RCE Verse Context

4 "Behold, I am laboring with them continually; And when I speak the word of God with sharpness, they tremble and anger against me; And when I use no sharpness, they harden their hearts against it; Wherefore, I fear lest the Spirit of the Lord hath ceased striving with them;

5 For so exceedingly do they anger, that it seemeth me that they have no fear of death; And they have lost their love one toward another; And they thirst after blood and revenge continually.

6 "And now my beloved son, notwithstanding their hardness, let us labor diligently; For if we should cease to labor, we should be brought under condemnation; For we have a labor to perform whilst in this tabernacle of clay, that we may conquer the enemy of all righteousness and rest our souls in the kingdom of God.

7 "And now I write somewhat concerning the sufferings of this people;

8 For according to the knowledge which I have received from Amoron, Behold, the Lamanites have many prisoners which they took from the tower of Sherrizah; And there were men, women and children,

9 And the husbands and fathers of those women and children they have slain, And they feed the women upon the flesh of their husbands and the children upon the flesh of their fathers; And no water, save a little, do they give unto them.

10 "And notwithstanding this great abomination of the Lamanites, it doth not exceed that of our people in Moriantum;

11 For behold, many of the daughters of the Lamanites have they taken prisoners; And after depriving them of that which was most dear and precious above all things - which is chastity and virtue - And after that they had done this thing, they did murder them in a most cruel manner, torturing their bodies even unto death; And after that they have done this, they devour their flesh like unto wild beasts because of the hardness of their hearts; And they do it for a token of bravery.

12 "O my beloved son, how can a people like this that are without civilization - And only a few years have passed away and they were a civil and a delightsome people - But O my son, how can a people like this, whose delight is in so much abomination - How can we expect that God will stay His hand in judgment against us?

13 "Behold, my heart cries, Wo unto this people!

14 Come out in judgment, O God, And hide their sins and wickedness and abominations from before Thy face!