THE BOOK OF SHIONI AKEK

1Behold, many years have passed away since Timothy came among the Nem of the Mountains in the days of my stewardship, and he has come back on many occasions since then. And the teaching of Timothy is a thing of great import unto us as a people. Wherefore, we do esteem his words to be great. And they are always in unison and they always have to do with the four great laws of the High Place.

2And in that time, many new settlements and villages of the Nem have been formed, and also many cities and villages are no more. For, the Nem of the Plains and of the Lakes do find great reason to flee before the encroaching snows. Yea, the snows in the far north do come earlier and stay longer than in times past and the people of Corianton, although some few prefer to live upon the snow and ice the year round, most have all left that part of the country and have moved further south. And so it is in the Plains and also along the Coasts of the West Sea.

3Yea, the ice does form earlier in the fall and stay longer and does not altogether break up in the spring as it was wont to do. Yea, and in the further north, there is no time for the crops to mature. Wherefore, we have had call to send the greater portion of our surplus great distances in order that relief might be given those Nem who have not been able to relocate quickly.

4And behold, new lands have been exposed in the south, yea, even that great gulf in the south parts of the Land Northward have been exposed and are become dry land. Wherefore, there are now many settlements of Lamanites in that country and many Gadianton Robbers.

5Yea, the face of the land does begin to change greatly in the Land Northward because of the cold in the north and because of the great heat in the south. But in the region we know as Nespelem, these changes have brought greater prosperity because we find ourselves in the middle. Behold, our winters have more snow, but they are shorter than in my father’s time. And our summers are somewhat hotter, but the duration of the hot season is also not so long. And the spring and the fall are longer and more pleasant, wherefore, our season of growth has improved somewhat.

6And there have been reports of wars in the regions to the south round about the Land of Hagoth, or in other words, in that region where our father, Hagoth, first made his settlements. And in the cities of that region there is much unrest, for they are divided and have not all things in common.

7And further, we do not hear as often from the peoples of other regions. Yea, our messengers are fewer and we are not as informed about the world as we have been in the past. I esteem the reason for this is due to the greater effort our people must employ in order to grow provender to send to those of our people who are still not removed from out of the far north country. And this occupies our minds exceedingly. But also there have been fewer travelers from other countries, and most especially this applies to visitors from across the West Sea.

8Yea, and it is passing ten years since any messenger has come over the sea from the Nem of the Islands and we worry greatly what might be the cause of this great silence.

9Now I, Shioni Akekt, finish this my record. And I do hope that some good may come of the things which I have written. Yea, I do hope that they from among my own posterity who do read my words may find benefit in them.

10Behold, Timothy has prophesied that a great restoration must come from out of our descendents, and this fills us with joy. But the knowledge of it also teaches us that there must first come about the reason for such a great restoration. This does cause us to turn again and review our own doing, for we do not desire that it might be any of our doing that brings upon the Nem any degree of apostasy.

11But we are reconciled that at some point our people may turn from the path that we have chosen and because we cannot see all clearly, behold, we worry for our descendents. And we continue to teach our children carefully and to tend the earth mindfully. We do this in the hope that a falling away may not take place in our day. And behold, this is all that we can do. Amen.