5. For so exceedingly do they anger, that it seemeth me that they have no fear of death; and they have lost their love, one towards another; and they "thirst after blood and revenge continually. 6. And now my beloved son, notwithstanding their hardness, let us labor diligently; for if we should cease to labor, we should be brought under condemnation; for we have a labor to perform whilst in this tabernacle of clay, that we may conquer the enemy of all righteousness, and rest our souls in the kingdom of God. 7. And now I write somewhat concerning the sufferings of this people. For according to the knowledge which I have received from Amoron, behold, the Lamanites have many prisoners, which they took from the tower of Sherrizah; and there were men, women, and children. 8. And the husbands and fathers of those women and children they have slain; and they feed the women upon the flesh of their husbands, and the children upon the flesh of their fathers; and no water, save a little, do they give unto them. 9. And notwithstanding this great abomination of the Lamanites, it doth not exceed that of our people in Moriantum. For behold, many of the daughters of the Lamanites have they taken prisoners; and after depriving them of that which was most dear and precious above all things, which is chastity and virtue; 10. And after they had done this thing, they did murder them in a most cruel manner, torturing their bodies even unto death; and after they have done this, they devour their flesh like unto wild beasts, because of the hardness of their hearts; and they do it for a token of bravery. 11. O my beloved son, how can a people like this, that are without civilization; 12. (And only a few years have passed away, and they were a civil and a delightsome people ;) 13. But O my son, how can a people like this, whose delight is in so much abomination, 14. How can we expect that God will stay his hand in judgment against us? 15. Behold, my heart cries, Wo unto this people. Come out in judgment, O God, and hide their sins, and wickedness, and abominations from before thy face. 16. And again, my son, there are many widows and their daughters, who remain in Sherrizah; and that part of the provisions which the Lamanites did not carry away, behold, the army of Zenephi has carried away, and left them to wander whithersoever they can for food; and many old women do faint by the way and die. 17. And the army which is with me is weak; and the d, Mor. 4: 11, 12. armies of the Lamanites are betwixt Sherrizah and me; and as many as have fled to the army of Aaron, have fallen victims to their awful brutality. 18. O the depravity of my people! they are without order and without mercy. Behold, I am but a man, and I have but the strength of a man, and I cannot any longer enforce my commands; 19. And they have become strong in their perversion; and they are alike brutal, sparing none, neither old nor young and they delight in everything save that which is good; and the sufferings of our women and our children upon all the face of this land, doth exceed everything; yea, tongue cannot tell, neither can it be written. 20. And now, my son, I dwell no longer upon this horrible scene. Behold, thou knowest the wickedness of this people; thou knowest that they are without principle, and past feeling; and their wickedness doth exceed that of the Lamanites. 21. Behold, my son, I cannot recommend them unto God lest he should smite me. 22. But behold, my son, I recommend thee unto God, and I trust in Christ that thou wilt be saved; and I pray unto God that he would spare thy life, to witness the return of his people unto him, or their utter destruction; for I know that they must perish, except they repent and return unto him; 23. And if they perish, it will be like unto the Jaredites, because of the wilfulness of their hearts, seeking "for blood and revenge. 24. And if it so be that they perish, we know that many of our brethren have 'dissented over unto the Lamanites, and many more will also dissent over unto them; wherefore, write somewhat a few things, if thou art spared; and I shall perish and not see thee; but I trust that I may see thee soon; for I have sacred records that I would 'deliver up unto thee. 25. My son, be faithful in Christ; and may not the things which I have written grieve thee, to weigh thee down unto death, but may Christ lift thee up, and may his sufferings and death, and the shewing his body unto our fathers and his mercy and long suffering, and the hope of his glory and of eternal life, rest in your mind for ever. 26. And may the grace of God the Father, whose throne is high in the heavens, and our Lord Jesus Christ, who sitteth on the right hand of his power, until all things shall become subject unto him, be, and abide with you for ever. Amen. e, Mor. 2: 9. f, Mor. 8: 3. 4: 11, 12. i, 1. Nep. 13: 31. g, Ether 13-15. h, ver. 5. Alma 45: 14. j, Mor. 6: 6. Mor. CHAPTER 10. 1. Now I, Moroni, write somewhat as seemeth me good; and I write unto my brethren, the Lamanites; and I would that they should know that more than four hundred and twenty years have passed away since the "sign was given of the coming of Christ. 2. And I seal up 'these records, after I have spoken a few words by way of exhortation unto you. 3. Behold I would exhort you that when ye shall read these things, if it be wisdom in God that ye should read them, that ye would remember how merciful the Lord hath been unto the children of men, from the creation of Adam, even down until the time that ye shall receive these things, and ponder it in your hearts. 4. And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost; 5. And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things. 6. And whatsoever thing is good, is just and true; wherefore, nothing that is good denieth the Christ, but acknowledgeth that he is. 7. And ye may know that he is, by the power of the Holy Ghost; wherefore would exhort you, that ye deny "not the power of God; for he worketh by power, according to the faith of the children of men, the same to-day and to-morrow, and for ever. 8. And again I exhort you, my brethren, that ye "deny not the gifts of God, for they are many; and they come from the same God. And there are different ways that these gifts are administered; but it is the same God who worketh all in all; and they are given by the manifestations of the Spirit of God unto men, to profit them. 9. For behold, to one is given by the Spirit of God, that he may teach the word of wisdom; 10. And to another, that he may teach the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; 11. And to another, exceeding great faith; and to another, the gifts of healing by the same Spirit. 12. And again, to another, that he may work mighty miracles; a, III. Nep. 2: 8. b, Mor. 6: 6. See c, Moro. 3. e, see r, II. Nep. 26. h, see e, III. Nep. 29. Mor. 9. 13. And again, to another that he may prophesy concerning all things; 14. And again, to another, the beholding of angels and ministering spirits; 15. And again, to another, all kinds of tongues; 16. And again, to another, the interpretation of languages and of divers kinds of tongues. 17. And all these gifts come by the Spirit of Christ; and they come unto every man severally, according as he will. 18. And I would exhort you, my beloved brethren, that ye remember that every good gift cometh of Christ. 19. And I would exhort you, my beloved brethren, that ye remember that he is the same yesterday, to-day, and for ever, and that all these gifts of which I have spoken, which are spiritual, 'never will be done away, even as long as the world shall stand, only according to the unbelief of the children of men. 20. Wherefore, there must be faith; and if there must be faith, there must also be hope; and if there must be hope, there must also be charity; 21. And except ye have charity, ye can in no wise be saved in the kingdom of God; neither can ye be saved in the kingdom of God, if ye have not faith; neither can ye if ye have no hope; 22. And if ye have no hope, ye must needs be in despair; and despair cometh because of iniquity. 23. And Christ truly said unto our fathers, "If ye have faith, ye can do all things which is expedient unto me. 24. And now I speak unto all the ends of the earth, "That if the day cometh that the power and gifts of God shall be done away among you, it shall be because of unbelief. 25. And wo be unto the children of men, if this be the case; for there shall be none that doeth good among you, no not one. For if there be one among you that doeth good, he shall work by the power and gifts of God. 26. And wo unto them who shall do these things away and die, for they die in their sins, and they cannot be saved in the kingdom of God; and I speak it according to the words of Christ, and I lie not. 27. And I exhort you to remember these things; for the time speedily cometh that ye shall know that I lie not, for ye shall see me at the bar of God, and the Lord God will say unto you, did I not declare my words unto you, which were written by this man, like as one crying from the dead? yea, even as one speaking out of the dust? 28. I declare these things unto the fulfilling of the prophecies. And behold, they shall proceed forth out of the mouth of the everlasting God; and his word shall hiss forth from generation to generation. 29. And God shall 'shew unto you, that that which I have written is true. 30. And again I would exhort you, that ye would come unto Christ, and lay hold upon every good gift, and "touch not the evil gift, nor the unclean thing. 31. And awake, and "arise from the dust, O Jerusalem; yea, and put on thy beautiful garments, O daughter of Zion, and strengthen thy stakes and enlarge thy borders for ever, that thou mayest "no more be confounded, that the *covenants of the eternal Father which he hath made unto thee, O house of Israel, may be fulfilled. 32. Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in no wise deny the power of God. 33. And again, if ye by the grace of God are perfect in Christ, and deny not his power, then are ye sanctified in Christ by the grace of God, through the shedding of the blood of Christ, which is in the covenant of the Father, unto the remission of your sins, that ye become holy without spot. 34. And now I bid unto all, farewell. I soon go to rest in the 2 aparadise of God, until my spirit and body shall again re-unite, and I am brought forth triumphant through the air, to meet you before the 2 pleasing bar of the great Jehovah, the eternal Judge of both quick and dead. Amen. r, see d, II. Nep. 29. u, 11. Nep. 18: 19. III. Nep. 15. 11. Nep. 9. 8, see g, II. Nep. 33. t, see o, Ether 4. x, see j, 2a, see l, w, Ether 13: 8. |