Book of Mormon (Plain English Version)/Moroni/Chapter 9

Mormon’s description of Nephite atrocities...
(compare Moroni, chapter 9)

Another letter from Mormon, to his son, Moroni:

I now write again, my son, that you may know I'm still alive. But I write about something very sad. We lost a great battle with the Lamanites. Archeantus, Luram and Emron have all fallen by the sword. We lost a great

number of our choicest men.

I'm afraid the Lamanites will destroy all our people, for they will not repent, and Satan never stops stirring them up with anger toward one another.

I work with them constantly. When I speak God's word with sharpness they become very angry with me. When I use no sharpness they harden their hearts against God's word.

I'm afraid the Lord's Spirit has stopped working with them. They're so angry they seem to have no fear of death. They've lost their love for one another and continually want to kill and get revenge.

And now my beloved son, in spite of their hardness, let's continue to work diligently, for if we stop our work we will be brought under condemnation.

We have a purpose while yet live...to conquer the enemy of all righteousness! Then our souls will rest in God's kingdom.

Now I must tell you about the suffering of our people.

According to what Amoron has told me, the Lamanites have taken many men, women and children as prisoners from the tower of Sherrizah. They killed the men and fed their flesh to their wives and children and gave them only a little water.

Even though this is a great abomination, our people the Nephites in Moriantum have done worse. They captured many of the Lamanites' daughters, and after taking away that which was most dear and precious above all, which is chastity and virtue, they killed them in a most cruel manner, torturing them to death.

After this, they ate their flesh like wild animals. They did this because of the hardness of their hearts, and as a token of bravery.

Oh my beloved son, how can we expect a people like this--a people without civilization, who only a few years ago were a civil and delightful people, who now delight in so much abomination--to be spared from God's judgments?

My heart cries, "Our people are cursed! Come out in judgment, oh God, and hide their sins, wickedness and abominations from before Thy face!”

Also, my son, the Nephite army of Zenephi has taken what little food the Lamanites left. Because of this, many widows and their daughters in Sherrizah now wander about looking for food, and many of our old women faint by the road and die.

My army is weak, and the Lamanite armies are between us and Sherrizah. All who have run to Aaron's army have fallen victim to the awful brutality of the Lamanites.

Oh, the depravity of my people. They are without order and without mercy.

I have only the strength of a man, and I can no longer enforce my commands. They have become strong in their perversion, and they are all brutal, sparing no one, old or young. They delight in everything evil.

The suffering of our women and children in this land is worse than anything. It cannot be spoken, neither can it be written.

And now, my son, I will write no more about this horrible scene. You know the wickedness of this people--that they have no principles and are past feeling. They are more wicked than the Lamanites. If I recommended them to God, He would smite me.

But my son, I recommend you to God, and I trust in Christ that you will be saved. I pray to God that He will spare your life to witness the return of His people to Him, or to witness their utter destruction.

I know they will perish unless they repent and return to Him. And if they perish, their destruction will be like the Jaredites' because of their strong desire for blood and revenge.

Even if our people are destroyed, we know many of our brethren have deserted to the Lamanites and many more will.

I'm writing these few things in case I don't see you again. But I trust that I may see you soon, for I have sacred records to give you.

My son, be faithful in Christ, and do not let the things I've written cause you to sorrow or weigh you down to death, but rather may Christ lift you up.

May His suffering and death, the showing of His body to our fathers, His mercy, long-suffering and hope of His glory and eternal life rest in your mind forever.

And may the grace of God the Father, whose throne is high in the heavens, and of our Lord Jesus Christ, who sits on the right hand of His power until all things become subject to Him, be and abide with you forever. Amen.