Mormon 1

(All of my own thoughts are in blue ? red type 7/20 orange 7/21 brown 2022-23) 

                                     THE BOOK OF MORMON

CHAPTER 1

Ammaron instructs Mormon concerning the sacred records—War commences between the Nephites and the Lamanites—The Three Nephites are taken away—Wickedness, unbelief, sorceries, and witchcraft prevail. About A.D. 321–26.

  1 And now I, Mormon, make a ^arecord of the things which I have both seen and heard, and call it the ^bBook of Mormon.
  2 And about the time that ^aAmmaron hid up the records unto the Lord, he came unto me, (I being about ten years of age, and I began to be ^blearned somewhat after the manner of the learning of my people) and Ammaron said unto me: I perceive that thou art a ^csober child, and art quick to observe; Mormon was-learned; sober; quick to observe I thought there were no righteous left except the disciples? Maybe it wasn't referring to the 12, but all disciples. Maybe Mormon was a child of one of the 12? 
  3 Therefore, when ye are about twenty and four years old I would that ye should remember the things that ye have observed concerning this people; and when ye are of that age go to the ^aland Antum, unto a hill which shall be called ^bShim; and there have I deposited unto the Lord all the sacred engravings concerning this people. It's never too late to start a journal...So no one is keeping a record for 24 years? Could you write much from your life and what happened in the world from age 10-24?
  4 And behold, ye shall take the ^aplates of Nephi unto yourself, and the remainder shall ye leave in the place where they are; and ye shall engrave on the plates of Nephi all the things that ye have observed concerning this people.
  5 And I, Mormon, being a descendant of ^aNephi, (and my father’s name was Mormon) I remembered the things which Ammaron commanded me.
  6 And it came to pass that I, being eleven years old, was carried by my father into the land southward, even to the land of Zarahemla.
  7 The whole face of the land had become covered with buildings, and the people were as numerous almost, as it were the sand of the sea.
  8 And it came to pass in this year there began to be a war between the Nephites who consisted of the Nephites and the Jacobites and the Josephites and the Zoramites; and this war was between the Nephites, and the Lamanites and the Lemuelites and the Ishmaelites.
  9 Now the ^aLamanites and the Lemuelites and the Ishmaelites were called Lamanites, and the two parties were Nephites and Lamanites.
 10 And it came to pass that the war began to be among them in the borders of Zarahemla, by the waters of Sidon.
 11 And it came to pass that the Nephites had gathered together a great number of men, even to exceed the number of thirty thousand. And it came to pass that they did have in this same year a number of ^abattles, in which the Nephites did beat the Lamanites and did slay many of them.
 12 And it came to pass that the Lamanites withdrew their design, and there was peace settled in the land; and peace did remain for the space of about four years, that there was no bloodshed.
 13 But wickedness did prevail upon the face of the whole land, insomuch that the Lord did take away his ^abeloved disciples, and the work of miracles and of healing did cease because of the iniquity of the people. If there are no miracles and healings it is because of iniquity. The beloved disciples were the 3 Nephites. They are still alive today. When we become Zion, will they again be among us to heal and do miracles? 3 Nephi 28.32 says they will..
 14 And there were no ^agifts from the Lord, and the ^bHoly Ghost did not come upon any, because of their wickedness and ^cunbelief. Notice how he says wickedness AND unbelief. Maybe this answers my question from the last chapter. If we are not receiving the Holy Ghost at baptism, perhaps it is because we are unbelieving, most likely about what that even means...
 15 And I, being ^afifteen years of age and being somewhat of a ^bsober mind, therefore I was ^cvisited of the Lord, and ^dtasted and knew of the goodness of Jesus. This explains his great character before and after this event. How can you ever remain the same after being visited by Jesus? What does it mean to "taste and know of His goodness?" This makes me think that when it says ALL were wicked that there were still some who were righteous here and there, just not enough to say the people are righteous.
 16 And I did endeavor to preach unto this people, but my mouth was shut, and I was forbidden that I should preach unto them; for behold they had ^awilfully rebelled against their God; and the beloved disciples were ^btaken away out of the land, because of their iniquity. Mormon desired to save his people but the Lord did not let him. There comes a time, when you willfully rebel, that God let's you go on your own to experience the full weight of your iniquity. Is this a lesson for us? When you are in conversation with someone that knows the truth, but chooses to willfully rebel, you stop talking to them and trying to convert them? 
 17 But I did remain among them, but I was forbidden to ^apreach unto them, because of the hardness of their hearts; and because of the hardness of their hearts the land was ^bcursed for their sake. I'm not sure he had anywhere to go to really escape them, but he remained among them even in their wicked state.
 18 And these Gadianton robbers, who were among the Lamanites, did infest the land, insomuch that the inhabitants thereof began to ^ahide up their ^btreasures in the earth; and they became slippery, because the Lord had cursed the land, that they could not hold them, nor retain them again. Is this literal? They hid them and God took them away?
 19 And it came to pass that there were ^asorceries, and witchcrafts, and magics; and the power of the evil one was wrought upon all the face of the land, even unto the fulfilling of all the words of Abinadi, and also ^bSamuel the Lamanite. Sounds like satan's counterfeit to God’s miracles was sorceries, witchcrafts, and magic.... Why was it so easy to put their trust in these kinds of "miracles" and not God's? Were they "easier"? They could charge for them and make money? We are guilty of putting our trust in modern day "sorceries" (translated "pharmakia") instead of having enough righteousness and faith to be healed by miracles.