third Nephi, Chapters one through four. Third Nephi Chapter one. Now it
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came to pass that the ninety and first year had passed away, and it
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was six hundred years from the time that Lehi left Jerusalem. And it was
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in the year that Laconius was the chief judge and governor over the land,
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and Nephi, the son of Helaman, had departed out of the land of
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Zarahemla, giving charge unto his son Nephi, who was his eldest son,
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concerning the plates of brass, and all the records which had been kept,
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and all those things which had been kept sacred from the departure of Lehi out
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of Jerusalem. Then he departed out of the land, and whither he went
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no man knoweth, and his son Nephi to keep the records in his stead,
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Yea, the records of this people. And it came to pass that
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in the commencement of the ninety and second year, behold the prophecies of the
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prophets began to be fulfilled more fully, for there began to be greater signs,
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in greater miracles wrought among the people. But there were some who began
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to say that the time was passed for the words to be fulfilled which were
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spoken by Samuel the Lamanite, and they began to rejoice over their brethren,
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saying, behold, the time is passed, and the words of Samuel are
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not fulfilled. Therefore your joy and your faith concerning this thing hath been vain.
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And it came to pass that they did make a great uproar throughout the
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land, and the people who believed began to be very sorrowful, lest by
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any means those things which had been spoken might not come to pass. But
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behold, they did watch steadfastly for that day and that night and that day,
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which should be as one day as if there were no night, that
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they might know that their faith had not been vain. Now it came to
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pass that there was a day set apart by the unbelievers, that all those
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who believed in those tradition should be put to death, except the sign should
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come to pass which had been given by Samuel the Prophet. Now it came
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to pass that when Nephi, the son of Nephi, saw this wickedness of
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his people, his heart was exceedingly sorrowful. And it came to pass that
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he went out and bowed himself down upon the earth, and cried mightily to
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his God in behalf of his people, yea, those who were about to
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be destroyed because of their faith in the tradition of their fathers. And it
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came to pass that he cried mightily unto the Lord all that day. And
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behold the voice of the Lord came unto him, saying, lift up your
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head and be of good cheer, For behold, the time is at hand,
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and on this night shall the sign be given. And on the morrow
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come I into the world, to show into the world that I will fulfill
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all that which I have caused to be spoken by the mouth of my holy
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prophets. Behold, I come unto my own to fulfill all things which I
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have made known unto the children of men from the foundation of the world,
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and to do the will both of the Father and of the Son of the
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Father, because of Me and of the Son, because of my flesh.
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And behold, the time is at hand, and this night shall the sign
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be given. And it came to pass that the words which came unto Nephi
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were fulfilled according as they had been spoken. For behold, at the going
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down of the sun, there was no darkness, and the people began to
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be astonished because there was no darkness when the night came, and there were
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many who had not believed the words of the prophets, who fell to the
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earth and became as if they were dead, for they knew that the great
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plan of destruction which they had laid for those who believed in the words of
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the prophets had been frustrated, for the sign which had been given was already
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at hand, and they began to know that the Son of God must shortly
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appear. Yea in fine all the people upon the face of the whole earth,
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from the west to the east, both in the land north and in
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the land south, were so exceedingly astonished that they fell to the earth,
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for they knew that the prophets had testified of these things for many years,
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and that the sign which had been given was already at hand. And they
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began to fear because of their iniquity and their unbelief. And it came to
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pass that there was no darkness in all that night, but it was as
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light as though it was mid day. And it came to pass that the
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sun did rise in the morning again. According to its proper order, and
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they knew that it was the day that the Lord should be born because of
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the sign which had been given. And it had come to pass, yea
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all things, every whit according to the words of the prophets. And it
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came to pass also that a new star did appear according to the word.
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And it came to pass that from this time forth there began to be lyings
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sent forth among the people by Satan to harden their hearts, to the intent
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that they might not believe in those signs and wonders which they had seen.
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But notwithstanding these lyings and deceivings, the more part of the people did believe
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and were converted unto the Lord. And it came to pass that Nephi went
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forth among the people, and also many others baptizing unto repentance, in the
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which there was a great remission of sins. And thus the people began again
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to have peace in the land, and there were no contentions, save it
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were a few that began to preach endeavoring to prove by the scriptures that it
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was no more expedient to observe the law of Moses. Now in this thing
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they did er, having not understood the scriptures. But it came to pass
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that they soon became converted and were convinced of the error which they were in.
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For it was made known unto them that the law was not yet fulfilled,
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and that it must be fulfilled in every whit. Yea, the word
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came unto them that it must be fulfilled. Yea, that one jot or
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tittle should not pass away till it should all be fulfilled. Therefore, in
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this same year were they brought to a knowledge of their error, and did
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confess their faults. And thus the ninety and second year did pass away,
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bringing glad tidings unto the people. Because of the signs which did come to
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pass according to the words of the prophecy of all the holy prophets. Then
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it came to pass that the ninety and third year did also pass away in
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peace, save it were for the Gadyatin robbers who dwelt upon the mountains,
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who did infest the land, For so strong were their holds in their secret
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places that the people could not overpower them. Therefore they did commit many murders
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and did do much slaughter among the people. And it came to pass that
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in the ninety and fourth year, they began to increase in great degree,
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because there were many dissenters of the Nephites who did flee unto them, which
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did cause much sorrow unto those Nephyites who did remain in the land. And
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there was also a cause of much sorrow among the Lamanites, for behold,
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they had many children who did grow up and began to whack strong in years
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that they became for themselves, and were led away by some who were Zoramites
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by their lyings and their flattering words, to join those gadyantin robbers. And
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thus were the Lamanites afflicted also, and began to decrease as to their faith
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and righteousness because of the wickedness of the rising generation Third Nephi, Chapter two.
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And it came to pass that thus passed away the ninety and fifth year
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also, and the people began to forget those signs and wonders which they had
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heard, and began to be less and less astonished at a sign or a
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wonder from heaven, insomuch that they began to be hard in their hearts and
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blind in their minds, and begin to disbelieve all which they had heard and
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seen. Imagining up some vain thing in their hearts, that it was wrought
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by men and by the power of the devil, to lead away and deceive
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the hearts of the people. And thus did Satan get possession of the hearts
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of the people again, insomuch that he did blind their eyes and lead them
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away to believe that the doctrine of Christ was a foolish and a vain thing.
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And it came to pass that the people began to wax strong in wickedness
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and abominations, and they did not believe that there should be any more signs
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or wonders given. And Satan did go about leading away the hearts of the
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people, tempting them and causing them that they should do great wickedness in the
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land. And thus did pass away. The ninety and sixth year, and
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also the ninety and seventh year, and also the ninety and eighth year,
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and also the ninety and ninth year, and also an hundred years had passed
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away since the days of Mosiah, who was king over the people of the
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Nephites, And six hundred and nine years had passed away since Lehi left Jerusalem,
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and nine years had passed away from the time when the sign was given,
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which was spoken of by the prophets, that Christ should come into the
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world. Now the Nephites began to reckon their time from this period when the
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sign was given, or from the coming of Christ. Therefore nine years had
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passed away, and Nephi, who was the father of Nephi, who had
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the charge of the records, did not return to the land and of Zarahemla,
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and could nowhere be found in all the land. And it came to
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pass that the people did still remain in wickedness, notwithstanding the much preaching and
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prophesying which was sent among them, and thus passed away. The tenth year
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also and the eleventh year also passed away in iniquity, and it came to
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pass in the thirteenth year there began to be wars and contentions throughout all the
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land. For the Gadyatin robbers had become so numerous, and did slay so
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many of the people, and did lay waste so many cities, and had
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spread so much death and carnage throughout the land, that it became expedient that
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all the people, both the Nephites and the Lamanites, should take up arms
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against them. Therefore, all the Lamanites who had become converted unto the Lord
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did unite with their brethren, the Nephites, and were compelled for the safety
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of their lives and their women and their children to take up arms against those
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gadyantine robbers Yea, and also to maintain their rights and the privileges of their
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church and of their worship, and their freedom and their liberty. And it
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came to pass that before this thirteenth year had passed away, the Nephites were
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threatened with utter destruction because of this war, which had become exceedingly sore.
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And it came to pass that those Lamanites who had united with the Nephites were
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numbered among the Nephites, and their curse was taken from them, and their
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skin became white, likened to the Nephites, and their young men and their
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daughters became exceedingly fair, and they were numbered among the Nephites and were called
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Nephytes. And thus ended the thirteenth year, and it came to pass in
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the commencement of the fourteenth year the war between the robbers and the people of
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Nephi did to continue, and had become exceedingly sore. Nevertheless, the people
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of Nephi did gain some advantage of the robbers in so much that they did
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drive them back out of their lands, into the mountains and into their secret
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places. And thus ended the fourteenth year. And in the fifteenth year they
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did come forth against the people of Nephi. And because of the wickedness of
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the people of Nephi and their many contentions and dissensions, the gadientin robbers did
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gain many advantages over them, and thus ended the fifteenth year. And thus
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were the people in a state of many afflictions, and the sword of destruction
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did hang over them insomuch that they were about to be smitten down by it.
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And this because of their iniquity Third Nephi, Chapter three. And now
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it came to pass that in the sixteenth year, from the coming of Christ,
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Laconius, the governor of the land, received an epistle from the leader
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and the governor of this band of robbers. And these were the words which
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were written, saying, Laconius, most noble and chief governor of the land.
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Behold, I write this epistle unto you and to give unto you exceedingly
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great praise because of your firmness and also the firmness of your people in maintaining
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that which He supposed to be your right and liberty. Yea ye do stand
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well as if ye were supported by the hand of a God, in the
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defense of your liberty and your property and your country, or that which ye
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do call so. And it seemeth a pity to me, most noble Laconius,
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that ye should be so foolish and vain as to suppose that ye can
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stand against so many brave men who are at my command, who do now
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at this time stand in their arms, and do await with great anxiety for
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the word go down upon the nephytes and destroy them, and knowing of their
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unconquerable spirit, having proved them in the field of battle, and knowing of
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their everlasting hatred towards you because of the many wrongs which ye have done unto
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them. Therefore, if they should come down against you, they would visit
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you with utter destruction. Therefore I have written this epistle, sealing it with
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mine own hand, feeling for your welfare, because of your firmness and that
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which you believed to be right and your noble spirit in the field of battle.
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Therefore I write unto you, desiring that ye would yield up unto this
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my people, your cities, your lands, and your possessions, rather than
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that they should visit you with the sword and that destruction should come upon you,
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or in other words, yield up yourselves unto us, and unite with
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us, and become acquainted with our secret works, and become our brethren,
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that ye may be like unto us, not our slaves, but our brethren
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and partners of all our substance. And behold, I swear unto you,
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if ye will do this with oath, ye shall not be destroyed. But
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if ye will not do this, I swear unto you with an oath that
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on the morrow month I will command that my armies shall come down against you,
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and they shall not stay their hand, and shall spare not, but
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shall slay you, and shall let fall the sword upon you even until ye
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shall become extinct. And behold, I am Gideon, hi, and I
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am the governor of this the secret Society of Gadianton which society and the works
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thereof I know to be good, and they are of ancient date, and
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they have been handed down unto us. And I write this epistle unto you
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Laconius, and I hope that ye will deliver up your lands and your possessions
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without the shedding of blood, that this my people may recover their rights and
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government, who have descended away from you because of your wickedness in retaining from
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them their rights of government. And except ye do this, I will avenge
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their wrongs. I am Gideon Hi, and now I came to pass.
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When Laconius received this epistle, he was exceedingly astonished because of the boldness of
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Gideon Hi demanding the possession of the land of the Nephites, and also of
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threatening the people and avenging the wrongs of those who had received no wrong,
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save it were they had wronged themselves by dissenting away unto those wicked and abominable
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robbers. Now behold this. Laconius, the governor, was a just man
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and could not be frightened by the demands and the threatenings of a robber.
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Therefore he did not hearken to the epistle of Gideon Hi, the governor of
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the robbers. But he had cause that his people should cry into the Lord
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for strength against the time that the robbers should come down against them. Yea,
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he sent a proclamation among all the people, that they should gather together
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their women and their children, their flocks, and their herds, and all
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their substance, save it were their land unto one place. And he caused
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that fortifications should be built round about them, and the strength thereof should be
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exceedingly great. And he caused that armies, both of the Nephites and of
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the Lamanites, or of all them who were numbered among the Nephytes, should
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be placed as guards round about, to watch them and to guard them from
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the robbers day and night. Yea, he said unto them, as the
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Lord liveth, except ye repent of all your iniquities and cry unto the Lord,
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ye will in no wise be delivered out of the hands of those gadiant
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and robbers. And so great and marvelous were the words and prophecies of Laconius,
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that they did cause fear to come upon all the people, and they
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did exert themselves in their might to do according to the words of Laconius.
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And it came to pass that Laconius did appoint chief captains over all the armies
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of the Nephites, to command them at the time that the robbers should come
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down out of the wilderness against them. Now, the chiefest among all the
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chief captains, and the great commander of the armies of the Nephyites, was
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a pointed and his name was Gidgadonai. Now it was the custom among all
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the Nephites to appoint for their chief captains, save it were in their times
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of wickedness, someone that had the spirit of revelation and also prophecy. Therefore,
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this Gidgadonai, was a great prophet among them, as also was the
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chief judge. Now the people said, unto Gidgadonai, pray unto the Lord,
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and let us go up unto the mountains and into the wilderness, that
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we may fall upon the robbers and destroy them in their own lands. But
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Gidgadonai said, unto them, the Lord forbid, for if we should go
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against them, the Lord would deliver us into their hands. Therefore, we
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will prepare ourselves in the center of our lands, and we will gather all
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our armies together, and we will not go against them, but we will
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wait till they shall come against us. Therefore, as the Lord liveth,
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if we do this, he will deliver them into our hands. It came
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to pass in the seventeenth year. In the latter end of the year,
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the proclamation of Laconius had gone forth throughout all the face of the land,
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and they had taken their horses and their chariots, and their cattle, and
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all their flocks, and their herds, and their grain, and all their
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substance, and did march forth by thousands and by tens of thousands, until
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they had all gone forth to the place which had been appointed that they should
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gather themselves together to defend themselves against their enemies. And the land which was
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appointed was the land of Zarahemla, and the land which was between the land
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Zarahemla and the land Bountiful yea to the line which was between the land Bountiful
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and the land Desolation. And there were a great many thousand people who were
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called nephytes, who did gather themselves together in this land. Now Laconius did
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cause that they should gather themselves together in the land southward, because of the
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great curse which was upon the land northward. And they did fortify themselves against
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their enemies. And they did dwell in one land and in one body,
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and they did fear the words which had been spoken by Laconius insomuch that they
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did repent of all their sins, and they did put up their prayers unto
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the Lord their God, that he would deliver them in the time that their
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enemies should come down against them to battle. And they were exceedingly sorrowful because
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of their enemies. And Gidgadoni did cause that they should make weapons of war
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of every kind, and they should be strong with armor, and with shields,
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and with bucklers, after the manner of his instruction Third Nephi, Chapter
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four. And it came to pass that in the latter end of the eighteenth
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year, those armies of robbers had prepared for battle, and began to come
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down and to sally forth from the hills and out of the mountains in the
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wilderness and their strongholds in their secret places, and began to take possession of
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the lands, both which were in the land south and which were in the
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land north, and began to take possession of all the lands which had been
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deserted by the Nephites, and the cities which had been left desolate. But
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behold, there were no beasts nor wild game in those lands which had been
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deserted by the Nephites, and there was no game for the robbers, save
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it were in the wilderness. And the robbers could not exist save it were
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in the wilderness for the want of food. For the Nephites had left their
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lands desolate, and had gathered their flocks and their herds and all their substance,
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and they were in one body. Therefore there was no chance for the
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robbers to plunder and to obtain food, save it were to come up in
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open battle against the Nephites, and the Nephites, being in one body,
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and having so great a number, and having reserved for themselves visions and horses
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and cattle and flocks of every kind, that they might subsist for the space
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of seven years, in which time they did hope to destroy the robbers from
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off the face of the land. And thus the eighteenth year did pass away,
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and it came to pass that in the nineteenth year Gideonhai found that it
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was expedient that he should go up to battle against the Nephites, for there
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was no way that they could subsist, save it were to plunder and rob
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and murder, and they durst not spread themselves upon the face of the land,
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insomuch that they could raise grain, lest the Nephyites should come upon them
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and slay them. Therefore, Gideonhai gave commandment unto his armies that in this
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year they should go up to battle against the Nephites. And it came to
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pass that they did come up to battle, And it was in the sixth
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month. And behold, great and terrible was the day that they did come
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up to battle. For they were girded about after the manner of robbers,
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and they had a lamb skin about their loins, and they were dyed in
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blood, and their heads were shorn, and they had head plates upon them.
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And great and terrible was the appearance of the armies of Gadeonhi, because
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of their armor, and because of their being died in blood. And it
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came to pass that the armies of the Nephites, when they saw the appearance
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of the army of Gideonhai, had all fallen to the earth and had lift
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their cries to the Lord their god, that he would spare them and deliver
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them out of the hands of their enemies. And it came to pass that
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when the armies of Gideonhai saw this, they began to shout with a loud
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voice, because of their joy, for they had supposed that the Nephites had
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fallen with fear because of the terror of their armies. But in this thing
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they were disappointed, for the Nephites did not fear them, but they did
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fear their God, and did supplicate him for protection. Therefore, when the
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armies of Gideonhai did rush upon them, they were prepared to meet them.
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Yea, in the strength of the Lord, they did receive them, and
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the battle commenced in this the sixth month. And great and terrible was the
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battle thereof Yea. Great and terrible was the slaughter thereof insomuch that there never
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was known so great a slaughter among all the people of Lehi since he left
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Jerusalem. And notwithstanding the threatenings and the oaths which Gideonhai had made behold,
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the Nephites did beat them, insomuch that they did fall back from before them.
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And it came to pass that Gidgadonai commanded that his armies should pursue them
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as far as the borders of the wilderness, and that they should not spare
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any that should fall into their hands by the way. And thus they did
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pursue them and did slay them to the borders of the wilderness, even until
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they had fulfilled the commandment of Gidgadona. And it came to pass that Gideonhai,
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who had stood and fought with boldness, was pursued as he fled,
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and being weary because of his much fighting, he was overtaken and slain.
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And thus was the end of Gideonhi the Robber. And it came to pass
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that the armies of the Nephiites did return again to their place of security.
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And it came to pass that this nineteenth year did pass away, and the
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robbers did not come again to battle. Neither did they come again in the
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twentieth year, And in the twenty and first year they did not come up
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to battle, but they came up on all sides till lay siege round about
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the people of Nephi. For they did suppose that if they should cut off
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the people of Nephi from their lands, and should hem them in on every
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side, and if they should cut them off from all their outward privileges,
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that they could cause them to yield themselves up according to their wishes. Now
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they had appointed unto themselves another leader whose name was zem Nariha Therefore it was
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zem Nariha that did cause that this siege should take place. But behold,
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this was an advantage to the Nephites, for it was impossible for the Robbers
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to lay siege sufficiently long to have any effect upon the Nephites, because of
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their much provision which they had laid up in store, and because of the
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scantiness of provisions among the robbers, For behold, they had nothing save it
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were meat for their subsistence, which meet they did obtain in the wilderness.
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And it came to pass that the wild game became scarce in the wilderness insomuch
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that the robbers were about to perish with hunger, and the Nephites were continually
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marching out by day and by night, and falling upon their armies, cutting
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them off by thousands and by tens of thousands. And thus it became the
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desire of the people of Zemnariha to withdraw from their design because of the great
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destruction which came upon them by night and by day. And it came to
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pass that zem Naraiha did give command unto his people that they should withdraw themselves
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from the siege and march into the furthermost parts of the land northward. And
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now Gidgadonai, being aware of their design and knowing of their weakness because of
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the want of food and the great slaughter which had been made among them,
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therefore he did send out his armies in the night time, and did cut
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off the way of their retreat, and did place his armies in the way
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of their retreat. And this did they do in the night time, and
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got on their march beyond the robbers, so that on the morrow, when
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the robbers began their march, they were met by the armies of the Nephites,
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both in the front and in the rear. And the robbers who were
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on the south were also cut off in their places of retreat. And all
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these things were done by command of Gidgadonae. And there were many thousands who
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did yield themselves up prisoners unto the Nephites, and the remainder of them were
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slain, and their leaders, Zevnarihah was taken and hanged upon a tree yea
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even upon the top thereof until he was dead. And when they had hanged
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him until he was dead, they did fell the tree to the earth and
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did cry with a loud voice, saying, may the Lord preserve his people
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in righteousness and in holiness of heart, that they may cause to be felled
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to the earth all who shall seek to slay them because of power and secret
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combinations, even as this man hath been felled to the earth. And they
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did rejoice and cry again with one voice, saying, may the God of
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Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob protect this
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people in righteousness, so long as they shall call on the name of their
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God for protection. And it came to pass that they did break forth all
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as one in singing and praising their God for them the great thing which He
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had done for them, in preserving them from falling into the hands of their
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enemies. Yea, they did cry Hosanna to the Most High God. And
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they did cry, blessed be the name of the Lord God Almighty, the
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Most High God. And their hearts were swollen with joy, unto the gushing
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out of many tears, because of the great goodness of God in delivering them
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out of the hands of their enemies. And they knew it was because of
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their repentance and their humility that they had been delivered from an everlasting destruction.
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End of Third Nephi chapters one through four,