sired him to come down with his army in the night time, and surround those men in their camps over whom the king had given him command, and that he would deliver them up into Lehonti's hands, if he would make him (Amalickiah,) a second leader over the whole army. 14. And it came to pass that Lehonti came down with his men, and surrounded the men of Amalickiah, so that before they awoke at the dawn of day, they were surrounded by the armies of Lehonti. 15. And it came to pass that when they saw that they were surrounded, they plead with Amalickiah that he would suffer them to fall in with their brethren, that they might not be destroyed. Now this was the very thing which Amalickiah desired. 16. And it came to pass that he delivered his men, contrary to the commands of the king. Now this was the thing that Amalickiah desired, that he might accomplish his designs in 'dethroning the king. 17. Now it was the custom among the Lamanites, if their chief leader was killed, to appoint the "second leader to be their chief leader. 18. And it came to pass that Amalickiah caused that one of his servants should administer poison by degrees to Lehonti, that he died. 19. Now when Lehonti was dead, the Lamanites appointed Amalickiah to be their leader and their chief commander. 20. And it came to pass that Amalickiah marched with his armies (for he had gained his desires) to the land of Nephi, to the city of Nephi, which was the chief city. 21. And the king came out to meet him with his guards, for he supposed that Amalickiah had fulfilled his commands, and that Amalickiah had gathered together so great an army to go against the Nephites to battle. 22. But behold, as the king came out to meet him, Amalickiah caused that his servants should go forth to meet the king. And they went and bowed themselves before the king, as if to reverence him, because of his greatness. 23. And it came to pass that the king put forth his hand to raise them, as was the custom with the Lamanites, as a token of peace, which 'custom they had taken from the Nephites. 24. And it came to pass that when he had raised the first from the ground, behold he stabbed the king to the heart; and he fell to the earth. 25. Now the servants of the king fled; and the servants of Amalickiah raised a cry, saying, 26. Behold, the servants of the king have stabbed him f, ver. 3. b, II. Nep. 5. g, vers. 4, 8, 35. k, ver. 3. h, ver. 13. i, vers. 13, 17. J, see 7, Mos. 7: 12. to the heart, and he has fell and they have fled; behold, come and see. 27. And it came to pass that Amalickiah commanded that his armies should march forth, and see what had happened to the king; and when they had come to the spot, and found the king lying in his. gore, Amalickiah pretended to be wroth, and said whosoever loved the king, let him go forth, and pursue his servants that they may be slain. 28. And it came to pass that when all they who loved the king, when they heard these words, came forth and pursued after the servants of the king. 29. Now when the servants of the pursuing after them, they were frighted king saw an army again and fled into the wilderness, and came over in the land of Zarahemla and joined the "people of Ammon; 30. And the army which pursued after them, returned, having pursued after them in vain; and thus Amalickiah, by his fraud, gained the hearts of the people. 31. And it came to pass on the morrow, he entered the city Nephi with his armies, and took possession of the city. 32. And now it came to pass that the queen, when she had heard that the king was slain, for Amalickiah had sent an embassy to the queen, informing her that the king had been slain by his servants; that he had pursued them with his army, but it was in vain, and they had made their escape. 33. Therefore when the queen had received this message, she sent unto Amalickiah, desiring him that he would spare the people of the city; and she also desired him that he should come in unto her; and she also desired him that he should bring witnesses with him, to testify concerning the death of the king. 34. And it came to pass that Amalickiah took the same servant that slew the king, and all hey who were with him, and went in unto the queen, unto the place where she sat; and they all testified unto her that the king was slain by his own servants; and they said also, they have fled; does not this testify against them? And thus they satisfied the queen concerning the death of the king. 35. And it came to pass that Amalickiah sought the favor of the queen, and took her unto him to wife; and thus by his fraud, and by the assistance of his cunning servants, he "obtained the kingdom; yea, he was acknowledged king throughout all the land, among all the people of the Lamanites, who were composed of the Lamanites and the Lemuelites, and the Ishmaelites, and all the dissenters of the Nephites, from the reign of Nephi down to the present time. 36. Now these dissenters having the same instruction Im, see h, Omni 1. n, Alma 27: 26. q, ver. 22. r, vers. 4, 8, 16. o, ver. 20. P, ver. 24. and the same information of the Nephites, yea, having been instructed in the same knowledge of the Lord, nevertheless, it is strange to relate, not long after their dissensions they became more hardened and impenitent, and more wild, wicked and ferocious than the Lamanites; drinking in with the traditions of the Lamanites; giving way to indolence, and all manner of lasciviousness; yea, entirely forgetting the Lord their God. CHAPTER 48. 1. AND now it came to pass that as soon as Amalickiah had obtained the kingdom, he began to inspire the hearts of the Lamanites against the people of Nephi; yea, he did appoint men to speak unto the Lamanites from their towers, against the Nephites; 2. And thus he did inspire their hearts against the Nephites, insomuch, that in the latter end of the nineteenth year of the reign of the Judges, he having accomplished his designs thus far; yea, having been made king over the Lamanites, he sought also to reign over all the land; yea, and all the people who were in the land, the Nephites as well as the Lamanites, 3. Therefore he had accomplished his design, for he had hardened the hearts of the Lamanites and blinded their minds, and stirred them up to anger, insomuch that he had gathered together a numerous host, to go to battle against the Nephites. 4. For he was determined, because of the greatness of the number of his people, to overpower the Nephites, and to bring them into bondage; 5. And thus he did appoint chief captains of the "Zoramites, they being the most acquainted with the strength of the Nephites, and their places of resort, and the weakest parts of their cities; therefore he appointed them to be chief captains over his armies. 6. And it came to pass that they took their camp, and moved forth towards the 'land of Zarahemla in the wilderness. 7. Now it came to pass that while Amalickiah had thus been obtaining power by fraud and deceit, Moroni, on the other hand, had been preparing the minds of the people to be faithful unto the Lord their God; 8. Yea, he had been strengthening the armies of the Nephites, and erecting small forts, or places of resort; 8, see t, Alma 24 : 30. a, see 2j, Alma 30. 50: 1-6, 10. 51: 23, 27. 21. 57:4. 3:14. 58: 23. Mor. 2: 4, 21. b, see h, Omni 1. c, Alma 49: 13, 18-24. 52: 2, 17. 53:3-7. 55:25, 26, 33. 56 15, 20, 62: 20-24. Hela. 1: 20, 21, 22, 27. 4: 7. III. Nep. 3:6. throwing up banks of earth round about, to enclose his armies, and also building walls of stone to encircle them about, round about their cities and the borders of their lands; yea, all round about the land; 9. And in their weakest fortifications, he did place the greater number of men; and thus he did fortify and strengthen the land which was possessed by the Nephites. 10. And thus he was preparing to support their liberty, their lands, their wives, and their children, and their peace, and that they might live unto the Lord their God, and that they might maintain that which was called by their enemies the cause of "Christians. 11. And Moroni was a strong and a mighty man; he was a man of a perfect understanding; yea, a man that did not delight in bloodshed; a man whose soul did joy in the liberty and the freedom of his country, and his brethren from bondage and slavery; 12. Yea, a man whose heart did swell with thanksgiving to his God, for the many privileges and blessings which he bestowed upon his people; a man who did labor exceedingly for the welfare and safety of his people; 13. Yea, and he was a man who was firm in the faith of Christ, and he had sworn with an oath, to defend his people, his rights, and his country, and his religion, even to the loss of his blood. 14. Now the Nephites were "taught to defend themselves against their enemies, even to the shedding of blood, if it were necessary; yea, and they were also taught never to give an offence; yea, and never to raise the sword, except it were against an enemy, except it were to preserve their lives; 15. And this was their faith, that by so doing, God would prosper them in the land; or in other words, if they were faithful in keeping the commandments of God, that he would prosper them in the land; yea, warn them to flee, or to prepare for war, according to their danger; 16. And also, that God would make it known unto them, whither they should go to defend themselves against their enemies; and by so doing, the Lord would deliver them, and this was the faith of Moroni; and his heart did glory in it; not in the shedding of blood, but in doing good, in preserving his people; yea, in keeping the commandments of God; yea, and resisting iniquity. 17. Yea, verily, verily I say unto you, if all men had been, and were, and ever would be, like unto Moroni, behold, the very powers of hell would have been shaken for ever; yea, the devil would never have power over the hearts of che children of men. 18. Behold, he was a man like unto Ammon, the son of Mosiah, yea, and even the other sons of Mosiah; yea, and also Alma and his sons, for they were all men of God. 19. Now behold, Helaman and his brethren were no less serviceable unto the people than was Moroni: for they did preach the word of God, and they did 'baptize unto repentance all men whosoever would hearken unto their words. 20. And thus they went forth, and the people did humble themselves because of their words, insomuch that they were highly favoured of the Lord, and thus they were free from wars and contentions among themselves; yea, even for the space of four years: 21. But as I have said "in the latter end of the nineteenth year, yea, notwithstanding their peace amongst themselves, they were compelled reluctantly to contend with their brethren, the Lamanites; 22. Yea, and in fine, their wars never did cease for the space of many years with the Lamanites, notwithstanding their much reluctance. 23. Now they were sorry to take up arms against the Lamanites, because they did not delight in the shedding of blood; yea, and this was not all; they were sorry to be the means of sending so many of their brethren out of this world into an eternal world unprepared to meet their God. 24. Nevertheless they could not suffer to lay down their lives, that their wives and their children should be massacred by the barbarous cruelty of those who were once their brethren, yea, and had dissented from their church, and had left them and had gone to destroy them by joining the Lamanites; 25. Yea, they could not bear that their brethren should rejoice over the blood of the Nephites, so long as there were any who should keep the commandments of God, for the promise of the Lord was, "If they should keep his commandments they should prosper in the land. CHAPTER 49. 1. AND now it came to pass, in the eleventh month of the nineteenth year, on the tenth day of the month, the armies of the Lamanites were seen approaching towards the "land of Ammonihah. 2. And behold, the city had been re-built, and Moroni had stationed an army by the borders of the city, and they had cast up dirt round about, to shield them from the arrows and the stones of the Lamanites; for behold, they fought with stones and with arrows. 1, see u, 11. Nep. 9. m, ver. 2. n, see h, II. Nep. 1. |