Episode 60: A dark, filthy, and loathsome people

Mormon 3-5

Mormon resigns from the Nephite army

3^1-2 It was peaceful for ten years, while Mormon prepared the Nephites for war. Then the Lord (Jesus?) visited Mormon, saying the usual things: repent, come to him, get baptized, and build up his church. If the Nephites will do that, then they won’t be killed. ³ So Mormon cried to the people, but they didn't believe Jesus really talked to him. So they hardened their hearts.

^4-6 In the year 360 CE, the Lamanite king sent Mormon a letter, telling him that the Lamanites would soon be attacking. Mormon gathered his people at the land of Desolation, which is near the narrow pass (the Isthmus of Panama?) that led to the land southward.

^7-8 The next year, the Lamanites attacked, but the Nephites forced them to retreat. They attacked again the next year, and the Nephites beat them again, killing many of them, throwing their dead bodies into the sea.

⁹ The Nephites swore to God they'd defeat the Lamanites. And that did it for Mormon. He resigned from the army and refused to help them slaughter the Lamanites anymore. ^14-15 After the Nephites swore to God, Jesus came to Mormon and said, "Vengeance is mine, and I'll see to it that every last one of them is killed."

^17-22 Now Mormon preached to the Gentiles and Jews, saying, “Get ready to be judged by the twelve Nephite disciples (in the case of the Gentiles) or the twelve Jerusalem apostles (in the case of the Jews). Repent and prepare to stand before the judgment-seat of Christ.”

It is by the wicked that the wicked are punished

4^1-2 In 363 CE, the Nephites left the land of Desolation to attack the Lamanites. The Lamanites drove them back to Desolation, where there was a sore battle. The Lamanites captured the city Desolation and took many prisoners.

^3-5 To escape from the Lamanites, the remaining Nephites went to the city Teancum. But it didn't work. God sent the Lamanites to attack them again to punish them for leaving Desolation to attack the Lamanites. God overtakes the wicked by sending the wicked to attack the wicked when the wicked have their hearts stirred up unto bloodshed. Or something like that.

^6-9 The Lamanites attacked the Nephites in city Teancum the next year. The Nephites drove them back and bragged about their strength. Thousands died in the battle on both sides.

^10-11 The next year the Lamanites attacked again, and this time they were victorious and took possession of the city Teancum. Meanwhile, every heart was hardened, continually delighting in the shedding of blood.

¹³ The Lamanites took the women and children of Teancum and sacrificed them to their gods. ¹⁵ The next year, the Nephites became exceedingly angry at the Lamanites for sacrificing their women and children, insomuch they did beat the Lamanites and drive them out of their lands.

^16-19 The Lamanites didn't attack again for another eight years or so, but when they did they came with so many soldiers they couldn't be numbered. There was an exceedingly sore battle in the land of Desolation, where the Lamanites defeated the Nephites.

^20-21 The Nephites fled from the land of desolation to the city Boaz. But the Lamanites attacked them there twice, defeating them the second time. Once again there was an exceedingly great slaughter, and their women and children were sacrificed to the Lamanite gods.

^22-23 The surviving Nephites left the city Boaz, while Mormon when to hill Shim to find the plates that Ammaron had hid.

A dark, filthy, and loathsome people

5^1-2 Remember how Mormon said that he'd never lead the Nephites again in battle against the Lamanites? Yeah well, he's changing his mind about that now (he's repenting of the oath), though he knows that the Nephites will be defeated, anyway, as God's punishment for not repenting or praying enough or something.

^3-6 The Nephites fled to the city of Jordan, where the Lamanites attacked them twice. Each time the Nephites drove them off. Other Nephite cities weren't so lucky; the inhabitants were killed, and the cities were burned. Then, a couple years later (380 CE), the Lamanites attacked the city of Jordan a third time, and this time the Nephites were defeated.

^7-10 Mormon doesn't want to tell us about the awful scene of blood and carnage, but he says that he must do so, because of the commandment that he received.

^12-14 Mormon is engraving all this on plates so that someday the unbelieving Jews will be able to read about it.

^15-18 The Lamanites (Native Americans) were once "a delightsome people," but God made them a dark-skinned, "filthy and loathsome people, led about by Satan" because of their unbelief and idolatry.

^19-24 So God will give their (the Native Americans') land to the Gentiles (non-Mormon Americans of European descent), who will have the Book of Mormon revealed to them. If the Gentiles fail to believe in the Book of Mormon, then a remnant of the seed of Jacob (Mormons) will tear them to pieces.