1 NOW behold, I, Jarom, write a few words according to the commandment of my father, Enos, that our agenealogy
may be kept.
2 And as athese
plates are bsmall
, and as these things are cwritten
for the intent of the benefit of our brethren the dLamanites
, wherefore, it must needs be that I write a little; but I shall not write the things of my prophesying, nor of my revelations. For what could I write more than my fathers have written? For have not they revealed the plan of salvation? I say unto you, Yea; and this sufficeth me.
3 Behold, it is expedient that much should be done among this people, because of the hardness of their hearts, and the deafness of their ears, and the blindness of their minds, and the astiffness
of their necks; nevertheless, God is exceedingly merciful unto them, and has not as yet bswept
them off from the face of the land.
4 And there are many among us who have many arevelations
, for they are not all bstiffnecked
. And as many as are not stiffnecked and have faith, have ccommunion
with the Holy Spirit, which maketh manifest unto the children of men, according to their faith.
5 And now, behold, *two hundred years had passed away, and the people of Nephi had waxed strong in the land. They observed to akeep
the law of Moses and the bsabbath
day holy unto the Lord. And they cprofaned
not; neither did they dblaspheme
. And the elaws
of the land were exceedingly strict.
6 And they were scattered upon amuch
of the face of the land, and the Lamanites also. And they were exceedingly more bnumerous
than were they of the Nephites; and they loved cmurder
and would drink the dblood
of beasts.
7 And it came to pass that they came many times against us, the Nephites, to battle. But our akings
and our bleaders
were mighty men in the faith of the Lord; and they taught the people the ways of the Lord; wherefore, we withstood the Lamanites and swept them away out of cour
lands, and began to fortify our cities, or whatsoever place of our inheritance.
8 And we multiplied exceedingly, and spread upon the face of the land, and became exceedingly rich in agold
, and in silver, and in precious things, and in fine bworkmanship
of wood, in buildings, and in cmachinery
, and also in iron and copper, and brass and steel, making all manner of tools of every kind to till the ground, and dweapons
of war—yea, the sharp pointed arrow, and the quiver, and the dart, and the javelin, and all preparations for war.
9 And thus being prepared to meet the Lamanites, they did not prosper against us. But the word of the Lord was verified, which he spake unto our fathers, saying that: aInasmuch
as ye will keep my commandments ye shall bprosper
in the land.
10 And it came to pass that the prophets of the Lord did threaten the people of Nephi, according to the word of God, that if they did not keep the commandments, but should fall into transgression, they should be adestroyed
from off the face of the land.
11 Wherefore, the prophets, and the priests, and the ateachers
, did labor diligently, exhorting with all long-suffering the people to bdiligence
; teaching the claw
of Moses, and the intent for which it was given; persuading them to dlook
forward unto the Messiah, and believe in him to come eas
though he already was. And after this manner did they teach them.
12 And it came to pass that by so doing they kept them from being adestroyed
upon the face of the land; for they did bprick
their hearts with the word, ccontinually
stirring them up unto repentance.
13 And it came to pass that *two hundred and thirty and eight years had passed away—after the manner of wars, and acontentions
, and dissensions, for the space of bmuch
of the time.
14 And I, Jarom, do not write more, for the plates are asmall
. But behold, my brethren, ye can go to the bother
plates of Nephi; for behold, upon them the records of our wars are engraven, according to the writings of the ckings
, or those which they caused to be written.
15 And I deliver these plates into the hands of my son Omni, that they may be kept according to the acommandments
of my fathers.
* Verse 5 [399 B.C.]; Verse 13 [361 B.C.].