All segment titles and their associated verse designations are derived from the section headings that appear in The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ, Maxwell Institute Study Edition - edited by Grant Hardy and published by the BYU Maxwell Institute. Verses are organized into sense lines that are parallel to the verse texts in The Book of Mormon: the Earliest Text - as edited by Royal Skousen and published by Yale. Audio clips are derived from Book of Mormon chapter mp3 audio recordings provided by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at the official Church website.


Unit 113

Segment 2 of 3 [#689]

The Wickedness and Suffering of the Nephites

Moroni 9:7 - Moroni 9:19

Duration: 2:38

contextual study / concordance



Moroni 9:7

And now I write somewhat concerning the sufferings of this people.

For according to the knowledge which I have received from Amoron,

behold, the Lamanites have many prisoners,

which they took from the tower of Sherrizah;

and there were men, women, and children.


Moroni 9:8

And the husbands and fathers of those women and children they have slain;

and they feed the women upon the flesh of their husbands,

and the children upon the flesh of their fathers;

and no water, save a little, do they give unto them.


Moroni 9:9

And notwithstanding this great abomination of the Lamanites,

it doth not exceed that of our people in Moriantum.

For behold, many of the daughters of the Lamanites have they taken prisoners;

and after depriving them of that

which was most dear and precious above all things,

which is chastity and virtue —


Moroni 9:10

And after they had done this thing,

they did murder them in a most cruel manner,

torturing their bodies even unto death;

and after they have done this,

they devour their flesh like unto wild beasts,

because of the hardness of their hearts;

and they do it for a token of bravery.


Moroni 9:11

O my beloved son,

how can a people like this,

that are without civilization —


Moroni 9:12

(And only a few years have passed away,

and they were a civil and a delightsome people)


Moroni 9:13

But O my son,

how can a people like this,

whose delight is in so much abomination —


Moroni 9:14

How can we expect

that God will stay his hand in judgment against us?


Moroni 9:15

Behold, my heart cries:

Wo unto this people.

Come out in judgment, O God,

and hide their sins, and wickedness, and abominations

from before thy face!


Moroni 9:16

And again, my son,

there are many widows and their daughters who remain in Sherrizah;

and that part of the provisions which the Lamanites did not carry away,

behold, the army of Zenephi has carried away,

and left them to wander whithersoever they can for food;

and many old women do faint by the way and die.


Moroni 9:17

And the army which is with me is weak;

and the armies of the Lamanites are betwixt Sherrizah and me;

and as many as have fled to the army of Aaron

have fallen victims to their awful brutality.


Moroni 9:18

O the depravity of my people!

They are without order and without mercy.

Behold, I am but a man, and I have but the strength of a man,

and I cannot any longer enforce my commands.


Moroni 9:19

And they have become strong in their perversion;

and they are alike brutal,

sparing none, neither old nor young;

and they delight in everything save that which is good;

and the suffering of our women and our children

upon all the face of this land

doth exceed everything;

yea, tongue cannot tell,

neither can it be written.



The End of Unit 113 - Segment 2