48:1 And now it came to pass that, as soon as Amalickiah had obtained
the kingdom he began to inspire the hearts of the Lamanites against the
people of Nephi; yea, he did appoint men to speak unto the Lamanites
from their towers, against the Nephites.
48:2 And thus he did inspire their hearts against the Nephites,
insomuch that in the latter end of the nineteenth year of the reign of
the judges, he having accomplished his designs thus far, yea, having
been made king over the Lamanites, he sought also to reign over all the
land, yea, and all the people who were in the land, the Nephites as
well as the Lamanites.
48:3 Therefore he had accomplished his design, for he had hardened the
hearts of the Lamanites and blinded their minds, and stirred them up to
anger, insomuch that he had gathered together a numerous host to go to
battle against the Nephites.
48:4 For he was determined, because of the greatness of the number of
his people, to overpower the Nephites and to bring them into bondage.
48:5 And thus he did appoint chief captains of the Zoramites, they
being the most acquainted with the strength of the Nephites, and their
places of resort, and the weakest parts of their cities; therefore he
appointed them to be chief captains over his armies.
48:6 And it came to pass that they took their camp, and moved forth
toward the land of Zarahemla in the wilderness.
48:7 Now it came to pass that while Amalickiah had thus been obtaining
power by fraud and deceit, Moroni, on the other hand, had been
preparing the minds of the people to be faithful unto the Lord their
God.
48:8 Yea, he had been strengthening the armies of the Nephites, and
erecting small forts, or places of resort; throwing up banks of earth
round about to enclose his armies, and also building walls of stone to
encircle them about, round about their cities and the borders of their
lands; yea, all round about the land.
48:9 And in their weakest fortifications he did place the greater
number of men; and thus he did fortify and strengthen the land which
was possessed by the Nephites.
48:10 And thus he was preparing to support their liberty, their lands,
their wives, and their children, and their peace, and that they might
live unto the Lord their God, and that they might maintain that which
was called by their enemies the cause of Christians.
48:11 And Moroni was a strong and a mighty man; he was a man of a
perfect understanding; yea, a man that did not delight in bloodshed; a
man whose soul did joy in the liberty and the freedom of his country,
and his brethren from bondage and slavery;
48:12 Yea, a man whose heart did swell with thanksgiving to his God,
for the many privileges and blessings which he bestowed upon his
people; a man who did labor exceedingly for the welfare and safety of
his people.
48:13 Yea, and he was a man who was firm in the faith of Christ, and he
had sworn with an oath to defend his people, his rights, and his
country, and his religion, even to the loss of his blood.
48:14 Now the Nephites were taught to defend themselves against their
enemies, even to the shedding of blood if it were necessary; yea, and
they were also taught never to give an offense, yea, and never to raise
the sword except it were against an enemy, except it were to preserve
their lives.
48:15 And this was their faith, that by so doing God would prosper them
in the land, or in other words, if they were faithful in keeping the
commandments of God that he would prosper them in the land; yea, warn
them to flee, or to prepare for war, according to their danger;
48:16 And also, that God would make it known unto them whither they
should go to defend themselves against their enemies, and by so doing,
the Lord would deliver them; and this was the faith of Moroni, and his
heart did glory in it; not in the shedding of blood but in doing good,
in preserving his people, yea, in keeping the commandments of God, yea,
and resisting iniquity.
48:17 Yea, verily, verily I say unto you, if all men had been, and
were, and ever would be, like unto Moroni, behold, the very powers of
hell would have been shaken forever; yea, the devil would never have
power over the hearts of the children of men.
48:18 Behold, he was a man like unto Ammon, the son of Mosiah, yea, and
even the other sons of Mosiah, yea, and also Alma and his sons, for
they were all men of God.
48:19 Now behold, Helaman and his brethren were no less serviceable
unto the people than was Moroni; for they did preach the word of God,
and they did baptize unto repentance all men whosoever would hearken
unto their words.
48:20 And thus they went forth, and the people did humble themselves
because of their words, insomuch that they were highly favored of the
Lord, and thus they were free from wars and contentions among
themselves, yea, even for the space of four years.
48:21 But, as I have said, in the latter end of the nineteenth year,
yea, notwithstanding their peace amongst themselves, they were
compelled reluctantly to contend with their brethren, the Lamanites.
48:22 Yea, and in fine, their wars never did cease for the space of
many years with the Lamanites, notwithstanding their much reluctance.
48:23 Now, they were sorry to take up arms against the Lamanites,
because they did not delight in the shedding of blood; yea, and this
was not all—they were sorry to be the means of sending so many of their
brethren out of this world into an eternal world, unprepared to meet
their God.
48:24 Nevertheless, they could not suffer to lay down their lives, that
their wives and their children should be massacred by the barbarous
cruelty of those who were once their brethren, yea, and had dissented
from their church, and had left them and had gone to destroy them by
joining the Lamanites.
48:25 Yea, they could not bear that their brethren should rejoice over
the blood of the Nephites, so long as there were any who should keep
the commandments of God, for the promise of the Lord was, if they
should keep his commandments they should prosper in the land.