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Annotations |
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Chapter 6
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1 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.
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2 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.
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3 And it came to pass that the king of the Lamanites did
grant unto me the thing which I desired.
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4 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.
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5 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.
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6 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.
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7 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.
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8 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.
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9 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.
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The only pre-Columbian weapon I can find that was similar
to a sword was the macuahuitl which was made with a plank of wood similar in
shape to a cricket bat with obsidian blades mounted on the edges. It is
similar enough to a sword that it is often referred to as the Aztec sword.
However, the macuahuitl does not seem to fit the Book of
Mormon time frame. “Some groups of Central Mexico, principally in the
transition between the Early and the Late Post-Classic, probably
developed this weapon” (emphasis added, Dr. Marco Antonio Cervera Obregón, “The
macuahuitl: an innovative weapon of the Late Post-Classic in Mesoamerica”,
Arms & Armour, Vol.3, Nov. 2, 2006, p. 146, article from a research journal).
The Post-Classic period is between 900 CE and the Spanish conquest.
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10 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.
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Mormon 6:10-15
I count 23 with their 10,000 that were killed in this
horrific battle. In one place, 230,000 are killed on one side, perhaps 10s of
thousands of Lamanites could be presumed killed in this battle too. Yet there
is no evidence whatsoever of this battle at the hill Cumorah or anywhere else
in the Americas.
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11 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.
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Annotation for Mormon 6:10-15 above
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12 And we also beheld the ten thousand of my people who
were led by my son Moroni.
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Annotation for Mormon 6:10-15 above
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13 And behold, the ten thousand of Gidgiddonah had
fallen, and he also in the midst.
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Annotation for Mormon 6:10-15 above
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14 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.
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Annotation for Mormon 6:10-15 above
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15 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.
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Annotation for Mormon 6:10-15 above
Also, the only pre-Columbian weapon I can find that was
similar to a sword was the macuahuitl which was made with a plank of wood
similar in shape to a cricket bat with obsidian blades mounted on the edges.
It is similar enough to a sword that it is often referred to as the Aztec
sword.
However, the macuahuitl does not seem to fit the Book of
Mormon time frame. “Some groups of Central Mexico, principally in the
transition between the Early and the Late Post-Classic, probably
developed this weapon” (emphasis added, Dr. Marco Antonio Cervera Obregón, “The
macuahuitl: an innovative weapon of the Late Post-Classic in Mesoamerica”,
Arms & Armour, Vol.3, Nov. 2, 2006, p. 146, article from a research journal).
The Post-Classic period is between 900 CE and the Spanish conquest.
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16 And my soul was rent with anguish, because of the slain
of my people, and I cried:
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17 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!
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18 Behold, if ye had not done this, ye would not have
fallen. But behold, ye are fallen, and I mourn your loss.
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19 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!
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20 But behold, ye are gone, and my sorrows cannot bring
your return.
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21 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.
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22 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.
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