24. And behold I have seen, in the days of king Benjamin, a serious war, and much bloodshed, between the Nephites and the Lamanites. But behold, the Nephites did obtain much advantage over them; yea, insomuch that king Benjamin did drive them out of the "land of Zarahemla.

25. And it came to pass that I began to be old; and, having no seed, and knowing king Benjamin to be a just man before the Lord, wherefore, I shall deliver up these plates unto him, exhorting all men to come unto God, the Holy One of Israel, and believe in prophesying, and in revelations, and in the ministering of angels, and in the gift of speaking with tongues, and in the gift of interpreting languages, and in all things which are good for there is nothing which is good, save it comes from the Lord; and that which is evil, cometh from the devil.

26. And now, my beloved brethren, I would that ye should come unto Christ, who is the Holy One of Israel, and partake of his salvation, and the power of his redemption. Yea, come unto him, and offer your whole souls as an offering unto him, and continue in fasting and praying, and endure to the end; and as the Lord liveth, ye will be saved.

27. And now I would speak somewhat concerning a certain number who went up into the wilderness, to return to the land of Nephi; for there was a large number who were desirous to possess the land of their inheritance;

28. Wherefore, they went up into the wilderness. And their leader being a strong and mighty man, and a stiffnecked man, wherefore he caused a contention among them; and 24they were all slain, save fifty, in the wilderness, and they returned again to the land of Zarahemla.

29. And it came to pass that they also took 2 others to a considerable number, and took their journey again into the wilderness.

30. And I, Amaleki, had a brother, who also went with them; and I have not since known concerning them. And I am about to lie down in my grave; and these plates are 2dfull. And I make an end of my speaking.

w, sec h.

2, see b, 1. Nep. 6.

y, see e, II. Nep. 32. 2, see b, II. Nep. 5. 2a, Mos. 9: 1, 2, 4. 2b, see h. 2c, Mos. 9: 3, 4. 2d, The

record on the small plates embraces a brief turies, and closes with the words of Amaleki.

history of only about four cen

THE WORDS OF MORMON.

CHAPTER 1.

1. AND now I, Mormon, being about to deliver up the "record which I have been making, into the hands of my son Moroni, behold I have witnessed almost all the destruction of my people, the Nephites.

2. And it is many hundred years after the coming of Christ that I deliver these records into the hands of my son; and it supposeth me that he will witness the entire destruction of my people. But may God grant that he may survive them, that he may write somewhat concerning them, and somewhat concerning Christ, that perhaps some day it may profit them.

3. And now, I speak somewhat concerning that which I have written; for after I had made an abridgment from the plates of Nephi, down to the reign of this king Benjamin, of whom Amaleki spake, I searched among the records which had been delivered into my hands, and found these plates, which contained this small account of the prophets, from Jacob, down to the reign of this king Benjamin; and also many of the words of Nephi.

4. And the things which are upon these plates pleasing me, because of the prophecies of the coming of Christ; and my fathers knowing that many of them have been fulfilled; yea, and I also know that as many things as have been prophesied concerning us down to this day, have been fulfilled, and as many as go beyond this day, must surely come to pass;

5. Wherefore, I choose 'these things, to finish my record upon them, which remainder of my "record I shall take from the "plates of Nephi; and I cannot write the hundredth part of the things of my people.

6. But behold, I shall take these plates, which contain these prophesyings and revelations, and put them with the remainder of my record, for they are choice unto me; and I know they will be choice unto my brethren.

a, III. Nep. 5: 10. Mor. 1: 1-4. 2: 17, 18. 5:9. 6:1, 6. 8:1, 4, 5, 14-16. 9: 32-36. Moro. 9: 23, 24. 10:1-5. b, Mor. 6: 5. c, Mor. 6:6. d, Mor. 8: 1-8. e, Mor. 5: 9. f, The larger plates of Nephi. See f, 1. Nep. 1. g, Omni 1: 23-25. h, Mor. 4: 23. i, see b, I. Nep. 6. j, Enos, Jarom, Omni, Amaron, Chemish, Abinadom, and Amaleki. X, see i. and II. Nephi. 1, small plates. m, III. Nep. 5: 14-18. Mor. 1:1. n, The large plates. See ver. 3; III. Nep. 5: 8—11. 26: 6-12. abridgment.

Mor. 5: 9.

also see ƒ, I. Nep. 1.

p, Small plates.

0, ver. 3. q, Mormon's

7. And I do this for a "wise purpose; for thus it whispereth me, according to the workings of the Spirit of the Lord which is in me. And now, I do not know all things; but the Lord knoweth all things which are to come; wherefore, he worketh in me to do according to his will.

8. And my prayer to God is concerning my brethren, that they may once again come to the knowledge of God; yea, the redemption of Christ; that they may once again be a delightsome people.

9. And now I, Mormon, proceed to finish out my "record, which I take from the plates of Nephi; and I make it according to the knowledge and the understanding which God has given me.

10. Wherefore it came to pass that after Amaleki had delivered up "these plates into the hands of king Benjamin, he took them and put them with the "other plates, which contained records which had been handed down by the kings, from generation to generation, until the days of king Benjamin;

11. And they were handed down from king Benjamin, from generation to generation, until they have fallen into my hands. And I, Mormon, pray to God that they may be preserved, from this time henceforth. And I know that they will be preserved; for there are great things written upon them, out of which my people and their brethren, shall be 2ajudged at the great and last day, according to the word of God which is written.

12. And now, concerning this king Benjamin: He had somewhat contentions among his own people.

13. And it came to pass also, that the armies of the Lamanites came down out of the 26land of Nephi, to battle against his people. But behold, king Benjamin gathered together his armies, and he did stand against them; and he did fight with the strength of his own arm, with the 2 sword of Laban;

14. And in the strength of the Lord they did contend against their enemies, until they had slain many thousands of the Lamanites. And it came to pass that they did contend against the Lamanites, until they had driven them out of all the lands of their inheritance.

15. And it came to pass that after there had been false Christs, and their mouths had been shut, and they punished according to their crimes;

16. And after there had been false prophets, and false

r, The prophet Joseph Smith translated the first part of Mormon's abridgment, and the manuscripts were stolen; after which, he translated the small plates of Nephi which supplied their place. See Doc. & Cov., 3 ch. 10 ch. 8, The Lamanites. t, II. Nep. 30: 6. u, Mormon's abridgment. v, small plates. w, large plates. Mor. 4: 23. y, The Nephites. z, The Lamanites. 29: 11. 33: 11, 14, 15. III. Nep. 27: 23-27. 2b, see b, II. Nep. 5.

2c, see a, 1. Nep. 4.

x, III. Nep. 5:8-11.

2a, 11. Nep. 25: 18. Ether 4: 8-10. 5: 4.

teachers and preachers among the people, and all these having been punished according to their crimes; and after there having been much contentions and many dissensions, away unto the Lamanites, behold, it came to pass that king Benjamin, with the assistance of the holy prophets who were among his people;

17. For behold, king Benjamin was a holy man, and he did reign over his people in righteousness. And there were many holy men in the land; and they did speak the word of God, with power and with authority; and they did use much 24sharpness because of the stiffneckedness of the people;

18. Wherefore, with the help of these, king Benjamin, by labouring with all the might of his body and the faculty of his whole soul, and also the prophets, did once more establish peace in the land.

THE BOOK OF MOSIAH.

CHAPTER 1.

1. AND now there was no more contention in all the land of Zarahemla, among all the people who belonged to king Benjamin, so that king Benjamin had continual peace all the remainder of his days.

2. And it came to pass that he had three sons; and he called their names Mosiah, and Helorum, and Helaman. And he caused that they should be taught in all the language of his fathers, that thereby they might become men of understanding; and that they might know concerning the prophecies which had been spoken by the mouths of their fathers, which were delivered them by the hand of the Lord.

3. And he also taught them concerning the records which were engraven on the plates of brass, saying, My sons, I would that ye should remember, that were it not for these plates, which contain these records and these commandments, we must have suffered in ignorance, even at this present time, not knowing the mysteries of God;

4. For it were not possible that our father, Lehi, could have remembered all these things, to have taught them to his children, except it were for the help of these plates: for he having been taught in the language of the Egyptians,

b, ver. 4. 1. Nep. 1: 2. Mor. 9: 32. c, see a,

therefore he could read these engravings, and teach them to his children, that thereby they could teach them to their children, and so fulfilling the commandments of God, even down to this present time.

5. I say unto you, my sons, were it not for these things, which have been kept and preserved by the hand of God, that we might read and understand of his mysteries, and have his commandments always before our eyes, that even our fathers would have dwindled in unbelief, and we should have been like unto our brethren, the Lamanites, who know nothing concerning these things, or even do not believe them when they are taught them, because of the traditions of their fathers, which are not correct.

6. O my sons, I would that ye should remember that these sayings are true; and also, that these records are true. And behold, also the plates of Nephi, which contain the records and the sayings of our fathers from the time they left Jerusalem until now; and they are true; and we can know of their surety, because we have them before our eyes.

7. And now, my sons, I would that ye should remember to search them diligently, that ye may profit thereby; and I would that ye should keep the commandments of God, that ye may prosper in the land according to the promises which the Lord made unto our fathers.

8. And many more things did king Benjamin teach his sons, which are not written in this book.

9. And it came to pass that after king Benjamin had made an end of teaching his sons, that he waxed old, and he saw that he must very soon go the way of all the earth; therefore, he thought it expedient that he should confer the kingdom upon one of his sons.

10. Therefore, he had Mosiah brought before him; and these are the words which he spake unto him, saying: My son, I would that ye should make a proclamation throughout all this land among all this people, or the people of Zarahemla, and the "people of Mosiah who dwell in the land, that thereby they may be gathered together: for on the morrow I shall proclaim unto this my people out of mine own mouth, that thou art a king and a ruler over this people, whom the Lord our God hath given us.

11. And moreover, I shall give this people a name, that thereby they may be distinguished above all the people which the Lord God hath brought out of the land of Jerusalem; and this I do, because they have been a diligent people in keeping the commandments of the Lord.

12. And I give unto them a name that never shall be blotted out, except it be through transgression.

13. Yea, and moreover I say unto you, that if this highly favoured people of the Lord should fall into trans