Latest / Philosophy and Faith / 43 - Book of Mormon - Joseph Smith Jr

Transcript

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

0:00
Speaker 1: Helimann Chapter one. And now behold, it came to pass
0:05
Speaker 1: in the commencement of the fortieth year of the reign
0:07
Speaker 1: of the judges over the people of Nephi, there began
0:10
Speaker 1: to be a serious difficulty among the people of the Nephites.
0:13
Speaker 1: For behold, Pohoran had died and gone the way of
0:17
Speaker 1: all the earth. Therefore there began to be a serious
0:20
Speaker 1: contention concerning who should have the judgment seat among the brethren.
0:24
Speaker 1: Who were the sons of Pohoran, Now these are their names,
0:27
Speaker 1: who did contend for the judgment seat, who did also
0:30
Speaker 1: cause the people to contend Pohoran, Peanchi, and Pehumenae. Now
0:36
Speaker 1: these are not all the sons of Pohoran, for he
0:39
Speaker 1: had many. But these are they who did contend for
0:41
Speaker 1: the judgment seat. Therefore they did cause three divisions among
0:45
Speaker 1: the people. Nevertheless, it came to pass that Pohoran was
0:48
Speaker 1: appointed by the voice of the people to be chief
0:50
Speaker 1: judge and a governor over the people of Nephi. And
0:53
Speaker 1: it came to pass that Pekhumenaie. When he saw that
0:56
Speaker 1: he could not obtain the judgment seat, he did unite
0:59
Speaker 1: with the voice of the people. But behold, Peyankai, and
1:03
Speaker 1: that part of the people that were desirous that he
1:05
Speaker 1: should be their governor, was exceedingly wroth. Therefore, he was
1:09
Speaker 1: about to flatter away those people to rise up in
1:11
Speaker 1: rebellion against their brethren. And it came to pass as
1:15
Speaker 1: he was about to do this. Behold, he was taken
1:17
Speaker 1: and was tried according to the voice of the people,
1:19
Speaker 1: and condemned unto death, for he had raised up in
1:22
Speaker 1: rebellion and sought to destroy the liberty of the people. Now,
1:27
Speaker 1: when those people who were desirous that he should be
1:29
Speaker 1: their governor saw that he was condemned unto death, therefore
1:32
Speaker 1: they were angry. And behold they sent forth one Kishkumen
1:36
Speaker 1: even to the judgment seat of Pohoran, and murdered Pohoran
1:40
Speaker 1: as he sat upon the judgment seat. And he was
1:43
Speaker 1: pursued by the servants of Pohoran. But behold, so speedy
1:46
Speaker 1: was the flight of Kishkumen, that no man could overtake him.
1:50
Speaker 1: And he went unto those that sent him, and they
1:53
Speaker 1: all entered into a covenant yea, swearing by their everlasting
1:57
Speaker 1: maker that they would tell no man that kishkum and
2:00
Speaker 1: had murdered Pohoran. Therefore, Kishkumen was not known among the
2:04
Speaker 1: people of Nephi, for he was in disguise at the
2:07
Speaker 1: time that he murdered Pohoran. And Kishkumen and his band,
2:11
Speaker 1: who had covenant with him, did mingle themselves among the
2:15
Speaker 1: people in a manner that they all could not be found.
2:18
Speaker 1: But as many as were found were condemned unto death.
2:22
Speaker 1: And now behold, Pecumenai was appointed according to the voice
2:25
Speaker 1: of the people to be a chief judge and a
2:27
Speaker 1: governor over the people, to reign in the stead of
2:30
Speaker 1: his brother Pohoran. And it was according to his right.
2:34
Speaker 1: And all this was done in the fortieth year of
2:36
Speaker 1: the reign of the Judges, and it had an end.
2:39
Speaker 1: And it came to pass in the fortian first year
2:41
Speaker 1: of the reign of the Judges, that the Lamanites had
2:43
Speaker 1: gathered together an innumerable army of men and armed them
2:46
Speaker 1: with swords and with scimeters, and with bows, and with arrows,
2:49
Speaker 1: and with head plates and with breastplates, and with all
2:51
Speaker 1: manner of shields of every kind. And they came down
2:54
Speaker 1: again that they might pitch battle against the Nephites. And
2:57
Speaker 1: they were led by a man whose name was Koreyanthe
3:00
Speaker 1: and he was a descendant of Zarahemla, and he was
3:03
Speaker 1: a dissenter from among the Nephites, and he was a
3:06
Speaker 1: large and a mighty man. Therefore, the king of the Lamanites,
3:10
Speaker 1: whose name was Tubelath, who was the son of Amaron,
3:13
Speaker 1: supposing that Korantimer, being a mighty man, could stand against
3:17
Speaker 1: the Nephites with his strength and also with his great wisdom,
3:21
Speaker 1: insomuch that by sending him forth he should gain power
3:24
Speaker 1: over the Nephytes. Therefore he did stir them up to anger,
3:27
Speaker 1: and he to gather together his armies, and he did
3:29
Speaker 1: appoint Koorantimer to be their leader, and had caused that
3:32
Speaker 1: they should march down to the land of Zarahemla to
3:35
Speaker 1: battle against the Nephites. And it came to pass that,
3:38
Speaker 1: because of so much contention and so much difficulty in
3:41
Speaker 1: the government, that they had not kept sufficient guards in
3:44
Speaker 1: the land of Zarahemla, for they had supposed that the
3:47
Speaker 1: Lamanites durst not come into the heart of their lands
3:50
Speaker 1: to attack that great city, Zarahemla. But it came to
3:54
Speaker 1: pass that Koreantimer did march forth at the head of
3:57
Speaker 1: his numerous host, and came upon the inhabitants of the city,
4:01
Speaker 1: and their march was with such exceedingly great speed that
4:04
Speaker 1: there was no time for the Nephites to gather together
4:06
Speaker 1: their armies. Therefore, Kreantamer did cut down the watch by
4:10
Speaker 1: the entrance of the city, and had marched forth with
4:13
Speaker 1: his whole army into the city. And they did slay
4:16
Speaker 1: every one who did oppose them, insomuch that they did
4:18
Speaker 1: take possession of the whole city. And it came to
4:21
Speaker 1: pass that Pecumenaie, who was the chief judge, did flee
4:24
Speaker 1: before Coriantomer, even to the walls of the city. And
4:27
Speaker 1: it came to pass that Kriantamer did smite him against
4:30
Speaker 1: the wall, insomuch that he died, and thus ended the
4:33
Speaker 1: days of Peicumenae. And now when Coriantamer saw that he
4:37
Speaker 1: was in possession of the city of Zarahemla, and saw
4:40
Speaker 1: that the Nephites had fled before them and were slain,
4:43
Speaker 1: and were taken and were cast into prison, and that
4:46
Speaker 1: he had obtained the possession of the strongest hold in
4:48
Speaker 1: all the land, his heart took courage insomuch that he
4:52
Speaker 1: was about to go forth against all the land. And
4:55
Speaker 1: now he did not tarry in the land of Zarahemla.
4:57
Speaker 1: But he did march forth with a large army, even
5:00
Speaker 1: towards the city of Bountiful. For it was his determination
5:03
Speaker 1: to go forth and cut his way through with the sword,
5:06
Speaker 1: that he might obtain the north parts of the land.
5:09
Speaker 1: And supposing that their greatest strength was in the center
5:12
Speaker 1: of the land, therefore he did march forth, giving them
5:15
Speaker 1: no time to assemble themselves together, save it were in
5:18
Speaker 1: small bodies. And in this manner they did fall upon
5:20
Speaker 1: them and cut them down to the earth. But behold,
5:24
Speaker 1: this march of choreantomer through the center of the land
5:27
Speaker 1: gave Moroniha great advantage over them, notwithstanding the greatness of
5:31
Speaker 1: the number of the Nephites that were slain. For behold,
5:34
Speaker 1: Moroniha had supposed that the Lamanites durst not come into
5:37
Speaker 1: the center of the land, but that they would attack
5:40
Speaker 1: the cities round about and the borders, as they had
5:42
Speaker 1: hitherto done. Therefore, Moroniha had caused that their strong armies
5:46
Speaker 1: should maintain those parts round about by the borders. But behold,
5:51
Speaker 1: the Lamanites were not frightened according to his desire. But
5:54
Speaker 1: they had come into the center of the land and
5:56
Speaker 1: had taken the capital city, which was the city of Zarahemla,
5:59
Speaker 1: and were marching through the most capital parts of the land,
6:03
Speaker 1: slaying the people with a great slaughter, both men, women
6:07
Speaker 1: and children, taking possession of many cities and of many strongholds.
6:12
Speaker 1: But when Marooniha had discovered this, he immediately sent forth
6:15
Speaker 1: Lehi with an army round about to head them before
6:17
Speaker 1: they should come to the land bountiful. And thus he did,
6:21
Speaker 1: and he did head them before they came to the
6:23
Speaker 1: land bountiful, and gave unto them battle insomuch that they
6:26
Speaker 1: began to retreat back towards the land of Zarahemla. And
6:30
Speaker 1: it came to pass that Moraniha did head them in
6:33
Speaker 1: their retreat and did give unto them battle, insomuch that
6:36
Speaker 1: it became an exceedingly bloody battle. Yea many were slain,
6:41
Speaker 1: And among the people who were slain, kriantomer was also found.
6:45
Speaker 1: And now behold, the Lamanites could not retreat either way,
6:48
Speaker 1: neither on the north, nor on the south, nor on
6:51
Speaker 1: the east, nor on the west, for they were surrounded
6:54
Speaker 1: on every hand by the Nephites, and thus had a
6:57
Speaker 1: koorantomer plunged the Lamanites into the mist to the Nephites,
7:01
Speaker 1: insomuch that they were in the power of the Nephytes,
7:04
Speaker 1: and he himself was slain, and the Lamanites to yield
7:07
Speaker 1: themselves up into the hands of the Nephytes. And it
7:11
Speaker 1: came to pass that Moroniha took possession of the city
7:13
Speaker 1: of Zarahemla again and caused the Lamanites, who had been
7:17
Speaker 1: taken prisoners, should depart out of the land in peace.
7:21
Speaker 1: And thus ended the forty and first year of the
7:23
Speaker 1: reign of the Judges Heliman Chapter two. And it came
7:28
Speaker 1: to pass and the forty and second year of the
7:30
Speaker 1: reign of the Judges, after Moroniha had established again peace
7:34
Speaker 1: between the Nephites and the Lamanites, Behold, there was no
7:37
Speaker 1: one to fill the judgment seat. Therefore, there began to
7:40
Speaker 1: be a contention again among the people concerning who should
7:43
Speaker 1: fill the judgment seat. And it came to pass that Heliman,
7:46
Speaker 1: who was the son of Heliman, was appointed to fill
7:49
Speaker 1: the judgment seat by the voice of the people. But behold, Kishkumen,
7:54
Speaker 1: who had murdered Pohoran, did lay weight to destroy Heliman also,
7:58
Speaker 1: and he was upheld by his band, who had entered
8:01
Speaker 1: into a covenant that no one should know his wickedness.
8:05
Speaker 1: For there was one Gadianton who was exceedingly expert in
8:09
Speaker 1: many words and also in his craft to carry on
8:12
Speaker 1: the secret work of murder and of robbery. Therefore he
8:16
Speaker 1: became the leader of the band of Kishkumen. Therefore he
8:19
Speaker 1: did flatter them, and also Kishkumen, that if they would
8:21
Speaker 1: place him in the judgment seat, he would grant unto
8:24
Speaker 1: those who belonged to his band, that they should be
8:27
Speaker 1: placed in power and authority among the people. Therefore, Kishkumen
8:31
Speaker 1: sought to destroy Heliman, and it came to pass, as
8:35
Speaker 1: he went forth towards the judgment seat to destroy Heliman,
8:39
Speaker 1: behold one of the servants of Heliman, having been out
8:42
Speaker 1: by night, and having obtained through disguise a knowledge of
8:46
Speaker 1: those plans which had been laid by this band to
8:49
Speaker 1: destroy Heliman. And it came to pass that he met Kishkumen,
8:53
Speaker 1: and he gave unto him a sign. Therefore, Kishkumen made
8:56
Speaker 1: known unto him the object of his desire, desiring that
8:59
Speaker 1: he would conduct to the judgment seat, that he might
9:02
Speaker 1: murder Heliman. And when the servant of Heliman had known
9:05
Speaker 1: all the heart of Kishkumen, and how that it was
9:07
Speaker 1: his object to murder, and also that it was the
9:10
Speaker 1: object of all those who belonged to his band to
9:12
Speaker 1: murder and to rob and to gain power. And this
9:16
Speaker 1: was their secret plan and their combination, the servant of
9:20
Speaker 1: Heliman said, unto Kishkumen, let us go forth unto the
9:23
Speaker 1: judgment seat. Now this did please Kishkumin exceedingly, for he
9:28
Speaker 1: did suppose that he should accomplish his design. But behold,
9:32
Speaker 1: the servant of Heliman, as they were going forth unto
9:35
Speaker 1: the judgment seat, did stab Kishkumen even to the heart.
9:39
Speaker 1: That he fell dead without a groan. And he ran
9:42
Speaker 1: and told Helimin all the things which he had seen
9:45
Speaker 1: and heard and done. And it came to pass that
9:50
Speaker 1: Helimen did send forth to take this band of robbers
9:52
Speaker 1: and secret murderers, that they might be executed according to
9:56
Speaker 1: the law. But behold, when Gerdyantin had found that Kishi
10:00
Speaker 1: Kouman did not return, he feared lest that he should
10:02
Speaker 1: be destroyed. Therefore he caused that his band should follow him,
10:06
Speaker 1: and they took their flight out of the land by
10:08
Speaker 1: a secret way into the wilderness. And thus when Heliman
10:11
Speaker 1: sent forth to take them, they could nowhere be found.
10:15
Speaker 1: And more of this gadyatin shall be spoken hereafter. And
10:19
Speaker 1: thus ended the forty and second year of the reign
10:22
Speaker 1: of the Judges over the people of Nephi. And behold,
10:25
Speaker 1: in the end of this book, ye shall see that
10:27
Speaker 1: this gardyentin did prove the overthrow yea almost the entire
10:31
Speaker 1: destruction of the people of Nephi. Behold, I do not
10:35
Speaker 1: mean the end of the book of Heliman, but I
10:37
Speaker 1: mean the end of the book of Nephi, from which
10:39
Speaker 1: I have taken all the account which I have written
10:42
Speaker 1: Heliman chapter three. And now it came to pass, and
10:46
Speaker 1: the forty and third year of the reign of the Judges,
10:49
Speaker 1: there was no contention among the people of Nephi, save
10:52
Speaker 1: it were a little pride which was in the church,
10:55
Speaker 1: which had caused some little dissensions among the people, which
10:57
Speaker 1: affairs were settled in the ending of the forty and
11:00
Speaker 1: third year, And there was no contention among the people
11:04
Speaker 1: in the forty and fourth year. Neither was there much
11:07
Speaker 1: contention in the forty and fifth year. And it came
11:10
Speaker 1: to pass. In the forty and sixth year, Yea, there
11:13
Speaker 1: was much contention in many dissensions in the which there
11:16
Speaker 1: were an exceedingly great many who departed out of the
11:19
Speaker 1: land of Zarahemla and went forth unto the land northward
11:23
Speaker 1: to inherit the land. And they did travel to an
11:26
Speaker 1: exceedingly great distance, in so much that they came to
11:29
Speaker 1: large bodies of water in many rivers, Yea. And even
11:33
Speaker 1: they did spread forth into all parts of the land,
11:36
Speaker 1: and to whatever parts of it had not been rendered
11:39
Speaker 1: desolate and without timber, because of the many inhabitants who
11:42
Speaker 1: had before inherited the land. And now no part of
11:46
Speaker 1: the land was desolate, save it were for timber. But
11:49
Speaker 1: because of the greatness of the destruction of the people
11:51
Speaker 1: who had before inhabited the land, it was called desolate,
11:55
Speaker 1: and there being but little timber upon the face of
11:57
Speaker 1: the land. Nevertheless, the people who went became exceedingly expert
12:01
Speaker 1: in the working of cement. Therefore they did build houses
12:04
Speaker 1: of cement in the which they did dwell. And it
12:08
Speaker 1: came to pass they did multiply and spread, and did
12:10
Speaker 1: go forth from the land southward to the land northward,
12:13
Speaker 1: and did spread in so much that they began to
12:15
Speaker 1: cover the face of the whole earth, from the sea
12:18
Speaker 1: south to the sea north, from the sea west to
12:21
Speaker 1: the sea east. And the people who were in the
12:24
Speaker 1: land northward did dwell in tents and in houses of cement,
12:28
Speaker 1: and they did suffer whatsoever tree should spring up upon
12:31
Speaker 1: the face of the land, that it should grow up,
12:34
Speaker 1: that in time they might have timber to build their houses, Yea,
12:38
Speaker 1: their cities, and their temples, and their synagogues, and their sanctuaries,
12:42
Speaker 1: and all manner of their buildings. And it came to pass,
12:46
Speaker 1: as timber was exceedingly scarce in the land northward, they
12:49
Speaker 1: did send forth much by the way of shipping. And
12:53
Speaker 1: thus they did enable the people in the land northward,
12:56
Speaker 1: that they might build many cities, both of wood and
12:58
Speaker 1: of cement. And it came to pass that there were
13:01
Speaker 1: many of the people of Amine who were Lamanites by birth,
13:04
Speaker 1: did also go forth into this land. And now there
13:07
Speaker 1: are many records kept of the proceedings of this people
13:10
Speaker 1: by many of this people, which are particular and very
13:14
Speaker 1: large concerning them. But behold a hundredth part of the
13:18
Speaker 1: proceedings of this people Yea The account of the Lamanites,
13:21
Speaker 1: and of the Nephites, and their wars and contentions and dissensions,
13:25
Speaker 1: and their preaching and their prophecies, and their shipping, and
13:27
Speaker 1: their building of ships, and their building of temples and
13:30
Speaker 1: of synagogues, and their sanctuaries, and their righteousness, and their wickedness,
13:35
Speaker 1: and their murders, and their robbings, and their plundering, and
13:38
Speaker 1: all manner of abominations and hortems cannot be contained in
13:42
Speaker 1: this work. But behold, there are many books and many
13:46
Speaker 1: records of every kind, and they have been kept chiefly
13:49
Speaker 1: by the Nephytes, and they have been handed down from
13:52
Speaker 1: one generation to another by the Nephites, even until they
13:55
Speaker 1: have fallen into transgression, and have been murdered, plundered, and hunted,
14:00
Speaker 1: and driven forth and slain and scattered upon the face
14:03
Speaker 1: of the earth, and mixed with the Lamanites, until they
14:06
Speaker 1: are no more called the Nephites, becoming wicked and wild
14:11
Speaker 1: and ferocious, yea, even becoming Lamanites. And now I return
14:17
Speaker 1: again to mine account. Therefore what I have spoken had
14:20
Speaker 1: passed after there had been great contentions and disturbances, and
14:23
Speaker 1: wars and dissensions among the people of Nephi. The forty
14:26
Speaker 1: and sixth year of the reign of the Judges ended,
14:30
Speaker 1: and it came to pass that there was still great
14:32
Speaker 1: contention in the land. Yea, even in the forty and
14:35
Speaker 1: seventh year, and also in the forty and eighth year. Nevertheless,
14:39
Speaker 1: Helimann did fill the judgment seat with justice and equity. Yea.
14:43
Speaker 1: He did observe to keep the statutes and the judgments
14:46
Speaker 1: and the commandments of God. And he did do that
14:48
Speaker 1: which was right in the sight of God continually, and
14:52
Speaker 1: he did walk after the ways of his father, insomuch
14:54
Speaker 1: that he did prosper in the land. And it came
14:58
Speaker 1: to pass that he had two sons. He gave unto
15:01
Speaker 1: the eldest the name of Nephi, and unto the youngest
15:05
Speaker 1: the name of Lehi. And they began to grow up
15:07
Speaker 1: unto the Lord. And it came to pass that the
15:11
Speaker 1: wars and contentions began to cease in a small degree
15:14
Speaker 1: among the people of the Nephites in the latter end
15:16
Speaker 1: of the forty and eighth year of the reign of
15:18
Speaker 1: the Judges over the people of Nephi. And it came
15:21
Speaker 1: to pass in the forty and ninth year of the
15:23
Speaker 1: reign of the Judges, there was continual peace established in
15:26
Speaker 1: the land. All save it were the secret combinations which
15:29
Speaker 1: Gadiant and the Robber had established in the more settled
15:33
Speaker 1: parts of the land, which at that time were not
15:36
Speaker 1: known unto those who were at the head of government.
15:39
Speaker 1: Therefore they were not destroyed out of the land. And
15:43
Speaker 1: it came to pass that in this same year there
15:45
Speaker 1: was exceedingly great prosperity in the Church, insomuch that there
15:48
Speaker 1: were thousands who did joined themselves unto the Church and
15:51
Speaker 1: were baptized unto repentance. And so great was the prosperity
15:55
Speaker 1: of the Church, and so many the blessings which were
15:58
Speaker 1: poured out upon the people, that even the high priests
16:01
Speaker 1: and the teachers were themselves astonished beyond measure. And it
16:05
Speaker 1: came to pass that the work of the Lord did
16:06
Speaker 1: prosper unto the baptizing in uniting to the Church of
16:09
Speaker 1: God many souls, yea, even tens of thousands. Thus we
16:14
Speaker 1: see that the Lord is merciful unto all who will,
16:17
Speaker 1: in the sincerity of their hearts call upon His holy name. YEA.
16:21
Speaker 1: Thus we see that the gate of Heaven is open
16:23
Speaker 1: unto all, even to those who will believe on the
16:26
Speaker 1: name of Jesus Christ, who is the Son of God. Yea,
16:29
Speaker 1: we see that whosoever will may lay hold upon the
16:32
Speaker 1: word of God, which is quick and powerful, which shall
16:35
Speaker 1: divide asunder all the cunning and the snares and the
16:38
Speaker 1: wiles of the devil, and lead the Man of Christ
16:41
Speaker 1: in a strait and narrow chorus across that everlasting gulf
16:45
Speaker 1: of misery, which is prepared to engulf the wicked, and
16:48
Speaker 1: land their souls. Yea, their immortal souls at the right
16:52
Speaker 1: hand of God and the kingdom of Heaven, to sit
16:55
Speaker 1: down with Abraham and Isaac, and with Jacob, and with
16:59
Speaker 1: all our holy fathers, to go no more out. And
17:02
Speaker 1: in this year there was continual rejoicing in the land
17:05
Speaker 1: of Zarahemla and in all the regions round about, even
17:08
Speaker 1: in all the land which was possessed by the Nephites.
17:12
Speaker 1: And it came to pass that there was peace and
17:14
Speaker 1: exceedingly great joy in the remainder of the forty and
17:17
Speaker 1: ninth year. Yea. And also there was continual peace and
17:20
Speaker 1: great joy in the fiftieth year of the reign of
17:22
Speaker 1: the Judges, and in the fifty and first year of
17:25
Speaker 1: the reign of the Judges, there was peace. Also save
17:28
Speaker 1: it were the pride which began to enter into the church,
17:31
Speaker 1: not into the Church of God, but into the hearts
17:34
Speaker 1: of the people who professed to belong to the Church
17:36
Speaker 1: of God. And they were lifted up in pride, even
17:40
Speaker 1: to the persecution of many of their brethren. Now this
17:43
Speaker 1: was a great evil which did cause the more humble
17:46
Speaker 1: part of the people to suffer great persecutions and to
17:49
Speaker 1: wade through much affliction. Nevertheless, they did fast and pray
17:54
Speaker 1: oft and it waxed stronger and stronger in their humility,
17:57
Speaker 1: and firmer and firmer in the faith of Christ unto
18:01
Speaker 1: the filling their souls with joy and consolation. Yea, even
18:05
Speaker 1: to the purifying and the sanctification of their hearts, which
18:09
Speaker 1: sanctification cometh because of their yielding their hearts unto God.
18:13
Speaker 1: And it came to pass that the fifty and second
18:15
Speaker 1: year ended in peace. Also save it were the exceedingly
18:19
Speaker 1: great pride which had gotten into the hearts of the people.
18:23
Speaker 1: And it was because of their exceedingly great riches and
18:25
Speaker 1: their prosperity in the land. And it did grow upon
18:28
Speaker 1: them from day to day, and it came to pass.
18:32
Speaker 1: In the fifty and thirty year of the reign of
18:33
Speaker 1: the Judges, Heliman died, and his eldest son, Nephi began
18:37
Speaker 1: to reign in his stead. And it came to pass
18:40
Speaker 1: that he did feel the judgment seat with justice and equity. Yea,
18:44
Speaker 1: he did keep the commandments of God, and did walk
18:47
Speaker 1: in the ways of his father Heliman, Chapter four. And
18:52
Speaker 1: it came to pass in the fifty and fourth year
18:55
Speaker 1: there were many dissensions in the church, and there was
18:57
Speaker 1: also a contention among the people, insomuch that there was
19:00
Speaker 1: much bloodshed, and their rebellious part were slain and driven
19:04
Speaker 1: out of the land. And they did go unto the
19:06
Speaker 1: king of the Lamanites. And it came to pass that
19:08
Speaker 1: they did endeavor to stir up the Lamanites to war
19:11
Speaker 1: against the Nephites. But behold, the Lamanites were exceedingly afraid,
19:15
Speaker 1: in so much that they would not hearken to the
19:17
Speaker 1: words of those dissenters. But it came to pass in
19:20
Speaker 1: the fifty and sixth year of the reign of the
19:22
Speaker 1: Judges there were dissenters who went up from the Nephites
19:25
Speaker 1: unto the Lamanites, and they succeeded with those others in
19:28
Speaker 1: stirring them up to anger against the Nephites. And they
19:31
Speaker 1: were all that year preparing for war. And in the
19:35
Speaker 1: fifty and seventh year they did come down against the
19:37
Speaker 1: Nephites to battle, and they did commence the work of
19:40
Speaker 1: death Yea in so much that in the fifty and
19:43
Speaker 1: eighth year of the reign of the Judges, they succeeded
19:45
Speaker 1: in obtaining possession of the land of Zarahemla Yea, and
19:49
Speaker 1: also all the lands even unto the land which was
19:52
Speaker 1: near the land Bountiful, and the Nephites and the armies
19:55
Speaker 1: of Moroniha were driven even into the land of Bountiful,
20:00
Speaker 1: and they did fortify against the Lamanites from the west
20:03
Speaker 1: sea even unto the east, yet be in a day's
20:06
Speaker 1: journey for a Nephyte on the line which they had
20:08
Speaker 1: fortified and stationed their armies to defend their north country.
20:12
Speaker 1: And thus those dissenters of the Nephites, with the help
20:15
Speaker 1: of a numerous army of the Lamanites, had obtained all
20:18
Speaker 1: the possession of the Nephites which was in the land southward.
20:22
Speaker 1: And all this was done in the fifty and eighth
20:24
Speaker 1: and ninth years of the reign of the Judges, And
20:27
Speaker 1: it came to pass in the sixtieth year of the
20:29
Speaker 1: reign of the Judges Meronaiha did succeed with his armies
20:32
Speaker 1: in obtaining many parts of the land. Yea. There regained
20:35
Speaker 1: many cities which had fallen into the hands of the Lamanites.
20:39
Speaker 1: And it came to pass in the sixty and first
20:41
Speaker 1: year of the reign of the Judges they succeeded in
20:43
Speaker 1: regaining even the half of all their possessions. Now, this
20:47
Speaker 1: great loss of the Nephites, and the great slaughter which
20:50
Speaker 1: was among them, would not have happened had it not
20:52
Speaker 1: been for their wickedness and their abomination, which was among them, Yea.
20:57
Speaker 1: And it was among those also who professed to belonged
21:00
Speaker 1: to the Church of God. And it was because of
21:02
Speaker 1: the pride of their hearts, because of their exceeding riches. Yea.
21:06
Speaker 1: It was because of their oppression to the poor, withholding
21:08
Speaker 1: their food from the hungry, withholding their clothing from the naked,
21:12
Speaker 1: and smiting their humble brethren upon the cheek, making a
21:15
Speaker 1: mock of that which was sacred, denying the spirit of
21:18
Speaker 1: prophecy and of revelation, murdering, plundering, lying, stealing, committing adultery,
21:24
Speaker 1: rising up in great contentions, and deserting away into the
21:28
Speaker 1: land of Nephi among the Lamanites. And because of their
21:32
Speaker 1: great wickedness and their boastings in their own strength, they
21:35
Speaker 1: were left in their own strength. Therefore they did not prosper,
21:39
Speaker 1: but were afflicted and smitten and driven before the Lamanites
21:42
Speaker 1: until they had lost possession of almost all their lands.
21:46
Speaker 1: But behold, Moroniha did preach many things unto the people
21:50
Speaker 1: because of their iniquity. And also Nephi and Lehi, who
21:53
Speaker 1: were the sons of Heliman, did preach many things unto
21:56
Speaker 1: the people Yea, and did prophesy many things unto them
22:00
Speaker 1: concerning their iniquities and what should come unto them if
22:03
Speaker 1: they did not repent of their sins. And it came
22:06
Speaker 1: to pass that they did repent. And inasmuch as they
22:09
Speaker 1: did repent, they did begin to prosper. For when Moroniha
22:13
Speaker 1: saw that they did repent, he did venture to lead
22:15
Speaker 1: them forth from place to place, and from city to city,
22:18
Speaker 1: even until they had regained the one half of their
22:21
Speaker 1: property and the one half of all their lands, and
22:25
Speaker 1: thus ended the sixty and first year of the reign
22:27
Speaker 1: of the Judges. And it came to pass in the
22:30
Speaker 1: sixty and second year of the reign of the Judges,
22:32
Speaker 1: that Moroniha could obtain no more possessions over the Lamanites.
22:36
Speaker 1: Therefore they did abandon their design to obtain the remainder
22:39
Speaker 1: of their lands. For so numerous were the Lamanites that
22:41
Speaker 1: it became impossible for the Nephites to obtain more power
22:44
Speaker 1: over them. Therefore, Moroniha did employ all his armies in
22:48
Speaker 1: maintaining those parts which he had taken. And it came
22:51
Speaker 1: to pass because of the greatness of the number of
22:53
Speaker 1: the Lamanites. The Nephites were in great fear lest they
22:56
Speaker 1: should be overpowered and trodden down and slain and destroyed. Yea,
23:01
Speaker 1: they began to remember the prophecies of Alma and also
23:04
Speaker 1: the words of Mosiah. And they saw that they had
23:06
Speaker 1: been a stiffnked people, and that they had said it
23:09
Speaker 1: not the commandments of God, and that they had altered
23:13
Speaker 1: and trampled under their feet the laws of Mosiah or
23:16
Speaker 1: that which the Lord commanded him to give unto the people.
23:20
Speaker 1: And they saw that their laws had become corrupted, and
23:22
Speaker 1: that they had become a wicked people, insomuch that they
23:25
Speaker 1: were wicked, even likened to the Lamanites. And because of
23:30
Speaker 1: their iniquity, the Church had begun to dwindle, and they
23:33
Speaker 1: began to disbelieve in the spirit of prophecy and in
23:36
Speaker 1: the spirit of revelation, and the judgments of God did
23:38
Speaker 1: stare them in the face. And they saw that they
23:41
Speaker 1: had become weak liken to their brethren, the Lamanites, and
23:45
Speaker 1: that the spirit of the Lord did no more preserve them. Yea,
23:48
Speaker 1: it had withdrawn from them, because the spirit of the
23:51
Speaker 1: Lord doth not dwell in unholy temples. Therefore the Lord
23:55
Speaker 1: did cease to preserve them by his miraculous and matchless power.
24:00
Speaker 1: For they had fallen into a state of unbelief and
24:02
Speaker 1: awful wickedness. And they saw that the Lamanites were exceedingly
24:06
Speaker 1: more numerous than they, and except they should cleave unto
24:10
Speaker 1: the Lord their God, they must unavoidably perish. For behold,
24:14
Speaker 1: they saw that the strength of the Lamanites was as
24:16
Speaker 1: great as their strength, even man for man. And thus
24:20
Speaker 1: had they fallen into this great transgression. Yea, Thus had
24:23
Speaker 1: they become weak because of their transgression in the space
24:27
Speaker 1: of not many years and of Helimann chapters one through four,