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.
heaven, and all things which are in the earth, as a witness that they are true. But behold, ye have rejected the truth, and rebelled against your holy God; and even at this time, instead of laying up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where nothing doth corrupt, and where nothing can come which is unclean, ye are heaping up for yourselves wrath against the day of judgment; yea, even at this time ye are ripening, because of your murders, and your fornication and wickedness, for everlasting destruction; yea, and except ye repent, it will come unto you soon; yea, behold it is now even at your doors; yea, go ye in unto the judgment seat, and search; and behold, your judge is murdered, and he lieth in his blood; and he hath been murdered by his brother, who seeketh to sit in the judgment seat. And behold, they both belong to your secret band, whose author is Gadianton, and the evil one who seeketh to destroy the souls of men.
Behold now it came to pass that when Nephi had spoken these words, certain men who were among them ran to the judgment seat; yea, even there were five who went; and they said among themselves, as they went, behold, now we will know of a surety, whether this man be a prophet, and God hath commanded him to prophesy such marvelous things unto us. Behold we do not believe that he hath; yea, we do not believe that he is a prophet; nevertheless, if this thing which he has said concerning the chief judge be true, that he be dead, then will we believe that the other words which he has spoken are true. And it came to pass that they ran in their might, and came in unto the judgment seat; and behold the chief judge had fallen to the earth, and did lie in his blood. And now behold, when they saw this, they were astonished exceedingly, insomuch that they fell to the earth; for they had not believed the words which Nephi had spoken concerning the chief judge; but now when they saw they believed, and fear came upon them, lest all the judgments which Nephi had spoken should come upon the people; therefore they did quake, and had fallen to the earth. Now immediately when the judge had been murdered: he being stabbed by his brother, by a garb of secrecy; and he fled, and the servants ran and told the people, raising the cry of murder among them. And behold the people did gather themselves together unto the place of the [p. 455]