Omni

(All of my own thoughts are in red type.5/20 Green 3/21 orange 5/22  Brown2023)     

The Book of Omni

Chapter 1

Omni, Amaron, Chemish, Abinadom, and Amaleki, each in turn, keep the records—Mosiah discovers the people of Zarahemla, who came from Jerusalem in the days of Zedekiah—Mosiah is made king over them—The descendants of Mulek at Zarahemla had discovered Coriantumr, the last of the Jaredites—King Benjamin succeeds Mosiah—Men should offer their souls as an offering to Christ. About 323–130 B.C. Two new peoples are introduced. This covers about 200 years. 

  1 Behold, it came to pass that I, Omni, being commanded by my father, Jarom, that I should write somewhat upon ^athese plates, to preserve our genealogy—same commandment Curious if he said "somewhat" because he didn't want to write but was commanded to write "even a little - somewhat"
  2 Wherefore, in my days, I would that ye should know that I fought much with the sword to preserve my people, the Nephites, from falling into the hands of their enemies, the Lamanites. But behold, I of myself ^aam a wicked man, and I have not kept the statutes and the commandments of the Lord as I ought to have done. At least he is honest as to knowing he's rebelling... He also must know that he’s been blessed to survive the wars even though he’s been wicked. Perhaps it’s because he’s been fighting to defend liberty and has not been on the offensive. 
  3 And it came to pass that two hundred and seventy and six years had passed away, and we had many seasons of peace; and we had many ^aseasons of serious war and bloodshed. Yea, and in fine, two hundred and eighty and two years had passed away, and I had kept these plates according to the ^bcommandments of my ^cfathers; and I ^dconferred them upon my son Amaron. And I make an end.
  4 And now I, Amaron, write the things whatsoever I write, which are few, in the book of my father. If Omni admits he was wicked and didn't keep the commandments, one could assume his son was not brought up in the ways of the Lord.
  5 Behold, it came to pass that three hundred and twenty years had passed away, This is 38 years after his father wrote. We have been a nation 246 years and are increasingly more and more wicked and leaving God out of our lives. It's not hard to see how the Nephites had become so wicked. Probably happened like it does for us and the more wicked part of the Nephites were ^adestroyed. 
Remember the Nephites were already smaller in number than the Lamanites. And now if the more wicked part of them were destroyed the Nephite number is even smaller. Is “more” wicked saying they were “all” wicked to some degree, but the more wicked had been destroyed? And was that by the hand and will of God or just because of wars? Can wars be selective on who dies? They can be selective on who picks up the sword. Maybe the more wicked part fought. But if it was in defense, that is probably not true. God promised Nephi he would use the Lamanites to bring about judgment for sinning against the light. Remember Jesus told the surviving Nephites that they had survived because they were "more" righteous. But they still had much to repent of. Notice they still had the privilege to create Zion and be personally ministered to by the Lord even though they were way less than perfect. 
  6 For the Lord would not suffer, after he had led them out of the land of Jerusalem and kept and preserved them from falling into the hands of their enemies, yea, he would not suffer that the words should not be verified, which he spake unto our fathers, saying that: ^aInasmuch as ye will not keep my commandments ye shall not ^bprosper in the land. This prophesy is quoted in both the negative and positive...if ye keep...if ye do not keep...
  7 Wherefore, the Lord did visit them in great judgment; nevertheless, he did spare the righteous that they should not perish, but did deliver them out of the hands of their enemies. We must remember this promise! We will be delivered. We just have to truly be "righteous" - repenting!
  8 And it came to pass that I did deliver the plates unto my brother Chemish. Is this because Amaron had no sons (could the plates not be passed to a daughter?) Or did he have no children? Or was it because Omni was his father as well..
  9 Now I, Chemish, write what few things I write, in the same book with my brother; for behold, I saw the last which he wrote, that he wrote it with his own hand; and he wrote it in the day that he delivered them unto me. And after this manner we keep the ^arecords, for it is according to the commandments of our fathers. And I make an end. Chemish has absolutely nothing to say. He and his brother wrote on the plates in one day on the same day. At least they felt the duty to keep the promise to write on them and pass them down. For geneology sake, it seems Chemish had to write something in order to pass them to his son.
  10 Behold, I, Abinadom, am the son of Chemish. Behold, it came to pass that I saw much war and contention between my people, the Nephites, and the Lamanites; and I, with my own sword, have taken the lives of many of the Lamanites in the defence of my brethren.
 11 And behold, the ^arecord of this people is engraven upon plates which is had by the ^bkings, according to the generations; and I know of no revelation save that which has been written, neither prophecy; Was this a period of silence? No prophets or teaching? Or did he just not hear of any... wherefore, that which is sufficient is written. And I make an end. Maybe there is a lesson here...that as a people once enlightened, sin against that light, that the revelations from heaven cease. If there were a prophet, he would be seeking these record keepers out to have their words recorded, I would think...Another son, not raised in truth...
 12 Behold, I am Amaleki, the son of Abinadom. Behold, I will speak unto you somewhat concerning ^aMosiah, who was made king over the ^bland of Zarahemla; for behold, he being ^cwarned of the Lord that he should ^dflee out of the ^eland of ^fNephi, and as many as would hearken unto the voice of the Lord should also ^gdepart out of the land with him, into the wilderness—We were told earlier that the more wicked part of the Nephites were destroyed. What happened to the righteous? Here we are told that one way the Lord preserves the righteous is to take them out of the midst of the wicked. He did that with Lehi, Nephi, the Mulekites, Alma...It's a pattern. Plan on it happening again. Notice that you have to "hearken unto the voice of the Lord" in order to depart. Is this the voice of the Lord to each individual, or the voice of the Lord to Mosiah? Who was Mosiah at this time? This is the first we hear of him. He is not made king until they get to Zarahemla. I wonder at what point this happened and why none of the earlier writers mention it. And why does Amaleki, the 3rd generation of writers not brought up in truth know about this part of their history?
 13 And it came to pass that he did according as the Lord had commanded him. And they departed out of the land into the wilderness, as many as would hearken unto the voice of the Lord; This phrase is repeated twice "as many as would hearken unto the voice of the Lord". What have we been repeatedly taught by our prophet? "Hear Him". We will need to hear His voice this way too! They either heard the voice themselves or accepted the Lord's voice through Mosiah and they were led by many preachings and prophesyings. And they were admonished continually by the word of God; and they were led by the power of his ^aarm, through the wilderness until they came down into the land which is called the ^bland of Zarahemla. I would love to be led by many preachings and prophesying and admonished continually by the word of God and led by the power of his arm through this wilderness of life. Oh wait...I am. The apostles are posting almost weekly. We are admonished continually by reading the scriptures daily and led by the Holy Ghost through this wilderness. I just need to hearken. 
 14 And they discovered a ^apeople, who were called the people of Zarahemla. Now, there was great rejoicing among the people of Zarahemla; and also Zarahemla did rejoice exceedingly, because the Lord had sent the people of Mosiah with the ^bplates of brass which contained the record of the Jews. If Mosiah’s people left the Nephites with the brass plates, Mosiah would have had some kind of standing to possess them. Amaleki and the previous writers did not write of the departure of Mosiah and the “more righteous part of the people who left with the brass plates. You would think all the plates would be kept together...
 15 Behold, it came to pass that Mosiah discovered that the people of ^aZarahemla came out from Jerusalem at the time that ^bZedekiah, king of Judah, was carried away captive into Babylon. Another group of people the Lord had led away. Are you seeing a pattern here? It will happen again...
 16 And they ^ajourneyed in the wilderness, and were brought by the hand of the Lord across the great waters, into the land where Mosiah discovered them; and they had dwelt there from that time forth.
 17 And at the time that Mosiah discovered them, they had become exceedingly numerous. Nevertheless, they had had many wars and serious contentions, and had fallen by the sword from time to time; and their ^alanguage had become corrupted; and they had brought no ^brecords with them; and they denied the being of their Creator; and Mosiah, nor the people of Mosiah, could understand them. How does language become corrupted to the point of not being able to understand a people with your same mother tongue?
 18 But it came to pass that Mosiah caused that they should be taught in his ^alanguage. And it came to pass that after they were taught in the language of Mosiah, Zarahemla gave a genealogy of his fathers, according to his memory; and they are written, but ^bnot in these plates. How long did this take to learn the language?
 19 And it came to pass that the people of Zarahemla, and of Mosiah, did ^aunite together; and ^bMosiah was appointed to be their king. Interesting that the people of Zarahemla were so willing to be taught and led by these strangers and to adopt their ways...why? Was it trust because they all came from the same heritage?
 20 And it came to pass in the days of Mosiah, there was a large ^astone brought unto him with engravings on it; and he did ^binterpret the engravings by the gift and power of God.
 21 And they gave an account of one ^aCoriantumr, and the slain of his people. And Coriantumr was discovered by the people of Zarahemla; and he dwelt with them for the space of nine moons. The end of the Jaradite nation wasn't that long before the Mulekites came who were not long after Lehi's people came.
 22 It also spake a few words concerning his fathers. And his first parents came out from the ^atower, at the time the Lord ^bconfounded the language of the people; and the severity of the Lord fell upon them according to his judgments, which are just; and their ^cbones lay scattered in the land northward.
 23 Behold, I, Amaleki, was born in the days of Mosiah; and I have lived to see his death; and ^aBenjamin, ^bhis son, reigneth in his stead. So Amaleki was among those who left with Mosiah? 
 24 And behold, I have seen, in the days of king Benjamin, a serious war and much bloodshed between the Nephites and the Lamanites. But behold, the Nephites did obtain much advantage over them; yea, insomuch that king Benjamin did drive them out of the land of Zarahemla. I guess the Lamanites followed the Nephites.
 25 And it came to pass that I began to be old; and, having no seed, and knowing king ^aBenjamin to be a just man before the Lord, wherefore, I shall ^bdeliver up ^cthese plates unto him, exhorting all men to come unto God, the Holy One of Israel, and believe in prophesying, and in revelations, and in the ministering of angels, and in the gift of speaking with tongues, and in the gift of interpreting languages, and in all things which are ^dgood; for there is nothing which is good save it comes from the Lord: and that which is evil cometh from the devil. This seems black and white. What if something has some good and some bad?  
 26 And now, my beloved brethren, I would that ye should ^acome unto Christ, who is the Holy One of Israel, and partake of his salvation, and the power of his redemption. Yea, come unto him, and ^boffer your whole souls as an ^coffering unto him, and continue in ^dfasting and praying, and endure to the end; and as the Lord liveth ye will be saved. Powerful testimony! This is the invitation to be born again. Baptism by fire and the Holy Ghost is to partake of salvation and redemption. You must offer your whole soul to Him to receive this. Then afterward,  you must continue in fasting and prayers and endure to the end.
 27 And now I would speak somewhat concerning a certain ^anumber who went up into the wilderness to ^breturn to the ^cland of Nephi; for there was a large number who were desirous to possess the land of their inheritance.
 28 Wherefore, they went up into the wilderness. And their leader being a strong and mighty man, and a stiffnecked man, wherefore he caused a contention among them; and they were ^aall slain, save fifty, in the wilderness, and they returned again to the land of Zarahemla. Slain by each other? 
 29 And it came to pass that they also took others to a considerable number, and took their journey again into the wilderness.
 30 And I, Amaleki, had a brother, who also went with them; Maybe the brother remembers the land of Nephi they left and wants to go back where they were originally from...and I have not since known concerning them. And I am about to lie down in my grave; and ^athese plates are full. And I make an end of my speaking. This makes it sound like the plates were already there, waiting to be engraven...Ok...here's my story: Amaleki, the son of a not righteous father and grandfather was taken by his mother with Mosiah when he fled. His mother was the one that hearkened to the voice of the Lord. We know he had one brother that had tried to go back to the land of Nephi but hadn't returned before he died. He may have had sisters, but they apparently didn't hand the plates down to girls, so I think he had no other brothers. And he had no children himself. Wonder why that was?