Moroni IX

the second epistle of Mormon to his son Moroni 9my beloved son I write unto you again that ye might know that I am yet alive but I write somewhat that which is grievious 2for behold I have had a sore battle with the Lamanites in the which we did not conquer and Archeantus has fallen by the sword and also Luram and Emron yea and we have lost a great number of our choice men 3and now behold my son I fear lest the Lamanites shall destroy this people for they do not repent and Satan stirreth them up continually to anger one with another 4behold I am laboring with them continually and when I speak the word of God with sharpness they tremble and anger against me and when I use no sharpness they harden their hearts against it wherefore I fear lest the Spirit of the Lord hath ceased striving with them 5for so exceedingly do they anger that it seemeth me that they have no fear of death and they have lost their love one towards another and they thirst after blood and revenge continually 6and now my beloved son notwithstanding their hardness let us labor diligently for if we should cease to labor we should be brought under condemnation for we have a labor to perform whilst in this tabernacle of clay that we may conquer the enemy of all righteousness and rest our souls in the kingdom of God 7and now I write somewhat concerning the sufferings of this people for according to the knowledge which I have received from Amoron behold the Lamanites have many prisoners which they took from the tower of Sherrisah and there were men women and children 8and the husbands and fathers of those women and children they have slain and they feed the women upon the flesh of their husbands and the children upon the flesh of their fathers and no water save a little do they give unto them 9and notwithstanding this great abomination of the Lamanites it doth not exceed that of our people in Moriantum for behold many of the daughters of the Lamanites have they taken prisoners and after depriving them of that which was most dear and precious above all things which is chastity and virtue 10and after that they had done this thing they did murder them in a most cruel manner torturing their bodies even unto death and after that they have done this they devour their flesh like unto wild beasts because of the hardness of their hearts and they do it for a token of bravery 11O my beloved son how can a people like this that are without civilization 12 and only a few years have passed away and they were a civil and a delightsome people 13but O my son how can a people like this whose delight is in so much abomination 14how can we expect that God will stay his hand in judgment against us 15behold my heart cries woe unto this people come out in judgement O God and hide their sins and wickedness and abominations from before thy face 16and again my son there are many widows and their daughters which remain in Sherrizah and that part of the provisions which the Lamanites did not carry away behold the army of Zenephi has carried away and left them to wander whithersoever they can for food and many old women do faint by the way and die 17and the army which is with me is weak and the armies of the Lamanites are betwixt Sherrizah and me and as many as have fled to the army of Aaron have fallen victims to their awful brutality 18O the depravity of my people they are without order and without mercy behold I am but a man and I have but the strength of a man and I cannot any longer enforce my commands 19and they have become strong in their perversion and they are alike brutal sparing none neither old nor young and they delight in every thing save that which is good and the sufferings of our women and our children upon all the face of this land doth exceed every thing yea tongue cannot tell neither can it be written 20and now my son I dwell no longer upon this horrible scene behold thou knowest the wickedness of this people thou knowest that they are without principle and past feeling and their wickedness doth exceed that of the Lamanites 21behold my son I cannot recommend them unto God lest he should smite me 22but behold my son I recommend thee unto God and I trust in Christ that thou wilt be saved and I pray unto God that he would spare thy life to witness the return of his people unto him or their utter destruction for I know that they must perish except they repent and return unto him 23and if they perish it will be like unto the Jaredites because of the willfulness of their hearts seeking for blood and revenge 24and if it so be that they perish we know that many of our brethren have dissented over unto the Lamanites and many more will also dissent over unto them wherefore write somewhat a few things if thou art spared and I should perish and not see thee but I trust that I may see thee soon for I have sacred records that I would deliver up unto thee 25my son be faithful in Christ and may not the things which I have written grieve thee to weigh thee down unto death but may Christ lift thee up and may his sufferings and death and the shewing his body unto our fathers and his mercy and long-suffering and the hope of his glory and of eternal life rest in your mind forever 26and may the grace of God the Father whose throne is high in the heavens and our Lord Jesus Christ who sitteth on the right hand of his power until all things shall become subject unto him be and abide with you forever amen