The Collected Works. Joseph Smith Jr.
53:21
21 Yea, they were men of truth and soberness, for they had been
taught to keep the commandments of God and to walk uprightly
before him.
Alma 53:22
22 And now it came to pass that Helaman did march at the head of
his two thousand stripling soldiers, to the support of the people
in the borders of the land on the south by the west sea.
Alma 53:23
23 And thus ended the twenty and eighth year of the reign of the
judges over the people of Nephi.
Alma 54 Chapter 54
Alma 54:1
1 And now it came to pass in the commencement of the twenty and
ninth year of the judges, that Ammoron sent unto Moroni desiring
that he would exchange prisoners.
Alma 54:2
2 And it came to pass that Moroni felt to rejoice exceedingly at
this request, for he desired the provisions which were imparted
for the support of the Lamanite prisoners for the support of his
own people; and he also desired his own people for the
strengthening of his army.
Alma 54:3
3 Now the Lamanites had taken many women and children, and there
was not a woman nor a child among all the prisoners of Moroni, or
the prisoners whom Moroni had taken; therefore Moroni resolved
upon a stratagem to obtain as many prisoners of the Nephites from
the Lamanites as it were possible.
Alma 54:4
4 Therefore he wrote an epistle, and sent it by the servant of
Ammoron, the same who had brought an epistle to Moroni. Now
these are the words which he wrote unto Ammoron, saying:
Alma 54:5
5 Behold, Ammoron, I have written unto you somewhat concerning
this war which ye have waged against my people, or rather which
thy brother hath waged against them, and which ye are still
determined to carry on after his death.
Alma 54:6
6 Behold, I would tell you somewhat concerning the justice of
God, and the sword of his almighty wrath, which doth hang over
you except ye repent and withdraw your armies into your own
lands, or the land of your possessions, which is the land of
Nephi.
Alma 54:7
7 Yea, I would tell you these things if ye were capable of
hearkening unto them; yea, I would tell you concerning that awful
hell that awaits to receive such murderers as thou and thy
brother have been, except ye repent and withdraw your murderous
purposes, and return with your armies to your own lands.
Alma 54:8
8 But as ye have once rejected these things, and have fought
against the people of the Lord, even so I may expect you will do
it again.
Alma 54:9
9 And now behold, we are prepared to receive you; yea, and
except you withdraw your purposes, behold, ye will pull down the
wrath of that God whom you have rejected upon you, even to your
utter destruction.
Alma 54:10
10 But, as the Lord liveth, our armies shall come upon you
except ye withdraw, and ye shall soon be visited with death, for
we will retain our cities and our lands; yea, and we will
maintain our religion and the cause of our God.
Alma 54:11
11 But behold, it supposeth me that I talk to you concerning
these things in vain; or it supposeth me that thou art a child of
hell; therefore I will close my epistle by telling you that I
will not exchange prisoners, save it be on conditions that ye
will deliver up a man and his wife and his children, for one
prisoner; if this be the case that ye will do it, I will
exchange.
Alma 54:12
12 And behold, if you do not this, I will come against you with
my armies; yea, even I will arm my women and my children, and I
will come against you, and I will follow you even into your own
land, which is the land of our first inheritance; yea, and it
shall be blood for blood, yea, life for life; and I will give you
battle even until you are destroyed from off the face of the
earth.
Alma 54:13
13 Behold, I am in my anger, and also my people; ye have sought
to murder us, and we have only sought to defend ourselves. But
behold, if ye seek to destroy us more we will seek to destroy
you; yea, and we will seek our land, the land of our first
inheritance.
Alma 54:14
14 Now I close my epistle. I am Moroni; I am a leader of the
people of the Nephites.
Alma 54:15
15 Now it came to pass that Ammoron, when he had received this
epistle, was angry; and he wrote another epistle unto Moroni, and
these are the words which he wrote, saying:
Alma 54:16
16 I am Ammoron, the king of the Lamanites; I am the brother of
Amalickiah whom ye have murdered. Behold, I will avenge his
blood upon you, yea, and I will come upon you with my armies for
I fear not your threatenings.
Alma 54:17
17 For behold, your fathers did wrong their brethren, insomuch
that they did rob them of their right to the government when it
rightly belonged unto them.
Alma 54:18
18 And now behold, if ye will lay down your arms, and subject
yourselves to be governed by those to whom the government doth
rightly belong, then will I cause that my people shall lay down
their weapons and shall be at war no more.
Alma 54:19
19 Behold, ye have breathed out many threatenings against me and
my people; but behold, we fear not your threatenings.
Alma 54:20
20 Nevertheless, I will grant to exchange prisoners according to
your request, gladly, that I may preserve my food for my men of