Mormon 3:1
And it came to pa** that the Lamanites did not come to battle
again until ten years more had pa**ed away. And behold, I had
employed my people, the Nephites, in preparing their lands and
their arms against the time of battle.
Mormon 3:2
And it came to pa** that the Lord did say unto me: Cry unto
this people—Repent ye, and come unto me, and be ye baptized, and
build up again my church, and ye shall be spared.
Mormon 3:3
And I did cry unto this people, but it was in vain; and they
did not realize that it was the Lord that had spared them, and
granted unto them a chance for repentance. And behold they did
harden their hearts against the Lord their God.
Mormon 3:4
And it came to pa** that after this tenth year had pa**ed
away, making, in the whole, three hundred and sixty years from
the coming of Christ, the king of the Lamanites sent an epistle
unto me, which gave unto me to know that they were preparing to
come again to battle against us.
Mormon 3:5
And it came to pa** that I did cause my people that they
should gather themselves together at the land Desolation, to a
city which was in the borders, by the narrow pa** which led into
the land southward.
Mormon 3:6
And there we did place our armies, that we might stop the
armies of the Lamanites, that they might not get possession of
any of our lands; therefore we did fortify against them with all
our force.
Mormon 3:7
And it came to pa** that in the three hundred and sixty and
first year the Lamanites did come down to the city of Desolation
to battle against us; and it came to pa** that in that year we
did beat them, insomuch that they did return to their own lands
again.
Mormon 3:8
And in the three hundred and sixty and second year they did
come down again to battle. And we did beat them again, and did
slay a great number of them, and their dead were cast into the
sea.
Mormon 3:9
And now, because of this great thing which my people, the
Nephites, had done, they began to boast in their own strength,
and began to swear before the heavens that they would avenge
themselves of the blood of their brethren who had been slain by
their enemies.
Mormon 3:10
And they did swear by the heavens, and also by the throne of
God, that they would go up to battle against their enemies, and
would cut them off from the face of the land.
Mormon 3:11
And it came to pa** that I, Mormon, did utterly refuse from
this time forth to be a commander and a leader of this people,
because of their wickedness and abomination.
Mormon 3:12
Behold, I had led them, notwithstanding their wickedness I
had led them many times to battle, and had loved them, according
to the love of God which was in me, with all my heart; and my
soul had been poured out in prayer unto my God all the day long
for them; nevertheless, it was without faith, because of the
hardness of their hearts.
Mormon 3:13
And thrice have I delivered them out of the hands of their
enemies, and they have repented not of their sins.
Mormon 3:14
And when they had sworn by all that had been forbidden them
by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, that they would go up unto
their enemies to battle, and avenge themselves of the blood of
their brethren, behold the voice of the Lord came unto me saying:
Mormon 3:15
Vengeance is mine, and I will repay; and because this people
repented not after I had delivered them, behold, they shall be
cut off from the face of the earth.
Mormon 3:16
And it came to pa** that I utterly refused to go up against
mine enemies; and I did even as the Lord had commanded me; and I
did stand as an idle witness to manifest unto the world the
things which I saw and heard, according to the manifestations of
the Spirit which had testified of things to come.
Mormon 3:17
Therefore I write unto you, Gentiles, and also unto you,
house of Israel, when the work shall commence, that ye shall be
about to prepare to return to the land of your inheritance;
Mormon 3:18
Yea, behold, I write unto all the ends of the earth; yea,
unto you, twelve tribes of Israel, who shall be judged according
to your works by the twelve whom Jesus chose to be his disciples
in the land of Jerusalem.
Mormon 3:19
And I write also unto the remnant of this people, who shall
also be judged by the twelve whom Jesus chose in this land; and
they shall be judged by the other twelve whom Jesus chose in the
land of Jerusalem.
Mormon 3:20
And these things doth the Spirit manifest unto me; therefore
I write unto you all. And for this cause I write unto you, that
ye may know that ye must all stand before the judgment-seat of
Christ, yea, every soul who belongs to the whole human family of
Adam; and ye must stand to be judged of your works, whether they
be good or evil;
Mormon 3:21
And also that ye may believe the gospel of Jesus Christ,
which ye shall have among you; and also that the Jews, the
covenant people of the Lord, shall have other witness besides him
whom they saw and heard, that Jesus, whom they slew, was the very
Christ and the very God.
Mormon 3:22
And I would that I could persuade all ye ends of the earth to
repent and prepare to stand before the judgment-seat of Christ.