BOOK OF MOEMOX. 199 



This Lehi, a descendant of Joseph the son of Jacob, 

 with his family left Jerusalem In the beginning of the 

 reign of Zedeklah, six hundred years before Christ, and, 

 passing the Red Sea, journeyed eastward for eight 

 years till they reached the shore of a wide sea. There 

 they built a ship, and, embarking, were carried at length 

 to the promised land, where they settled and multiplied. 

 Among the sons of Lehl one was called Laman and 

 another Nephi. The former was wicked, and a disbeliever 

 in the law of Moses and the prophets; the latter, obedient 

 and faithful, and a believer in the coming of Christ. 

 Under the leadership of these two opposing brothers, the 

 rest of the family and their descendants arranged them- 

 selves, forming the Lamanltes and the Xephites, between 

 whom wars and perpetual hostilities arose. The 

 Lamanltes were idle hunters, living In tents, eating raw 

 flesh, and having only a girdle round their loins. The 

 skin of Laman and his followers became black ; while 

 that of NephI and his people, who tilled the land, 

 retained its original whiteness. As with the Jews, the 

 Nephltes were successful when they were obedient to 

 the law ; and, when they fell away to disobedience and 

 wickedness, the Lamanltes had the better, and put many 

 to death. At the end of about four hundred years, a 

 portion of the righteous Nephltes under Moslah, having 

 left their land, travelled far across the wilderness, and 

 discovered the city of Zarahemla, which was peopled 

 by the descendants of a colony of Jews who had 

 wandered from Jerusalem when King Zedeklah was 

 carried away captive to Babylon, twelve years after the 

 emigration of Lehl. But they were heathens, possessed 

 no copy of the law, and had corrupted their language. 

 They received the Nephltes warmly, however, learned 

 their language, and gladly accepted the law of Moses. 

 This occupies 158 pages. The history of the next two 

 hundred years follows this new people, and that of 



