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Show BOOK OF HOOK OF MOSIAB, MOSIAR, or of the land of our fathers’ first inheritance, and I having Ze been sent as a spy among the Lamanites, that 1 might spy out their forces; that our army might come upon them and destroy them; but when I saw that which was good among then, | was desirous that they should not be destroyed; theretore, | contended with my brethren in the wilderness: for I would that our ruler should make a treaty with them. But he being an austere and a blood-thirsty man, commanded that I should be slain; but | was rescued, by the shedding of much blood: for father fought against father, and brother against brother, until the greatest number of our army was destroyed in the wilder- } ness; and we returned, those of us that were spared, to the fand of Zarahemla, to relate that tale to their wives, and their children. And yet, I being over zealous to inherit the land of our fathers, collected as many as were ‘desirous to go up to possess the land, and started again on our journey into the wilderness, to go up to the land; but we were smitten with fanme and sore afflictions: for we were slow to remember the Lord our God. Nevertheless, after many days’ wandering in the wilderness, we pitched our tents in the place where ow! brethren were slain, which was near to the land of our fathers. jdolatrous people; therefore, they were desirous to bring us into bondage, that they might gluithemselves with the labors of our hands ; yea, that they might feast themselves upon the flocks of our fields. Therefore, it came to pass that king Laman began to stir up his people, that they should contend with my’ people; therefore, there began to be wars and contentions in the land. For, in the thirteenth year of my reign in the land of Nephi, away on the south of the land of Shilom, when my people were watering and feeding their flocks, and tilling their lands, a numerous host of Lamanites came upon them, and began to slay them, and to take of their flocks, and the corn of theig elds. Yea, and it came to pass that they fled, all that were not overtaken, even into the city of Nephi, and did call upon me for protection. And it came to pass that I did arm them with bows, and with arrows, with swords, and with cimeters, and with clubs, and with slings, and with all manner of weapons which we could invent, and I and my people_did go forth against the La- mamtes, to battle ; yea, in the strength of the Lord did we go forth to battle agamst the Lamanites: for I and my people And it came to pass that I went again with four of my mel into the city, im unto the king, that I might know of the dispe- did ery mightily to the Lord, my _t Our cries, sition of the king, and that I might know if I might go in with people, and possess the land in peace. And [Iwent in wuto the king, and he covenanted with me,. that I might possess the land of Lehi-Nephi, and the land of Shilom. And he also commanded that his people should depart out of the land, and I and my people went into the land, that we might pos sess it. And we began to build buildings, and to repair the Walls of the city, yea, even the walls of the city of Lehi-Ne phi, and the city of Shilom. And we began to till the ground, yea, even with all manner of seeds, with seeds of corn, and 0! wheat; and of barley, and with neas, and with sheum, an with seeds of all manner of fruits: and we did begin to mul- tiply and prosper in the land. Now, it was the cunning and the craftiness of king Laman, to’ bring my people into bon duge, that he yielded up the land, that we might possess it. Therefore, it came to pass that after we had dwelt. in the land for the space of twelve years, that king Laman began ' pen nea lest by any means my people should wax strons Hi nc land, and that they could not overpower them and bring them into bondage, Now, they were a lazy, and #° 175 he Wands of our enemies, that he would for we were deliver us cut awakened hembrance of the deliverance of our fathers. and did answer our prayers; And to of a_re- God did and We.did go and in one day and a night, we did slay three thousand and orthin bis might, Be ni Yea, we didgo forth against the Lamanites ; we did slay them, evel tiitil our land.* And “iad to bury ing dead. 4 ‘ I, myself, we had driven them with mine own hands, did And behold, to our great sorrow and ® ap Mentation, twd hundred and seventy-nine of our bréthren 2, Paes Were slain. . t came to pass that We again began to establish the And it X, FPP sink every hk. x HL € p ori and we again began to possess the land in peace. tet there should be weapons of war made, of against the that thereby I might have weapons for my people, aBeinst i € time the Lamanites should that the and ee Pepe. And I set guards round about the land, utes cipal ne seni ocks, i Rice: come up again to war and thus uta id guard us again unawares, my people, and my p them from falling mto the hands of our ene- Ye came to pass that we did inherit the land of our fa- |