Ammon finds the land of Lehi-Nephi where Limhi is king—Limhi’s people are in bondage to the Lamanites—Limhi recounts their history—A prophet (Abinadi) had testified that Christ is the God and Father of all things—Those who sow filthiness reap the whirlwind, and those who put their trust in the Lord shall be delivered. [About 121 B.C.]

 AND now, it came to pass that after king Mosiah had had continual peace for the space of three years, he was desirous to know concerning the people who ^awent^• up to dwell in the land of ^bLehi^•-Nephi, or in the city of Lehi-Nephi; for his people had heard nothing from them from the time they left the land of ^cZarahemla^•; therefore, they wearied him with their teasings.

 And it came to pass that *king Mosiah granted that sixteen of their strong men might go up to the land of Lehi-Nephi, to inquire concerning their brethren.

 And it came to pass that on the morrow they started to go up, having with them one ^aAmmon^•, he being a strong and mighty man, and a ^bdescendant^• of Zarahemla; and he was also their leader.

 And now, they knew not the course they should travel in the wilderness to go up to the land of Lehi-Nephi; therefore they wandered many days in the wilderness, even ^aforty^• days did they wander.

 And when they had wandered forty days they came to a ^ahill^•, which is north of the land of ^bShilom^•, and there they pitched their tents.

 And ^aAmmon^• took three of his brethren, and their names were Amaleki, Helem, and Hem, and they went down into the land of ^bNephi^•.

 And behold, they met the king of the people who were in the land of Nephi, and in the land of ^aShilom^•; and they were surrounded by the king’s guard, and were ^btaken^•, and were ^cbound^•, and were committed to ^dprison^•.

 And it came to pass when they had been in prison two days they were again brought before the king, and their bands were loosed; and they stood before the king, and were permitted, or rather ^acommanded^•, that they should answer the questions which he should ask them.

 And he said unto them: Behold, I am ^aLimhi^•, the son of Noah, who was the son of Zeniff, who came up out of the ^bland^• of Zarahemla to inherit this land, which was the land of their fathers, who was made a ^cking by the ^dvoice^• of the people.

 And now, ^aI^• desire to know the cause whereby ye were so bold as to come near the walls of the city, when I, myself, was with my guards without the ^bgate^•?

 And now, for this cause have I suffered that ye should be preserved, that I might inquire of you, or else I should have caused that my guards should have put you to death. Ye are permitted to speak.

 And now, when Ammon saw that he was permitted to speak, he went forth and ^abowed^• himself before the king; and rising again he said: O king, I am very thankful before God this day that I am yet alive, and am permitted to speak; and I will endeavor to speak with boldness;

 For I am assured that if ye had known me ye would not have suffered that I should have worn these bands. For I am Ammon, and am a ^adescendant^• of Zarahemla, and have come up out of the ^bland^• of Zarahemla to inquire concerning our brethren, whom ^cZeniff^• brought up out of that land.

 And now, it came to pass that after Limhi had heard the words of Ammon, he was exceedingly ^aglad^•, and said: Now, I know of a surety that my brethren who were in the land of Zarahemla are ^byet^• alive. And now, I will rejoice; and on the morrow I will cause that my people shall rejoice also.

 For behold, we are in bondage to the Lamanites, and are ^ataxed^• with a tax which is grievous to be borne. And now, behold, our brethren will deliver us out of our ^bbondage, or out of the hands of the Lamanites, and we will be their ^cslaves; for it is better that we be slaves to the Nephites than to pay tribute to the king of the Lamanites.

 And now, king Limhi commanded his guards that they should no more bind Ammon nor his brethren, but caused that they should go to the hill which was north of Shilom, and bring their brethren into the city, that thereby they might eat, and drink, and rest themselves from the labors of their journey; for they had suffered many things; they had suffered hunger, thirst, and fatigue.

 And now, it came to pass on the morrow that king Limhi sent a proclamation among all his people, that thereby they might gather themselves together to the ^atemple^•, to hear the words which he should speak unto them.

 And it came to pass that when they had gathered themselves together that he ^aspake^• unto them in this wise, saying: O ye, my people, lift up your heads and be comforted; for behold, the time is at hand, or is not far distant, when we shall no longer be in subjection to our enemies, notwithstanding our many strugglings, which have been in vain; yet I trust there ^bremaineth^• an effectual struggle to be made.

 Therefore, lift up your heads, and rejoice, and put your ^atrust in ^bGod^•, in that God who was the God of Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob; and also, that God who ^cbrought^• the children of ^dIsrael out of the land of Egypt, and caused that they should walk through the Red ^eSea^• on dry ground, and fed them with ^fmanna^• that they might not perish in the wilderness; and many more things did he do for them.

 And again, that same God has brought our fathers ^aout^• of the land of Jerusalem, and has kept and preserved his people even until now; and behold, it is ^bbecause^• of our iniquities and abominations that he has brought us into bondage.

 And ye all are witnesses this day, that Zeniff, who was made king over this people, he being ^aover^•-zealous to inherit the land of his fathers, therefore being deceived by the cunning and craftiness of king Laman, who having entered into a treaty with king Zeniff, and having yielded up into his hands the possessions of a part of the land, or even the city of Lehi-Nephi, and the city of Shilom; and the land round about—

 And all this he did, for the sole purpose of ^abringing^• this people into subjection or into bondage. And behold, we at this time do pay ^btribute to the king of the Lamanites, to the amount of one half of our corn, and our barley, and even all our grain of every kind, and one half of the increase of our flocks and our herds; and even one half of all we have or possess the king of the Lamanites doth exact of us, or our lives.

 And now, is not this grievous to be borne? And is not this, our affliction, great? Now behold, how great reason we have to ^amourn^•.

 Yea, I say unto you, great are the reasons which we have to ^amourn^•; for behold how many of our brethren have been slain, and their blood has been spilt in vain, and all because of iniquity.

 For if this people had not fallen into transgression the Lord would not have suffered that this great evil should come upon them. But behold, they would not hearken unto his words; but there arose contentions among them, even so much that they did shed blood among themselves.

 And a ^aprophet^• of the Lord have they ^bslain; yea, a chosen man of God, who told them of their wickedness and abominations, and prophesied of many things which are to come, yea, even the coming of Christ.

 And because he said unto them that Christ was the ^aGod^•, the Father of all things, and said that he should take upon him the ^bimage of man, and it should be the ^cimage^• after which man was created in the beginning; or in other words, he said that man was created after the image of ^dGod^•, and that God should come down among the children of men, and take upon him flesh and blood, and go forth upon the face of the earth—

 And now, because he said this, they did ^aput^• him to death; and many more things did they do which brought down the wrath of God upon them. Therefore, who wondereth that they are in bondage, and that they are smitten with sore afflictions?

 For behold, the Lord hath said: I will not ^asuccor^• my people in the day of their transgression; but I will hedge up their ways that they prosper not; and their doings shall be as a ^bstumbling^• block before them.

 And again, he saith: If my people shall sow ^afilthiness they shall ^breap^• the ^cchaff^• thereof in the whirlwind; and the effect thereof is poison.

 And again he saith: If my people shall sow filthiness they shall reap the ^aeast^• wind, which bringeth immediate destruction.

 And now, behold, the promise of the Lord is fulfilled, and ye are smitten and afflicted.

 But if ye will ^aturn^• to the Lord with full purpose of heart, and put your trust in him, and serve him with all ^bdiligence of mind, if ye do this, he will, according to his own will and pleasure, deliver you out of bondage.

* Verse 2  [About 121 B.C.].