Mormon 6
People in this chapter
This is the chapter the whole Book of Mormon has been warning about. Nephi saw it in vision almost a thousand years earlier: I beheld that the seed of my brethren did overpower the people of my seed (1 Nephi 12:19).
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Mormon 6:1-6These Few Plates Which I Gave unto My Son Moroni
1And now I finish my record concerning the destruction of my people, the Nephites. And it came to pass that we did march forth before the Lamanites. 2And I, Mormon, wrote an epistle unto the king of the Lamanites, and desired of him that he would grant unto us that we might gather together our people unto the land of Cumorah, by a hill which was called Cumorah, and there we could give them battle. 3And it came to pass that the king of the Lamanites did grant unto me the thing which I desired. 4And it came to pass that we did march forth to the land of Cumorah, and we did pitch our tents around about the hill Cumorah; and it was in a land of many waters, rivers, and fountains; and here we had hope to gain advantage over the Lamanites. 5And when three hundred and eighty and four years had passed away, we had gathered in all the remainder of our people unto the land of Cumorah.
Mormon writes to the Lamanite king and asks to gather all his people in one place for a final battle. The king agrees. By the 384th year all the remaining people are gathered.
6And it came to pass that when we had gathered in all our people in one to the land of Cumorah, behold I, Mormon, began to be old; and knowing it to be the last struggle of my people, and having been commanded of the Lord that I should not suffer the records which had been handed down by our fathers, which were sacred, to fall into the hands of the Lamanites, (for the Lamanites would destroy them) therefore I made this record out of the plates of Nephi, and hid up in the hill Cumorah all the records which had been entrusted to me by the hand of the Lord, save it were these few plates which I gave unto my son Moroni.
Mormon is getting old and knows this is the last battle. The Lord had commanded him to protect the sacred records. He hides them all in the hill, except a few plates he gives to his son Moroni.
Mormon 6:7-15The Last Struggle of My People
7And it came to pass that my people, with their wives and their children, did now behold the armies of the Lamanites marching towards them; and with that awful fear of death which fills the breasts of all the wicked, did they await to receive them. 8And it came to pass that they came to battle against us, and every soul was filled with terror because of the greatness of their numbers. 9And it came to pass that they did fall upon my people with the sword, and with the bow, and with the arrow, and with the ax, and with all manner of weapons of war. 10And it came to pass that my men were hewn down, yea, even my ten thousand who were with me, and I fell wounded in the midst; and they passed by me that they did not put an end to my life.
The Nephites wait for the battle full of fear. Mormon is wounded but not killed.
11And when they had gone through and hewn down all my people save it were twenty and four of us, (among whom was my son Moroni) and we having survived the dead of our people, did behold on the morrow, when the Lamanites had returned unto their camps, from the top of the hill Cumorah, the ten thousand of my people who were hewn down, being led in the front by me. 12And we also beheld the ten thousand of my people who were led by my son Moroni. 13And behold, the ten thousand of Gidgiddonah had fallen, and he also in the midst. 14And Lamah had fallen with his ten thousand; and Gilgal had fallen with his ten thousand; and Limhah had fallen with his ten thousand; and Jeneum had fallen with his ten thousand; and Cumenihah, and Moronihah, and Antionum, and Shiblom, and Shem, and Josh, had fallen with their ten thousand each. 15And it came to pass that there were ten more who did fall by the sword, with their ten thousand each; yea, even all my people, save it were those twenty and four who were with me, and also a few who had escaped into the south countries, and a few who had deserted over unto the Lamanites, had fallen; and their flesh, and bones, and blood lay upon the face of the earth, being left by the hands of those who slew them to molder upon the land, and to crumble and to return to their mother earth.
The next day, Mormon and twenty-three others, including Moroni, look out over the dead. Mormon names the commanders who fell, each with ten thousand people.
Mormon 6:16-22O Ye Fair Ones
16And my soul was rent with anguish, because of the slain of my people, and I cried: 17O ye fair ones, how could ye have departed from the ways of the Lord! O ye fair ones, how could ye have rejected that Jesus, who stood with open arms to receive you! 18Behold, if ye had not done this, ye would not have fallen. But behold, ye are fallen, and I mourn your loss.
Mormon cries out in grief over his people. He loved them, and he mourns that they turned away from the Lord.
19O ye fair sons and daughters, ye fathers and mothers, ye husbands and wives, ye fair ones, how is it that ye could have fallen! 20But behold, ye are gone, and my sorrows cannot bring your return.
Mormon mourns them as families: fathers, mothers, husbands, wives. He knows his sorrow cannot bring them back.
21And the day soon cometh that your mortal must put on immortality, and these bodies which are now moldering in corruption must soon become incorruptible bodies; and then ye must stand before the judgment-seat of Christ, to be judged according to your works; and if it so be that ye are righteous, then are ye blessed with your fathers who have gone before you. 22O that ye had repented before this great destruction had come upon you. But behold, ye are gone, and the Father, yea, the Eternal Father of heaven, knoweth your state; and he doeth with you according to his justice and mercy.
Mormon testifies that his people will be resurrected and will stand before Jesus Christ to be judged.
Mormon wishes his people had repented in time. He leaves them with Heavenly Father, who knows each of them and will judge with both justice and mercy.
Research trail
Sources & further study
These references support the historical, linguistic, manuscript, and contextual notes in this chapter. Scripture remains the primary text; external sources are provided so readers can inspect the research directly.
- Mormon, Nephite ProphetAn overview of Mormon's life, his military command, and the records he kept and hid.
- PlatesThe sets of plates Mormon had in his keeping and what became of them (v. 6).
- ResurrectionScriptures on the promise Mormon gives his dead: your mortal must put on immortality (v. 21).
- Judgment, the LastScriptures on standing before the judgment-seat of Christ (v. 21).
Where this echoes in Scripture
These Few Plates Which I Gave unto My Son Moroni
- Enos 1:13That the Lord God would preserve a record of my people, the Nephites.
- Words of Mormon 1:1-2Being about to deliver up the record which I have been making into the hands of my son Moroni.
- Mormon 4:23I did go to the hill Shim; and I did take up all the records which Ammaron had hid up unto the Lord.
- Ether 15:11It was that same hill where my father Mormon did hide up the records unto the Lord, which were sacred.
The Last Struggle of My People
- Genesis 3:19For dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.
- 1 Nephi 12:19I beheld that the seed of my brethren did overpower the people of my seed.Nephi's vision of this day.
- Moroni 9:20Thou knowest that they are without principle, and past feeling.Mormon's description of his people in a letter to Moroni.
- Ether 15:29When they had all fallen by the sword, save it were Coriantumr and Shiz.The Jaredites ended the same way.
O Ye Fair Ones
- Matthew 23:37How often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!
- 3 Nephi 10:5-6How oft would I have gathered you as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings.
- 2 Samuel 1:19The beauty of Israel is slain upon thy high places: how are the mighty fallen!
- 1 Corinthians 15:53This corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
- Alma 42:15That God might be a perfect, just God, and a merciful God also.