THE BOOK OF OMNI |
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CHAPTER 1Omni, Amaron, Chemish, Abinadom, and Amaleki, each in turn, keep the records—Mosiah discovers the people of Zarahemla who came from Jerusalem in the days of Zedekiah—He is made king over them—The Mulekites had discovered Coriantumr, the last of the Jaredites—King Benjamin succeeds Mosiah—Men should offer their souls as an offering to Christ. [Between 361 adn 130 B.C.] |
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~ 317 B.C. ~ |
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1 BEHOLD, it came to pass that I, Omni, being commanded by my father,
Jarom, that I should write somewhat upon athese plates, to
preserve our genealogy—
2 Wherefore, in my days, I would that ye should know that I fought much with the sword to preserve my people, the Nephites, from falling into the hands of their enemies, the Lamanites. But behold, I of myself aam a wicked man, and I have not kept the statutes and the commandments of the Lord as I ought to have done. 3 And it came to pass that *two hundred and seventy and six years had passed away, and we had many seasons of peace; and we had many aseasons of serious war and bloodshed. Yea, and in fine, *two hundred and eighty and two years had passed away, and I had kept these plates according to the bcommandments of my cfathers; and I dconferred them upon my son Amaron. And I make an end.
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1a
Jarom 1:2 (1-2);
Omni 1:9 2a TG Confession; TG Honesty; TG Humility 3* [323 B. C.] a Jarom 1:13 * [317 B. C.] b Jacob 1:1-4; Jacob 1:27; Jarom 1:15(1-2, 15) c TG Patriarch d TG Delegation of Responsibility
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I, Amaron, Son of Omni (317 B.C. - 279 B.C.) |
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4 And now I, Amaron, write the things whatsoever I write, which
are few, in the book of my father.
5 Behold, it came to pass that *three hundred and twenty years had passed away, and the more wicked part of the Nephites were adestroyed. 6 For the Lord would not suffer, after he had led them out of the land of Jerusalem and kept and preserved them from falling into the hands of their enemies, yea, he would not suffer that the words should not be verified, which he spake unto our fathers, saying that: aInasmuch as ye will not keep my commandments ye shall not bprosper in the landa.
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6a Inasmuch as ye will not keep my
commandments ye shall not propser in the land This is stated in the
positive by the Hawaiians, 'The life of the land
is preserved in righteousness' ~ UA MAU KE EA O KA 'AINA I KA PONO.. And it is a witness that they Hawaiians are
of the same stock as were the Nephites who knew upon whom and upon what
 These words were
uttered by Kamehameha condition was one preserved in the land.
in 1843 but certainly the notion and concept had long been held by the Hawaiian
people that they were only preserved in the land according to the degree of
their righteousness. And while Christian missionaries had been in the Hawaiian
Islands since 1820, it would not be until 1850 that the first LDS missionaries
would come to Hawaii and the Hawaiians would become aquianted with the Book
of Mormon whose people esentially had as their 'moto' the same thing only
stated in the negative as here in Omni verse 6.
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5*
[279 B. C.] a Jarom 1:10 6a Jarom 1:9; Mosiah 1:7 b Deut. 28:29
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7 Wherefore, the Lord did visit them in great judgment; nevertheless,
he did spare the righteous that they should not
perisha, but did deliver them out
of the hands of their enemies.
8 And it came to pass that I did deliver the plates unto my brother Chemish.
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7a he did spare the righteous that they should not perish In being a part of a 'wicked world', this is the best that the righteous may look forward to, especially in our latter day period of time. We are a part of a very wicked world of wars and murders and all types of wickedness. Yet we are to remain righteous in the Lord. And in so doing, we too have this promise from the Lord that while the wicked will be destoryed, the righteous will be preserved and spared in the land and should not perish. So be good! |
Nephi makes the small Plates He gives plates to brother Jacob Jacob gives plates to son Enos Enos gives plates to son Jarom Jarom gives plates to son Omni Omni gives plates to son Amaron Amaron writes in the plates and He gives plates to brother Chemish Chemish gives plates to son Abinadom Abinadom givers plates to son Amaleki Amaleki finishes the small plates He gives the plates to King Benjamin
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I, Chemish, Brother of Amaron and Son of Omni (279 B.C. - ???) |
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9 Now I, Chemish, write what few things I write, in the same book
with my brother; for behold, I saw the last which he wrote, that he wrote it
with his own hand; and he wrote it in the day that he delivered them unto me.
And after this manner we keep the arecords, for it is
according to the commandments of our fathers. And I make an end.
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9a
Omni 1:1;
TG
Record Keeping
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I, Abinadom, Son of Chemish |
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10 Behold, I, Abinadom, am the son of Chemish. Behold, it came
to pass that I saw much war and contention between my people, the
Nephites, and the Lamanites; and I, with my own sword, have taken
the lives of many of the Lamanites in the defence of my brethren.
11 And behold, the arecord of this people is engraven upon plates which is had by the bkings, according to the generations; and I know of no revelation save that which has been written, neither prophecy; wherefore, that which is sufficient is written. And I make an end.
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11a
W of M 1:10 b Jarom 1:14
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I, Amaleki, Son of Abinadom |
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12 Behold, I am Amaleki, the son of Abinadom. Behold, I will speak
unto you somewhat concerning aMosiah, who was made king
over the bland of Zarahemla; for behold, he being
cwarned of the Lord that he should dflee
out of the eland of fNephi, and as many
as would hearken unto the voice of the Lord should also
gdepart out of the land with him, into the wilderness—
13 And it came to pass that he did according as the Lord had commanded him. And they departed out of the land into the wilderness, as many as would hearken unto the voice of the Lord; and they were led by many preachings and prophesyings. And they were admonished continually by the word of God; and they were led by the power of his aarm, through the wilderness, until they came down into the land which is called the bland of Zarahemla.
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12a
Omni 1:19 b Alma 4:1 c TG Warnings d Mosiah 11:13 e Omni 1:27; W of M 1:13 f 2 Ne. 5:8; Mosiah 7:6-7 g Jacob 3:4 13a Isa. 33:2; Mosiah 12:24 b Mosiah 1:1; Mosiah 2:4
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14 And they discovered a apeople, who were called
the people of Zarahemlaa. Now,
there was great rejoicing among the people of Zarahemla; and also Zarahemla
did rejoice exceedingly, because the Lord had sent the people of Mosiah with
the bplates of brass which contained the record of the Jews.
15 Behold, it came to pass that Mosiah discovered that the people of aZarahemla came out from Jerusalem at the time that bZedekiah, king of Judah, was carried away captive into Babylon. 16 And they ajourneyed in the wilderness, and were brought by the hand of the Lord across the great waters, into the land where Mosiah discovered thema; and they had dwelt there from that time forth.
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14a And they discovered a people, who were
called the people of Zarahemla It will be more fully disclosed that
these people of Zarahemla were the descendants of the people of Mulek who
found their way out of Jerusalem at the same time as did Lehi and his group.
And it is this Mulek who is the son and heir of King Zedekiah who was king
at the time of Lehi being in Jerusalem and the Babylonian captivity. Thus one
may ask the question, 'Why are the descendants of the King of the Jews
brought by the hand of the Lord to the land of Joseph? And why are they so
joined with the descendants of Lehi and Nephi? Well the truth of the matter
may be found in the fact that the House of David who descended from Jesse and
Obed, are indeed also of the House of Joseph by the legal and rightful '
heirship laws of the Laws of God. That is, though Boaz was the blood parent
of Obed, Obed was actually the legal and rightful heir of the House of Mahlon
and Elimelech, Ephrathites meaning Ephraimites(See Messiah ben David ~ Messiah ben Joseph).
16abrought by the hand of the Lord across the great waters, into the land where Mosiah discovered them Like unto Lehi's party of the combined house of Joseph of Manasseh and Ephraim, the people of Zarahemla were also brought to the land of promise, Joseph's land by the hand of the Lord. Now the descendants of the house of David, of King Zedekiah, were brought to the promised land of Joseph as being also legal heirs to the land. For indeed thay were also of the house of Joseph. And not only this, but they were of that lineage by which the covenant of the Lord's birth would be fulfilled, being legally and lawfully of the seed of Ephraim the son of Joseph (See Messiah ben David ~ Messiah ben Joseph). Now why would the Lord so divide and bring a part of the house of David to America? Now the power of the Lord is to know all things, past, present and future. And it is the power of the Lord to know the minds and thoughts of men. But it is not the power of Satan to know of such things. Thus in the 'strategy' of keeping the Messiah hid and the things of the Lord hid from those who are of the wicked mind that would pervert, corrupt and even destroy the workings of the Lord, there certainly must have been and still may be a purpose in the plan of God to have so included the seed of Jesse and that royal house from Ephraim, with those of the other Josephites brought to the promised land of Joseph (Ether 13;2-8). |
14a
Mosiah 1:10 b 1 Ne. 3:3, 19-20; 1 Ne. 5:10-22 15a Ezek. 17:22-23; Mosiah 25:2-4 b Jer. 39:4 (1-10); Jer. 52:11 (9-11); Hel. 8:21 16a 1 Ne. 16:9
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17 And at the time that Mosiah discovered them, they had become
exceedingly numerous. Nevertheless, they had had many wars and serious
contentions, and had fallen by the sword from time to time; and their
alanguage had become corrupted; and they had brought
no brecords with
thema; and they denied the being of
their Creator; and Mosiah, nor the people of Mosiah, could understand
them.
18 But it came to pass that Mosiah caused that they should be taught in his alanguage. And it came to pass that after they were taught in the language of Mosiah, Zarahemla gave a genealogy of his fathers, according to his memory; and they are written, but bnot in these plates.
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17a they had brought no records with them This was the state of the people of Zarahemla, but also inferred is the fact the Mosiah had brought with him all the records of the Nephites, that is the large plates of Nephi meaning the record of the kings. This also presupposes Mosiah to have been the rightful King among the Nephites to have in his possession the plates of the Kings, though the Book of Mormon never makes that point clear. Mosiah is the Nephite leader and the people of Zarahemla accept him to be their King, which again presupposes Mosiah to have already been the King of the Nephites. |
17a
1 Ne. 3:19;
TG
Language b Mosiah 1:3 (2-6) 18a Mosiah 24:4 b 1 Ne. 9:4; W of M 1:10
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19 And it came to pass that the people of Zarahemla, and of
Mosiah, did aunite
togethera; and
bMosiah was appointed to be their king.
20 And it came to pass in the days of Mosiah, there was a large astone brought unto him with engravings on it; and he did binterpret the engravings by the gift and power of Goda.
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19a the people of Zarahemla, and of
Mosiah, did unite together It was in the time of Mosiah I that
the Mulekites and the Nephites did unite as 'one people'. Some have supposed
that this union did not occur until later because of some later writings in
the latter end of the book of Mosiah. Let it be stated clearly here, were it
did happen, that the people of Zarahemla and the people of Nephi had already
united as one people, even the people of Nephi, in the days of Mosiah I when
the Nephites came upon the people of Zarahamela and they as a united people
did make Mosiah I their king.
20a he did interpret the engravings by the gift and power of God It is important to note that as early as Mosiah I, the power of the 'king-prophet' of God included that which would be later denoted as the power of 'translation' or the power of a 'seer'. And this 'power' would include the use of the 'seer stones' or the urim and thummin. Since we have only been told that the party of Lehi did bring with them the plates of brass, one must now considered the possiblity that the 'plates of brass package' included more than just plates. Might the plates of brass come in a box packages with a urim and thummin, even that urim and thummin handed down through the lineage of Joseph of Egpyt? |
19a
Mosiah 25:13 b Omni 1:12 20a Mosiah 21:28 (27-28); Mosiah 28:13 b Mosiah 8:13-19; Mosiah 28:17; TG Urim and Thummim
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21 And they gave an account of one
aCoriantumra, and
the slain of his people. And Coriantumr was discovered by the people of
Zarahemla; and he dwelt with them for the space of nine
moonsb.
22 It also spake a few words concerning his fathers. And his first parents came out from the atower, at the time the Lord bconfounded the language of the people; and the severity of the Lord fell upon them according to his judgments, which are just; and their cbones lay scattered in the land northward.
Now as to the purpose of Coriantumr providing such a record to the Mulekites who did not read or understand his language, it must be considered that Coriantumr was providing the Mulekites a 'letter of introduction' per-chance that the Mulekites would come across any surviving Jaredites in their journeyings in the land south. Coriantumr's hope was that they might so encounter some Jaredites that might be able to read the record. As for Coriantumr, many a Book of Mormon scholar mis-implies his fate. They presume that he dies at the end of his nine luner month stay with the Mulekites. This is not what the Book of Mormon states in Omni though Ether's prophecy was that he would see another people come to inherit the land and that they would would bury him (Ehter 13:21). Coriantumr was the prime specimen of the Jaredite race. He was great and strong in stature. Being the remaining survivor of the Jaredite wars atest him to be the survival of the fitest. The Lord had told Ether that Coriantumr would so survive and not die though Ether's night vision ends with Coriantumr colapsing from exhaustion after having finally killed Shiz (Ether 15:32, Ether 13:21), it is obvious that Coriantumr fully recovered. For whatever distance one considers that Coriantumr travels to come in contact with the Mulekites, he did certainly survive. Coriantumr's motivation would have been to search the entire land to find out for sure that there had been no other survivors with whom he might find some consolation in their association. As to Coriantumr's fate after his 9 lunar month stay with the Mulekites, whether he died then and was buired by them at that time or some time later after Coriantumr continued to search for survivors, one is left to consider that this mighty man may turned back to the north, having satisfied himself as to the southern national regions, leaving the Mulekites to continue his search of all the remaining northern regions and was even at another later date again united ane buried by those who came to posses the land in the stead of the Jaredites. One must considered that Coriantumr so survived after Ether's vision had seen him fall to the earth as though he were dead, that was his motivation was to search for possible survivors, and that the Book of Mormon DOES NOT state that he died among the Mulekites at the end of that first nine months, and finally by seeing just the Mulekites, he had not yet seen Lehi's party whom the Lord brought to the promised land and whom the Book of Mormon is primarily about. Did Ether continue to wander the land and did he at some point also see Lehi's people? And was he buried by them whether Lamanites or Nephites, perhaps not even knowing who he was? Now again the Lord's purpose in Coriantumr's stone record. Ether's record of the destruction of the Jaredites was given to him in 'night visions'. He remained hiden in his care the whole time and did not travel after the Jaredites, Shiz and Coriantumr's armies wandering the reaches of the land just to return to his cave each day. His account was given unto him is vision, it was a visionary witness like Lehi's of the final destruction of Jerusalem (Ether 13:13-14 & 1 Nephi 1:4). Now since Ether's witness to the destruction of the Jaredites was but visionary, not that that ought to deminish the truth of the matter, it is fitting that according to the Lord's law of witnesses that a second witness ought to testify as to the destruction of the Jaredites. And who better that Coriantumr himself on his large stone record? And his was a first hand account! As to a further testiment, the was the whole of the land north which was in total a land of destruction and desolation. And thus is one of the 'Finer Points' of the Book of Mormon record. |
 ~ C O R I A N T U M R ~
Dead are they, but are they all indeed dead? Did not some survive? Are there not some escaped? This Reality is not Real! My mind cannot accept it. Somewhere, someone, others must still survive and live.
Alone, am I of truth alone? Oh God! Can it be, may it not.
Faces all dead on the ground, I would, I will yet see alive.
I will find them, see them, hear them. They will move with life.
Oh, Shiz, whose head I hold, where is thy body?
My life now is to seek the comfort of a word.
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21a gave an account of one
Coriantumr Now Coriantumr could not speak the same language as
the people of the party of Mulek, but certainly Coriantumr could write in
his Jaredite language. Thus it must be presumed that the large stone was
carved by Coriantumr to give an account of who he was and who his people had
been. The Book of Mormon states that the people of Zarahemla had no records
nor a written language by the time of Mosiah, some 300 years removed from
Jerusalem. If the stone of Coriantumr had been made by the Mulekites, it
could have been used to retain some form of written language among them. But
for nine moons, or nine lunar months, the preserving a record of his people
must have been one of Coriantumr's primary concerns. Thus the stone was not
likely carried by the Mulekites from the land of Desolation down into the
land of Zarahemla, but rather huen and created by Coriantumr as his last work
on earth in the land of Zarahemla. And it was likely Coriantumr who likely
guided the party of Mulek to the land south, it being the land which had been
preserved by the Jaredites and was therefore not left desolate as was all of
the land northward of the narrow neck and its pass.
21b he dwelt with them for the space of nine moons Curiously enough it does not state that Coriantumr died at this time. Yes Ether's prophecy was that Coriantumr would see who the Lord had brought to posses the land of the Jaredites and that he would be buried by them. Yet the bulk of the Book of Mormon record concerns the Lord bring Lehi's party who were the seed of Joseph to the Americas the land of Joseph to posses the land of promise in the stead of the people the Jaredites who the Lord would sweep off the land that they of Joseph might so posses it. The Mulekites are but a seeming side note, and a Jewish one at that if one is entirely convinced that Mulek of the house of David was indeed Jewish. This was the land of Joseph and the Lord brought those of the house of Joseph, those of Lehi and Ishmael over to posses it. The Book of Mormon atests the purposes of this land unto the seed of Joseph not Judah. So either perhaps Coriantumr did continue to live and search until he was so buried by those of Joseph who the Lord had brought, whether Lamanites or Nephites. OR perhaps the house of David is in reality a part of the legal and rightful house of Joseph according to the Law of God (See: Messiah ben David ~ Messiah ben Joseph). |
21a
Ether 12:1-2;
Ether 13:20 (13-31);
Ether 15:32 22a Ether 1:3 (1-6) b Gen. 11:7 (6-9); Mosiah 28:17; Ether 1:33 c Mosiah 8:8-12
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23 Behold, I, Amaleki, was born in the days of Mosiah; and I have
lived to see his death; and aBenjamin,
bhis son, reigneth in his stead.
24 And behold, I have seen, in the days of king Benjamin, a serious war and much bloodshed between the Nephites and the Lamanites. But behold, the Nephites did obtain much advantage over them; yea, insomuch that king Benjamin did drive them out of the land of Zarahemla. 25 And it came to pass that I began to be old; and, having no seed, and knowing king aBenjamin to be a just man before the Lord, wherefore, I shall bdeliver up cthese plates unto him, exhorting all men to come unto God, the Holy One of Israel, and believe in prophesying, and in revelations, and in the ministering of angelsa, and in the gift of speaking with tongues, and in the gift of interpreting languages, and in all things which are dgood; for there is nothing which is good save it comes from the Lord; and that which is evil cometh from the devil.
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25a exhorting all men to come unto God, the Holy One of Israel, an believe in prophesying, and in revelations, and in the ministering of angels Here again the manner and procedings of how the 'fulness of the Gospel' is given is stressed. And that is by and through the Spirit of Revelation which is the Holy Ghost. For it is by continuous revelation by which God brings men unto him, line upon line, precept upon precept until men have walked the narrow walk of all God's commands and have come into His Eternal Kingdom. If one denies living revelations, living prophets and the administering of angels then they have cut off their way, their path back into heaven. For it is by the power of the Holy Ghost that men do speak with the tongue of angels and prophesy. And it is also by the power of the Holy Ghost by which angels do speak. Thus in 'denying the Holy Ghost', men do deny thenselves the 'fulness of the Gospel of God' and by so doing they cut themselves off from God's presence. And after exercising faith in Christ unto repentance and baptism, if one does not receive and believe in the power of the Holy Ghost, then they fail to obtain the 'fulness of Christ's Gospel, the Doctrine of Jesus Christ, the Fulness of the Everlasting Gospel, for it is only by and through the Holy Ghost, that spirit of revelation given to man through inspiration and the words of living prophets and ministering angels which reveals unto men the way that they must follow to obtain Eternal Life. |
23a
W of M 1:3 b Mosiah 2:11 25a W of M 1:18 (17-18); Mosiah 29:13 b W of M 1:10 c 1 Ne. 1:10 d Alma 5:40; Ether 4:12; Moro. 7:16 (15-17)
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26 And now, my beloved brethren, I would that ye should
acome unto Christ, who is the Holy One of Israel, and
partake of his salvation, and the power of his redemption. Yea, come unto
him, and boffer your whole souls as an
coffering unto him, and continue in
dfasting and praying, and endure to the end; and as the
Lord liveth ye will be saved.
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26a
Jacob 1:7;
Alma 29:2;
Moro. 10:32 b TG Commitment; TG Self-sacrifice c 3 Ne. 9:20 d TG Fasting
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27 And now I would speak somewhat concerning a certain
anumber who went up into the wilderness to
breturn to the cland of Nephi; for
there was a large number who were desirous to possess the land of their
inheritancea.
28 Wherefore, they went up into the wilderness. And their leader being a strong and mighty man, and a stiffnecked man, wherefore he caused a contention among them; and they were aall slain, save fifty, in the wilderness, and they returned again to the land of Zarahemla.
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27a there was a large number who were desirous to posses the land of their inheritance It is important to understand that the intent of even the first party which Zeniff was a part of was to go in and posses the land of the Nephites inheritance. They were not merely going to war against the Lamanites, but they were intent upon the re-taking of their lands of inheritance. The dispute became as to the manner by which they would obtain those lands. The initial intent seems to be that they intended to re-take the lands by force. Zeniff when he scouted and found the Lamanites to be a people of families devoted to one another determined that they would not take the land by war but that they would find another peacable way of obtaining the land. This of course resulted in the Nephite party disputing unto conflict and civil war among themselves. It is of some interest to consider that so had the people of Zarahemla become a part of the people of Nephi, that a number of the people of Zarahemla would also become a part of this eventual re-occupation though they had never before lived in the land. Perhaps this was because the land was like unto the land of Jerusalem and not a land of forested wilderness like the land of Zarahemla was found to be like. |
27a
Mosiah 9:3 (1-4) b Mosiah 7:1 c Omni 1:12 28a Mosiah 9:2 (1-4)
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29 And it came to pass that they also took others to a
considerable number, and took their journey again into the
wilderness.
30 And I, Amaleki, had a brother, who also went with them; and I have not since known concerning thema. And I am about to lie down in my grave; and athese plates are full. And I make an end of my speaking.
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30a I have not since known concerning them Amaleki, who lived in the days of King Mosiah I and Benjamin, and who reports the wars of envolvement with the Lamanites in the days of King Benjamin, states that he has come to know NOTHING concerning the people of Zeniff. And this despite King Benjamin's defeat of those Lamanites which warred with the Nephites of Zarahemla and despite the fact that King Benjamin did defeat them and gain a great advantage over them. (Omni 1:24; Words of Mormon 1:13-14) This coupled with the fact that the people of Limhi in the record of Zeniff (Mosiah 9-22) neither mentions their knowledge of the Nephites of Zarahemla all the time of their dealings with the Lamanites other than their unsuccessful expedition which found the bones of the Jaredites in the land of Desolation and mistook it for the Nephites of Zarahemla; seems to atest that the Lamanite group which were involved with the people of Zeniff, Noah and Limhi, is not the same Lamanite group who did war against the Nephites in the days of King Benjamin. And this indicates that the lands and peoples were much greater is size and expanse that such as a limited Meso-American theory would so seem to allow in terms of communication and awareness of such dynamic goings ons among these apparent four differing groups of people, that is the Lamanites who dealt with Zeniff, Noah and Limhi, the people of Zeniff, Noah and Limhi, the Lamanites who warred against King Benjamin, and of course the Nephites of the land of Zarahemla. |
30a
1 Ne. 6:3-6;
Jacob 4:1-2;
Jarom 1:14
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| * Verse 3 [323 B.C., 317 B.C.]; Verse 5 [279 B.C.]. | ||
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