RCE Verse Context

70 "And now, Zerahemnah, I command you in the name of that all - powerful God who hath strengthened our arms that we have gained power over you - By our faith, By our religion, And by our rights of worship, And by our church, And by the sacred support which we owe to our wives and our children, By that liberty which binds us to our lands and our country, Yea, and also by the maintenance of the sacred word of God to which we owe all our happiness,

71 And by all that is most dear unto us; Yea, and this is not all - I command you by all the desires which ye have for life that ye deliver up your weapons of war unto us, And we will seek not your blood, but we will spare your lives if ye will go your way and come not again to war against us.

72 "And now if ye do not this, behold, ye are in our hands, And I will command my men that they shall fall upon you and inflict the wounds of death in your bodies, that ye may become extinct;

73 And then we will see who shall have power over this people, Yea, we will see who shall be brought into bondage."

74 And now it came to pass that when Zerahemnah heard these sayings, He came forth and delivered up his sword and his scimitar and his bow into the hands of Moroni and saith unto him:

75 "Behold, here are our weapons of war - We will deliver them up unto you and we will not suffer ourselves to take an oath unto you, which we know that we shall break, and also our children; But take our weapons of war and suffer that we may depart into the wilderness, Otherwise we will retain our swords and we will perish or conquer.

76 "Behold, we are not of your faith; We do not believe that it is God that hath delivered us into your hands, But we believe it is your cunning that hath preserved you from our swords;

77 Behold, it is your breastplates and your shields that hath preserved you."

78 And now, when Zerahemnah had made an end of speaking these words, Moroni returned the sword and the weapons of war which he had received unto Zerahemnah, saying: "Behold, we will end the conflict;

79 Now I cannot retain the words which I have spoken, Therefore, as the Lord liveth, ye shall not depart except ye depart with an oath that ye will not return again against us to war;

80 Now as ye are in our hands, we will spill your blood upon the ground, Or ye shall submit to the conditions to which I have proposed."