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Plain English Reference !137 NOTE: Among all the plates available to A Plain English Reference to Mormon, the few records ("less than 1%”) The Words of Mormon he included in "the rest of his record" The plates are passed on contain events that strictly follow the See The Words of Mormon pattern set forth by Isaiah’s prophecies. Isaiah wrote about patterns that will 385 AD: repeat themselves in the last days. This I, Mormon, am about to give my plates is why Mormon’s record (The Book of Mormon), a book written to warn latter- to my son Moroni. I’ve seen the death day Israel, is patterned after Isaiah’s of almost all my people, the Nephites. I writings. believe my son will witness their entire And I cannot engrave even one destruction. percent of the history of my people, May God spare him long enough to the Nephites. write about my people, and about Because these small plates are so Christ, so that someday his writings choice to me, I am putting them with may be of value to my people’s my plates before continuing my descendants among the Lamanites. engraving. After I had engraved the Nephite I know the record of these small plates history down to King Benjamin by will also be choice to my brethren, referring to Nephi's large plates, the Lamanites, in the last days. I found Nephi's small plates. They I am putting the small plates with mine contain many of Nephi's words and a because the Lord's Spirit tells me to. I brief account of the prophets from don't know exactly why, for I don't Jacob down to King Benjamin. know the future, but it must be for What pleases me most about Nephi's a wise purpose known to the Lord, small plates is their account of the who works His will through me. prophecies of Christ’s coming. My My prayer to God is for my brethren, ancestors knew many of these the Lamanites, to once again know prophecies had been fulfilled in their God, to know of Christ's redemption, day. and to again become a delightful I know the prophecies of my day have people. been fulfilled, and the prophecies not Now I, Mormon, continue to engrave yet fulfilled (like those made by Isaiah) my record as I refer to Nephi’s large surely will be. plates. I do this according to the Because these prophecies will be knowledge and understanding God has fulfilled, I will pattern the rest of my given me. record after them. I will do this as I When King Benjamin received Nephi's continue referring to Nephi's large small plates from Amaleki, he put plates. !138 them with Nephi's large plates that had prophets among his people, King been handed down by the kings from Benjamin had seen to this justice. generation to generation. King Benjamin was a holy man, who All these plates have been handed reigned in righteousness. There down by King Benjamin, from were many other holy men in the land generation to generation until I, who spoke God's words with power Mormon, received them. I pray to God and authority. They spoke sharply they will always be preserved, and I because the Nephites were stubborn. know they will be, for great things are With the help of these holy men, and by written on them. labouring with all the strength of his On the great and last day, my people body and soul, King Benjamin the Nephites, and our brethren the established peace again in the land. Lamanites, will be judged by what is engraved on these plates. Now back to King Benjamin His own people, the Nephites, fought a great deal among themselves. Then the Lamanite armies came from the land of Nephi to attack them. King Benjamin gathered armies to defend his people, and he himself used Laban's sword while battling the Lamanites. Because the Nephites were strengthened by the Lord, they killed several thousand Lamanites and chased the rest of them out of their lands of inheritance. Among the Nephites, there had been false Christs who were silenced and punished according to their crimes. There were also false prophets, preachers and teachers among the Nephites who had caused much of the fighting and defecting to the Lamanites. They were also punished. With the assistance of the holy .
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