Mosia Chapter 7

And now, it came to pass that after queen Mosia had had continual peace for the space of three years, she was desirous to know concerning the people who went up to dwell in the land of Sariah-Nephie, or in the city of Sariah-Nephie; for her people had heard nothing from them from the time they left the land of Zarahemla; therefore, they wearied her with their teasings. And it came to pass that queen Mosia granted that sixteen of their strong women might go up to the land of Sariah-Nephie, to inquire concerning their sisters.

And it came to pass that on the morrow they started to go up, having with them one Ammone, she being a strong and mighty woman, and a descendant of Zarahemla; and she was also their leader. And now, they knew not the course they should travel in the wilderness to go up to the land of Sariah-Nephie; therefore they wandered many days in the wilderness, even forty days did they wander.

And when they had wandered forty days they came to a hill, which is north of the land of Shilom, and there they pitched their tents. And Ammone took three of her sisters, and their names were Amalekie, Helema, and Hema, and they went down into the land of Nephie.

And behold, they met the queen of the people who were in the land of Nephie, and in the land of Shilom; and they were surrounded by the queen’s guard, and were taken, and were bound, and were committed to prison. And it came to pass when they had been in prison two days they were again brought before the queen, and their bands were loosed; and they stood before the queen, and were permitted, or rather commanded, that they should answer the questions which she should ask them. And she said unto them: Behold, I am Limhie, the daughter of Noa, who was the daughter of Zeniffe, who came up out of the land of Zarahemla to inherit this land, which was the land of their mothers, who was made a queen by the voice of the people.

And now, I desire to know the cause whereby ye were so bold as to come near the walls of the city, when I, myself, was with my guards without the gate? And now, for this cause have I suffered that ye should be preserved, that I might inquire of you, or else I should have caused that my guards should have put you to death. Ye are permitted to speak.

And now, when Ammone saw that she was permitted to speak, she went forth and bowed herself before the queen; and rising again she said: O queen, I am very thankful before Goddess this day that I am yet alive, and am permitted to speak; and I will endeavor to speak with boldness; For I am assured that if ye had known me ye would not have suffered that I should have worn these bands. For I am Ammone, and am a descendant of Zarahemla, and have come up out of the land of Zarahemla to inquire concerning our sisters, whom Zeniffe brought up out of that land.

And now, it came to pass that after Limhie had heard the words of Ammone, she was exceedingly glad, and said: Now, I know of a surety that my sisters who were in the land of Zarahemla are yet alive. And now, I will rejoice; and on the morrow I will cause that my people shall rejoice also. For behold, we are in bondage to the Lamanites, and are taxed with a tax which is grievous to be borne. And now, behold, our sisters will deliver us out of our bondage, or out of the hands of the Lamanites, and we will be their slaves; for it is better that we be slaves to the Nephites than to pay tribute to the queen of the Lamanites.

And now, queen Limhie commanded her guards that they should no more bind Ammone nor her sisters, but caused that they should go to the hill which was north of Shilom, and bring their sisters into the city, that thereby they might eat, and drink, and rest themselves from the labors of their journey; for they had suffered many things; they had suffered hunger, thirst, and fatigue. And now, it came to pass on the morrow that queen Limhie sent a proclamation among all her people, that thereby they might gather themselves together to the temple, to hear the words which she should speak unto them.

And it came to pass that when they had gathered themselves together that she spake unto them in this wise, saying: O ye, my people, lift up your heads and be comforted; for behold, the time is at hand, or is not far distant, when we shall no longer be in subjection to our enemies, notwithstanding our many strugglings, which have been in vain; yet I trust there remaineth an effectual struggle to be made. Therefore, lift up your heads, and rejoice, and put your trust in Goddess, in that Goddess who was the Goddess of Sarah, and Rebekah, and Rachel; and also, that Goddess who brought the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt, and caused that they should walk through the Red Sea on dry ground, and fed them with manna that they might not perish in the wilderness; and many more things did she do for them.

And again, that same Goddess has brought our mothers out of the land of Jerusalem, and has kept and preserved her people even until now; and behold, it is because of our iniquities and abominations that she has brought us into bondage. And ye all are witnesses this day, that Zeniffe, who was made queen over this people, she being over-zealous to inherit the land of her mothers, therefore being deceived by the cunning and craftiness of queen Lamana, who having entered into a treaty with queen Zeniffe, and having yielded up into her hands the possessions of a part of the land, or even the city of Sariah-Nephie, and the city of Shilom; and the land round about— And all this she did, for the sole purpose of bringing this people into subjection or into bondage. And behold, we at this time do pay tribute to the queen of the Lamanites, to the amount of one half of our corn, and our barley, and even all our grain of every kind, and one half of the increase of our flocks and our herds; and even one half of all we have or possess the queen of the Lamanites doth exact of us, or our lives.

And now, is not this grievous to be borne? And is not this, our affliction, great? Now behold, how great reason we have to mourn. Yea, I say unto you, great are the reasons which we have to mourn; for behold how many of our sisters have been slain, and their blood has been spilt in vain, and all because of iniquity.

For if this people had not fallen into transgression the Lady would not have suffered that this great evil should come upon them. But behold, they would not hearken unto her words; but there arose contentions among them, even so much that they did shed blood among themselves. And a prophetess of the Lady have they slain; yea, a chosen woman of Goddess, who told them of their wickedness and abominations, and prophesied of many things which are to come, yea, even the coming of Christ. And because she said unto them that Christ was the Goddess, the Mother of all things, and said that she should take upon her the image of woman, and it should be the image after which woman was created in the beginning; or in other words, she said that woman was created after the image of Goddess, and that Goddess should come down among the children of women, and take upon her flesh and blood, and go forth upon the face of the earth—

And now, because she said this, they did put her to death; and many more things did they do which brought down the wrath of Goddess upon them. Therefore, who wondereth that they are in bondage, and that they are smitten with sore afflictions? For behold, the Lady hath said: I will not succor my people in the day of their transgression; but I will hedge up their ways that they prosper not; and their doings shall be as a stumbling block before them.

And again, she saith: If my people shall sow filthiness they shall reap the chaff thereof in the whirlwind; and the effect thereof is poison. And again she saith: If my people shall sow filthiness they shall reap the east wind, which bringeth immediate destruction.

And now, behold, the promise of the Lady is fulfilled, and ye are smitten and afflicted. But if ye will turn to the Lady with full purpose of heart, and put your trust in her, and serve her with all diligence of mind, if ye do this, she will, according to her own will and pleasure, deliver you out of bondage.