Mormon 3
1 And it came to pass that the Lamanites did not come to battle again until
ten years more had passed away. And behold, I had employed my people,
the Nephites, in preparing their lands and their arms against the time of
battle.
2 And it came to pass that the Lord did say unto me: Cry unto this people —
Repent ye, and come unto me, and be ye baptized, and build up again my
church, and ye shall be spared.
3 And I did cry unto this people, but it was in vain; and they did not realize
that it was the Lord that had spared them, and granted unto them a chance
for repentance. And behold they did harden their hearts against the Lord
their God.
4 And it came to pass that after this tenth year had passed away, making, in
the whole, three hundred and sixty years from the coming of Christ, the king
of the Lamanites sent an epistle unto me, which gave unto me to know that
they were preparing to come again to battle against us.
5 And it came to pass that I did cause my people that they should gather
themselves together at the land Desolation, to a city which was in the
borders, by the narrow pass which led into the land southward.
6 And there we did place our armies, that we might stop the armies of the
Lamanites, that they might not get possession of any of our lands; therefore
we did fortify against them with all our force.
7 And it came to pass that in the three hundred and sixty and first year the
Lamanites did come down to the city of Desolation to battle against us; and
it came to pass that in that year we did beat them, insomuch that they did
return to their own lands again.
8 And in the three hundred and sixty and second year they did come down
again to battle. And we did beat them again, and did slay a great number of
them, and their dead were cast into the sea.
9 And now, because of this great thing which my people, the Nephites, had
done, they began to boast in their own strength, and began to swear before
the heavens that they would avenge themselves of the blood of their brethren
who had been slain by their enemies.
10 And they did swear by the heavens, and also by the throne of God, that
they would go up to battle against their enemies, and would cut them off
from the face of the land.
11 And it came to pass that I, Mormon, did utterly refuse from this time
forth to be a commander and a leader of this people, because of their
wickedness and abomination.
12 Behold, I had led them, notwithstanding their wickedness I had led them
many times to battle, and had loved them, according to the love of God
which was in me, with all my heart; and my soul had been poured out in
prayer unto my God all the day long for them; nevertheless, it was without
faith, because of the hardness of their hearts.
13 And thrice have I delivered them out of the hands of their enemies, and
they have repented not of their sins.
14 And when they had sworn by all that had been forbidden them by our
Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, that they would go up unto their enemies to
battle, and avenge themselves of the blood of their brethren, behold the voice
of the Lord came unto me saying:
15 Vengeance is mine, and I will repay; and because this people repented
not after I had delivered them, behold, they shall be cut off from the face of
the earth.
16 And it came to pass that I utterly refused to go up against mine enemies;
and I did even as the Lord had commanded me; and I did stand as an idle
witness to manifest unto the world the things which I saw and heard,
according to the manifestations of the Spirit which had testified of things to
come.
17 Therefore I write unto you, Gentiles, and also unto you, house of Israel,
when the work shall commence, that ye shall be about to prepare to return to
the land of your inheritance;
18 Yea, behold, I write unto all the ends of the earth; yea, unto you, twelve
tribes of Israel, who shall be judged according to your works by the twelve
whom Jesus chose to be his disciples in the land of Jerusalem.
19 And I write also unto the remnant of this people, who shall also be
judged by the twelve whom Jesus chose in this land; and they shall be judged
by the other twelve whom Jesus chose in the land of Jerusalem.
20 And these things doth the Spirit manifest unto me; therefore I write unto
you all. And for this cause I write unto you, that ye may know that ye must
all stand before the judgment-seat of Christ, yea, every soul who belongs to
the whole human family of Adam; and ye must stand to be judged of your
works, whether they be good or evil;
21 And also that ye may believe the gospel of Jesus Christ, which ye shall
have among you; and also that the Jews, the covenant people of the Lord,
shall have other witness besides him whom they saw and heard, that Jesus,
whom they slew, was the very Christ and the very God.
22 And I would that I could persuade all ye ends of the earth to repent and
prepare to stand before the judgment-seat of Christ.