- 59Now in the 30th year of the judges’ rule over the Nephites, after Moroni received and read Helaman’s letter, he rejoiced over Helaman’s success in regaining the lands that had been lost. 2He let all his people know throughout the surrounding area so they could also celebrate.
- 3Then he immediately sent a letter to Parhoron, asking him to send men to reinforce Helaman, or Helaman’s armies, so he could better protect that part of the land he had so miraculously regained. 4After Moroni sent this letter to Zarahemla, he started to plan how to regain control of the rest of the lands and cities the Lamanites had taken.
- 5While Moroni was preparing his plan to battle the Lamanites, the people of Nephihah, who had gathered from the cities of Moroni, Lehi, and Morionton, were attacked by the Lamanites. 6Everyone who had fled from Manti and the surrounding area had joined with the Lamanites. 7There were many of them, and were reinforced daily by Ammoron’s command, so they attacked the people of Nephihah; and they began to kill them with a massive slaughter. 8Their armies had so many fighters that the rest of the people of Nephihah had to flee from them, and they came over and joined Moroni’s army. 9Now since Moroni expected to send men to the city of Nephihah to keep that city, because it was easier to keep the city from falling into the hands of the Lamanites than to retake it, he thought they would easily keep that city. 10But now he kept all his forces to protect the places he had recovered.
- 11When Moroni learned the city of Nephihah was lost, he mourned and began to doubt, because of the people’s wickedness, if they could defeat the Lamanites. 12Now all his chief captains also doubted. They were unsure and extremely surprised by the people’s wickedness, assuming this was why the Lamanites succeeded in taking Nephihah. 13And Moroni was angry with the government because of their indifference to the freedom of their country.
- 60He wrote another letter to governor Parhoron. This is what he wrote: I address my letter to Parhoron in the city of Zarahemla, who is the chief judge and the governor over the land, and to all those who have been chosen by this people to govern and support the requirements of this war. 2I have some complaints about you. You know you have the obligation to assemble men and furnish them with swords, cimeters, and other weapons to defend against the Lamanites, wherever they trespass on our land. 3Now I tell you my men and I, and Helaman and his men also, have suffered tremendously from hunger, thirst, fatigue, and all the difficulties of defending the people. 4But if this were all we suffered, we wouldn’t criticize or complain. 5However, the thousands of our slaughtered people who died by the sword might’ve been spared if you had given our armies adequate strength and aid. Your great neglect of us is unexplained.
- 6Now we want to know the reason for your severe neglect. We want to know why you are so thoughtless. 7Can you possibly sit thoughtlessly on your thrones while your enemies are spreading death all around you, while they’re murdering thousands of your fellow Nephites? 8The very people who have expected your protection, who have put you in a position of trust to help them? Indeed, you could have sent reinforcements to them to help them and could have saved thousands of them from dying by the sword. 9But this isn’t all. You’ve withheld provisions from them, while many have fought and bled to death hoping to protect this people. And they did this when they were about to die from hunger because of your absolute neglect of them. 10Now, my dearly loved people (because you ought to be loved by us), you should’ve acted more diligently to care for and protect the freedom of this people. But you’ve neglected them, so much so that the blood of thousands will come upon your heads for vengeance. Indeed, all their cries and suffering were seen by God. 11Could you possibly think you could sit on your thrones and because of God’s great kindness you could do nothing and He would save you? If you have believed this, then you believed in vain. 12Do you think that because so many of your fellow Nephites have been killed, it’s because of their wickedness? I tell you: If you have believed this, then your belief is wrong. I tell you: There are many who have died by the sword, and it condemns you. 13Because the Lord tolerates the righteous being killed so His justice and judgment can come upon the wicked. Therefore there’s no need to think the righteous are lost because they’re killed; on the contrary, they enter the rest of the Lord their God.
- 14Now I tell you: I’m very fearful God’s judgments will overtake this people because of their indifference and neglect, including the indifference and neglect of our government and their abandonment of their fellow Nephites who have now been killed. 15If it weren’t for the wickedness that began at the top of our government, we could have defeated our enemies, and they wouldn’t have gained any power over us. 16We’ve been punished because of our own warring between ourselves caused by the kingmen, which resulted in so much slaughter of ourselves. We were fighting among ourselves instead of uniting our strength as we had before. We were divided by the ambitions of the kingmen for power and authority to control us. Instead of being true to the cause of our freedom and joining with us to fight against our enemies, they took up their swords to fight against us. This was what caused so much slaughter among ourselves. If we had instead gone together to defend ourselves with the Lord’s strength, we would have defeated our enemies, since God had promised us that is what would happen, and His word would certainly have been fulfilled. 17But now the Lamanites attack us and are murdering our people with the sword, including our women and children, and removing them as prisoners, afflicting sorrow, distress, and pain, and taking our lands; and this is a result of the great wickedness of the kingmen who are attempting to seize power and authority.
- 18But why should I say very much about this? Because it appears likely to us you are the ones attempting to seize authority. It appears likely you are also traitors to your country. 19Or have you neglected us because you’re in the heart of our country and surrounded by security, and that’s the reason you don’t have food sent to us, as well as men to strengthen our armies? 20Have you forgotten the commandments of the Lord your God? Have you forgotten our ancestors were slaves? Have you forgotten the many times we’ve been rescued from our enemies? 21Or do you imagine the Lord will repeatedly save us as we idly sit on our thrones and fail to use the resources given to us by the Lord? 22Will you sit complacently surrounded by thousands of people, even tens of thousands who join your complacency, while there are thousands around the borders of the land who are dying by the sword, wounded and bleeding? 23Do you imagine God will consider you guiltless while you do nothing but watch these things? I tell you: No.
- Now I want you to remember God said to first cleanse the inner vessel, and then the outer vessel afterward. 24Now unless you repent, and start actively sending food and men to us and also to Helaman, so he can maintain the parts of our country that he has regained, and so we can also recover the rest of our lands in these parts, we should stop fighting the Lamanites until we’ve first cleansed our inner vessel, including the top of our government. 25Unless you start doing what I ask and begin to show me the true spirit of freedom and make the effort to help and support our armies and give them the necessary food for their survival, I’ll leave some of my freemen to maintain this part of our land. I’ll leave the strength and blessings of God upon them, so no other power can work against them 26— and I’ll do this because of their great faith and their patience in their tribulations — 27and I’ll take the fight to you. And if there are any among you who have a desire for freedom, if there’s even a spark of freedom remaining, I’ll incite insurrections against you, up until all those wanting power and authority are dead. 28I’m not afraid of your power or authority, but it’s God whom I fear. It’s to obey His commandments that I take up my sword to defend the cause of my country. And it’s because of your iniquity we’ve suffered these losses.
- 29It is time, this very moment, that unless you start defending your country and your little ones, the sword of justice won’t just threaten you, but it will strike you down in punishment, and you’ll be destroyed. 30I’m waiting for assistance from you. Unless you resupply us, I’ll come against you, right to Zarahemla, and I’ll strike you with the sword, and end all your power to interfere with this people’s defense of our freedom. 31Indeed, the Lord won’t let you live while your increasing iniquities are causing the destruction of His righteous people. 32Can you possibly believe the Lord will spare you and punish the Lamanites, when their ancestors’ traditions have caused their hatred? And that hatred has grown because of those who have split from us. But your iniquity is because of your love of glory and worldly things of no lasting value. 33You know you’re breaking God’s laws, and you know you’re trampling them underfoot. The Lord has told me: If those whom you’ve appointed as your governors don’t repent of their sins and iniquities, you must go up to battle against them.
- 34Now I’m obligated, based on the covenant I made, to keep the commandments of God. Therefore I ask you to obey God’s word and immediately send some provisions and men to me, and to Helaman as well. 35If you refuse, I’ll immediately come against you, because God won’t let us die from hunger. Therefore He’ll feed us with your food, even if the sword must be used. Now see that you obey God’s word. 36I am Moroni your chief captain. I don’t seek power, but to pull it down. I don’t seek the world’s honor but the glory of God and the freedom and prosperity of my country. And so I close my letter.
Chapter 27