THE BOOK OF ETHER
The record of the Jaredites, taken from the twenty-four plates found by the people of Limhi in the days of King Mosiah.
CHAPTER 1
Moroni abridges the writings of Ether—Ether’s genealogy is set forth—The language of the Jaredites is not confounded at the Tower of Babel—The Lord promises to lead them to a choice land and make them a great nation.
1 I, Moroni, will give an account of those ancient people who were destroyed by the hand of the Lord in the north country.
2 I take my account from the twenty-four plates found by the people of Limhi, which is called the Book of Ether.
3 The first part of this record speaks about the creation of the world, and an account from Adam to the great tower, but those things are already written among the Jews, so I won’t repeat those here, but you can read them on the twenty-four plates.
5 I will give part of the account, from the tower until they were destroyed.
6 Ether, a descendant of Coriantor, wrote this record.
7 Coriantor was the son of Moron, son of Ethem, son of Ahah, son of Seth, son of Shiblon, son of Com, son of Coriantum, son of Amnigaddah, son of Aaron.
16 Aaron was a descendant of Heth, son of Hearthom, son of Lib, son of Kish, son of Corom, son of Levi, son of Kim, son of Morianton.
23 Morianton was a descendant of Riplakish, son of Shez, son of Heth, son of Com, son of Coriantum, son of Emer, son of Omer, son of Shule, son of Kib, son of Orihah, who was the son of Jared.
33 Jared left the great tower at the time the Lord confused the language of the people and swore in his anger that they would be scattered over all the earth; and Jared took with him his brother and their families, with some others and their families.
34 The brother of Jared was a large and mighty man, and highly favored of the Lord, so his brother said to him, Cry to the Lord, so he will not confuse our language, so we can understand each other.
35 The brother of Jared cried to the Lord, and the Lord had compassion on Jared so he did not confuse the language of Jared and his brother.
36 Then Jared said to his brother, Cry again to the Lord so he won’t be angry with our friends and won’t confuse their language.
37 Jared did cry to the Lord, and the Lord had compassion on their friends and families, so they were not confused.
38 Jared spoke again to his brother: Go and ask the Lord whether he will drive us out of the land, and if so, ask him where we should go. Who knows, the Lord might carry us to a land choice above all others. And if so, let us be faithful to the Lord so we may receive it for our inheritance.
39 The brother of Jared did cry to the Lord as Jared asked, and the Lord heard him, had compassion on him, and said, Gather your flocks, male and female of every kind, and gather seeds of every kind, and your families, and your brother Jared and his family, and the friends of you and Jared with their families.
42 When you have done this, lead them into the valley northward. I will meet you there, and I will lead you to a land that is choice above all others on earth.
43 There I will bless you and your seed, and the seed of your brother and those who go with you, to raise up a great nation to me. There will be no greater nation in all the world. And I will do this because you have cried to me this long time.
CHAPTER 2
The Jaredites prepare for their journey to a promised land—It is a choice land whereon men must serve Christ or be swept off—The Lord talks to the brother of Jared for three hours—The Jaredites build barges—The Lord asks the brother of Jared to propose how the barges will be lighted.
1 Jared and his brother and their families, and the friends of Jared and his brother and their families, took their flocks and went to the valley northward, called Nimrod after the mighty hunter.
2 They lay snares to catch birds, and prepared a boat, in which they carried fish.
3 They also carried swarms of deseret, which translates as honey bee, and all kinds of things found in the land, and seeds of every kind.
4 When they had come to the valley of Nimrod, the Lord talked with the brother of Jared; and he was in a cloud, so the brother of Jared did not see him.
5 The Lord commanded them to go into the wilderness, into a region where men had never been. And the Lord led them and talked with them as he stood in a cloud, giving directions where they should travel.
6 They traveled in the wilderness and built barges, in which they crossed many waters, directed continually by the hand of the Lord.
7 The Lord would not allow them to stop in the wilderness but desired that they should come to the land of promise, which was choice above all other lands, which the Lord God had preserved for a righteous people.
8 In his anger he had sworn to the brother of Jared that whoever would possess this land of promise would serve him, the true and only God, from that time and forever, or they would be swept away when the fulness of his anger would come on them.
9 Now we see the decrees of God about this land of promise, that whatever nation will possess it will serve God, or they will be swept away when the fulness of his anger will come upon them when they are ripened in iniquity.
10 This is a land choice above all other lands, so he who possesses it will serve God or will be swept away, because it is the everlasting decree of God. But they will not be swept off until the fulness of iniquity among the people of the land.
11 This record comes to you Gentiles so that you can know the words of God, so you can repent and not continue in your iniquities until the fulness comes, so you will not bring down the fulness of the anger of God upon you as the people of the land have done before.
12 This is a choice land, and whatever nation possesses it will be free from captivity and from all other nations under heaven if they will only serve the God of the land, who is Jesus Christ, who has been shown to all people by the things we have written.
13 I continue with my record. The Lord brought Jared and his brethren to that great sea that divides the lands. They called the name of the place Moriancumer, where they lived in tents for four years.
14 At the end of four years the Lord came again to the brother of Jared and stood in a cloud and talked with him. For three hours the Lord talked with the brother of Jared and scolded him because he had forgotten to call on the name of the Lord.
15 The brother of Jared repented of his mistake, and he called on the name of the Lord for his brethren who were with him. The Lord said, I will forgive you and your brethren of their sins, but you will not sin anymore. You will remember that my Spirit will not always work with man, so if you sin until you are fully ripe you will be cut off from the presence of the Lord. These are my thoughts about the land I will give you for your inheritance, because it will be a land choice above all other lands.
16 The Lord said, Go to work and build barges similar to those you have built before. The brother of Jared and his brethren went to work and built barges after the manner they had built, according to the instructions of the Lord. They were small and light on the water, like a duck.
17 They were built to be exceedingly tight so they would hold water like a dish, with the bottom and sides and top and door tight like a dish. The ends were peaked, and they were the length of a tree.
18 The brother of Jared cried to the Lord, saying, O Lord, I have done the work you commanded me, and I have made the barges like you directed me.
19 But Lord, there is no light in them, so how will we steer? And we will die, because in them we cannot breathe, except for the air already in them.
20 The Lord said to the brother of Jared, You will make a hole in the top, and also in the bottom, and when you suffer for air you will unstop the hole and receive air. And if water comes in on you, you will stop the hole, so you won’t perish in the flood.
21 The brother of Jared did as the Lord had commanded.
22 He cried again to the Lord, saying, Lord, I have done as you commanded, and I have prepared the vessels for my people, but there is no light in them. Lord, will you allow us to cross this great water in darkness?
23 The Lord said, What do you want me to do so that you may have light in your vessels? You cannot have windows, because they would be smashed in pieces, nor can you take fire with you.
24 You will be as a whale in the sea, because the mountain waves will dash on you. But I will bring you up again out of the sea because I control the winds, rains, and flow of water.
25 And I prepare you against these things because you cannot cross this great deep unless I prepare you against the waves, winds, and currents that will come. So what do you want me to prepare so you can have light when you are swallowed up in the depths of the sea?
CHAPTER 3
The brother of Jared sees the finger of the Lord as He touches sixteen stones—Christ shows His spirit body to the brother of Jared—Those who have a perfect knowledge cannot be kept from within the veil—Interpreters are provided to bring the Jaredite record to light.
1 The brother of Jared went to a high mountain, Shelem, and melted from a rock sixteen small stones—two for each of the eight boats they had made—which were white and clear, like transparent glass, and he carried them to the top of the mountain and cried again to the Lord, saying,
2 O Lord, you have said that we must be surrounded by the violent waters, and I ask you not to be angry with me because of my weakness before you. We know you are holy and live in the heavens, and that we are unworthy before you. Because of the fall our natures have become imperfect continually, but you have given us a commandment to call on you to receive what we desire.
3 Lord, you have punished us because of our iniquity and driven us, and for these many years we have been in the wilderness, but you have been merciful to us. O Lord, look on me in pity, and turn away your anger from this your people, and don’t allow them to cross the raging waters in darkness; but look at these things I have melted out of the rock.
4 I know that you have all power and can do whatever you want for the benefit of man, so touch these stones with your finger, O Lord, and make them shine in the darkness of our boats so we can have light while we cross the sea.
5 O Lord, you can do this. We know that you are able to show great power, which looks small to the minds of men.
6 When the brother of Jared had said these words, the Lord reached out and touched the stones one by one with his finger. The veil was removed from the eyes of the brother of Jared, so he saw the finger of the Lord, and it was like the finger of a man, like flesh and blood; and the brother of Jared fell down before the Lord, struck with fear.
7 When the Lord saw this he said, Get up. Why have you fallen?
8 And he said to the Lord, I saw the finger of the Lord, and I was afraid he would strike me. I did not know that the Lord had flesh and blood.
9 The Lord said, because of your faith you have seen that I will take a body of flesh and blood, and no man before has come to me with faith as great as yours, because without it you could not have seen my finger. Did you see more than this?
10 He answered, No Lord, show yourself to me.
11 The Lord said, Do you believe the words I will speak?
12 He answered, Yes, Lord, I know that you speak the truth, because you are a God of truth and cannot lie.
13 Then the Lord showed himself to him and said, Because you know these things you are redeemed from the fall, so you are brought back into my presence, so I show myself to you.
14 I am the one who was prepared from the beginning of the world to redeem my people. I am Jesus Christ. I am the Father and the Son. All mankind will have life through me eternally if they believe on my name; and they will become my sons and daughters.
15 I have never showed myself to man whom I created because never has man believed in me like you have. Do you see that you are created after my image? And all men were created in the beginning after my image.
16 This body you see is the body of my spirit, and I have created man to be like the body of my spirit, so how I look to you in the spirit is how I will look to my people in the flesh.
17 I, Moroni, said I could not make a full account of these things that are written, but it’s enough to say that Jesus showed himself to this man in the spirit, and he looked like his body did when he showed himself to the Nephites.
18 And he ministered to the brother of Jared like he ministered to the Nephites, and he did all this so this man could know that he was God, because of the many great works the Lord showed him.
19 When he saw the finger of Jesus, his faith became knowledge, nothing doubting. And because of his knowledge he could not be kept from seeing inside the veil.
21 The Lord said to him, You will not allow these things you have seen and heard to be known to the world until the time comes when I will glorify my name in the flesh. Treasure the things you have seen and heard, and show it to no man.
22 When you come to me, you will write them and seal them up so no one can interpret them, because you will write them in a language that cannot be read.
23 I give you these two stones, and you will seal them up with the things you will write.
24 I have hidden the language you will write, so when I am ready I will make these stones clarify the things you will write to the eyes of men.
25 Then the Lord showed the brother of Jared all the people of the earth, who had ever been and who would be until the ends of the earth.
26 Jesus had told him before that if he would believe in him, he could show him all things, so the Lord could not withhold anything from him, because he knew the Lord could show him all things.
27 The Lord said to him, Write these things and seal them up, and in my time I will show them to mankind.
28 The Lord commanded him to seal up the two stones he had received and not show them until the Lord would show them to people.
CHAPTER 4
Moroni is commanded to seal up the writings of the brother of Jared—They will not be revealed until men have faith even as the brother of Jared—Christ commands men to believe His words and those of His disciples—Men are commanded to repent, believe the gospel, and be saved.
1 The Lord commanded the brother of Jared to go down the mountain and write the things he had seen, which would not be given to mankind until after he would be lifted up on the cross, and king Mosiah also kept them so they would not come to the world until after Christ came to his people.
2 After Christ showed himself to his people, he commanded that these things should be shown.
3 After they all faded in unbelief, now only the Lamanites remain, who have rejected the gospel of Christ, so I am commanded to hide them again in the earth.
4 I have written on these plates the things the brother of Jared saw, and no greater things were ever shown to man.
5 The Lord commanded me to write them, so I did. And he commanded me to seal them up with the interpreters for them.
6 The Lord said to me, They will not go to the Gentiles until the day they repent of their iniquity and become clean before me. In the day they have faith in me, like the brother of Jared did, so they can become sanctified in me, then will I show them the things the brother of Jared saw, and I will open to them all my revelations, says Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Father of the heavens and earth and all things in them.
8 Whoever will fight against the word of the Lord, let him be cursed, and whoever will deny these things, let him be cursed because I will show no greater things to them, says Jesus Christ, for I am he who is speaking.
9 At my command the heavens are opened and shut, and at my word the earth will shake, and at my command the people of the earth will pass away, even by fire.
10 Whoever does not believe my words, does not believe my disciples. You decide whether I am speaking because at the last day you will know that I am the one who speaks.
11 But whoever believes these things I have spoken, I will visit with the works of my Spirit, and he will know and testify. Because of my Spirit he will know that these things are true because they persuade men to do good.
12 Anything that persuades men to do good is from me, because all good comes from me. I am the one who leads men to all good. He who does not believe my words will not believe me—that I am—and he who will not believe me will not believe the Father who sent me. I am the Father, I am the light, and the life, and the truth of the world.
13 Come to me, O you Gentiles, and I will show you the greater things, the knowledge that is hidden because of unbelief.
14 Come to me, you house of Israel, and it will be shown to you how great are the things the Father has in store for you from the beginning of the world; and it has not come to you because of unbelief.
15 When you tear the veil of unbelief that causes you to remain in your awful state of wickedness, hardness of heart, and blindness of mind, then great and marvelous things will be shown to you that have been hid from the beginning of the world from you. When you will call on the Father in my name with a humble spirit, then you will know that the Father has remembered the covenant he made with your fathers, O house of Israel.
16 Then all the people will see my revelations, which I instructed my servant John to write. Remember when you see these things, you will know that the time is close when they will be shown.
17 When you receive this record you can know that the work of the Father has begun in all the land.
18 Repent, all you corners of the world, come to me, believe in my gospel, and be baptized in my name, because whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; but whoever does not believe will be damned; and signs will follow those who believe in my name.
19 Blessed at the last day is he who is found faithful to my name because he will be lifted up to live in the kingdom prepared for him from the beginning of the world. It is I who have spoken. Amen.
CHAPTER 5
Three witnesses and the work itself will stand as a testimony of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon.
1 I, Moroni, have written the words commanded of me, according to my memory, and I have told you the things I have sealed up, so do not translate them because that is forbidden except for the time chosen by God.
2 You may be privileged to show the plates to those who will assist this work.
3 They will be shown to three by the power of God so they will know for sure that these things are true.
4 These things will be established by the testimony of three witnesses, showing the power of God and his word, of which the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost bear record. And all this will stand as a testimony against the world at the last day.
5 And if they repent and come to the Father in the name of Jesus, they will be received into the kingdom of God.
6 If I have no authority for these things, you decide, because you will know that I have authority when you will see me, and we will stand before God at the last day. Amen.
CHAPTER 6
The Jaredite barges are driven by the winds to the promised land—The people praise the Lord for His goodness—Orihah is appointed king over them—Jared and his brother die.
1 Now I, Moroni, give the record of Jared and his brother.
2 After the Lord had prepared the stones that the brother of Jared carried up the mountain, the brother of Jared put the stones in the vessels that were prepared, one in each end, and they gave light to the boats.
3 The Lord made stones shine in darkness, to give light to men, women, and children so they would not cross the great waters in darkness.
4 When they had prepared all kinds of food for their journey, and food for their flocks and herds, and whatever beast or animal or bird they would carry with them, they got aboard their boats and went to sea, giving themselves to the Lord their God.
5 The Lord God caused a furious wind to blow on the waters toward the promised land, so they were tossed before the wind on the waves of the sea.
6 Many times they were buried in the depths of the sea because of the mountain waves that broke on them, and also because of the great and terrible tempests caused by the fierceness of the wind.
7 When they were buried in the deep, the water could not hurt them because their vessels were tight like a dish and like the ark of Noah, so when they were surrounded by many waters they cried to the Lord, and he brought them out again on top of the waters.
8 While they were on the waters, the wind never stopped blowing them toward the promised land.
9 They sang praises to the Lord. The brother of Jared sang praises to the Lord and thanked him all day long, and when the night came, they did not stop praising the Lord.
10 As they were driven on, no monster of the sea could break them, no whale injure them, and they had light continually, whether they were above or below water.
11 They were driven forward three hundred and forty-four days on the water.
12 They landed on the shore of the promised land, where they bowed themselves on ground, humbled themselves before the Lord, and shed tears of joy before the Lord because of the multitude of his tender mercies with them.
13 They went out on the land and began to till the earth.
14 Jared had four sons, called Jacom, Gilgah, Mahah, and Orihah.
15 The brother of Jared also had sons and daughters.
16 There were about twenty-two friends of Jared and his brother, and they also had sons and daughters before they came to the promised land; so there began to be many.
17 They were taught to walk humbly before the Lord, and they were taught from on high.
18 They began to spread throughout the land, and to multiply and till the earth; and they grew strong in the land.
19 The brother of Jared began to be old, realizing he would soon die, so he said to Jared, Let us gather our people so we can number them, and so we can know what they want from us before we go to our graves.
20 So the people were gathered together. The brother of Jared had twenty-two sons and daughters, and Jared had twelve sons and daughters, with four sons.
21 They numbered their people and asked them what they wanted from them before they died.
22 The people wanted them to anoint one of their sons to be a king over them.
23 This grieved them, and the brother of Jared said to them, Surely this thing leads to captivity.
24 But Jared said to his brother, Allow them to have a king. So he told them, Choose a king from among our sons.
25 They chose Pagag, the firstborn of the brother of Jared. But he refused, and the people wanted his father to force him, but his father would not and commanded them that they should not force any man to be their king.
26 They chose each of the brothers of Pagag, but they would not.
27 The sons of Jared also refused, except one, so Orihah was anointed to be king.
28 He began to reign, and the people began to prosper; and they became exceedingly rich.
29 Jared and his brother died.
30 Orihah walked humbly before the Lord and remembered what great things the Lord had done for his father, and taught his people what great things the Lord had done for their fathers.
CHAPTER 7
Orihah reigns in righteousness—Amid usurpation and strife, the rival kingdoms of Shule and Cohor are set up—Prophets condemn the wickedness and idolatry of the people, who then repent.
1 Orihah judged righteously all his days, which were very many.
2 He had thirty-one sons and daughters, with twenty-three sons.
3 In his old age he had Kib, and Kib reigned in his place; and Kib had Corihor.
4 When Corihor was thirty-two years old he rebelled against his father, and went to live in the land of Nehor, where he had sons and daughters, and they became exceedingly beautiful, so Corihor attracted many people to him.
5 When he had gathered an army he came to the land of Moron where king Kib lived, and took him captive, which fulfilled the word of the brother of Jared that they would be brought into captivity.
6 The land of Moron was near the land called Desolation by the Nephites.
7 Kib and his people lived in captivity under his son Corihor, until Kib became exceedingly old; but in his old age and captivity Kib had Shule.
8 Shule was angry with his brother, and Shule grew strong, both in physical strength and wisdom.
9 He went to the hill Ephraim, and he made steel swords from the ore found there. Then he armed his followers, returned to the city Nehor, and gave battle to his brother Corihor, taking the kingdom and restoring it to his father Kib.
10 Because of this, his father gave the kingdom to Shule.
11 He ruled in righteousness and spread his very numerous people over all the land.
12 Shule had many sons and daughters.
13 Corihor repented of the many evils he had done, so Shule gave him power in his kingdom.
14 Corihor had many sons and daughters, including one son named Noah.
15 Noah rebelled against king Shule and his father Corihor, and he drew away his brother Cohor, along with all his brethren and many of the people.
16 He battled Shule, the king, taking the land of their first inheritance, and he became king over that part of the land.
17 He battled Shule again and carried Shule away captive into Moron.
18 When he was about to execute Shule, the sons of Shule crept into Noah’s house by night, killed him, broke down the door of the prison, freed their father, Shule, and put him on the throne of his kingdom.
19 The son of Noah built up his own kingdom, but he did not gain any more power over Shule the king, and the people under Shule prospered greatly and grew strong.
20 So the country was divided, with the kingdom of Shule and the kingdom of Cohor, the son of Noah.
21 Cohor made his people go to battle against Shule, but Shule beat them and killed Cohor.
22 Cohor had a son, Nimrod, who gave Cohor’s kingdom to Shule, so Shule was grateful and gave great favors to Nimrod, who did whatever he wanted in the kingdom of Shule.
23 In the reign of Shule prophets came among the people who were sent from the Lord, prophesying that the wickedness and idolatry of the people was bringing a curse on the land, and they would be destroyed if they did not repent.
24 The people spoke harshly against the prophets and mocked them. And king Shule executed judgment against all those who treated the prophets badly.
25 Shule executed a law throughout all the land, which gave power to the prophets to go wherever they wanted, so the people repented.
26 And because the people repented of their iniquities and idolatries, the Lord spared them, and they began to prosper again in the land. And Shule had sons and daughters in his old age.
27 There were no more wars in the days of Shule, and he remembered the great things the Lord had done for his fathers in bringing them across the great deep into the promised land; so he ruled in righteousness all his days.
CHAPTER 8
There is strife and contention over the kingdom—Akish forms an oath-bound secret combination to slay the king—Secret combinations are of the devil and result in the destruction of nations—Modern Gentiles are warned against the secret combination that will seek to overthrow the freedom of all lands, nations, and countries.
1 Shule had Omer, who reigned in his place. Omer had Jared, who had sons and daughters.
2 Jared rebelled against his father and went to live in the land of Heth. And he flattered many people with his cunning words, until he had gained half the kingdom.
3 Then he gave battle to his father, and he made him serve in captivity.
4 Omer was in captivity half of his days. And he had sons and daughters, including Esrom and Coriantumr, who were exceedingly angry because of what Jared their brother had done, so they raised an army and gave battle to Jared by night.
6 When they had killed the army of Jared, they were about to kill him also, but he pled with them not to kill him, promising to give up the kingdom to his father. So they granted him his life.
7 Jared became exceedingly sorrowful because of the loss of the kingdom because he had set his heart on the kingdom and the glory of the world.
8 The daughter of Jared was very clever, and seeing the sorrows of her father, she devised a plan to take the kingdom for her father.
9 She was very beautiful, and she talked to her father, saying, Why do you have so much sorrow? Have you not read the record our fathers brought across the great sea? Is there not an account about those in the past, that by secret plans they obtained kingdoms and great glory?
10 So, send Akish, the son of Kimnor, and I will dance for him, and I will please him with my beauty, so he will want to marry me, and if he asks your permission, you will say, I will give her if you will bring me the head of my father, the king.
11 After Jared sent for Akish, the daughter of Jared danced for him, and she pleased him so much that he wanted her to be his wife. So he said to Jared, Give her to me to marry.
12 And Jared said, I will give her to you if you will bring me the head of my father, the king. He said this even though Omer was a friend to Akish.
13 Akish gathered all his relatives to the house of Jared and said to them, Will you swear to me that you will be faithful to me in the thing I ask of you?
14 They all swore to him, by the God of heaven, and by the heavens and earth, and by their heads, that whoever would vary from assisting the desire of Akish would lose his head; and whoever would tell anyone Akish’s secret plan would lose his life.
15 So they agreed with Akish, and he administered to them the oaths given by those of old who also sought power, which had been handed down even from Cain, who was a murderer from the beginning.
16 They were supported by the power of the devil to administer these oaths to people, to keep them in darkness, to help power seekers get power, and to murder, plunder, lie, and commit all kinds of wickedness and whoredoms.
17 It was the daughter of Jared who gave him the idea to find these things of old; and Jared put it into the heart of Akish, so Akish administered it to his relatives and friends, leading them away by pleasing promises to do whatever he wanted.
18 They formed a secret combination, even like people of old, which is most abominable and wicked above all in the sight of God because the Lord does not work in secret combinations, nor does he want men to shed blood, but has forbidden it in everything, from the beginning of man.
20 I, Moroni, do not write the details of their oaths and combinations, but I know that all people have them, and so do the Lamanites.
21 They have caused the destruction of the people I’m talking about now, and also the destruction of the people of Nephi.
22 Whatever nation will support such secret combinations to get power and gain until they spread over the nation, they will be destroyed because the Lord will not allow the blood of his saints—which these people will shed—to always cry to him from the ground for vengeance, without him avenging them.
23 So, O you Gentiles, God desires in his wisdom that these things should be shown to you, so that because of them you might repent of your sins and not allow these murderous combinations—which are built up to get power and gain—to control you and cause the work of destruction to come upon you. If you allow these things to be, the sword of the justice of the Eternal God will fall upon you, to your overthrow and destruction.
24 When you see these things come among you, the Lord commands you to awake to a sense of your awful situation because of this secret combination. Curses be to it because of the blood of those who have been killed, because they cry from the dust for vengeance upon it, and also upon those who built it up.
25 Whoever builds it up seeks to overthrow the freedom of all lands, nations, and countries; and it causes the destruction of all people, because it is built up by the devil, the father of all lies, that same liar who deceived our first parents, that same liar who has caused man to commit murder from the beginning, who has hardened the hearts of men so they have murdered the prophets, and stoned them, and cast them out from the beginning.
26 I, Moroni, am commanded to write these things so evil can be done away, so the time may come when Satan will have no power on the hearts of men, so they can be persuaded to do good continually, so they can come to the spring of all righteousness and be saved.
CHAPTER 9
The kingdom passes from one to another by descent, intrigue, and murder—Emer saw the Son of Righteousness—Many prophets cry repentance—A famine and poisonous serpents plague the people.
1 I, Moroni, continue with my record. Because of the secret combinations of Akish and his friends, they overthrew the kingdom of Omer.
2 But the Lord was merciful to Omer, and also to his sons and daughters who did not try to destroy him.
3 The Lord warned Omer in a dream that he should depart out of the land, so Omer left the land with his family and traveled many days, and passed by the hill Shim, passing the place where the Nephites were destroyed, and continuing eastward to a place by the seashore called Ablom. And he pitched his tent, and also his sons and daughters, and all his household, except Jared and his family.
4 Jared was anointed king over the People by the hand of wickedness, and he gave Akish his daughter to marry.
5 Akish wanted to kill his father-in-law, and he got help from those who had sworn by the oath of the ancients, and they obtained the head of his father-in-law as he sat on his throne giving audience to his people.
6 The spread of this wicked and secret society was so great that it had corrupted the hearts of all the people, so Jared was murdered on his throne, and Akish reigned in his place.
7 Akish began to be jealous of his son, so he shut him up in prison, and gave him little or no food until he died.
8 The brother of him that died, Nimrah, was angry with his father because of what his father had done to his brother.
9 Nimrah gathered a small number of men, fled out of the land, and lived with Omer.
10 Akish had other sons, and they won the hearts of the people, even though they had sworn to follow him in doing all the iniquity he desired.
11 The people of Akish wanted profit, just as Akish desired power, so the sons of Akish offered them money, which made most of the people follow them.
12 A war began between Akish and his sons, which lasted for many years, causing the destruction of nearly all the people of the kingdom, except for thirty people and the those who fled with the house of Omer.
13 So Omer was restored again to the land of his inheritance.
14 Omer began to be old, but he had Emer and anointed him to be king to reign in his place.
15 After he had anointed Emer to be king, he saw peace in the land for two years, and he died, having seen a great many days full of sorrow. Emer reigned in his place and filled the steps of his father.
16 The Lord began again to take the curse off the land, and the house of Emer prospered exceedingly; and in the space of sixty-two years they had become very strong and rich.
17 They had all kinds of fruit, grain, silks, fine linen, gold, silver, and precious things;
18 And also all kinds of cattle, oxen, cows, sheep, swine, goats, and many other kinds of animals useful for the food of man.
19 They also had horses, asses, elephants, cureloms, and cumoms, all of which were useful to man, especially the elephants, cureloms, and cumoms.
20 The Lord poured out his blessings on this land, which was choice above all other lands; and he commanded that whoever would possess the land should possess it to the Lord, or they would be destroyed when they were ripened in iniquity, because the Lord says, on such I will pour out the fulness of my anger.
21 Emer executed righteous judgment all his days, and he had many sons and daughters; and he had Coriantum, who he anointed to reign in his place.
22 After anointing Coriantum, Emer saw peace in the land, and he even saw the Son of Righteousness, and rejoiced and gloried in his day; and he died in peace.
23 Coriantum walked in the steps of his father and built many mighty cities, and administered good to his people all his days. He had no children until he was exceedingly old.
24 His wife died, being an hundred and two years old. In his old age Coriantum married a young maid and had sons and daughters, and he lived until he was an hundred and forty-two years old.
25 He had Com, who reigned in his place forty-nine years, and he had Heth and other sons and daughters.
26 The people had spread again over all the land, and there began again to be a great wickedness in the land, and Heth began to embrace the secret plans of old to destroy his father.
27 He dethroned his father, killing him with his own sword, and then reigned in his place.
28 Prophets came in the land again, crying repentance to them, that they must prepare the way of the Lord or a curse would come on the land, and they would be destroyed by a great famine if they did not repent.
29 The people did not believe the words of the prophets but cast them out. And they threw some of them into pits and left them to die. And they did all these things according to the commandment of the king, Heth.
30 A great famine began in the land, so the people began to be destroyed exceedingly fast, because there was no rain on the earth.
31 Poisonous serpents came into the land and poisoned many people. Their flocks began to flee from the poisonous serpents toward the land southward, called Zarahemla by the Nephites.
32 Many of them died on the way, but some fled into the land southward.
33 The Lord stopped the serpents from pursuing them anymore, but caused them to block the way so people could not pass, and if anyone attempted to pass, they died because of the poisonous serpents.
34 The people followed the path of the beasts, and ate the carcasses of those that fell on their way, until they had eaten them all. When the people saw they would die, they began to repent of their sins and cried to the Lord.
35 When they had humbled themselves sufficiently before the Lord, he sent rain on the earth, and the people began to revive, and there began to be fruit in the north countries and in all the countries round about. The Lord showed his power to them in preserving them from famine.
CHAPTER 10
One king succeeds another—Some of the kings are righteous; others are wicked—When righteousness prevails, the people are blessed and prospered by the Lord.
1 Heth perished by the famine, and all his household except Shez, who was a descendant of Heth, so Shez began to build up a broken people.
2 Shez remembered the destruction of his fathers, and he built up a righteous kingdom; because he remembered what the Lord had done in bringing Jared and his brother across the sea, and he walked in the ways of the Lord and had sons and daughters.
3 His eldest son, whose name also was Shez, rebelled against him, but Shez was killed by a robber because of his exceeding riches, which brought peace again to his father.
4 His father built up many cities in the land, and the people began again to spread over all the land. Shez lived to a very old age, and he had Riplakish, who reigned when Shez died.
5 Riplakish did not do what was right in the sight of the Lord, because he had many wives and concubines, and he laid heavy taxes on men’s shoulders which were terrible to bear, and with the taxes he built many spacious buildings.
6 He built himself an exceedingly beautiful throne, and he built many prisons and imprisoned whoever would not be subject to his taxes, or whoever was not able to pay taxes. And he made the prisoners labor continually for their support; and whoever refused to labor he executed.
7 He obtained all his fine work from those working in prison, and even his fine gold was refined in prison. And he afflicted the people with his whoredoms and abominations.
8 When he had reigned for the space of forty-two years, the people rose up in rebellion against him, and war began again in the land, so Riplakish was killed, and his descendants were driven out of the land.
9 After many years, Morianton—a descendant of Riplakish—gathered an army of outcasts, and they battled the people and gained power over many cities. The war became exceedingly sore and lasted for many years, and he gained power over all the land and established himself king over all the land.
10 Then he eased the burden of the people, gaining their favor, so they anointed him to be their king.
11 He was good with the people, but not to himself because of his many whoredoms, so he was cut off from the presence of the Lord.
12 And Morianton built up many cities, and the people became exceedingly rich under his reign, in buildings, gold, silver, grain, flocks, herds, and such things that had been restored to them.
13 Morianton lived to an exceedingly great age, and then he had Kim, and Kim reigned in his place for eight years before his father died. Kim did not reign in righteousness, so he was not favored of the Lord.
14 His brother rebelled against him, putting Kim in captivity all his life, where he had sons and daughters. In his old age he had Levi, and then he died.
15 Levi served in captivity after the death of his father, for forty-two years. And he made war against the king of the land and took the kingdom for himself.
16 After he took the kingdom he did what was right in the sight of the Lord, and the people prospered in the land, and he lived to a good old age and had sons and daughters. He had Corom, whom he anointed king in his place.
17 Corom did what was good in the sight of the Lord all his days, and he had many sons and daughters; and after he had seen many days he died, like the rest of the earth, and Kish reigned in his place.
18 Kish died also, and Lib reigned in his place.
19 And Lib also did what was good in the sight of the Lord. In the days of Lib the poisonous serpents were destroyed. So they went into the land southward to hunt food for the people, because the land was covered with animals of the forest. And Lib became a great hunter.
20 They built a great city by the narrow neck of land, by the place where the sea divides the land.
21 They preserved the land southward for a wilderness to get game, while the whole land northward was covered with people.
22 They were very industrious, buying and selling goods with each other for profit.
23 They worked in all kinds of ore, and they made gold, silver, iron, brass, and all kinds of metals. They dug ore out of the earth and made mighty heaps of earth to get ore, gold, silver, iron, and copper. And they did work all kinds of fine work.
24 They had silks and fine linen, and they worked all kinds of cloth for clothing.
25 They made all kinds of tools to till the earth, to plow and sow, to reap and hoe, and to thrash.
26 They made all kinds of tools to work their animals.
27 They made all kinds of weapons of war and created all kinds of work of exceedingly expert workmanship.
28 Never could there be a people more blessed than they were, or more prospered by the hand of the Lord. And they were in a land choice above all lands, for the Lord had spoken it.
29 Lib lived many years, and had sons and daughters, including Hearthom.
30 Hearthom reigned in the place of his father, but after twenty-four years the kingdom was taken from him. And he served the rest of his life in captivity.
31 And he had Heth, and Heth lived in captivity all his days. And Heth had Aaron, and Aaron lived in captivity all his days; and he had Amnigaddah, and Amnigaddah lived in captivity all his days; and he had Coriantum, and Coriantum lived in captivity all his days; and he had Com.
32 Com drew away half the kingdom, and he reigned over half the kingdom forty-two years; and he went to battle against the king, Amgid, and they fought for many years. Com gained power over Amgid and took the rest of the kingdom.
33 In the days of Com there began to be robbers in the land, and they adopted the old plans, and administered oaths after the manner of the ancients, and sought again to destroy the kingdom.
34 Com fought against them much, but he did not stop them.
CHAPTER 11
Wars, dissensions, and wickedness dominate Jaredite life—Prophets predict the utter destruction of the Jaredites unless they repent—The people reject the words of the prophets.
1 Many prophets came in the days of Com and prophesied of the destruction of that great people unless they would repent and turn to the Lord, and forsake their murders and wickedness.
2 The prophets were rejected by the people, and they fled to Com for protection because the people tried to destroy them.
3 They prophesied many things to Com, and he was blessed all the rest of his days.
4 He lived to an old age and had Shiblom, who reigned in his place. The brother of Shiblom rebelled against him and started an exceedingly great war in all the land.
5 The brother of Shiblom put to death all the prophets who prophesied of the destruction of the people.
6 And there was great misery in all the land, for the prophets had testified that a great curse and destruction would come on the land and the people, greater than any before on the earth, and their bones would be heaped up on the land unless they would repent of their wickedness.
7 But they did not listen to the voice of the Lord because of their wicked combinations, so there were wars and contentions in all the land, and many famines and diseases, so the destruction was greater than any before known on the earth. And all this happened in the days of Shiblom.
8 The people began to repent of their sins, so the Lord had mercy on them.
9 Shiblom was slain, and Seth lived in captivity all his days.
10 Ahah, his son, obtained the kingdom and reigned over the people all his life. He did all kinds of iniquity in his life, causing the shedding of much blood, and his life was short.
11 Ethem, a descendant of Ahah, obtained the kingdom, and he too was wicked.
12 Many prophets came in the days of Ethem and prophesied again that the Lord would destroy them from the earth except they repented of their sins.
13 But the people hardened their hearts and would not listen, and the prophets mourned and withdrew from the people.
14 Ethem judged in wickedness all his life, and he had Moron, who reigned in his place. And Moron behaved wickedly before the Lord.
15 Because of that secret combination that was built up to get power and gain, the people rebelled, and there arose among them a man mighty in iniquity, who battled Moron. He overthrew half the kingdom and kept it for many years.
16 But Moron overthrew him and took the kingdom again.
17 Another mighty man arose, a descendant of the brother of Jared.
18 He overthrew Moron and took the kingdom, so Moron lived in captivity the rest of his life, where he had Coriantor, who also lived his life in captivity.
20 Many prophets came in the days of Coriantor and prophesied of great and marvelous things, crying repentance to the people, saying that unless they would repent the Lord God would judge against them to their utter destruction;
21 And that the Lord God would bring another people to possess the land by his power, like he had brought their fathers.
22 But they rejected all the words of the prophets, because of their secret society and wicked ways.
23 Coriantor had Ether, and Coriantor died, having lived his life in captivity.
CHAPTER 12
The prophet Ether exhorts the people to believe in God—Moroni recounts the wonders and marvels done by faith—Faith enabled the brother of Jared to see Christ—The Lord gives men weakness that they may be humble—The brother of Jared moved Mount Zerin by faith—Faith, hope, and charity are essential to salvation—Moroni saw Jesus face to face.
1 Ether lived in the days of Coriantumr, who was king over all the land.
2 Ether was a prophet of the Lord, so he began to prophesy to the people. He could not be held back because of the Spirit of the Lord in him.
3 He cried from morning till night, speaking powerfully to the people to believe in God to repentance so they would not be destroyed, saying that by faith all things are fulfilled.
4 Whoever believes in God might hope surely for a better world, even a place at the right hand of God, which hope comes from faith, making an anchor to the souls of men, which would make them sure and steadfast, always filled with good works and led to glorify God.
5 Ether prophesied great and marvelous things to the people, which they did not believe because they did not see them.
6 I, Moroni, desire to show the world that faith is things that are hoped for but not seen, so do not doubt because you don’t see, because you receive no witness until after the test of your faith.
7 It was by faith that Christ showed himself to our fathers after he had risen from the dead, and he did not show himself to them until they had faith in him, so some of them must have had faith in him because he did not show himself to the world.
8 Because of the faith of men he has shown himself to the world and glorified the name of the Father, and prepared a way so others might partake of the heavenly gift, that they might hope for those things they have not seen.
9 So you also may have hope, and partake of the gift, if you will only have faith.
10 It was by faith that people of old were called after the holy order of God.
11 By faith the law of Moses was given, but God prepared a more excellent way in the gift of his Son, and by faith the law has been fulfilled.
12 If there is no faith among people, God cannot do miracles among them, so he did not show himself until after their faith.
13 It was the faith of Alma and Amulek that caused the prison to tumble to the earth.
14 It was the faith of Nephi and Lehi that caused the change on the Lamanites, that they were baptized with fire and the Holy Ghost.
15 It was the faith of Ammon and his brethren that worked such a great miracle among the Lamanites.
16 All those who have worked miracles did so by faith, even those who were before Christ and those who were after.
17 It was by faith that the three disciples were promised that they would not taste death, and they did not obtain the promise until after their faith.
18 At no time have any worked miracles until after their faith, so first they believed in the Son of God.
19 Even before Christ came, there were many whose faith was so strong that they could not be kept within the veil, but truly saw with their eyes things with an eye of faith, and they were glad.
20 We have seen in this record that the brother of Jared was one of these, because so great was his faith in God that when God put out his finger he could not hide it from the brother of Jared because of his word that he had spoken to him, which word he had obtained by faith.
21 And after the brother of Jared had seen the finger of the Lord because of the promise he had obtained by faith, the Lord could not withhold anything from his sight. So he showed him all things because he could no longer be kept outside the veil.
22 It is by faith that my fathers have obtained the promise that these things would come to their seed through the Gentiles. Thus the Lord has commanded me, even Jesus Christ.
23 And I said to him, Lord, the Gentiles will mock these things, because of our weakness in writing because Lord, you have made us mighty in speaking by faith, but you have not made us mighty in writing, because you have made all this people that they could speak much, because of the Holy Ghost you have given them;
24 You have made us so we could write only little because of the awkwardness of our hands. You have not made us mighty in writing like the brother of Jared, who you made to write things that were mighty even as you are, to the overpowering of man to read them.
25 You have made our speaking powerful and great, even that we cannot write them, so when we write we see our weakness and stumble because of the placing of our words, and I fear that the Gentiles will mock our words.
26 Then the Lord spoke to me, saying, Fools mock, but they will mourn, and my grace is sufficient for the meek, so they will take no advantage of your weakness.
27 If men come to me I will show them their weakness. I give men weakness so they can be humble, and my grace is sufficient for all men who humble themselves before me. If they humble themselves before me and have faith in me, then I will make weak things become strong to them.
28 I will show the Gentiles their weakness, and I will show them that faith, hope, and charity bring people to me, the spring of all righteousness.
29 I, Moroni, was comforted hearing these words, and said, O Lord, your righteousness will be done because I know that you work with men according to their faith;
30 Because the brother of Jared said to the mountain Zerin, Move, and it was moved. If he had not had faith it would not have moved, so you work with men who have faith.
31 This is how you showed yourself to your disciples, that after they had faith and spoke in your name, you showed yourself to them in great power.
32 I remember that you said that you have prepared a house for man among the mansions of your Father, and this can give man a more excellent hope. So man must hope, or he cannot receive an inheritance in the place that you have prepared.
33 I remember that you said that you have loved the world, even to laying down your life for the world so you might take it again to prepare a place for all men.
34 I know that this love you have for men is charity, and unless men have charity they cannot inherit the place you have prepared in the mansions of your Father.
35 So I know by what you have said that if the Gentiles don’t have charity because of our weakness in writing, you will test them and take away the blessing of what they have received, and give to them who will have more abundantly.
36 I prayed to the Lord that he would give grace to the Gentiles, so they would have charity.
37 The Lord said, If they don’t have charity it does not matter to you because you have been faithful, so your garments will be made clean. And because you have seen your weakness you will be made strong, even to sit down in the place I have prepared in the mansions of my Father.
38 I, Moroni, say farewell to the Gentiles, and also to my brethren whom I love, until we will meet before the judgment-seat of Christ, where all men will know that my garments are not stained with your blood.
39 Then you will know that I have seen Jesus, and that he has talked with me face to face, and he told me about these things in plain humility, even as a man tells another in my own language.
40 I have written only a few because of my weakness in writing.
41 I recommend that you look for this Jesus of whom the prophets and apostles have written, so the grace of God the Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost, who testifies of them, may be in you and stay in you forever. Amen.
CHAPTER 13
Ether speaks of a New Jerusalem to be built in America by the seed of Joseph—He prophesies, is cast out, writes the Jaredite history, and foretells the destruction of the Jaredites—War rages over all the land.
1 I, Moroni, finish my record about the destruction of the people of whom I have been writing.
2 They rejected all the words of Ether, and he told them of all things from the beginning of man, and that after the waters had receded from this land it became a choice land above all others, a chosen land of the Lord; So the Lord required that all men in this land should serve him;
3 And that it was the place of the New Jerusalem, which would come down from heaven, and the holy sanctuary of the Lord.
4 Ether saw the days of Christ, and he spoke concerning a New Jerusalem in this land.
5 He spoke concerning the house of Israel and the Jerusalem where Lehi came from, that after it would be destroyed it would be built up again, a holy city to the Lord, so it could not be a new Jerusalem because it had already been in a time of old. But it would be built up again, and become a holy city of the Lord, and it would be built for the house of Israel.
6 And a New Jerusalem would be built on this land to the remnant of the seed of Joseph, for which things there has been a symbol.
7 Joseph brought his father into the land of Egypt, saving him from death in his home country. Like that, the Lord brought a remnant of the seed of Joseph out of the land of Jerusalem, that he might be merciful to the seed of Joseph that they would not die out, even as he was merciful to the father of Joseph that he would not die.
8 So the remnant of the house of Joseph will be built on this land, and it will be a land of their inheritance, and they will build up a holy city to the Lord, like the Jerusalem of old, and they will be shamed no more until the end comes when the earth will pass away.
9 There will be a new heaven and a new earth, and they will be like the old, except the old have passed away, and all things have become new.
10 Then the New Jerusalem comes, and blessed are they who live there, whose garments are white through the blood of the Lamb, who are numbered among the remnant of the seed of Joseph, who were of the house of Israel.
11 Then comes the Jerusalem of old with her people who are blessed because they have been washed in the blood of the Lamb; and they are the ones who were scattered and gathered in from the four quarters of the earth and partake of the fulfilling of the covenant that God made with their father, Abraham.
12 When these things come, it fulfills the scripture that says, there are those who were first, who will be last; and there are those who were last, who will be first.
13 I was about to write more, but I was forbidden. Great and marvelous were the prophecies of Ether, but they disregarded him and threw him out, and he hid himself in the cavity of a rock by day, and by night he went forth viewing the destructions that came upon the people.
15 In the same year that he was thrown out from the people, a great war began because many mighty men rose up and tried to destroy Coriantumr by their secret plans of wickedness, which we have described.
16 Coriantumr had studied all the arts of war and cunning of the world, so he battled those who tried to destroy him.
17 But he did not repent, nor did his sons or daughters, nor the sons and daughters of Cohor, nor the sons and daughters of Corihor, and none of the sons and daughters in all the lands repented of their sins.
18 In the first year Ether lived in the cavity of a rock, many people were killed by the sword of those secret combinations, fighting against Coriantumr to take the kingdom.
19 The sons of Coriantumr fought and bled much.
20 In the second year the word of the Lord came to Ether, that he should prophesy to Coriantumr that if he would repent, and all his household, the Lord would give him the kingdom and spare the people, but otherwise they would be destroyed, and all his household except him. And he would live only to see the fulfillment of the prophecies saying that another people would receive the land for their inheritance, and Coriantumr would be buried by them, and every soul would be destroyed except Coriantumr.
22 But Coriantumr did not repent, nor his household, nor the people, so the wars did not stop And they tried to kill Ether, but he fled and hid again in the cavity of the rock.
23 Shared arose and battled Coriantumr, and he beat him and captured him in the third year.
24 In the fourth year the sons of Coriantumr beat Shared and took the kingdom again for their father.
25 There was war upon all the land, every man fighting with his band for what he wanted.
26 And there were robbers and all kinds of wickedness in all the land.
27 Coriantumr was extremely angry with Shared, so he went against him with his armies, and they met in great anger in the valley of Gilgal, where the battle became exceedingly sore.
28 Shared fought against him for three days, and Coriantumr beat him and pursued him until he came to the plains of Heshlon.
29 Shared battled him on the plains, and he beat Coriantumr and drove him back to the valley of Gilgal.
30 Coriantumr battled Shared there, where he beat and killed Shared.
31 Shared wounded Coriantumr in his thigh, so he did not go to battle again for two years, in which time all the people of the land were shedding blood without restraint.
CHAPTER 14
The iniquity of the people brings a curse on the land—Coriantumr engages in warfare against Gilead, then Lib, and then Shiz—Blood and carnage cover the land.
1 A great curse began on all the land because of the sins of the people, where if a man lay his tool or sword in a place to keep it, the next day he could not find it.
2 So every man held tightly to what he owned, and would not borrow or lend, and every man kept the hilt of his sword in his right hand in defense of his property, his life, and his wives and children.
3 After two years and the death of Shared, the brother of Shared battled Coriantumr, and Coriantumr beat him and pursued him to the wilderness of Akish.
4 There the brother of Shared battled him, and many thousands fell by the sword.
5 Coriantumr laid siege to the wilderness, and the brother of Shared marched out of the wilderness by night and killed part of the army of Coriantumr while they were drunk.
6 He went to the land of Moron and placed himself on the throne of Coriantumr.
7 Coriantumr stayed with his army in the wilderness for two years, where he received great strength to his army.
8 The brother of Shared, whose name was Gilead, also received great strength to his army because of secret combinations.
9 But his high priest murdered him as he sat on the throne.
10 One of the secret combinations murdered this high priest in a secret pass and took the kingdom, and his name was Lib, a man of great size, more than any man among all the people.
11 In the first year of Lib, Coriantumr came from the land of Moron and battled Lib.
12 Coriantumr was wounded on the arm by Lib, but Coriantumr’s army pressed forward so that Lib fled to the borders on the seashore.
13 Coriantumr pursued him, where they battled on the seashore.
14 Lib attacked the army of Coriantumr so they fled again to the wilderness of Akish.
15 Lib pursued him to the plains of Agosh. And Coriantumr had taken all the people with him as he fled before Lib in that part of the land.
16 When he had come to the plains of Agosh, he battled Lib and struck him until he died. But the brother of Lib, called Shiz, came against Coriantumr in a severe battle, so that Coriantumr fled.
17 Shiz pursued Coriantumr and took many cities, burning them and killing women and children.
18 A fear of Shiz spread throughout the land, and people cried, Who can stand before the army of Shiz? He sweeps the earth before him!
19 The people began to flock together in armies, throughout all the land.
20 They were divided, part of them fleeing to the army of Shiz, while part of them fled to the army of Coriantumr.
21 The war had been so great and lasting, and the bloodshed and carnage so long, that the whole land was covered with the bodies of the dead.
22 The war was so swift and speedy that no one remained to bury the dead. They marched from the shedding of blood to the shedding of blood, leaving the bodies of men, women, and children scattered on the land, to become food for worms.
23 The smell of death spread over all the land, so the people became troubled by day and by night.
24 But Shiz kept pursuing Coriantumr because he had sworn to avenge himself because of the blood of his brother, who had been killed, and because of the word of the Lord to Ether that Coriantumr would not fall by the sword.
25 So we see that the Lord visited them in the fulness of his anger, and their wickedness had prepared a way for their everlasting destruction.
26 Shiz pursued Coriantumr eastward to the borders by the seashore, and there they battled for three days.
27 The destruction was so terrible among the armies of Shiz that they began to be frightened and flee from the armies of Coriantumr. They fled to the land of Corihor and swept away all the people before them who would not join them.
28 They pitched their tents in the valley of Corihor, and Coriantumr pitched his tents in the valley of Shurr. The valley of Shurr was near the hill Comnor, so Coriantumr gathered his armies on the hill Comnor and sounded a trumpet to call the armies of Shiz to battle.
29 They came but were driven away, and came a second time but were driven again, and came a third time, and the battle became exceedingly sore.
30 Shiz struck Coriantumr with many deep wounds, and Coriantumr, losing blood and fainting, was carried away as though he were dead.
31 The loss of men, women, and children on both sides was so great that Shiz commanded his people that they should stop pursuing the armies of Coriantumr. So they returned to their camp.
CHAPTER 15
Millions of the Jaredites are slain in battle—Shiz and Coriantumr assemble all the people to mortal combat—The Spirit of the Lord ceases to strive with them—The Jaredite nation is utterly destroyed—Only Coriantumr remains.
1 When Coriantumr had recovered from his wounds, he began to remember the words Ether had spoken to him.
2 He saw that nearly two million of his mighty men had been slain by the sword, and also their wives and children, and he began to sorrow in his heart.
3 He began to repent of the evil he had done. He began to remember the words spoken by all the prophets, and he saw that they were fulfilled thus far, every bit; and his soul mourned and refused to be comforted.
4 He wrote a letter to Shiz, desiring him to spare the people, and if so, he would give up the kingdom for the sake of the lives of the people.
5 When Shiz received this letter, he wrote to Coriantumr that if he would give himself up to be killed by the sword of Shiz, he would spare the lives of the people.
6 But the people did not repent of their sins, and the people of Coriantumr were stirred up to anger against the people of Shiz, and the people of Shiz were stirred up to anger against the people of Coriantumr, so the people of Shiz came to battle the people of Coriantumr.
7 When Coriantumr saw that he was about to fall, he fled from the people of Shiz.
8 He came to the waters of Ripliancum, which translates as large, or exceeding all, so when they came to these waters they pitched their tents, and Shiz also pitched his tents nearby. And on the next day they came to battle.
9 They had an exceedingly sore battle, where again Coriantumr was wounded and fainted with the loss of blood.
10 The armies of Coriantumr pressed the armies of Shiz so that they beat them and caused them to flee southward, pitching their tents in a place called Ogath.
11 The army of Coriantumr pitched their tents by the hill Ramah, the same hill where my father Mormon hid the sacred records to the Lord.
12 They gathered together all the people of the land who had not been slain, except Ether.
13 Ether observed all the doings of the people, and saw the people for Coriantumr gathered together, and the people for Shiz gathered together.
14 They gathered the people for four years so they might get everyone in the land, and to gather all the strength it was possible to receive.
15 When they were all gathered, with men, women, and children armed with weapons of war—shields, breastplates, head-plates, and clothed in the way of war—they marched to battle each other, and they fought all that day, with no winner.
16 At night they were weary and retired to their camps, where they howled and mourned the loss of their dead. And so great were their cries, howlings, and grievings that they tore the air exceedingly.
17 The next day they battled again, a great and terrible day without victory, and at night again they tore the air with their cries, howling, and mourning for the loss of their dead.
18 Again Coriantumr wrote a letter to Shiz, desiring that he not come to battle, but that he would take the kingdom and spare the lives of the people.
19 But the Spirit of the Lord had stopped working with them, and Satan had full power over the hearts of the people, so they were given up to the hardness of their hearts and blindness of their minds, willing to be destroyed, so again they went to battle.
20 They fought all that day, and at night they slept with their swords.
21 The next day they fought until night came.
22 When night came they were drunk with anger, just as a man who is drunk with wine, and they slept again with their swords.
23 The next day they fought again, and when night came they had all fallen by the sword except fifty-two of the people of Coriantumr and sixty-nine of the people of Shiz.
24 They slept with their swords that night, and the next day they fought again, battling in their might with their swords and shields all that day.
25 When night came there were thirty-two people with Shiz, and twenty-seven people of Coriantumr.
26 They ate and slept and prepared for death the next day. They were large and mighty men as far as the strength of men.
27 They fought for the space of three hours and fainted with the loss of blood.
28 When the men of Coriantumr were strong enough to walk, they were about to flee for their lives, but Shiz and his men arose, and he swore in his anger that he would slay Coriantumr or die by the sword.
29 Shiz pursued them, and the next day—the eighth straight day of battle—he overtook them, and they fought again. When they had all fallen by the sword except Coriantumr and Shiz, Shiz fainted with the loss of blood.
30 When Coriantumr had leaned on his sword, to rest a little, he cut off the head of Shiz.
31 After he had cut off the head of Shiz, Shiz raised up on his hands, fell, struggled for breath, and died.
32 And Coriantumr fell to the ground, as though he were not alive.
33 The Lord spoke to Ether and said, Go out and see. And he went and saw that the words of the Lord had all been fulfilled, and he finished his record and hid it in a way that the people of Limhi found them. And I have not written a hundredth part of what Ether wrote.
34 Here are the last words written by Ether: Whether the Lord wants me to be translated, or that I suffer the will of the Lord in the flesh, it does not matter, as long as I am saved in the kingdom of God. Amen.