Mormon Leads Nephite Armies

Event 182

Reference: Morm. 2:1-29

AND it came to pass in that same year there began to be awar again between the Nephites and the Lamanites. Andnotwithstanding I being young, was large in stature;therefore the people of Nephi appointed me that I should betheir leader, or the leader of their armies.MormonLand ofZarahemlaA.D. 3252 Therefore it came to pass that in my sixteenth year I didgo forth at the head of an army of the Nephites, against theLamanites; therefore three hundred and twenty and sixyears had passed away.A.D. 3263 And it came to pass that in the three hundred and twentyand seventh year the Lamanites did come upon us withexceedingly great power, insomuch that they did frightenmy armies; therefore they would not fight, and they beganto retreat towards the north countries.Between land ofZarahemla andland of DesolationA.D. 327 to 3304 And it came to pass that we did come to the city ofAngola, and we did take possession of the city, and makepreparations to defend ourselves against the Lamanites. Andit came to pass that we did fortify the city with our might;but notwithstanding all our fortifications the Lamanites didcome upon us and did drive us out of the city.City of Angola5 And they did also drive us forth out of the land of David.Land of David6 And we marched forth and came to the land of Joshua,which was in the borders west by the seashore.Land of Joshuanear borders ofwest sea7 And it came to pass that we did gather in our people asfast as it were possible, that we might get them together inone body. 8 But behold, the land was filled with robbers andwith Lamanites; and notwithstanding the great destructionwhich hung over my people, they did not repent of their evildoings; therefore there was blood and carnage spreadthroughout all the face of the land, both on the part of theNephites and also on the part of the Lamanites; and it wasone complete revolution throughout all the face of the land.9 And now, the Lamanites had a king, and his name wasAaron; and he came against us with an army of forty andfour thousand. And behold, I withstood him with forty andtwo thousand. And it came to pass that I beat him with my army that hefled before me. And behold, all this was done, and threehundred and thirty years had passed away.MormonLand of Joshuanear borders ofwest seaA.D. 331 to 34410 And it came to pass that the Nephites began to repent oftheir iniquity, and began to cry even as had been prophesiedby Samuel the prophet; for behold no man could keep thatwhich was his own, for the thieves, and the robbers, and themurderers, and the magic art, and the witchcraft which wasin the land. 11 Thus there began to be a mourning and alamentation in all the land because of these things, andmore especially among the people of Nephi.12 And it came to pass that when I, Mormon, saw theirlamentation and their mourning and their sorrow before theLord, my heart did begin to rejoice within me, knowing themercies and the long-suffering of the Lord, thereforesupposing that he would be merciful unto them that theywould again become a righteous people. 13 But behold thismy joy was vain, for their sorrowing was not untorepentance, because of the goodness of God; but it wasrather the sorrowing of the damned, because the Lordwould not always suffer them to take happiness in sin. 14And they did not come unto Jesus with broken hearts andcontrite spirits, but they did curse God, and wish to die.Nevertheless they would struggle with the sword for theirlives.15 And it came to pass that my sorrow did return unto meagain, and I saw that the day of grace was passed withthem, both temporally and spiritually; for I saw thousandsof them hewn down in open rebellion against their God, andheaped up as dung upon the face of the land. And thus threehundred and forty and four years had passed away.16 And it came to pass that in the three hundred and fortyand fifth year the Nephites did begin to flee before theLamanites; and they were pursued until they came even tothe land of Jashon, before it was possible to stop them intheir retreat.Land of JashonA.D. 34517 And now, the city of Jashon was near the land whereAmmaron had deposited the records unto the Lord, thatthey might not be destroyed. And behold I had goneaccording to the word of Ammaron, and taken the plates ofNephi, and did make a record according to the words ofAmmaron.Hill Shim in landnorthward 18 And upon the plates of Nephi I did make a full account ofall the wickedness and abominations; but upon these platesI did forbear to make a full account of their wickedness andabominations, for behold, a continual scene of wickednessand abominations has been before mine eyes ever since Ihave been sufficient to behold the ways of man. 19 And wois me because of their wickedness; for my heart has beenfilled with sorrow because of their wickedness, all my days;nevertheless, I know that I shall be lifted up at the last day.MormonHill Shim in landnorthwardA.D. 34520 And it came to pass that in this year the people of Nephiagain were hunted and driven.Land of ShemAnd it came to pass that we were driven forth until we hadcome northward to the land which was called Shem.21 And it came to pass that we did fortify the city of Shem,and we did gather in our people as much as it were possible,that perhaps we might save them from destruction.City of Shem22 And it came to pass in the three hundred and forty andsixth year they began to come upon us again.A.D. 346 to 34923 And it came to pass that I did speak unto my people, anddid urge them with great energy, that they would standboldly before the Lamanites and fight for their wives, andtheir children, and their houses, and their homes. 24 And mywords did arouse them somewhat to vigor, insomuch thatthey did not flee from before the Lamanites, but did standwith boldness against them.25 And it came to pass that we did contend with an army ofthirty thousand against an army of fifty thousand.And it came to pass that we did stand before them with suchfirmness that they did flee from before us.26 And it came to pass that when they had fled we didpursue them with our armies, and did meet them again, anddid beat them; nevertheless the strength of the Lord was notwith us; yea, we were left to ourselves, that the Spirit of theLord did not abide in us; therefore we had become weaklike unto our brethren.27 And my heart did sorrow because of this the greatcalamity of my people, because of their wickedness andtheir abominations. But behold, we did go forth against theLand northward Lamanites and the robbers of Gadianton, until we had againtaken possession of the lands of our inheritance. 28 And thethree hundred and forty and ninth year had passed away.MormonLand northwardA.D. 346 to 349And in the three hundred and fiftieth year we made a treatywith the Lamanites and the robbers of Gadianton, in whichwe did get the lands of our inheritance divided. 29 And theLamanites did give unto us the land northward, yea, even tothe narrow passage which led into the land southward. Andwe did give unto the Lamanites all the land southward.A.D. 350