In mine ears saith the Lord of Hosts, Of a truth many houses shall be desolate, and great and fair cities without inhabitant.
And it came to pass that in the latter end of the eighteenth year, those armies of robbers had prepared for battle, and began to come down, and to sally forth from the hills, and out of the mountains, and the wilderness, and their strong holds, and their secret places, and began to take possession of the lands, both which was in the land south and which was in the land north, and began to take possession of all the lands which had been deserted by the Nephites and the cities which had been left desolate. ... And the robbers could not exist save it were in the wilderness, for the want of food; for the Nephites had left their lands desolate and had gathered their flocks, and their herds, and all their substance, and they were in one body.
And the city of Zarahemla did take fire; and the city of Moroni did sink into the depths of the sea and the inhabitants thereof were drowned. ... And the earth was carried up upon the city of Moronihah, that in the place of the city thereof, there became a great mountain. ... And many great and notable cities were sunk, and many were burned, and many were shook till the buildings thereof had fallen to the earth and the inhabitants thereof were slain, and the places were left desolate. ... And there were some cities which remained, but the damage thereof was exceeding great, and there were many in them who were slain.
And it came to pass that there came a voice again unto the people, and all the people did hear and did witness of it, saying, O ye people of these great cities which have fallen, who are descendants of Jacob, yea, who are of the house of Israel, O ye people of the house of Israel, how oft have I gathered you as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and have nourished you! ... But if not, O house of Israel, the places of your dwellings shall become desolate until the time of the fulfilling of the covenant to your fathers.
And he said, Until the cities be wasted without inhabitant, and the houses without man, and the land be utterly desolate, and the Lord have removed men far away; for there shall be a great forsaking in the midst of the land.
And then shall that which is written come to pass: Sing, O barren, thou that didst not bear; break forth into singing and cry aloud, thou that didst not travail with child; for more are the children of the desolate than the children of the married wife, saith the Lord. ... Enlarge the place of thy tent and let them stretch forth the curtains of thy habitations; spare not, lengthen thy cords and strengthen thy stakes, for thou shalt break forth on the right hand and on the left, and thy seed shall inherit the gentiles and make the desolate cities to be inhabited.
And many highways shall be broken up, and many cities shall become desolate, and many graves shall be opened and shall yield up many of their dead, and many saints shall appear unto many.
And thus ended the eleventh year of the judges, the Lamanites having been driven out of the land, and the people of Ammonihah were destroyed — yea, every living soul of the Ammonihahites were destroyed, and also their great city, which they said God could not destroy because of its greatness. ... But behold, in one day it was left desolate, and their carcasses were mangled by dogs and by wild beasts of the wilderness. ... And it was called the Desolation of Nehors, for they were of the profession of Nehor who were slain; and their lands remained desolate.
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