Alma XXVII

59now it came to pass in the thirtieth year of the reign of the judges over the people of Nephi after Moroni had received and had read Helamans epistle he was exceedingly rejoiced because of the welfare yea the exceeding success which Helaman had had in obtaining those lands which were lost 2yea and he did make it known unto all his people in all the land round about in that part where he was that they might rejoice also 3and it came to pass that he immediately sent an epistle to Parhoron desiring that he should cause men to be gathered together to strengthen Helaman or the armies of Helaman insomuch that he might with ease maintain that part of the land which he had been so miraculously prospered in retaining 4and it came to pass when Moroni had sent this epistle to the land of Zarahemla he began again to lay a plan that he might obtain the remainder of those possessions and cities which the Lamanites had taken from them 5and it came to pass that while Moroni was thus making preparations to go against the Lamanites to battle behold the people of Nephihah which were gathered together from the city of Moroni and the city of Lehi and the city of Morionton were attackted by the Lamanites 6yea even those which had been compelled to flee from the land of Manti and from the land round about had came over and joined the Lamanites in this part of the land 7and thus being exceeding numerous yea and receiving strength from day to day by the command of Ammoron they came forth against the people of Nephihah and they did begin to slay them with an exceeding great slaughter 8and their armies were so numerous that the remainder of the people of Nephihah were obliged to flee before them and they came over and joined the army of Moroni 9and now as Moroni had supposed that there should be men sent to the city of Nephihah to the assistance of the people to maintain that city and knowing that it was easier to keep the city from falling into the hands of the Lamanites he supposed that they would easily maintain that city 10therefore he retained all his force to maintain those places which he had recovered 11and now when Moroni saw that the city of Nephihah was lost he was exceeding sorrowful and began to doubt because of the wickedness of the people whether they should not fall into the hands of their brethren 12now this was the case with all his chief captains they doubted and marveled also because of the wickedness of the people and this because of the success of the Lamanites over them 13and it came to pass that Moroni was angry with the government because of their indifference concerning the freedom of their country 60and it came to pass that he wrote again to the governor of the land which was Parhoron and these are the words which he wrote saying behold I direct mine epistle to Parhoron in the city of Zarahemla which is the chief judge and the governor over the land and also to all those who hath been chosen by this people to govern and manage the affairs of this war 2for behold I have somewhat to say unto them by the way of condemnation for behold ye yourselves know that ye have been appointed to gather together men and arm them with swords and with scimitars and all manner of weapons of war of every kind and send forth against the Lamanites in whatsoever parts they should come into our land 3and now behold I say unto you that myself and also my men and also Helaman and his men have suffered exceeding great sufferings yea even hunger thirst and fatigue and all manner of afflictions of every kind 4but behold were this all we had suffered we would not murmur nor complain 5but behold great has been the slaughter among our people yea thousands have fallen by the sword while it might have otherwise been if ye had rendered unto our armies sufficient strength and succor for them yea great has been your neglect towards us 6and now behold we desire to know the cause of this exceeding great neglect yea we desire to know the cause of your thoughtless state 7can you think to sit upon your thrones in a state of thoughtless stupor while your enemies are spreading the work of death around you yea while they are murdering thousands of your brethren 8yea even they which have looked up to you for protection yea have placed you in a situation that ye might have succored them yea ye might have sent armies unto them to have strengthened them and have saved thousands of them from falling by the sword 9but behold this is not all ye have withheld your provisions from them insomuch that many have fought and bled out their lives because of their great desires which they had for the welfare of this people yea and this they have done when they were about to perish with hunger because of your exceeding great neglect towards them 10and now my beloved brethren for ye had ought to be beloved yea and ye had ought to have stirred yourselves more diligently for the welfare and the freedom of this people but behold ye have neglected them insomuch that the blood of thousands shall come upon your heads for vengeance yea for known unto God were all their cries and all their sufferings 11behold could ye suppose that ye could sit upon your thrones and because of the exceeding goodness of God ye could do nothing and he would deliver you behold if ye have supposed this ye have supposed in vain 12do ye suppose that because so many of your brethren have been killed it is because of their wickedness I say unto you if ye have supposed this ye have supposed in vain for I say unto you there are many which have fallen by the sword and behold it is to your condemnation 13for the Lord suffereth the righteous to be slain that his justice and judgment may come upon the wicked therefore ye need not suppose that the righteous are lost because they are slain but behold they do enter into the rest of the Lord their God 14and now behold I say unto you I fear exceedingly that the judgments of God will come upon this people because of their exceeding slothfulness yea even the slothfulness of our government and their exceeding great neglect towards their brethren yea towards those which have been slain 15for were it not for the wickedness which first commenced at our head we could have withstood our enemies that they could have gained no power over us 16yea had it not been for the war which broke out among ourselves yea were it not for those kingmen which caused so much bloodshed among ourselves yea at the time we were contending among ourselves if we had united in our strength as we hitherto have done yea had it not been for the desire of power and authority which those kingmen had over us had they been true to the cause of our freedom and united with us and gone forth against our enemies instead of taking up their swords against us which was the cause of so much bloodshed among ourselves yea if we had gone forth against them in the strength of the Lord we should have dispersed our enemies for it would have been done according to the fulfilling of his word 17but behold now the Lamanites are coming upon us and they are murdering our people with the sword yea our women and our children taking possession of our lands and also carrying them away captive causing them that they should suffer all manner of afflictions and this because of the great wickedness of those who are seeking for power and authority yea even those kingmen 18but why should I say much concerning this matter for we know not but what ye yourselves are a seeking for authority we know not but what ye are also traitors to your country 19or is it that ye have neglected us because ye are in the heart of our country and ye are surrounded by security that ye do not cause food to be sent unto us and also men to strengthen our armies 20have ye forgat the commandments of the Lord your God yea have ye forgat the captivity of our fathers have ye forgat the many times we have been delivered out of the hands of our enemies 21Or do ye suppose that the Lord will still deliver us while we sit upon our thrones and do not make use of the means which the Lord hath provided for us 22yea will ye sit in idleness while ye are surrounded with thousands of those yea and tens of thousands which do also sit in idleness while there are thousands round about in the borders of the land which are falling by the sword yea wounded and bleeding 23do ye suppose that God will look upon you as guiltless while ye sit still and behold these things behold I say unto you nay now I would that ye should remember that God hath said that the inward vessel shall be cleansed first and then shall the outer vessel be cleansed also 24and now except ye do repent of that which ye have done and begin to be up and doing and send forth food and men unto us and also unto Helaman that he may support those parts of our country which he hath retained behold it will be expedient that we contend no more with the Lamanites until we have first cleansed our inward vessel yea even the great head of our government 25and except ye grant mine epistle and come out and shew unto me a true spirit of freedom and strive to strengthen and fortify our armies and grant unto them food for their support behold I will leave a part of my freemen to maintain this part of our land and I will leave the strength and the blessings of God upon them that none other power can operate against them 26 and this because of their exceeding faith and their patience in their tribulations 27and I will come unto you and if there be any among you that hath a desire for freedom yea if there be even a spark of freedom remaining behold I will stir up insurrections among you even until those who hath desires to usurp power and authority shall become extinct 28yea behold I do not fear your power nor your authority but it is my God whom I fear and it is according to his commandments that I do take my sword to defend the cause of my country and it is because of your iniquity that we have suffered so much loss 29behold it is time yea the time is now at hand that except ye do bestir yourselves in the defense of your country and your little ones the sword of justice doth hang over you yea and it shall fall upon you and visit you even to your utter destruction 30behold I wait for assistance from you and except ye do administer unto our relief behold I come unto you even into the land of Zarahemla and smite you with the sword insomuch that ye can have no more power to impede the progress of this people in the cause of our freedom 31for behold the Lord will not suffer that ye shall live and wax strong in your iniquities to destroy his righteous people 32behold can you suppose that the Lord will spare you and come out in judgment against the Lamanites when it is the tradition of their fathers that hath caused their hatred yea and it hath been redoubled by those which have dissented from us while your iniquity is for the cause of your love of glory and the vain things of the world 33ye know that ye do transgress the laws of God and ye do know that ye do trample them under your feet behold the Lord saith unto me if those whom ye have appointed your governors do not repent of their sins and iniquities ye shall go up to battle against them 34and now behold I Moroni am constrained according to the covenant which I have made to keep the commandments of my God therefore I would that ye should adhere to the word of God and send speedily unto me of your provisions and of your men and also to Helaman 35and behold if ye will not do this I come unto you speedily for behold God will not suffer that we should perish with hunger therefore he will give unto us of your food even if it must be by the sword now see that ye fulfill the word of God 36behold I am Moroni your chief captain I seek not for power but to pull it down I seek not for honor of the world but for the glory of my God and the freedom and welfare of my country and thus I close mine epistle