MormonChapter6

And now I finish my record concerning the destruction of my people, the Nephites. And it came to pass that we did march forth before the Lamanites.

Now I finish my record of the destruction of my people, the Nephites. We marched out ahead of the Lamanites.

And I, Mormon, wrote an epistle unto the king of the Lamanites, and desired of him that he would grant unto us that we might gather together our people unto the land of Cumorah, by a hill which was called Cumorah, and there we could give them battle.

And I, Mormon, wrote a letter to the king of the Lamanites, asking him to let us gather our people to the land of Cumorah, by a hill called Cumorah, and there we could give them battle.

And it came to pass that the king of the Lamanites did grant unto me the thing which I desired.

And the king of the Lamanites granted me what I had asked.

And it came to pass that we did march forth to the land of Cumorah, and we did pitch our tents around about the hill Cumorah; and it was in a land of many waters, rivers, and fountains; and here we had hope to gain advantage over the Lamanites.

So we marched to the land of Cumorah, and we pitched our tents around the hill Cumorah. It was a land of many bodies of water, rivers, and springs, and here we hoped to gain an advantage over the Lamanites.

And when three hundred and eighty and four years had passed away, we had gathered in all the remainder of our people unto the land of Cumorah.

When three hundred and eighty-four years had passed, we had gathered all who were left of our people into the land of Cumorah.

And it came to pass that when we had gathered in all our people in one to the land of Cumorah, behold I, Mormon, began to be old; and knowing it to be the last struggle of my people, and having been commanded of the Lord that I should not suffer the records which had been handed down by our fathers, which were sacred, to fall into the hands of the Lamanites, (for the Lamanites would destroy them) therefore I made this record out of the plates of Nephi, and hid up in the hill Cumorah all the records which had been entrusted to me by the hand of the Lord, save it were these few plates which I gave unto my son Moroni.

And when we had gathered all our people together into one place in the land of Cumorah, I, Mormon, was growing old. I knew this was the last struggle of my people. The Lord had commanded me not to let the records handed down by our fathers, which were sacred, fall into the hands of the Lamanites, because the Lamanites would destroy them. So I made this record out of the plates of Nephi, and I hid in the hill Cumorah all the records that had been entrusted to me by the hand of the Lord, except these few plates, which I gave to my son Moroni.

And it came to pass that my people, with their wives and their children, did now behold the armies of the Lamanites marching towards them; and with that awful fear of death which fills the breasts of all the wicked, did they await to receive them.

And now my people, with their wives and their children, saw the armies of the Lamanites marching toward them. And with that awful fear of death that fills the hearts of all the wicked, they waited to receive them.

And it came to pass that they came to battle against us, and every soul was filled with terror because of the greatness of their numbers.

They came against us in battle, and every soul was filled with terror because there were so many of them.

And it came to pass that they did fall upon my people with the sword, and with the bow, and with the arrow, and with the ax, and with all manner of weapons of war.

They fell on my people with the sword, and with the bow, and with the arrow, and with the ax, and with every kind of weapon of war.

And it came to pass that my men were hewn down, yea, even my ten thousand who were with me, and I fell wounded in the midst; and they passed by me that they did not put an end to my life.

My men were cut down, even my ten thousand who were with me, and I fell wounded in the middle of them. But they passed by me and did not put an end to my life.

And when they had gone through and hewn down all my people save it were twenty and four of us, (among whom was my son Moroni) and we having survived the dead of our people, did behold on the morrow, when the Lamanites had returned unto their camps, from the top of the hill Cumorah, the ten thousand of my people who were hewn down, being led in the front by me.

They went through and cut down all my people except twenty-four of us (my son Moroni among them). And the next day, when the Lamanites had returned to their camps, we who had survived the dead of our people looked down from the top of the hill Cumorah, and we saw the ten thousand of my people who had been cut down, the ones I had led at their front.

And we also beheld the ten thousand of my people who were led by my son Moroni.

And we also saw the ten thousand of my people who were led by my son Moroni.

And behold, the ten thousand of Gidgiddonah had fallen, and he also in the midst.

And the ten thousand of Gidgiddonah had fallen, and he too, in the middle of them.

And Lamah had fallen with his ten thousand; and Gilgal had fallen with his ten thousand; and Limhah had fallen with his ten thousand; and Jeneum had fallen with his ten thousand; and Cumenihah, and Moronihah, and Antionum, and Shiblom, and Shem, and Josh, had fallen with their ten thousand each.

And Lamah had fallen with his ten thousand; and Gilgal had fallen with his ten thousand; and Limhah had fallen with his ten thousand; and Jeneum had fallen with his ten thousand; and Cumenihah, and Moronihah, and Antionum, and Shiblom, and Shem, and Josh had fallen with their ten thousand each.

And it came to pass that there were ten more who did fall by the sword, with their ten thousand each; yea, even all my people, save it were those twenty and four who were with me, and also a few who had escaped into the south countries, and a few who had deserted over unto the Lamanites, had fallen; and their flesh, and bones, and blood lay upon the face of the earth, being left by the hands of those who slew them to molder upon the land, and to crumble and to return to their mother earth.

And there were ten more who fell by the sword, with their ten thousand each. All my people had fallen, except those twenty-four who were with me, and a few who had escaped into the southern countries, and a few who had deserted over to the Lamanites. And their flesh and bones and blood lay on the face of the earth, left there by the hands of those who killed them, to molder on the land, and to crumble, and to return to their mother earth.

And my soul was rent with anguish, because of the slain of my people, and I cried:

And my soul was rent with anguish because of the slain of my people, and I cried out:

O ye fair ones, how could ye have departed from the ways of the Lord! O ye fair ones, how could ye have rejected that Jesus, who stood with open arms to receive you!

O you fair ones, how could you have departed from the ways of the Lord! O you fair ones, how could you have rejected that Jesus, who stood with open arms to receive you!

Behold, if ye had not done this, ye would not have fallen. But behold, ye are fallen, and I mourn your loss.

If you had not done this, you would not have fallen. But you have fallen, and I mourn your loss.

O ye fair sons and daughters, ye fathers and mothers, ye husbands and wives, ye fair ones, how is it that ye could have fallen!

O you fair sons and daughters, you fathers and mothers, you husbands and wives, you fair ones, how is it that you could have fallen!

But behold, ye are gone, and my sorrows cannot bring your return.

But you are gone, and my sorrows cannot bring your return.

And the day soon cometh that your mortal must put on immortality, and these bodies which are now moldering in corruption must soon become incorruptible bodies; and then ye must stand before the judgment-seat of Christ to be judged according to your works and if it so be that ye are righteous, then are ye blessed with your fathers who have gone before you.

And the day is soon coming when your mortal body must put on immortality, and these bodies that are now moldering in corruption must soon become incorruptible bodies. And then you must stand before the judgment seat of Christ to be judged according to your works; and if you are righteous, then you are blessed with your fathers who have gone before you.

O that ye had repented before this great destruction had come upon you. But behold, ye are gone, and the Father, yea, the Eternal Father of heaven, knoweth your state; and he doeth with you according to his justice and mercy.

O that you had repented before this great destruction came upon you! But you are gone, and the Father, the Eternal Father of heaven, knows your state; and he deals with you according to his justice and mercy.