3:1 And it came to pass that the Nephites who were
not slain by the weapons of war, after having buried
those who had been slain--now the number of the slain
were not numbered, because of the greatness of their
number--after they had finished burying their dead they
all returned to their lands, and to their houses, and
their wives, and their children. |
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3:2 Now many women and children had been slain with
the sword, and also many of their flocks and their herds;
and also many of their fields of grain were destroyed,
for they were trodden down by the hosts of men. |
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3:3 And now as many of the Lamanites and the
Amlicites who had been slain upon the bank of the river
Sidon were cast into the waters of Sidon; and behold
their bones are in the depths of the sea, and they are
many. |
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3:4 And the Amlicites were distinguished from the
Nephites, for they had marked themselves with red in
their foreheads after the manner of the Lamanites;
nevertheless they had not shorn their heads like unto the
Lamanites. |
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3:5 Now the heads of the Lamanites were shorn; and
they were naked, save it were skin which was girded about
their loins, and also their armor, which was girded about
them, and their bows, and their arrows, and their stones,
and their slings, and so forth. |
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3:6 And the skins of the Lamanites were dark,
according to the mark which was set upon their fathers,
which was a curse upon them because of their
transgression and their rebellion against their brethren,
who consisted of Nephi, Jacob, and Joseph, and Sam, who
were just and holy men. |
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3:7 And their brethren sought to destroy them,
therefore they were cursed; and the Lord God set a mark
upon them, yea, upon Laman and Lemuel, and also the sons
of Ishmael, and Ishmaelitish women. |
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3:8 And this was done that their seed might be
distinguished from the seed of their brethren, that
thereby the Lord God might preserve his people, that they
might not mix and believe in incorrect traditions which
would prove their destruction. |
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3:9 And it came to pass that whosoever did mingle
his seed with that of the Lamanites did bring the same
curse upon his seed. |
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3:10 Therefore, whosoever suffered himself to be led
away by the Lamanites was called under that head, and
there was a mark set upon him. |
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3:11 And it came to pass that whosoever would not
believe in the tradition of the Lamanites, but believed
those records which were brought out of the land of
Jerusalem, and also in the tradition of their fathers,
which were correct, who believed in the commandments of
God and kept them, were called the Nephites, or the
people of Nephi, from that time forth-- |
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3:12 And it is they who have kept the records which
are true of their people, and also of the people of the
Lamanites. |
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3:13 Now we will return again to the Amlicites, for
they also had a mark set upon them; yea, they set the
mark upon themselves, yea, even a mark of red upon their
foreheads. |
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3:14 Thus the word of God is fulfilled, for these
are the words which he said to Nephi: Behold, the
Lamanites have I cursed, and I will set a mark on them
that they and their seed may be separated from thee and
thy seed, from this time henceforth and forever, except
they repent of their wickedness and turn to me that I may
have mercy upon them. |
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3:15 And again: I will set a mark upon him that
mingleth his seed with thy brethren, that they may be
cursed also. |
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3:16 And again: I will set a mark upon him that
fighteth against thee and thy seed. |
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3:17 And again, I say he that departeth from thee
shall no more be called thy seed; and I will bless thee,
and whomsoever shall be called thy seed, henceforth and
forever; and these were the promises of the Lord unto
Nephi and to his seed. |
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3:18 Now the Amlicites knew not that they were
fulfilling the words of God when they began to mark
themselves in their foreheads; nevertheless they had come
out in open rebellion against God; therefore it was
expedient that the curse should fall upon them. |
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3:19 Now I would that ye should see that they
brought upon themselves the curse; and even so doth every
man that is cursed bring upon himself his own
condemnation. |
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3:20 Now it came to pass that not many days after
the battle which was fought in the land of Zarahemla, by
the Lamanites and the Amlicites, that there was another
army of the Lamanites came in upon the people of Nephi,
in the same place where the first army met the Amlicites.
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3:21 And it came to pass that there was an army sent
to drive them out of their land. |
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3:22 Now Alma himself being afflicted with a wound
did not go up to battle at this time against the
Lamanites; |
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3:23 But he sent up a numerous army against them;
and they went up and slew many of the Lamanites, and
drove the remainder of them out of the borders of their
land. |
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3:24 And then they returned again and began to
establish peace in the land, being troubled no more for a
time with their enemies. |
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3:25 Now all these things were done, yea, all these
wars and contentions were commenced and ended in the
fifth year of the reign of the judges. |
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3:26 And in one year were thousands and tens of
thousands of souls sent to the eternal world, that they
might 1reap their rewards according to their works,
whether they were good or whether they were bad, to reap
eternal happiness or eternal misery, according to the
spirit which they listed to obey, whether it be a good
spirit or a bad one. |
[1] II Corinthians 5:10: For we must all appear
before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may
receive the things done in his body, according to that he
hath done, whether it be good or bad. |
3:27 For every man receiveth wages of him whom he
listeth to obey, and this according to the words of the
spirit of prophecy; therefore let it be according to the
truth. And thus endeth the fifth year of the reign of the
judges. |
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