Mormon — Chapter 2
1 During that year another war began between the Nephites and Lamanites. Even though I was young, I was very big, so the Nephites made me leader of their armies.
2 So when I was fifteen years old, I led the Nephite army against the Lamanites. Three hundred twenty-six years had gone by since Christ’s coming.
3 Then during the three hundred twenty-seventh year, the Lamanites came to fight us with so many men that my army was afraid, and my people would not fight. Instead, we left the south lands and went to the north lands.
4 When we got to the city of Angola, we prepared to fight the Lamanites. But even though we fought with all our might, the Lamanites defeated us and chased us out of that city.
5 They also chased us out of the land of David.
6 Then we went to the land of Joshua, in the west, near the sea.
7 We gathered our people as fast as we could into one large group there.
8 The land was filled with robbers and Lamanites. Even though it was plain that my people were going to be destroyed, they would not stop doing wicked things. There was blood and death all over the land among both the Nephites and the Lamanites, and everything was in confusion.
9 Then Aaron, the Lamanite king, came against us with an army of forty-four thousand, and I fought him with an army of forty-two thousand. We defeated Aaron, and he ran away from us in the three hundred thirtieth year.
10 The Nephites began to be sorry because of all the wickedness among them, and began to cry just as Samuel the Lamanite had said they would. No person could keep anything because of all the robbers and murderers and all the witchcraft and magic in the land.
11 So the people in the land, especially the Nephites, began to be very sorry.
12 When I saw how sorry they were, I began to be happy, because I knew God was merciful and patient, and I hoped they would be righteous people again.
13 But I was wrong. Their unhappiness did not make them repent and ask God for mercy. They felt the unhappiness of the damned, because God would not always let people enjoy doing wicked things.
14 So they did not come back to Jesus with broken hearts and repentant spirits, but instead cursed God and wanted to die. But even though they wanted to die, they would still fight for their lives with their swords.
15 Then I was sad again, because I saw it was too late for them to repent. Thousands of them were killed while they were plainly fighting against God, and their bodies were piled up like dung on the land. Three hundred forty-four years had gone by.
16 During the three hundred forty-fifth year the Nephites began to run away from the Lamanites. The Lamanites chased them until they came to the land of Jashon, where I was able to stop them from running away.
17 The city of Jashon was near the land where Ammaron had hidden the records under God’s protection so they would not be destroyed. So I did what Ammaron had told me and took the plates of Nephi to make a record about my people.
18 I wrote all about the people’s wickedness on the plates of Nephi; but I will not write about that on these plates, because I have seen wickedness and evil doings ever since I was old enough to understand what people can do.
19 I am so sad because of their wickedness. My heart has been filled with sadness my whole life. Even so, I know I will live with God and be happy at the last day.
20 During this year, the Nephites were hunted and chased north to the land of Shem.
21 We made the city of Shem strong, and gathered as many of our people there as we could to try to save them from being destroyed.
22 During the three hundred forty-sixth year, the Lamanites came against us again.
23 I spoke to my men very strongly to fight bravely against the Lamanites to save their wives and children and homes and lands.
24 My words helped them to be strong and to fight bravely against the Lamanites, instead of running away.
25 Our army of thirty thousand fought against their army of fifty thousand, but we fought so bravely that they ran away from us.
26 When they ran away from us, we chased after them and fought them again, and defeated them. But the Lord’s power was not with us, and his Spirit was not with us. We were as weak in spirit as the Lamanites.
27 My heart was sad because of the awful things happening to my people because of their wickedness. But we fought against the Lamanites and Gadianton robbers until we had taken back all our lands.
28 The three hundred forty-ninth year went by. During the three hundred fiftieth year, we agreed with the Lamanites and Gadianton robbers to divide our lands.
29 The Lamanites gave us the north lands down to the narrow part leading into the south lands, and we gave the Lamanites the south lands.
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