Moroni 9

My father, Mormon, did survive and wrote again:

“My beloved son Moroni, I write again to let you know that I am still alive. But I also have some very sad things to tell you.

“I have had another great battle with the Lamanites in which we were defeated. Archeantus, Luram, and Emron have fallen along with huge numbers of our best men.

“I am afraid that the Lamanites will destroy our people because our people refuse to repent. Satan works incessantly to create conflicts among us. When I persistently speak the word of God to them, they become angry with me or turn their hearts away. I am afraid that the Spirit of God has even quit trying to reach them. They’ve become so angry that they’ve lost their fear of death, lost their love of each other, and are only interested in blood and revenge.

“In spite of all this you and I should continue laboring diligently to do God’s work. If we falter, we too may be condemned. Our task is to defeat the enemy of righteousness so that we may rest our souls in the kingdom of God.

“I have received a message from Amoron telling me that the Lamanites have taken many prisoners after the fall of Sherrizah. After the husbands and fathers were killed, the women and children were forced to eat the flesh of their fathers and husbands. They are also deprived of almost all water.

“In Moriantum the Nephites are behaving just as badly, as they rape and violate the Lamanites’ daughters that they hold as prisoners. After raping these women, they torture them to death and then eat their flesh like wild beasts. They do this as a token of their bravery.

“How can our own people act like this and still call themselves civilized? It was only a few years ago that we were a good and delightful people. How can civilized people become like this, and take pleasure in such abominations? How can we expect God not to rule in judgment against us?

“My heart cries out with pity for our cursed people. I pray that God will come out in judgment and hide these sins, this wickedness, and these abominations from his eyes.

“When the widows and fatherless daughters of Sherrizah were abandoned by their Lamanite captors, they were left with some provisions with which to survive. But the Nephite army of Zenephi stole these provisions for themselves, leaving the women to wander off and die.

“The army with me is weak, and many of my soldiers have fled to Aaron’s army where they have adopted his brutality. I cannot believe the depravity of my people. They are a disorganized mob now, without any mercy. I am alone now in my convictions, and lack the ability as a single man to enforce my commands anymore. My army has embraced perversion and brutality that includes everyone, young and old. I cannot even describe for you the suffering of the women and children across our land.

“I won’t dwell any longer on this horrible scene. You already know for yourself about the wickedness of our people. Their lack of principles and feeling have become even worse than the Lamanites’. I cannot even ask God to help them for fear that he would strike me down.

“I can ask God to help you, my son, and I trust in Jesus Christ that you will be saved. I pray that God will spare your life so that you can witness either our people’s return to him, or their total destruction. I know that unless they repent and return to him, they will all perish. If they perish, it will be like it was with the Jaredites because of their willful hearts, and their lust for blood and revenge.

“If we perish, I know that many of our people will defect to the Lamanites.

“If you survive and I do not, I want you to write about all of this. I hope to see you soon because I have all of our sacred records that I want to turn over to you.

“Be faithful to Jesus Christ. Don’t let the things I’ve written bring you down in grief. Let Jesus Christ lift you up. May his suffering, his death, his visitation to our ancestors, his mercy, the hope of his glory, and his promise of eternal life, ease your mind forever. May the grace of God the Father in heaven, and our Lord Jesus Christ abide with you forever.”