God among the more wicked part of them, insomuch that this band of robbers was utterly destroyed from among the Lamanites. And it came to pass on the other hand, that the Nephites did build them up and support them, beginning at the more wicked part of them, until they had overspread all the land of the Nephites and had seduced the more part of the righteous until they had come down to believe in their works, and partake of their spoils, and to join with them in their secret murders and combinations. And thus they did obtain the sole management of the government, insomuch that they did trample under their feet, and smite, and rend, and turn their backs upon the poor, and the meek, and the humble followers of God. And thus we see that they were in an awful state, and ripening for an everlasting destruction. And it came to pass that thus ended the sixty and eight year of the reign of the judges over the people of Nephi.

CHAPTER III.

THE PROPHECY OF NEPHI, THE SON OF HELAMAN.-God threatens the people of Nephi, that he will visit them in his anger, to their utter destruction, except they repent of their wickedness. God smiteth the people of Nephi with pestilence; they repent and turn unto him. Samuel, a Lamanite, prophesies unto the Nephites.

1. BEHOLD, now it came to pass in the sixty and ninth year of the reign of the judges over the people of the Nephites, that Nephi, the son of Helaman returned to the land of Zarahemla, from the land northward: for he had been forth among the people who were in the land northward, and did preach the word of God unto them, and did prophesy many things unto them; and they did reject all his words, insomuch that he could not stay among them, but returned again unto the land of his nativity; and seeing the people in a state of such awful wickedness, and those Gadianton robbers filling the judgment seats; having usurped the power and authority of the land; laying aside the commandments of God, and not in the least aright before him; doing no justice unto the children of men; condemning the righteous because of their righteousness; letting the guilty and the wicked go unpunished, because of their money; and moreover to be held in office at the head of government, to rule and do according

to their wills, that they might get gain and glory of the world; and moreover that they might the more easy commit adultery, and steal, and kill, and do according to their own wills. Now this great iniquity had come upon the Nephites, in the space of not many years; and when Nephi saw it, his heart was swollen with sorrow within his breast; and he did exclaim in the agony of his soul, Oh, that I could have had my days in the days when my father Nephi first came out of the land of Jerusalem, that I could have joyed with him in the promised land; then were his people easy to be entreated, firm to keep the commandments of God, and slow to be led to do iniquity; and they were quick to hearken unto the words of the Lord; yea, if my days could have been in them days, then would my soul have had joy in the righteousness of my brethren. But behold, I am consigned that these are my days, and that my soul shall be filled with sorrow, because of this the wickedness of my brethren. And behold, now it came to pass that it was upon a tower, which was in the garden of Nephi, which was by the highway which led to the chief market, which was in the city of Zarahemla; therefore Nephi had bowed himself upon the tower which was in his garden, which tower was also near unto the garden gate which led by the highway.

2. And it came to pass that there were certain men passing by and saw Nephi as he was pouring out his soul unto God upon the tower, and they ran and told the people what they had seen, and the people came together in multitudes that they might know the cause of so great mourning for the wickedness of the people. And now when Nephi arose, he beheld the multitudes of people who had gathered together. And it came to pass that he opened his mouth and said unto them, behold, why have ye gathered yourselves together? That I may tell you of your iniquities? Yea, because I have got upon my tower, that I might pour out my soul unto my God, because of the exceeding sorrow of my heart, which is because of your iniquities? And because of my mourning and lamentation, ye have gathered yourselves together, and do marvel; yea, and ye have great need to marvel; yea, ye had ought to marvel, because ye are given away that the devil has got so great hold upon your hearts; yea, how could you have given away to the enticing of him who is seeking to hurl away your souls down to everlasting misery and endless wo; O repent ye, repent ye! why will ye die? Turn ye, turn ye unto the Lord your God. Why has he forsaken you? It is because you have

hardened your hearts; yea, ye will not hearken unto the voice of the good shepherd; yea, ye have provoked him to anger against you. And behold instead of gathering you, except ye will repent, behold he shall scatter you forth that ye shall become meat for dogs and wild beasts. Oh! how could you have forgotten your God in the very day that he has delivered you? But behold, it is to get gain, to be praised of men; yea, and that ye might get gold and silver. And ye have set your hearts upon the riches and the vain things of this world, for the which ye do murder, and plunder, and steal, and bear false witness against your neighbour, and do all manner of iniquity; and for this cause wo shall come unto you except ye shall repent. For if ye will not repent, behold this great city, and also all those great cities which are round about, which are in the land of our possession, shall be taken away, that ye shall have no place in them; for behold, the Lord will not grant unto you strength, as he has hitherto done, to withstand against your enemies; for behold, thus saith the Lord, I will not shew unto the wicked of my strength, to one more than the other, save it be untc those who repent of their sins, and hearken unto my words; now therefore I would that ye should behold, my brethren, that it shall be better for the Lamanites than for you, except ye shall repent; for behold they are more righteous than you, for they have not sinned against that great knowledge which ye have received; therefore the Lord will be merciful unto them; yea he will lengthen out their days and increase their seed, even when thou shalt be utterly destroyed, except thou shalt repent; yea, wo be unto you because of that great abomination which has come among you; and ye have united yourselves unto it; yea, to that secret band which was established by Gadianton; yea, wo shall come unto you because of that pride which ye have suffered to enter your hearts, which has lifted you up beyond that which is good because of your exceeding great riches; yea, wo be unto you because of your wickedness and abominations. And except ye repent ye shall perish; yea, even your lands shall be taken from you, and ye shall be destroyed from off the face of the earth. Behold now I do not say that these things shall be, of myself, because it is not of myself that I know these things, but behold I know that these things are true, because the Lord God has made them known unto me, therefore I testify that they shall be.

3. And now it came to pass that when Nephi had said these words, behold there were men who were judges, who also

belonged to the secret band of Gadianton, and they were angry, and they cried out against him, saying unto the people, why do ye not seize upon this man and bring him forth, that he may be condemned according to the crime which he has done? Why seest this man, and hearest him revile against this people and against our law? for behold, Nephi had spoken unto them concerning the corruptness of their law; yea, many things did Nephi speak which cannot be written; and nothing did he speak which was contrary to the commandments of God. And those judges were angry with him because he spake plain unto them concerning their secret works of darkness; nevertheless they durst not lay their own hands upon him, for they feared the people lest they should cry out against them; therefore they did cry unto the people, saying, why do you suffer this man to revile against us? For behold he doth condemn all this people, even unto destruction; yea, and also that these our great cities shall be taken from us, that we shall have no place in them. And now we know that this is impossible, for behold we are powerful, and our cities great, therefore our enemies can have no power over us.

4. And it came to pass that thus they did stir up the people to anger against Nephi, and raised contentions among them; for there were some who did cry out, let this man alone, for he is a good man, and those things which he saith will surely come to pass except we repent; yea, behold all the judgments will come upon us which he has testified unto us; for we know that he has testified aright unto us concerning our iniquities. And behold they are many, and he knoweth as well all things which shall befall us as he knoweth of our iniquities; yea, and behold if he had not been a prophet, he could not have testified concerning those things. And it came to pass that those people who sought to destroy Nephi, were compelled because of their fear, that they did not lay their hands on him; therefore he began again to speak unto them, seeing that he had gained favour in the eyes of some, insomuch that the remainder of them did fear; therefore he was constrained to speak more unto them saying, behold my brethren, have ye not read that God gave power unto one man, even Moses, to smite upon the waters of the Red Sea, and they parted hither and thither, insomuch that the Israelites, who were our fathers, came through upon dry ground, and the waters closed upon the armies of the Egyptians and swallowed them up?

5. And now behold, if God gave unto this man such power,

then why should ye dispute among yourselves, and say that he hath given unto me no power whereby I may know concerning the judgments that shall come upon you except ye repent? But, behold, ye not only deny my words, but ye also deny all the words which hath been spoken by our fathers, and also the words which were spoken by this man, Moses, who had such great power given unto him; yea, the words which he hath spoken concerning the coming of the Messiah. Yea, did he not bear record, that the Son of God should come? And as he lifted up the brazen serpent in the wilderness, even so shall he be lifted up who should come. And as many as should look upon that serpent should live, even so, as many as should look upon the Son of God with faith, having a contrite spirit, might live, even unto that life which is eternal.

6. And now behold, Moses did not only testify of these things, but also all the holy prophets, from his days, even to the days of Abraham. Yea, and behold, Abraham saw of his coming, and was filled with gladness and did rejoice. Yea, and behold I say unto you, that Abraham not only knew of these things, but there were many before the days of Abraham who were called by the order of God; yea, even after the order of his Son; and this that it should be shewn unto the people a great many thousand years before his coming, that even redemption should come unto them. And now I would that ye should know, that even since the days of Abraham, there have been many prophets that have testified these things; yea, behold, the prophet Zenos did testify boldly; for the which he was slain. And behold, also Zenock, and also Ezias, and also Isaiah, and Jeremiah, (Jeremiah being that same prophet who testified of the destruction of Jerusalem.) And now we know that Jerusalem was destroyed according to the words of Jeremiah. O then why not the Son of God come, according to his prophecy? And now will you dispute that Jerusalem was destroyed? Will ye say that the sons of Zedekiah were not slain, all except it were Mulek? Yea, and do ye not behold that the seed of Zedekiah are with us, and they were driven out of the land of Jerusalem? But behold, this is not all. Our father Lehi was driven out of Jerusalem because he testified of these things. Nephi also testified of these things, and also almost all of our fathers, even down to this time; yea, they have testified of the coming of Christ, and have looked forward, and have rejoiced in his day which is to come. And behold, he is God, and he is with them, and he did manifest himself unto them, that they were redeemed