Mormon 2

That same year a great war began between the Lamanites and my people. Because I was very big for my age I was made a leader in the Nephite army. By the time I was 16 years old I led the army into battle. [AD 326]

In the 327th year after Christ’s arrival the Lamanites came at us with such power that my army was frightened, would not fight, and retreated to the north. We fortified ourselves within the city of Angola and tried to defend it, but in spite of our best efforts the Lamanites drove us out. We were then driven from the land of David.

We retreated to the land of Joshua near the western coastline, and gathered up as many of our people as possible and organized ourselves into a single group. The land was filled with robbers and Lamanites. In spite of the imminent threat of destruction my people made no repentance of their evil ways. Because of this there was a huge loss of life and blood on both sides. There was revolution going on everywhere.

The Lamanite army of 40,000 soldiers was led by their King Aaron. In the 330th year after Christ’s arrival I led an army of 42,000 Nephite soldiers against them, beat them, and drove them back.

Over the next 14 years the Nephites cried out and repented for their sinfulness, just as Samuel the Lamanite had prophesied hundreds of years earlier. Because of the rampant thieves, murderers, magic, and witchcraft, no one could hold onto their possessions. Oh, how the Nephites mourned and wailed.

When I saw their regret and sorrow before God, my heart rejoiced. I knew that God had been waiting long and patiently for their repentance, and that if they returned to righteousness, he would show them his mercy. But my joy was short lived. Their sorrow was not about repentance, but instead was the sorrow of the damned. God would not allow them to find happiness in sin. They were not coming to Jesus Christ with contrition in their spirit or broken hearts, but with curses for God instead. Many of them wanted to die, but in spite of this they struggled to save their lives with their swords. I fell into sorrow again because I saw that their moment of earthly and spiritual grace had come and gone unclaimed. During this time I saw thousands of them cut down in rebellion against God, with their dead bodies heaped up like manure across the land.

In the 345th year after Christ’s arrival, the Lamanites pushed us backwards until we reached the land of Jashon. This was the area where Ammaron had hidden the records of our people so that they wouldn’t be destroyed. In accordance with his instructions I went and made a complete record of the wickedness and abominations that I’d seen since I was a child. I know that on judgment day I will be lifted up, but my heart is filled with sorrow for the wickedness of my Nephite people that I’ve witnessed throughout my life.

The Lamanites continued to hunt and drive the Nephites northward to the land of Shem. We gathered together there in the 346th year and fortified the city for defense. I spoke to my people and strenuously urged them to fight for their wives, their children, and their homes. My words had some effect because they didn’t flee when the Lamanite army of 30,000 soldiers attacked. In fact, we fought so hard that the Lamanites fled from us. We chased them down and defeated them, even without the strength of God on our side. This was a turning point. Shortly thereafter our army reclaimed all the lands of our inheritance from the Gadianton Robbers and the Lamanites.

In the 350th year after Christ’s arrival, we made a treaty with the Lamanites and the Gadianton Robbers in which we divided up the lands. The Nephites received lands north of the narrow passage of land that led to the southern lands, and the Lamanites received the lands to the south.