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Annotations |
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Chapter 3
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1 And it came to pass that the Lamanites did not come to
battle again until ten years more had passed away. And behold, I had employed
my people, the Nephites, in preparing their lands and their arms against the
time of battle.
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2 And it came to pass that the Lord did say unto me: Cry unto
this people—Repent ye, and come unto me, and be ye baptized, and build up
again my church, and ye shall be spared.
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3 And I did cry unto this people, but it was in vain; and
they did not realize that it was the Lord that had spared them, and granted unto
them a chance for repentance. And behold they did harden their hearts against
the Lord their God.
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4 And it came to pass that after this tenth year had
passed away, making, in the whole, three hundred and sixty years from the
coming of Christ, the king of the Lamanites sent an epistle unto me, which
gave unto me to know that they were preparing to come again to battle against
us.
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I’m not a history or warfare expert, but how often does an
enemy give fair warning that they are about to attack? Doesn’t that give the
recipient of the warning time to prepare? I get the idea of a head game, but
does it outweigh the element of surprise?
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5 And it came to pass that I did cause my people that they
should gather themselves together at the land Desolation, to a city which was
in the borders, by the narrow pass which led into the land southward.
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6 And there we did place our armies, that we might stop
the armies of the Lamanites, that they might not get possession of any of our
lands; therefore we did fortify against them with all our force.
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7 And it came to pass that in the three hundred and sixty
and first year the Lamanites did come down to the city of Desolation to
battle against us; and it came to pass that in that year we did beat them,
insomuch that they did return to their own lands again.
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8 And in the three hundred and sixty and second year they
did come down again to battle. And we did beat them again, and did slay a
great number of them, and their dead were cast into the sea.
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9 And now, because of this great thing which my people,
the Nephites, had done, they began to boast in their own strength, and began
to swear before the heavens that they would avenge themselves of the blood of
their brethren who had been slain by their enemies.
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10 And they did swear by the heavens, and also by the
throne of God, that they would go up to battle against their enemies, and
would cut them off from the face of the land.
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11 And it came to pass that I, Mormon, did utterly refuse
from this time forth to be a commander and a leader of this people, because
of their wickedness and abomination.
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12 Behold, I had led them, notwithstanding their
wickedness I had led them many times to battle, and had loved them, according
to the love of God which was in me, with all my heart; and my soul had been
poured out in prayer unto my God all the day long for them; nevertheless, it
was without faith, because of the hardness of their hearts.
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13 And thrice have I delivered them out of the hands of
their enemies, and they have repented not of their sins.
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14 And when they had sworn by all that had been forbidden
them by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, that they would go up unto their
enemies to battle, and avenge themselves of the blood of their brethren,
behold the voice of the Lord came unto me, saying:
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15 Vengeance is mine, and I will repay; and because this
people repented not after I had delivered them, behold, they shall be cut off
from the face of the earth.
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16 And it came to pass that I utterly refused to go up against
mine enemies; and I did even as the Lord had commanded me; and I did stand as
an idle witness to manifest unto the world the things which I saw and heard,
according to the manifestations of the Spirit which had testified of things
to come.
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17 Therefore I write unto you, Gentiles, and also unto
you, house of Israel, when the work shall commence, that ye shall be about to
prepare to return to the land of your inheritance;
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18 Yea, behold, I write unto all the ends of the earth;
yea, unto you, twelve tribes of Israel, who shall be judged according to your
works by the twelve whom Jesus chose to be his disciples in the land of
Jerusalem.
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19 And I write also unto the remnant of this people, who
shall also be judged by the twelve whom Jesus chose in this land; and they
shall be judged by the other twelve whom Jesus chose in the land of
Jerusalem.
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20 And these things doth the Spirit manifest unto me;
therefore I write unto you all. And for this cause I write unto you, that ye
may know that ye must all stand before the judgment-seat of Christ, yea,
every soul who belongs to the whole human family of Adam; and ye must stand
to be judged of your works, whether they be good or evil;
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21 And also that ye may believe the gospel of Jesus
Christ, which ye shall have among you; and also that the Jews, the covenant
people of the Lord, shall have other witness besides him whom they saw and
heard, that Jesus, whom they slew, was the very Christ and the very God.
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22 And I would that I could persuade all ye ends of the
earth to repent and prepare to stand before the judgment-seat of Christ.
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