write, we behold our weakness, and stumble because of the placing of our words; and I fear lest the Gentiles shall 'mock at our words. 26. And when I had said this, the Lord spake unto me, saying, Fools mock, but they shall mourn; and my grace is sufficient for the meek, that they shall take no advantage of your weakness; 27. And if men come unto me, I will shew unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness, that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them. 28. Behold, I will shew unto the Gentiles their weakness, and I will shew unto them that faith, hope, and charity, bringeth unto me-the fountain of all righteousness. 29. And I, Moroni, having heard these words, was comforted, and said, O Lord, thy righteous will be done, for I know that thou workest unto the children of men according to their faith; 30. For the brother of Jared said unto the mountain Zerin, remove, and 'it was removed. And if he had not had faith, it would not have moved; wherefore thou workest after men have faith; 31. For thus didst thou manifest thyself unto thy disciples. For after they had faith, and did speak in thy name, thou didst shew thyself unto them in great power; 32. And I also remember that thou hast said that thou hast prepared a house for man; yea, even among the "mansions of thy Father, in which man might have a more excellent "hope; wherefore man must hope, or he cannot receive an inheritance in the place which thou hast prepared. 33. And again I remember that thou hast said that thou hast loved the world, even unto the laying down of thy life for the world, that thou mightest take it again to prepare a place for the children of men. 34. And now I know that this love which thou hast had for the children of men, is charity; wherefore, except men shall have "charity, they cannot inherit that place which thou hast prepared in the mansions of thy Father. 35. Wherefore, I know by this thing which thou hast said, that if the Gentiles have not charity, because of our weakness, that thou wilt prove them, and take away their talent, yea, even that which they have received, and give unto them who shall have more abundantly. 36. And it came to pass that I prayed unto the Lord that he would give unto the Gentiles grace, that they might have charity. 37. And it came to pass that the Lord said unto me, If 8, vers. 23, 27. t, see c, Jacob 4. u, vers. 33, 34, 37. See m, Enos. 1. v, see b. w, vers. 35-37. they have not charity, it mattereth not unto thee, thou hast been faithful; wherefore thy garments shall be made clean. And because thou hast seen thy weakness, thou shalt be made strong, even unto the sitting down in the place which I have prepared in the "mansions of my Father. 38. And now I, Moroni, bid farewell unto the Gentiles, yea, and also unto my brethren whom I love, until we shall meet before the judgment seat of Christ, where all men shall know that my garments are not spotted with your blood; 39. And then shall ye know that I have seen Jesus, and that he hath talked with me face to face, and that he told me in plain humility, even as a man telleth another in mine own language, concerning these things; 40. And only a few have I written, because of my weakness in writing. 41. And now I would commend you to seek this Jesus of whom the prophets and apostles have written, that the grace of God the Father, and also the Lord Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost, which beareth 2arecord of them, may be, and abide in you for ever. Amen. CHAPTER 13. 1. AND now I, Moroni, proceed to finish my record concerning the destruction of the people of whom I have been writing. 2. For behold, they rejected all the words of Ether; for he truly told them of all things, from the beginning of man; and that after the waters had receded from off the face of this land, it became a choice land above all other lands, a chosen land of the Lord; wherefore the Lord would have that all men should serve him who dwell upon the face thereof; 3. And that it was the "place of the New Jerusalem, which should come down out of heaven, and the Holy Sanctuary of the Lord. 4. Behold, Ether saw the days of Christ, and he spake concerning a New Jerusalem upon this land; 5. And he spake also concerning the house of Israel, and the Jerusalem from whence "Lehi should come; after it should be destroyed, it should be built up again a holy city unto the Lord, wherefore it could not be a New Jerusalem, for it had been in a time of old, but it should be built up again, and become a holy city of the Lord; and it should be built unto the house of Israel; 2, vers. 26-28, 35, 40. a, see t, II. Nep. 20. y, see u. z, see e, Ether 1. 2a, III. Nep. 11: 32,36. III. Nep. 20. d, i. Nep. 1-18. e, ver. 11. Rev. 21: 10-27. 6. And that a New Jerusalem should be built up upon this land, unto the remnant of the seed of Joseph, for which things there has been a type; 7. For as Joseph brought his father down into the land of Egypt, even so he died there; wherefore the Lord brought a remnant of the seed of Joseph out of the land of Jerusalem, that he might be merciful unto the seed of Joseph, that they should perish not, even as he was merciful unto the father of Joseph, that he should perish not; 8. Wherefore the remnant of the house of Joseph shall be built upon this land; and it shall be a land of "their inheritance; and they shall build up a 'holy city unto the Lord, like unto the Jerusalem of old; and they shall no more be confounded, until the end come, when the earth shall pass away. 9. And there shall be a new heaven and a new earth; and they shall be like unto the old, save the old have passed away, and all things have become new. 10. And then cometh the New Jerusalem; and blessed are they who dwell therein, for it is they whose garments are white through the blood of the Lamb; and they are they who are 'numbered among the remnant of the seed of Joseph, who were of the house of Israel. 11. And then also cometh the Jerusalem of old; and the inhabitants thereof, blessed are they, for they have been washed in the blood of the Lamb; and they are they who were scattered and gathered in from the four quarters of the earth, and from the "north countries, and are partakers of the fulfilling of the covenant which God made with their father Abraham. 12. And when these things 'come, bringeth to pass the scripture which saith, "There are they who were first, who shall be last; and there are they who were last, who shall be first. 13. And I was about to write more, but I am forbidden; but great and marvellous were the prophecies of Ether, but they esteemed him as nought, and cast him out, and he hid himself in the Pcavity of a rock by day, and by night he went forth viewing the things which should come upon the people. 14. And as he dwelt in the cavity of a rock, he made the 'remainder of this record, viewing the destructions which came upon the people by night. 15. And it came to pass that in that same year which he was cast out from among the people, there began to be a great war among the people, for there were many who rose up who were mighty men, and sought to destroy Čoriantumr by their secret plans of wickedness, of which hath been spoken. 16. And now Coriantumr, having studied himself in all the arts of war, and all the cunning of the world, wherefore he gave battle unto them who sought to destroy him; 17. But he repented not, neither his fair sons nor daughters; neither the fair sons and daughters of Cohor; neither the fair sons and daughters of Corihor; and in fine, there was none of the fair sons and daughters upon the face of the whole earth, who repented of their sins; 18. Wherefore it came to pass that in the first year that Ether dwelt in the 'cavity of a rock, there was many people who were slain by the sword of those "secret combinations fighting against Coriantumr, that they might obtain the kingdom. 19. And it came to pass that the sons of Coriantumr fought much and bled much. 20. And in the second year, the word of the Lord came to Ether, that he should go and prophesy unto Coriantumr, that if he would repent, and all his household, the Lord would give unto him his kingdom, and spare the people, 21. Otherwise they should be destroyed, and all his household, save it were himself, and he should only live to see the fulfilling of the prophecies which had been spoken concerning "another people receiving the land for their inheritance; and Coriantumr should receive a burial by them; and every soul should be "destroyed save it were Coriantumr. 22. And it came to pass that Coriantumr repented not, neither his household, neither the people; and the wars ceased not; and they sought to kill Ether, but he fled from before them, and hid again in the "cavity of the rock. 23. And it came to pass that there arose up Shared, and he also gave battle unto Coriantumr; and he did beat him, insomuch that in the third year he did bring him into captivity. 24. And the sons of Coriantumr, in the fourth year, did beat Shared, and did obtain the kingdom again unto their father. 25. Now there began to be a war upon all the face of the land, every man with his band fighting for that which he desired. 26. And there were robbers, and in fine, all manner of wickedness upon all the face of the land. 27. And it came to pass that Coriantumr was exceeding angry with Shared, and he went against him with his armies to battle; and they did meet in great anger, and they did meet him in the valley of Gilgal; and the battle became exceeding sore. 28. And it came to pass that Shared fought against him 8, see i, II. Nep. 10. Omni 1. t, see p. w, Ether 15: 29-32. u, see i, II. Nep. 10. z, see p. v, see s, for the space of three days. And it came to pass that Coriantumr beat him, and did pursue him until he came to the plains of Heshlon. 29. And it came to pass that Sharedt gave him battle again upon the plains; and behold, he did beat Coriantumr, and drove him back again to the valley of Gilgal. 30. And Coriantumr gave Shared battle again in the valley of Gilgal, in which he beat Shared, and slew him. 31. And Shared wounded Coriantumr in his thigh, that he did not go to battle again for the space of two years, in which time all the people upon all the face of the land were shedding blood, and there was none to restrain them. CHAPTER 14. 1. AND now there began to be a great "curse upon all the land, because of the iniquity of the people, in which, if a man should lay his tool or his sword upon his shelf, or upon the place whither he would keep it, and behold, upon the morrow, he could not find it, so great was the curse upon the land. 2. Wherefore every man did cleave unto that which was his own, with his hands, and would not borrow, neither would he lend; and every man kept the hilt of his sword thereof, in his right hand, in the defence of his property and his own life, and of his wives and children. 3. And now after the space of two years, and after the death of Shared, behold, there arose the brother of Shared and he gave battle unto Coriantumr, in which Coriantumr did beat him, and did pursue him to the wilderness of Akish.. 4. And it came to pass that the brother of Shared did give battle unto him in the wilderness of Akish; and the battle became exceeding sore, and many thousands fell by the sword. 5. And it came to pass that Coriantumr did lay siege to the wilderness, and the brother of Shared did march forth out of the wilderness by night, and slew a part of the army of Coriantumr, as they were drunken. 6. And he came forth to the 'land of Moron, and placed himself upon the throne of Coriantumr. 7. And it came to pass that Coriantumr dwelt with his army in the wilderness, for the space of two years, in which he did receive great strength to his army. 8. Now the brother of Shared, whose name was Gilead, also received great strength to his army, because of secret combinations. 9. And it came to pass that his High Priest murdered him as he sat upon his throne. a, see l, Hela. 13. b, see e, Ether 7. c, see i, II. Nep. 10. |