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Book of Mormon Commentary
THE FINAL BA1TLE AT CUMORAH, VER. 1-33
Mormon Chapter 3
Mormon 3:3 And I, Mormon, wrote an epistle unto the king of the Lamanites, and desired of him that
he would grant unto us that we might gather together our people unto the land of Cumorah, by a hill
which was called Cumorah, and there we would give them battle.
Mormon wrote, "We did march forth to the land of Cumorah, and we did pitch our tents round
about the hill Cumorah; and it was in a land of many waters, rivers, and fountains, and here we
had hope to gain advantage over the Lamanites” (5). The gathering was completed when A.D. 384
had passed away. Mormon was born about A.D. 309 and at 75 was past the age for effective
fighting in hand-to-hand combat. His first concern was for the care of the sacred plates, which he
had been commanded to keep from the Lamanites, who would destroy them (7). He buried all of
them in the hill Cumorah, save a few which he gave to his son Moroni (8). (See Question Time,
Herald House, 1955, p. 127.)
When the Nephites saw the Lamanites marching toward them, they waited "with that awful fear of
death which fills the breasts of all the wicked" (9). "They did fall upon my people with the sword,
and with the bow, and with the arrow, and with the ax, and with all manner of weapons of war"
(11). This man-to- man combat had all the savagery of wild animals.
Mormon 3:12 And it came to pass that my men were hewn down, yea, even my ten thousand who were
with me; and I fell wounded in the midst; and they passed by me that they did not put an end to my life.
When the battle had ended, only twenty-four were left alive including Mormon and Moroni. A few
escaped into the south countries, and a few Nephites had deserted to the Lamanites. From the top
of hill Cumorah, Mormon viewed the battlefield the next day, and his "soul was rent with
anguish." The slain of his people lay before him. He cried out in his anguish, "0 ye fair ones, how
could ye have departed from the ways of the Lord!" (17, 18). "Behold if ye had not done this, ye
would not have fallen" (19). "But behold, ye are gone, and my sorrows can not bring your return;
and the day soon cometh that your mortal must put on immortality" (21). It is difficult for one who
has not loved and suffered for a people as had Mormon to realize the burden of grief he carried as
he wrote, "0 that ye had repented before this great destruction had come upon you" (23).
Mormon 3:24 And now behold, I would speak somewhat unto the remnant of this people who are
spared, if it so be that God may give unto them my words, that they may know of the things of their
fathers; yea, I speak unto you, ye remnant of the house of Israel; and these are the words which I speak,
Know ye that ye are of the house of Israel.
Mormon is not thinking alone of the Nephites when he talked about those "who are spared," for it
had been shown to him that the Nephites were doomed to destruction (2:20, 45; 3:1, 16). He
included in this appeal all "of the house of Israel" (24). First, he said, "Ye must come unto
repentance, or ye can not be saved" (25). Then, "Ye must lay down your weapons of war, and
delight no more in the shedding of blood" (26). Third, they must "believe in Jesus Christ, that he is
the Son of God, and that he was slain by the Jews, and by the power of the Father he hath risen
again. ..and also in him is the sting of death swallowed up" (27). Fourth, that "he bringeth to pass
the resurrection of the dead, whereby man must be raised to stand before his judgment seat" (28).
Those found guiltless will dwell in his presence, and "sing ceaseless praises" (29). Then he returns