The Plates Are Passed On

385: I, Mormon, am about to give my plates to my son Moroni. I have seen the death of almost all my people, the Nephites. I believe my son will witness their entire destruction. May God spare him long enough to write about my people, and about Christ, so that someday his writings may be of value to my people’s descendants among the Lamanites.

After I had engraved the Nephite history down to King Benjamin by referring to Nephi’s large plates, I found Nephi’s small plates. They contain many of Nephi’s words and a brief account of the prophets from Jacob down to King Benjamin. What pleases me most about Nephi’s small plates is their account of the prophecies of Christ’s coming. My ancestors knew that many of these prophecies had been fulfilled in their day. I know the prophecies of my day have been fulfilled, and that the prophecies not yet fulfilled surely will be. Because these prophecies will be fulfilled, I will pattern the rest of my record after them. I will do this as I continue referring to Nephi’s large plates. And I cannot engrave even one percent of the history of my people, the Nephites.

Because these small plates are so choice to me, I am putting them with my plates before continuing my engraving. I know the record of these small plates will also be choice to my brethren, the Lamanites, in the last days. I am putting the small plates with mine because the Lord’s Spirit tells me to. I do not know exactly why, for I know not the future, but it must be for a wise purpose known to the Lord, who works His will through me.

My prayer to God is for my brethren, the Lamanites, to once again know God, to know of Christ’s redemption, and to again become a delightful people.

Now I, Mormon, continue to engrave my record as I refer to Nephi’s large plates. I do this according to the knowledge and understanding God has given me.

When King Benjamin received Nephi’s small plates from Amaleki, he put them with Nephi’s large plates that had been handed down by the kings from generation to generation. All these plates have been handed down by King Benjamin, from generation to generation, until I, Mormon, have received them. I pray to God that they will always be preserved, and I know they will be, for great things are written on them. On the great and last day, my people, the Nephites, and our brethren, the Lamanites, will be judged by what is engraved upon these plates.

Now back to King Benjamin. His own people, the Nephites, fought a great deal among themselves. Then the Lamanite armies came from the land of Nephi to attack them. King Benjamin gathered armies to defend his people, and he himself used Laban’s sword while battling the Lamanites.

Because the Nephites were strengthened by the Lord, they killed several thousand Lamanites and chased the rest of them out of their lands of inheritance. Among the Nephites, there had been false Christs who were silenced and punished according to their crimes. There were also false prophets, preachers, and teachers among the Nephites who had caused much of the fighting as well as defecting to the Lamanites, and they were also punished. With the assistance of the holy prophets among his people, King Benjamin had seen to this justice. King Benjamin was a holy man, who reigned in righteousness. There were many other holy men in the land who spoke God’s words with power and authority. They spoke sharply because the Nephites were stubborn. With the help of these holy men, and by laboring with all the strength of his body and soul, King Benjamin established peace again in the land.