Mormon Gathers His People
Now I finish my record about the destruction of my people, the Nephites. We marched toward the Lamanites.
I, Mormon, wrote a letter to the king of the Lamanites. I asked him to let us gather our people to the land of Cumorah, by a hill called Cumorah. There we would fight them. The king of the Lamanites gave me what I asked for.
We marched to the land of Cumorah. We set up our tents around the hill Cumorah. It was in a land with many waters, rivers, and springs. Here we hoped to gain an advantage over the Lamanites. After 384 years had passed, we had gathered all the rest of our people to the land Cumorah.
When we had gathered all our people in one place at the land of Cumorah, I, Mormon, began to be old. I knew this would be the last fight of my people. The Lord had told me not to let the records our fathers had passed down fall into the hands of the Lamanites. The records were sacred. The Lamanites would destroy them. So I made this record from the plates of Nephi. I hid all the records the Lord had given me in the hill Cumorah, except for a few plates I gave to my son Moroni.
The Final Battle
My people, with their wives and children, saw the armies of the Lamanites marching toward them. They were filled with the terrible fear of death that fills all wicked people. They waited to meet them.
The Lamanites came to battle against us. Everyone was filled with terror because of how many Lamanites there were. They attacked my people with swords, bows, arrows, axes, and all kinds of weapons.
My men were cut down. The ten thousand who were with me were killed. I was wounded and fell in the middle of the battle. But they passed by me and did not kill me.
They cut down all my people except for 24 of us. My son Moroni was one of them. We survived while the rest of our people died. The next morning, after the Lamanites had gone back to their camps, we looked out from the top of the hill Cumorah. We saw the ten thousand of my people who had been cut down. I had led them at the front. We also saw the ten thousand of my people who were led by my son Moroni.
The ten thousand of Gidgiddonah had fallen. He also fell in the middle. Lamah had fallen with his ten thousand. Gilgal had fallen with his ten thousand. Limhah had fallen with his ten thousand. Joneam had fallen with his ten thousand. Cumenihah, Moronihah, Antionum, Shiblom, Shem, and Josh had fallen with their ten thousand each.
Ten more had fallen by the sword, with their ten thousand each. All my people had fallen except for the 24 who were with me. A few had escaped to the south. A few had joined the Lamanites. Their bodies and bones and blood lay on the ground. Those who killed them left them to rot on the land, to fall apart, and to return to the earth.
Mormon’s Lament
My soul was torn with pain because of my people who had been killed. I cried, “O you beautiful ones, how could you have left the ways of the Lord! O you beautiful ones, how could you have turned away from Jesus, who stood with open arms to receive you! If you had not done this, you would not have fallen. But you are fallen. I am sad for your loss. O you beautiful sons and daughters, you fathers and mothers, you husbands and wives, you beautiful ones, how could you have fallen!
But you are gone. My sadness cannot bring you back. The day soon comes when your mortal bodies must become immortal. These bodies that are now rotting will soon become bodies that cannot die. Then you must stand before the judgment seat of Christ. You will be judged by your works. If you are good, then you are blessed with your fathers who have gone before you. O that you had turned away from your sins before this great destruction came upon you. But you are gone. The Father, the eternal Father of heaven, knows your state. He does with you according to his justice and mercy.“