5 "And I knowing of their unconquerable spirit, having proved them in the field of battle and knowing of their everlasting hatred toward you because of the many wrongs which ye have done unto them, Therefore, if they should come down against you, they would visit you with utter destruction.
6 "Therefore, I have written this epistle, sealing it with mine own hand, Feeling for your welfare because of your firmness in that which ye believe to be right and your noble spirit in the field of battle.
7 "Therefore, I write unto you desiring that ye would yield up unto this my people your cities, your lands and your possessions, Rather than that they should visit you with the sword and that destruction should come upon you;
8 Or, in other words, yield yourselves up unto us, and unite with us, and become acquainted with our secret works, and become our brethren, That ye may be like unto us - Not our slaves, but our brethren and partners of all our substance.
9 "And behold, I swear unto you, if ye will do this with an oath, ye shall not be destroyed, But if ye will not do this, I swear unto you with an oath that on the morrow month I will command that my armies shall come down against you,
10 And they shall not stay their hand and shall spare not, But shall slay you and shall let fall the sword upon you, yea, even until ye shall become extinct.
11 "And behold, I am Giddianhi and am the governor of this, the secret society of Gaddianton, which society and the works thereof I know to be good; And they are of ancient date and they have been handed down unto us;
12 And I write this epistle unto you, Lachoneus, And I hope that ye will deliver up your lands and your possessions without the shedding of blood, That this my people may recover their rights and government which have dissented away from you because of your wickedness in retaining from them their rights of government; And except ye do this, I will avenge their wrongs; I am Giddianhi."
13 And now it came to pass when Lachoneus received this epistle, he was exceedingly astonished because of the boldness of Giddianhi in demanding the possession of the land of the Nephites,
14 And also of threatening the people and avenging the wrongs of those that had received no wrong, save it were they had wronged themselves by dissenting away unto those wicked and abominable robbers.
15 Now behold, this Lachoneus, the governor, was a just man and could not be frightened by the demands and the threatenings of a robber;