The Book Of Mosiah (Chap. 7)

Mosiah 7:1
And now, it came to pass that after king Mosiah had had
continual peace for the space of three years, he was desirous to
know concerning the people who went up to dwell in the land of
Lehi-Nephi, or in the city of Lehi-Nephi; for his people had
heard nothing from them from the time they left the land of
Zarahemla; therefore, they wearied him with their teasings.

Mosiah 7:2
And it came to pass that king Mosiah granted that sixteen of
their strong men might go up to the land of Lehi-Nephi to inquire
concerning their brethren.

Mosiah 7:3
And it came to pass that on the morrow they started to go up,
having with them one Ammon, he being a strong and mighty man, and
a descendant of Zarahemla; and he was also their leader.

Mosiah 7:4
And now, they knew not the course they should travel in the
wilderness to go up to the land of Lehi-Nephi; therefore they
wandered many days in the wilderness, even forty days did they
wander.

Mosiah 7:5
And when they had wandered forty days they came to a hill,
which is north of the land of Shilom, and there they pitched
their tents.

Mosiah 7:6
And Ammon took three of his brethren, and their names were
Amaleki, Helem, and Hem, and they went down into the land of
Nephi.

Mosiah 7:7
And behold, they met the king of the people who were in the
land of Nephi, and in the land of Shilom; and they were
surrounded by the king's guard, and were taken, and were bound,
and were committed to prison.

Mosiah 7:8
And it came to pass when they had been in prison two days they
were again brought before the king, and their bands were loosed;
and they stood before the king, and were permitted, or rather
commanded, that they should answer the questions which he should
ask them.

Mosiah 7:9
And he said unto them: Behold, I am Limhi, the son of Noah,
who was the son of Zeniff, who came up out of the land of
Zarahemla to inherit this land, which was the land of their
fathers, who was made a king by the voice of the people.

Mosiah 7:10
And now, I desire to know the cause whereby ye were so bold
as to come near the walls of the city, when I, myself, was with
my guards without the gate?

Mosiah 7:11
And now, for this cause have I suffered that ye should be
preserved, that I might inquire of you, or else I should have
caused that my guards should have put you to death. Ye are
permitted to speak.

Mosiah 7:12
And now, when Ammon saw that he was permitted to speak, he
went forth and bowed himself before the king; and rising again he
said: O king, I am very thankful before God this day that I am
yet alive, and am permitted to speak; and I will endeavor to
speak with boldness;

Mosiah 7:13
For I am assured that if ye had known me ye would not have
suffered that I should have worn these bands. For I am Ammon,
and am a descendant of Zarahemla, and have come up out of the
land of Zarahemla to inquire concerning our brethren, whom Zeniff
brought up out of that land.

Mosiah 7:14
And now, it came to pass that after Limhi had heard the words
of Ammon, he was exceedingly glad, and said: Now, I know of a
surety that my brethren who were in the land of Zarahemla are yet
alive. And now, I will rejoice; and on the morrow I will cause
that my people shall rejoice also.

Mosiah 7:15
For behold, we are in bondage to the Lamanites, and are taxed
with a tax which is grievous to be borne. And now, behold, our
brethren will deliver us out of our bondage, or out of the hands
of the Lamanites, and we will be their slaves; for it is better
that we be slaves to the Nephites than to pay tribute to the king
of the Lamanites.

Mosiah 7:16
And now, king Limhi commanded his guards that they should no
more bind Ammon nor his brethren, but caused that they should go
to the hill which was north of Shilom, and bring their brethren
into the city, that thereby they might eat, and drink, and rest
themselves from the labors of their journey; for they had
suffered many things; they had suffered hunger, thirst, and
fatigue.

Mosiah 7:17
And now, it came to pass on the morrow that king Limhi sent a
proclamation among all his people, that thereby they might gather
themselves together to the temple to hear the words which he
should speak unto them.

Mosiah 7:18
And it came to pass that when they had gathered themselves
together that he spake unto them in this wise, saying: O ye, my
people, lift up your heads and be comforted; for behold, the time
is at hand, or is not far distant, when we shall no longer be in
subjection to our enemies, notwithstanding our many strugglings,
which have been in vain; yet I trust there remaineth an effectual
struggle to be made.

Mosiah 7:19
Therefore, lift up your heads, and rejoice, and put your
trust in God, in that God who was the God of Abraham, and Isaac,
and Jacob; and also, that God who brought the children of Israel
out of the land of Egypt, and caused that they should walk
through the Red Sea on dry ground, and fed them with manna that
they might not perish in the wilderness; and many more things did
he do for them.

Mosiah 7:20
And again, that same God has brought our fathers out of the
land of Jerusalem, and has kept and preserved his people even
until now; and behold, it is because of our iniquities and
abominations that he has brought us into bondage.

Mosiah 7:21
And ye all are witnesses this day, that Zeniff, who was made
king over this people, he being over-zealous to inherit the land
of his fathers, therefore being deceived by the cunning and
craftiness of king Laman, who having entered into a treaty with
king Zeniff, and having yielded up into his hands the possessions
of a part of the land, or even the city of Lehi-Nephi, and the
city of Shilom; and the land round about—

Mosiah 7:22
And all this he did, for the sole purpose of bringing this
people into subjection or into bondage. And behold, we at this
time do pay tribute to the king of the Lamanites, to the amount
of one half of our corn, and our barley, and even all our grain
of every kind, and one half of the increase of our flocks and our
herds; and even one half of all we have or possess the king of
the Lamanites doth exact of us, or our lives.

Mosiah 7:23
And now, is not this grievous to be borne? And is not this,
our affliction, great? Now behold, how great reason we have to
mourn.

Mosiah 7:24
Yea, I say unto you, great are the reasons which we have to
mourn; for behold how many of our brethren have been slain, and
their blood has been spilt in vain, and all because of iniquity.

Mosiah 7:25
For if this people had not fallen into transgression the Lord
would not have suffered that this great evil should come upon
them. But behold, they would not hearken unto his words; but
there arose contentions among them, even so much that they did
shed blood among themselves.

Mosiah 7:26
And a prophet of the Lord have they slain; yea, a chosen man
of God, who told them of their wickedness and abominations, and
prophesied of many things which are to come, yea, even the coming
of Christ.

Mosiah 7:27
And because he said unto them that Christ was the God, the
Father of all things, and said that he should take upon him the
image of man, and it should be the image after which man was
created in the beginning; or in other words, he said that man was
created after the image of God, and that God should come down
among the children of men, and take upon him flesh and blood, and
go forth upon the face of the earth—

Mosiah 7:28
And now, because he said this, they did put him to death; and
many more things did they do which brought down the wrath of God
upon them. Therefore, who wondereth that they are in bondage,
and that they are smitten with sore afflictions?

Mosiah 7:29
For behold, the Lord hath said: I will not succor my people
in the day of their transgression; but I will hedge up their ways
that they prosper not; and their doings shall be as a stumbling
block before them.

Mosiah 7:30
And again, he saith: If my people shall sow filthiness they
shall reap the chaff thereof in the whirlwind; and the effect
thereof is poison.

Mosiah 7:31
And again he saith: If my people shall sow filthiness they
shall reap the east wind, which bringeth immediate destruction.

Mosiah 7:32
And now, behold, the promise of the Lord is fulfilled, and ye
are smitten and afflicted.

Mosiah 7:33
But if ye will turn to the Lord with full purpose of heart,
and put your trust in him, and serve him with all diligence of
mind, if ye do this, he will, according to his own will and
pleasure, deliver you out of bondage.