Zeniff
Zeniff is my name and I was the first king of a group of Nephites to return to the land of Lehi-Nephi around 200 B.C.
Contents
Family
I'm Zeniff, the father of sons, one of them named Noah and the grandfather of Limhi. I left Zarahemla to reclaim my ancestral Lehi-Nephi from the Lamanites. I am mentioned by name for the first time in the Book of Mormon in Mosiah 7:9 but an earlier reference to my return to the land of Nephi is written in Omni 1:27-30
Reclaiming Lehi-Nephi—First attempt
I knew about the land of Nephi and was sent to spy on the Lamanites forces so that our army could destroy them. However I saw that there was good among them so I appealed to my ruler to spare them. He wanted me killed but I was rescued after a fight amongst ourselves and many deaths. I returned with only fifty to Zarahemla and to report to the wives and children of the dead.
Reclaiming Lehi-Nephi—Second attempt
I was overzealous to reclaim the land and I went again with volunteers (Amaleki's brother was one) but we had famine and adversity among us because we were slow in remembering God. We eventually reached the site where we had fought each other and I took four of my men to visit King Laman.
The Treaty
The King made a covenant with me so that I could have the land of Lehi-Nephi and the land of Shilom, including both cities of the same name. The King's people left and we constructed buildings and repaired the walls of Lehi-Nephi and Shilom. We grew corn, wheat, barley, neas, and sheum.
King Laman was crafty and his only goal was to bring the Nephites into bondage. His people were lazy and idolatrous and wanted to glut themselves on our work.
War
After twelve years, King Laman worked up his people to fight with us, and to go to war. He was uneasy that we were growing stronger. An attack came the next year on the south of Shilom where the Lamanites slew my people and took their flocks and corn. The survivors fled to the city of Nephi to ask for my protection.
We prayed to the Lord for help and in one day and night killed 3,043 Lamanites and drove them from our lands. We greatly sorrowed and lamented the loss of 279 of our own. I helped bury the Lamanite dead.
War Again
King Laman died and his son Laman took over and attacked Shilom from the north. I had my spies in the land of Shemlon and was forewarned. I sent the women and children into the wilderness. The young and old men, including me, fought in the strength of the Lord and slaughtered so many Lamanites that we did not count them.
The Lamanites have been taught to hate, rob, and murder the Nephites and so I was tricked, as I've previously written, by King Laman into settling in the land so that we could be destroyed.
Conclusion
I am old now, I have reigned for forty years, and I give my kingdom to one of my sons, Noah.
Kind reader, bear in mind that the Lamanites know nothing of the Lord, or his strength, and they depend only on their own strength. However, they are strong, wild, ferocious, and blood-thirsty. They believe they had to leave Jerusalem because of the sins of their fathers, and that they were wronged in the wilderness by their brethren (because Nephi took the lead), and they were also wronged while crossing the sea (because they turned against the Lord), and that they were wronged when they arrived here (because they did not rule). They were angry when Nephi was commanded by the Lord to leave into the wilderness and took the Brass Plates (they said they were robbed). That is why they hate us so.
May the Lord bless my people.
