- 1Now I Mormon will make a record of what I’ve both seen and heard, calling it the Book of Mormon. 2Around the time Ammaron concealed the records under the Lord’s care, he came to talk to me. I was about 10 years old and had by then begun to be somewhat educated in the way my people were taught. Ammaron said to me: I can see you’re a dependable and mindful child. 3Therefore when you’re about 24 years old, I want you to remember what you’ve seen about this people. When you reach that age, go to the land of Antum to a hill called Shim. There I’ve deposited with the Lord’s protection all the sacred records regarding this people. 4You must take possession of the plates of Nephi, leaving the rest where they are. Then you must add to the plates of Nephi everything you’ve observed about this people. 5I’m a descendant of Nephi, and my father’s name was Mormon, and I remembered what Ammaron commanded me.
- 6When I was 11 years old, I was taken by my father to the south land, all the way to Zarahemla. 7The whole land was covered with buildings; and the people seemed to be as numerous as the sand of the sea.
- 8In this year, a war broke out between the Nephites and Lamanites — that is, between the Nephites, Jacobites, Josephites, and Zoramites on the one hand, 9and the Lamanites, Lemuelites, and Ishmaelites on the other. 10The war began between them at the border of Zarahemla by the Sidon River. 11The Nephites had gathered a large number of men, more than thirty thousand. In this same year there were several battles, in which the Nephites defeated the Lamanites and killed many of them.
- 12The Lamanites withdrew their plans, and peace was achieved in the land. The peace lasted for about four years, in which there was no killing. 13But wickedness abounded throughout the land, so much so that the Lord removed His beloved disciples; and the work of miracles and healing stopped because of the people’s iniquity. 14And there were no gifts from the Lord. The Holy Ghost didn’t come upon anyone because of their wickedness and unbelief. 15When I was 15 years old, and because I was fairly serious-minded and mature, the Lord visited me, and I experienced and understood the goodness of Jesus. 16I tried to preach to the people, but my mouth was shut. I was forbidden to preach to them because they had willfully rebelled against God. The beloved disciples departed from the land because of the people’s iniquity. 17I remained among them, but I was forbidden to preach to them because of the hardness of their hearts. Because of the hardness of their hearts, the land was cursed. 18And the Gaddianton robbers, who were among the Lamanites, raided the land, so much so the inhabitants began to hide their valuables in the earth; and they slipped away because the Lord had cursed the land, so they couldn’t hold onto them or recover them. 19There was sorcery, witchcraft, and dark magic; and the power of the Evil One spread throughout the land, as prophesied by Abinadi and Samuel the Lamanite.
- 2In that same year, a war began again between the Nephites and Lamanites. Despite being young, I was big and strong, so the Nephites appointed me to lead their armed forces. 2Therefore in my 16th year, at the end of the 326th year, I led a Nephite army against the Lamanites. 3In the 327th year, the Lamanites attacked us with enormous strength, to such a degree they intimidated my armed forces. As a result, they refused to fight and began to retreat to the northern regions. 4We arrived at the city of Angolah and took control of it and prepared to defend ourselves against the Lamanites. We fortified the city to the utmost of our ability. But despite our fortifications, the Lamanites attacked, overwhelmed us, and drove us out of the city. 5They also drove us out of the land of David. 6And we marched until we arrived in the land of Joshua, which was to the west bordering the seashore. 7We gathered our people as fast as possible, so we could get them in a single group. 8But the land was filled with robbers and Lamanites. Despite the great destruction hanging over my people, they didn’t repent of their evildoing. Therefore blood and carnage spread everywhere on that land, slaughtering both the Nephites and Lamanites. The entire government was completely overthrown throughout the land. 9Now the Lamanites had a king, and his name was Aaron. He attacked us with an army of 44,000. I fought him with 42,000. I beat him with my army, causing him to hastily retreat. All this took place, and 330 years ended.
- 10Then the Nephites began to repent of their iniquity and cry out in anguish, just as Samuel the prophet had prophesied. No one could keep what belonged to them because of the thieves, robbers, murderers, magic art, and witchcraft in the land. 11So everyone throughout the land — but particularly the Nephites — began to mourn and regret these circumstances. 12When I saw their grief, mourning, and sorrow before the Lord, my heart began to rejoice. I personally knew of the Lord’s mercy and long-suffering, and so I believed He would be merciful to them and they could again become a righteous people. 13But my joy was futile; their sorrow wasn’t toward repentance because of God’s goodness, but they were experiencing instead the sorrow of the damned because the Lord wouldn’t let them be happy in their sins. 14They didn’t come to Jesus with a broken heart and contrite spirit, but they cursed God and wished to die. Still, they were willing to fight with the sword for their lives. 15So my sadness returned. I realized the day of grace had ended for them, both temporally and spiritually. I saw thousands of them cut down in open rebellion against God and piled up like manure on the land. And so 344 years concluded.
- 16In the 345th year, the Nephites began to retreat from the Lamanites, and were chased all the way to Jashon before it became possible to stop them in their retreat. 17Now the city of Jashon was near the place Ammaron had deposited the records under the Lord’s protection to prevent them from being destroyed. So I followed Ammaron’s directions and went and retrieved the plates of Nephi and added to the record as he asked. 18I made a full account of all the wickedness and abominations on the plates of Nephi; but on these plates I refrained from making a full account. I’ve been an eyewitness of continual wickedness and abominations ever since I was able to observe people’s behavior. 19I mourn because of their wickedness; my heart has been filled with sorrow my whole life because of their wickedness. Nevertheless, I know I’ll be lifted up on the last day.
- 20During this year, the Nephites were again hunted and driven. We were pushed back until we arrived northward to the land called Shem. 21We fortified the city of Shem and gathered our people there as much as possible, so we could try to protect and save them. 22In the 346th year, they attacked us again. 23And I spoke to my people and tried hard to rally them to bravely confront the Lamanites and fight for their wives, children, houses, and homes. 24My words to a degree stirred them to action so that they didn’t flee from the Lamanites but stood bravely against them. 25We fought against an army of 50,000 with an army of 30,000. We successfully withstood their attack and they retreated hastily. 26When they ran away, we chased them with our armed forces and fought again and beat them. Still, the Lord’s strength wasn’t with us. We were left to ourselves, so the Spirit of the Lord didn’t assist us. Therefore we were as weak as our Lamanite brothers. 27I mourned over the terrible misfortune of my people caused by their wickedness and abominations. Yet we took the fight to the Lamanites and the Gaddianton robbers until we regained possession of our own lands. 28And the 349th year ended. In the 350th year, we made a treaty with the Lamanites and the Gaddianton robbers, in which we divided up our lands. 29The Lamanites gave us the land to the north, as far as the narrow passage leading to the land to the south. We gave the Lamanites all the land to the south.
- 3The Lamanites didn’t come to battle again until ten more years had passed. During that time, I had the Nephites work on preparing their lands and weapons for the next battle. 2The Lord said to me: Proclaim to this people: Repent and come to Me and be baptized, build up my congregation again, and you’ll be spared. 3I proclaimed this to my people, but it was useless. They didn’t realize it was the Lord who had spared them and given them a chance for repentance. So they hardened their hearts against the Lord their God. 4After this 10th year had ended, making a total of 360 years since Christ’s coming, the Lamanite king sent me a letter informing me they were preparing to attack us again. 5I had my people gather at the land of Desolation at a city near the border, at the narrow pass leading into the land to the south. 6We placed our armies there so we could stop the Lamanite armies, to prevent losing any of our lands. Therefore we fortified against the attack to the best of our ability.
- 7In the 361st year, the Lamanites attacked the city of Desolation. We defeated them in that year, and they returned to their own lands. 8In the 362nd year, they returned and attacked again. We defeated them again and killed a large number of them, and their dead were thrown into the sea. 9Now because of this great accomplishment by my people the Nephites, they started boasting about their strength and they swore an oath before the heavens that they would avenge themselves of the blood of their brothers who were killed by their enemies. 10They swore an oath by the heavens and by God’s throne that they would attack their enemies, destroy them, and remove them from the land.
- 11I absolutely refused from that time on to be a commander and leader of this people because of their wickedness and abominations. 12I had led them into battle many times, despite their wickedness, and I had loved them, with a godly love and all my heart. I had poured out my soul in prayer to God all day long for them. However, I did this without any hope because of the hardness of their hearts. 13For I had saved them from their enemies three times and they didn’t repent of their sins. 14When they had sworn an oath by all that had been forbidden them by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, that they would go against their enemies in battle and avenge themselves of their brothers’ blood, the Lord said to me: 15Vengeance is Mine; I will repay. And because this people didn’t repent after I had saved them, they will be destroyed and removed from the earth.
- 16So I absolutely refused to lead the attack against my enemies. I did just as the Lord had commanded me, standing and witnessing as a bystander in order to document for the world what I saw and heard, following the Spirit that told me what was coming. 17Therefore I’m writing to you Gentiles, and to the house of Israel as well, when the work begins, you’ll be at the beginning of preparing to return to the land of your inheritance. 18I’m writing for the twelve tribes of Israel scattered everywhere on earth, who will be judged according to your works by the Twelve whom Jesus chose to be His disciples in the land of Jerusalem. 19I’m also writing to the remnant of this people, who will be judged by the twelve whom Jesus chose in this land, who in turn will be judged by the other Twelve whom Jesus chose in the land of Jerusalem. 20And it’s the Spirit teaching these things to me. Therefore I’m writing to all of you; I’m writing to let you know that all of you will stand before Christ’s judgment seat, every soul belonging to the whole human family of Adam: You’ll stand to be judged for your works, whether they were good or evil. 21Also I want you to believe the gospel of Jesus Christ, which will be available to you, and also so the Jews, the Lord’s covenant people, will have another witness, in addition to Him they saw and heard, that Jesus, whom they killed, was the true Messiah and the true God. 22It’s my wish to be able to persuade everyone, all over the earth, to repent and prepare to stand before Christ’s judgment seat.
The Book of Mormon
Chapter 1