2:1 And it came to pass in that same year there began to be a war again
between the Nephites and the Lamanites. And notwithstanding I being
young, was large in stature; therefore the people of Nephi appointed me
that I should be their leader, or the leader of their armies.
2:2 Therefore it came to pass that in my sixteenth year I did go forth
at the head of an army of the Nephites, against the Lamanites;
therefore three hundred and twenty and six years had passed away.
2:3 And it came to pass that in the three hundred and twenty and
seventh year the Lamanites did come upon us with exceedingly great
power, insomuch that they did frighten my armies; therefore they would
not fight, and they began to retreat towards the north countries.
2:4 And it came to pass that we did come to the city of Angola, and we
did take possession of the city, and make preparations to defend
ourselves against the Lamanites. And it came to pass that we did
fortify the city with our might; but notwithstanding all our
fortifications the Lamanites did come upon us and did drive us out of
the city.
2:5 And they did also drive us forth out of the land of David.
2:6 And we marched forth and came to the land of Joshua, which was in
the borders west by the seashore.
2:7 And it came to pass that we did gather in our people as fast as it
were possible, that we might get them together in one body.
2:8 But behold, the land was filled with robbers and with Lamanites;
and notwithstanding the great destruction which hung over my people,
they did not repent of their evil doings; therefore there was blood and
carnage spread throughout all the face of the land, both on the part of
the Nephites and also on the part of the Lamanites; and it was one
complete revolution throughout all the face of the land.
2:9 And now, the Lamanites had a king, and his name was Aaron; and he
came against us with an army of forty and four thousand. And behold, I
withstood him with forty and two thousand. And it came to pass that I
beat him with my army that he fled before me. And behold, all this was
done, and three hundred and thirty years had passed away.
2:10 And it came to pass that the Nephites began to repent of their
iniquity, and began to cry even as had been prophesied by Samuel the
prophet; for behold no man could keep that which was his own, for the
thieves, and the robbers, and the murderers, and the magic art, and the
witchcraft which was in the land.
2:11 Thus there began to be a mourning and a lamentation in all the
land because of these things, and more especially among the people of
Nephi.
2:12 And it came to pass that when I, Mormon, saw their lamentation and
their mourning and their sorrow before the Lord, my heart did begin to
rejoice within me, knowing the mercies and the long-suffering of the
Lord, therefore supposing that he would be merciful unto them that they
would again become a righteous people.
2:13 But behold this my joy was vain, for their sorrowing was not unto
repentance, because of the goodness of God; but it was rather the
sorrowing of the damned, because the Lord would not always suffer them
to take happiness in sin.
2:14 And they did not come unto Jesus with broken hearts and contrite
spirits, but they did curse God, and wish to die. Nevertheless they
would struggle with the sword for their lives.
2:15 And it came to pass that my sorrow did return unto me again, and I
saw that the day of grace was passed with them, both temporally and
spiritually; for I saw thousands of them hewn down in open rebellion
against their God, and heaped up as dung upon the face of the land. And
thus three hundred and forty and four years had passed away.
2:16 And it came to pass that in the three hundred and forty and fifth
year the Nephites did begin to flee before the Lamanites; and they were
pursued until they came even to the land of Jashon, before it was
possible to stop them in their retreat.
2:17 And now, the city of Jashon was near the land where Ammaron had
deposited the records unto the Lord, that they might not be destroyed.
And behold I had gone according to the word of Ammaron, and taken the
plates of Nephi, and did make a record according to the words of
Ammaron.
2:18 And upon the plates of Nephi I did make a full account of all the
wickedness and abominations; but upon these plates I did forbear to
make a full account of their wickedness and abominations, for behold, a
continual scene of wickedness and abominations has been before mine
eyes ever since I have been sufficient to behold the ways of man.
2:19 And wo is me because of their wickedness; for my heart has been
filled with sorrow because of their wickedness, all my days;
nevertheless, I know that I shall be lifted up at the last day.
2:20 And it came to pass that in this year the people of Nephi again
were hunted and driven. And it came to pass that we were driven forth
until we had come northward to the land which was called Shem.
2:21 And it came to pass that we did fortify the city of Shem, and we
did gather in our people as much as it were possible, that perhaps we
might save them from destruction.
2:22 And it came to pass in the three hundred and forty and sixth year
they began to come upon us again.
2:23 And it came to pass that I did speak unto my people, and did urge
them with great energy, that they would stand boldly before the
Lamanites and fight for their wives, and their children, and their
houses, and their homes.
2:24 And my words did arouse them somewhat to vigor, insomuch that they
did not flee from before the Lamanites, but did stand with boldness
against them.
2:25 And it came to pass that we did contend with an army of thirty
thousand against an army of fifty thousand. And it came to pass that we
did stand before them with such firmness that they did flee from before
us.
2:26 And it came to pass that when they had fled we did pursue them
with our armies, and did meet them again, and did beat them;
nevertheless the strength of the Lord was not with us; yea, we were
left to ourselves, that the Spirit of the Lord did not abide in us;
therefore we had become weak like unto our brethren.
2:27 And my heart did sorrow because of this the great calamity of my
people, because of their wickedness and their abominations. But behold,
we did go forth against the Lamanites and the robbers of Gadianton,
until we had again taken possession of the lands of our inheritance.
2:28 And the three hundred and forty and ninth year had passed away.
And in the three hundred and fiftieth year we made a treaty with the
Lamanites and the robbers of Gadianton, in which we did get the lands
of our inheritance divided.
2:29 And the Lamanites did give unto us the land northward, yea, even
to the narrow passage which led into the land southward. And we did
give unto the Lamanites all the land southward.