And now I, Mormon, make a record of the things which I have both seen and heard, and call it the book of Mormon. And about the time that Ammaron hid up the records unto the Lord, he came unto me, (I being about ten years of age; and I began to be learned somewhat after the manner of the learning of my people,) and Ammaron said unto me, I perceive that thou art a sober child, and art quick to observe; therefore when ye are about twenty and four years old, I would that ye should remember the things that ye have observed concerning this people; and when ye are of that age, go to the land Antum, unto a hill, which shall be called Shim; and there have I deposited unto the Lord, all the sacred engravings concerning this people.— And behold, ye shall take the plates of Nephi unto yourself, and the remainder shall ye leave in the place where they are; and ye shall engrave on the plates of Nephi, all the things that ye have observed concerning this people. And I, Mormon, being a descendant of Nephi, (and my father’s name was Mormon,) I remembered the things which Ammaron commanded me. And it came to pass that I, being eleven years old, was carried by my father into the land southward, even to the land of Zarahemla; the whole face of the land having become covered with buildings, and the people were as numerous almost, as it were the sand of the sea. And it came to pass in this year, there began to be a war between the Nephites, who consisted of the Nephites, and the Jacobites, and the Josephites, and the Zoramites; ahd this war was between the Nephites, and the Lamanites, and the Lemuelites, and the Ishmaelites. Now the Lamanites, and the Lemuelites, and the Ishmaelites, were called Lamanites, and the two parties were Nephites and Lamanites. And it came to pass that the war began to be among them in the borders of Zarahemla, by the waters of Sidon. And it came to pass that the Nephites had gathered together a great number of men, even to exceed the [p. [547]]