Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Mormon's early years...(compare Mormon, chapter 1) And now I, Mormon, make a record of what I have both seen and heard, and I call it the book of Mormon. (Mormon chapters 1-7)
Note: Mormon wrote chapters 1-7 before he was killed, and his son Moroni wrote chapters 8 and 9.
When I was about 10 years old, I had already begun to learn the ways of my people. At that time, Ammaron came to me and said,
"I've noticed that you're a serious-minded child, quick to observe and learn. So remember what you now observe among this people.
When you're about 24 years old, go to Shim Hill in the land of Antum. In that hill, I have deposited all the Nephite records unto the Lord. Only take Nephi's plates and leave the rest alone. Then engrave everything you have observed about this people onto those plates."
I remembered what Ammaron told me to do. I, Mormon, am a descendant of Nephi. My father's name was also Mormon. When I was 11 years old, my father took me south to Zarahemla. The whole land had become covered with buildings, and the people were almost as numerous as the sands of the sea.
A war broke out between the Nephites (which included Jacobites, Josephites and Zoramites) and the Lamanites (which included Lemuelites and Ishmaelites). The war was fought near the Sidon waters in the land of Zarahemla.
The Nephite army, with more than 30,000 men, beat the Lamanites in many battles that year, killing many of them.
After the Lamanites retreated, there was peace for about four years.
So much wickedness prevailed throughout the whole land that the Lord took away His beloved disciples, along with their healing and miracles. From then on, there were no gifts from the Lord, for the Holy Ghost did not come upon anyone because of wickedness and unbelief.
When I was 15, because I was a serious young man, the Lord visited me, and I tasted and knew of Jesus' goodness. But when I attempted to preach to my people, my mouth was shut. I was forbidden to preach because my people had willfully rebelled against their God. I stayed among them but said nothing about God because their hearts were so hard.
The land was also cursed because of the hardened hearts. The Gadianton robbers among the Lamanites infested the land so much that the Nephites buried their treasure to keep it from being stolen. Yet their treasure became elusive, for the Lord's curse was upon the land, and the Nephites could not find their buried treasures.
Note: 316 years before it happened, Samuel had prophesied: "And it shall come to pass, saith the Lord of Hosts, yea, our great and true God, that whoso shall hide up treasures in the earth shall find them again no more, because of the great curse of the land, save he be a righteous man and shall hide it up unto the Lord." -- Helaman 13:18.
There was also sorcery, witchcraft and magic, for the power of the evil one was over the entire land. This condition fulfilled all of Abinadi's and Samuel's words.
At age 16, Mormon leads army... (compare Mormon, chapter 2)
Another war broke out between the Nephites and the Lamanites in 325 AD.
Though young, I was strong, so the Nephites appointed me to lead their armies. In the year 326 AD, at age 16, I led the Nephite army against the Lamanites.
In 327 AD the Lamanites came upon us with such great power that they frightened my army, and we retreated to the north. We came to the city of Angola, took possession of it, and prepared to defend ourselves against the Lamanites. We fortified the city with all our strength, but the Lamanites still drove us out.
They also drove us out of the land of David, and we marched to the land of Joshua, near the western seashore. We gathered our people as quickly as possible into one body. But the land was filled with robbers and Lamanites. In spite of the great destruction that hung over my people, they would not repent of their evil doings.
Blood and carnage spread through all the land, among the Nephites and Lamanites. All people were in a constant cycle of warfare.
The Lamanite king, Aaron, came against us with an army of 44,000. I withstood him with my army of 42,000, and their army ran before us. This three-year war ended in 330 AD.
At this time the Nephites began to repent and cry out, as Samuel prophesied they would. No one could keep his own property because of the thieves, robbers, murderers, magic arts and witchcraft in the land. This caused great mourning and lamentation all over the land, especially among the Nephites.