Latest / Philosophy and Faith / 40 - Book of Mormon - Joseph Smith Jr
Transcript
- 0:00Speaker 1: Alma, chapter fifty two. And now it came to pass
- 0:05Speaker 1: in the twenty and sixth year of the reign of
- 0:07Speaker 1: the Judges over the people of Nephi. Behold, when the
- 0:10Speaker 1: Lamanites awoke on the first morning of the first month,
- 0:14Speaker 1: Behold they found Amalachia was dead in his own tent.
- 0:18Speaker 1: And they also saw that Tiankam was ready to give
- 0:20Speaker 1: them battle on that day. And now when the Lamanites
- 0:25Speaker 1: saw this, they were affrighted, and they abandoned their design
- 0:28Speaker 1: in marching into the land northward, and retreated with all
- 0:33Speaker 1: their army into the city of Mulik, and sought protection
- 0:36Speaker 1: in their fortifications. And it came to pass that the
- 0:39Speaker 1: brother of Amalachia was appointed king over the people, and
- 0:43Speaker 1: his name was Amoron. Thus King Amaron, the brother of
- 0:47Speaker 1: King Amalachia, was appointed to reign in his stead. And
- 0:52Speaker 1: it came to pass that heeded command that his people
- 0:54Speaker 1: should maintain those cities which they had taken by the
- 0:57Speaker 1: shedding of blood, for they had not taken any cities,
- 1:01Speaker 1: save they had lost much blood. And now Tiancum saw
- 1:05Speaker 1: that the Lamanites were determined to maintain those cities which
- 1:08Speaker 1: they had taken, and those parts of the land which
- 1:11Speaker 1: they had obtained possession of, And also seeing the enormity
- 1:15Speaker 1: of their number, Tiankum thought it was not expedient that
- 1:18Speaker 1: he should attempt to attack them in their forts. But
- 1:21Speaker 1: he kept his men round about as if making preparations
- 1:24Speaker 1: for war. Yea, And truly he was preparing to defend
- 1:28Speaker 1: himself against them, by casting up walls round about and
- 1:32Speaker 1: preparing places of resort. And it came to pass that
- 1:36Speaker 1: he kept thus preparing for war until Moroni had sent
- 1:40Speaker 1: a large number of men to strengthen his army. And
- 1:43Speaker 1: Moroni also sent orders unto him that he should retain
- 1:47Speaker 1: all the prisoners who fell into his hands, for as
- 1:51Speaker 1: the Lamanites had taken many prisoners, that he should retain
- 1:54Speaker 1: all the prisoners of the Lamanites as a ransom for
- 1:57Speaker 1: those whom the Lamanites had taken, and sent orders unto
- 2:01Speaker 1: him that he should fortify the land bountiful and secure
- 2:04Speaker 1: the narrow pass which led into the land northward, lest
- 2:08Speaker 1: the Lamanites should obtain that point, and should have power
- 2:11Speaker 1: to harass them on every side. And Moron I also
- 2:15Speaker 1: sent unto him, desiring him that he would be faithful
- 2:17Speaker 1: in maintaining that quarter of the land, and that he
- 2:21Speaker 1: would seek every opportunity to scourge the Lamanites in that quarter,
- 2:25Speaker 1: as much as was in his power, that perhaps he
- 2:28Speaker 1: might take again by stratagem or some other way, those
- 2:31Speaker 1: cities which had been taken out of their hands, and
- 2:34Speaker 1: that he also would fortify and strengthen the cities roundabout
- 2:38Speaker 1: which had not fallen into the hands of the Lamanites.
- 2:42Speaker 1: And he also said unto him, I would come unto you,
- 2:45Speaker 1: But behold, the Lamanites are upon us in the borders
- 2:47Speaker 1: of the land by the west Sea, and behold I
- 2:50Speaker 1: go against them. Therefore I cannot come unto you. Now
- 2:54Speaker 1: the king Amoron had departed out of the land of Zarahemla,
- 2:58Speaker 1: and had made known unto the Qui Queen concerning the
- 3:01Speaker 1: death of his brother, and had gathered together a large
- 3:04Speaker 1: number of men, and had marched forth against the Nephites
- 3:08Speaker 1: on the borders by the west Sea. And thus he
- 3:11Speaker 1: was endeavoring to harass the Nephites and to draw away
- 3:14Speaker 1: a part of their forces to that part of the land.
- 3:17Speaker 1: While he had commanded those whom he had left to
- 3:19Speaker 1: possess the cities which he had taken that they should
- 3:22Speaker 1: also harass the neophytes on the borders by the east Sea,
- 3:25Speaker 1: and should take possession of their lands as much as
- 3:28Speaker 1: was in their power, according to the power of their armies.
- 3:31Speaker 1: And thus were the Nephites in those dangerous circumstances in
- 3:34Speaker 1: the ending of the twenty and sixth year of the
- 3:37Speaker 1: reign of the Judges over the people of Nephi. But behold,
- 3:41Speaker 1: it came to pass in the twenty and seventh year
- 3:43Speaker 1: of the reign of the Judges, that Tiancam, by the
- 3:46Speaker 1: command of Moroni, who had established armies to protect the
- 3:49Speaker 1: south and the west borders of the land, and had
- 3:52Speaker 1: begun his march towards the land Bountiful, that he might
- 3:56Speaker 1: assist Tiencam with his men in retaking the cities which
- 3:59Speaker 1: they had lost. And it came to pass that Tiakam
- 4:02Speaker 1: had received orders to make an attack upon the city
- 4:05Speaker 1: of Muluk and retake it if it were possible. And
- 4:09Speaker 1: it came to pass that Tianka made preparations to make
- 4:11Speaker 1: an attack upon the city of Muluk and march forth
- 4:14Speaker 1: with his army against the Lamanites. But he saw that
- 4:17Speaker 1: it was impossible that he could overpower them while they
- 4:21Speaker 1: were in their fortifications. Therefore, he abandoned his designs and
- 4:25Speaker 1: returned again to the city Bountiful to wait for the
- 4:28Speaker 1: coming of Moroni, that he might receive strength to his army.
- 4:32Speaker 1: And it came to pass that Moroni did arrive with
- 4:35Speaker 1: his army at the land Bountiful in the latter end
- 4:37Speaker 1: of the twenty and seventh year of the reign of
- 4:39Speaker 1: the Judges over the people of Nephi, And in the
- 4:42Speaker 1: commencement of the twenty and eighth year, Marona and Tiankam
- 4:46Speaker 1: and many of the chief captains held a council of
- 4:48Speaker 1: war what they should do to cause the Lamanites to
- 4:51Speaker 1: come out against them to battle, or that they might
- 4:54Speaker 1: by some means flatter them out of their strongholds, that
- 4:57Speaker 1: they might gain advantage over them and take again the
- 4:59Speaker 1: city Muluk. And it came to pass they sent embassies
- 5:03Speaker 1: to the army of the Lamanites which protected the city
- 5:06Speaker 1: of Muluk, to their leader, whose name was Jacob, desiring
- 5:10Speaker 1: him that he would come out with his armies to
- 5:12Speaker 1: meet them upon the plains between the two cities. But behold, Jacob,
- 5:17Speaker 1: who was a Zoramite, would not come out with his
- 5:20Speaker 1: army to meet them upon the plains, and it came
- 5:23Speaker 1: to pass that Marona, having no hopes of meeting them
- 5:25Speaker 1: upon fair grounds, therefore he resolved upon a plan that
- 5:30Speaker 1: he might decoy the Lamanites out of their strongholds. Therefore,
- 5:34Speaker 1: he caused that Tiankam should take a small number of
- 5:37Speaker 1: men and march down near the sea shore, and Marona
- 5:40Speaker 1: and his army by night marched in the wilderness on
- 5:43Speaker 1: the west of the city Muluk. And thus on the morrow,
- 5:46Speaker 1: when the guards of the Lamanites had discovered Tiankum, they
- 5:49Speaker 1: ran and told it unto Jacob, their leader, and it
- 5:52Speaker 1: came to pass that the armies of the Lamanites did
- 5:54Speaker 1: march forth against Tiankam, supposing by their numbers to overpower
- 5:58Speaker 1: Tiankum because of the small of his numbers, and as
- 6:02Speaker 1: Tiancum saw the armies of the Lamanites coming out against him,
- 6:05Speaker 1: he began to retreat down by the sea shore northward,
- 6:09Speaker 1: and it came to pass that when the Lamanites saw
- 6:11Speaker 1: that he began to flee, they took courage and pursued
- 6:15Speaker 1: them with vigor. And while Tienkam was thus leading away
- 6:19Speaker 1: the Lamanites who were pursuing them in vain. Behold, Moronay
- 6:22Speaker 1: commanded that a part of his army who were with
- 6:25Speaker 1: him should march forth into the city and take possession
- 6:28Speaker 1: of it. And thus they did, and slew all those
- 6:32Speaker 1: who had been left to protect the city, yea, all
- 6:34Speaker 1: those who would not yield up their weapons of war.
- 6:38Speaker 1: And thus Moroni had obtained possession of the city Muluk
- 6:41Speaker 1: with a part of his army, while he marched with
- 6:43Speaker 1: the remainder to meet the Lamanites when they should return
- 6:46Speaker 1: from the pursuit of Tiankum. And it came to pass
- 6:50Speaker 1: that the Lamanites did pursue Tiankam until they came near
- 6:53Speaker 1: the city Bountiful, and then they were met by Lehi
- 6:56Speaker 1: in a small army which had been left to protect
- 6:58Speaker 1: the city Bountiful. And now behold, when the chief captains
- 7:02Speaker 1: of the Lamanites had beheld Lehi with his army coming
- 7:05Speaker 1: against them, they fled in much confusion, lest perhaps they
- 7:09Speaker 1: should not obtain the city Muluch before Lehi should overtake them,
- 7:13Speaker 1: for they were wearied because of their march, and the
- 7:15Speaker 1: men of Lehi were fresh. Now the Lamanites did not
- 7:19Speaker 1: know that Moroni had been in their rear with his army,
- 7:22Speaker 1: and all they feared was Lehi and his men. Now,
- 7:25Speaker 1: Lehi was not desirous to overtake them till they should
- 7:29Speaker 1: meet Moroni and his army. And it came to pass
- 7:32Speaker 1: that before the Lamanites had retreated far, they were surrounded
- 7:36Speaker 1: by the Nephites, by the men of Morona on one
- 7:38Speaker 1: hand and the men of Lehigh on the other, all
- 7:41Speaker 1: of whom were fresh and full of strength. But the
- 7:44Speaker 1: Lamanites were wearied because of their long march, and Moroni
- 7:48Speaker 1: commanded his men that they should fall upon them until
- 7:52Speaker 1: they had given up their weapons of war. And it
- 7:55Speaker 1: came to pass that Jacob, being their leader, being also
- 7:58Speaker 1: a Zoramite and having an unconquerable spirit, he led the
- 8:04Speaker 1: Lamanites forth to battle with exceeding fury against Moroni. Moroni
- 8:09Speaker 1: being in their course of march. Therefore, Jacob was determined
- 8:13Speaker 1: to slay them and cut his way through to the
- 8:16Speaker 1: city of Mulik. But behold, Moronai and his men were
- 8:20Speaker 1: more powerful. Therefore they did not give way before the Lamanites,
- 8:24Speaker 1: and it came to pass that they fought on both
- 8:26Speaker 1: hands with exceeding fury, and there were many slain on
- 8:31Speaker 1: both sides Yea and Moroni was wounded, and Jacob was killed.
- 8:37Speaker 1: And Lehi pressed upon their rear with such fury with
- 8:41Speaker 1: his strong men that the Lamanites in the rear delivered
- 8:44Speaker 1: up their weapons of war, and the remainder of them,
- 8:47Speaker 1: being much confused, knew not whither to go or to strike.
- 8:52Speaker 1: Now Moronai, seeing their confusion, he said unto them, if
- 8:56Speaker 1: you will bring forth your weapons of war and deliver
- 8:59Speaker 1: them up old, we will forbear shedding your blood. And
- 9:03Speaker 1: it came to pass that when the Lamanites had heard
- 9:06Speaker 1: these words, their chief captains, all those who were not slain,
- 9:10Speaker 1: came forth and threw down their weapons of war at
- 9:13Speaker 1: the feet of Moroni, and also commanded their men that
- 9:17Speaker 1: they should do the same. But behold, there were many
- 9:21Speaker 1: who would not, And those who would not deliver up
- 9:24Speaker 1: their swords were taken and bound, and their weapons of
- 9:27Speaker 1: war were taken from them, and they were compelled to
- 9:30Speaker 1: march with their brethren forth into the land bountiful. And
- 9:35Speaker 1: now the number of prisoners who were taken exceeded more
- 9:39Speaker 1: than the number of those who had been slain, yea,
- 9:43Speaker 1: more than those who had been slain on both sides Alma,
- 9:48Speaker 1: chapter fifty three. And it came to pass that they
- 9:51Speaker 1: did set guards over the prisoners of the Lamanites, and
- 9:54Speaker 1: it compelled them to go forth and bury their dead Yea,
- 9:58Speaker 1: and also the dead of the niphi Kites who were slain,
- 10:01Speaker 1: and Moroni placed men over them to guard them while
- 10:04Speaker 1: they should perform their labors. And Moroni went to the
- 10:07Speaker 1: city of Mulik with Lehi and took command of the
- 10:10Speaker 1: city and gave it unto Lehi. Now behold this Lehi
- 10:13Speaker 1: was a man who had been with Moroni in the
- 10:16Speaker 1: more part of all his battles, and he was a
- 10:18Speaker 1: man likened to Moroni. And they rejoiced in each other's safety. Yea,
- 10:23Speaker 1: they were beloved by each other, and also beloved by
- 10:27Speaker 1: all the people of Nephi. And it came to pass
- 10:30Speaker 1: that after the Lamanites had finished burying their dead, and
- 10:34Speaker 1: also the dead of the Nephies, they were marched back
- 10:37Speaker 1: into the land bountiful and tiancum by the orders of
- 10:41Speaker 1: Moroni caused that they should commence laboring in digging a
- 10:44Speaker 1: ditch round about the land or the city Bountiful, and
- 10:48Speaker 1: he caused that they should build a breastwork of timbers
- 10:52Speaker 1: upon the inner bank of the ditch, and they cast
- 10:54Speaker 1: up dirt out of the ditch against the breastwork of timbers.
- 10:58Speaker 1: And thus they had caused the Lamani to labor until
- 11:01Speaker 1: they had encircled the city of Bountiful round about with
- 11:04Speaker 1: a strong wall of timbers and earth to an exceeding height.
- 11:08Speaker 1: And this city became an exceeding stronghold ever after. And
- 11:12Speaker 1: in this city they did guard the prisoners of the
- 11:14Speaker 1: Lamanites yea, even within a wall which they had caused
- 11:18Speaker 1: them to build with their own hands. And now Marona
- 11:21Speaker 1: was compelled to cause the Lamanites to labor, because it
- 11:24Speaker 1: was easy to guard them while at their labor. And
- 11:27Speaker 1: he desired all his forces when he should make an
- 11:30Speaker 1: attack upon the Lamanites. And it came to pass that
- 11:33Speaker 1: Morona had thus gained a victory over one of the
- 11:36Speaker 1: greatest of the armies of the Lamanites, and had obtained
- 11:39Speaker 1: possession of the city of Mulik, which was one of
- 11:42Speaker 1: the strongest holds of the Lamanites in the land of Nephi.
- 11:46Speaker 1: And thus he had also built a stronghold to retain
- 11:49Speaker 1: his prisoners. And it came to pass that he did
- 11:53Speaker 1: no more attempt a battle with the Lamanites in that year.
- 11:56Speaker 1: But he did employ his men in preparing for war Yea,
- 12:00Speaker 1: and in making fortifications to guard against the Lamanites Yea,
- 12:04Speaker 1: and also delivering their women and their children from famine
- 12:07Speaker 1: and affliction, and providing food for their armies. And now
- 12:11Speaker 1: it came to pass that the armies of the Lamanites
- 12:14Speaker 1: on the west Sea south, while in the absence of Moronai,
- 12:18Speaker 1: on account of some intrigue amongst the Nephites, which caused
- 12:21Speaker 1: dissensions amongst them, had gained some ground over the Nephytes Yea,
- 12:26Speaker 1: insomuch that they had obtained possession of a number of
- 12:29Speaker 1: their cities in that part of the land. And thus
- 12:33Speaker 1: because of iniquity amongst themselves, Yea, because of dissensions and
- 12:37Speaker 1: intrigue among themselves, they were placed in the most dangerous circumstances.
- 12:43Speaker 1: And now behold, I have somewhat to say concerning the
- 12:46Speaker 1: people of Amine, who in the beginning were Lamanites. But
- 12:50Speaker 1: by Amine and his brethren, or rather by the power
- 12:53Speaker 1: and word of God, they had been converted unto the Lord,
- 12:58Speaker 1: and they had been brought down into the land of Zarahemla,
- 13:02Speaker 1: and had ever since been protected by the Nephites. And
- 13:06Speaker 1: because of their oath they had been kept from taking
- 13:09Speaker 1: up arms against their brethren, for they had taken an
- 13:12Speaker 1: oath that they never would shed blood more. And according
- 13:16Speaker 1: to their oath, they would have perished. Yea, they would
- 13:20Speaker 1: have suffered themselves to have fallen into the hands of
- 13:22Speaker 1: their brethren, had it not been for the pity and
- 13:25Speaker 1: the exceeding love which Ammon and his brethren had had
- 13:29Speaker 1: for them. And for this cause they were brought down
- 13:33Speaker 1: into the land of Zarahemla, and they ever had been
- 13:36Speaker 1: protected by the Nephites. But it came to pass that
- 13:40Speaker 1: when they saw the danger and the many afflictions and
- 13:43Speaker 1: tribulations which the Nephites bore for them, they were moved
- 13:47Speaker 1: with compassion and were desirous to take up arms in
- 13:50Speaker 1: the defense of their country. But behold, as they were
- 13:53Speaker 1: about to take their weapons of war, they were overpowered
- 13:57Speaker 1: by the persuasions of Heliman and his brethren, for they
- 14:00Speaker 1: were about to break the oath which they had made,
- 14:03Speaker 1: and Helimin feared lest by so doing they should lose
- 14:06Speaker 1: their souls. Therefore, all those who had entered into this
- 14:10Speaker 1: covenant were compelled to behold their brethren weighed through their
- 14:14Speaker 1: afflictions in their dangerous circumstances at this time. But behold,
- 14:19Speaker 1: it came to pass they had many sons who had
- 14:21Speaker 1: not entered into a covenant, that they would not take
- 14:24Speaker 1: their weapons of war to defend themselves against their enemies. Therefore,
- 14:28Speaker 1: they did assemble themselves together at this time as many
- 14:31Speaker 1: as were able to take up arms, and they called
- 14:33Speaker 1: themselves Nephytes, And they entered into a covenant to fight
- 14:37Speaker 1: for the liberty of the Nephites Yea, to protect the
- 14:40Speaker 1: land unto the lane down of their lives. Yea. Even
- 14:44Speaker 1: they covenanted that they never would give up their liberty,
- 14:47Speaker 1: but they would fight in all cases to protect the
- 14:49Speaker 1: Nephytes and themselves from bondage. Now behold that there were
- 14:53Speaker 1: two thousand of those young men who entered into this
- 14:56Speaker 1: covenant and took their weapons of war to defend their country.
- 15:00Speaker 1: And now behold, as they never had hitherto been a
- 15:03Speaker 1: disadvantage to the Nephites, they became now at this period
- 15:06Speaker 1: of time also a great support for they took their
- 15:10Speaker 1: weapons of war, and they would that Heliman should be
- 15:12Speaker 1: their leader. And they were all young men, and they
- 15:16Speaker 1: were exceedingly valiant for courage, and also for strength and activity.
- 15:21Speaker 1: But behold, this was not all. They were men who
- 15:24Speaker 1: were true at all times, and whatsoever thing, they were entrusted. Yea,
- 15:29Speaker 1: they were men of truth and soberness, for they had
- 15:32Speaker 1: been taught to keep the commandments of God and to
- 15:34Speaker 1: walk uprightly before him. And now it came to pass
- 15:38Speaker 1: that Heliment did march at the head of his two
- 15:40Speaker 1: thousand stripling soldiers to the support of the people and
- 15:43Speaker 1: the borders of the land on the south by the
- 15:45Speaker 1: west sea. And thus ended the twenty and eighth year
- 15:49Speaker 1: of the reign of the Judges over the people of
- 15:51Speaker 1: Nephi Alma, chapter fifty four. And now it came to
- 15:58Speaker 1: pass in the commencement of the twenty ninth year of
- 16:00Speaker 1: the Judges, that Amoron sent unto Moroni, desiring that he
- 16:04Speaker 1: would exchange prisoners. And it came to pass that Moroni
- 16:08Speaker 1: felt to rejoice exceedingly at this request, for he desired
- 16:11Speaker 1: the provisions which were imparted for the support of the
- 16:14Speaker 1: Lamanite prisoners for the support of his own people, and
- 16:17Speaker 1: he also desired his own people for the strengthening of
- 16:20Speaker 1: his army. Now, the Lamanites had taken many women and children,
- 16:25Speaker 1: and there was not a woman nor a child among
- 16:27Speaker 1: all the prisoners of Moroni or the prisoners whom Moroni
- 16:30Speaker 1: had taken. Therefore, Morona resolved upon a stratagem to obtain
- 16:34Speaker 1: as many prisoners of the Nephites from the Lamanites as
- 16:37Speaker 1: it were possible. Therefore he wrote an epistle and sent
- 16:41Speaker 1: it by the servant of Amoron, the same who had
- 16:44Speaker 1: brought an epistle to Moroni. Now these are the words
- 16:47Speaker 1: which he wrote unto Amoron, saying, behold, Amaron, I have
- 16:52Speaker 1: written unto you somewhat concerning this war which ye have
- 16:55Speaker 1: waged against my people, or rather, which thy brother hath
- 16:59Speaker 1: waged again them, and which ye are still determined to
- 17:02Speaker 1: carry on after his death. Behold, I would tell you
- 17:06Speaker 1: somewhat concerning the justice of God and the sword of
- 17:09Speaker 1: his almighty wrath, which doth hang over you, except you
- 17:12Speaker 1: repent and withdraw your armies into your own lands or
- 17:16Speaker 1: the lands of your possessions, which is the land of
- 17:19Speaker 1: Nephi yea, I would tell you these things if ye
- 17:23Speaker 1: were capable of hearkening unto them. YEA, I would tell
- 17:26Speaker 1: you concerning that awful Hell that awaits to receive such
- 17:29Speaker 1: murderers as thou and thy brother have been, except you
- 17:33Speaker 1: repent and withdraw your murderous purposes in return with your
- 17:36Speaker 1: armies to your own lands. But as ye have once
- 17:40Speaker 1: rejected these things and have fought against the people of
- 17:43Speaker 1: the Lord, even so I may expect you will do
- 17:46Speaker 1: it again. And now behold, we are prepared to receive you, yea,
- 17:51Speaker 1: and accept you withdraw your purposes. Behold, ye will pull
- 17:54Speaker 1: down the wrath of that God whom you have rejected
- 17:57Speaker 1: upon you, even to your utter destruct. But as the
- 18:02Speaker 1: Lord liveth our armies shall come upon you except you withdraw,
- 18:07Speaker 1: and ye shall soon be visited with death. For we
- 18:10Speaker 1: will retain our cities and our lands, yea. And we
- 18:15Speaker 1: will maintain our religion and the cause of our God.
- 18:18Speaker 1: But behold, it supposeth me that I talk to you
- 18:21Speaker 1: concerning these things in vain, for it supposeth me that
- 18:24Speaker 1: thou art a child of Hell. Therefore I will close
- 18:27Speaker 1: my epistle by telling you that I will not exchange prisoners,
- 18:31Speaker 1: save it beyond conditions, that ye will deliver up a
- 18:33Speaker 1: man and his wife and his children for one prisoner.
- 18:37Speaker 1: If this be the case, that YE will do it,
- 18:39Speaker 1: I will exchange. And behold, if ye do not this,
- 18:43Speaker 1: I will come against you with my armies. Yea. Even
- 18:46Speaker 1: I will arm my women and my children, and I
- 18:49Speaker 1: will come against you. And I will follow you even
- 18:52Speaker 1: into your own land, which is the land of our
- 18:55Speaker 1: first inheritance. Yea. And it shall be blood for blood, yea,
- 19:00Speaker 1: life for life, and I will give you battle even
- 19:04Speaker 1: until you are destroyed from off the face of the earth. Behold,
- 19:07Speaker 1: I am in my anger, and also my people. Ye
- 19:10Speaker 1: have sought to murder us, and we have only sought
- 19:13Speaker 1: to defend ourselves. But behold, if ye seek to destroy
- 19:17Speaker 1: us more, we will seek to destroy you, yea. And
- 19:21Speaker 1: we will seek our land, the land of our first inheritance.
- 19:25Speaker 1: Now I close my epistle. I am Morone. I am
- 19:29Speaker 1: a leader of the people of the Nephites. Now I
- 19:34Speaker 1: came to pass that Amoron, when he had received this epistle,
- 19:37Speaker 1: was angry, and he wrote another epistle unto Moroni. And
- 19:41Speaker 1: these are the words which he wrote, saying, I am
- 19:44Speaker 1: amoron the king of the Lamanites. I am the brother
- 19:47Speaker 1: of a Malachia, whom ye have murdered. Behold, I will
- 19:50Speaker 1: avenge his blood upon you, yea, and I will come
- 19:54Speaker 1: upon you with my armies, for I fear not your threatenings.
- 19:57Speaker 1: For behold, your fathers did wrong their brethren insomuch that
- 20:00Speaker 1: they did rob them of their right to the government
- 20:03Speaker 1: when it rightfully belonged unto them. And now behold, if
- 20:06Speaker 1: ye will lay down your arms and subject yourselves to
- 20:09Speaker 1: be governed by those to whom the government doth rightly belong,
- 20:13Speaker 1: then will I cause that my people shall lay down
- 20:15Speaker 1: their weapons and shall be at war no more. Behold,
- 20:19Speaker 1: ye have breathed out many threatenings against me and my people.
- 20:23Speaker 1: But behold, we fear not your threatenings. Nevertheless, I will
- 20:27Speaker 1: grant to exchange prisoners according to your request, gladly that
- 20:31Speaker 1: I may preserve my food for my men of war.
- 20:34Speaker 1: And we will wage a war which shall be eternal,
- 20:37Speaker 1: either to the subjecting the Nephites to our authority or
- 20:40Speaker 1: to their eternal extinction. And as concerning that God whom
- 20:44Speaker 1: ye say we have rejected, behold, we know not such
- 20:48Speaker 1: a being neither do ye. But if it so be
- 20:51Speaker 1: that there is such a thing, we know not, but
- 20:54Speaker 1: that he hath made us as well as you. And
- 20:57Speaker 1: if it so be that there is a devil and
- 20:59Speaker 1: a hell, behold, will he not send you there to
- 21:02Speaker 1: dwell with my brother whom ye have murdered, whom ye
- 21:05Speaker 1: have hinted that he hath gone to such a place.
- 21:08Speaker 1: But behold, these things matter not. I am Amoron, and
- 21:12Speaker 1: a descendant of Zorim, whom your father's pressed and brought
- 21:15Speaker 1: out of Jerusalem. And behold, now I am a bold Lamanite.
- 21:19Speaker 1: Behold this war hath been waged to avenge their wrongs
- 21:23Speaker 1: and to maintain and to obtain their rights to the government.
- 21:27Speaker 1: And I close my epistle to Moroni Alma, chapter fifty five.
- 21:34Speaker 1: Now it came to pass that when Moroni had received
- 21:36Speaker 1: this epistle, he was more angry because he knew that
- 21:39Speaker 1: Amoron had a perfect knowledge of his fraud. Yea, And
- 21:42Speaker 1: he knew that Amoron knew that it was not a
- 21:44Speaker 1: just cause that had caused him to wage a war
- 21:47Speaker 1: against the people of Nephi. And he said, behold, I
- 21:51Speaker 1: will not exchange prisoners with Amoron save he will withdraw
- 21:54Speaker 1: his purpose, as I have stated in my epistle, for
- 21:58Speaker 1: I will not grant unto him that he shall have
- 22:00Speaker 1: any more power than what he hath got. Behold, I
- 22:03Speaker 1: know the place where the Lamanites do guard my people,
- 22:06Speaker 1: whom they have taken prisoners. And as Amoran would not
- 22:09Speaker 1: grant unto me mine epistle, behold, I will give unto him.
- 22:13Speaker 1: According to my words. Yea, I will seek death among
- 22:17Speaker 1: them until they shall sue for peace. And now it
- 22:20Speaker 1: came to pass that when Maroni had said these words,
- 22:23Speaker 1: he caused that a search should be made among his men,
- 22:26Speaker 1: that perhaps he might find a man who was a
- 22:28Speaker 1: descendant of Layman among them. And it came to pass
- 22:32Speaker 1: that they found one whose name was Layman, and he
- 22:35Speaker 1: was one of the servants of the king, who was
- 22:37Speaker 1: murdered by a Melachiah. Now Maroni caused that Layman and
- 22:41Speaker 1: a small number of his men should go forth unto
- 22:44Speaker 1: the guards who were over the Nephites. Now the Nephites
- 22:47Speaker 1: were guarded in the city of gid. Therefore Maroney appointed
- 22:51Speaker 1: Layman and caused that a small number of men should
- 22:53Speaker 1: go with him. And when it was evening, Layman went
- 22:56Speaker 1: to the guards who were over the Nephites. And behold,
- 22:59Speaker 1: they saw him coming, and they hailed him. But he
- 23:02Speaker 1: saith unto them, I fear not. Behold, I am a Lamanite. Behold,
- 23:07Speaker 1: we have escaped from the Nephites, and they sleep. And
- 23:09Speaker 1: behold we have taken of their wine and brought with us. Now,
- 23:13Speaker 1: when the Lamanites heard these words, they received him with joy,
- 23:17Speaker 1: and they said, unto him, give us of your wine
- 23:19Speaker 1: that we may drink. We are glad that ye have
- 23:21Speaker 1: thus taken wine with you, for we are weary. But
- 23:24Speaker 1: Layman said unto them, let us keep our wine till
- 23:27Speaker 1: we go against the Nephites to battle. But this saying
- 23:31Speaker 1: only made them more desirous to drink of the wine,
- 23:35Speaker 1: for said they, we are weary. Therefore let us take
- 23:38Speaker 1: of the wine, and by and bye we shall receive
- 23:41Speaker 1: wine for our rations, which will strengthen us to go
- 23:43Speaker 1: against the Nephites. And Layman said unto them, you may
- 23:48Speaker 1: do according to your desires. And it came to pass
- 23:52Speaker 1: that they did take of the wine freely, and it
- 23:54Speaker 1: was pleasant to their taste. Therefore they took of it
- 23:57Speaker 1: more freely, and it was strong, having been prepared in
- 24:00Speaker 1: its strength, and it came to pass they did drink
- 24:03Speaker 1: and were merry, and by and by they were all drunken.
- 24:08Speaker 1: And now when Layman and his men saw that they
- 24:10Speaker 1: were all drunken and were in a deep sleep, they
- 24:13Speaker 1: returned to Morona and told him all the things that
- 24:16Speaker 1: had happened. And now this was according to the design
- 24:19Speaker 1: of Moroni. And Moroni had prepared his men with weapons
- 24:23Speaker 1: of war. And he went to the city Gid while
- 24:25Speaker 1: the Lamanites were in a deep sleep and drunken, and
- 24:29Speaker 1: cast in weapons of war. Unto the prisoners, insomuch that
- 24:32Speaker 1: they were all armed, he ate even to their women
- 24:35Speaker 1: and all those of their children, as many as were
- 24:38Speaker 1: able to use a weapon of war. When Moroni had
- 24:40Speaker 1: armed all those prisoners, and all those things were done
- 24:44Speaker 1: in a profound silence. But had they awakened the Lamanites, behold,
- 24:49Speaker 1: they were drunken, and the Nephites could have slain them.
- 24:51Speaker 1: But behold, this was not the desire of Morone. He
- 24:55Speaker 1: did not delight in murder or bloodshed, but he delighted
- 24:58Speaker 1: in the saving of his people from and for this
- 25:01Speaker 1: cause he might not bring upon him in justice. He
- 25:05Speaker 1: would not fall upon the Lamanites and destroy them in
- 25:08Speaker 1: their drunkenness. But he had obtained his desires, for he
- 25:12Speaker 1: had armed those prisoners of the Nephites who were within
- 25:15Speaker 1: the wall of the city, and had given them power
- 25:18Speaker 1: to gain possession of those parts which were within the walls.
- 25:22Speaker 1: And then he caused the men who were with him
- 25:24Speaker 1: to withdraw a pace from them and surround the armies
- 25:27Speaker 1: of the Lamanites. Now behold, this was done in the
- 25:31Speaker 1: night time, so that when the Lamanites awoke in the morning,
- 25:35Speaker 1: they beheld that they were surrounded by the Nephites without,
- 25:39Speaker 1: and that their prisoners were armed within. And thus they
- 25:43Speaker 1: saw that the Nephites had power over them. And in
- 25:46Speaker 1: these circumstances they found that it was not expedient that
- 25:49Speaker 1: they should fight with the Nephites. Therefore their chief captains
- 25:53Speaker 1: demanded their weapons of war, and they brought them forth
- 25:57Speaker 1: and cast them at the feet of the Nephites, pleading
- 25:59Speaker 1: for mercy. Now behold, this was the desire of Morone.
- 26:04Speaker 1: He took them prisoners of war and took possession of
- 26:07Speaker 1: the city, and caused that all the prisoners should be
- 26:09Speaker 1: liberated who were nephytes. And they did join the army
- 26:12Speaker 1: of Morone, and were a great strength to his army.
- 26:16Speaker 1: And it came to pass that he had cause the Lamanites,
- 26:18Speaker 1: whom he had taken prisoners, that they should commence a
- 26:21Speaker 1: labor in strengthening the fortifications round about the city Gid.
- 26:25Speaker 1: And it came to pass that, when he had fortified
- 26:28Speaker 1: the city Gid, according to his desires, he caused that
- 26:31Speaker 1: his prisoners should be taken to the city Bountiful, And
- 26:34Speaker 1: he also guarded that city with an exceedingly strong force.
- 26:38Speaker 1: And it came to pass that they did, notwithstanding all
- 26:41Speaker 1: the intrigues of the Lamanites, keep and protect all the
- 26:44Speaker 1: prisoners whom they had taken, and also maintain all the
- 26:48Speaker 1: ground and the advantage which they had retaken. And it
- 26:52Speaker 1: came to pass that the Nephites began again to be
- 26:54Speaker 1: victorious and to reclaim their rights and their privileges. Many
- 26:59Speaker 1: time did the layman Knites attempt to encircle them about
- 27:01Speaker 1: by night, but in these attempts they did lose many prisoners.
- 27:06Speaker 1: And many times did they attempt to administer of their
- 27:09Speaker 1: wine to the Nephytes, that they might destroy them with
- 27:12Speaker 1: poison or with drunkenness. But Behold, the Nephites were not
- 27:17Speaker 1: slow to remember the Lord their god in this their
- 27:19Speaker 1: time of affliction. They could not be taken in their snares. Yea,
- 27:23Speaker 1: they would not partake of their wine save they had
- 27:25Speaker 1: first given to some of the Lamanite prisoners. And they
- 27:28Speaker 1: were thus cautious that no poison should be administered among them,
- 27:33Speaker 1: for if their wine would poison a Lamanite, it would
- 27:36Speaker 1: also poison an Ephyte. And thus they did try all
- 27:39Speaker 1: their liquors. And now it came to pass that it
- 27:42Speaker 1: was expedient for Moronit to make preparations to attack the
- 27:45Speaker 1: city Morientin. For behold, the Lamanites had, by their labors
- 27:49Speaker 1: fortified the city Morientin until it had become an exceeding stronghold.
- 27:54Speaker 1: And they were continually bringing new forces into that city,
- 27:58Speaker 1: and also new supplies of provisions. And thus ended the
- 28:02Speaker 1: twenty and ninth year of the reign of the Judges
- 28:04Speaker 1: over the people of Ephi and of Alma, Chapters fifty
- 28:10Speaker 1: two through fifty five,