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The Book of Mormon

By Joseph Smith

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Words of Mormon

THE WORDS OF MORMON

Words of Mormon 1:1
 1 And now I, Mormon, being about to deliver up the record which
I have been making into the hands of my son Moroni, behold I have
witnessed almost all the destruction of my people, the Nephites.

Words of Mormon 1:2
 2 And it is many hundred years after the coming of Christ that I
deliver these records into the hands of my son; and it supposeth
me that he will witness the entire destruction of my people.  But
may God grant that he may survive them, that he may write
somewhat concerning them, and somewhat concerning Christ, that
perhaps some day it may profit them.

Words of Mormon 1:3
 3 And now, I speak somewhat concerning that which I have
written; for after I had made an abridgment from the plates of
Nephi, down to the reign of this king Benjamin, of whom Amaleki
spake, I searched among the records which had been delivered into
my hands, and I found these plates, which contained this small
account of the prophets, from Jacob down to the reign of this
king Benjamin, and also many of the words of Nephi.

Words of Mormon 1:4
 4 And the things which are upon these plates pleasing me,
because of the prophecies of the coming of Christ; and my fathers
knowing that many of them have been fulfilled; yea, and I also
know that as many things as have been prophesied concerning us
down to this day have been fulfilled, and as many as go beyond
this day must surely come to pass--

Words of Mormon 1:5
 5 Wherefore, I chose these things, to finish my record upon
them, which remainder of my record I shall take from the plates
of Nephi; and I cannot write the hundredth part of the things of
my people.

Words of Mormon 1:6
 6 But behold, I shall take these plates, which contain these
prophesyings and revelations, and put them with the remainder of
my record, for they are choice unto me; and I know they will be
choice unto my brethren.

Words of Mormon 1:7
 7 And I do this for a wise purpose; for thus it whispereth me,
according to the workings of the Spirit of the Lord which is in
me.  And now, I do not know all things; but the Lord knoweth all
things which are to come; wherefore, he worketh in me to do
according to his will.

Words of Mormon 1:8
 8 And my prayer to God is concerning my brethren, that they may
once again come to the knowledge of God, yea, the redemption of
Christ; that they may once again be a delightsome people.

Words of Mormon 1:9
 9 And now I, Mormon, proceed to finish out my record, which I
take from the plates of Nephi; and I make it according to the
knowledge and the understanding which God has given me.

Words of Mormon 1:10
 10 Wherefore, it came to pass that after Amaleki had delivered
up these plates into the hands of king Benjamin, he took them and
put them with the other plates, which contained records which had
been handed down by the kings, from generation to generation
until the days of king Benjamin.

Words of Mormon 1:11
 11 And they were handed down from king Benjamin, from generation
to generation until they have fallen into my hands.  And I,
Mormon, pray to God that they may be preserved from this time
henceforth.  And I know that they will be preserved; for there
are great things written upon them, out of which my people and
their brethren shall be judged at the great and last day,
according to the word of God which is written.

Words of Mormon 1:12
 12 And now, concerning this king Benjamin--he had somewhat of
contentions among his own people.

Words of Mormon 1:13
 13 And it came to pass also that the armies of the Lamanites
came down out of the land of Nephi, to battle against his people.

But behold, king Benjamin gathered together his armies, and he
did stand against them; and he did fight with the strength of his
own arm, with the sword of Laban.

Words of Mormon 1:14
 14 And in the strength of the Lord they did contend against
their enemies, until they had slain many thousands of the
Lamanites.  And it came to pass that they did contend against the
Lamanites until they had driven them out of all the lands of
their inheritance.

Words of Mormon 1:15
 15 And it came to pass that after there had been false Christs,
and their mouths had been shut, and they punished according to
their crimes;

Words of Mormon 1:16
 16 And after there had been false prophets, and false preachers
and teachers among the people, and all these having been punished
according to their crimes; and after there having been much
contention and many dissensions away unto the Lamanites, behold,
it came to pass that king Benjamin, with the assistance of the
holy prophets who were among his people--

Words of Mormon 1:17
 17 For behold, king Benjamin was a holy man, and he did reign
over his people in righteousness; and there were many holy men in
the land, and they did speak the word of God with power and with
authority; and they did use much sharpness because of the
stiffneckedness of the people--

Words of Mormon 1:18
 18 Wherefore, with the help of these, king Benjamin, by laboring
with all the might of his body and the faculty of his whole soul,
and also the prophets, did once more establish peace in the land.