Latest / Sacred Texts Archive / 42 - Book of Mormon - Joseph Smith Jr
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- 0:00Alma, chapter fifty nine. Now it came to pass, in the thirtieth
- 0:05year of the reign of the Judges over the people of Nephi, after Moroni
- 0:08had received and had read Heliman's epistle, he was exceedingly rejoiced because of the
- 0:13welfare Yea, the exceeding success which Heliman had had in obtaining those lands which
- 0:18were lost Yea. And he did make it known unto all his people and
- 0:22all the land round about in that part where he was, that they might
- 0:25rejoice also. And it came to pass that he immediately sent an epistle to
- 0:30Pehoran, desiring that he should cause men to be gathered together to strengthen Heliman
- 0:34or the armies of Heliman, insomuch that he might with ease maintain that part
- 0:39of the land which he had been so miraculously prospered in regaining. And it
- 0:44came to pass when Moroni had sent this epistle to the land of Zarahemla,
- 0:49he began again to lay a plan that he might obtain the remainder of those
- 0:53possessions and cities which the Lamanites had taken from them. And it came to
- 0:58pass that while Morona was thus made in preparations to go against the Lamanites to
- 1:02battle. Behold, the people of Nephiha, who were gathered together from the
- 1:06city of Moronai, in the city of Lehi and the city of Moriantin,
- 1:10were attacked by the Lamanites. Yea, even those who had been compelled to
- 1:14flee from the land of Mantai and from the land round about, had come
- 1:18over and joined the Lamanites in this part of the land. And thus being
- 1:22exceedingly numerous yea, and receiving strength from day to day by the command of
- 1:26Amoron, they came forth against the people of Nefhaiha, and they did begin
- 1:30to slay them with an exceedingly great slaughter. And their armies were so numerous
- 1:36that the remainder of the people of Nephija were obliged to flee before them.
- 1:40And they came even and joined the army of Moroni. And now, as
- 1:44Morane had supposed that there should be men sent to the city Nefhaija to the
- 1:49assistance of the people to maintain that city, And knowing that it was easier
- 1:53to keep the city from falling into the hands of the Lamanites than to retake
- 1:57it from them. He supposed that they would easily maintain that city. Therefore,
- 2:01he retained all his force to maintain those places which he had recovered.
- 2:07And now when Moroni saw that the city of Nefaiha was lost, he was
- 2:12exceedingly sorrowful and began to doubt, because of the wickedness of the people,
- 2:15whether they should not fall into the hands of their brethren. Now this was
- 2:21the case with all his chief captains. They doubted and marveled also because of
- 2:24the wickedness of the people, and this because of the success of the Lamanites
- 2:30over them. And it came to pass that Morony was angry with the government
- 2:34because of their indifference concerning the freedom of their country Alma, chapter sixty.
- 2:40And it came to pass that he wrote again to the governor of the land,
- 2:44who was Pehoran. And these are the words which he wrote, saying,
- 2:47behold, I direct myne epistle to Pehoran and the city of Zarahimla,
- 2:52who was the chief judge and the governor over the land, and also to
- 2:54all those who have been chosen by this people to govern and manage the affairs
- 2:59of this war. For behold, I have somewhat to say unto you by
- 3:02way of condemnation. For behold, ye yourselves know that ye have been appointed
- 3:07to gather together men and arm them with swords and with simeters, and all
- 3:13manner of weapons of war of every kind, and send forth against the Lamanites
- 3:17in whatsoever parts they should come into our land. And now behold, I
- 3:22say unto you that myself, and also my men, and also Helimann and
- 3:27his men have suffered exceedingly great sufferings, yea, even hunger, thirst,
- 3:31and fatigue, and all manner of afflictions of every kind. But behold,
- 3:37were this all we had suffered, we would not murmur nor complain. But
- 3:40behold, great has been the slaughter among our people. Yea. Thousands have
- 3:46fallen by the sword, while it might have otherwise been if ye had rendered
- 3:50unto our armies sufficient strength and succor for them. YEA, great has been
- 3:54your neglect towards us. And now behold, we desire to know the cause
- 3:59of this exces exceedingly great neglect. Yea, we desire to know the cause
- 4:03of your thoughtless state. Can you think to sit upon your thrones in a
- 4:09state of thoughtless stupor while your enemies are spreading the work of death around you,
- 4:14yea, while they are murdering thousands of your brethren. Yea. Even
- 4:17they who have looked up to you for protection, yea, have placed you
- 4:21in a situation that ye might have succored them. Yea. Ye might have
- 4:26sent armies unto them, to have strengthened them, and have saved thousands of
- 4:29them from falling by the sword. But behold, this is not all.
- 4:32Ye have withheld your provisions from them, insomuch that many have fought and bled
- 4:38out their lives because of their great desires which they had for the welfare of
- 4:42this people. Yea. And this they have done when they were about to
- 4:46perish with hunger, because of your exceedingly great neglect towards them. And now,
- 4:51my beloved brethren, for ye ought to be beloved, yea, And
- 4:56ye ought to have stirred yourselves more diligently for the welfare and the freedom of
- 5:00this people. But behold, ye have neglected them, insomuch that the blood
- 5:03of thousands shall come upon your heads for vengeance, yea. Foreknown unto God
- 5:09were all their cries and all their sufferings. Behold, could ye suppose that
- 5:14ye could sit upon your thrones, and because of the exceeding goodness of God,
- 5:17ye could do nothing, and He would deliver you. Behold, if
- 5:20ye have supposed this, ye have supposed in vain. Do ye suppose that
- 5:26because so many of your brethren have been killed, it is because of their
- 5:29wickedness? I say, and to you, if ye have supposed this,
- 5:32ye have supposed in vain. For I say unto you, there are many
- 5:36who have fallen by the sword. And behold it is to your condemnation.
- 5:42For the Lord suffereth the righteous to be slain, that his justice and judgment
- 5:46may come upon the wicked. Therefore, ye need not suppose that the righteous
- 5:49are lost because they are slain. But behold, they do enter into the
- 5:54rest of the Lord their God. And now behold, I say unto you,
- 5:58I fear exceedingly that the judge of God will come upon this people because
- 6:01of their exceeding slothfulness, yea, even the slothfulness of our government, and
- 6:06their exceedingly great neglect towards their brethren, yea, towards those who have been
- 6:12slain. For were it not for the wickedness which first commenced at our head,
- 6:17we could have withstood our enemies, that they could have gained no power
- 6:20over us. Yea. Had it not been for the war which broke out
- 6:25among ourselves, yea. Were it not for these king men who caused so
- 6:29much bloodshed among ourselves, yea, at the time we were contending among ourselves,
- 6:33if we had united our strength as we hitherto have done, yea.
- 6:38Had it not been for the desire of power and authority which those king men
- 6:42had over us, Had they been true to the cause of our freedom and
- 6:46united with us and gone forth against our enemies, instead of taking up their
- 6:50swords against us, which was the cause of so much bloodshed among ourselves,
- 6:56yea. If we had gone forth against them in the strength of the Lord,
- 7:00we should have dispersed our enemies, for it would have been done according
- 7:03to the fulfilling of his word. But behold, now the Lamanites are coming
- 7:09upon us, taking possession of our lands, and they are murdering our people
- 7:13with the sword. Yea, are women and our children, and also carrying
- 7:16them away captive, causing them that they should suffer all manner of afflictions.
- 7:20And this because of the great wickedness of those who are seeking for power and
- 7:25authority, yea, even those king men. But why should I say much
- 7:29concerning this matter? For we know not but what ye yourselves are seeking for
- 7:33authority? We know not? But what ye are also traitors to your country?
- 7:40Or is it that ye have neglected us because ye are in the heart
- 7:43of our country and ye are surrounded by security, that ye do not cause
- 7:46food to be sent unto us and also men to strengthen our armies. Have
- 7:50ye forgotten the commandments of the Lord your God? Yea? Have ye forgotten
- 7:55the captivity of our fathers? Have ye forgotten the many times we have been
- 7:59delayed out of the hands of our enemies? Or do ye suppose that the
- 8:03Lord will still deliver us while we sit upon our thrones and do not make
- 8:07use of the means which the Lord has provided for us? Yea. Will
- 8:11ye sit in idleness while ye are surrounded with thousands of those yea, and
- 8:15tens of thousands who do also sit in idleness? While there are thousands round
- 8:20about in the borders of the land who are falling by the sword, YEA,
- 8:22wounded and bleeding. Do ye suppose that God will look upon you as
- 8:26guiltless while ye sit still and behold these things. Behold, I say unto
- 8:31you, nay, now I would that ye should remember that God has said
- 8:35that the inward vessel shall be cleansed first, and then shall the outer vessel
- 8:41be cleansed also. And now except ye do repent of that which ye have
- 8:45done, and begin to be up and doing, and send forth food and
- 8:48men unto us and also unto Helimun, that he may support those parts of
- 8:54our country which he has regained, and that we may also recover the remainder
- 8:58of our possessions in these parts. Behold, it will be expedient that we
- 9:01contend no more with the Lamanites until we have first cleansed our inward vessel.
- 9:07Yea even the great head of our government, and accept you grant mine epistle,
- 9:11and come out and show unto me a true spirit of freedom, and
- 9:16strive to strengthen and fortify our armies, and grant unto them food for their
- 9:20support. Behold, I will leave a part of my freemen to maintain this
- 9:24part of our land. And I will leave the strength and the blessings of
- 9:28God upon them, that none other power can operate against them. And this
- 9:33because of their exceeding faith and their patience and their tribulations. And I will
- 9:37come unto you. And if there be any among you that has a desire
- 9:41for freedom, yea, if there be even a spark of freedom remaining,
- 9:46Behold, I will stir up insurrections among you, even until those who have
- 9:50desires to usurp power and authority shall become extinct. Yea. Behold, I
- 9:56do not fear your power nor your authority. But it is my God whom
- 10:00I fear. And it is according to his commandments that I do take my
- 10:05sword to defend the cause of my country. And it is because of your
- 10:07iniquity that we have suffered so much loss. Behold, it is time,
- 10:13yea. The time is now at hand that except ye do bestir yourselves in
- 10:18the defense of your country and your little ones, the sword of justice doth
- 10:22hang over you, yea, and it shall fall upon you and visit you
- 10:26even to your utter destruction. Behold, I wait for assistance from you,
- 10:31and accept ye to administer unto our relief. Behold, I come unto you,
- 10:35even in the land of Zarahima, and smite you with the sword insomuch
- 10:39that ye can have no more power to impede the progress of this people in
- 10:43the cause of our freedom. For behold, the Lord will not suffer that
- 10:48ye shall live and wax strong in your iniquities to destroy His righteous people.
- 10:52Behold, can you suppose that the Lord will spare you and come out in
- 10:54judgment against the Lamanites, when it is the tradition of their fathers that is
- 11:00cause their hatred? Yea, and it has been redoubled by those who have
- 11:03dissented from us. While your iniquity as for the cause of your love of
- 11:07glory and the vain things of the world, ye know that ye do transgress
- 11:11the laws of God, and ye do know that ye do trample them under
- 11:15your feet. Behold, the Lord saith unto me. If those whom ye
- 11:18have appointed your governors do not repent of their sins and iniquities, ye shall
- 11:24go up to battle against them. And thou behold, I moron, I
- 11:26am constrained according to the covenant which I have made to keep the commandments of
- 11:31my God. Therefore I would that ye should adhere to the word of God,
- 11:35and send speedily unto me of your provisions and of your men, and
- 11:39also to Heloiman. And Behold, if ye will not do this, I
- 11:43will come unto you speedily. For behold, God will not suffer that we
- 11:46should perish with hunger. Therefore he will give unto us of your food,
- 11:50even if it must be by the sword. Now see that ye fulfill the
- 11:54word of God. Behold, I am Moroni, your chief captain, not
- 12:00for power, but to pull it down. I seek not for honor of
- 12:03the world, but for the glory of my God and the freedom and welfare
- 12:07of my country. And thus I close mine epistle Almah, chapter sixty one.
- 12:16Behold, now it came to pass that soon after Moroni had sent his
- 12:20epistle unto the chief governor, he received an epistle from Pohoran, the chief
- 12:24governor, And these are the words which he received. I Pohoran, who
- 12:28am the chief governor of this land, do send these words unto Moroni,
- 12:31the chief captain over the army. Behold, I say unto you, Morona,
- 12:35that I do not joy in your great afflictions. Yea, it grieves
- 12:39my soul. But behold, there are those who do joy in your afflictions.
- 12:45Yea, insomuch that they have risen up in rebellion against me. And
- 12:48also those of my people who are freemen, Yea. And those who have
- 12:52risen up are exceedingly numerous. And it is those who have sought to take
- 12:58away the judgment seat from me that have been the cause of this great iniquity.
- 13:03For they have used great flattery, and they have led away the hearts
- 13:05of many people, which will be the cause of sore afflictions among us.
- 13:11They have withheld our provisions and have daunted our free men, that they have
- 13:15not come unto you. And behold, they have driven me out before them,
- 13:20And I have fled to the land of Gideon with as many men as
- 13:22it were possible that I could get. And behold, I have sent a
- 13:26proclamation throughout this part of the land. And behold, they are flocking to
- 13:30us daily, to their arms, in the defense of their country and their
- 13:33freedom, and to avenge our wrongs. And they have come unto us,
- 13:39insomuch that those who have risen up in rebellion against us are set at defiance,
- 13:43Yea, insomuch that they do fear us and durst not come out against
- 13:48us to battle. They have got possession of the land or the city of
- 13:52Zarahemla. They have appointed a king over them, and he hath written unto
- 13:56the King of the Lamanites, and the which he hath joined an alliance with
- 14:00him, in the which alliance he hath agreed to maintain the city of Zarahemla,
- 14:03which maintenance he supposes will enable the Lamanites to conquer the remainder of the
- 14:09land, and he shall be placed king over this people when they shall be
- 14:13conquered under the Lamanites. And now in your epistle you have censured me,
- 14:18But it mattereth not. I am not angry, but I do rejoice in
- 14:22the greatness of your heart. I Pohoran, do not seek for power,
- 14:26save only to retain my judgment seat, that I may preserve the rights and
- 14:30the liberty of my people. My soul standeth fast in that liberty, in
- 14:35the which God hath made us free. And now behold, we will resist
- 14:39wickedness, even unto bloodshed. We would not shed the blood of the Lamanites
- 14:43if they would stay in their own land. We would not shed the blood
- 14:46of our brethren, if they would not rise up in rebellion and take the
- 14:50sword against us. We would subject ourselves to the yoke of bondage, if
- 14:54it were requisite with the justice of God, or if he should command us
- 14:58to do so. But behold, he doth not command us that we shall
- 15:01subject ourselves to our enemies, but that we should put our trust in Him,
- 15:05and he will deliver us. Therefore, my beloved brother Moroni, let
- 15:11us resist evil. And whatsoever evil we cannot resist with our words, yea,
- 15:16such as rebellions and dissensions, let us resist them with our swords,
- 15:20that we may retain our freedom, that we may rejoice in the great privilege
- 15:24of our Church and in the cause of our Redeemer and our God. Therefore,
- 15:28come unto me speedily with a few of your men, and leave the
- 15:31remainder in the charge of Lehi and Tiancum. Give unto them power to conduct
- 15:37the war in that part of the land, according to the spirit of God,
- 15:39which is also the spirit of freedom, which is in them. Behold,
- 15:43I have sent a few provisions unto them, that they may not perish
- 15:46until ye can come unto me. Gather together whatsoever force ye can upon your
- 15:52march hither, and we will go speedily against those dissenters in the strength of
- 15:56our God, according to the faith which is in us, and we will
- 16:00take possession of the city of Zarahemla, that we may obtain more food to
- 16:03send forth than too. Lehi and Tiankum. Yea, we will go forth
- 16:07against them in the strength of the Lord, and we will put an end
- 16:11to this great iniquity. And now, Morona, I do joy in receiving
- 16:15your epistle, for I was somewhat worried concerning what we should do, whether
- 16:19it would be just in us to go against our brethren. But YE have
- 16:23said, except they repent, the Lord hath demanded you that ye should go
- 16:27against them. See that ye strengthen lee High and Tiankum in the Lord tell
- 16:33them to fear not, for God will deliver them, yea. And also
- 16:36all those who stand fast in that liberty wherewith God hath made them free.
- 16:41And now I close mine epistle to my beloved brother Marona Alma chapter sixty two.
- 16:48And now it came to pass that when Marona had received this epistle,
- 16:52his heart did take courage and was filled with exceeding the great joy because of
- 16:56the faithfulness of Bohoran, that he was not also a traitor to the freedom
- 17:00and cause of his country. But he did also mourn exceedingly because of the
- 17:06iniquity of those who had driven Pohoran from the judgment seat Yea, and fine
- 17:11because of those who had rebelled against their country and also their God. And
- 17:15it came to pass that Morona took a small number of men according to the
- 17:18desire of Pohoran, and gave Lehi and Tiankam command over the remainder of his
- 17:22army, and took his march towards the land of Gideon. And he did
- 17:27raise the standard of liberty in whatsoever place he did enter, and gained whatsoever
- 17:33force he could in all his march towards the land of Gideon. And it
- 17:37came to pass that thousands did flock unto his standard, and did take up
- 17:41their swords in the defense of their freedom, that they might not come into
- 17:45bondage. And thus, when Morona had gathered together whatsoever men he could in
- 17:49all his march, he came to the land of Gideon, and uniting his
- 17:53forces with those of Pohoran, they became exceedingly strong, even stronger than the
- 17:59man of Pachus, who was the king of those dissenters, who had driven
- 18:03the freemen out of the land of Zarahemla and had taken possession of the land.
- 18:07And it came to pass that Marona and Pohoran went down with their armies
- 18:11into the land of Zarahemla, and went forth against the city and meet the
- 18:15men of Pacus, insomuch that they did come to battle and behold. Pecus
- 18:22was slain, and his men were taken prisoners, and Pohoran was restored to
- 18:26his judgment seat. And the men of Pacus received their trial according to the
- 18:30law. And also those king men who had been taken and cast into prison,
- 18:36and they were executed according to the law. Yea. Those men of
- 18:40Paecus and those king men whosoever would not take up arms in the defense of
- 18:44their country, but would fight against it, were put to death. And
- 18:48thus it became expedient that this law should be strictly observed for the safety of
- 18:52their country. Yea. And whosoever was found denying their freedom was speedily executed
- 18:59according to the law. And thus ended the thirtieth year of the reign of
- 19:03the judges over the people of Nephi. Moronai and Pohoran, having restored peace
- 19:08to the land of Zarahemla among their own people, having inflicted death upon all
- 19:14those who were not true to the cause of freedom. And it came to
- 19:18pass in the commencement of the thirty and first year of the reign of the
- 19:21judges over the people of Nephi, Moronai immediately caused that provisions should be sent
- 19:26and also an army of six thousand men should be sent unto Helaman to assist
- 19:30him in preserving that part of the land. And he also caused that an
- 19:34army of six thousand men with a sufficient quantity of food should be sent to
- 19:38the armies of Lehi and Tiancum. And it came to pass that this was
- 19:42done to fortify the land against the Lamanites. And it came to pass that
- 19:47Moronai and Pohoran, leaving a large body of men in the land of Zarahemla,
- 19:51took their march with a large body of men towards the land of Nephaija,
- 19:55being determined to overthrow the Lamanites in that city. And it came to
- 19:59pass that as they were marching towards the land, they took a large body
- 20:03of men of the Lamanites and slew many of them and took their provisions and
- 20:07their weapons of war. And it came to pass. After they had taken
- 20:11them, they caused them to enter into a covenant that they would no more
- 20:15take up their weapons of war against the Nephites. And when they had entered
- 20:18into this covenant, they sent them to dwell with the people of Amen.
- 20:22And they were in number about four thousand who had not been slain. And
- 20:26it came to pass that when they had sent them away, they pursued their
- 20:30march towards the land of Nephaih. And it came to pass that when they
- 20:34had come to the city of Nephaiha, they did pitch their tents in the
- 20:38plains of Nephih, which is near the city of Nephih. Now Maroni was
- 20:42desirous that the Lamanites should come out to battle against them upon the plains.
- 20:48But the Lamanites, knowing of their exceedingly great courage and beholding the greatness of
- 20:52their numbers, therefore they durst not come out against them. Therefore, they
- 20:56did not come to battle in that day. And when the night came,
- 21:02Morona went forth in the darkness of the night and came upon the top of
- 21:06the wall to spy out in what part of the city the Lamanites did camp
- 21:10with their army. And it came to pass that they were on the east
- 21:14by the entrance, and they were all asleep. And now Moroni returned to
- 21:18his army and caused that they should prepare in haste strong cords and ladders to
- 21:22be let down from the top of the wall into the inner part of the
- 21:26wall. And it came to pass that Morona caused that his men should march
- 21:30forth and come upon the top of the wall, and let themselves down into
- 21:33that part of the city. Yea, even on the west, where the
- 21:37Lamanites did not camp with their armies. And it came to pass that they
- 21:41were all let down into the city by night by the means of their strong
- 21:45cords and their ladders. Thus, when the morning came, they were all
- 21:49within the walls of the city. And now when the Lamanites awoke and saw
- 21:53that the armies of Morona were within the walls, they were affrighted exceedingly insomuch
- 21:57that they did flee out by the pass. And now when Moroni saw that
- 22:02they were fleeing before him, he did cause that his men should march forth
- 22:06against them, and slew many and surrounded many others, and took them prisoners,
- 22:11and the remainder of them fled into the land of Moroni, which was
- 22:14in the borders by the sea shore. Thus had Moroni and Pohorn obtained the
- 22:18possession of the city of Nephija without the loss of one soul, And there
- 22:23were many of the Lamanites who were slain. Now it came to pass that
- 22:29many of the Lamanites that were prisoners were desirous to join the people of Amine
- 22:33and become a free people. And it came to pass that as many as
- 22:37were desirous unto them, it was granted according to their desires. Therefore,
- 22:41all the prisoners of the Lamanites did join the people of Amon, and did
- 22:44begin to labor exceedingly, tilling the ground, raising all manner of grain,
- 22:48and flocks and herds of every kind. And thus were the Nephites relieved from
- 22:53a great burden, yea in so much that they were relieved from all the
- 22:57prisoners of the Lamanites. Now it came to pass that Moroni, after he
- 23:02had obtained possession of the city of Nephiha, having taken many prisoners, which
- 23:07did reduce the armies of the Lamanites exceedingly, and having regained many of the
- 23:11Nephites who had been taken prisoners, which did strengthen the army of Morone exceedingly.
- 23:15Therefore, Morona went forth from the land of Nephiha to the land of
- 23:19Lehi. And it came to pass that when the Lamanites saw that Morona was
- 23:23coming against them, they were again affrighted and fled before the army of Moroni.
- 23:29And it came to pass that Morona and his army did pursue them from
- 23:32city to city until they were met by Lehi and Tiancum. And the Lamanites
- 23:37fled from Lehai and Tiankam even down upon the borders by the sea shore,
- 23:41until they came to the land of Moroni. And the armies of the Lamanites
- 23:45were all gathered together, insomuch that they were all in one body in the
- 23:49land of Moroni. Now Amoran, the king of the Lamanites, was also
- 23:53with them, And it came to pass that Moroni and Lehi and Tiankum did
- 24:00camp with their armies round about in the borders of the land of Moroni,
- 24:03insomuch that the Lamanites were encircled about in the borders by the wilderness on the
- 24:07south and in the borders by the wilderness on the east. And thus they
- 24:11did encamp for the knight. For behold, the Nephites and the Lamanites also
- 24:15were weary because of the greatness of the march. Therefore they did not resolve
- 24:19upon any stratagem in the night time, save it were Tiancum, for he
- 24:25was exceedingly angry with Amoron, insomuch that he considered that Amoron and a Malachia
- 24:30his brother, had been the cause of this great and lasting war between them
- 24:33and the Lamanites, which had been the cause of so much war and bloodshed
- 24:37yea, and so much famine. And it came to pass that Tiankam,
- 24:41in his anger, did go forth into the camp of the Lamanites, and
- 24:45had let himself down over the walls of the city. And he went forth
- 24:48with a cord from place to place, insomuch that he did find the king,
- 24:53and he had cast the javelin at him, which did pierce him near
- 24:56the heart. But behold, the king did awaken his servants before he died,
- 25:00insomuch that they did pursue Tiancum and slew him. Now it came to
- 25:06pass that when Lee Hia Moron I knew that Tiancam was dead. They were
- 25:10exceedingly sorrowful. For behold, he had been a man who had fought valiantly
- 25:15for his country Yea, a true friend to liberty, and he had suffered
- 25:18very many exceedingly sore afflictions. But behold, he was dead and had gone
- 25:25the way of all the earth. Now it came to pass that Moroni marched
- 25:30forth on the morrow and came upon the Lamanites, insomuch that they did slay
- 25:33them with a great slaughter, and they did drive them out of the land,
- 25:37and they did flee, even that they did not return at that time
- 25:41against the Nephites. And thus ended the thirty and first year of the reign
- 25:45of the Judges over the people of Nephi. And thus they had had wars
- 25:51and bloodsheds and famine and affliction for the space of many years, and there
- 25:56had been murders and contentions and descens and all manner of iniquity among the people
- 26:02of Nephi. Nevertheless, for the righteous's sake, Yea, because of the
- 26:07prayers of the righteous, they were spared. But behold, because of the
- 26:11exceedingly great length of the war between the Nephites and the Lamanites. Many had
- 26:15become hardened because of the exceedingly great length of the war, and many were
- 26:19softened because of their afflictions, insomuch that they did humble themselves before God,
- 26:25even in the depth of humility. And it came to pass that after Moroni
- 26:30had fortified those parts of the land which were most exposed to the Lamanites,
- 26:33until they were sufficiently strong, he returned to the city of Zarahemla, and
- 26:38also Heliman returned to the place of his inheritance, and there was once more
- 26:42peace established among the people of Nephi. And Morona yielded up the command of
- 26:48his armies into the hands of his son, whose name was moronai Haw,
- 26:52and he retired to his own house, that he might spend the remainder of
- 26:56his days in peace. And Uhrn did return to his judgment seat, and
- 27:02Helaman to take upon him again to preach unto the people the word of God.
- 27:06For because of so many great wars and contentions, it had become expedient
- 27:10that a regulation should be made again in the church. Therefore Heliman and his
- 27:15brethren went forth and to declare the word of God with much power, unto
- 27:18the convincing of many people of their wickedness, which did cause them to repent
- 27:22of their sins and to be baptized unto the Lord their God. And it
- 27:26came to pass that they did establish again the Church of God throughout all the
- 27:30land. Yea. And regulations were made concerning the law, and their judges,
- 27:34and their chief judges were chosen. And the people of Nephi began to
- 27:38prosper again in the land, and began to multiply into wax exceedingly strong again
- 27:42in the land, and they began to grow exceedingly rich. But notwithstanding their
- 27:48riches, or their strength, or their prosperity, they were not lifted up
- 27:52in the pride of their eyes. Neither were they slow to remember the Lord
- 27:56to God. But they did humble themselves exceedingly before him. Yea, they
- 28:00did remember how great things the Lord had done for them, that he had
- 28:04delivered them from death, and from bonds, and from prisons, and from
- 28:07all manner of afflictions, and he had delivered them out of the hands of
- 28:11their enemies. And they did pray unto the Lord their God continually, and
- 28:15so much that the Lord did bless them according to his word, so that
- 28:19they did wax strong and prosper in the land. And it came to pass
- 28:23that all these things were done, and Heliman died in the thirty and fifth
- 28:27year of the reign of the Judges over the people of Nephi Alma, chapter
- 28:33sixty three. And it came to pass, in the commencement of the thirty
- 28:36and sixth year of the reign of the Judges over the people of Nephi,
- 28:40that Shiblon took possession of those sacred things which had been delivered unto Helim and
- 28:44by Alma. And he was a just man, and he did walk uprightly
- 28:48before God, and he did observe to do good continually to keep the commandments
- 28:52of the Lord his God. And also did his brother. And it came
- 28:56to pass that Moroni died also, and thus ended the thirty and sixth year
- 29:02of the reign of the Judges. And it came to pass that in the
- 29:06thirty and seventh year of the reign of the Judges, there was a large
- 29:07company of men, even to the amount of five thousand and four hundred men
- 29:12with their wives and their children, departed out of the land of Zarahimla into
- 29:17the land which was northward, and it came to pass that hegoth he being
- 29:21an exceedingly curious man. Therefore he went forth and built him an exceedingly large
- 29:26ship on the borders of the land Bountiful by the land Desolation, and launched
- 29:30it forth into the west Sea by the narrow neck, which led into the
- 29:34land northward. And behold, there were many of the Nephites who did enter
- 29:38therein and did sail forth with much provisions, and also many women and children,
- 29:44and they took their course northward, and thus ended the thirty and seventh
- 29:48year. And in the thirty and eighth year, this man built other ships,
- 29:52and the first ship did also return, and many more people did enter
- 29:56into it, and they also took much provisions, and set out again to
- 29:59the land world northward. And it came to pass that they were never heard
- 30:03of more, and we supposed that they were drowned in the depths of the
- 30:06sea. And it came to pass that one other ship also did sail forth,
- 30:10and whither she did go we know not. And it came to pass
- 30:12that in this year there were many people who went forth into the land northward,
- 30:17and thus ended the thirty and eighth year, and it came to pass
- 30:19and the thirty and ninth year of the reign of the Judges, Shiblon died
- 30:23also, and Corianton had gone forth to the land northward in a ship to
- 30:27carry forth provisions unto the people who had gone forth into that land. Therefore,
- 30:33it became expedient for Shiblon to confer those sacred things before his death upon
- 30:38the son of Heliman, who was called Heliman, being called after the name
- 30:41of his father. Now behold, all those engravings which were in the possession
- 30:47of Heliman were written and sent forth among the children of men throughout all the
- 30:51land. Save it were those parts which had been commanded by Almah should not
- 30:53go forth. Nevertheless, these things were to be kept sacred and handed down
- 30:59from one generation to another. Therefore, in this year they had been conferred
- 31:03upon Heliman before the death of Shiblon. And it came to pass also in
- 31:07this year that there were some dissenters who had gone forth unto the Lamanites,
- 31:11and they were stirred up again to anger against the Nephites. And also in
- 31:15this same year they came down with a numerous army to war against the people
- 31:19of Moroniha, or against the army of Moroniha, in the which they were
- 31:23beaten and driven back again to their own lands, suffering great loss. And
- 31:30thus ended the thirty and ninth year of the reign of the Judges over the
- 31:33people of Nephi. And thus ended the account of Alma and Heliman his son,
- 31:37and also Shiblon, who was his son. End of Alma, chapters
- 31:42fifty nine through sixty three.