Corianton: A Nephite StoryRoberts, B. H. (Brigham Henry)
Religion
Corianton: A Nephite Story
Roberts, B. H. (Brigham Henry)
Latter Day Saints -- Fiction
Those who heard these words, and saw the majesty of the speaker,
fallen though he was, were awed into silence; but those on the
outskirts of the ever-increasing crowd still clamored for his life,
and even began to cast stones at him. These volleys soon caused those
near him to draw back, and he stood alone. Shrouding his face in his
mantle he sank to the ground prepared to meet the worst.
At that moment a clear, strong voice rose above the tumult of the mob:
"In the name of God, hold! Stay your hands, men! Let him be accursed
that casts another stone!"
Shiblon, all breathless, pushed his way through that angry crowd to
where his brother lay, half stunned and bleeding. He threw aside the
mantle and bent over the poor, bruised form. "Alas! my brother, cast
down and well nigh destroyed!" and the tears flowed down his cheeks
and dropped upon the half unconscious face of Corianton. Then the
murmurs of the crowd, awed but for the moment by Shiblon's appearance,
rose into cries for vengeance. Quickly rising to his feet, Shiblon
waved his hand for silence and thus addressed them:
"You people from Antionum, listen to me. My father and the sons of
Mosiah, together with this my brother and myself, came into your midst
to teach you the truth. Out of love for you my father, though bowed
with age and unremitting toil in the behalf of others, left the
pleasures and comforts of his home, risked his life, and endured the
scoffs of the proud Zoramites, that you might live, and live in the
truth, and be free, and for this you would reward him by slaying his
dearest son, who fell by the practice of a cunning harlot. I grant you
the sin was great; such as he are great, even in their sins; and they
are likewise great in their sufferings.
"If his crime is worthy of death, has he not already suffered more
than death? The burden of his great sin he must carry through
life--and could his worst enemy be gratified by casting one more stone
at this poor, bleeding body, or be pleased by adding one more pang to
his tortured mind? Oh, men! has pity, mercy, gratitude left your
breasts; and does your mad frenzy make you brutish beasts? My
brother's sin is more against himself and God than you, and it is for
you to leave him to the justice and mercy of his God who hath said,
'Vengeance is mine, I will repay."
The crowd slunk away, except those who remained to assist Shiblon in
removing his brother to the home of Ammon, who lived in the city. Here
his wounds were dressed; and he was attended upon by Shiblon with all
the devotion of a loving brother.
His father forgave him, and took no small pains in teaching him,
instilling into his soul faith in the great fundamental truths of the
Gospel. And Corianton's proud, haughty spirit now humbled to the dust,
listened with prayerful attention to the instruction of his father,
and found the faith of the Gospel the stay and hope of his soul, and
no longer questioned, but lovingly trusted in the justice and mercy of
God.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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