Gathering the people and armies and moving to the land of
Cumorah, Mormon knew this would be the end for his people. Knowing this was the
last battle, Mormon had to protect the plates by hiding them, knowing the
Lamanites would destroy them if they found them. “For thus saith the Lord God:
They shall write the things which shall be done among them, and they shall be
written and sealed up in a book, and those who have dwindled in unbelief shall
not have them, for they seek to destroy the things of God” (2 Nephi 26:17).
“For at the present our strugglings were vain in restoring
them to the true faith. And they swore in their wrath that, if it were
possible, they would destroy our records and us, and also all the traditions of
our fathers” (Enos 1:14).
He tells us this record is a record he made from the plates
of Nephi. “And upon the plates of Nephi I did make a full account of all the
wickedness and abominations; but upon these plates I did forbear to make a full
account of their wickedness and abominations, for behold, a continual scene of
wickedness and abominations has been before mine eyes ever since I have been
sufficient to behold the ways of man” (Mormon 2:18).
Most of the plates had already been hidden. Moroni would identify
the location of the plates. “And it came to pass that the army of Coriantumr
did pitch their tents by the hill Ramah; and it was that same hill where my
father Mormon did hide up the records unto the Lord, which were sacred” (Ether
15:11).
Mormon was ready to pass the remainder of the plates to his
son, Moroni, that he might complete the record. “And if it so be that they
perish, we know that many of our brethren have deserted over unto the
Lamanites, and many more will also desert over unto them; wherefore, write
somewhat a few things, if thou art spared and I shall perish and not see thee;
but I trust that I may see thee soon; for I have sacred records that I would
deliver up unto thee” (Moroni 9:24).
“And I seal up these records, after I have spoken a few
words by way of exhortation unto you” (Moroni 10:2).
“The Book of Mormon itself specifically states that the
golden plates of the Book of Mormon were not buried in Cumorah (Mormon 6:6) … The
Book of Mormon strongly implies that the Hill Cumorah is near the narrow neck of
land (Mormon 4-6, Ether 14) … Joseph never identifies the hill in which he
found the plates as the hill Cumorah. Indeed, even after that identification
became commonplace, Joseph simply calls it ‘a hill of considerable size,’ which
was ‘convenient to the village of Manchester’ (Joseph Smith-History 1:51).”[1]
“[T]here was one Cumorah in Mesoamerica, which is always the
hill referred to in the Book of Mormon. Thereafter, beginning with Oliver
Cowdery (possibly based on a misreading of Mormon 6:6), early Mormons began to
associate the Book of Mormon Cumorah with the hill in New York where Joseph
Smith found the plates.”[2]
Seeing the advancing Lamanite army, the Nephites experienced
“that awful fear of death which fills the breasts of all the wicked” (Mormon
6:7). Nephi had seen this day. “And it came to pass that I looked and beheld
the people of my seed gathered together in multitudes against the seed of my
brethren; and they were gathered together to battle” (1 Nephi 12:15).
The Lamanites attacked the Nephites. They attacked with
swords, bows and arrows, axes, and many other types of weapons. Mormon’s cohort
was attacked. Most were killed. Mormon was wounded but the Lamanites did not
kill him.
When the battle had ended, only twenty-four survived, one survivor
being Moroni. Once again, we see the Nephites had been warned concerning the
consequences of turning away from the Lord.
Nephi prophesied…
“And while the angel spake these words, I beheld and saw
that the seed of my brethren did contend against my seed, according to the word
of the angel; and because of the pride of my seed, and the temptations of the
devil, I beheld that the seed of my brethren did overpower the people of my
seed.
“And it came to pass that I beheld, and saw the people of
the seed of my brethren that they had overcome my seed; and they went forth in
multitudes upon the face of the land” (1 Nephi 12:19-20).
Samuel, the Lamanite, warned them, “And now behold, saith
the Lord, concerning the people of the Nephites: If they will not repent, and
observe to do my will, I will utterly destroy them, saith the Lord, because of
their unbelief notwithstanding the many mighty works which I have done among
them; and as surely as the Lord liveth shall these things be, saith the Lord” (Helaman
15:17).
“After the renewal of war early in the fourth century AD,
wholesale destruction, not just conquest and exploitation, became the aim of
the Lamanite aggressors. At that point the victims had to either flee or die
(see Mormon 2:3–8), whereas a few centuries before they only had to subject
themselves to the new rulers to be left relatively undisturbed so long as they
paid up. Nearing the final conflict at Cumorah, the wars became even more
decimating and merciless (see Moroni 9:7–19). At length, around AD 380, the
Nephites as a sociopolitical group were exterminated in one climactic battle
wherein hundreds of thousands died in a single day (see Mormon 6:11–15).”[3]
After Mormon surveyed his troops, and saw the extent of the
slaughter, his “soul was rent with anguish because of the slain of my people”
(Mormon 6:16).
Mormon wrote…
“O ye fair ones, how could ye have departed from the ways of
the Lord! O ye fair ones, how could ye have rejected that Jesus, who stood with
open arms to receive you” (Mormon 6:17).
These words echoed Nephi’s after he saw this battle. “O the pain, and
the anguish of my soul for the loss of the slain of my people! For I, Nephi,
have seen it, and it well nigh consumeth me before the presence of the Lord;
but I must cry unto my God: Thy ways are just” (2 Nephi 26:7).
“Behold, if ye had not done this, ye would not have fallen.
But behold, ye are fallen, and I mourn your loss.
“O ye fair sons and daughters, ye fathers and mothers, ye
husbands and wives, ye fair ones, how is it that ye could have fallen!
“But behold, ye are gone, and my sorrows cannot bring your
return.
“And the day soon cometh that your mortal must put on
immortality, and these bodies which are now moldering in corruption must soon
become incorruptible bodies; and then ye must stand before the judgment-seat of
Christ, to be judged according to your works; and if it so be that ye are
righteous, then are ye blessed with your fathers who have gone before you”
(Mormon 16:18-21).
“For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this
mortal must put on immortality.
“So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption,
and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass
the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory” (1 Corinthians
15:53-54).
Mormon laments the loss of his people.
“O that ye had repented before this great destruction had
come upon you.”
“How are the mighty fallen, and the weapons of war perished”
(2 Samuel 1:27).
“But behold, ye are gone, and the Father, yea, the Eternal
Father of heaven, knoweth your state;”
“Yea, I tell thee, that thou mayest know that there is none
else save God that knowest thy thoughts and the intents of thy heart” (D&C
6:16).
and he doeth with you
according to his justice and mercy” (Mormon 6:22).
“Thy mercy, O Lord, is in the heavens; and thy faithfulness
reacheth unto the clouds.
“Thy righteousness is like the great mountains; thy
judgments are a great deep: O Lord, thou preservest man and beast” (Psalms
36:5-6).
“Therefore, let us glory, yea, we will glory in the Lord;
yea, we will rejoice, for our joy is full; yea, we will praise our God forever.
Behold, who can glory too much in the Lord? Yea, who can say too much of his
great power, and of his mercy, and of his long-suffering towards the children
of men? Behold, I say unto you, I cannot say the smallest part which I feel” (Alma
26:6).
“But always repentance is open right unto the end. The fog
and horror of battle pursue us right up to the end—the nation completely in
arms at Cumorah with trained, experienced warriors, all a splendid sight
marching forward. Alas, there’s nothing heroic about it. How could they have
been such fools? Pity was Mormon’s only reflection on the splendid sight
(Mormon 6:17—22).”[4]
[1] An
Apologist for the Critics: Brent Lee Metcalfe's Assumptions and Methodologies,
William J. Hamblin, Maxwell Institute website.
[2] Basic
Methodological Problems with the Anti-Mormon Approach to the Geography and
Archaeology of the Book of Mormon, William J. Hamblin, Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 2/1 (1993): 177.
[3] Last-Ditch
Warfare in Ancient Mesoamerica Recalls the Book of Mormon, John L. Sorenson,
Maxwell Institute website.
[4] Chapter
22: Last Call: An Apocalyptic Warning from the Book of Mormon, Hugh Nibley,
Maxwell Institute website.
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