# Mormon 3

*Simple English*

### Preparing for Battle

The Lamanites did not come to battle again for ten more years. I put my people, the Nephites, to work getting their lands and weapons ready for battle.

### The Lord’s Warning

The Lord said to me: Tell these people to turn away from their sins. Come to me. Get baptized. Build up my church again. Then you will be saved. I told the people this. But they did not listen. They did not understand that the Lord had saved them. He had given them a chance to turn from their sins. But they made their hearts hard against the Lord their God.

After this tenth year passed, making 360 years since Christ came, the king of the Lamanites sent me a letter. He told me they were getting ready to come fight us again. I told my people to gather together at the land called Desolation. They went to a city near the narrow pass that led south. We put our armies there. We wanted to stop the Lamanite armies. We did not want them to take our lands. So we used all our strength to build defenses against them.

### Victories and Pride

In year 361, the Lamanites came down to the city of Desolation to fight us. We beat them that year. They went back to their own lands. In year 362, they came down to fight again. We beat them again. We killed many of them. Their dead bodies were thrown into the sea.

Because my people, the Nephites, had done this great thing, they began to brag about their own strength. They swore to heaven that they would get revenge for the blood of their brothers who had been killed by their enemies. They swore by heaven and by the throne of God that they would go to battle against their enemies. They would wipe them off the face of the land.

### Mormon Refuses to Lead

From that time on, I completely refused to be a commander and leader of these people. This was because of their evil ways and terrible sins. I had led them many times to battle, even though they were wicked. I had loved them with all my heart, the same way God loved me. I prayed to God for them all day long. But my prayers did not work because their hearts were hard. Three times I had saved them from their enemies. But they never turned away from their sins.

They had sworn by everything that our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ told them not to swear by. They said they would go to battle against their enemies and get revenge for the blood of their brothers. Then the voice of the Lord came to me. He said: Revenge belongs to me. I will pay them back. These people did not turn from their sins after I saved them. So they will be wiped off the face of the earth. I completely refused to go up against my enemies. I did what the Lord told me to do. I stood there and watched. I showed the world the things I saw and heard. This was because the Spirit had told me about things that would happen.

### Writing to All People

So I am writing to you, non-Jewish people. I am also writing to you, house of Israel. When the work starts, you will be getting ready to return to your homeland. I am writing to everyone on earth. I am writing to you, twelve tribes of Israel. You will be judged by your works. The twelve disciples Jesus chose in the land of Jerusalem will judge you. I am also writing to the rest of this people. You will also be judged by the twelve disciples Jesus chose in this land. They will be judged by the other twelve disciples Jesus chose in the land of Jerusalem.

The Spirit shows me these things. That is why I am writing to all of you. I am writing so you will know that you must all stand before Jesus to be judged. Every person who has ever lived must stand there. You will be judged by your works, whether they are good or bad. I am also writing so you will believe the good news of Jesus Christ that you will have with you. I want the Jewish people, the Lord’s chosen people, to have another witness besides what they saw and heard. Jesus, the one they killed, was the Christ. He was God. I wish I could get everyone on earth to turn from their sins and get ready to stand before Jesus for judgment.

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*Source: [The Book of Mormon](https://bookofmormon.com/simple/mormon/3)*
