6:1 And it came to pass that when the sixty and
second year of the reign of the judges had ended, all
these things had happened and the Lamanites had become,
the more part of them, a righteous people, insomuch that
their righteousness did exceed that of the Nephites,
because of their firmness and their steadiness in the
faith. |
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6:2 For behold, there were many of the Nephites who
had become hardened and impenitent and grossly wicked,
insomuch that they did reject the word of God and all the
preaching and prophesying which did come among them. |
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6:3 Nevertheless, the people of the church did have great joy because of the conversion of
the Lamanites, yea, because of the church of God, which
had been established among them. And they did fellowship
one with another, and did rejoice one with another, and
did have great joy. |
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6:4 And it came to pass that many of the Lamanites
did come down into the land of Zarahemla, and did declare
unto the people of the Nephites the manner of their
conversion, and did exhort them to faith and repentance. |
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6:5 Yea, and many did preach with exceedingly great
power and authority, unto the bringing down many of them
into the depths of humility, to be the humble followers
of God and the Lamb. |
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6:6 And it came to pass that many of the Lamanites
did go into the land northward; and also Nephi and Lehi
went into the land northward, to preach unto the people.
And thus ended the sixty and third year. |
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6:7 And behold, there was peace in all the land,
insomuch that the Nephites did go into whatsoever part of
the land they would, whether among the Nephites or the
Lamanites. |
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6:8 And it came to pass that the Lamanites did also
go whithersoever they would, whether it were among the
Lamanites or among the Nephites; and thus they did have
free intercourse one with another, to buy and to sell,
and to get gain, according to their desire. |
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6:9 And it came to pass that they became
exceedingly rich, both the Lamanites and the Nephites;
and they did have an exceeding plenty of gold, and of
silver, and of all manner of precious metals, both in the
land south and in the land north. |
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6:10 Now the land south was called Lehi, and the
land north was called Mulek, which was after the son of
Zedekiah; for the Lord did bring Mulek into the land
north, and Lehi into the land south. |
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6:11 And behold, there was all manner of gold in
both these lands, and of silver, and of precious ore of
every kind; and there were also curious workmen, who did
work all kinds of ore and did refine it; and thus they
did become rich. |
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6:12 They did raise grain in abundance, both in the
north and in the south; and they did flourish
exceedingly, both in the north and in the south. And they
did multiply and wax exceedingly strong in the land. And
they did raise many flocks and herds, yea, many fatlings.
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6:13 Behold their women did toil and spin, and did
make all manner of cloth, of fine-twined linen and cloth
of every kind, to clothe their nakedness. And thus the
sixty and fourth year did pass away in peace. |
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6:14 And in the sixty and fifth year they did also
have great joy and peace, yea, much preaching and many
prophecies concerning that which was to come. And thus
passed away the sixty and fifth year. |
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6:15 And it came to pass that in the sixty and sixth
year of the reign of the judges, behold, Cezoram was
murdered by an unknown hand as he sat upon the
judgment-seat. And it came to pass that in the same year,
that his son, who had been appointed by the people in his
stead, was also murdered. And thus ended the sixty and
sixth year. |
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6:16 And in the commencement of the sixty and
seventh year the people began to grow exceedingly wicked
again. |
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6:17 For behold, the Lord had blessed them so long
with the riches of the world that they had not been
stirred up to anger, to wars, nor to bloodshed; therefore
they began to set their hearts upon their riches; yea,
they began to seek to get gain that they might be lifted
up one above another; therefore they began to commit
secret murders, and to rob and to plunder, that they
might get gain. |
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6:18 And now behold, those murderers and plunderers
were a band who had been formed by Kishkumen and
Gadianton. And now it had come to pass that there were
many, even among the Nephites, of Gadianton's band. But
behold, they were more numerous among the more wicked
part of the Lamanites. And they were called Gadianton's
robbers and murderers. |
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6:19 And it was they who did murder the chief judge
Cezoram, and his son, while in the judgment-seat; and
behold, they were not found. |
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6:20 And now it came to pass that when the Lamanites
found that there were robbers among them they were
exceedingly sorrowful; and they did use every means in
their power to destroy them off the face of the earth. |
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6:21 But behold, Satan did stir up the
hearts of the more part of the Nephites, insomuch that
they did unite with those bands of robbers, and did enter
into their covenants and their oaths, that they would
protect and preserve one another in whatsoever difficult
circumstances they should be placed, that they should not
suffer for their murders, and their plunderings, and
their stealings. |
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6:22 And it came to pass that they did have their 1signs,
yea, their secret signs, and their secret words; and this
that they might distinguish a brother who had entered
into the covenant, that whatsoever wickedness his brother
should do he should not be injured by his brother, nor by
those who did belong to his band, who had taken this
covenant. |
[1] The
Gadiantonites were apparently a Masonic order.
Anti-masonic sentiment was at its height during the early
nineteenth century, particularly in New York, where
Jospeh Smith lived at the time. |
6:23 And thus they might murder, and plunder, and
steal, and commit whoredoms and all manner of wickedness,
contrary to the laws of their country and also the laws
of their God. |
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6:24 And whosoever of those who belonged to their
band should reveal unto the world of their wickedness and
their abominations, should be tried, not according to the
laws of their country, but according to the laws of their
wickedness, which had been given by Gadianton and
Kishkumen. |
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6:25 Now behold, it is these secret oaths and
covenants which Alma commanded his son should not go
forth unto the world, lest they should be a means of
bringing down the people unto destruction. |
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6:26 Now behold, those secret oaths and covenants
did not come forth unto Gadianton from the records which
were delivered unto Helaman; but behold, they were put
into the heart of Gadianton by that same being who did
entice our first parents to partake of the forbidden
fruit-- |
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6:27 Yea, that same being who did plot with Cain,
that if he would murder his brother Abel it should not be
known unto the world. And he did plot with Cain and his
followers from that time forth. |
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6:28 And also it is that same being who put it into
the hearts of the people to build a tower sufficiently
high that they might get to heaven. And it was that same
being who led on the people who came from that tower into
this land; who spread the works of darkness and
abominations over all the face of the land, until he
dragged the people down to an entire destruction, and to
an everlasting hell. |
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6:29 Yea, it is that same being who put it into the
heart of Gadianton to still carry on the work of
darkness, and of secret murder; and he has brought it
forth from the beginning of man even down to this time. |
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6:30 And behold, it is he who is the author of all
sin. And behold, he doth carry on his works of darkness
and secret murder, and doth hand down their plots, and
their oaths, and their covenants, and their plans of
awful wickedness, from generation to generation according
as he can get hold upon the hearts of the children of
men. |
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6:31 And now behold, he had got great hold upon the
hearts of the Nephites; yea, insomuch that they had
become exceedingly wicked; yea, the more part of them had
turned out of the way of righteousness, and did trample
under their feet the commandments of God, and did turn
unto their own ways, and did build up unto themselves
idols of their gold and their silver. |
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6:32 And it came to pass that all these iniquities
did come unto them in the space of not many years,
insomuch that a more part of it had come unto them in the
sixty and seventh year of the reign of the judges over
the people of Nephi. |
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6:33 And they did grow in their iniquities in the
sixty and eighth year also, to the great sorrow and
lamentation of the righteous. |
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6:34 And thus we see that the Nephites did begin to
dwindle in unbelief, and grow in wickedness and
abominations, while the Lamanites began to grow
exceedingly in the knowledge of their God; yea, they did
begin to keep his statutes and commandments, and to walk
in truth and uprightness before him. |
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6:35 And thus we see that the Spirit of the Lord
began to withdraw from the Nephites, because of the
wickedness and the hardness of their hearts. |
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6:36 And thus we see that the Lord began to pour out
his Spirit upon the Lamanites, because of their easiness
and willingness to believe in his words. |
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6:37 And it came to pass that the Lamanites did hunt
the band of robbers of Gadianton; and they did preach the
word of God among the more wicked part of them, insomuch
that this band of robbers was utterly destroyed from
among the Lamanites. |
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6:38 And it came to pass on the other hand, that the
Nephites did build them up and support them, beginning at
the more wicked part of them, until they had overspread
all the land of the Nephites, and had seduced the more
part of the righteous until they had come down to believe
in their works and partake of their spoils, and to join
with them in their secret murders and combinations. |
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6:39 And thus they did obtain the sole management of
the government, insomuch that they did trample under
their feet and smite and rend and turn their backs upon
the poor and the meek, and the humble followers of God. |
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6:40 And thus we see that they were in an awful
state, and ripening for an everlasting destruction. |
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6:41 And it came to pass that thus ended the sixty
and eighth year of the reign of the judges over the
people of Nephi. |
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