The Plates Are Passed On

My father, Jarom, commanded me, Omni, to continue writing our genealogy on these small plates of Nephi. Most of my life has been spent as a warrior, defending my people against the Lamanites. But I myself am a wicked man and have not kept the Lord’s statutes and commandments as I should have. By the year 324 BC, we had gone through many periods of war and peace. It is now 318 BC, and I have guarded these plates forty-four years. I now give them to my son Amaron.

Now I, Amaron, write a few things in my father’s book. By 280 BC, most of the wicked Nephites had been destroyed by the Lamanites. After saving Lehi’s family from their enemies in Jerusalem, the Lord verified His warning to Lehi’s posterity: “If you do not keep my commandments, you will not prosper in the land.” This is why the Lord has already visited the wicked Nephites with great judgments. But He has spared the righteous from being killed by their enemies. I will now give these plates to my brother Chemish.

Now I, Chemish, write a few things in this same book in which my brother Amaron wrote. I saw him engrave his entry on these plates the same day he gave them to me. Our fathers have been commanded to keep this record in this way. Now I give these plates to my son.

I, Abinadom, am Chemish’s son. I have seen many wars between my people, the Nephites, and the Lamanites, in which I have killed many Lamanites with my own sword while defending my brethren. The history of this people is written on the large plates, which the kings keep and hand down from generation to generation. Every revelation and prophecy I know of has been written, so I will not add to this sacred record.

Now I, Amaleki, am Abinadom’s son. I will tell you a little about Mosiah, who was made king over the land of Zarahemla. He had been warned by the Lord to get out of the land of Nephi and to go into the wilderness. He was told to take with him all those who would listen to the Lord’s voice. Mosiah obeyed the Lord and went into the wilderness with as many as would listen. They were led by much preaching and prophesying and were constantly warned by the word of God. The Lord led them by the power of His arm as they made their exodus through the wilderness and came to this land of Zarahemla. Here they discovered a people, led by a man named Zarahemla. They were very happy when they understood that the Lord had sent Mosiah with the brass plates containing the Jews’ records.

The people of Zarahemla were happy to have the brass plates from Jerusalem, for their ancestors had also come from Jerusalem when Zedekiah, king of Judah, was carried away captive into Babylon. Like Lehi, their ancestors had been brought by the hand of the Lord across the ocean to the very place where Mosiah discovered them. This place had been settled for 320 years.

Mosiah noted that the people of Zarahemla were very numerous, even though they had been having wars as well. Because they had not brought any records from Jerusalem, their language had become corrupted, and Mosiah could not understand their speech. They had also lost the knowledge of their Creator. And so Mosiah had his language taught to them. After they learned the language, their leader, Zarahemla, recited his genealogy from memory. This genealogy is not written here, but on other plates (not translated). The people of Zarahemla and the people of Mosiah united, and Mosiah was appointed to be their king.

During his reign, a large engraved stone was brought to Mosiah, and he interpreted the engravings by the gift and power of God. The engravings were the history of a man named Coriantumr, and of his people who had all been killed. The first people of Zarahemla had found Coriantumr, who had lived with them for nine lunar months. The engravings on the stone also told of Coriantumr’s forefathers—how they had come from the tower of Babel when the Lord confused their language. They told of the Lord’s severe yet fair judgments that had come upon Coriantumr’s people, and that their bones were scattered on the ground in the northern land.

I, Amaleki, was born in the days of Mosiah. He has since passed away, and now his son Benjamin reigns here in Zarahemla. During King Benjamin’s reign, I have seen a serious war and great bloodshed between the Nephites and the Lamanites. But the Nephites under King Benjamin have driven the Lamanites out of the land of Zarahemla.

I am old now and have no children. Since I know King Benjamin is a just man before the Lord, I will soon give him these plates. The messages on these plates invite all people to come to God, the Holy One of Israel, and to believe in prophesying, revelations, and the ministering of angels, to believe in the gift of speaking in tongues, and in the understanding of languages, and in all good things, for good comes from the Lord and evil comes from the devil.

My beloved brothers and sisters, I invite you to come to Christ, the Holy One of Israel, and to partake of His salvation. Allow His power to redeem you. Come to Him and offer your whole soul to Him, continuing to fast, pray, and stay righteous throughout your lives. If you do this, then as the Lord lives, you will be saved.

Now I will tell you about a large number of Nephites who left Zarahemla and went through the wilderness on a quest to return to the land of Nephi (the place from which our fathers had come with Mosiah). They believed the land of Nephi was rightfully theirs as an inheritance. Their leader was a physically strong man. He was also very stubborn, and this caused fighting to break out among those making the quest. Only fifty of his men survived this fighting in the wilderness, and they returned to the land of Zarahemla. Then these fifty gathered another large group and went into the wilderness again.

I, Amaleki, had a brother who went with them. I have not seen nor heard from him since he and the group left. Now I am old and will soon die. These small plates of Nephi are full, and I have finished my engraving upon them.