ZENIFF AND HIS PEOPLE.
Nephi lived with his people and taught them for many years. They all loved him, for he was a wise and a godly man, and had done many great things for them.
At last he became old and feeble. He knew that he had but a short time to live, so he took the history he had written and gave it to his brother Jacob. Then he chose a good man to reign as king over the Nephites.
Soon after that, Nephi died and his spirit went to Paradise to live with the righteous ones who had gone before.
One day, long after the death of Nephi, a man named Zeniff called together a number of his Nephite brethren. He told them he wanted to go and see how the Lamanites were getting on. "How many of you are willing to go with me?" he asked. Nearly all of them agreed to go. They began at once to make preparations for the trip. When the time came for them to leave, they bade their loved ones good-bye and set out on their journy.
After traveling many days, they came to the place where the Lamanites were. It was a fine country. Zeniff and those who were with him felt they would like to live there if the Lamanites would be willing for them to do so.
After resting awhile, Zeniff took four men and went into the city to see the king of the Lamanites. The king received his visitors kindly. Zeniff told the king that he and his brethren who were with him would like to remain in that part of the land.
King Laman said he would be pleased to have them stay, and that he would get the Lamanites who were in two of the cities to leave them and go to other places, so that the Nephites might go in and live in those cities.
You may think that that was a very kind act of the Lamanite king; but when I tell you what his object was, you will not think so kindly of him. He wanted the Nephites to go in and build up the cities, to cultivate the land and raise good crops. "When they have done that," said the king to himself, "I will get my army to come down and take the cities and the crops away from them. Then we will make the Nephites our servants."
The king of the Lamanites told Zeniff to bring his brethren and to settle in the land, and they did so.
Zeniff and his people began at once to improve the cities which the Lamanites had turned over to them. They planted crops of different kinds, also orchards and vineyards. Zeniff was a good man. He loved the Lord and kept His commandments and taught his people to do the same.
The Lord was pleased with them and gave them a great many good things. He blessed their farms so that they brought forth splendid crops. Their orchards yielded choice fruits in abundance, and their flocks and herds increased rapidly.
How little the Nephites knew at that time of the trouble which was soon to come upon them and of the great changes which a few years would bring about.
For some time the Lamanites had been watching the people of Zeniff. They saw their splendid crops, their sheep and cattle, and they longed to get possession of them. So they decided to make war upon the Nephites.
The Lamanites, when ready for battle, were a terrible-looking people. They were almost naked, and had the hair shaved off their heads. They were armed with bows and arrows, slings and stones, swords, and other weapons.
Zeniff, hearing that the Lamanites were going to attack his people, had the women and children taken away and hid in a safe place. Then he called all the men together and armed them for battle. The Nephites prayed mightily to the Lord to strengthen them, so that they might be able to defeat the Lamanites and thus be able to keep their homes and lands.
The Lord heard and answered the prayers of His people. The Lamanites fought like wild beasts, but were finally overcome. Those who were not killed in battle fled back to their own lands, and the Nephites returned to their homes, their wives and children, praising God for the victory He had given them.