THE BOOK OF SHIONI AKEK

Moroni travels across the land of the Nem preaching the true word of God in an effort to counter the doctrines and teachings of Tucantor.

1And Moroni did travel from city to city, and from settlement to settlement, in all the regions of the Nem of the Mountains, and even he did travel out to the West Sea, and he did preach this message unto all the people.

2And the people did esteem his message of great worth. For, it did cause them to remember the purpose of the gospel in their lives – that it should not become a means whereby men and women are enslaved, but that they might receive of it that through which the Lord does liberate His children.

3Now, when he undertook to travel away from his own city, he did so in the warm months, for the roads were not always safe to travel at other times. And he did take with him trusty men, men whom he had known for many years. And some of these men were among those who had fought beside him in the Nephite war. Yea, they went in a body of twelve and they called themselves the Traveling Council of Peli. And they did all things in unity and they had all things in common.

4And now and then, they divided themselves so that they might go and visit many cities and settlements at once. And when they did this, they did divide into threes, and they went three by three. But when they entered into any city, they did greet the people in the name of the Lord and in the name of the Traveling Council of Peli. And thus they became known unto all the people in the region.

5And when they were accepted by the council of a certain community, they did offer ceremony and oblation in the presence of all the people. They did offer up sacred smoke after the manner and pattern of Moroni, and they did lead out in the Purification of the Ammonites. Yea, they did make a sacred suffering with all the people who would celebrate this sacrifice with them.

6In many of the places whereunto they did visit during their travels, they found no reason to make any regulation, or in other words, when they met in council with the men and women of that city, they saw nothing about which they might make any suggestion, and they celebrated with the people in the Spirit. Nevertheless, they did always preach the message that Moroni had taught them and this did unite them with all the people.

7Now, they did not go unto the people in order that they might convince them of one viewpoint over another. They went because they were driven by the Spirit. And it was not in order that they might combat Tucantor and his rebellion, for his teachings did not travel much outside of Mentina at that time. But they did travel unto all the places in the mountains all the way unto the West Sea, and even they did teach some who came over from among the Nem of the Islands, in order that the cities might be more united and that greater contact might be established between them. Yea, they desired that the people might be more unified in their understanding of the gospel and unto this

8And they were not disappointed in their desire. For there had not been much done along this line for many generations. Now, do not think that the people had not enjoyed communion with other cities, but their lives were so much tied to their own city and their own stewardship that they had little opportunity to travel about and visit other cities and other settlements except to transport goods.

9Wherefore the traveling council gave the people of the scattered cities of the Nem an opportunity to hear and to honor teachers from other places. And this did cause them to esteem the Nem as one nation and one people.

10And the traveling council did prove to the people that they could live in diverse places upon the land and yet have security and unity because of their unity in the covenants and commitments they had all made to live the way the Lord had taught them. Indeed, because of the traveling Peli, they did not feel isolated one from another.

11And also when the people saw that the traveling Peli taught the oblations, sacraments and ordinances that were taught by the Lord and by Timothy and his brethren, they were the more unified in their teachings, even so much so that they did also take up their concentration upon the four great covenants of the High Place. Yea, and in every place where the traveling Peli sojourned, they did assist the people in building the High Place and in setting up the performance of the ordinances there.

12The traveling Peli became renowned in all the land because of their knowledge and because of the great spirit with which they did teach the discourse that Moroni had taught them. And whenever they were gathered in any one place, they did observe to teach in unison, never differing in their discourse. Yea, they did pray together, and they did fast together. They did observe the Purification of the Ammonites together and they did participate together in the Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper. They were a body and a band of perfect unity and they had all things in common.

13And it was for this cause that Moroni did make his journey unto the various cities of the Nem. For he esteemed it the best work that he could do. And what other work could there be of greater import than that we wear out our lives in the service of the Lord and of His children? This, verily, is the thing that Moroni taught and his life became an example unto us all.

14And they who went with Moroni, or also they who were sent by him unto the cities, did this walking service because of the great love they had for their Lord and also for their brothers and sisters of the Nem. They did not do it because of the esteem of the people. For, who knew them before that they had visited their cities? Nay, they set out because they loved their God and the Spirit had testified mightily to them of the rightness of the mission. And also they set out because they loved the Nem and desired not that they should dwindle in unbelief because of the whisperings and conspiring of evil or misinformed men.

15And this took place throughout the stewardship of Moroni and it became a great work. For the Nem unified once again into a great nation under the influence of this great Peli and high priest. And to write all of his doings and all of his works would fill up many volumes, wherefore, he did not write much of his own doings in his own record. And also he felt not to praise himself for his own works. Such was his humility.

16Nevertheless, Moroni is known throughout the land as one of the greatest prophets of the Nem and it is for this reason that one may see his mark in many places written into the stones. Yea, he became a hero unto the people and most especially unto the young men who found in the traveling councils and the walking service a mission for themselves and a means whereby they might serve the nation as a whole and not only their own community.