Coriantumr Remembers
When Coriantumr got better from his wounds, he started to remember what Ether had said to him. He saw that almost two million of his people had been killed by the sword. He was very sad. Two million strong men had been killed, and also their wives and children. He felt sorry for the bad things he had done. He started to remember what all the prophets had said. He saw that everything they said had come true. He was so sad that nothing could make him feel better.
He wrote a letter to Shiz. He asked him to stop hurting the people. He said he would give up being king if it would save people’s lives. When Shiz got his letter, he wrote back to Coriantumr. He said if Coriantumr would give himself up, Shiz would kill him with his own sword. Then he would stop hurting the people.
But the people didn’t stop doing wrong. Coriantumr’s people became angry at Shiz’s people. And Shiz’s people became angry at Coriantumr’s people. So Shiz’s people fought against Coriantumr’s people. When Coriantumr saw that he was about to lose, he ran away again from Shiz’s people.
The Final Battles Begin
He came to the waters of Ripliancum. This word means “very large” or “greater than all.” When they came to these waters, they set up their tents. Shiz also set up his tents near them. So the next day they fought. They fought a very hard battle. Coriantumr was hurt again. He passed out because he lost so much blood. Coriantumr’s armies pushed hard against Shiz’s armies. They beat them and made them run away. They ran south and set up their tents in a place called Ogath. Coriantumr’s army set up their tents by the hill Ramah. It was the same hill where my father Mormon hid the sacred records for the Lord.
They brought together all the people in the whole land who had not been killed. The only person not with them was Ether. Ether watched everything the people did. He saw that the people who were for Coriantumr came together to Coriantumr’s army. And the people who were for Shiz came together to Shiz’s army. So for four years they brought people together. They wanted to get everyone in the land. They wanted to get as strong as they could possibly be.
Everyone Fights
When they were all together, everyone joined the army they wanted. Their wives and children came too. All the men, women, and children had weapons for war. They had shields and armor. They dressed for war. Then they marched out to fight each other. They fought all day but no one won. When night came they were tired and went back to their camps. After they went back to their camps, they cried and screamed for the people who had died. Their cries and screams were so loud they filled the air. The next day they fought again. That day was terrible. But no one won. When night came again, they filled the air with their cries and screams for the people who had died.
Coriantumr wrote another letter to Shiz. He asked him not to fight again. He asked him to take the kingdom and save people’s lives.
But the Spirit of the Lord had stopped working with them. Satan had complete control of their hearts. They were stuck with hard hearts and closed minds so they would be destroyed. So they went to fight again.
Days of Fighting
They fought all that day. When night came they slept on their swords. The next day they fought until night came. When night came they were so full of anger it was like being drunk on wine. They slept again on their swords. The next day they fought again. When night came, almost everyone had been killed by the sword. Only 52 of Coriantumr’s people and 69 of Shiz’s people were left.
That night they slept on their swords. The next day they fought again. They fought as hard as they could with their swords and shields all day. When night came there were 32 of Shiz’s people left and 27 of Coriantumr’s people left.
They ate and slept. Then they prepared for death the next day. They were big, strong men. They fought for three hours. Then they passed out because they lost so much blood.
The Last Two Men
When Coriantumr’s men got strong enough to walk, they tried to run away to save their lives. But Shiz woke up, and his men did too. He swore in his anger that he would kill Coriantumr, or he would die trying. So he chased them. The next day he caught up with them. They fought again with the sword. When everyone had been killed by the sword except Coriantumr and Shiz, Shiz passed out from losing so much blood.
When Coriantumr had rested on his sword for a little while, he cut off Shiz’s head. After he cut off Shiz’s head, Shiz lifted up on his hands and fell down. After he fought to breathe, he died.
Then Coriantumr fell to the ground. He seemed to have no life.
Ether Finishes His Record
The Lord spoke to Ether and said to him: “Go.” So he went and saw that everything the Lord said had come true. He finished his record. (I have not written even one hundredth of it.) He hid the records so that Limhi’s people would find them. These are the last words that Ether wrote: “I don’t know if the Lord will take me to heaven or if I will die here. It doesn’t matter, as long as I am saved in God’s kingdom. Amen.”