A Dictionary of the Book of Mormon/Amos, the younger
AMOS, THE YOUNGER. Amos was the son of the elder Amos, and his successor in the custody of the “holy things.” So great was his vitality, and so strong was the constitution implanted in him by the virtuous lives of his progenitors, together with his own life of harmony with God's laws, that he retained this sacred trust for the unexampled period of one hundred and twelve years, or from A. C. 194 to A. C, 306, when he placed them in the hands of his brother Ammaron.
Amos was a righteous man, but he lived to witness an ever-increasing flood of iniquity break over the land, a phase of evil-doing that arose not from ignorance and false tradition, but from direct and wilful rebellion against God, and apostasy from His laws. In the year A. C. 201, all the second generation, after the appearance of the Redeemer, had passed away, save a few; the people had greatly multiplied and spread over the face of the lands, north and south, and they had become exceedingly rich; they wore costly apparel, which they adorned with ornaments of gold and silver, pearls and precious stones. From this date they no more had their property in common, but, like the rest of the world, every man sought gain, wealth, power and influence for himself and his own. All the old evils arising from selfishness were revived. Soon they began to build churches after their own fashion, and hire preachers who pandered to their lusts, some even began to deny the Savior.
From A. C. 210 to A. C. 230, the people waxed greatly in iniquity and impurity of life. Different dissenting sects multiplied, infidels abounded. The three remaining disciples were sorely persecuted, notwithstanding that they performed many mighty miracles.
Not only did the wicked persecute these three undying ones, but others of God's people suffered from their unhallowed anger and bitter hatred; but the faithful neither reviled at the reviler nor smote the smiter; they bore these things with patience and fortitude, remembering the pains of their Redeemer.
In the year A. C. 231, there was a great division among the people. The old party lines were again definitely marked. Again the old animosity assumed shape, and Nephite and Lamanite once more became implacable foes. Those who rejected and renounced the Gospel assumed the latter name, and with their eyes open, and a full knowledge of their inexcusable infamy, they taught their children the same base falsehoods that in ages past had caused the undying hatred that reigned in the hearts of the children of Laman and Lemuel towards the seed of their younger brothers. By A. C. 244, the more wicked portion of the people had become exceedingly strong, as well as far more numerous than the righteous. They deluded themselves by building all sorts of churches, with creeds to suit the increasing depravity of the masses.
When 260 years had passed away, the Gadianton bands, with all their secret signs and abominations (through the cunning of Satan) again appeared and increased until, in A. C. 300, they had spread all over the land. By this time, also, the Nephites, having gradually forsaken their first love, had so far sunk in the abyss of iniquity that they had grown as wicked, as proud, as corrupt, as vile, as the Lamanites. All were submerged in one overwhelming flood of infamy, “and there were none that were righteous, save it were the disciples of Jesus.”