AlmaChapter60

And it came to pass that he wrote again to the governor of the land, who was Pahoran, and these are the words which he wrote, saying: Behold, I direct mine epistle to Pahoran, in the city of Zarahemla, who is the chief judge and the governor over the land, and also to all those who have been chosen by this people to govern and manage the affairs of this war.

Moroni wrote again to the governor of the land, who was Pahoran, and these are the words he wrote: I am addressing this letter to Pahoran, in the city of Zarahemla, who is the chief judge and the governor over the land, and also to all those who have been chosen by this people to govern and manage the affairs of this war.

For behold, I have somewhat to say unto them by the way of condemnation; for behold, ye yourselves know that ye have been appointed to gather together men, and arm them with swords, and with cimeters, and all manner of weapons of war of every kind, and send forth against the Lamanites, in whatsoever parts they should come into our land.

I have something to say to them by way of condemnation. You yourselves know that you were appointed to gather men together, and arm them with swords and scimitars and every kind of weapon of war, and send them out against the Lamanites in whatever parts of our land they came into.

And now behold, I say unto you that myself, and also my men, and also Helaman and his men, have suffered exceedingly great sufferings; yea, even hunger, thirst, and fatigue, and all manner of afflictions of every kind.

Now I tell you that my men and I, and Helaman and his men as well, have suffered enormously: hunger, thirst, exhaustion, and every kind of hardship.

But behold, were this all we had suffered we would not murmur nor complain.

But if that were all we had suffered, we would not grumble or complain.

But behold, great has been the slaughter among our people; yea, thousands have fallen by the sword, while it might have otherwise been if ye had rendered unto our armies sufficient strength and succor for them. Yea, great has been your neglect towards us.

The slaughter among our people has been terrible. Thousands have fallen by the sword, when it could have been otherwise if you had sent our armies enough strength and support. You have neglected us terribly.

And now behold, we desire to know the cause of this exceedingly great neglect; yea, we desire to know the cause of your thoughtless state.

And now we want to know the cause of this enormous neglect. We want to know the cause of your thoughtless condition.

Can you think to sit upon your thrones in a state of thoughtless stupor, while your enemies are spreading the work of death around you? Yea, while they are murdering thousands of your brethren—

Can you imagine sitting on your thrones in a thoughtless stupor while your enemies are spreading the work of death all around you, while they are murdering thousands of your brothers,

Yea, even they who have looked up to you for protection, yea, have placed you in a situation that ye might have succored them, yea, ye might have sent armies unto them, to have strengthened them, and have saved thousands of them from falling by the sword.

the very ones who have looked to you for protection, the ones who placed you where you are so that you could come to their aid? You could have sent armies to them and strengthened them, and saved thousands of them from falling by the sword.

But behold, this is not all—ye have withheld your provisions from them, insomuch that many have fought and bled out their lives because of their great desires which they had for the welfare of this people; yea, and this they have done when they were about to perish with hunger, because of your exceedingly great neglect towards them.

But that is not all. You have kept your supplies from them, so that many have fought and bled out their lives because of how deeply they wanted the welfare of this people. And they did it when they were about to starve to death, because of your enormous neglect of them.

And now, my beloved brethren—for ye ought to be beloved; yea, and ye ought to have stirred yourselves more diligently for the welfare and the freedom of this people; but behold, ye have neglected them insomuch that the blood of thousands shall come upon your heads for vengeance; yea, for known unto God were all their cries, and all their sufferings—

And now, my beloved brothers — for you ought to be beloved, and you ought to have stirred yourselves more diligently for the welfare and the freedom of this people — you have neglected them, so that the blood of thousands will come down on your heads for vengeance. God knew every one of their cries and all their suffering.

Behold, could ye suppose that ye could sit upon your thrones, and because of the exceeding goodness of God ye could do nothing and he would deliver you? Behold, if ye have supposed this ye have supposed in vain.

Did you think you could sit on your thrones and, because of God's overwhelming goodness, do nothing at all, and he would deliver you? If that is what you thought, you thought in vain.

Do ye suppose that, because so many of your brethren have been killed it is because of their wickedness? I say unto you, if ye have supposed this ye have supposed in vain; for I say unto you, there are many who have fallen by the sword; and behold it is to your condemnation;

Do you think that because so many of your brothers have been killed, it is because of their wickedness? I tell you, if that is what you thought, you thought in vain. Many have fallen by the sword, and it stands as your condemnation.

For the Lord suffereth the righteous to be slain that his justice and judgment may come upon the wicked; therefore ye need not suppose that the righteous are lost because they are slain; but behold, they do enter into the rest of the Lord their God.

The Lord allows the righteous to be killed so that his justice and judgment may come upon the wicked. So you need not think that the righteous are lost because they are killed. They do enter into the rest of the Lord their God.

And now behold, I say unto you, I fear exceedingly that the judgments of God will come upon this people, because of their exceeding slothfulness, yea, even the slothfulness of our government, and their exceedingly great neglect towards their brethren, yea, towards those who have been slain.

And now I tell you, I am deeply afraid that the judgments of God will come upon this people because of their extreme laziness, the laziness of our own government, and their enormous neglect of their brothers, of the very ones who have been killed.

For were it not for the wickedness which first commenced at our head, we could have withstood our enemies that they could have gained no power over us.

If it were not for the wickedness that started at the head of our own government, we could have stood against our enemies, and they could have gained no power over us.

Yea, had it not been for the war which broke out among ourselves; yea, were it not for these king-men, who caused so much bloodshed among ourselves; yea, at the time we were contending among ourselves, if we had united our strength as we hitherto have done; yea, had it not been for the desire of power and authority which those king-men had over us; had they been true to the cause of our freedom, and united with us, and gone forth against our enemies, instead of taking up their swords against us, which was the cause of so much bloodshed among ourselves; yea, if we had gone forth against them in the strength of the Lord, we should have dispersed our enemies, for it would have been done, according to the fulfilling of his word.

If only that war had not broken out among ourselves. If only there had been no kingmen, who caused so much bloodshed among us. If, while we were fighting each other, we had united our strength as we always had before. If those kingmen had not hungered for power and authority over us, but had been true to the cause of our freedom, and had joined us and gone out against our enemies instead of taking up their swords against us, which is what caused so much bloodshed among us. If we had gone out against them in the Lord's strength, we would have scattered our enemies, and it would have been done, in fulfillment of his word.

But behold, now the Lamanites are coming upon us, taking possession of our lands, and they are murdering our people with the sword, yea, our women and our children, and also carrying them away captive, causing them that they should suffer all manner of afflictions, and this because of the great wickedness of those who are seeking for power and authority, yea, even those king-men.

But now the Lamanites are coming down on us, taking possession of our lands. They are murdering our people with the sword, women and children alike, and carrying them away captive, making them suffer every kind of hardship. And all of this because of the terrible wickedness of those who are seeking power and authority: those kingmen.

But why should I say much concerning this matter? For we know not but what ye yourselves are seeking for authority. We know not but what ye are also traitors to your country.

But why should I say much about this? For all we know, you yourselves are seeking authority. For all we know, you are traitors to your country too.

Or is it that ye have neglected us because ye are in the heart of our country and ye are surrounded by security, that ye do not cause food to be sent unto us, and also men to strengthen our armies?

Or is it that you have neglected us because you are in the heart of the country, surrounded by safety, and so you do not send food out to us, or men to strengthen our armies?

Have ye forgotten the commandments of the Lord your God? Yea, have ye forgotten the captivity of our fathers? Have ye forgotten the many times we have been delivered out of the hands of our enemies?

Have you forgotten the commandments of the Lord your God? Have you forgotten the captivity of our fathers? Have you forgotten the many times we have been delivered out of the hands of our enemies?

Or do ye suppose that the Lord will still deliver us, while we sit upon our thrones and do not make use of the means which the Lord has provided for us?

Or do you think the Lord will still deliver us while we sit on our thrones and do not use the means he has provided for us?

Yea, will ye sit in idleness while ye are surrounded with thousands of those, yea, and tens of thousands, who do also sit in idleness, while there are thousands round about in the borders of the land who are falling by the sword, yea, wounded and bleeding?

Will you sit idle while you are surrounded by thousands, and tens of thousands, who also sit idle, while out on the borders of the land thousands are falling by the sword, wounded and bleeding?

Do ye suppose that God will look upon you as guiltless while ye sit still and behold these things? Behold I say unto you, Nay. Now I would that ye should remember that God has said that the inward vessel shall be cleansed first, and then shall the outer vessel be cleansed also.

Do you think God will look on you as guiltless while you sit still and watch all this happen? I tell you, no. Now I want you to remember that God has said the inward vessel shall be cleansed first, and then the outer vessel shall be cleansed also.

And now, except ye do repent of that which ye have done, and begin to be up and doing, and send forth food and men unto us, and also unto Helaman, that he may support those parts of our country which he has regained, and that we may also recover the remainder of our possessions in these parts, behold it will be expedient that we contend no more with the Lamanites until we have first cleansed our inward vessel, yea, even the great head of our government.

And now, unless you repent of what you have done, and get up and start doing something, and send food and men to us, and to Helaman as well, so that he can hold the parts of our country he has regained and we can recover the rest of our possessions here — unless you do this, we will have no choice but to stop fighting the Lamanites until we have first cleansed our inward vessel: the very head of our government.

And except ye grant mine epistle, and come out and show unto me a true spirit of freedom, and strive to strengthen and fortify our armies, and grant unto them food for their support, behold I will leave a part of my freemen to maintain this part of our land, and I will leave the strength and the blessings of God upon them, that none other power can operate against them—

And unless you grant what this letter asks, and come out and show me a true spirit of freedom, and work to strengthen and fortify our armies, and give them food to live on, I will leave a part of my freemen behind to hold this part of our land. I will leave the strength and the blessings of God upon them, so that no other power can work against them,

And this because of their exceeding faith, and their patience in their tribulations—

and this because of their tremendous faith and their patience in their troubles.

And I will come unto you, and if there be any among you that has a desire for freedom, yea, if there be even a spark of freedom remaining, behold I will stir up insurrections among you, even until those who have desires to usurp power and authority shall become extinct.

And I will come to you. If there is anyone among you who wants freedom, if there is even a spark of freedom left, I will stir up rebellions among you, until those who want to seize power and authority no longer exist.

Yea, behold I do not fear your power nor your authority, but it is my God whom I fear; and it is according to his commandments that I do take my sword to defend the cause of my country, and it is because of your iniquity that we have suffered so much loss.

I do not fear your power or your authority. It is my God I fear. It is by his commandments that I take up my sword to defend the cause of my country, and it is because of your wickedness that we have suffered so much loss.

Behold it is time, yea, the time is now at hand, that except ye do bestir yourselves in the defence of your country and your little ones, the sword of justice doth hang over you; yea, and it shall fall upon you and visit you even to your utter destruction.

The time has come, it is now at hand: unless you rouse yourselves in the defense of your country and your little ones, the sword of justice hangs over you, and it will fall on you and come down on you, to your utter destruction.

Behold, I wait for assistance from you; and, except ye do administer unto our relief, behold, I come unto you, even in the land of Zarahemla, and smite you with the sword, insomuch that ye can have no more power to impede the progress of this people in the cause of our freedom.

I am waiting for help from you. And unless you come to our relief, I will come to you, into the land of Zarahemla itself, and strike you down with the sword, so that you can have no more power to block the progress of this people in the cause of our freedom.

For behold, the Lord will not suffer that ye shall live and wax strong in your iniquities to destroy his righteous people.

For the Lord will not allow you to live and grow strong in your wickedness in order to destroy his righteous people.

Behold, can you suppose that the Lord will spare you and come out in judgment against the Lamanites, when it is the tradition of their fathers that has caused their hatred, yea, and it has been redoubled by those who have dissented from us, while your iniquity is for the cause of your love of glory and the vain things of the world?

Can you think that the Lord will spare you and come out in judgment against the Lamanites, when it is the tradition of their fathers that has caused their hatred, doubled again by those who have deserted us, while your own wickedness comes from your love of glory and the empty things of the world?

Ye know that ye do transgress the laws of God, and ye do know that ye do trample them under your feet. Behold, the Lord saith unto me: If those whom ye have appointed your governors do not repent of their sins and iniquities, ye shall go up to battle against them.

You know that you break the laws of God, and you know that you trample them under your feet. The Lord has said to me, "If those you have appointed as your governors do not repent of their sins and their wickedness, you shall go up to battle against them."

And now behold, I, Moroni, am constrained, according to the covenant which I have made to keep the commandments of my God; therefore I would that ye should adhere to the word of God, and send speedily unto me of your provisions and of your men, and also to Helaman.

And now I, Moroni, am bound by the covenant I have made to keep the commandments of my God. So I want you to hold to the word of God, and send your supplies and your men to me quickly, and to Helaman as well.

And behold, if ye will not do this I come unto you speedily; for behold, God will not suffer that we should perish with hunger; therefore he will give unto us of your food, even if it must be by the sword. Now see that ye fulfil the word of God.

And if you will not do this, I am coming to you quickly. God will not allow us to starve to death, so he will give us your food, even if it must be by the sword. Now see that you fulfill the word of God.

Behold, I am Moroni, your chief captain. I seek not for power, but to pull it down. I seek not for honor of the world, but for the glory of my God, and the freedom and welfare of my country. And thus I close mine epistle.

I am Moroni, your chief captain. I do not seek power, but to pull it down. I do not seek the honor of the world, but the glory of my God, and the freedom and welfare of my country. And so I close my letter.