Book of Mormon (Plain English Version)/Mormon/Chapter 3
Another chance to repent...
(compare Mormon, chapter 3)
The Lamanites did not come to battle again for ten years. During that time, employed my people, the Nephites, in preparing their lands and preparing weapons for the time of battle.
Then the Lord told to me to cry to this people,
“Repent and come to me.
Be baptized and build up my church again.
If you do this, you will be spared.”
I told this to my people, but it was in vain. My people did not realize it was the Lord their God who had spared them, giving them a chance to repent, so they hardened their hearts against Him.
Three hundred sixty years after the coming of Christ, the Lamanite king sent a letter to me, telling me that he and his people were preparing to come to battle against us again.
I had my people gather in the city of Desolation, which was on the border near the narrow pass that led to the southern land.
We placed all our armies in Desolation to stop the Lamanite army from taking possession of our lands.
In 361 AD the Lamanites came to Desolation to battle against us, but we beat them, and they returned to their own lands.
The following year they came again, and we beat them again, killing a great number of them, and we threw their bodies into the sea. Because of this victory, my people began to boast of their own strength. They swore by the heavens and by the throne of God that they would avenge the blood of their brethren who had been killed, that they would go to battle against their enemies and cut them off the face of the land.
When they had done this, I, Mormon, utterly refused to continue being their commander and leader. Before this, I had led them to battle many times, in spite of their wickedness. I had loved them with all my heart because of God's love in me. My soul had been poured out in prayer to my God all day long for them, but I prayed without faith in them, for their hearts were hard.
The Lord had delivered them out of the hands of their enemies three times, and they still would not repent. Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ had forbidden them to swear by heaven or by the throne of God. And because they did this, swearing that they would avenge themselves of the blood of their brethren, the Lord's voice said to me,
- "Vengeance is mine, and I will repay. Because this people will not repent after I have delivered them, they will be cut off the face of the earth.”
This is why I refused to go against my enemies again. I did what the Lord commanded me, and I became a witness to the world of what I saw and heard--things shown to me by the Spirit, which had testified of things to come.
This is why I now write to you, the Gentiles, and also to the house of Israel. When the work of the Father begins, you, the members of the house of Israel, will be preparing to return to the lands of your inheritance.
I write to the people of the earth, who will be judged by the twelve apostles whom Jesus chose in Jerusalem.
I also write to the descendants of this people (the Lamanites), who will be judged by the twelve disciples whom Jesus chose in this land. And those disciples will be judged by the twelve apostles of Jerusalem. The Spirit shows these things to me.
I write to all, so you will know you must stand before the judgment-seat of Christ. Every soul who belongs to the family of Adam and Eve must stand to be judged by his or her own works, whether they be good or evil.
I write to help you believe the gospel of Jesus Christ that will be among you (the LDS Church).
I write so the Jews, the covenant people of the Lord, will have another witness (The Book of Mormon), besides Him whom they saw and heard, that Jesus, whom they killed, is the very Christ and God.
I wish I could persuade all people of the earth to repent and prepare to stand before His judgment-seat.