- 9My dear son, I’m writing to you again, so you know I’m still alive, but I’m writing about serious and upsetting matters. 2I’ve had a severe battle with the Lamanites from which we didn’t emerge victorious. Archeantus has died by the sword, as well as Luram and Emron; indeed, we’ve lost a large number of our best men. 3And now, my son, I’m afraid the Lamanites will destroy this people since they don’t repent. And Satan is continually stirring them up to be angry with each other. 4So I’m working with them constantly. When I speak God’s word with sharpness, they’re offended and grow angry with me. When I don’t use any sharpness, they harden their hearts against it. I’m afraid the Spirit of the Lord has stopped struggling with them. 5Indeed, they become so incredibly angry that it seems to me they aren’t even afraid of death. They’ve lost their love for each other and constantly thirst for blood and revenge. 6Now, my dear son, despite their hardness, let’s work diligently, because if we were to stop working, we would come under condemnation. We have a labor to perform while we inhabit our mortal bodies, so we can overcome the enemy of all righteousness and rest our souls in God’s kingdom.
- 7Now I’ll write a little about this people’s suffering. According to the intelligence I’ve received from Amoron, the Lamanites have many prisoners that they took from the tower of Sherrizah — and there were men, women, and children. 8They’ve killed the husbands and fathers of those women and children. And they feed the women with their husbands’ flesh, and the children with their fathers’ flesh. And they only give them a little water. 9Despite this great abomination of the Lamanites, it doesn’t exceed that of our people in Moriantum. There they took many Lamanite young women prisoner. After depriving them of what was most dear and precious above all things — chastity and virtue — 10they murdered them in a most cruel manner, torturing their bodies until they died. After they’ve done this, they devour their flesh like wild animals because of their hard hearts, and they do it as a sign of bravery. 11My dear son, how can a people like this, who are uncivilized — 12and only a few years ago they were a civil and delightful people — 13how can a people like this, who take pleasure in so much abomination, 14how can we expect God to hold back His hand in judgment against us? 15My heart cries out: Woe to this people! O God, bring down Your judgment, and hide their sins, wickedness, and abominations from Your face!
- 16Also, my son, there are many widows and their daughters who remain in Sherrizah. And that part of the supplies the Lamanites didn’t take, Zenephi’s army has taken, leaving them to wander wherever they can looking for food. Many old women faint as they go and die. 17The army that’s with me is weak. The Lamanite armies are between me and Sherrizah. All those who have fled to Aaron’s army have fallen victim to their awful brutality. 18Oh the depravity of my people! They don’t follow the rule of law and they don’t show any mercy. I’m only a man and I only have a man’s strength. I can no longer enforce my commands. 19They’ve become strong in their perversion. They’re brutal as well, sparing no one, neither old nor young. And they take pleasure in everything except for what’s good. The suffering of our women and children throughout this land surpasses all. Indeed, words can’t describe it, and it can’t be written either.
- 20Now, my son, I won’t dwell any longer on this horrible scene. You know this people’s wickedness, that they’re without principle and no longer capable of feeling, and their wickedness exceeds that of the Lamanites. 21I can’t recommend them to God, for fear He might strike me down. 22But, my son, I recommend you to God. And I trust in Christ that you’ll be saved. I pray to God that He’ll spare your life so you can see in person either the return of His people to Him or their complete destruction. Because I know they will die unless they repent and return to Him. 23If they die, it will be like the Jaredites, because of their determination to pursue blood and revenge. 24If they die, we know many of our people have defected and joined the Lamanites, and many more will defect and join the Lamanites as well. So, write a few things if you’re spared, in case I happen to die and don’t see you. But I trust I can see you soon since I have sacred records I wish to hand over to you.
- 25My son, be faithful to Christ. Don’t allow what I’ve written to upset you and weigh you down to death, but allow Christ to lift you up. May His suffering and death, and His appearance in person to our ancestors, and His mercy and long-suffering, and the hope of His glory and eternal life, rest in your mind forever. 26And may the grace of God the Father — whose throne is high in the heavens — and of our Lord Jesus Christ — who sits on the right hand of His power until all things become subject to Him — may Their grace be with you and stay with you forever. Amen.
Chapter 9
Mormon’s second letter to his son Moroni.