By any words of his own that would depict the awful scenes presented here, Mormon, with great care and anxiety, hesitated to picture to any future readers of his account what lay about him lest it "harrow up" their souls, and at the same time, be too painful to their hearts and perplexing to their minds. But, nevertheless, for a wise purpose, the knowledge of them must be made known to future generations that they might learn to be more wise than his people, the Nephites, were. Therefore, Mormon makes but brief mention of the brutality exhibited on each side of the war. In the preceding chapter, he refers to the conditions then existing in these words: "And it is impossible for the tongue to describe, or for man to write a perfect description of the horrible scene of the blood and carnage which was among the people, both of the Nephites and of the Lamanites; and every heart was hardened, so that they delighted in the shedding of blood continually." (Mormon 4:11)
Although his words were restrained, his purpose was not. In this chapter (5) Mormon brings forth and emphasizes a great lesson that permeates the history of Lehi's seed as found in the Book of Mormon. It is this: When the fathers of the Nephite and Lamanite Races were about to embark upon the unchartered journey which the Lord had commanded, Nephi was promised of the Lord: "And inasmuch as ye shall keep My commandments, ye shall prosper, and shall be led to a Land of Promise; yea, even a land which I have prepared for you; yea, a land which is choice above all other lands. And inasmuch as thy brethren shall rebel against thee, they shall be cut off from the presence of the Lord. And inasmuch as thou shalt keep My commandments, thou shalt be made a ruler and a teacher over thy brethren. For behold, in that day that they shall rebel against Me, I will curse them even with a sore curse, and they shall have no power over thy seed except they shall rebel against Me also. And if it so be that they (thy seed) rebel against Me, they (the Lamanites) shall be a scourge unto thy seed, to stir them up in the ways of remembrance." (I Nephi 2:20-24; Italics anti parentheses are the Editor's)
Throughout the whole of the Sacred Record this promise of the Lord to Nephi is referred to, and in turn was repeated by God's Nephite servants to each succeeding generation of His children. As in this case of which Mormon writes, it was because the people refused to obey the Lord and rebelled against keeping His commandments that the Lamanites had power over them. The Word of the Lord was repeatedly fulfilled both in the blessings promised and in the curses. It was so in the days of Mormon almost a thousand years after the promise was given to Nephi.
That promise also was made to the Brother of Jared, and is, as we have stated before, unto us who now dwell in this much favored land, and it is unto those who ever shall.
Amid all the destruction that was about Mormon, the bloodshed and carnage, he delivered a message to all the inhabitants of the earth, to Jew and to Gentile; to the House of Israel wherever they may be scattered, and also to "a remnant of this people," who "were once a delightsome people, and they had Christ for their Shepherd; yea, they were led even by God the Father." (v. 17)
To the Jew, he says: "Jesus is the Son of God," and he prayed "that the Father may bring about, through His most Beloved, His great and eternal purpose, in restoring the Jews, or all the House of Israel, to the Land of their Inheritance, which the Lord their God hath given them, unto the fulfilling of His covenant."
To the Gentiles, he says: "Repent ye, and humble yourselves before Him, lest He come out in justice against you-lest a Remnant of the seed of Jacob shall go forth among you as a lion, and tear you in pieces, and there is none to deliver." (v. 24)
To a Remnant of this people, he says: "that," they "may more fully believe His Gospel, which shall go forth unto them from the Gentiles"; and to all the House of Israel, he says: That when that part of the House of Israel that had been transplanted to the Promised Land shall have been driven and scattered by the Gentiles-who esteemed them as naught-"Then will the Lord remember the Covenant which He made unto Abraham and unto all the House of Israel." (v. 20)
Of the Remnant of Lehi's seed which was left after the war of extermination that was then going on, Mormon tells us that they "shall be scattered, and shall become a dark, a filthy, and a loathsome people, beyond the description of that which ever hath been amongst us, yea, even that which hath been among the Lamanites, and this because of their unbelief and idolatry." Mormon further says: "And behold, the Lord hath reserved their blessings, which they might have received in the land, for the Gentiles who shall possess the land." (v. 19)