The Book of Mormon: An Account Written by the Hand of Mormon, upon Plates Taken from the Plates of Nephi. Kirtland, OH: P. P. Pratt and J. Goodson; printed by O. Cowdery & Co., 1837. iii–vi, 7–619 pp., plus two additional pp. The copy used herein is held at CHL. Includes signature marks.
armies, for I fear not your threatnings. 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. 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. Behold, ye have breathed out many threatnings against me and my people; but behold, we fear not your threatnings; nevertheless, I will grant to exchange prisoners according to your request, gladly, that I may preserve my food for my men of war; and we will wage a war which shall be eternal, either to the subjecting of the Nephites to our authority, or to their eternal extinction. And as concerning that God whom ye say we have rejected, behold, we know not such a being; neither do ye; but if it so be that there is such a being, we know not but that he hath made us as well as you; and if it so be that there is a devil and a hell, behold, will he not send you there, to dwell with my brother, whom ye have murdered, whom ye have hinted that he hath gone to such a place? But behold, these things mattereth not. I am Ammoron, and a descendant of Zoram, whom your fathers pressed and brought out of Jerusalem. And behold, now, I am a bold Lamanite. Behold, this war hath been waged, to avenge their wrongs, and to maintain, and to obtain their rights to the government; and I close my epistle to Moroni.
Now it came to pass that when Moroni had received this epistle, he was more angry, because he knew that Ammoron had a perfect knowledge of his fraud; yea, he knew that Ammoron knew that it was not a just cause that had caused him to wage a war against the people of Nephi. And he said behold, I will not exchange prisoners with Ammoron, save he will withdraw his purpose, as I have stated in my epistle; for I will not grant unto him that he shall have any more power than what he hath got. Behold, I know the place where the Lamanites doth guard my people, whom they have taken prisoners; and as Ammoron would not grant unto me mine epistle, behold, I will give unto him according to my words; yea, I will seek death among them, until they shall sue for peace. And now it came to pass that when Moroni had said these words, he cause that a search should be made [p. 400]