The Book of Mormon Part 47

Mosiah 21:6 6 And it came to pa.s.s that the people began to murmur with the king because of their afflictions; and they began to be desirous to go against them to battle. And they did afflict the king sorely with their complaints; therefore he granted unto them that they should do according to their desires.

Mosiah 21:7 7 And they gathered themselves together again, and put on their armor, and went forth against the Lamanites to drive them out of their land.

Mosiah 21:8 8 And it came to pa.s.s that the Lamanites did beat them, and drove them back, and slew many of them.

Mosiah 21:9 9 And now there was a great mourning and lamentation among the people of Limhi, the widow mourning for her husband, the son and the daughter mourning for their father, and the brothers for their brethren.

Mosiah 21:10 10 Now there were a great many widows in the land, and they did cry mightily from day to day, for a great fear of the Lamanites had come upon them.

Mosiah 21:11 11 And it came to pa.s.s that their continual cries did stir up the remainder of the people of Limhi to anger against the Lamanites; and they went again to battle, but they were driven back again, suffering much loss.

Mosiah 21:12 12 Yea, they went again even the third time, and suffered in the like manner; and those that were not slain returned again to the city of Nephi.

Mosiah 21:13 13 And they did humble themselves even to the dust, subjecting themselves to the yoke of bondage, submitting themselves to be smitten, and to be driven to and fro, and burdened, according to the desires of their enemies.

Mosiah 21:14 14 And they did humble themselves even in the depths of humility; and they did cry mightily to G.o.d; yea, even all the day long did they cry unto their G.o.d that he would deliver them out of their afflictions.

Mosiah 21:15 15 And now the Lord was slow to hear their cry because of their iniquities; nevertheless the Lord did hear their cries, and began to soften the hearts of the Lamanites that they began to ease their burdens; yet the Lord did not see fit to deliver them out of bondage.

Mosiah 21:16 16 And it came to pa.s.s that they began to prosper by degrees in the land, and began to raise grain more abundantly, and flocks, and herds, that they did not suffer with hunger.

Mosiah 21:17 17 Now there was a great number of women, more than there was of men; therefore king Limhi commanded that every man should impart to the support of the widows and their children, that they might not perish with hunger; and this they did because of the greatness of their number that had been slain.

Mosiah 21:18 18 Now the people of Limhi kept together in a body as much as it was possible, and secured their grain and their flocks;

Mosiah 21:19 19 And the king himself did not trust his person without the walls of the city, unless he took his guards with him, fearing that he might by some means fall into the hands of the Lamanites.

Mosiah 21:20 20 And he caused that his people should watch the land round about, that by some means they might take those priests that fled into the wilderness, who had stolen the daughters of the Lamanites, and that had caused such a great destruction to come upon them.

Mosiah 21:21 21 For they were desirous to take them that they might punish them; for they had come into the land of Nephi by night, and carried off their grain and many of their precious things; therefore they laid wait for them.

Mosiah 21:22 22 And it came to pa.s.s that there was no more disturbance between the Lamanites and the people of Limhi, even until the time that Ammon and his brethren came into the land.

Mosiah 21:23 23 And the king having been without the gates of the city with his guard, discovered Ammon and his brethren; and supposing them to be priests of Noah therefore he caused that they should be taken, and bound, and cast into prison. And had they been the priests of Noah he would have caused that they should be put to death.

Mosiah 21:24 24 But when he found that they were not, but that they were his brethren, and had come from the land of Zarahemla, he was filled with exceedingly great joy.

Mosiah 21:25 25 Now king Limhi had sent, previous to the coming of Ammon, a small number of men to search for the land of Zarahemla; but they could not find it, and they were lost in the wilderness.

Mosiah 21:26 26 Nevertheless, they did find a land which had been peopled; yea, a land which was covered with dry bones; yea, a land which had been peopled and which had been destroyed; and they, having supposed it to be the land of Zarahemla, returned to the land of Nephi, having arrived in the borders of the land not many days before the coming of Ammon.

Mosiah 21:27 27 And they brought a record with them, even a record of the people whose bones they had found; and it was engraven on plates of ore.

Mosiah 21:28 28 And now Limhi was again filled with joy in learning from the mouth of Ammon that king Mosiah had a gift from G.o.d, whereby he could interpret such engravings; yea, and Ammon also did rejoice.

Mosiah 21:29 29 Yet Ammon and his brethren were filled with sorrow because so many of their brethren had been slain;

Mosiah 21:30 30 And also that king Noah and his priests had caused the people to commit so many sins and iniquities against G.o.d; and they also did mourn for the death of Abinadi; and also for the departure of Alma and the people that went with him, who had formed a church of G.o.d through the strength and power of G.o.d, and faith on the words which had been spoken by Abinadi.

Mosiah 21:31 31 Yea, they did mourn for their departure, for they knew not whither they had fled. Now they would have gladly joined with them, for they themselves had entered into a covenant with G.o.d to serve him and keep his commandments.

Mosiah 21:32 32 And now since the coming of Ammon, king Limhi had also entered into a covenant with G.o.d, and also many of his people, to serve him and keep his commandments.

Mosiah 21:33 33 And it came to pa.s.s that king Limhi and many of his people were desirous to be baptized; but there was none in the land that had authority from G.o.d. And Ammon declined doing this thing, considering himself an unworthy servant.

Mosiah 21:34 34 Therefore they did not at that time form themselves into a church, waiting upon the Spirit of the Lord. Now they were desirous to become even as Alma and his brethren, who had fled into the wilderness.

Mosiah 21:35 35 They were desirous to be baptized as a witness and a testimony that they were willing to serve G.o.d with all their hearts; nevertheless they did prolong the time; and an account of their baptism shall be given hereafter.

Mosiah 21:36 36 And now all the study of Ammon and his people, and king Limhi and his people, was to deliver themselves out of the hands of the Lamanites and from bondage.

Mosiah 22 Chapter 22

Mosiah 22:1 1 And now it came to pa.s.s that Ammon and king Limhi began to consult with the people how they should deliver themselves out of bondage; and even they did cause that all the people should gather themselves together; and this they did that they might have the voice of the people concerning the matter.

Mosiah 22:2 2 And it came to pa.s.s that they could find no way to deliver themselves out of bondage, except it were to take their women and children, and their flocks, and their herds, and their tents, and depart into the wilderness; for the Lamanites being so numerous, it was impossible for the people of Limhi to contend with them, thinking to deliver themselves out of bondage by the sword.

Mosiah 22:3 3 Now it came to pa.s.s that Gideon went forth and stood before the king, and said unto him: Now O king, thou hast hitherto hearkened unto my words many times when we have been contending with our brethren, the Lamanites.

Mosiah 22:4 4 And now O king, if thou hast not found me to be an unprofitable servant, or if thou hast hitherto listened to my words in any degree, and they have been of service to thee, even so I desire that thou wouldst listen to my words at this time, and I will be thy servant and deliver this people out of bondage.

Mosiah 22:5 5 And the king granted unto him that he might speak. And Gideon said unto him:

Mosiah 22:6 6 Behold the back pa.s.s, through the back wall, on the back side of the city. The Lamanites, or the guards of the Lamanites, by night are drunken; therefore let us send a proclamation among all this people that they gather together their flocks and herds, that they may drive them into the wilderness by night.

Mosiah 22:7 7 And I will go according to thy command and pay the last tribute of wine to the Lamanites, and they will be drunken; and we will pa.s.s through the secret pa.s.s on the left of their camp when they are drunken and asleep.

Mosiah 22:8 8 Thus we will depart with our women and our children, our flocks, and our herds into the wilderness; and we will travel around the land of s.h.i.+lom.

Mosiah 22:9 9 And it came to pa.s.s that the king hearkened unto the words of Gideon.

Mosiah 22:10 10 And king Limhi caused that his people should gather their flocks together; and he sent the tribute of wine to the Lamanites; and he also sent more wine, as a present unto them; and they did drink freely of the wine which king Limhi did send unto them.

Mosiah 22:11 11 And it came to pa.s.s that the people of king Limhi did depart by night into the wilderness with their flocks and their herds, and they went round about the land of s.h.i.+lom in the wilderness, and bent their course towards the land of Zarahemla, being led by Ammon and his brethren.

Mosiah 22:12 12 And they had taken all their gold, and silver, and their precious things, which they could carry, and also their provisions with them, into the wilderness; and they pursued their journey.

Mosiah 22:13 13 And after being many days in the wilderness they arrived in the land of Zarahemla, and joined Mosiah's people, and became his subjects.

Mosiah 22:14 14 And it came to pa.s.s that Mosiah received them with joy; and he also received their records, and also the records which had been found by the people of Limhi.

Mosiah 22:15 15 And now it came to pa.s.s when the Lamanites had found that the people of Limhi had departed out of the land by night, that they sent an army into the wilderness to pursue them;

Mosiah 22:16 16 And after they had pursued them two days, they could no longer follow their tracks; therefore they were lost in the wilderness.

Mosiah 23 Chapter 23

Mosiah 23:1 1 Now Alma, having been warned of the Lord that the armies of king Noah would come upon them, and having made it known to his people, therefore they gathered together their flocks, and took of their grain, and departed into the wilderness before the armies of king Noah.