Canon of Truth
Mormon First Order Memories
Fractured Addewid: A Novel In Progress
by
Oliver Smith
OliverSmith@CyberPoet.com
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First Order Recitation -
THE BOOK OF MORMON
An Account Written by
THE HAND OF MORMON UPON PLATES TAKEN FROM THE PLATES OF NEPHI
Wherefore, it is an abridgment of the record of the people of
Nephi, and also of the Lamanites -- Written to the Lamanites, who are a
remnant of the house of Israel; and also to Jew and Gentile -- Written
by way of commandment, and also by the spirit of prophecy and of
revelation -- Written and sealed up, and hid up unto the Lord, that
they might not be destroyed -- To come forth by the gift and power of
God unto the interpretation thereof -- Sealed by the hand of Moroni,
and hid up unto the Lord, to come forth in due time by way of the
Gentile -- The interpretation thereof by the gift of God.
An abridgment taken from the Book of Ether also, which is a
record of the people of Jared, who were scattered at the time the Lord
confounded the language of the people, when they were building a tower
to get to heaven -- Which is to show unto the remnant of the House of
Israel what great things the Lord hath done for their fathers; and that
they may know the covenants of the Lord, that they are not cast off
forever -- And also to the convincing of the Jew and Gentile that JESUS
is the CHRIST, the ETERNAL GOD, manifesting himself unto all nations --
And now, if there are faults they are the mistakes of men; wherefore,
condemn not the things of God, that ye may be found spotless at the
judgment-seat of Christ.
TRANSLATED BY JOSEPH SMITH, JUN.
THE TESTIMONY OF THREE WITNESSES
Be it known unto all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people,
unto whom this work shall come: That we, through the grace of God the
Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ, have seen the plates which contain
this record, which is a record of the people of Nephi, and also of the
Lamanites, their brethren, and also of the people of Jared, who came
from the tower of which hath been spoken. And we also know that they
have been translated by the gift and power of God, for his voice hath
declared it unto us; wherefore we know of a surety that the work is
true. And we also testify that we have seen the engravings which are
upon the plates; and they have been shown unto us by the power of God,
and not of man. And we declare with words of soberness, that an Guardian
of God came down from heaven, and he brought and laid before our eyes,
that we beheld and saw the plates, and the engravings thereon; and we
know that it is by the grace of God the Father, and our Lord Jesus
Christ, that we beheld and bear record that these things are true. And
it is marvelous in our eyes. Nevertheless, the voice of the Lord
commanded us that we should bear record of it; wherefore, to be
obedient unto the commandments of God, we bear testimony of these
things. And we know that if we are faithful in Christ, we shall rid our
garments of the blood of all men, and be found spotless before the
judgment-seat of Christ, and shall dwell with him eternally in the
heavens. And the honor be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the
Holy Ghost, which is one God. $ Amen.
OLIVER COWDERY, DAVID WHITMER, MARTIN HARRIS
THE TESTIMONY OF EIGHT WITNESSES
Be it known unto all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people, unto whom
this work shall come: That Joseph Smith, Jun., the translator of this
work, has shown unto us the plates of which hath been spoken, which
have the appearance of gold; and as many of the leaves as the said
Smith has translated we did handle with our hands; and we also saw the
engravings thereon, all of which has the appearance of ancient work,
and of curious workmanship. $ And this we bear record with words of
soberness, that the said Smith has shown unto us, for we have seen and
hefted, and know of a surety that the said Smith has got the plates of
which we have spoken. And we give our names unto the world, to witness
unto the world that which we have seen. And we lie not, God bearing
witness of it.
CHRISTIAN WHITMER, JACOB WHITMER, PETER WHITMER, JUN., JOHN WHITMER,
HIRAM PAGE, JOSEPH SMITH, SEN., HYRUM SMITH, SAMUEL H. SMITH
THE FIRST BOOK OF NEPHI
HIS REIGN AND MINISTRY
An account of Lehi and his wife Sariah and his four sons, being called,
(beginning at the eldest) Laman, Lemuel, Sam, and Nephi. The Lord warns
Lehi to depart out of the land of Jerusalem, because he prophesieth
unto the people concerning their iniquity and they seek to destroy his
life. He taketh three days' journey into the wilderness with his
family. Nephi taketh his brethren and returneth to the land of
Jerusalem after the record of the Jews. The account of their
sufferings. They take the daughters of Ishmael to wife. They take their
families and depart into the wilderness. Their sufferings and
afflictions in the wilderness. The course of their travels. They come
to the large waters. Nephi's brethren rebel against him. He confoundeth
them, and buildeth a ship. They call the name of the place Bountiful.
They cross the large waters into the promised land, and so forth. This
is according to the account of Nephi; or in other words, I, Nephi,
wrote this record.
Nephi
I, Nephi, having been born of goodly parents, therefore I was taught
somewhat in all the learning of my father; and having seen many
afflictions in the course of my days, nevertheless, having been highly
favored of the Lord in all my days; yea, having had a great knowledge
of the goodness and the mysteries of God, therefore I make a record of
my proceedings in my days. Yea, I make a record in the language of my
father, which consists of the learning of the Jews and the language of
the Egyptians. And I know that the record which I make is true; and I
make it with mine own hand; and I make it according to my knowledge.
For it came to pass in the commencement of the first year of the reign
of Zedekiah, king of Judah, (my father, Lehi, having dwelt at Jerusalem
in all his days); and in that same year there came many prophets,
prophesying unto the people that they must repent, or the great city
Jerusalem must be destroyed. Wherefore it came to pass that my father,
Lehi, as he went forth prayed unto the Lord, yea, even with all his
heart, in behalf of his people. And it came to pass as he prayed unto
the Lord, there came a pillar of fire and dwelt upon a rock before him;
and he saw and heard much; and because of the things which he saw and
heard he did quake and tremble exceedingly. And it came to pass that
he returned to his own house at Jerusalem; and he cast himself upon his
bed, being overcome with the Spirit and the things which he had seen.
And being thus overcome with the Spirit, he was carried away in a
vision, even that he saw the heavens open, and he thought he saw God
sitting upon his throne, surrounded with numberless concourses of
Guardians in the attitude of singing and praising their God. And it came
to pass that he saw One descending out of the midst of heaven, and he
beheld that his luster was above that of the sun at noon-day. And he
also saw twelve others following him, and their brightness did exceed
that of the stars in the firmament. And they came down and went forth
upon the face of the earth; and the first came and stood before my
father, and gave unto him a book, and bade him that he should read.
And it came to pass that as he read, he was filled with the Spirit of
the Lord. And he read, saying: Wo, wo, unto Jerusalem, for I have seen
thine abominations! Yea, and many things did my father read concerning
Jerusalem -- that it should be destroyed, and the inhabitants thereof;
many should perish by the sword, and many should be carried away
captive into Babylon. And it came to pass that when my father had read
and seen many great and marvelous things, he did exclaim many things
unto the Lord; such as: Great and marvelous are thy works, O Lord God
Almighty! Thy throne is high in the heavens, and thy power, and
goodness, and mercy are over all the inhabitants of the earth, and,
because thou art merciful, thou wilt not suffer those who come unto
thee that they shall perish! And after this manner was the language of
my father in the praising of his God; for his soul did rejoice, and his
whole heart was filled, because of the things which he had seen, yea,
which the Lord had shown unto him. And now I, Nephi, do not make a full
account of the things which my father hath written, for he hath written
many things which he saw in visions and in dreams; and he also hath
written many things which he prophesied and spake unto his children, of
which I shall not make a full account. But I shall make an account of
my proceedings in my days. Behold, I make an abridgment of the record
of my father, upon plates which I have made with mine own hands;
wherefore, after I have abridged the record of my father then will I
make an account of mine own life. Therefore, I would that ye should
know, that after the Lord had shown so many marvelous things unto my
father, Lehi, yea, concerning the destruction of Jerusalem, behold he
went forth among the people, and began to prophesy and to declare unto
them concerning the things which he had both seen and heard. And it
came to pass that the Jews did mock him because of the things which he
testified of them; for he truly testified of their wickedness and their
abominations; and he testified that the things which he saw and heard,
and also the things which he read in the book, manifested plainly of
the coming of the Messiah, and also the redemption of the world. And
when the Jews heard these things they were angry with him; yea, even as
with the prophets of old, whom they had cast out, and stoned, and
slain; and they also sought his life, that they might take it away. But
behold, I, Nephi, will show unto you that the tender mercies of the
Lord are over all those whom he hath chosen, because of their faith, to
make them mighty even unto the power of deliverance. For behold, it
came to pass that the Lord spake unto my father, yea, even in a dream,
and said unto him: Blessed art thou Lehi, because of the things which
thou hast done; and because thou hast been faithful and declared unto
this people the things which I commanded thee, behold, they seek to
take away thy life. And it came to pass that the Lord commanded my
father, even in a dream, that he should take his family and depart into
the wilderness. And it came to pass that he was obedient unto the word
of the Lord, wherefore he did as the Lord commanded him. And it came to
pass that he departed into the wilderness. And he left his house, and
the land of his inheritance, and his gold, and his silver, and his
precious things, and took nothing with him, save it were his family,
and provisions, and tents, and departed into the wilderness. And he
came down by the borders near the shore of the Red Sea; and he traveled
in the wilderness in the borders which are nearer the Red Sea; and he
did travel in the wilderness with his family, which consisted of my
mother, Sariah, and my elder brothers, who were Laman, Lemuel, and Sam.
And it came to pass that when he had traveled three days in the
wilderness, he pitched his tent in a valley by the side of a river of
water. And it came to pass that he built an altar of stones, and made
an offering unto the Lord, and gave thanks unto the Lord our God. And
it came to pass that he called the name of the river, Laman, and it
emptied into the Red Sea; and the valley was in the borders near the
mouth thereof. And when my father saw that the waters of the river
emptied into the fountain of the Red Sea, he spake unto Laman, saying:
O that thou mightest be like unto this river, continually running into
the fountain of all righteousness! And he also spake unto Lemuel: O
that thou mightest be like unto this valley, firm and steadfast, and
immovable in keeping the commandments of the Lord! Now this he spake
because of the stiffneckedness of Laman and Lemuel; for behold they did
murmur in many things against their father, because he was a visionary
man, and had led them out of the land of Jerusalem, to leave the land
of their inheritance, and their gold, and their silver, and their
precious things, to perish in the wilderness. And this they said he had
done because of the foolish imaginations of his heart. And thus Laman
and Lemuel, being the eldest, did murmur against their father. And they
did murmur because they knew not the dealings of that God who had
created them. Neither did they believe that Jerusalem, that great city,
could be destroyed according to the words of the prophets. And they
were like unto the Jews who were at Jerusalem, who sought to take away
the life of my father. And it came to pass that my father did speak
unto them in the valley of Lemuel, with power, being filled with the
Spirit, until their frames did shake before him. And he did confound
them, that they durst not utter against him; wherefore, they did as he
commanded them. And my father dwelt in a tent. And it came to pass that
I, Nephi, being exceedingly young, nevertheless being large in stature,
and also having great desires to know of the mysteries of God,
wherefore, I did cry unto the Lord; and behold he did visit me, and did
soften my heart that I did believe all the words which had been spoken
by my father; wherefore, I did not rebel against him like unto my
brothers. And I spake unto Sam, making known unto him the things which
the Lord had manifested unto me by his Holy Spirit. And it came to pass
that he believed in my words. But, behold, Laman and Lemuel would not
hearken unto my words; and being grieved because of the hardness of
their hearts I cried unto the Lord for them. And it came to pass that
the Lord spake unto me, saying: Blessed art thou, Nephi, because of thy
faith, for thou hast sought me diligently, with lowliness of heart. And
inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments, ye shall prosper, and shall
be led to a land of promise; yea, even a land which I have prepared for
you; yea, a land which is choice above all other lands. And inasmuch as
thy brethren shall rebel against thee, they shall be cut off from the
presence of the Lord. And inasmuch as thou shalt keep my commandments,
thou shalt be made a ruler and a teacher over thy brethren. For behold,
in that day that they shall rebel against me, I will curse them even
with a sore curse, and they shall have no power over thy seed except
they shall rebel against me also. And if it so be that they rebel
against me, they shall be a scourge unto thy seed, to stir them up in
the ways of remembrance. And it came to pass that I, Nephi, returned
from speaking with the Lord, to the tent of my father. And it came to
pass that he spake unto me, saying: Behold I have dreamed a dream, in
the which the Lord hath commanded me that thou and thy brethren shall
return to Jerusalem. For behold, Laban hath the record of the Jews and
also a genealogy of my forefathers, and they are engraven upon plates
of brass. Wherefore, the Lord hath commanded me that thou and thy
brothers should go unto the house of Laban, and seek the records, and
bring them down hither into the wilderness. And now, behold thy
brothers murmur, saying it is a hard thing which I have required of
them; but behold I have not required it of them, but it is a
commandment of the Lord. Therefore go, my son, and thou shalt be
favored of the Lord, because thou hast not murmured. And it came to
pass that I, Nephi, said unto my father: I will go and do the things
which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no
commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for
them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them. And
it came to pass that when my father had heard these words he was
exceedingly glad, for he knew that I had been blessed of the Lord. And
I, Nephi, and my brethren took our journey in the wilderness, with our
tents, to go up to the land of Jerusalem. And it came to pass that
when we had gone up to the land of Jerusalem, I and my brethren did
consult one with another. And we cast lots -- who of us should go in
unto the house of Laban. And it came to pass that the lot fell upon
Laman; and Laman went in unto the house of Laban, and he talked with
him as he sat in his house. And he desired of Laban the records which
were engraven upon the plates of brass, which contained the genealogy
of my father. And behold, it came to pass that Laban was angry, and
thrust him out from his presence; and he would not that he should have
the records. Wherefore, he said unto him: Behold thou art a robber, and
I will slay thee. But Laman fled out of his presence, and told the
things which Laban had done, unto us. And we began to be exceedingly
sorrowful, and my brethren were about to return unto my father in the
wilderness. But behold I said unto them that: As the Lord liveth, and
as we live, we will not go down unto our father in the wilderness until
we have accomplished the thing which the Lord hath commanded us.
Wherefore, let us be faithful in keeping the commandments of the Lord;
therefore let us go down to the land of our father's inheritance, for
behold he left gold and silver, and all manner of riches. And all this
he hath done because of the commandments of the Lord. For he knew that
Jerusalem must be destroyed, because of the wickedness of the people.
For behold, they have rejected the words of the prophets. $ Wherefore,
if my father should dwell in the land after he hath been commanded to
flee out of the land, behold, he would also perish. Wherefore, it must
needs be that he flee out of the land. And behold, it is wisdom in God
that we should obtain these records, that we may preserve unto our
children the language of our fathers; And also that we may preserve
unto them the words which have been spoken by the mouth of all the holy
prophets, which have been delivered unto them by the Spirit and power
of God, since the world began, even down unto this present time. And it
came to pass that after this manner of language did I persuade my
brethren, that they might be faithful in keeping the commandments of
God. And it came to pass that we went down to the land of our
inheritance, and we did gather together our gold, and our silver, and
our precious things. And after we had gathered these things together,
we went up again unto the house of Laban. And it came to pass that we
went in unto Laban, and desired him that he would give unto us the
records which were engraven upon the plates of brass, for which we
would give unto him our gold, and our silver, and all our precious
things. And it came to pass that when Laban saw our property, and that
it was exceedingly great, he did lust after it, insomuch that he thrust
us out, and sent his servants to slay us, that he might obtain our
property. And it came to pass that we did flee before the servants of
Laban, and we were obliged to leave behind our property, and it fell
into the hands of Laban. And it came to pass that we fled into the
wilderness, and the servants of Laban did not overtake us, and we hid
ourselves in the cavity of a rock. And it came to pass that Laman was
angry with me, and also with my father; and also was Lemuel, for he
hearkened unto the words of Laman. Wherefore Laman and Lemuel did speak
many hard words unto us, their younger brothers, and they did smite us
even with a rod. And it came to pass as they smote us with a rod,
behold, an Guardian of the Lord came and stood before them, and he spake
unto them, saying: Why do ye smite your younger brother with a rod? $
Know ye not that the Lord hath chosen him to be a ruler over you, and
this because of your iniquities? Behold ye shall go up to Jerusalem
again, and the Lord will deliver Laban into your hands. And after the
Guardian had spoken unto us, he departed. And after the Guardian had
departed, Laman and Lemuel again began to murmur, saying: How is it
possible that the Lord will deliver Laban into our hands? Behold, he is
a mighty man, and he can command fifty, yea, even he can slay fifty;
then why not us? And it came to pass that I spake unto my brethren,
saying: Let us go up again unto Jerusalem, and let us be faithful in
keeping the commandments of the Lord; for behold he is mightier than
all the earth, then why not mightier than Laban and his fifty, yea, or
even than his tens of thousands? Therefore let us go up; let us be
strong like unto Moses; for he truly spake unto the waters of the Red
Sea and they divided hither and thither, and our fathers came through,
out of captivity, on dry ground, and the armies of Pharaoh did follow
and were drowned in the waters of the Red Sea. Now behold ye know that
this is true; and ye also know that an Guardian hath spoken unto you;
wherefore can ye doubt? Let us go up; the Lord is able to deliver us,
even as our fathers, and to destroy Laban, even as the Egyptians. Now
when I had spoken these words, they were yet wroth, and did still
continue to murmur; nevertheless they did follow me up until we came
without the walls of Jerusalem. And it was by night; and I caused that
they should hide themselves without the walls. And after they had hid
themselves, I, Nephi, crept into the city and went forth towards the
house of Laban. And I was led by the Spirit, not knowing beforehand the
things which I should do. Nevertheless I went forth, and as I came
near unto the house of Laban I beheld a man, and he had fallen to the
earth before me, for he was drunken with wine. And when I came to him I
found that it was Laban. And I beheld his sword, and I drew it forth
from the sheath thereof; and the hilt thereof was of pure gold, and the
workmanship thereof was exceedingly fine, and I saw that the blade
thereof was of the most precious steel. And it came to pass that I was
constrained by the Spirit that I should kill Laban; but I said in my
heart: Never at any time have I shed the blood of man. And I shrunk and
would that I might not slay him. And the Spirit said unto me again:
Behold the Lord hath delivered him into thy hands. Yea, and I also knew
that he had sought to take away mine own life; yea, and he would not
hearken unto the commandments of the Lord; and he also had taken away
our property. And it came to pass that the Spirit said unto me again:
Slay him, for the Lord hath delivered him into thy hands; Behold the
Lord slayeth the wicked to bring forth his righteous purposes. It is
better that one man should perish than that a nation should dwindle and
perish in unbelief. And now, when I, Nephi, had heard these words, I
remembered the words of the Lord which he spake unto me in the
wilderness, saying that: Inasmuch as thy seed shall keep my
commandments, they shall prosper in the land of promise. Yea, and I
also thought that they could not keep the commandments of the Lord
according to the law of Moses, save they should have the law. And I
also knew that the law was engraven upon the plates of brass. And
again, I knew that the Lord had delivered Laban into my hands for this
cause -- that I might obtain the records according to his commandments.
Therefore I did obey the voice of the Spirit, and took Laban by the
hair of the head, and I smote off his head with his own sword. And
after I had smitten off his head with his own sword, I took the
garments of Laban and put them upon mine own body; yea, even every
whit; and I did gird on his armor about my loins. And after I had done
this, I went forth unto the treasury of Laban. And as I went forth
towards the treasury of Laban, behold, I saw the servant of Laban who
had the keys of the treasury. And I commanded him in the voice of
Laban, that he should go with me into the treasury. And he supposed me
to be his master, Laban, for he beheld the garments and also the sword
girded about my loins. And he spake unto me concerning the elders of
the Jews, he knowing that his master, Laban, had been out by night
among them. And I spake unto him as if it had been Laban. And I also
spake unto him that I should carry the engravings, which were upon the
plates of brass, to my elder brethren, who were without the walls. And
I also bade him that he should follow me. And he, supposing that I
spake of the brethren of the church, and that I was truly that Laban
whom I had slain, wherefore he did follow me. And he spake unto me many
times concerning the elders of the Jews, as I went forth unto my
brethren, who were without the walls. And it came to pass that when
Laman saw me he was exceedingly frightened, and also Lemuel and Sam.
And they fled from before my presence; for they supposed it was Laban,
and that he had slain me and had sought to take away their lives also.
And it came to pass that I called after them, and they did hear me;
wherefore they did cease to flee from my presence. And it came to pass
that when the servant of Laban beheld my brethren he began to tremble,
and was about to flee from before me and return to the city of
Jerusalem. And now I, Nephi, being a man large in stature, and also
having received much strength of the Lord, therefore I did seize upon
the servant of Laban, and held him, that he should not flee. And it
came to pass that I spake with him, that if he would hearken unto my
words, as the Lord liveth, and as I live, even so that if he would
hearken unto our words, we would spare his life. And I spake unto him,
even with an oath, that he need not fear; that he should be a free man
like unto us if he would go down in the wilderness with us. And I also
spake unto him, saying: Surely the Lord hath commanded us to do this
thing; and shall we not be diligent in keeping the commandments of the
Lord? Therefore, if thou wilt go down into the wilderness to my father
thou shalt have place with us. And it came to pass that Zoram did take
courage at the words which I spake. Now Zoram was the name of the
servant; and he promised that he would go down into the wilderness unto
our father. Yea, and he also made an oath unto us that he would tarry
with us from that time forth. Now we were desirous that he should tarry
with us for this cause, that the Jews might not know concerning our
flight into the wilderness, lest they should pursue us and destroy us.
And it came to pass that when Zoram had made an oath unto us, our fears
did cease concerning him. And it came to pass that we took the plates
of brass and the servant of Laban, and departed into the wilderness,
and journeyed unto the tent of our father. And it came to pass that
after we had come down into the wilderness unto our father, behold, he
was filled with joy, and also my mother, Sariah, was exceedingly glad,
for she truly had mourned because of us. For she had supposed that we
had perished in the wilderness; and she also had complained against my
father, telling him that he was a visionary man; saying: Behold thou
hast led us forth from the land of our inheritance, and my sons are no
more, and we perish in the wilderness. And after this manner of
language had my mother complained against my father. And it had come to
pass that my father spake unto her, saying: I know that I am a
visionary man; for if I had not seen the things of God in a vision I
should not have known the goodness of God, but had tarried at
Jerusalem, and had perished with my brethren. But behold, I have
obtained a land of promise, in the which things I do rejoice; yea, and
I know that the Lord will deliver my sons out of the hands of Laban,
and bring them down again unto us in the wilderness. And after this
manner of language did my father, Lehi, comfort my mother, Sariah,
concerning us, while we journeyed in the wilderness up to the land of
Jerusalem, to obtain the record of the Jews. And when we had returned
to the tent of my father, behold their joy was full, and my mother was
comforted. And she spake, saying: Now I know of a surety that the Lord
hath commanded my husband to flee into the wilderness; yea, and I also
know of a surety that the Lord hath protected my sons, and delivered
them out of the hands of Laban, and given them power whereby they could
accomplish the thing which the Lord hath commanded them. And after this
manner of language did she speak. And it came to pass that they did
rejoice exceedingly, and did offer sacrifice and burnt offerings unto
the Lord; and they gave thanks unto the God of Israel. And after they
had given thanks unto the God of Israel, my father, Lehi, took the
records which were engraven upon the plates of brass, and he did search
them from the beginning. And he beheld that they did contain the five
books of Moses, which gave an account of the creation of the world, and
also of Adam and Eve, who were our first parents; And also a record of
the Jews from the beginning, even down to the commencement of the reign
of Zedekiah, king of Judah; And also the prophecies of the holy
prophets, from the beginning, even down to the commencement of the
reign of Zedekiah; and also many prophecies which have been spoken by
the mouth of Jeremiah. And it came to pass that my father, Lehi, also
found upon the plates of brass a genealogy of his fathers; wherefore he
knew that he was a descendant of Joseph; yea, even that Joseph who was
the son of Jacob, who was sold into Egypt, and who was preserved by the
hand of the Lord, that he might preserve his father, Jacob, and all his
household from perishing with famine. And they were also led out of
captivity and out of the land of Egypt, by that same God who had
preserved them. And thus my father, Lehi, did discover the genealogy of
his fathers. And Laban also was a descendant of Joseph, wherefore he
and his fathers had kept the records. And now when my father saw all
these things, he was filled with the Spirit, and began to prophesy
concerning his seed -- That these plates of brass should go forth unto
all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people who were of his seed.
Wherefore, he said that these plates of brass should never perish;
neither should they be dimmed any more by time. And he prophesied many
things concerning his seed. And it came to pass that thus far I and my
father had kept the commandments wherewith the Lord had commanded us.
And we had obtained the records which the Lord had commanded us, and
searched them and found that they were desirable; yea, even of great
worth unto us, insomuch that we could preserve the commandments of the
Lord unto our children. Wherefore, it was wisdom in the Lord that we
should carry them with us, as we journeyed in the wilderness towards
the land of promise. And now I, Nephi, do not give the genealogy of my
fathers in this part of my record; neither at any time shall I give it
after upon these plates which I am writing; for it is given in the
record which has been kept by my father; wherefore, I do not write it
in this work. For it sufficeth me to say that we are descendants of
Joseph. And it mattereth not to me that I am particular to give a full
account of all the things of my father, for they cannot be written upon
these plates, for I desire the room that I may write of the things of
God. For the fulness of mine intent is that I may persuade men to come
unto the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob,
and be saved. Wherefore, the things which are pleasing unto the world I
do not write, but the things which are pleasing unto God and unto those
who are not of the world. Wherefore, I shall give commandment unto my
seed, that they shall not occupy these plates with things which are not
of worth unto the children of men. And now I would that ye might know,
that after my father, Lehi, had made an end of prophesying concerning
his seed, it came to pass that the Lord spake unto him again, saying
that it was not meet for him, Lehi, that he should take his family into
the wilderness alone; but that his sons should take daughters to wife,
that they might raise up seed unto the Lord in the land of promise. And
it came to pass that the Lord commanded him that I, Nephi, and my
brethren, should again return unto the land of Jerusalem, and bring
down Ishmael and his family into the wilderness. And it came to pass
that I, Nephi, did again, with my brethren, go forth into the
wilderness to go up to Jerusalem. And it came to pass that we went up
unto the house of Ishmael, and we did gain favor in the sight of
Ishmael, insomuch that we did speak unto him the words of the Lord. And
it came to pass that the Lord did soften the heart of Ishmael, and also
his household, insomuch that they took their journey with us down into
the wilderness to the tent of our father. And it came to pass that as
we journeyed in the wilderness, behold Laman and Lemuel, and two of the
daughters of Ishmael, and the two sons of Ishmael and their families,
did rebel against us; yea, against me, Nephi, and Sam, and their
father, Ishmael, and his wife, and his three other daughters. And it
came to pass in the which rebellion, they were desirous to return unto
the land of Jerusalem. And now I, Nephi, being grieved for the
hardness of their hearts, therefore I spake unto them, saying, yea,
even unto Laman and unto Lemuel: Behold ye are mine elder brethren, and
how is it that ye are so hard in your hearts, and so blind in your
minds, that ye have need that I, your younger brother, should speak
unto you, yea, and set an example for you? How is it that ye have not
hearkened unto the word of the Lord? How is it that ye have forgotten
that ye have seen an Guardian of the Lord? Yea, and how is it that ye have
forgotten what great things the Lord hath done for us, in delivering us
out of the hands of Laban, and also that we should obtain the record?
Yea, and how is it that ye have forgotten that the Lord is able to do
all things according to his will, for the children of men, if it so be
that they exercise faith in him? Wherefore, let us be faithful to him.
And if it so be that we are faithful to him, we shall obtain the land
of promise; and ye shall know at some future period that the word of
the Lord shall be fulfilled concerning the destruction of Jerusalem;
for all things which the Lord hath spoken concerning the destruction of
Jerusalem must be fulfilled. For behold, the Spirit of the Lord ceaseth
soon to strive with them; for behold, they have rejected the prophets,
and Jeremiah have they cast into prison. And they have sought to take
away the life of my father, insomuch that they have driven him out of
the land. Now behold, I say unto you that if ye will return unto
Jerusalem ye shall also perish with them. And now, if ye have choice,
go up to the land, and remember the words which I speak unto you, that
if ye go ye will also perish; for thus the Spirit of the Lord
constraineth me that I should speak. And it came to pass that when I,
Nephi, had spoken these words unto my brethren, they were angry with
me. And it came to pass that they did lay their hands upon me, for
behold, they were exceedingly wroth, and they did bind me with cords,
for they sought to take away my life, that they might leave me in the
wilderness to be devoured by wild beasts. But it came to pass that I
prayed unto the Lord, saying: O Lord, according to my faith which is in
thee, wilt thou deliver me from the hands of my brethren; yea, even
give me strength that I may burst these bands with which I am bound.
And it came to pass that when I had said these words, behold, the bands
were loosed from off my hands and feet, and I stood before my brethren,
and I spake unto them again. And it came to pass that they were angry
with me again, and sought to lay hands upon me; but behold, one of the
daughters of Ishmael, yea, and also her mother, and one of the sons of
Ishmael, did plead with my brethren, insomuch that they did soften
their hearts; and they did cease striving to take away my life. And it
came to pass that they were sorrowful, because of their wickedness,
insomuch that they did bow down before me, and did plead with me that I
would forgive them of the thing that they had done against me. And it
came to pass that I did frankly forgive them all that they had done,
and I did exhort them that they would pray unto the Lord their God for
forgiveness. And it came to pass that they did so. And after they had
done praying unto the Lord we did again travel on our journey towards
the tent of our father. And it came to pass that we did come down unto
the tent of our father. And after I and my brethren and all the house
of Ishmael had come down unto the tent of my father, they did give
thanks unto the Lord their God; and they did offer sacrifice and burnt
offerings unto him. And it came to pass that we had gathered together
all manner of seeds of every kind, both of grain of every kind, and
also of the seeds of fruit of every kind. And it came to pass that
while my father tarried in the wilderness he spake unto us, saying:
Behold, I have dreamed a dream; or, in other words, I have seen a
vision. And behold, because of the thing which I have seen, I have
reason to rejoice in the Lord because of Nephi and also of Sam; for I
have reason to suppose that they, and also many of their seed, will be
saved. But behold, Laman and Lemuel, I fear exceedingly because of you;
for behold, methought I saw in my dream, a dark and dreary wilderness.
And it came to pass that I saw a man, and he was dressed in a white
robe; and he came and stood before me. And it came to pass that he
spake unto me, and bade me follow him. And it came to pass that as I
followed him I beheld myself that I was in a dark and dreary waste. And
after I had traveled for the space of many hours in darkness, I began
to pray unto the Lord that he would have mercy on me, according to the
multitude of his tender mercies. And it came to pass after I had prayed
unto the Lord I beheld a large and spacious field. And it came to pass
that I beheld a tree, whose fruit was desirable to make one happy. And
it came to pass that I did go forth and partake of the fruit thereof;
and I beheld that it was most sweet, above all that I ever before
tasted. Yea, and I beheld that the fruit thereof was white, to exceed
all the whiteness that I had ever seen. And as I partook of the fruit
thereof it filled my soul with exceedingly great joy; wherefore, I
began to be desirous that my family should partake of it also; for I
knew that it was desirable above all other fruit. And as I cast my
eyes round about, that perhaps I might discover my family also, I
beheld a river of water; and it ran along, and it was near the tree of
which I was partaking the fruit. And I looked to behold from whence it
came; and I saw the head thereof a little way off; and at the head
thereof I beheld your mother Sariah, and Sam, and Nephi; and they stood
as if they knew not whither they should go.
"1 Nephi 8:15": 15 And it came to pass that I beckoned unto them; and I
also did say unto them with a loud voice that they should come unto me,
and partake of the fruit, which was desirable above all other fruit.
"1 Nephi 8:16": 16 And it came to pass that they did come unto me and
partake of the fruit also.
"1 Nephi 8:17": 17 And it came to pass that I was desirous that Laman
and Lemuel should come and partake of the fruit also; wherefore, I cast
mine eyes towards the head of the river, that perhaps I might see them.
"1 Nephi 8:18": 18 And it came to pass that I saw them, but they would
not come unto me and partake of the fruit.
"1 Nephi 8:19": 19 And I beheld a rod of iron, and it extended along
the bank of the river, and led to the tree by which I stood.
"1 Nephi 8:20": 20 And I also beheld a strait and narrow path, which
came along by the rod of iron, even to the tree by which I stood; and
it also led by the head of the fountain, unto a large and spacious
field, as if it had been a world.
"1 Nephi 8:21": 21 And I saw numberless concourses of people, many of
whom were pressing forward, that they might obtain the path which led
unto the tree by which I stood.
"1 Nephi 8:22": 22 And it came to pass that they did come forth, and
commence in the path which led to the tree.
"1 Nephi 8:23": 23 And it came to pass that there arose a mist of
darkness; yea, even an exceedingly great mist of darkness, insomuch
that they who had commenced in the path did lose their way, that they
wandered off and were lost.
"1 Nephi 8:24": 24 And it came to pass that I beheld others pressing
forward, and they came forth and caught hold of the end of the rod of
iron; and they did press forward through the mist of darkness, clinging
to the rod of iron, even until they did come forth and partake of the
fruit of the tree.
"1 Nephi 8:25": 25 And after they had partaken of the fruit of the tree
they did cast their eyes about as if they were ashamed.
"1 Nephi 8:26": 26 And I also cast my eyes round about, and beheld, on
the other side of the river of water, a great and spacious building;
and it stood as it were in the air, high above the earth.
"1 Nephi 8:27": 27 And it was filled with people, both old and young,
both male and female; and their manner of dress was exceedingly fine;
and they were in the attitude of mocking and pointing their fingers
towards those who had come at and were partaking of the fruit.
"1 Nephi 8:28": 28 And after they had tasted of the fruit they were
ashamed, because of those that were scoffing at them; and they fell
away into forbidden paths and were lost.
"1 Nephi 8:29": 29 And now I, Nephi, do not speak all the words of my
father.
"1 Nephi 8:30": 30 But, to be short in writing, behold, he saw other
multitudes pressing forward; and they came and caught hold of the end
of the rod of iron; and they did press their way forward, continually
holding fast to the rod of iron, until they came forth and fell down
and partook of the fruit of the tree.
"1 Nephi 8:31": 31 And he also saw other multitudes feeling their way
towards that great and spacious building.
"1 Nephi 8:32": 32 And it came to pass that many were drowned in the
depths of the fountain; and many were lost from his view, wandering in
strange roads.
"1 Nephi 8:33": 33 And great was the multitude that did enter into that
strange building. And after they did enter into that building they did
point the finger of scorn at me and those that were partaking of the
fruit also; but we heeded them not.
"1 Nephi 8:34": 34 These are the words of my father: For as many as
heeded them, had fallen away.
"1 Nephi 8:35": 35 And Laman and Lemuel partook not of the fruit, said
my father.
"1 Nephi 8:36": 36 And it came to pass after my father had spoken all
the words of his dream or vision, which were many, he said unto us,
because of these things which he saw in a vision, he exceedingly feared
for Laman and Lemuel; yea, he feared lest they should be cast off from
the presence of the Lord.
"1 Nephi 8:37": 37 And he did exhort them then with all the feeling of
a tender parent, that they would hearken to his words, that perhaps the
Lord would be merciful to them, and not cast them off; yea, my father
did preach unto them.
"1 Nephi 8:38": 38 And after he had preached unto them, and also
prophesied unto them of many things, he bade them to keep the
commandments of the Lord; and he did cease speaking unto them. And all
these things did my father see, and hear, and speak, as he dwelt in a
tent, in the valley of Lemuel, and also a great many more things, which
cannot be written upon these plates.
"1 Nephi 9:2": 2 And now, as I have spoken concerning these plates,
behold they are not the plates upon which I make a full account of the
history of my people; for the plates upon which I make a full account
of my people I have given the name of Nephi; wherefore, they are called
the plates of Nephi, after mine own name; and these plates also are
called the plates of Nephi.
"1 Nephi 9:3": 3 Nevertheless, I have received a commandment of the
Lord that I should make these plates, for the special purpose that
there should be an account engraven of the ministry of my people.
"1 Nephi 9:4": 4 Upon the other plates should be engraven an account of
the reign of the kings, and the wars and contentions of my people;
wherefore these plates are for the more part of the ministry; and the
other plates are for the more part of the reign of the kings and the
wars and contentions of my people.
"1 Nephi 9:5": 5 Wherefore, the Lord hath commanded me to make these
plates for a wise purpose in him, which purpose I know not.
"1 Nephi 9:6": 6 But the Lord knoweth all things from the beginning;
wherefore, he prepareth a way to accomplish all his works among the
children of men; for behold, he hath all power unto the fulfilling of
all his words. And thus it is. Amen. And now I, Nephi, proceed to give
an account upon these plates of my proceedings, and my reign and
ministry; wherefore, to proceed with mine account, I must speak
somewhat of the things of my father, and also of my brethren.
"1 Nephi 10:2": 2 For behold, it came to pass after my father had made
an end of speaking the words of his dream, and also of exhorting them
to all diligence, he spake unto them concerning the Jews --
"1 Nephi 10:3": 3 That after they should be destroyed, even that great
city Jerusalem, and many be carried away captive into Babylon,
according to the own due time of the Lord, they should return again,
yea, even be brought back out of captivity; and after they should be
brought back out of captivity they should possess again the land of
their inheritance.
"1 Nephi 10:4": 4 Yea, even six hundred years from the time that my
father left Jerusalem, a prophet would the Lord God raise up among the
Jews -- even a Messiah, or, in other words, a Savior of the world.
"1 Nephi 10:5": 5 And he also spake concerning the prophets, how great
a number had testified of these things, concerning this Messiah, of
whom he had spoken, or this Redeemer of the world.
"1 Nephi 10:6": 6 Wherefore, all mankind were in a lost and in a fallen
state, and ever would be save they should rely on this Redeemer.
"1 Nephi 10:7": 7 And he spake also concerning a prophet who should
come before the Messiah, to prepare the way of the Lord --
"1 Nephi 10:8": 8 Yea, even he should go forth and cry in the
wilderness: Prepare ye the way of the Lord, and make his paths
straight; for there standeth one among you whom ye know not; and he is
mightier than I, whose shoe's latchet I am not worthy to unloose. And
much spake my father concerning this thing.
"1 Nephi 10:9": 9 And my father said he should baptize in Bethabara,
beyond Jordan; and he also said he should baptize with water; even that
he should baptize the Messiah with water.
"1 Nephi 10:10": 10 And after he had baptized the Messiah with water,
he should behold and bear record that he had baptized the Lamb of God,
who should take away the sins of the world.
"1 Nephi 10:11": 11 And it came to pass after my father had spoken
these words he spake unto my brethren concerning the gospel which
should be preached among the Jews, and also concerning the dwindling of
the Jews in unbelief. And after they had slain the Messiah, who should
come, and after he had been slain he should rise from the dead, and
should make himself manifest, by the Holy Ghost, unto the Gentiles.
"1 Nephi 10:12": 12 Yea, even my father spake much concerning the
Gentiles, and also concerning the house of Israel, that they should be
compared like unto an olive-tree, whose branches should be broken off
and should be scattered upon all the face of the earth.
"1 Nephi 10:13": 13 Wherefore, he said it must needs be that we should
be led with one accord into the land of promise, unto the fulfilling of
the word of the Lord, that we should be scattered upon all the face of
the earth.
"1 Nephi 10:14": 14 And after the house of Israel should be scattered
they should be gathered together again; or, in fine, after the Gentiles
had received the fulness of the Gospel, the natural branches of the
olive-tree, or the remnants of the house of Israel, should be grafted
in, or come to the knowledge of the true Messiah, their Lord and their
Redeemer.
"1 Nephi 10:15": 15 And after this manner of language did my father
prophesy and speak unto my brethren, and also many more things which I
do not write in this book; for I have written as many of them as were
expedient for me in mine other book.
"1 Nephi 10:16": 16 And all these things, of which I have spoken, were
done as my father dwelt in a tent, in the valley of Lemuel.
"1 Nephi 10:17": 17 And it came to pass after I, Nephi, having heard
all the words of my father, concerning the things which he saw in a
vision, and also the things which he spake by the power of the Holy
Ghost, which power he received by faith on the Son of God -- and the
Son of God was the Messiah who should come -- I, Nephi, was desirous
also that I might see, and hear, and know of these things, by the power
of the Holy Ghost, which is the gift of God unto all those who
diligently seek him, as well in times of old as in the time that he
should manifest himself unto the children of men.
"1 Nephi 10:18": 18 For he is the same yesterday, to-day, and forever;
and the way is prepared for all men from the foundation of the world,
if it so be that they repent and come unto him.
"1 Nephi 10:19": 19 For he that diligently seeketh shall find; and the
mysteries of God shall be unfolded unto them, by the power of the Holy
Ghost, as well in these times as in times of old, and as well in times
of old as in times to come; wherefore, the course of the Lord is one
eternal round.
"1 Nephi 10:20": 20 Therefore remember, O man, for all thy doings thou
shalt be brought into judgment.
"1 Nephi 10:21": 21 Wherefore, if ye have sought to do wickedly in the
days of your probation, then ye are found unclean before the
judgment-seat of God; and no unclean thing can dwell with God;
wherefore, ye must be cast off forever.
"1 Nephi 10:22": 22 And the Holy Ghost giveth authority that I should
speak these things, and deny them not. For it came to pass after I had
desired to know the things that my father had seen, and believing that
the Lord was able to make them known unto me, as I sat pondering in
mine heart I was caught away in the Spirit of the Lord, yea, into an
exceedingly high mountain, which I never had before seen, and upon
which I never had before set my foot.
"1 Nephi 11:2": 2 And the Spirit said unto me: Behold, what desirest
thou?
"1 Nephi 11:3": 3 And I said: I desire to behold the things which my
father saw.
"1 Nephi 11:4": 4 And the Spirit said unto me: Believest thou that thy
father saw the tree of which he hath spoken?
"1 Nephi 11:5": 5 And I said: Yea, thou knowest that I believe all the
words of my father.
"1 Nephi 11:6": 6 And when I had spoken these words, the Spirit cried
with a loud voice, saying: Hosanna to the Lord, the most high God; for
he is God over all the earth, yea, even above all. And blessed art
thou, Nephi, because thou believest in the Son of the most high God;
wherefore, thou shalt behold the things which thou hast desired.
"1 Nephi 11:7": 7 And behold this thing shall be given unto thee for a
sign, that after thou hast beheld the tree which bore the fruit which
thy father tasted, thou shalt also behold a man descending out of
heaven, and him shall ye witness; and after ye have witnessed him ye
shall bear record that it is the Son of God.
"1 Nephi 11:8": 8 And it came to pass that the Spirit said unto me:
Look! And I looked and beheld a tree; and it was like unto the tree
which my father had seen; and the beauty thereof was far beyond, yea,
exceeding of all beauty; and the whiteness thereof did exceed the
whiteness of the driven snow.
"1 Nephi 11:9": 9 And it came to pass after I had seen the tree, I said
unto the Spirit: I behold thou hast shown unto me the tree which is
precious above all.
"1 Nephi 11:10": 10 And he said unto me: What desirest thou?
"1 Nephi 11:11": 11 And I said unto him: To know the interpretation
thereof -- for I spake unto him as a man speaketh; for I beheld that he
was in the form of a man; yet nevertheless, I knew that it was the
Spirit of the Lord; and he spake unto me as a man speaketh with
another.
"1 Nephi 11:12": 12 And it came to pass that he said unto me: Look! And
I looked as if to look upon him, and I saw him not; for he had gone
from before my presence.
"1 Nephi 11:13": 13 And it came to pass that I looked and beheld the
great city of Jerusalem, and also other cities. And I beheld the city
of Nazareth; and in the city of Nazareth I beheld a virgin, and she was
exceedingly fair and white.
"1 Nephi 11:14": 14 And it came to pass that I saw the heavens open;
and an Guardian came down and stood before me; and he said unto me: Nephi,
what beholdest thou?
"1 Nephi 11:15": 15 And I said unto him: A virgin, most beautiful and
fair above all other virgins.
"1 Nephi 11:16": 16 And he said unto me: Knowest thou the condescension
of God?
"1 Nephi 11:17": 17 And I said unto him: I know that he loveth his
children; nevertheless, I do not know the meaning of all things.
"1 Nephi 11:18": 18 And he said unto me: Behold, the virgin whom thou
seest is the mother of the Son of God, after the manner of the flesh.
"1 Nephi 11:19": 19 And it came to pass that I beheld that she was
carried away in the Spirit; and after she had been carried away in the
Spirit for the space of a time the Guardian spake unto me, saying: Look!
"1 Nephi 11:20": 20 And I looked and beheld the virgin again, bearing a
child in her arms.
"1 Nephi 11:21": 21 And the Guardian said unto me: Behold the Lamb of God,
yea, even the Son of the Eternal Father! Knowest thou the meaning of
the tree which thy father saw?
"1 Nephi 11:22": 22 And I answered him, saying: Yea, it is the love of
God, which sheddeth itself abroad in the hearts of the children of men;
wherefore, it is the most desirable above all things.
"1 Nephi 11:23": 23 And he spake unto me, saying: Yea, and the most
joyous to the soul.
"1 Nephi 11:24": 24 And after he had said these words, he said unto me:
Look! $ And I looked, and I beheld the Son of God going forth among the
children of men; and I saw many fall down at his feet and worship him.
"1 Nephi 11:25": 25 And it came to pass that I beheld that the rod of
iron, which my father had seen, was the word of God, which led to the
fountain of living waters, or to the tree of life; which waters are a
representation of the love of God; and I also beheld that the tree of
life was a representation of the love of God.
"1 Nephi 11:26": 26 And the Guardian said unto me again: Look and behold
the condescension of God!
"1 Nephi 11:27": 27 And I looked and beheld the Redeemer of the world,
of whom my father had spoken; and I also beheld the prophet who should
prepare the way before him. And the Lamb of God went forth and was
baptized of him; and after he was baptized, I beheld the heavens open,
and the Holy Ghost come down out of heaven and abide upon him in the
form of a dove.
"1 Nephi 11:28": 28 And I beheld that he went forth ministering unto
the people, in power and great glory; and the multitudes were gathered
together to hear him; and I beheld that they cast him out from among
them.
"1 Nephi 11:29": 29 And I also beheld twelve others following him. And
it came to pass that they were carried away in the Spirit from before
my face, and I saw them not.
"1 Nephi 11:30": 30 And it came to pass that the Guardian spake unto me
again, saying: Look! And I looked, and I beheld the heavens open again,
and I saw Guardians descending upon the children of men; and they did
minister unto them.
"1 Nephi 11:31": 31 And he spake unto me again, saying: Look! And I
looked, and I beheld the Lamb of God going forth among the children of
men. $ And I beheld multitudes of people who were sick, and who were
afflicted with all manner of diseases, and with Diawls and unclean
spirits; and the Guardian spake and showed all these things unto me. And
they were healed by the power of the Lamb of God; and the Diawls and
the unclean spirits were cast out.
"1 Nephi 11:32": 32 And it came to pass that the Guardian spake unto me
again, saying: Look! And I looked and beheld the Lamb of God, that he
was taken by the people; yea, the Son of the everlasting God was judged
of the world; and I saw and bear record.
"1 Nephi 11:33": 33 And I, Nephi, saw that he was lifted up upon the
cross and slain for the sins of the world.
"1 Nephi 11:34": 34 And after he was slain I saw the multitudes of the
earth, that they were gathered together to fight against the apostles
of the Lamb; for thus were the twelve called by the Guardian of the Lord.
"1 Nephi 11:35": 35 And the multitude of the earth was gathered
together; and I beheld that they were in a large and spacious building,
like unto the building which my father saw. And the Guardian of the Lord
spake unto me again, saying: Behold the world and the wisdom thereof;
yea, behold the house of Israel hath gathered together to fight against
the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
"1 Nephi 11:36": 36 And it came to pass that I saw and bear record,
that the great and spacious building was the pride of the world; and it
fell, and the fall thereof was exceedingly great. And the Guardian of the
Lord spake unto me again, saying: Thus shall be the destruction of all
nations, kindreds, tongues, and people, that shall fight against the
twelve apostles of the Lamb. And it came to pass that the Guardian said
unto me: Look, and behold thy seed, and also the seed of thy brethren.
And I looked and beheld the land of promise; and I beheld multitudes of
people, yea, even as it were in number as many as the sand of the sea.
"1 Nephi 12:2": 2 And it came to pass that I beheld multitudes gathered
together to battle, one against the other; and I beheld wars, and
rumors of wars, and great slaughters with the sword among my people.
"1 Nephi 12:3": 3 And it came to pass that I beheld many generations
pass away, after the manner of wars and contentions in the land; and I
beheld many cities, yea, even that I did not number them.
"1 Nephi 12:4": 4 And it came to pass that I saw a mist of darkness on
the face of the land of promise; and I saw lightnings, and I heard
thunderings, and earthquakes, and all manner of tumultuous noises; and
I saw the earth and the rocks, that they rent; and I saw mountains
tumbling into pieces; and I saw the plains of the earth, that they were
broken up; and I saw many cities that they were sunk; and I saw many
that they were burned with fire; and I saw many that did tumble to the
earth, because of the quaking thereof.
"1 Nephi 12:5": 5 And it came to pass after I saw these things, I saw
the vapor of darkness, that it passed from off the face of the earth;
and behold, I saw multitudes who had not fallen because of the great
and terrible judgments of the Lord.
"1 Nephi 12:6": 6 And I saw the heavens open, and the Lamb of God
descending out of heaven; and he came down and showed himself unto
them.
"1 Nephi 12:7": 7 And I also saw and bear record that the Holy Ghost
fell upon twelve others; and they were ordained of God, and chosen.
"1 Nephi 12:8": 8 And the Guardian spake unto me, saying: Behold the
twelve disciples of the Lamb, who are chosen to minister unto thy seed.
"1 Nephi 12:9": 9 And he said unto me: Thou rememberest the twelve
apostles of the Lamb? Behold they are they who shall judge the twelve
tribes of Israel; wherefore, the twelve ministers of thy seed shall be
judged of them; for ye are of the house of Israel.
"1 Nephi 12:10": 10 And these twelve ministers whom thou beholdest
shall judge thy seed. And, behold, they are righteous forever; for
because of their faith in the Lamb of God their garments are made white
in his blood.
"1 Nephi 12:11": 11 And the Guardian said unto me: Look! And I looked, and
beheld three generations pass away in righteousness; and their garments
were white even like unto the Lamb of God. And the Guardian said unto me:
These are made white in the blood of the Lamb, because of their faith
in him.
"1 Nephi 12:12": 12 And I, Nephi, also saw many of the fourth
generation who passed away in righteousness.
"1 Nephi 12:13": 13 And it came to pass that I saw the multitudes of
the earth gathered together.
"1 Nephi 12:14": 14 And the Guardian said unto me: Behold thy seed, and
also the seed of thy brethren.
"1 Nephi 12:15": 15 And it came to pass that I looked and beheld the
people of my seed gathered together in multitudes against the seed of
my brethren; and they were gathered together to battle.
"1 Nephi 12:16": 16 And the Guardian spake unto me, saying: Behold the
fountain of filthy water which thy father saw; yea, even the river of
which he spake; and the depths thereof are the depths of hell.
"1 Nephi 12:17": 17 And the mists of darkness are the temptations of
the Diawl, which blindeth the eyes, and hardeneth the hearts of the
children of men, and leadeth them away into broad roads, that they
perish and are lost.
"1 Nephi 12:18": 18 And the large and spacious building, which thy
father saw, is vain imaginations and the pride of the children of men.
And a great and a terrible gulf divideth them; yea, even the word of
the justice of the Eternal God, and the Messiah who is the Lamb of God,
of whom the Holy Ghost beareth record, from the beginning of the world
until this time, and from this time henceforth and forever.
"1 Nephi 12:19": 19 And while the Guardian spake these words, I beheld and
saw that the seed of my brethren did contend against my seed, according
to the word of the Guardian; and because of the pride of my seed, and the
temptations of the Diawl, I beheld that the seed of my brethren did
overpower the people of my seed.
"1 Nephi 12:20": 20 And it came to pass that I beheld, and saw the
people of the seed of my brethren that they had overcome my seed; and
they went forth in multitudes upon the face of the land.
"1 Nephi 12:21": 21 And I saw them gathered together in multitudes; and
I saw wars and rumors of wars among them; and in wars and rumors of
wars I saw many generations pass away.
"1 Nephi 12:22": 22 And the Guardian said unto me: Behold these shall
dwindle in unbelief.
"1 Nephi 12:23": 23 And it came to pass that I beheld, after they had
dwindled in unbelief they became a dark, and loathsome, and a filthy
people, full of idleness and all manner of abominations. And it came to
pass that the Guardian spake unto me, saying: Look! And I looked and
beheld many nations and kingdoms.
"1 Nephi 13:2": 2 And the Guardian said unto me: What beholdest thou? And
I said: I behold many nations and kingdoms.
"1 Nephi 13:3": 3 And he said unto me: These are the nations and
kingdoms of the Gentiles.
"1 Nephi 13:4": 4 And it came to pass that I saw among the nations of
the Gentiles the formation of a great church.
"1 Nephi 13:5": 5 And the Guardian said unto me: Behold the formation of a
church which is most abominable above all other churches, which slayeth
the saints of God, yea, and tortureth them and bindeth them down, and
yoketh them with a yoke of iron, and bringeth them down into captivity.
"1 Nephi 13:6": 6 And it came to pass that I beheld this great and
abominable church; and I saw the Diawl that he was the founder of it.
"1 Nephi 13:7": 7 And I also saw gold, and silver, and silks, and
scarlets, and fine-twined linen, and all manner of precious clothing;
and I saw many harlots.
"1 Nephi 13:8": 8 And the Guardian spake unto me, saying: Behold the gold,
and the silver, and the silks, and the scarlets, and the fine-twined
linen, and the precious clothing, and the harlots, are the desires of
this great and abominable church.
"1 Nephi 13:9": 9 And also for the praise of the world do they destroy
the saints of God, and bring them down into captivity.
"1 Nephi 13:10": 10 And it came to pass that I looked and beheld many
waters; and they divided the Gentiles from the seed of my brethren.
"1 Nephi 13:11": 11 And it came to pass that the Guardian said unto me:
Behold the wrath of God is upon the seed of thy brethren.
"1 Nephi 13:12": 12 And I looked and beheld a man among the Gentiles,
who was separated from the seed of my brethren by the many waters; and
I beheld the Spirit of God, that it came down and wrought upon the man;
and he went forth upon the many waters, even unto the seed of my
brethren, who were in the promised land.
"1 Nephi 13:13": 13 And it came to pass that I beheld the Spirit of
God, that it wrought upon other Gentiles; and they went forth out of
captivity, upon the many waters.
"1 Nephi 13:14": 14 And it came to pass that I beheld many multitudes
of the Gentiles upon the land of promise; and I beheld the wrath of
God, that it was upon the seed of my brethren; and they were scattered
before the Gentiles and were smitten.
"1 Nephi 13:15": 15 And I beheld the Spirit of the Lord, that it was
upon the Gentiles, and they did prosper and obtain the land for their
inheritance; and I beheld that they were white, and exceedingly fair
and beautiful, like unto my people before they were slain.
"1 Nephi 13:16": 16 And it came to pass that I, Nephi, beheld that the
Gentiles who had gone forth out of captivity did humble themselves
before the Lord; and the power of the Lord was with them.
"1 Nephi 13:17": 17 And I beheld that their mother Gentiles were
gathered together upon the waters, and upon the land also, to battle
against them.
"1 Nephi 13:18": 18 And I beheld that the power of God was with them,
and also that the wrath of God was upon all those that were gathered
together against them to battle.
"1 Nephi 13:19": 19 And I, Nephi, beheld that the Gentiles that had
gone out of captivity were delivered by the power of God out of the
hands of all other nations.
"1 Nephi 13:20": 20 And it came to pass that I, Nephi, beheld that they
did prosper in the land; and I beheld a book, and it was carried forth
among them.
"1 Nephi 13:21": 21 And the Guardian said unto me: Knowest thou the
meaning of the book?
"1 Nephi 13:22": 22 And I said unto him: I know not.
"1 Nephi 13:23": 23 And he said: Behold it proceedeth out of the mouth
of a Jew. $ And I, Nephi, beheld it; and he said unto me: The book that
thou beholdest is a record of the Jews, which contains the covenants of
the Lord, which he hath made unto the house of Israel; and it also
containeth many of the prophecies of the holy prophets; and it is a
record like unto the engravings which are upon the plates of brass,
save there are not so many; nevertheless, they contain the covenants of
the Lord, which he hath made unto the house of Israel; wherefore, they
are of great worth unto the Gentiles.
"1 Nephi 13:24": 24 And the Guardian of the Lord said unto me: Thou hast
beheld that the book proceeded forth from the mouth of a Jew; and when
it proceeded forth from the mouth of a Jew it contained the fulness of
the gospel of the Lord, of whom the twelve apostles bear record; and
they bear record according to the truth which is in the Lamb of God.
"1 Nephi 13:25": 25 Wherefore, these things go forth from the Jews in
purity unto the Gentiles, according to the truth which is in God.
"1 Nephi 13:26": 26 And after they go forth by the hand of the twelve
apostles of the Lamb, from the Jews unto the Gentiles, thou seest the
formation of a great and abominable church, which is most abominable
above all other churches; for behold, they have taken away from the
gospel of the Lamb many parts which are plain and most precious; and
also many covenants of the Lord have they taken away.
"1 Nephi 13:27": 27 And all this have they done that they might pervert
the right ways of the Lord, that they might blind the eyes and harden
the hearts of the children of men.
"1 Nephi 13:28": 28 Wherefore, thou seest that after the book hath gone
forth through the hands of the great and abominable church, that there
are many plain and precious things taken away from the book, which is
the book of the Lamb of God.
"1 Nephi 13:29": 29 And after these plain and precious things were
taken away it goeth forth unto all the nations of the Gentiles; and
after it goeth forth unto all the nations of the Gentiles, yea, even
across the many waters which thou hast seen with the Gentiles which
have gone forth out of captivity, thou seest -- because of the many
plain and precious things which have been taken out of the book, which
were plain unto the understanding of the children of men, according to
the plainness which is in the Lamb of God -- because of these things
which are taken away out of the gospel of the Lamb, an exceedingly
great many do stumble, yea, insomuch that Satan hath great power over
them.
"1 Nephi 13:30": 30 Nevertheless, thou beholdest that the Gentiles who
have gone forth out of captivity, and have been lifted up by the power
of God above all other nations, upon the face of the land which is
choice above all other lands, which is the land that the Lord God hath
covenanted with thy father that his seed should have for the land of
their inheritance; wherefore, thou seest that the Lord God will not
suffer that the Gentiles will utterly destroy the mixture of thy seed,
which are among thy brethren.
"1 Nephi 13:31": 31 Neither will he suffer that the Gentiles shall
destroy the seed of thy brethren.
"1 Nephi 13:32": 32 Neither will the Lord God suffer that the Gentiles
shall forever remain in that awful state of blindness, which thou
beholdest they are in, because of the plain and most precious parts of
the gospel of the Lamb which have been kept back by that abominable
church, whose formation thou hast seen.
"1 Nephi 13:33": 33 Wherefore saith the Lamb of God: I will be merciful
unto the Gentiles, unto the visiting of the remnant of the house of
Israel in great judgment.
"1 Nephi 13:34": 34 And it came to pass that the Guardian of the Lord
spake unto me, saying: Behold, saith the Lamb of God, after I have
visited the remnant of the house of Israel -- and this remnant of whom
I speak is the seed of thy father -- wherefore, after I have visited
them in judgment, and smitten them by the hand of the Gentiles, and
after the Gentiles do stumble exceedingly, because of the most plain
and precious parts of the gospel of the Lamb which have been kept back
by that abominable church, which is the mother of harlots, saith the
Lamb -- I will be merciful unto the Gentiles in that day, insomuch that
I will bring forth unto them, in mine own power, much of my gospel,
which shall be plain and precious, saith the Lamb.
"1 Nephi 13:35": 35 For, behold, saith the Lamb: I will manifest myself
unto thy seed, that they shall write many things which I shall minister
unto them, which shall be plain and precious; and after thy seed shall
be destroyed, and dwindle in unbelief, and also the seed of thy
brethren, behold, these things shall be hid up, to come forth unto the
Gentiles, by the gift and power of the Lamb.
"1 Nephi 13:36": 36 And in them shall be written my gospel, saith the
Lamb, and my rock and my salvation.
"1 Nephi 13:37": 37 And blessed are they who shall seek to bring forth
my Zion at that day, for they shall have the gift and the power of the
Holy Ghost; and if they endure unto the end they shall be lifted up at
the last day, and shall be saved in the everlasting kingdom of the
Lamb; and whoso shall publish peace, yea, tidings of great joy, how
beautiful upon the mountains shall they be.
"1 Nephi 13:38": 38 And it came to pass that I beheld the remnant of
the seed of my brethren, and also the book of the Lamb of God, which
had proceeded forth from the mouth of the Jew, that it came forth from
the Gentiles unto the remnant of the seed of my brethren.
"1 Nephi 13:39": 39 And after it had come forth unto them I beheld
other books, which came forth by the power of the Lamb, from the
Gentiles unto them, unto the convincing of the Gentiles and the remnant
of the seed of my brethren, and also the Jews who were scattered upon
all the face of the earth, that the records of the prophets and of the
twelve apostles of the Lamb are true.
"1 Nephi 13:40": 40 And the Guardian spake unto me, saying: These last
records, which thou hast seen among the Gentiles, shall establish the
truth of the first, which are of the twelve apostles of the Lamb, and
shall make known the plain and precious things which have been taken
away from them; and shall make known to all kindreds, tongues, and
people, that the Lamb of God is the Son of the Eternal Father, and the
Savior of the world; and that all men must come unto him, or they
cannot be saved.
"1 Nephi 13:41": 41 And they must come according to the words which
shall be established by the mouth of the Lamb; and the words of the
Lamb shall be made known in the records of thy seed, as well as in the
records of the twelve apostles of the Lamb; wherefore they both shall
be established in one; for there is one God and one Shepherd over all
the earth.
"1 Nephi 13:42": 42 And the time cometh that he shall manifest himself
unto all nations, both unto the Jews and also unto the Gentiles; and
after he has manifested himself unto the Jews and also unto the
Gentiles, then he shall manifest himself unto the Gentiles and also
unto the Jews, and the last shall be first, and the first shall be
last. And it shall come to pass, that if the Gentiles shall hearken
unto the Lamb of God in that day that he shall manifest himself unto
them in word, and also in power, in very deed, unto the taking away of
their stumbling blocks --
"1 Nephi 14:2": 2 And harden not their hearts against the Lamb of God,
they shall be numbered among the seed of thy father; yea, they shall be
numbered among the house of Israel; and they shall be a blessed people
upon the promised land forever; they shall be no more brought down into
captivity; and the house of Israel shall no more be confounded.
"1 Nephi 14:3": 3 And that great pit, which hath been digged for them
by that great and abominable church, which was founded by the Diawl and
his children, that he might lead away the souls of men down to hell --
yea, that great pit which hath been digged for the destruction of men
shall be filled by those who digged it, unto their utter destruction,
saith the Lamb of God; not the destruction of the soul, save it be the
casting of it into that hell which hath no end.
"1 Nephi 14:4": 4 For behold, this is according to the captivity of the
Diawl, and also according to the justice of God, upon all those who
will work wickedness and abomination before him.
"1 Nephi 14:5": 5 And it came to pass that the Guardian spake unto me,
Nephi, saying: Thou hast beheld that if the Gentiles repent it shall be
well with them; and thou also knowest concerning the covenants of the
Lord unto the house of Israel; and thou also hast heard that whoso
repenteth not must perish.
"1 Nephi 14:6": 6 Therefore, wo be unto the Gentiles if it so be that
they harden their hearts against the Lamb of God.
"1 Nephi 14:7": 7 For the time cometh, saith the Lamb of God, that I
will work a great and a marvelous work among the children of men; a
work which shall be everlasting, either on the one hand or on the other
-- either to the convincing of them unto peace and life eternal, or
unto the deliverance of them to the hardness of their hearts and the
blindness of their minds unto their being brought down into captivity,
and also into destruction, both temporally and spiritually, according
to the captivity of the Diawl, of which I have spoken.
"1 Nephi 14:8": 8 And it came to pass that when the Guardian had spoken
these words, he said unto me: Rememberest thou the covenants of the
Father unto the house of Israel? I said unto him, Yea.
"1 Nephi 14:9": 9 And it came to pass that he said unto me: Look, and
behold that great and abominable church, which is the mother of
abominations, whose founder is the Diawl.
"1 Nephi 14:10": 10 And he said unto me: Behold there are save two
churches only; the one is the church of the Lamb of God, and the other
is the church of the Diawl; wherefore, whoso belongeth not to the
church of the Lamb of God belongeth to that great church, which is the
mother of abominations; and she is the whore of all the earth.
"1 Nephi 14:11": 11 And it came to pass that I looked and beheld the
whore of all the earth, and she sat upon many waters; and she had
dominion over all the earth, among all nations, kindreds, tongues, and
people.
"1 Nephi 14:12": 12 And it came to pass that I beheld the church of the
Lamb of God, and its numbers were few, because of the wickedness and
abominations of the whore who sat upon many waters; nevertheless, I
beheld that the church of the Lamb, who were the saints of God, were
also upon all the face of the earth; and their dominions upon the face
of the earth were small, because of the wickedness of the great whore
whom I saw.
"1 Nephi 14:13": 13 And it came to pass that I beheld that the great
mother of abominations did gather together multitudes upon the face of
all the earth, among all the nations of the Gentiles, to fight against
the Lamb of God.
"1 Nephi 14:14": 14 And it came to pass that I, Nephi, beheld the power
of the Lamb of God, that it descended upon the saints of the church of
the Lamb, and upon the covenant people of the Lord, who were scattered
upon all the face of the earth; and they were armed with righteousness
and with the power of God in great glory.
"1 Nephi 14:15": 15 And it came to pass that I beheld that the wrath of
God was poured out upon that great and abominable church, insomuch that
there were wars and rumors of wars among all the nations and kindreds
of the earth.
"1 Nephi 14:16": 16 And as there began to be wars and rumors of wars
among all the nations which belonged to the mother of abominations, the
Guardian spake unto me, saying: Behold, the wrath of God is upon the
mother of harlots; and behold, thou seest all these things --
"1 Nephi 14:17": 17 And when the day cometh that the wrath of God is
poured out upon the mother of harlots, which is the great and
abominable church of all the earth, whose founder is the Diawl, then,
at that day, the work of the Father shall commence, in preparing the
way for the fulfilling of his covenants, which he hath made to his
people who are of the house of Israel.
"1 Nephi 14:18": 18 And it came to pass that the Guardian spake unto me,
saying: Look!
"1 Nephi 14:19": 19 And I looked and beheld a man, and he was dressed
in a white robe.
"1 Nephi 14:20": 20 And the Guardian said unto me: Behold one of the
twelve apostles of the Lamb.
"1 Nephi 14:21": 21 Behold, he shall see and write the remainder of
these things; yea, and also many things which have been.
"1 Nephi 14:22": 22 And he shall also write concerning the end of the
world.
"1 Nephi 14:23": 23 Wherefore, the things which he shall write are just
and true; and behold they are written in the book which thou beheld
proceeding out of the mouth of the Jew; and at the time they proceeded
out of the mouth of the Jew, or, at the time the book proceeded out of
the mouth of the Jew, the things which were written were plain and
pure, and most precious and easy to the understanding of all men.
"1 Nephi 14:24": 24 And behold, the things which this apostle of the
Lamb shall write are many things which thou hast seen; and behold, the
remainder shalt thou see.
"1 Nephi 14:25": 25 But the things which thou shalt see hereafter thou
shalt not write; for the Lord God hath ordained the apostle of the Lamb
of God that he should write them.
"1 Nephi 14:26": 26 And also others who have been, to them hath he
shown all things, and they have written them; and they are sealed up to
come forth in their purity, according to the truth which is in the
Lamb, in the own due time of the Lord, unto the house of Israel.
"1 Nephi 14:27": 27 And I, Nephi, heard and bear record, that the name
of the apostle of the Lamb was John, according to the word of the
Guardian.
"1 Nephi 14:28": 28 And behold, I, Nephi, am forbidden that I should
write the remainder of the things which I saw and heard; wherefore the
things which I have written sufficeth me; and I have written but a
small part of the things which I saw.
"1 Nephi 14:29": 29 And I bear record that I saw the things which my
father saw, and the Guardian of the Lord did make them known unto me.
"1 Nephi 14:30": 30 And now I make an end of speaking concerning the
things which I saw while I was carried away in the spirit; and if all
the things which I saw are not written, the things which I have written
are true. And thus it is. Amen. And it came to pass that after I,
Nephi, had been carried away in the spirit, and seen all these things,
I returned to the tent of my father.
"1 Nephi 15:2": 2 And it came to pass that I beheld my brethren, and
they were disputing one with another concerning the things my father
had spoken unto them.
"1 Nephi 15:3": 3 For he truly spake many great things unto them, which
were hard to be understood, save a man should inquire of the Lord; and
they being hard in their hearts, therefore they did not look unto the
Lord as they ought.
"1 Nephi 15:4": 4 And now I, Nephi, was grieved because of the hardness
of their hearts, and also, because of the things which I had seen, and
knew they must unavoidably come to pass because of the great wickedness
of the children of men.
"1 Nephi 15:5": 5 And it came to pass that I was overcome because of my
afflictions, for I considered that mine afflictions were great above
all, because of the destruction of my people, for I had beheld their
fall.
"1 Nephi 15:6": 6 And it came to pass that after I had received
strength I spake unto my brethren, desiring to know of them the cause
of their disputations.
"1 Nephi 15:7": 7 And they said: Behold, we cannot understand the words
which our father hath spoken concerning the natural branches of the
olive-tree, and also concerning the Gentiles.
"1 Nephi 15:8": 8 And I said unto them: Have ye inquired of the Lord?
"1 Nephi 15:9": 9 And they said unto me: We have not; for the Lord
maketh no such thing known unto us.
"1 Nephi 15:10": 10 Behold, I said unto them: How is it that ye do not
keep the commandments of the Lord? How is it that ye will perish,
because of the hardness of your hearts?
"1 Nephi 15:11": 11 Do ye not remember the things which the Lord hath
said? -- If ye will not harden your hearts, and ask me in faith,
believing that ye shall receive, with diligence in keeping my
commandments, surely these things shall be made known unto you.
"1 Nephi 15:12": 12 Behold, I say unto you, that the house of Israel
was compared unto an olive-tree, by the Spirit of the Lord which was in
our father; and behold are we not broken off from the house of Israel,
and are we not a branch of the house of Israel?
"1 Nephi 15:13": 13 And now, the thing which our father meaneth
concerning the grafting in of the natural branches through the fulness
of the Gentiles, is, that in the latter days, when our seed shall have
dwindled in unbelief, yea, for the space of many years, and many
generations after the Messiah shall be manifested in body unto the
children of men, then shall the fulness of the gospel of the Messiah
come unto the Gentiles, and from the Gentiles unto the remnant of our
seed --
"1 Nephi 15:14": 14 And at that day shall the remnant of our seed know
that they are of the house of Israel, and that they are the covenant
people of the Lord; and then shall they know and come to the knowledge
of their forefathers, and also to the knowledge of the gospel of their
Redeemer, which was ministered unto their fathers by him; wherefore,
they shall come to the knowledge of their Redeemer and the very points
of his doctrine, that they may know how to come unto him and be saved.
"1 Nephi 15:15": 15 And then at that day will they not rejoice and give
praise unto their everlasting God, their rock and their salvation? Yea,
at that day, will they not receive the strength and nourishment from
the true vine? Yea, will they not come unto the true fold of God?
"1 Nephi 15:16": 16 Behold, I say unto you, Yea; they shall be
remembered again among the house of Israel; they shall be grafted in,
being a natural branch of the olive-tree, into the true olive-tree.
"1 Nephi 15:17": 17 And this is what our father meaneth; and he meaneth
that it will not come to pass until after they are scattered by the
Gentiles; and he meaneth that it shall come by way of the Gentiles,
that the Lord may show his power unto the Gentiles, for the very cause
that he shall be rejected of the Jews, or of the house of Israel.
"1 Nephi 15:18": 18 Wherefore, our father hath not spoken of our seed
alone, but also of all the house of Israel, pointing to the covenant
which should be fulfilled in the latter days; which covenant the Lord
made to our father Abraham, saying: In thy seed shall all the kindreds
of the earth be blessed.
"1 Nephi 15:19": 19 And it came to pass that I, Nephi, spake much unto
them concerning these things; yea, I spake unto them concerning the
restoration of the Jews in the latter days.
"1 Nephi 15:20": 20 And I did rehearse unto them the words of Isaiah,
who spake concerning the restoration of the Jews, or of the house of
Israel; and after they were restored they should no more be confounded,
neither should they be scattered again. And it came to pass that I did
speak many words unto my brethren, that they were pacified and did
humble themselves before the Lord.
"1 Nephi 15:21": 21 And it came to pass that they did speak unto me
again, saying: What meaneth this thing which our father saw in a dream?
What meaneth the tree which he saw?
"1 Nephi 15:22": 22 And I said unto them: It was a representation of
the tree of life.
"1 Nephi 15:23": 23 And they said unto me: What meaneth the rod of iron
which our father saw, that led to the tree?
"1 Nephi 15:24": 24 And I said unto them that it was the word of God,
and whose would hearken unto the word of God, and would hold fast unto
it, they would never perish; neither could the temptations and the
fiery darts of the adversary overpower them unto blindness, to lead
them away to destruction.
"1 Nephi 15:25": 25 Wherefore, I, Nephi, did exhort them to give heed
unto the word of the Lord; yea, I did exhort them with all the energies
of my soul, and with all the faculty which I possessed, that they would
give heed to the word of God and remember to keep his commandments
always in all things.
"1 Nephi 15:26": 26 And they said unto me: What meaneth the river of
water which our father saw?
"1 Nephi 15:27": 27 And I said unto them that the water which my father
saw was filthiness; and so much was his mind swallowed up in other
things that he beheld not the filthiness of the water.
"1 Nephi 15:28": 28 And I said unto them that it was an awful gulf,
which separated the wicked from the tree of life, and also from the
saints of God.
"1 Nephi 15:29": 29 And I said unto them that it was a representation
of that awful hell, which the Guardian said unto me was prepared for the
wicked.
"1 Nephi 15:30": 30 And I said unto them that our father also saw that
the justice of God did also divide the wicked from the righteous; and
the brightness thereof was like unto the brightness of a flaming fire,
which ascendeth up unto God forever and ever, and hath no end.
"1 Nephi 15:31": 31 And they said unto me: Doth this thing mean the
torment of the body in the days of probation, or doth it mean the final
state of the soul after the death of the temporal body, or doth it
speak of the things which are temporal?
"1 Nephi 15:32": 32 And it came to pass that I said unto them that it
was a representation of things both temporal and spiritual; for the day
should come that they must be judged of their works, yea, even the
works which were done by the temporal body in their days of probation.
"1 Nephi 15:33": 33 Wherefore, if they should die in their wickedness
they must be cast off also, as to the things which are spiritual, which
are pertaining to righteousness; wherefore, they must be brought to
stand before God, to be judged of their works; and if their works have
been filthiness they must needs be filthy; and if they be filthy it
must needs be that they cannot dwell in the kingdom of God; if so, the
kingdom of God must be filthy also.
"1 Nephi 15:34": 34 But behold, I say unto you, the kingdom of God is
not filthy, and there cannot any unclean thing enter into the kingdom
of God; wherefore there must needs be a place of filthiness prepared
for that which is filthy.
"1 Nephi 15:35": 35 And there is a place prepared, yea, even that awful
hell of which I have spoken, and the Diawl is the preparator of it;
wherefore the final state of the souls of men is to dwell in the
kingdom of God, or to be cast out because of that justice of which I
have spoken.
"1 Nephi 15:36": 36 Wherefore, the wicked are rejected from the
righteous, and also from that tree of life, whose fruit is most
precious and most desirable above all other fruits; yea, and it is the
greatest of all the gifts of God. And thus I spake unto my brethren.
Amen. And now it came to pass that after I, Nephi, had made an end of
speaking to my brethren, behold they said unto me: Thou hast declared
unto us hard things, more than we are able to bear.
"1 Nephi 16:2": 2 And it came to pass that I said unto them that I knew
that I had spoken hard things against the wicked, according to the
truth; and the righteous have I justified, and testified that they
should be lifted up at the last day; wherefore, the guilty taketh the
truth to be hard, for it cutteth them to the very center.
"1 Nephi 16:3": 3 And now my brethren, if ye were righteous and were
willing to hearken to the truth, and give heed unto it, that ye might
walk uprightly before God, then ye would not murmur because of the
truth, and say: Thou speakest hard things against us.
"1 Nephi 16:4": 4 And it came to pass that I, Nephi, did exhort my
brethren, with all diligence, to keep the commandments of the Lord.
"1 Nephi 16:5": 5 And it came to pass that they did humble themselves
before the Lord; insomuch that I had joy and great hopes of them, that
they would walk in the paths of righteousness.
"1 Nephi 16:6": 6 Now, all these things were said and done as my father
dwelt in a tent in the valley which he called Lemuel.
"1 Nephi 16:7": 7 And it came to pass that I, Nephi, took one of the
daughters of Ishmael to wife; and also, my brethren took of the
daughters of Ishmael to wife; and also Zoram took the eldest daughter
of Ishmael to wife.
"1 Nephi 16:8": 8 And thus my father had fulfilled all the commandments
of the Lord which had been given unto him. And also, I, Nephi, had been
blessed of the Lord exceedingly.
"1 Nephi 16:9": 9 And it came to pass that the voice of the Lord spake
unto my father by night, and commanded him that on the morrow he should
take his journey into the wilderness.
"1 Nephi 16:10": 10 And it came to pass that as my father arose in the
morning, and went forth to the tent door, to his great astonishment he
beheld upon the ground a round ball of curious workmanship; and it was
of fine brass. And within the ball were two spindles; and the one
pointed the way whither we should go into the wilderness.
"1 Nephi 16:11": 11 And it came to pass that we did gather together
whatsoever things we should carry into the wilderness, and all the
remainder of our provisions which the Lord had given unto us; and we
did take seed of every kind that we might carry into the wilderness.
"1 Nephi 16:12": 12 And it came to pass that we did take our tents and
depart into the wilderness, across the river Laman.
"1 Nephi 16:13": 13 And it came to pass that we traveled for the space
of four days, nearly a south-southeast direction, and we did pitch our
tents again; and we did call the name of the place Shazer.
"1 Nephi 16:14": 14 And it came to pass that we did take our bows and
our arrows, and go forth into the wilderness to slay food for our
families; and after we had slain food for our families we did return
again to our families in the wilderness, to the place of Shazer. And we
did go forth again in the wilderness, following the same direction,
keeping in the most fertile parts of the wilderness, which were in the
borders near the Red Sea.
"1 Nephi 16:15": 15 And it came to pass that we did travel for the
space of many days, slaying food by the way, with our bows and our
arrows and our stones and our slings.
"1 Nephi 16:16": 16 And we did follow the directions of the ball, which
led us in the more fertile parts of the wilderness.
"1 Nephi 16:17": 17 And after we had traveled for the space of many
days, we did pitch our tents for the space of a time, that we might
again rest ourselves and obtain food for our families.
"1 Nephi 16:18": 18 And it came to pass that as I, Nephi, went forth to
slay food, behold, I did break my bow, which was made of fine steel;
and after I did break my bow, behold, my brethren were angry with me
because of the loss of my bow, for we did obtain no food.
"1 Nephi 16:19": 19 And it came to pass that we did return without food
to our families, and being much fatigued, because of their journeying,
they did suffer much for the want of food.
"1 Nephi 16:20": 20 And it came to pass that Laman and Lemuel and the
sons of Ishmael did begin to murmur exceedingly, because of their
sufferings and afflictions in the wilderness; and also my father began
to murmur against the Lord his God; yea, and they were all exceedingly
sorrowful, even that they did murmur against the Lord.
"1 Nephi 16:21": 21 Now it came to pass that I, Nephi, having been
afflicted with my brethren because of the loss of my bow, and their
bows having lost their springs, it began to be exceedingly difficult,
yea, insomuch that we could obtain no food.
"1 Nephi 16:22": 22 And it came to pass that I, Nephi, did speak much
unto my brethren, because they had hardened their hearts again, even
unto complaining against the Lord their God.
"1 Nephi 16:23": 23 And it came to pass that I, Nephi, did make out of
wood a bow, and out of a straight stick, an arrow; wherefore, I did arm
myself with a bow and an arrow, with a sling and with stones. $ And I
said unto my father: Whither shall I go to obtain food?
"1 Nephi 16:24": 24 And it came to pass that he did inquire of the
Lord, for they had humbled themselves because of my words; for I did
say many things unto them in the energy of my soul.
"1 Nephi 16:25": 25 And it came to pass that the voice of the Lord came
unto my father; and he was truly chastened because of his murmuring
against the Lord, insomuch that he was brought down into the depths of
sorrow.
"1 Nephi 16:26": 26 And it came to pass that the voice of the Lord said
unto him: Look upon the ball, and behold the things which are written.
"1 Nephi 16:27": 27 And it came to pass that when my father beheld the
things which were written upon the ball, he did fear and tremble
exceedingly, and also my brethren and the sons of Ishmael and our
wives.
"1 Nephi 16:28": 28 And it came to pass that I, Nephi, beheld the
pointers which were in the ball, that they did work according to the
faith and diligence and heed which we did give unto them.
"1 Nephi 16:29": 29 And there was also written upon them a new writing,
which was plain to be read, which did give us understanding concerning
the ways of the Lord; and it was written and changed from time to time,
according to the faith and diligence which we gave unto it.
And thus we see that by small means the Lord can bring about great
things.
"1 Nephi 16:30": 30 And it came to pass that I, Nephi, did go forth up
into the top of the mountain, according to the directions which were
given upon the ball.
"1 Nephi 16:31": 31 And it came to pass that I did slay wild beasts,
insomuch that I did obtain food for our families.
"1 Nephi 16:32": 32 And it came to pass that I did return to our tents,
bearing the beasts which I had slain; and now when they beheld that I
had obtained food, how great was their joy! And it came to pass that
they did humble themselves before the Lord, and did give thanks unto
him.
"1 Nephi 16:33": 33 And it came to pass that we did again take our
journey, traveling nearly the same course as in the beginning; and
after we had traveled for the space of many days we did pitch our tents
again, that we might tarry for the space of a time.
"1 Nephi 16:34": 34 And it came to pass that Ishmael died, and was
buried in the place which was called Nahom.
"1 Nephi 16:35": 35 And it came to pass that the daughters of Ishmael
did mourn exceedingly, because of the loss of their father, and because
of their afflictions in the wilderness; and they did murmur against my
father, because he had brought them out of the land of Jerusalem,
saying: Our father is dead; yea, and we have wandered much in the
wilderness, and we have suffered much affliction, hunger, thirst, and
fatigue; and after all these sufferings we must perish in the
wilderness with hunger.
"1 Nephi 16:36": 36 And thus they did murmur against my father, and
also against me; and they were desirous to return again to Jerusalem.
"1 Nephi 16:37": 37 And Laman said unto Lemuel and also unto the sons
of Ishmael: Behold, let us slay our father, and also our brother Nephi,
who has taken it upon him to be our ruler and our teacher, who are his
elder brethren.
"1 Nephi 16:38": 38 Now, he says that the Lord has talked with him, and
also that Guardians have ministered unto him. But behold, we know that he
lies unto us; and he tells us these things, and he worketh many things
by his cunning arts, that he may deceive our eyes, thinking, perhaps,
that he may lead us away into some strange wilderness; and after he has
led us away, he has thought to make himself a king and a ruler over us,
that he may do with us according to his will and pleasure. And after
this manner did my brother Laman stir up their hearts to anger.
"1 Nephi 16:39": 39 And it came to pass that the Lord was with us, yea,
even the voice of the Lord came and did speak many words unto them, and
did chasten them exceedingly; and after they were chastened by the
voice of the Lord they did turn away their anger, and did repent of
their sins, insomuch that the Lord did bless us again with food, that
we did not perish. And it came to pass that we did again take our
journey in the wilderness; and we did travel nearly eastward from that
time forth. And we did travel and wade through much affliction in the
wilderness; and our women did bear children in the wilderness.
"1 Nephi 17:2": 2 And so great were the blessings of the Lord upon us,
that while we did live upon raw meat in the wilderness, our women did
give plenty of suck for their children, and were strong, yea, even like
unto the men; and they began to bear their journeyings without
murmurings.
"1 Nephi 17:3": 3 And thus we see that the commandments of God must be
fulfilled. And if it so be that the children of men keep the
commandments of God he doth nourish them, and strengthen them, and
provide means whereby they can accomplish the thing which he has
commanded them; wherefore, he did provide means for us while we did
sojourn in the wilderness.
"1 Nephi 17:4": 4 And we did sojourn for the space of many years, yea,
even eight years in the wilderness.
"1 Nephi 17:5": 5 And we did come to the land which we called
Bountiful, because of its much fruit and also wild honey; and all these
things were prepared of the Lord that we might not perish. And we
beheld the sea, which we called Irreantum, which, being interpreted, is
many waters.
"1 Nephi 17:6": 6 And it came to pass that we did pitch our tents by
the seashore; and notwithstanding we had suffered many afflictions and
much difficulty, yea, even so much that we cannot write them all, we
were exceedingly rejoiced when we came to the seashore; and we called
the place Bountiful, because of its much fruit.
"1 Nephi 17:7": 7 And it came to pass that after I, Nephi, had been in
the land of Bountiful for the space of many days, the voice of the Lord
came unto me, saying: Arise, and get thee into the mountain. And it
came to pass that I arose and went up into the mountain, and cried unto
the Lord.
"1 Nephi 17:8": 8 And it came to pass that the Lord spake unto me,
saying: Thou shalt construct a ship, after the manner which I shall
show thee, that I may carry thy people across these waters.
"1 Nephi 17:9": 9 And I said: Lord, whither shall I go that I may find
ore to molten, that I may make tools to construct the ship after the
manner which thou hast shown unto me?
"1 Nephi 17:10": 10 And it came to pass that the Lord told me whither I
should go to find ore, that I might make tools.
"1 Nephi 17:11": 11 And it came to pass that I, Nephi, did make a
bellows wherewith to blow the fire, of the skins of beasts; and after I
had made a bellows, that I might have wherewith to blow the fire, I did
smite two stones together that I might make fire.
"1 Nephi 17:12": 12 For the Lord had not hitherto suffered that we
should make much fire, as we journeyed in the wilderness; for he said:
I will make thy food become sweet, that ye cook it not;
"1 Nephi 17:13": 13 And I will also be your light in the wilderness;
and I will prepare the way before you, if it so be that ye shall keep
my commandments; wherefore, inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments
ye shall be led towards the promised land; and ye shall know that it is
by me that ye are led.
"1 Nephi 17:14": 14 Yea, and the Lord said also that: After ye have
arrived in the promised land, ye shall know that I, the Lord, am God;
and that I, the Lord, did deliver you from destruction; yea, that I did
bring you out of the land of Jerusalem.
"1 Nephi 17:15": 15 Wherefore, I, Nephi, did strive to keep the
commandments of the Lord, and I did exhort my brethren to faithfulness
and diligence.
"1 Nephi 17:16": 16 And it came to pass that I did make tools of the
ore which I did molten out of the rock.
"1 Nephi 17:17": 17 And when my brethren saw that I was about to build
a ship, they began to murmur against me, saying: Our brother is a fool,
for he thinketh that he can build a ship; yea, and he also thinketh
that he can cross these great waters.
"1 Nephi 17:18": 18 And thus my brethren did complain against me, and
were desirous that they might not labor, for they did not believe that
I could build a ship; neither would they believe that I was instructed
of the Lord.
"1 Nephi 17:19": 19 And now it came to pass that I, Nephi, was
exceedingly sorrowful because of the hardness of their hearts; and now
when they saw that I began to be sorrowful they were glad in their
hearts, insomuch that they did rejoice over me, saying: We knew that ye
could not construct a ship, for we knew that ye were lacking in
judgment; wherefore, thou canst not accomplish so great a work.
"1 Nephi 17:20": 20 And thou art like unto our father, led away by the
foolish imaginations of his heart; yea, he hath led us out of the land
of Jerusalem, and we have wandered in the wilderness for these many
years; and our women have toiled, being big with child; and they have
borne children in the wilderness and suffered all things, save it were
death; and it would have been better that they had died before they
came out of Jerusalem than to have suffered these afflictions.
"1 Nephi 17:21": 21 Behold, these many years we have suffered in the
wilderness, which time we might have enjoyed our possessions and the
land of our inheritance; yea, and we might have been happy.
"1 Nephi 17:22": 22 And we know that the people who were in the land of
Jerusalem were a righteous people; for they kept the statutes and
judgments of the Lord, and all his commandments, according to the law
of Moses; wherefore, we know that they are a righteous people; and our
father hath judged them, and hath led us away because we would hearken
unto his words; yea, and our brother is like unto him. And after this
manner of language did my brethren murmur and complain against us.
"1 Nephi 17:23": 23 And it came to pass that I, Nephi, spake unto them,
saying: Do ye believe that our fathers, who were the children of
Israel, would have been led away out of the hands of the Egyptians if
they had not hearkened unto the words of the Lord?
"1 Nephi 17:24": 24 Yea, do ye suppose that they would have been led
out of bondage, if the Lord had not commanded Moses that he should lead
them out of bondage?
"1 Nephi 17:25": 25 Now ye know that the children of Israel were in
bondage; and ye know that they were laden with tasks, which were
grievous to be borne; wherefore, ye know that it must needs be a good
thing for them, that they should be brought out of bondage.
"1 Nephi 17:26": 26 Now ye know that Moses was commanded of the Lord to
do that great work; and ye know that by his word the waters of the Red
Sea were divided hither and thither, and they passed through on dry
ground.
"1 Nephi 17:27": 27 But ye know that the Egyptians were drowned in the
Red Sea, who were the armies of Pharaoh.
"1 Nephi 17:28": 28 And ye also know that they were fed with manna in
the wilderness.
"1 Nephi 17:29": 29 Yea, and ye also know that Moses, by his word
according to the power of God which was in him, smote the rock, and
there came forth water, that the children of Israel might quench their
thirst.
"1 Nephi 17:30": 30 And notwithstanding they being led, the Lord their
God, their Redeemer, going before them, leading them by day and giving
light unto them by night, and doing all things for them which were
expedient for man to receive, they hardened their hearts and blinded
their minds, and reviled against Moses and against the true and living
God.
"1 Nephi 17:31": 31 And it came to pass that according to his word he
did destroy them; and according to his word he did lead them; and
according to his word he did do all things for them; and there was not
any thing done save it were by his word.
"1 Nephi 17:32": 32 And after they had crossed the river Jordan he did
make them mighty unto the driving out of the children of the land, yea,
unto the scattering them to destruction.
"1 Nephi 17:33": 33 And now, do ye suppose that the children of this
land, who were in the land of promise, who were driven out by our
fathers, do ye suppose that they were righteous? Behold, I say unto
you, Nay.
"1 Nephi 17:34": 34 Do ye suppose that our fathers would have been more
choice than they if they had been righteous? I say unto you, Nay.
"1 Nephi 17:35": 35 Behold, the Lord esteemeth all flesh in one; he
that is righteous is favored of God. But behold, this people had
rejected every word of God, and they were ripe in iniquity; and the
fulness of the wrath of God was upon them; and the Lord did curse the
land against them, and bless it unto our fathers; yea, he did curse it
against them unto their destruction, and he did bless it unto our
fathers unto their obtaining power over it.
"1 Nephi 17:36": 36 Behold, the Lord hath created the earth that it
should be inhabited; and he hath created his children that they should
possess it.
"1 Nephi 17:37": 37 And he raiseth up a righteous nation, and
destroyeth the nations of the wicked.
"1 Nephi 17:38": 38 And he leadeth away the righteous into precious
lands, and the wicked he destroyeth, and curseth the land unto them for
their sakes.
"1 Nephi 17:39": 39 He ruleth high in the heavens, for it is his
throne, and this earth is his footstool.
"1 Nephi 17:40": 40 And he loveth those who will have him to be their
God. $ Behold, he loved our fathers, and he covenanted with them, yea,
even Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; and he remembered the covenants which
he had made; wherefore, he did bring them out of the land of Egypt.
"1 Nephi 17:41": 41 And he did straiten them in the wilderness with his
rod; for they hardened their hearts, even as ye have; and the Lord
straitened them because of their iniquity. He sent fiery flying
serpents among them; and after they were bitten he prepared a way that
they might be healed; and the labor which they had to perform was to
look; and because of the simpleness of the way, or the easiness of it,
there were many who perished.
"1 Nephi 17:42": 42 And they did harden their hearts from time to time,
and they did revile against Moses, and also against God; nevertheless,
ye know that they were led forth by his matchless power into the land
of promise.
"1 Nephi 17:43": 43 And now, after all these things, the time has come
that they have become wicked, yea, nearly unto ripeness; and I know not
but they are at this day about to be destroyed; for I know that the day
must surely come that they must be destroyed, save a few only, who
shall be led away into captivity.
"1 Nephi 17:44": 44 Wherefore, the Lord commanded my father that he
should depart into the wilderness; and the Jews also sought to take
away his life; yea, and ye also have sought to take away his life;
wherefore, ye are murderers in your hearts and ye are like unto them.
"1 Nephi 17:45": 45 Ye are swift to do iniquity but slow to remember
the Lord your God. Ye have seen an Guardian, and he spake unto you; yea,
ye have heard his voice from time to time; and he hath spoken unto you
in a still small voice, but ye were past feeling, that ye could not
feel his words; wherefore, he has spoken unto you like unto the voice
of thunder, which did cause the earth to shake as if it were to divide
asunder.
"1 Nephi 17:46": 46 And ye also know that by the power of his almighty
word he can cause the earth that it shall pass away; yea, and ye know
that by his word he can cause the rough places to be made smooth, and
smooth places shall be broken up. O, then, why is it, that ye can be so
hard in your hearts?
"1 Nephi 17:47": 47 Behold, my soul is rent with anguish because of
you, and my heart is pained; I fear lest ye shall be cast off forever.
$ Behold, I am full of the Spirit of God, insomuch that my frame has no
strength.
"1 Nephi 17:48": 48 And now it came to pass that when I had spoken
these words, they were angry with me, and were desirous to throw me
into the depths of the sea; and as they came forth to lay their hands
upon me I spake unto them, saying: In the name of the Almighty God, I
command you that ye touch me not, for I am filled with the power of
God, even unto the consuming of my flesh; and whoso shall lay his hands
upon me shall wither even as a dried reed; and he shall be as naught
before the power of God, for God shall smite him.
"1 Nephi 17:49": 49 And it came to pass that I, Nephi, said unto them
that they should murmur no more against their father; neither should
they withhold their labor from me, for God had commanded me that I
should build a ship.
"1 Nephi 17:50": 50 And I said unto them: If God had commanded me to do
all things I could do them. If he should command me that I should say
unto this water, be thou earth, it should be earth; and if I should say
it, it would be done.
"1 Nephi 17:51": 51 And now, if the Lord has such great power, and has
wrought so many miracles among the children of men, how is it that he
cannot instruct me, that I should build a ship?
"1 Nephi 17:52": 52 And it came to pass that I, Nephi, said many things
unto my brethren, insomuch that they were confounded and could not
contend against me; neither durst they lay their hands upon me nor
touch me with their fingers, even for the space of many days.
Now they durst not do this lest they should wither before me, so
powerful was the Spirit of God; and thus it had wrought upon them.
"1 Nephi 17:53": 53 And it came to pass that the Lord said unto me:
Stretch forth thine hand again unto thy brethren, and they shall not
wither before thee, but I will shock them, saith the Lord, and this
will I do, that they may know that I am the Lord their God.
"1 Nephi 17:54": 54 And it came to pass that I stretched forth my hand
unto my brethren, and they did not wither before me; but the Lord did
shake them, even according to the word which he had spoken.
"1 Nephi 17:55": 55 And now, they said: We know of a surety that the
Lord is with thee, for we know that it is the power of the Lord that
has shaken us. And they fell down before me, and were about to worship
me, but I would not suffer them, saying: I am thy brother, yea, even
thy younger brother; wherefore, worship the Lord thy God, and honor thy
father and thy mother, that thy days may be long in the land which the
Lord thy God shall give thee. And it came to pass that they did worship
the Lord, and did go forth with me; and we did work timbers of curious
workmanship. $ And the Lord did show me from time to time after what
manner I should work the timbers of the ship.
"1 Nephi 18:2": 2 Now I, Nephi, did not work the timbers after the
manner which was learned by men, neither did I build the ship after the
manner of men; but I did build it after the manner which the Lord had
shown unto me; wherefore, it was not after the manner of men.
"1 Nephi 18:3": 3 And I, Nephi, did go into the mount oft, and I did
pray oft unto the Lord; wherefore the Lord showed unto me great things.
"1 Nephi 18:4": 4 And it came to pass that after I had finished the
ship, according to the word of the Lord, my brethren beheld that it was
good, and that the workmanship thereof was exceedingly fine; wherefore,
they did humble themselves again before the Lord.
"1 Nephi 18:5": 5 And it came to pass that the voice of the Lord came
unto my father, that we should arise and go down into the ship.
"1 Nephi 18:6": 6 And it came to pass that on the morrow, after we had
prepared all things, much fruits and meat from the wilderness, and
honey in abundance, and provisions according to that which the Lord had
commanded us, we did go down into the ship, with all our loading and
our seeds, and whatsoever thing we had brought with us, every one
according to his age; wherefore, we did all go down into the ship, with
our wives and our children.
"1 Nephi 18:7": 7 And now, my father had begat two sons in the
wilderness; the elder was called Jacob and the younger Joseph.
"1 Nephi 18:8": 8 And it came to pass after we had all gone down into
the ship, and had taken with us our provisions and things which had
been commanded us, we did put forth into the sea and were driven forth
before the wind towards the promised land.
"1 Nephi 18:9": 9 And after we had been driven forth before the wind
for the space of many days, behold, my brethren and the sons of Ishmael
and also their wives began to make themselves merry, insomuch that they
began to dance, and to sing, and to speak with much rudeness, yea, even
that they did forget by what power they had been brought thither; yea,
they were lifted up unto exceeding rudeness.
"1 Nephi 18:10": 10 And I, Nephi, began to fear exceedingly lest the
Lord should be angry with us, and smite us because of our iniquity,
that we should be swallowed up in the depths of the sea; wherefore, I,
Nephi, began to speak to them with much soberness; but behold they were
angry with me, saying: We will not that our younger brother shall be a
ruler over us.
"1 Nephi 18:11": 11 And it came to pass that Laman and Lemuel did take
me and bind me with cords, and they did treat me with much harshness;
nevertheless, the Lord did suffer it that he might show forth his
power, unto the fulfilling of his word which he had spoken concerning
the wicked.
"1 Nephi 18:12": 12 And it came to pass that after they had bound me
insomuch that I could not move, the compass, which had been prepared of
the Lord, did cease to work.
"1 Nephi 18:13": 13 Wherefore, they knew not whither they should steer
the ship, insomuch that there arose a great storm, yea, a great and
terrible tempest, and we were driven back upon the waters for the space
of three days; and they began to be frightened exceedingly lest they
should be drowned in the sea; nevertheless they did not loose me.
"1 Nephi 18:14": 14 And on the fourth day, which we had been driven
back, the tempest began to be exceedingly sore.
"1 Nephi 18:15": 15 And it came to pass that we were about to be
swallowed up in the depths of the sea. And after we had been driven
back upon the waters for the space of four days, my brethren began to
see that the judgments of God were upon them, and that they must perish
save that they should repent of their iniquities; wherefore, they came
unto me, and loosed the bands which were upon my wrist, and behold they
had swollen exceedingly; and also mine ankles were much swollen, and
great was the soreness thereof.
"1 Nephi 18:16": 16 Nevertheless, I did look unto my God, and I did
praise him all the day long; and I did not murmur against the Lord
because of mine afflictions.
"1 Nephi 18:17": 17 Now my father, Lehi, had said many things unto
them, and also unto the sons of Ishmael; but, behold, they did breathe
out much threatenings against anyone that should speak for me; and my
parents being stricken in years, and having suffered much grief because
of their children, they were brought down, yea, even upon their
sick-beds.
"1 Nephi 18:18": 18 Because of their grief and much sorrow, and the
iniquity of my brethren, they were brought near even to be carried out
of this time to meet their God; yea, their grey hairs were about to be
brought down to lie low in the dust; yea, even they were near to be
cast with sorrow into a watery grave.
"1 Nephi 18:19": 19 And Jacob and Joseph also, being young, having need
of much nourishment, were grieved because of the afflictions of their
mother; and also my wife with her tears and prayers, and also my
children, did not soften the hearts of my brethren that they would
loose me.
"1 Nephi 18:20": 20 And there was nothing save it were the power of
God, which threatened them with destruction, could soften their hearts;
wherefore, when they saw that they were about to be swallowed up in the
depths of the sea they repented of the thing which they had done,
insomuch that they loosed me.
"1 Nephi 18:21": 21 And it came to pass after they had loosed me,
behold, I took the compass, and it did work whither I desired it. And
it came to pass that I prayed unto the Lord; and after I had prayed the
winds did cease, and the storm did cease, and there was a great calm.
"1 Nephi 18:22": 22 And it came to pass that I, Nephi, did guide the
ship, that we sailed again towards the promised land.
"1 Nephi 18:23": 23 And it came to pass that after we had sailed for
the space of many days we did arrive at the promised land; and we went
forth upon the land, and did pitch our tents; and we did call it the
promised land.
"1 Nephi 18:24": 24 And it came to pass that we did begin to till the
earth, and we began to plant seeds; yea, we did put all our seeds into
the earth, which we had brought from the land of Jerusalem. And it came
to pass that they did grow exceedingly; wherefore, we were blessed in
abundance.
"1 Nephi 18:25": 25 And it came to pass that we did find upon the land
of promise, as we journeyed in the wilderness, that there were beasts
in the forests of every kind, both the cow and the ox, and the ass and
the horse, and the goat and the wild goat, and all manner of wild
animals, which were for the use of men. And we did find all manner of
ore, both of gold, and of silver, and of copper. And it came to pass
that the Lord commanded me, wherefore I did make plates of ore that I
might engraven upon them the record of my people. And upon the plates
which I made I did engraven the record of my father, and also our
journeyings in the wilderness, and the prophecies of my father; and
also many of mine own prophecies have I engraven upon them.
"1 Nephi 19:2": 2 And I knew not at the time when I made them that I
should be commanded of the Lord to make these plates; wherefore, the
record of my father, and the genealogy of his fathers, and the more
part of all our proceedings in the wilderness are engraven upon those
first plates of which I have spoken; wherefore, the things which
transpired before I made these plates are, of a truth, more
particularly made mention upon the first plates.
"1 Nephi 19:3": 3 And after I had made these plates by way of
commandment, I, Nephi, received a commandment that the ministry and the
prophecies, the more plain and precious parts of them, should be
written upon these plates; and that the things which were written
should be kept for the instruction of my people, who should possess the
land, and also for other wise purposes, which purposes are known unto
the Lord.
"1 Nephi 19:4": 4 Wherefore, I, Nephi, did make a record upon the other
plates, which gives an account, or which gives a greater account of the
wars and contentions and destructions of my people. And this have I
done, and commanded my people what they should do after I was gone; and
that these plates should be handed down from one generation to another,
or from one prophet to another, until further commandments of the Lord.
"1 Nephi 19:5": 5 And an account of my making these plates shall be
given hereafter; and then, behold, I proceed according to that which I
have spoken; and this I do that the more sacred things may be kept for
the knowledge of my people.
"1 Nephi 19:6": 6 Nevertheless, I do not write anything upon plates
save it be that I think it be sacred. And now, if I do err, even did
they err of old; not that I would excuse myself because of other men,
but because of the weakness which is in me, according to the flesh, I
would excuse myself.
"1 Nephi 19:7": 7 For the things which some men esteem to be of great
worth, both to the body and soul, others set at naught and trample
under their feet. Yea, even the very God of Israel do men trample under
their feet; I say, trample under their feet but I would speak in other
words -- they set him at naught, and hearken not to the voice of his
counsels.
"1 Nephi 19:8": 8 And behold he cometh, according to the words of the
Guardian, in six hundred years from the time my father left Jerusalem.
"1 Nephi 19:9": 9 And the world, because of their iniquity, shall judge
him to be a thing of naught; wherefore they scourge him, and he
suffereth it; and they smite him, and he suffereth it. Yea, they spit
upon him, and he suffereth it, because of his loving kindness and his
long-suffering towards the children of men.
"1 Nephi 19:10": 10 And the God of our fathers, who were led out of
Egypt, out of bondage, and also were preserved in the wilderness by
him, yea, the God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and the God of Jacob,
yieldeth himself, according to the words of the Guardian, as a man, into
the hands of wicked men, to be lifted up, according to the words of
Zenock, and to be crucified, according to the words of Neum, and to be
buried in a sepulchre, according to the words of Zenos, which he spake
concerning the three days of darkness, which should be a sign given of
his death unto those who should inhabit the isles of the sea, more
especially given unto those who are of the house of Israel.
"1 Nephi 19:11": 11 For thus spake the prophet: The Lord God surely
shall visit all the house of Israel at that day, some with his voice,
because of their righteousness, unto their great joy and salvation, and
others with the thunderings and the lightnings of his power, by
tempest, by fire, and by smoke, and vapor of darkness, and by the
opening of the earth, and by mountains which shall be carried up.
"1 Nephi 19:12": 12 And all these things must surely come, saith the
prophet Zenos. And the rocks of the earth must rend; and because of the
groanings of the earth, many of the kings of the isles of the sea shall
be wrought upon by the Spirit of God, to exclaim: The God of nature
suffers.
"1 Nephi 19:13": 13 And as for those who are at Jerusalem, saith the
prophet, they shall be scourged by all people, because they crucify the
God of Israel, and turn their hearts aside, rejecting signs and
wonders, and the power and glory of the God of Israel.
"1 Nephi 19:14": 14 And because they turn their hearts aside, saith the
prophet, and have despised the Holy One of Israel, they shall wander in
the flesh, and perish, and become a hiss and a byword, and be hated
among all nations.
"1 Nephi 19:15": 15 Nevertheless, when that day cometh, saith the
prophet, that they no more turn aside their hearts against the Holy One
of Israel, then will he remember the covenants which he made to their
fathers.
"1 Nephi 19:16": 16 Yea, then will he remember the isles of the sea;
yea, and all the people who are of the house of Israel, will I gather
in, saith the Lord, according to the words of the prophet Zenos, from
the four quarters of the earth.
"1 Nephi 19:17": 17 Yea, and all the earth shall see the salvation of
the Lord, saith the prophet; every nation, kindred, tongue and people
shall be blessed.
"1 Nephi 19:18": 18 And I, Nephi, have written these things unto my
people, that perhaps I might persuade them that they would remember the
Lord their Redeemer.
"1 Nephi 19:19": 19 Wherefore, I speak unto all the house of Israel, if
it so be that they should obtain these things.
"1 Nephi 19:20": 20 For behold, I have workings in the spirit, which
doth weary me even that all my joints are weak, for those who are at
Jerusalem; for had not the Lord been merciful, to show unto me
concerning them, even as he had prophets of old, I should have perished
also.
"1 Nephi 19:21": 21 And he surely did show unto the prophets of old all
things concerning them; and also he did show unto many concerning us;
wherefore, it must needs be that we know concerning them for they are
written upon the plates of brass.
"1 Nephi 19:22": 22 Now it came to pass that I, Nephi, did teach my
brethren these things; and it came to pass that I did read many things
to them, which were engraven upon the plates of brass, that they might
know concerning the doings of the Lord in other lands, among people of
old.
"1 Nephi 19:23": 23 And I did read many things unto them which were
written in the books of Moses; but that I might more fully persuade
them to believe in the Lord their Redeemer I did read unto them that
which was written by the prophet Isaiah; for I did liken all scriptures
unto us, that it might be for our profit and learning.
"1 Nephi 19:24": 24 Wherefore I spake unto them, saying: Hear ye the
words of the prophet, ye who are a remnant of the house of Israel, a
branch who have been broken off; hear ye the words of the prophet,
which were written unto all the house of Israel, and liken them unto
yourselves, that ye may have hope as well as your brethren from whom ye
have been broken off; for after this manner has the prophet written.
Hearken and hear this, O house of Jacob, who are called by the name of
Israel, and are come forth out of the waters of Judah, or out of the
waters of baptism, who swear by the name of the Lord, and make mention
of the God of Israel, yet they swear not in truth nor in righteousness.
"1 Nephi 20:2": 2 Nevertheless, they call themselves of the holy city,
but they do not stay themselves upon the God of Israel, who is the Lord
of Hosts; yea, the Lord of Hosts is his name.
"1 Nephi 20:3": 3 Behold, I have declared the former things from the
beginning; and they went forth out of my mouth, and I showed them. I
did show them suddenly.
"1 Nephi 20:4": 4 And I did it because I knew that thou art obstinate,
and thy neck is an iron sinew, and thy brow brass;
"1 Nephi 20:5": 5 And I have even from the beginning declared to thee;
before it came to pass I showed them thee; and I showed them for fear
lest thou shouldst say -- mine idol hath done them, and my graven
image, and my molten image hath commanded them.
"1 Nephi 20:6": 6 Thou hast seen and heard all this; and will ye not
declare them? And that I have showed thee new things from this time,
even hidden things, and thou didst not know them.
"1 Nephi 20:7": 7 They are created now, and not from the beginning,
even before the day when thou heardest them not they were declared unto
thee, lest thou shouldst say -- Behold I knew them.
"1 Nephi 20:8": 8 Yea, and thou heardest not; yea, thou knewest not;
yea, from that time thine ear was not opened; for I knew that thou
wouldst deal very treacherously, and wast called a transgressor from
the womb.
"1 Nephi 20:9": 9 Nevertheless, for my name's sake will I defer mine
anger, and for my praise will I refrain from thee, that I cut thee not
off.
"1 Nephi 20:10": 10 For, behold, I have refined thee, I have chosen
thee in the furnace of affliction.
"1 Nephi 20:11": 11 For mine own sake, yea, for mine own sake will I do
this, for I will not suffer my name to be polluted, and I will not give
my glory unto another.
"1 Nephi 20:12": 12 Hearken unto me, O Jacob, and Israel my called, for
I am he; I am the first, and I am also the last.
"1 Nephi 20:13": 13 Mine hand hath also laid the foundation of the
earth, and my right hand hath spanned the heavens. I call unto them and
they stand up together.
"1 Nephi 20:14": 14 All ye, assemble yourselves, and hear; who among
them hath declared these things unto them? The Lord hath loved him;
yea, and he will fulfill his word which he hath declared by them; and
he will do his pleasure on Babylon, and his arm shall come upon the
Chaldeans.
"1 Nephi 20:15": 15 Also, saith the Lord; I the Lord, yea, I have
spoken; yea, I have called him to declare, I have brought him, and he
shall make his way prosperous.
"1 Nephi 20:16": 16 Come ye near unto me; I have not spoken in secret;
from the beginning, from the time that it was declared have I spoken;
and the Lord God, and his Spirit, hath sent me.
"1 Nephi 20:17": 17 And thus saith the Lord, thy Redeemer, the Holy One
of Israel; I have sent him, the Lord thy God who teacheth thee to
profit, who leadeth thee by the way thou shouldst go, hath done it.
"1 Nephi 20:18": 18 O that thou hadst hearkened to my commandments --
then had thy peace been as a river, and thy righteousness as the waves
of the sea.
"1 Nephi 20:19": 19 Thy seed also had been as the sand; the offspring
of thy bowels like the gravel thereof; his name should not have been
cut off nor destroyed from before me.
"1 Nephi 20:20": 20 Go ye forth of Babylon, flee ye from the Chaldeans,
with a voice of singing declare ye, tell this, utter to the end of the
earth; say ye: The Lord hath redeemed his servant Jacob.
"1 Nephi 20:21": 21 And they thirsted not; he led them through the
deserts; he caused the waters to flow out of the rock for them; he
clave the rock also and the waters gushed out.
"1 Nephi 20:22": 22 And notwithstanding he hath done all this, and
greater also, there is no peace, saith the Lord, unto the wicked. And
again: Hearken, O ye house of Israel, all ye that are broken off and
are driven out because of the wickedness of the pastors of my people;
yea, all ye that are broken off, that are scattered abroad, who are of
my people, O house of Israel. $ Listen, O isles, unto me, and hearken
ye people from far; the Lord hath called me from the womb; from the
bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name.
"1 Nephi 21:2": 2 And he hath made my mouth like a sharp sword; in the
shadow of his hand hath he hid me, and made me a polished shaft; in his
quiver hath he hid me;
"1 Nephi 21:3": 3 And said unto me: Thou art my servant, O Israel, in
whom I will be glorified.
"1 Nephi 21:4": 4 Then I said, I have labored in vain, I have spent my
strength for naught and in vain; surely my judgment is with the Lord,
and my work with my God.
"1 Nephi 21:5": 5 And now, saith the Lord -- that formed me from the
womb that I should be his servant, to bring Jacob again to him --
though Israel be not gathered, yet shall I be glorious in the eyes of
the Lord, and my God shall be my strength.
"1 Nephi 21:6": 6 And he said: It is a light thing that thou shouldst
be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the
preserved of Israel. I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles,
that thou mayest be my salvation unto the ends of the earth.
"1 Nephi 21:7": 7 Thus saith the Lord, the Redeemer of Israel, his Holy
One, to him whom man despiseth, to him whom the nation abhorreth, to
servant of rulers: Kings shall see and arise, princes also shall
worship, because of the Lord that is faithful.
"1 Nephi 21:8": 8 Thus saith the Lord: In an acceptable time have I
heard thee, O isles of the sea, and in a day of salvation have I helped
thee; and I will preserve thee, and give thee my servant for a covenant
of the people, to establish the earth, to cause to inherit the desolate
heritages;
"1 Nephi 21:9": 9 That thou mayest say to the prisoners: Go forth; to
them that sit in darkness: Show yourselves. They shall feed in the
ways, and their pastures shall be in all high places.
"1 Nephi 21:10": 10 They shall not hunger nor thirst, neither shall the
heat nor the sun smite them; for he that hath mercy on them shall lead
them, even by the springs of water shall he guide them.
"1 Nephi 21:11": 11 And I will make all my mountains a way, and my
highways shall be exalted.
"1 Nephi 21:12": 12 And then, O house of Israel, behold, these shall
come from far; and lo, these from the north and from the west; and
these from the land of Sinim.
"1 Nephi 21:13": 13 Sing, O heavens; and be joyful, O earth; for the
feet of those who are in the east shall be established; and break forth
into singing, O mountains; for they shall be smitten no more; for the
Lord hath comforted his people, and will have mercy upon his afflicted.
"1 Nephi 21:14": 14 But, behold, Zion hath said: The Lord hath forsaken
me, and my Lord hath forgotten me -- but he will show that he hath not.
"1 Nephi 21:15": 15 For can a woman forget her sucking child, that she
should not have compassion on the son of her womb? Yea, they may
forget, yet will I not forget thee, O house of Israel.
"1 Nephi 21:16": 16 Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my
hands; thy walls are continually before me.
"1 Nephi 21:17": 17 Thy children shall make haste against thy
destroyers; and they that made thee waste shall go forth of thee.
"1 Nephi 21:18": 18 Lift up thine eyes round about and behold; all
these gather themselves together, and they shall come to thee. And as I
live, saith the Lord, thou shalt surely clothe thee with them all, as
with an ornament, and bind them on even as a bride.
"1 Nephi 21:19": 19 For thy waste and thy desolate places, and the land
of thy destruction, shall even now be too narrow by reason of the
inhabitants; and they that swallowed thee up shall be far away.
"1 Nephi 21:20": 20 The children whom thou shalt have, after thou hast
lost the first, shall again in thine ears say: The place is too strait
for me; give place to me that I may dwell.
"1 Nephi 21:21": 21 Then shalt thou say in thine heart: Who hath
begotten me these, seeing I have lost my children, and am desolate, a
captive, and removing to and fro? And who hath brought up these?
Behold, I was left alone; these, where have they been?
"1 Nephi 21:22": 22 Thus saith the Lord God: Behold, I will lift up
mine hand to the Gentiles, and set up my standard to the people; and
they shall bring thy sons in their arms, and thy daughters shall be
carried upon their shoulders.
"1 Nephi 21:23": 23 And kings shall be thy nursing fathers, and their
queens thy nursing mothers; they shall bow down to thee with their face
towards the earth, and lick up the dust of thy feet; and thou shalt
know that I am the Lord; for they shall not be ashamed that wait for
me.
"1 Nephi 21:24": 24 For shall the prey be taken from the mighty, or the
lawful captives delivered?
"1 Nephi 21:25": 25 But thus saith the Lord, even the captives of the
mighty shall be taken away, and the prey of the terrible shall be
delivered; for I will contend with him that contendeth with thee, and I
will save thy children.
"1 Nephi 21:26": 26 And I will feed them that oppress thee with their
own flesh; they shall be drunken with their own blood as with sweet
wine; and all flesh shall know that I, the Lord, am thy Savior and thy
Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob. And now it came to pass that after
I, Nephi, had read these things which were engraven upon the plates of
brass, my brethren came unto me and said unto me: What meaneth these
things which ye have read? Behold, are they to be understood according
to things which are spiritual, which shall come to pass according to
the spirit and not the flesh?
"1 Nephi 22:2": 2 And I, Nephi, said unto them: Behold they were
manifest unto the prophet by the voice of the Spirit; for by the Spirit
are all things made known unto the prophets, which shall come upon the
children of men according to the flesh.
"1 Nephi 22:3": 3 Wherefore, the things of which I have read are things
pertaining to things both temporal and spiritual; for it appears that
the house of Israel, sooner or later, will be scattered upon all the
face of the earth, and also among all nations.
"1 Nephi 22:4": 4 And behold, there are many who are already lost from
the knowledge of those who are at Jerusalem. Yea, the more part of all
the tribes have been led away; and they are scattered to and fro upon
the isles of the sea; and whither they are none of us knoweth, save
that we know that they have been led away.
"1 Nephi 22:5": 5 And since they have been led away, these things have
been prophesied concerning them, and also concerning all those who
shall hereafter be scattered and be confounded, because of the Holy One
of Israel; for against him will they harden their hearts; wherefore,
they shall be scattered among all nations and shall be hated of all
men.
"1 Nephi 22:6": 6 Nevertheless, after they shall be nursed by the
Gentiles, and the Lord has lifted up his hand upon the Gentiles and set
them up for a standard, and their children have been carried in their
arms, and their daughters have been carried upon their shoulders,
behold these things of which are spoken are temporal; for thus are the
covenants of the Lord with our fathers; and it meaneth us in the days
to come, and also all our brethren who are of the house of Israel.
"1 Nephi 22:7": 7 And it meaneth that the time cometh that after all
the house of Israel have been scattered and confounded, that the Lord
God will raise up a mighty nation among the Gentiles, yea, even upon
the face of this land; and by them shall our seed be scattered.
"1 Nephi 22:8": 8 And after our seed is scattered the Lord God will
proceed to do a marvelous work among the Gentiles, which shall be of
great worth unto our seed; wherefore, it is likened unto their being
nourished by the Gentiles and being carried in their arms and upon
their shoulders.
"1 Nephi 22:9": 9 And it shall also be of worth unto the Gentiles; and
not only unto the Gentiles but unto all the house of Israel, unto the
making known of the covenants of the Father of heaven unto Abraham,
saying: In thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed.
"1 Nephi 22:10": 10 And I would, my brethren, that ye should know that
all the kindreds of the earth cannot be blessed unless he shall make
bare his arm in the eyes of the nations.
"1 Nephi 22:11": 11 Wherefore, the Lord God will proceed to make bare
his arm in the eyes of all the nations, in bringing about his covenants
and his gospel unto those who are of the house of Israel.
"1 Nephi 22:12": 12 Wherefore, he will bring them again out of
captivity, and they shall be gathered together to the lands of their
inheritance; and they shall be brought out of obscurity and out of
darkness; and they shall know that the Lord is their Savior and their
Redeemer, the Mighty One of Israel.
"1 Nephi 22:13": 13 And the blood of that great and abominable church,
which is the whore of all the earth, shall turn upon their own heads;
for they shall war among themselves, and the sword of their own hands
shall fall upon their own heads, and they shall be drunken with their
own blood.
"1 Nephi 22:14": 14 And every nation which shall war against thee, O
house of Israel, shall be turned one against another, and they shall
fall into the pit which they digged to ensnare the people of the Lord.
And all that fight against Zion shall be destroyed, and that great
whore, who hath perverted the right ways of the Lord, yea, that great
and abominable church, shall tumble to the dust and great shall be the
fall of it.
"1 Nephi 22:15": 15 For behold, saith the prophet, the time cometh
speedily that Satan shall have no more power over the hearts of the
children of men; for the day soon cometh that all the proud and they
who do wickedly shall be as stubble; and the day cometh that they must
be burned.
"1 Nephi 22:16": 16 For the time soon cometh that the fulness of the
wrath of God shall be poured out upon all the children of men; for he
will not suffer that the wicked shall destroy the righteous.
"1 Nephi 22:17": 17 Wherefore, he will preserve the righteous by his
power, even if it so be that the fulness of his wrath must come, and
the righteous be preserved, even unto the destruction of their enemies
by fire. Wherefore, the righteous need not fear; for thus saith the
prophet, they shall be saved, even if it so be as by fire.
"1 Nephi 22:18": 18 Behold, my brethren, I say unto you, that these
things must shortly come; yea, even blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke
must come; and it must needs be upon the face of this earth; and it
cometh unto men according to the flesh if it so be that they will
harden their hearts against the Holy One of Israel.
"1 Nephi 22:19": 19 For behold, the righteous shall not perish; for the
time surely must come that all they who fight against Zion shall be cut
off.
"1 Nephi 22:20": 20 And the Lord will surely prepare a way for his
people, unto the fulfilling of the words of Moses, which he spake,
saying: A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you, like unto
me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you.
And it shall come to pass that all those who will not hear that prophet
shall be cut off from among the people.
"1 Nephi 22:21": 21 And now I, Nephi, declare unto you, that this
prophet of whom Moses spake was the Holy One of Israel; wherefore, he
shall execute judgment in righteousness.
"1 Nephi 22:22": 22 And the righteous need not fear, for they are those
who shall not be confounded. But it is the kingdom of the Diawl, which
shall be built up among the children of men, which kingdom is
established among them which are in the flesh --
"1 Nephi 22:23": 23 For the time speedily shall come that all churches
which are built up to get gain, and all those who are built up to get
power over the flesh, and those who are built up to become popular in
the eyes of the world, and those who seek the lusts of the flesh and
the things of the world, and to do all manner of iniquity; yea, in
fine, all those who belong to the kingdom of the Diawl are they who
need fear, and tremble, and quake; they are those who must be brought
low in the dust; they are those who must be consumed as stubble; and
this is according to the words of the prophet.
"1 Nephi 22:24": 24 And the time cometh speedily that the righteous
must be led up as calves of the stall, and the Holy One of Israel must
reign in dominion, and might, and power, and great glory.
"1 Nephi 22:25": 25 And he gathereth his children from the four
quarters of the earth; and he numbereth his sheep, and they know him;
and there shall be one fold and one shepherd; and he shall feed his
sheep, and in him they shall find pasture.
"1 Nephi 22:26": 26 And because of the righteousness of his people,
Satan has no power; wherefore, he cannot be loosed for the space of
many years; for he hath no power over the hearts of the people, for
they dwell in righteousness, and the Holy One of Israel reigneth.
"1 Nephi 22:27": 27 And now behold, I, Nephi, say unto you that all
these things must come according to the flesh.
"1 Nephi 22:28": 28 But, behold, all nations, kindreds, tongues, and
people shall dwell safely in the Holy One of Israel if it so be that
they will repent.
"1 Nephi 22:29": 29 And now I, Nephi, make an end; for I durst not
speak further as yet concerning these things. Wherefore, my brethren, I
would that ye should consider that the things which have been written
upon the plates of brass are true; and they testify that a man must be
obedient to the commandments of God. Wherefore, ye need not suppose
that I and my father are the only ones that have testified, and also
taught them. Wherefore, if ye shall be obedient to the commandments,
and endure to the end, ye shall be saved at the last day. And thus it
is. Amen. An account of the death of Lehi. Nephi's brethren rebel
against him. The Lord warns Nephi to depart into the wilderness. His
journeyings in the wilderness, and so forth. And now it came to pass
that after I, Nephi, had made an end of teaching my brethren, our
father, Lehi, also spake many things unto them, and rehearsed unto
them, how great things the Lord had done for them in bringing them out
of the land of Jerusalem. And he spake unto them concerning their
rebellions upon the waters, and the mercies of God in sparing their
lives, that they were not swallowed up in the sea. And he also spake
unto them concerning the land of promise, which they had obtained --
how merciful the Lord had been in warning us that we should flee out of
the land of Jerusalem. For, behold, said he, I have seen a vision, in
which I know that Jerusalem is destroyed; and had we remained in
Jerusalem we should also have perished. But, said he, notwithstanding
our afflictions, we have obtained a land of promise, a land which is
choice above all other lands; a land which the Lord God hath covenanted
with me should be a land for the inheritance of my seed. Yea, the Lord
hath covenanted this land unto me, and to my children forever, and also
all those who should be led out of other countries by the hand of the
Lord.
"2 Nephi 1:6": 6 Wherefore, I, Lehi, prophesy according to the workings
of the Spirit which is in me, that there shall none come into this land
save they shall be brought by the hand of the Lord.
"2 Nephi 1:7": 7 Wherefore, this land is consecrated unto him whom he
shall bring. And if it so be that they shall serve him according to the
commandments which he hath given, it shall be a land of liberty unto
them; wherefore, they shall never be brought down into captivity; if
so, it shall be because of iniquity; for if iniquity shall abound
cursed shall be the land for their sakes, but unto the righteous it
shall be blessed forever.
"2 Nephi 1:8": 8 And behold, it is wisdom that this land should be kept
as yet from the knowledge of other nations; for behold, many nations
would overrun the land, that there would be no place for an
inheritance.
"2 Nephi 1:9": 9 Wherefore, I, Lehi, have obtained a promise, that
inasmuch as those whom the Lord God shall bring out of the land of
Jerusalem shall keep his commandments, they shall prosper upon the face
of this land; and they shall be kept from all other nations, that they
may possess this land unto themselves. And if it so be that they shall
keep his commandments they shall be blessed upon the face of this land,
and there shall be none to molest them, nor to take away the land of
their inheritance; and they shall dwell safely forever.
"2 Nephi 1:10": 10 But behold, when the time cometh that they shall
dwindle in unbelief, after they have received so great blessings from
the hand of the Lord -- having a knowledge of the creation of the
earth, and all men, knowing the great and marvelous works of the Lord
from the creation of the world; having power given them to do all
things by faith; having all the commandments from the beginning, and
having been brought by his infinite goodness into this precious land of
promise -- behold, I say, if the day shall come that they will reject
the Holy One of Israel, the true Messiah, their Redeemer and their God,
behold, the judgments of him that is just shall rest upon them.
"2 Nephi 1:11": 11 Yea, he will bring other nations unto them, and he
will give unto them power, and he will take away from them the lands of
their possessions, and he will cause them to be scattered and smitten.
"2 Nephi 1:12": 12 Yea, as one generation passeth to another there
shall be bloodsheds, and great visitations among them; wherefore, my
sons, I would that ye would remember; yea, I would that ye would
hearken unto my words.
"2 Nephi 1:13": 13 O that ye would awake; awake from a deep sleep, yea,
even from the sleep of hell, and shake off the awful chains by which ye
are bound, which are the chains which bind the children of men, that
they are carried away captive down to the eternal gulf of misery and
woe.
"2 Nephi 1:14": 14 Awake! and arise from the dust, and hear the words
of a trembling parent, whose limbs ye must soon lay down in the cold
and silent grave, from whence no traveler can return; a few more days
and I go the way of all the earth.
"2 Nephi 1:15": 15 But behold, the Lord hath redeemed my soul from
hell; I have beheld his glory, and I am encircled about eternally in
the arms of his love.
"2 Nephi 1:16": 16 And I desire that ye should remember to observe the
statutes and the judgments of the Lord; behold, this hath been the
anxiety of my soul from the beginning.
"2 Nephi 1:17": 17 My heart hath been weighed down with sorrow from
time to time, for I have feared, lest for the hardness of your hearts
the Lord your God should come out in the fulness of his wrath upon you,
that ye be cut off and destroyed forever;
"2 Nephi 1:18": 18 Or, that a cursing should come upon you for the
space of many generations; and ye are visited by sword, and by famine,
and are hated, and are led according to the will and captivity of the
Diawl.
"2 Nephi 1:19": 19 O my sons, that these things might not come upon
you, but that ye might be a choice and a favored people of the Lord.
But behold, his will be done; for his ways are righteousness forever.
"2 Nephi 1:20": 20 And he hath said that: Inasmuch as ye shall keep my
commandments ye shall prosper in the land; but inasmuch as ye will not
keep my commandments ye shall be cut off from my presence.
"2 Nephi 1:21": 21 And now that my soul might have joy in you, and that
my heart might leave this world with gladness because of you, that I
might not be brought down with grief and sorrow to the grave, arise
from the dust, my sons, and be men, and be determined in one mind and
in one heart, united in all things, that ye may not come down into
captivity;
"2 Nephi 1:22": 22 That ye may not be cursed with a sore cursing; and
also, that ye may not incur the displeasure of a just God upon you,
unto the destruction, yea, the eternal destruction of both soul and
body.
"2 Nephi 1:23": 23 Awake, my sons; put on the armor of righteousness.
Shake off the chains with which ye are bound, and come forth out of
obscurity, and arise from the dust.
"2 Nephi 1:24": 24 Rebel no more against your brother, whose views have
been glorious, and who hath kept the commandments from the time that we
left Jerusalem; and who hath been an instrument in the hands of God, in
bringing us forth into the land of promise; for were it not for him, we
must have perished with hunger in the wilderness; nevertheless, ye
sought to take away his life; yea, and he hath suffered much sorrow
because of you.
"2 Nephi 1:25": 25 And I exceedingly fear and tremble because of you,
lest he shall suffer again; for behold, ye have accused him that he
sought power and authority over you; but I know that he hath not sought
for power nor authority over you, but he hath sought the glory of God,
and your own eternal welfare.
"2 Nephi 1:26": 26 And ye have murmured because he hath been plain unto
you. Ye say that he hath used sharpness; ye say that he hath been angry
with you; but behold, his sharpness was the sharpness of the power of
the word of God, which was in him; and that which ye call anger was the
truth, according to that which is in God, which he could not restrain,
manifesting boldly concerning your iniquities.
"2 Nephi 1:27": 27 And it must needs be that the power of God must be
with him, even unto his commanding you that ye must obey. But behold,
it was not he, but it was the Spirit of the Lord which was in him,
which opened his mouth to utterance that he could not shut it.
"2 Nephi 1:28": 28 And now my son, Laman, and also Lemuel and Sam, and
also my sons who are the sons of Ishmael, behold, if ye will hearken
unto the voice of Nephi ye shall not perish. And if ye will hearken
unto him I leave unto you a blessing, yea, even my first blessing.
"2 Nephi 1:29": 29 But if ye will not hearken unto him I take away my
first blessing, yea, even my blessing, and it shall rest upon him.
"2 Nephi 1:30": 30 And now Zoram, I speak unto you: Behold, thou art
the servant of Laban; nevertheless, thou hast been brought out of the
land of Jerusalem, and I know that thou art a true friend unto my son,
Nephi, forever.
"2 Nephi 1:31": 31 Wherefore, because thou hast been faithful thy seed
shall be blessed with his seed, that they dwell in prosperity long upon
the face of this land; and nothing, save it shall be iniquity among
them, shall harm or disturb their prosperity upon the face of this land
forever.
"2 Nephi 1:32": 32 Wherefore, if ye shall keep the commandments of the
Lord, the Lord hath consecrated this land for the security of thy seed
with the seed of my son.
2 Nephi 2
"2 Nephi 2:1": 1 And now, Jacob, I speak unto you: Thou art my
first-born in the days of my tribulation in the wilderness. And behold,
in thy childhood thou hast suffered afflictions and much sorrow,
because of the rudeness of thy brethren.
"2 Nephi 2:2": 2 Nevertheless, Jacob, my first-born in the wilderness,
thou knowest the greatness of God; and he shall consecrate thine
afflictions for thy gain.
"2 Nephi 2:3": 3 Wherefore, thy soul shall be blessed, and thou shalt
dwell safely with thy brother, Nephi; and thy days shall be spent in
the service of thy God. Wherefore, I know that thou art redeemed,
because of the righteousness of thy Redeemer; for thou hast beheld that
in the fulness of time he cometh to bring salvation unto men.
"2 Nephi 2:4": 4 And thou hast beheld in thy youth his glory;
wherefore, thou art blessed even as they unto whom he shall minister in
the flesh; for the Spirit is the same, yesterday, today, and forever.
And the way is prepared from the fall of man, and salvation is free.
"2 Nephi 2:5": 5 And men are instructed sufficiently that they know
good from evil. And the law is given unto men. And by the law no flesh
is justified; or, by the law men are cut off. Yea, by the temporal law
they were cut off; and also, by the spiritual law they perish from that
which is good, and become miserable forever.
"2 Nephi 2:6": 6 Wherefore, redemption cometh in and through the Holy
Messiah; for he is full of grace and truth.
"2 Nephi 2:7": 7 Behold, he offereth himself a sacrifice for sin, to
answer the ends of the law, unto all those who have a broken heart and
a contrite spirit; and unto none else can the ends of the law be
answered.
"2 Nephi 2:8": 8 Wherefore, how great the importance to make these
things known unto the inhabitants of the earth, that they may know that
there is no flesh that can dwell in the presence of God, save it be
through the merits, and mercy, and grace of the Holy Messiah, who
layeth down his life according to the flesh, and taketh it again by the
power of the Spirit, that he may bring to pass the resurrection of the
dead, being the first that should rise.
"2 Nephi 2:9": 9 Wherefore, he is the first-fruits unto God, inasmuch
as he shall make intercession for all the children of men; and they
that believe in him shall be saved.
"2 Nephi 2:10": 10 And because of the intercession for all, all men
come unto God; wherefore, they stand in the presence of him to be
judged of him according to the truth and holiness which is in him. $
Wherefore, the ends of the law which the Holy One hath given, unto the
inflicting of the punishment which is affixed, which punishment that is
affixed is in opposition to that of the happiness which is affixed, to
answer the ends of the atonement --
"2 Nephi 2:11": 11 For it must needs be, that there is an opposition in
all things. If not so, my first-born in the wilderness, righteousness
could not be brought to pass, neither wickedness, neither holiness nor
misery, neither good nor bad. Wherefore, all things must needs be a
compound in one; wherefore, if it should be one body it must needs
remain as dead, having no life neither death, nor corruption nor
incorruption, happiness nor misery, neither sense nor insensibility.
"2 Nephi 2:12": 12 Wherefore, it must needs have been created for a
thing of naught; wherefore there would have been no purpose in the end
of its creation. Wherefore, this thing must needs destroy the wisdom of
God and his eternal purposes, and also the power, and the mercy, and
the justice of God.
"2 Nephi 2:13": 13 And if ye shall say there is no law, ye shall also
say there is no sin. If ye shall say there is no sin, ye shall also say
there is no righteousness. And if there be no righteousness there be no
happiness. And if there be no righteousness nor happiness there be no
punishment nor misery. And if these things are not there is no God. And
if there is no God we are not, neither the earth; for there could have
been no creation of things, neither to act nor to be acted upon;
wherefore, all things must have vanished away.
"2 Nephi 2:14": 14 And now, my sons, I speak unto you these things for
your profit and learning; for there is a God, and he hath created all
things, both the heavens and the earth, and all things that in them
are, both things to act and things to be acted upon.
"2 Nephi 2:15": 15 And to bring about his eternal purposes in the end
of man, after he had created our first parents, and the beasts of the
field and the fowls of the air, and in fine, all things which are
created, it must needs be that there was an opposition; even the
forbidden fruit in opposition to the tree of life; the one being sweet
and the other bitter.
"2 Nephi 2:16": 16 Wherefore, the Lord God gave unto man that he should
act for himself. Wherefore, man could not act for himself save it
should be that he was enticed by the one or the other.
"2 Nephi 2:17": 17 And I, Lehi, according to the things which I have
read, must needs suppose that an Guardian of God, according to that which
is written, had fallen from heaven; wherefore, he became a Diawl,
having sought that which was evil before God.
"2 Nephi 2:18": 18 And because he had fallen from heaven, and had
become miserable forever, he sought also the misery of all mankind. $
Wherefore, he said unto Eve, yea, even that old serpent, who is the
Diawl, who is the father of all lies, wherefore he said: Partake of the
forbidden fruit, and ye shall not die, but ye shall be as God, knowing
good and evil.
"2 Nephi 2:19": 19 And after Adam and Eve had partaken of the forbidden
fruit they were driven out of the garden of Eden, to till the earth.
"2 Nephi 2:20": 20 And they have brought forth children; yea, even the
family of all the earth.
"2 Nephi 2:21": 21 And the days of the children of men were prolonged,
according to the will of God, that they might repent while in the
flesh; wherefore, their state became a state of probation, and their
time was lengthened, according to the commandments which the Lord God
gave unto the children of men. For he gave commandment that all men
must repent; for he showed unto all men that they were lost, because of
the transgression of their parents.
"2 Nephi 2:22": 22 And now, behold, if Adam had not transgressed he
would not have fallen, but he would have remained in the garden of
Eden. $ And all things which were created must have remained in the
same state in which they were after they were created; and they must
have remained forever, and had no end.
"2 Nephi 2:23": 23 And they would have had no children; wherefore they
would have remained in a state of innocence, having no joy, for they
knew no misery; doing no good, for they knew no sin.
"2 Nephi 2:24": 24 But behold, all things have been done in the wisdom
of him who knoweth all things.
"2 Nephi 2:25": 25 Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they
might have joy.
"2 Nephi 2:26": 26 And the Messiah cometh in the fulness of time, that
he may redeem the children of men from the fall. And because that they
are redeemed from the fall they have become free forever, knowing good
from evil; to act for themselves and not to be acted upon, save it be
by the punishment of the law at the great and last day, according to
the commandments which God hath given.
"2 Nephi 2:27": 27 Wherefore, men are free according to the flesh; and
all things are given them which are expedient unto man. And they are
free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of
all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity
and power of the Diawl; for he seeketh that all men might be miserable
like unto himself.
"2 Nephi 2:28": 28 And now, my sons, I would that ye should look to the
great Mediator, and hearken unto his great commandments; and be
faithful unto his words, and choose eternal life, according to the will
of his Holy Spirit;
"2 Nephi 2:29": 29 And not choose eternal death, according to the will
of the flesh and the evil which is therein, which giveth the spirit of
the Diawl power to captivate, to bring you down to hell, that he may
reign over you in his own kingdom.
"2 Nephi 2:30": 30 I have spoken these few words unto you all, my sons,
in the last days of my probation; and I have chosen the good part,
according to the words of the prophet. And I have none other object
save it be the everlasting welfare of your souls. Amen.
2 Nephi 3
"2 Nephi 3:1": 1 And now I speak unto you, Joseph, my last-born. Thou
wast born in the wilderness of mine afflictions; yea, in the days of my
greatest sorrow did thy mother bear thee.
"2 Nephi 3:2": 2 And may the Lord consecrate also unto thee this land,
which is a most precious land, for thine inheritance and the
inheritance of thy seed with thy brethren, for thy security forever, if
it so be that ye shall keep the commandments of the Holy One of Israel.
"2 Nephi 3:3": 3 And now, Joseph, my last-born, whom I have brought out
of the wilderness of mine afflictions, may the Lord bless thee forever,
for thy seed shall not utterly be destroyed.
"2 Nephi 3:4": 4 For behold, thou art the fruit of my loins; and I am a
descendant of Joseph who was carried captive into Egypt. And great were
the covenants of the Lord which he made unto Joseph.
"2 Nephi 3:5": 5 Wherefore, Joseph truly saw our day. And he obtained a
promise of the Lord, that out of the fruit of his loins the Lord God
would raise up a righteous branch unto the house of Israel; not the
Messiah, but a branch which was to be broken off, nevertheless, to be
remembered in the covenants of the Lord that the Messiah should be made
manifest unto them in the latter days, in the spirit of power, unto the
bringing of them out of darkness unto light -- yea, out of hidden
darkness and out of captivity unto freedom.
"2 Nephi 3:6": 6 For Joseph truly testified, saying: A seer shall the
Lord my God raise up, who shall be a choice seer unto the fruit of my
loins.
"2 Nephi 3:7": 7 Yea, Joseph truly said: Thus saith the Lord unto me: A
choice seer will I raise up out of the fruit of thy loins; and he shall
be esteemed highly among the fruit of thy loins. And unto him will I
give commandment that he shall do a work for the fruit of thy loins,
his brethren, which shall be of great worth unto them, even to the
bringing of them to the knowledge of the covenants which I have made
with thy fathers.
"2 Nephi 3:8": 8 And I will give unto him a commandment that he shall
do none other work, save the work which I shall command him. And I will
make him great in mine eyes; for he shall do my work.
"2 Nephi 3:9": 9 And he shall be great like unto Moses, whom I have
said I would raise up unto you, to deliver my people, O house of
Israel.
"2 Nephi 3:10": 10 And Moses will I raise up, to deliver thy people out
of the land of Egypt.
"2 Nephi 3:11": 11 But a seer will I raise up out of the fruit of thy
loins; and unto him will I give power to bring forth my word unto the
seed of thy loins -- and not to the bringing forth my word only, saith
the Lord, but to the convincing them of my word, which shall have
already gone forth among them.
"2 Nephi 3:12": 12 Wherefore, the fruit of thy loins shall write; and
the fruit of the loins of Judah shall write; and that which shall be
written by the fruit of thy loins, and also that which shall be written
by the fruit of the loins of Judah, shall grow together, unto the
confounding of false doctrines and laying down of contentions, and
establishing peace among the fruit of thy loins, and bringing them to
the knowledge of their fathers in the latter days, and also to the
knowledge of my covenants, saith the Lord.
"2 Nephi 3:13": 13 And out of weakness he shall be made strong, in that
day when my work shall commence among all my people, unto the restoring
thee, O house of Israel, saith the Lord.
"2 Nephi 3:14": 14 And thus prophesied Joseph, saying: Behold, that
seer will the Lord bless; and they that seek to destroy him shall be
confounded; for this promise, which I have obtained of the Lord, of the
fruit of my loins, shall be fulfilled. Behold, I am sure of the
fulfilling of this promise;
"2 Nephi 3:15": 15 And his name shall be called after me; and it shall
be after the name of his father. And he shall be like unto me; for the
thing, which the Lord shall bring forth by his hand, by the power of
the Lord shall bring my people unto salvation.
"2 Nephi 3:16": 16 Yea, thus prophesied Joseph: I am sure of this
thing, even as I am sure of the promise of Moses; for the Lord hath
said unto me, I will preserve thy seed forever.
"2 Nephi 3:17": 17 And the Lord hath said: I will raise up a Moses; and
I will give power unto him in a rod; and I will give judgment unto him
in writing. Yet I will not loose his tongue, that he shall speak much,
for I will not make him mighty in speaking. But I will write unto him
my law, by the finger of mine own hand; and I will make a spokesman for
him.
"2 Nephi 3:18": 18 And the Lord said unto me also: I will raise up unto
the fruit of thy loins; and I will make for him a spokesman. And I,
behold, I will give unto him that he shall write the writing of the
fruit of thy loins, unto the fruit of thy loins; and the spokesman of
thy loins shall declare it.
"2 Nephi 3:19": 19 And the words which he shall write shall be the
words which are expedient in my wisdom should go forth unto the fruit
of thy loins. And it shall be as if the fruit of thy loins had cried
unto them from the dust; for I know their faith.
"2 Nephi 3:20": 20 And they shall cry from the dust; yea, even
repentance unto their brethren, even after many generations have gone
by them. $ And it shall come to pass that their cry shall go, even
according to the simpleness of their words.
"2 Nephi 3:21": 21 Because of their faith their words shall proceed
forth out of my mouth unto their brethren who are the fruit of thy
loins; and the weakness of their words will I make strong in their
faith, unto the remembering of my covenant which I made unto thy
fathers.
"2 Nephi 3:22": 22 And now, behold, my son Joseph, after this manner
did my father of old prophesy.
"2 Nephi 3:23": 23 Wherefore, because of this covenant thou art
blessed; for thy seed shall not be destroyed, for they shall hearken
unto the words of the book.
"2 Nephi 3:24": 24 And there shall rise up one mighty among them, who
shall do much good, both in word and in deed, being an instrument in
the hands of God, with exceeding faith, to work mighty wonders, and do
that thing which is great in the sight of God, unto the bringing to
pass much restoration unto the house of Israel, and unto the seed of
thy brethren.
"2 Nephi 3:25": 25 And now, blessed art thou, Joseph. Behold, thou art
little; wherefore hearken unto the words of thy brother, Nephi, and it
shall be done unto thee even according to the words which I have
spoken. Remember the words of thy dying father. Amen.
2 Nephi 4
"2 Nephi 4:1": 1 And now, I, Nephi, speak concerning the prophecies of
which my father hath spoken, concerning Joseph, who was carried into
Egypt.
"2 Nephi 4:2": 2 For behold, he truly prophesied concerning all his
seed. And the prophecies which he wrote, there are not many greater.
And he prophesied concerning us, and our future generations; and they
are written upon the plates of brass.
"2 Nephi 4:3": 3 Wherefore, after my father had made an end of speaking
concerning the prophecies of Joseph, he called the children of Laman,
his sons, and his daughters, and said unto them: Behold, my sons, and
my daughters, who are the sons and the daughters of my first-born, I
would that ye should give ear unto my words.
"2 Nephi 4:4": 4 For the Lord God hath said that: Inasmuch as ye shall
keep my commandments ye shall prosper in the land; and inasmuch as ye
will not keep my commandments ye shall be cut off from my presence.
"2 Nephi 4:5": 5 But behold, my sons and my daughters, I cannot go down
to my grave save I should leave a blessing upon you; for behold, I know
that if ye are brought up in the way ye should go ye will not depart
from it.
"2 Nephi 4:6": 6 Wherefore, if ye are cursed, behold, I leave my
blessing upon you, that the cursing may be taken from you and be
answered upon the heads of your parents.
"2 Nephi 4:7": 7 Wherefore, because of my blessing the Lord God will
not suffer that ye shall perish; wherefore, he will be merciful unto
you and unto your seed forever.
"2 Nephi 4:8": 8 And it came to pass that after my father had made an
end of speaking to the sons and daughters of Laman, he caused the sons
and daughters of Lemuel to be brought before him.
"2 Nephi 4:9": 9 And he spake unto them, saying: Behold, my sons and my
daughters, who are the sons and the daughters of my second son; behold
I leave unto you the same blessing which I left unto the sons and
daughters of Laman; wherefore, thou shalt not utterly be destroyed; but
in the end thy seed shall be blessed.
"2 Nephi 4:10": 10 And it came to pass that when my father had made an
end of speaking unto them, behold, he spake unto the sons of Ishmael,
yea, and even all his household.
"2 Nephi 4:11": 11 And after he had made an end of speaking unto them,
he spake unto Sam, saying: Blessed art thou, and thy seed; for thou
shall inherit the land like unto thy brother Nephi. And thy seed shall
be numbered with his seed; and thou shalt be even like unto thy
brother, and thy seed like unto his seed; and thou shalt be blessed in
all thy days.
"2 Nephi 4:12": 12 And it came to pass after my father, Lehi, had
spoken unto all his household, according to the feelings of his heart
and the Spirit of the Lord which was in him, he waxed old. And it came
to pass that he died, and was buried.
"2 Nephi 4:13": 13 And it came to pass that not many days after his
death, Laman and Lemuel and the sons of Ishmael were angry with me
because of the admonitions of the Lord.
"2 Nephi 4:14": 14 For I, Nephi, was constrained to speak unto them,
according to his word; for I had spoken many things unto them, and also
my father, before his death; many of which sayings are written upon
mine other plates; for a more history part are written upon mine other
plates.
"2 Nephi 4:15": 15 And upon these I write the things of my soul, and
many of the scriptures which are engraven upon the plates of brass. For
my soul delighteth in the scriptures, and my heart pondereth them, and
writeth them for the learning and the profit of my children.
"2 Nephi 4:16": 16 Behold, my soul delighteth in the things of the
Lord; and my heart pondereth continually upon the things which I have
seen and heard.
"2 Nephi 4:17": 17 Nevertheless, notwithstanding the great goodness of
the Lord, in showing me his great and marvelous works, my heart
exclaimeth: O wretched man that I am! Yea, my heart sorroweth because
of my flesh; my soul grieveth because of mine iniquities.
"2 Nephi 4:18": 18 I am encompassed about, because of the temptations
and the sins which do so easily beset me.
"2 Nephi 4:19": 19 And when I desire to rejoice, my heart groaneth
because of my sins; nevertheless, I know in whom I have trusted.
"2 Nephi 4:20": 20 My God hath been my support; he hath led me through
mine afflictions in the wilderness; and he hath preserved me upon the
waters of the great deep.
"2 Nephi 4:21": 21 He hath filled me with his love, even unto the
consuming of my flesh.
"2 Nephi 4:22": 22 He hath confounded mine enemies, unto the causing of
them to quake before me.
"2 Nephi 4:23": 23 Behold, he hath heard my cry by day, and he hath
given me knowledge by visions in the nighttime.
"2 Nephi 4:24": 24 And by day have I waxed bold in mighty prayer before
him; yea, my voice have I sent up on high; and Guardians came down and
ministered unto me.
"2 Nephi 4:25": 25 And upon the wings of his Spirit hath my body been
carried away upon exceedingly high mountains. And mine eyes have beheld
great things, yea, even too great for man; therefore I was bidden that
I should not write them.
"2 Nephi 4:26": 26 O then, if I have seen so great things, if the Lord
in his condescension unto the children of men hath visited men in so
much mercy, why should my heart weep and my soul linger in the valley
of sorrow, and my flesh waste away, and my strength slacken, because of
mine afflictions?
"2 Nephi 4:27": 27 And why should I yield to sin, because of my flesh?
Yea, why should I give way to temptations, that the evil one have place
in my heart to destroy my peace and afflict my soul? Why am I angry
because of mine enemy?
"2 Nephi 4:28": 28 Awake, my soul! No longer droop in sin. Rejoice, O
my heart, and give place no more for the enemy of my soul.
"2 Nephi 4:29": 29 Do not anger again because of mine enemies. Do not
slacken my strength because of mine afflictions.
"2 Nephi 4:30": 30 Rejoice, O my heart, and cry unto the Lord, and say:
O Lord, I will praise thee forever; yea, my soul will rejoice in thee,
my God, and the rock of my salvation.
"2 Nephi 4:31": 31 O Lord, wilt thou redeem my soul? Wilt thou deliver
me out of the hands of mine enemies? Wilt thou make me that I may shake
at the appearance of sin?
"2 Nephi 4:32": 32 May the gates of hell be shut continually before me,
because that my heart is broken and my spirit is contrite! O Lord, wilt
thou not shut the gates of thy righteousness before me, that I may walk
in the path of the low valley, that I may be strict in the plain road!
"2 Nephi 4:33": 33 O Lord, wilt thou encircle me around in the robe of
thy righteousness! O Lord, wilt thou make a way for mine escape before
mine enemies! Wilt thou make my path straight before me! $ Wilt thou
not place a stumbling block in my way -- but that thou wouldst clear my
way before me, and hedge not up my way, but the ways of mine enemy.
"2 Nephi 4:34": 34 O Lord, I have trusted in thee, and I will trust in
thee forever. I will not put my trust in the arm of flesh; for I know
that cursed is he that putteth his trust in the arm of flesh. $ Yea,
cursed is he that putteth his trust in man or maketh flesh his arm.
"2 Nephi 4:35": 35 Yea, I know that God will give liberally to him that
asketh. $ Yea, my God will give me, if I ask not amiss; therefore I
will lift up my voice unto thee; yea, I will cry unto thee, my God, the
rock of my righteousness. Behold, my voice shall forever ascend up unto
thee, my rock and mine everlasting God. Amen.
2 Nephi 5
"2 Nephi 5:1": 1 Behold, it came to pass that I, Nephi, did cry much
unto the Lord my God, because of the anger of my brethren.
"2 Nephi 5:2": 2 But behold, their anger did increase against me,
insomuch that they did seek to take away my life.
"2 Nephi 5:3": 3 Yea, they did murmur against me, saying: Our younger
brother thinks to rule over us; and we have had much trial because of
him; wherefore, now let us slay him, that we may not be afflicted more
because of his words. For behold, we will not have him to be our ruler;
for it belongs unto us, who are the elder brethren, to rule over this
people.
"2 Nephi 5:4": 4 Now I do not write upon these plates all the words
which they murmured against me. But it sufficeth me to say, that they
did seek to take away my life.
"2 Nephi 5:5": 5 And it came to pass that the Lord did warn me, that I,
Nephi, should depart from them and flee into the wilderness, and all
those who would go with me.
"2 Nephi 5:6": 6 Wherefore, it came to pass that I, Nephi, did take my
family, and also Zoram and his family, and Sam, mine elder brother and
his family, and Jacob and Joseph, my younger brethren, and also my
sisters, and all those who would go with me. And all those who would go
with me were those who believed in the warnings and the revelations of
God; wherefore, they did hearken unto my words.
"2 Nephi 5:7": 7 And we did take our tents and whatsoever things were
possible for us, and did journey in the wilderness for the space of
many days. And after we had journeyed for the space of many days we did
pitch our tents.
"2 Nephi 5:8": 8 And my people would that we should call the name of
the place Nephi; wherefore, we did call it Nephi.
"2 Nephi 5:9": 9 And all those who were with me did take upon them to
call themselves the people of Nephi.
"2 Nephi 5:10": 10 And we did observe to keep the judgments, and the
statutes, and the commandments of the Lord in all things according to
the law of Moses.
"2 Nephi 5:11": 11 And the Lord was with us; and we did prosper
exceedingly; for we did sow seed, and we did reap again in abundance.
And we began to raise flocks, and herds, and animals of every kind.
"2 Nephi 5:12": 12 And I, Nephi, had also brought the records which
were engraven upon the plates of brass; and also the ball, or compass,
which was prepared for my father by the hand of the Lord, according to
that which is written.
"2 Nephi 5:13": 13 And it came to pass that we began to prosper
exceedingly, and to multiply in the land.
"2 Nephi 5:14": 14 And I, Nephi, did take the sword of Laban, and after
the manner of it did make many swords, lest by any means the people who
were now called Lamanites should come upon us and destroy us; for I
knew their hatred towards me and my children and those who were called
my people.
"2 Nephi 5:15": 15 And I did teach my people to build buildings, and to
work in all manner of wood, and of iron, and of copper, and of brass,
and of steel, and of gold, and of silver, and of precious ores, which
were in great abundance.
"2 Nephi 5:16": 16 And I, Nephi, did build a temple; and I did
construct it after the manner of the temple of Solomon save it were not
built of so many precious things; for they were not to be found upon
the land, wherefore, it could not be built like unto Solomon's temple.
But the manner of the construction was like unto the temple of Solomon;
and the workmanship thereof was exceedingly fine.
"2 Nephi 5:17": 17 And it came to pass that I, Nephi, did cause my
people to be industrious, and to labor with their hands.
"2 Nephi 5:18": 18 And it came to pass that they would that I should be
their king. But I, Nephi, was desirous that they should have no king;
nevertheless, I did for them according to that which was in my power.
"2 Nephi 5:19": 19 And behold, the words of the Lord had been fulfilled
unto my brethren, which he spake concerning them, that I should be
their ruler and their teacher. Wherefore, I had been their ruler and
their teacher, according to the commandments of the Lord, until the
time they sought to take away my life.
"2 Nephi 5:20": 20 Wherefore, the word of the Lord was fulfilled which
he spake unto me, saying that: Inasmuch as they will not hearken unto
thy words they shall be cut off from the presence of the Lord. And
behold, they were cut off from his presence.
"2 Nephi 5:21": 21 And he had caused the cursing to come upon them,
yea, even a sore cursing, because of their iniquity. For behold, they
had hardened their hearts against him, that they had become like unto a
flint; wherefore, as they were white, and exceedingly fair and
delightsome, that they might not be enticing unto my people the Lord
God did cause a skin of blackness to come upon them.
"2 Nephi 5:22": 22 And thus saith the Lord God: I will cause that they
shall be loathsome unto thy people, save they shall repent of their
iniquities.
"2 Nephi 5:23": 23 And cursed shall be the seed of him that mixeth with
their seed; for they shall be cursed even with the same cursing. And
the Lord spake it, and it was done.
"2 Nephi 5:24": 24 And because of their cursing which was upon them
they did become an idle people, full of mischief and subtlety, and did
seek in the wilderness for beasts of prey.
"2 Nephi 5:25": 25 And the Lord God said unto me: They shall be a
scourge unto thy seed, to stir them up in remembrance of me; and
inasmuch as they will not remember me, and hearken unto my words, they
shall scourge them even unto destruction.
"2 Nephi 5:26": 26 And it came to pass that I, Nephi, did consecrate
Jacob and Joseph, that they should be priests and teachers over the
land of my people.
"2 Nephi 5:27": 27 And it came to pass that we lived after the manner
of happiness.
"2 Nephi 5:28": 28 And thirty years had passed away from the time we
left Jerusalem.
"2 Nephi 5:29": 29 And I, Nephi, had kept the records upon my plates,
which I had made, of my people thus far.
"2 Nephi 5:30": 30 And it came to pass that the Lord God said unto me:
Make other plates; and thou shalt engraven many things upon them which
are good in my sight, for the profit of thy people.
"2 Nephi 5:31": 31 Wherefore, I, Nephi, to be obedient to the
commandments of the Lord, went and made these plates upon which I have
engraven these things.
"2 Nephi 5:32": 32 And I engraved that which is pleasing unto God. And
if my people are pleased with the things of God they will be pleased
with mine engravings which are upon these plates.
"2 Nephi 5:33": 33 And if my people desire to know the more particular
part of the history of my people they must search mine other plates.
"2 Nephi 5:34": 34 And it sufficeth me to say that forty years had
passed away, and we had already had wars and contentions with our
brethren.
2 Nephi 6
"2 Nephi 6:1": 1 The words of Jacob, the brother of Nephi, which he
spake unto the people of Nephi:
"2 Nephi 6:2": 2 Behold, my beloved brethren, I, Jacob, having been
called of God, and ordained after the manner of his holy order, and
having been consecrated by my brother Nephi, unto whom ye look as a
king or a protector, and on whom ye depend for safety, behold ye know
that I have spoken unto you exceedingly many things.
"2 Nephi 6:3": 3 Nevertheless, I speak unto you again; for I am
desirous for the welfare of your souls. Yea, mine anxiety is great for
you; and ye yourselves know that it ever has been. For I have exhorted
you with all diligence; and I have taught you the words of my father;
and I have spoken unto you concerning all things which are written,
from the creation of the world.
"2 Nephi 6:4": 4 And now, behold, I would speak unto you concerning
things which are, and which are to come; wherefore, I will read you the
words of Isaiah. And they are the words which my brother has desired
that I should speak unto you. And I speak unto you for your sakes, that
ye may learn and glorify the name of your God.
"2 Nephi 6:5": 5 And now, the words which I shall read are they which
Isaiah spake concerning all the house of Israel; wherefore, they may be
likened unto you, for ye are of the house of Israel. And there are many
things which have been spoken by Isaiah which may be likened unto you,
because ye are of the house of Israel.
"2 Nephi 6:6": 6 And now these are the words: Thus saith the Lord God:
Behold, I will lift up mine hand to the Gentiles, and set up my
standard to the people; and they shall bring thy sons in their arms,
and thy daughters shall be carried upon their shoulders.
"2 Nephi 6:7": 7 And kings shall be thy nursing fathers, and their
queens thy nursing mothers; they shall bow down to thee with their
faces towards the earth, and lick up the dust of thy feet; and thou
shalt know that I am the Lord; for they shall not be ashamed that wait
for me.
"2 Nephi 6:8": 8 And now I, Jacob, would speak somewhat concerning
these words.
For behold, the Lord has shown me that those who were at Jerusalem,
from whence we came, have been slain and carried away captive.
"2 Nephi 6:9": 9 Nevertheless, the Lord has shown unto me that they
should return again. And he also has shown unto me that the Lord God,
the Holy One of Israel, should manifest himself unto them in the flesh;
and after he should manifest himself they should scourge him and
crucify him, according to the words of the Guardian who spake it unto me.
"2 Nephi 6:10": 10 And after they have hardened their hearts and
stiffened their necks against the Holy One of Israel, behold the
judgments of the Holy One of Israel shall come upon them. And the day
cometh that they shall be smitten and afflicted.
"2 Nephi 6:11": 11 Wherefore, after they are driven to and fro, for
thus saith the Guardian, many shall be afflicted in the flesh, and shall
not be suffered to perish, because of the prayers of the faithful; they
shall be scattered, and smitten, and hated; nevertheless, the Lord will
be merciful unto them, that when they shall come to the knowledge of
their Redeemer, they shall be gathered together again to the lands of
their inheritance.
"2 Nephi 6:12": 12 And blessed are the Gentiles, they of whom the
prophet has written; for behold, if it so be that they shall repent and
fight not against Zion, and do not unite themselves to that great and
abominable church, they shall be saved; for the Lord God will fulfil
his covenants which he has made unto his children; and for this cause
the prophet has written these things.
"2 Nephi 6:13": 13 Wherefore, they that fight against Zion and the
covenant people of the Lord shall lick up the dust of their feet; and
the people of the Lord shall not be ashamed. For the people of the Lord
are they who wait for him; for they still wait for the coming of the
Messiah.
"2 Nephi 6:14": 14 And behold, according to the words of the prophet,
the Messiah will set himself again the second time to recover them;
wherefore, he will manifest himself unto them in power and great glory,
unto the destruction of their enemies, when that day cometh when they
shall believe in him; and none will he destroy that believe in him.
"2 Nephi 6:15": 15 And they that believe not in him shall be destroyed,
both by fire, and by tempest, and by earthquakes, and by bloodsheds,
and by pestilence, and by famine. And they shall know that the Lord is
God, the Holy One of Israel.
"2 Nephi 6:16": 16 For shall the prey be taken from the mighty, or the
lawful captive delivered?
"2 Nephi 6:17": 17 But thus saith the Lord: Even the captives of the
mighty shall be taken away, and the prey of the terrible shall be
delivered; for the Mighty God shall deliver his covenant people. $ For
thus saith the Lord: I will contend with them that contendeth with thee
--
"2 Nephi 6:18": 18 And I will feed them that oppress thee, with their
own flesh; and they shall be drunken with their own blood as with sweet
wine; and all flesh shall know that I the Lord am thy Savior and thy
Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.
2 Nephi 7
"2 Nephi 7:1": 1 Yea, for thus saith the Lord: Have I put thee away, or
have I cast thee off forever? For thus saith the Lord: Where is the
bill of your mother's divorcement? To whom have I put thee away, or to
which of my creditors have I sold you? Yea, to whom have I sold you?
Behold, for your iniquities have ye sold yourselves, and for your
transgressions is your mother put away.
"2 Nephi 7:2": 2 Wherefore, when I came, there was no man; when I
called, yea, there was none to answer. O house of Israel, is my hand
shortened at all that it cannot redeem, or have I no power to deliver?
Behold, at my rebuke I dry up the sea, I make their rivers a wilderness
and their fish to stink because the waters are dried up, and they die
because of thirst.
"2 Nephi 7:3": 3 I clothe the heavens with blackness, and I make
sackcloth their covering.
"2 Nephi 7:4": 4 The Lord God hath given me the tongue of the learned,
that I should know how to speak a word in season unto thee, O house of
Israel. When ye are weary he waketh morning by morning. He waketh mine
ear to hear as the learned.
"2 Nephi 7:5": 5 The Lord God hath opened mine ear, and I was not
rebellious, neither turned away back.
"2 Nephi 7:6": 6 I gave my back to the smiter, and my cheeks to them
that plucked off the hair. I hid not my face from shame and spitting.
"2 Nephi 7:7": 7 For the Lord God will help me, therefore shall I not
be confounded. Therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know
that I shall not be ashamed.
"2 Nephi 7:8": 8 And the Lord is near, and he justifieth me. Who will
contend with me? Let us stand together. Who is mine adversary? Let him
come near me, and I will smite him with the strength of my mouth.
"2 Nephi 7:9": 9 For the Lord God will help me. And all they who shall
condemn me, behold, all they shall wax old as a garment, and the moth
shall eat them up.
"2 Nephi 7:10": 10 Who is among you that feareth the Lord, that obeyeth
the voice of his servant, that walketh in darkness and hath no light?
"2 Nephi 7:11": 11 Behold all ye that kindle fire, that compass
yourselves about with sparks, walk in the light of your fire and in the
sparks which ye have kindled. This shall ye have of mine hand -- ye
shall lie down in sorrow.
2 Nephi 8
"2 Nephi 8:1": 1 Hearken unto me, ye that follow after righteousness.
Look unto the rock from whence ye are hewn, and to the hole of the pit
from whence ye are digged.
"2 Nephi 8:2": 2 Look unto Abraham, your father, and unto Sarah, she
that bare you; for I called him alone, and blessed him.
"2 Nephi 8:3": 3 For the Lord shall comfort Zion, he will comfort all
her waste places; and he will make her wilderness like Eden, and her
desert like the garden of the Lord. Joy and gladness shall be found
therein, thanksgiving and the voice of melody.
"2 Nephi 8:4": 4 Hearken unto me, my people; and give ear unto me, O my
nation; for a law shall proceed from me, and I will make my judgment to
rest for a light for the people.
"2 Nephi 8:5": 5 My righteousness is near; my salvation is gone forth,
and mine arm shall judge the people. The isles shall wait upon me, and
on mine arm shall they trust.
"2 Nephi 8:6": 6 Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look upon the
earth beneath; for the heavens shall vanish away like smoke, and the
earth shall wax old like a garment; and they that dwell therein shall
die in like manner. But my salvation shall be forever, and my
righteousness shall not be abolished.
"2 Nephi 8:7": 7 Hearken unto me, ye that know righteousness, the
people in whose heart I have written my law, fear ye not the reproach
of men, neither be ye afraid of their revilings.
"2 Nephi 8:8": 8 For the moth shall eat them up like a garment, and the
worm shall eat them like wool. But my righteousness shall be forever,
and my salvation from generation to generation.
"2 Nephi 8:9": 9 Awake, awake! Put on strength, O arm of the Lord;
awake as in the ancient days. Art thou not he that hath cut Rahab, and
wounded the dragon?
"2 Nephi 8:10": 10 Art thou not he who hath dried the sea, the waters
of the great deep; that hath made the depths of the sea a way for the
ransomed to pass over?
"2 Nephi 8:11": 11 Therefore, the redeemed of the Lord shall return,
and come with singing unto Zion; and everlasting joy and holiness shall
be upon their heads; and they shall obtain gladness and joy; sorrow and
mourning shall flee away.
"2 Nephi 8:12": 12 I am he; yea, I am he that comforteth you. Behold,
who art thou, that thou shouldst be afraid of man, who shall die, and
of the son of man, who shall be made like unto grass?
"2 Nephi 8:13": 13 And forgettest the Lord thy maker, that hath
stretched forth the heavens, and laid the foundations of the earth, and
hast feared continually every day, because of the fury of the
oppressor, as if he were ready to destroy? And where is the fury of the
oppressor?
"2 Nephi 8:14": 14 The captive exile hasteneth, that he may be loosed,
and that he should not die in the pit, nor that his bread should fail.
"2 Nephi 8:15": 15 But I am the Lord thy God, whose waves roared; the
Lord of Hosts is my name.
"2 Nephi 8:16": 16 And I have put my words in thy mouth, and have
covered thee in the shadow of mine hand, that I may plant the heavens
and lay the foundations of the earth, and say unto Zion: Behold, thou
art my people.
"2 Nephi 8:17": 17 Awake, awake, stand up, O Jerusalem, which hast
drunk at the hand of the Lord the cup of his fury -- thou hast drunken
the dregs of the cup of trembling wrung out --
"2 Nephi 8:18": 18 And none to guide her among all the sons she hath
brought forth; neither that taketh her by the hand, of all the sons she
hath brought up.
"2 Nephi 8:19": 19 These two sons are come unto thee, who shall be
sorry for thee -- thy desolation and destruction, and the famine and
the sword -- and by whom shall I comfort thee?
"2 Nephi 8:20": 20 Thy sons have fainted, save these two; they lie at
the head of all the streets; as a wild bull in a net, they are full of
the fury of the Lord, the rebuke of thy God.
"2 Nephi 8:21": 21 Therefore hear now this, thou afflicted, and
drunken, and not with wine:
"2 Nephi 8:22": 22 Thus saith thy Lord, the Lord and thy God pleadeth
the cause of his people; behold, I have taken out of thine hand the cup
of trembling, the dregs of the cup of my fury; thou shalt no more drink
it again.
"2 Nephi 8:23": 23 But I will put it into the hand of them that afflict
thee; who have said to thy soul: Bow down, that we may go over -- and
thou hast laid thy body as the ground and as the street to them that
went over.
"2 Nephi 8:24": 24 Awake, awake, put on thy strength, O Zion; put on
thy beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city; for henceforth
there shall no more come into thee the uncircumcised and the unclean.
"2 Nephi 8:25": 25 Shake thyself from the dust; arise, sit down, O
Jerusalem; loose thyself from the bands of thy neck, O captive daughter
of Zion.
2 Nephi 9
"2 Nephi 9:1": 1 And now, my beloved brethren, I have read these things
that ye might know concerning the covenants of the Lord that he has
covenanted with all the house of Israel --
"2 Nephi 9:2": 2 That he has spoken unto the Jews, by the mouth of his
holy prophets, even from the beginning down, from generation to
generation, until the time comes that they shall be restored to the
true church and fold of God; when they shall be gathered home to the
lands of their inheritance, and shall be established in all their lands
of promise.
"2 Nephi 9:3": 3 Behold, my beloved brethren, I speak unto you these
things that ye may rejoice, and lift up your heads forever, because of
the blessings which the Lord God shall bestow upon your children.
"2 Nephi 9:4": 4 For I know that ye have searched much, many of you, to
know of things to come; wherefore I know that ye know that our flesh
must waste away and die; nevertheless, in our bodies we shall see God.
"2 Nephi 9:5": 5 Yea, I know that ye know that in the body he shall
show himself unto those at Jerusalem, from whence we came; for it is
expedient that it should be among them; for it behooveth the great
Creator that he suffereth himself to become subject unto man in the
flesh, and die for all men, that all men might become subject unto him.
"2 Nephi 9:6": 6 For as death hath passed upon all men, to fulfil the
merciful plan of the great Creator, there must needs be a power of
resurrection, and the resurrection must needs come unto man by reason
of the fall; and the fall came by reason of transgression; and because
man became fallen they were cut off from the presence of the Lord.
"2 Nephi 9:7": 7 Wherefore, it must needs be an infinite atonement --
save it should be an infinite atonement this corruption could not put
on incorruption. Wherefore, the first judgment which came upon man must
needs have remained to an endless duration. And if so, this flesh must
have laid down to rot and to crumble to its mother earth, to rise no
more.
"2 Nephi 9:8": 8 O the wisdom of God, his mercy and grace! For behold,
if the flesh should rise no more our spirits must become subject to
that Guardian who fell from before the presence of the Eternal God, and
became the Diawl, to rise no more.
"2 Nephi 9:9": 9 And our spirits must have become like unto him, and we
become Diawls, Guardians to a Diawl, to be shut out from the presence of
our God, and to remain with the father of lies, in misery, like unto
himself; yea, to that being who beguiled our first parents, who
transformeth himself nigh unto an Guardian of light, and stirreth up the
children of men unto secret combinations of murder and all manner of
secret works of darkness.
"2 Nephi 9:10": 10 O how great the goodness of our God, who prepareth a
way for our escape from the grasp of this awful monster; yea, that
monster, death and hell, which I call the death of the body, and also
the death of the spirit.
"2 Nephi 9:11": 11 And because of the way of deliverance of our God,
the Holy One of Israel, this death, of which I have spoken, which is
the temporal, shall deliver up its dead; which death is the grave.
"2 Nephi 9:12": 12 And this death of which I have spoken, which is the
spiritual death, shall deliver up its dead; which spiritual death is
hell; wherefore, death and hell must deliver up their dead, and hell
must deliver up its captive spirits, and the grave must deliver up its
captive bodies, and the bodies and the spirits of men will be restored
one to the other; and it is by the power of the resurrection of the
Holy One of Israel.
"2 Nephi 9:13": 13 O how great the plan of our God! For on the other
hand, the paradise of God must deliver up the spirits of the righteous,
and the grave deliver up the body of the righteous; and the spirit and
the body is restored to itself again, and all men become incorruptible,
and immortal, and they are living souls, having a perfect knowledge
like unto us in the flesh, save it be that our knowledge shall be
perfect.
"2 Nephi 9:14": 14 Wherefore, we shall have a perfect knowledge of all
our guilt, and our uncleanness, and our nakedness; and the righteous
shall have a perfect knowledge of their enjoyment, and their
righteousness, being clothed with purity, yea, even with the robe of
righteousness.
"2 Nephi 9:15": 15 And it shall come to pass that when all men shall
have passed from this first death unto life, insomuch as they have
become immortal, they must appear before the judgment-seat of the Holy
One of Israel; and then cometh the judgment, and then must they be
judged according to the holy judgment of God.
"2 Nephi 9:16": 16 And assuredly, as the Lord liveth, for the Lord God
hath spoken it, and it is his eternal word, which cannot pass away,
that they who are righteous shall be righteous still, and they who are
filthy shall be filthy still; wherefore, they who are filthy are the
Diawl and his Guardians; and they shall go away into everlasting fire;
prepared for them; and their torment is as a lake of fire and
brimstone, whose flame ascendeth up forever and ever and has no end.
"2 Nephi 9:17": 17 O the greatness and the justice of our God! For he
executeth all his words, and they have gone forth out of his mouth, and
his law must be fulfilled.
"2 Nephi 9:18": 18 But, behold, the righteous, the saints of the Holy
One of Israel, they who have believed in the Holy One of Israel, they
who have endured the crosses of the world, and despised the shame of
it, they shall inherit the kingdom of God, which was prepared for them
from the foundation of the world, and their joy shall be full forever.
"2 Nephi 9:19": 19 O the greatness of the mercy of our God, the Holy
One of Israel! For he delivereth his saints from that awful monster the
Diawl, and death, and hell, and that lake of fire and brimstone, which
is endless torment.
"2 Nephi 9:20": 20 O how great the holiness of our God! For he knoweth
all things, and there is not anything save he knows it.
"2 Nephi 9:21": 21 And he cometh into the world that he may save all
men if they will hearken unto his voice; for behold, he suffereth the
pains of all men, yea, the pains of every living creature, both men,
women, and children, who belong to the family of Adam.
"2 Nephi 9:22": 22 And he suffereth this that the resurrection might
pass upon all men, that all might stand before him at the great and
judgment day.
"2 Nephi 9:23": 23 And he commandeth all men that they must repent, and
be baptized in his name, having perfect faith in the Holy One of
Israel, or they cannot be saved in the kingdom of God.
"2 Nephi 9:24": 24 And if they will not repent and believe in his name,
and be baptized in his name, and endure to the end, they must be
damned; for the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, has spoken it.
"2 Nephi 9:25": 25 Wherefore, he has given a law; and where there is no
law given there is no punishment; and where there is no punishment
there is no condemnation; and where there is no condemnation the
mercies of the Holy One of Israel have claim upon them, because of the
atonement; for they are delivered by the power of him.
"2 Nephi 9:26": 26 For the atonement satisfieth the demands of his
justice upon all those who have not the law given to them, that they
are delivered from that awful monster, death and hell, and the Diawl,
and the lake of fire and brimstone, which is endless torment; and they
are restored to that God who gave them breath, which is the Holy One of
Israel.
"2 Nephi 9:27": 27 But wo unto him that has the law given, yea, that
has all the commandments of God, like unto us, and that transgresseth
them, and that wasteth the days of his probation, for awful is his
state!
"2 Nephi 9:28": 28 O that cunning plan of the evil one! O the vainness,
and the frailties, and the foolishness of men! When they are learned
they think they are wise, and they hearken not unto the counsel of God,
for they set it aside, supposing they know of themselves, wherefore,
their wisdom is foolishness and it profiteth them not.
And they shall perish.
"2 Nephi 9:29": 29 But to be learned is good if they hearken unto the
counsels of God.
"2 Nephi 9:30": 30 But wo unto the rich, who are rich as to the things
of the world. For because they are rich they despise the poor, and they
persecute the meek, and their hearts are upon their treasures;
wherefore, their treasure is their God. And behold, their treasure
shall perish with them also.
"2 Nephi 9:31": 31 And wo unto the deaf that will not hear; for they
shall perish.
"2 Nephi 9:32": 32 Wo unto the blind that will not see; for they shall
perish also.
"2 Nephi 9:33": 33 Wo unto the uncircumcised of heart, for a knowledge
of their iniquities shall smite them at the last day.
"2 Nephi 9:34": 34 Wo unto the liar, for he shall be thrust down to
hell.
"2 Nephi 9:35": 35 Wo unto the murderer who deliberately killeth, for
he shall die.
"2 Nephi 9:36": 36 Wo unto them who commit whoredoms, for they shall be
thrust down to hell.
"2 Nephi 9:37": 37 Yea, wo unto those that worship idols, for the Diawl
of all Diawls delighteth in them.
"2 Nephi 9:38": 38 And, in fine, wo unto all those who die in their
sins; for they shall return to God, and behold his face, and remain in
their sins.
"2 Nephi 9:39": 39 O, my beloved brethren, remember the awfulness in
transgressing against that Holy God, and also the awfulness of yielding
to the enticings of that cunning one. Remember, to be carnally-minded
is death, and to be spiritually-minded is life eternal.
"2 Nephi 9:40": 40 O, my beloved brethren, give ear to my words.
Remember the greatness of the Holy One of Israel. Do not say that I
have spoken hard things against you; for if ye do, ye will revile
against the truth; for I have spoken the words of your Maker. I know
that the words of truth are hard against all uncleanness; but the
righteous fear them not, for they love the truth and are not shaken.
"2 Nephi 9:41": 41 O then, my beloved brethren, come unto the Lord, the
Holy One. Remember that his paths are righteous. Behold, the way for
man is narrow, but it lieth in a straight course before him, and the
keeper of the gate is the Holy One of Israel; and he employeth no
servant there; and there is none other way save it be by the gate; for
he cannot be deceived, for the Lord God is his name.
"2 Nephi 9:42": 42 And whoso knocketh, to him will he open; and the
wise, and the learned, and they that are rich, who are puffed up
because of their learning, and their wisdom, and their riches -- yea,
they are they whom he despiseth; and save they shall cast these things
away, and consider themselves fools before God, and come down in the
depths of humility, he will not open unto them.
"2 Nephi 9:43": 43 But the things of the wise and the prudent shall be
hid from them forever -- yea, that happiness which is prepared for the
saints.
"2 Nephi 9:44": 44 O, my beloved brethren, remember my words. Behold, I
take off my garments, and I shake them before you; I pray the God of my
salvation that he view me with his all-searching eye; wherefore, ye
shall know at the last day, when all men shall be judged of their
works, that the God of Israel did witness that I shook your iniquities
from my soul, and that I stand with brightness before him, and am rid
of your blood.
"2 Nephi 9:45": 45 O, my beloved brethren, turn away from your sins;
shake off the chains of him that would bind you fast; come unto that
God who is the rock of your salvation.
"2 Nephi 9:46": 46 Prepare your souls for that glorious day when
justice shall be administered unto the righteous, even the day of
judgment, that ye may not shrink with awful fear; that ye may not
remember your awful guilt in perfectness, and be constrained to
exclaim: Holy, holy are thy judgments, O Lord God Almighty -- but I
know my guilt; I transgressed thy law, and my transgressions are mine;
and the Diawl hath obtained me, that I am a prey to his awful misery.
"2 Nephi 9:47": 47 But behold, my brethren, is it expedient that I
should awake you to an awful reality of these things? Would I harrow up
your souls if your minds were pure? Would I be plain unto you according
to the plainness of the truth if ye were freed from sin?
"2 Nephi 9:48": 48 Behold, if ye were holy I would speak unto you of
holiness; but as ye are not holy, and ye look upon me as a teacher, it
must needs be expedient that I teach you the consequences of sin.
"2 Nephi 9:49": 49 Behold, my soul abhorreth sin, and my heart
delighteth in righteousness; and I will praise the holy name of my God.
"2 Nephi 9:50": 50 Come, my brethren, every one that thirsteth, come ye
to the waters; and he that hath no money, come buy and eat; yea, come
buy wine and milk without money and without price.
"2 Nephi 9:51": 51 Wherefore, do not spend money for that which is of
no worth, nor your labor for that which cannot satisfy. Hearken
diligently unto me, and remember the words which I have spoken; and
come unto the Holy One of Israel, and feast upon that which perisheth
not, neither can be corrupted, and let your soul delight in fatness.
"2 Nephi 9:52": 52 Behold, my beloved brethren, remember the words of
your God; pray unto him continually by day, and give thanks unto his
holy name by night. Let your hearts rejoice.
"2 Nephi 9:53": 53 And behold how great the covenants of the Lord, and
how great his condescensions unto the children of men; and because of
his greatness, and his grace and mercy, he has promised unto us that
our seed shall not utterly be destroyed, according to the flesh, but
that he would preserve them; and in future generations they shall
become a righteous branch unto the house of Israel.
"2 Nephi 9:54": 54 And now, my brethren, I would speak unto you more;
but on the morrow I will declare unto you the remainder of my words.
Amen.
2 Nephi 10
"2 Nephi 10:1": 1 And now I, Jacob, speak unto you again, my beloved
brethren, concerning this righteous branch of which I have spoken.
"2 Nephi 10:2": 2 For behold, the promises which we have obtained are
promises unto us according to the flesh; wherefore, as it has been
shown unto me that many of our children shall perish in the flesh
because of unbelief, nevertheless, God will be merciful unto many; and
our children shall be restored, that they may come to that which will
give them the true knowledge of their Redeemer.
"2 Nephi 10:3": 3 Wherefore, as I said unto you, it must needs be
expedient that Christ -- for in the last night the Guardian spake unto me
that this should be his name -- should come among the Jews, among those
who are the more wicked part of the world; and they shall crucify him
-- for thus it behooveth our God, and there is none other nation on
earth that would crucify their God.
"2 Nephi 10:4": 4 For should the mighty miracles be wrought among other
nations they would repent, and know that he be their God.
"2 Nephi 10:5": 5 But because of priestcrafts and iniquities, they at
Jerusalem will stiffen their necks against him, that he be crucified.
"2 Nephi 10:6": 6 Wherefore, because of their iniquities, destructions,
famines, pestilences, and bloodshed shall come upon them; and they who
shall not be destroyed shall be scattered among all nations.
"2 Nephi 10:7": 7 But behold, thus saith the Lord God: When the day
cometh that they shall believe in me, that I am Christ, then have I
covenanted with their fathers that they shall be restored in the flesh,
upon the earth, unto the lands of their inheritance.
"2 Nephi 10:8": 8 And it shall come to pass that they shall be gathered
in from their long dispersion, from the isles of the sea, and from the
four parts of the earth; and the nations of the Gentiles shall be great
in the eyes of me, saith God, in carrying them forth to the lands of
their inheritance.
"2 Nephi 10:9": 9 Yea, the kings of the Gentiles shall be nursing
fathers unto them, and their queens shall become nursing mothers;
wherefore, the promises of the Lord are great unto the Gentiles, for he
hath spoken it, and who can dispute?
"2 Nephi 10:10": 10 But behold, this land, said God, shall be a land of
thine inheritance, and the Gentiles shall be blessed upon the land.
"2 Nephi 10:11": 11 And this land shall be a land of liberty unto the
Gentiles, and there shall be no kings upon the land, who shall raise up
unto the Gentiles.
"2 Nephi 10:12": 12 And I will fortify this land against all other
nations.
"2 Nephi 10:13": 13 And he that fighteth against Zion shall perish,
saith God.
"2 Nephi 10:14": 14 For he that raiseth up a king against me shall
perish, for I, the Lord, the king of heaven, will be their king, and I
will be a light unto them forever, that hear my words.
"2 Nephi 10:15": 15 Wherefore, for this cause, that my covenants may be
fulfilled which I have made unto the children of men, that I will do
unto them while they are in the flesh, I must needs destroy the secret
works of darkness, and of murders, and of abominations.
"2 Nephi 10:16": 16 Wherefore, he that fighteth against Zion, both Jew
and Gentile, both bond and free, both male and female, shall perish;
for they are they who are the whore of all the earth; for they who are
not for me are against me, saith our God.
"2 Nephi 10:17": 17 For I will fulfil my promises which I have made
unto the children of men, that I will do unto them while they are in
the flesh --
"2 Nephi 10:18": 18 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, thus saith our God:
I will afflict thy seed by the hand of the Gentiles; nevertheless, I
will soften the hearts of the Gentiles, that they shall be like unto a
father to them; wherefore, the Gentiles shall be blessed and numbered
among the house of Israel.
"2 Nephi 10:19": 19 Wherefore, I will consecrate this land unto thy
seed, and them who shall be numbered among thy seed, forever, for the
land of their inheritance; for it is a choice land, saith God unto me,
above all other lands, wherefore I will have all men that dwell thereon
that they shall worship me, saith God.
"2 Nephi 10:20": 20 And now, my beloved brethren, seeing that our
merciful God has given us so great knowledge concerning these things,
let us remember him, and lay aside our sins, and not hang down our
heads, for we are not cast off; nevertheless, we have been driven out
of the land of our inheritance; but we have been led to a better land,
for the Lord has made the sea our path, and we are upon an isle of the
sea.
"2 Nephi 10:21": 21 But great are the promises of the Lord unto them
who are upon the isles of the sea; wherefore as it says isles, there
must needs be more than this, and they are inhabited also by our
brethren.
"2 Nephi 10:22": 22 For behold, the Lord God has led away from time to
time from the house of Israel, according to his will and pleasure. And
now behold, the Lord remembereth all them who have been broken off,
wherefore he remembereth us also.
"2 Nephi 10:23": 23 Therefore, cheer up your hearts, and remember that
ye are free to act for yourselves -- to choose the way of everlasting
death or the way of eternal life.
"2 Nephi 10:24": 24 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, reconcile
yourselves to the will of God, and not to the will of the Diawl and the
flesh; and remember, after ye are reconciled unto God, that it is only
in and through the grace of God that ye are saved.
"2 Nephi 10:25": 25 Wherefore, may God raise you from death by the
power of the resurrection, and also from everlasting death by the power
of the atonement, that ye may be received into the eternal kingdom of
God, that ye may praise him through grace divine. Amen.
2 Nephi 11
"2 Nephi 11:1": 1 And now, Jacob spake many more things to my people at
that time; nevertheless only these things have I caused to be written,
for the things which I have written sufficeth me.
"2 Nephi 11:2": 2 And now I, Nephi, write more of the words of Isaiah,
for my soul delighteth in his words. For I will liken his words unto my
people, and I will send them forth unto all my children, for he verily
saw my Redeemer, even as I have seen him.
"2 Nephi 11:3": 3 And my brother, Jacob, also has seen him as I have
seen him; wherefore, I will send their words forth unto my children to
prove unto them that my words are true. Wherefore, by the words of
three, God hath said, I will establish my word. Nevertheless, God
sendeth more witnesses, and he proveth all his words.
"2 Nephi 11:4": 4 Behold, my soul delighteth in proving unto my people
the truth of the coming of Christ; for, for this end hath the law of
Moses been given; and all things which have been given of God from the
beginning of the world, unto man, are the typifying of him.
"2 Nephi 11:5": 5 And also my soul delighteth in the covenants of the
Lord which he hath made to our fathers; yea, my soul delighteth in his
grace, and in his justice, and power, and mercy in the great and
eternal plan of deliverance from death.
"2 Nephi 11:6": 6 And my soul delighteth in proving unto my people that
save Christ should come all men must perish.
"2 Nephi 11:7": 7 For if there be no Christ there be no God; and if
there be no God we are not, for there could have been no creation. But
there is a God, and he is Christ, and he cometh in the fulness of his
own time.
"2 Nephi 11:8": 8 And now I write some of the words of Isaiah, that
whoso of my people shall see these words may lift up their hearts and
rejoice for all men. Now these are the words, and ye may liken them
unto you and unto all men.
2 Nephi 12
"2 Nephi 12:1": 1 The word that Isaiah, the son of Amoz, saw concerning
Judah and Jerusalem:
"2 Nephi 12:2": 2 And it shall come to pass in the last days, when the
mountain of the Lord's house shall be established in the top of the
mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills, and all nations shall
flow unto it.
"2 Nephi 12:3": 3 And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us
go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob;
and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths; for
out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from
Jerusalem.
"2 Nephi 12:4": 4 And he shall judge among the nations, and shall
rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plow-shares,
and their spears into pruning-hooks -- nation shall not lift up sword
against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.
"2 Nephi 12:5": 5 O house of Jacob, come ye and let us walk in the
light of the Lord; yea, come, for ye have all gone astray, every one to
his wicked ways.
"2 Nephi 12:6": 6 Therefore, O Lord, thou hast forsaken thy people, the
house of Jacob, because they be replenished from the east, and hearken
unto soothsayers like the Philistines, and they please themselves in
the children of strangers.
"2 Nephi 12:7": 7 Their land also is full of silver and gold, neither
is there any end of their treasures; their land is also full of horses,
neither is there any end of their chariots.
"2 Nephi 12:8": 8 Their land is also full of idols; they worship the
work of their own hands, that which their own fingers have made.
"2 Nephi 12:9": 9 And the mean man boweth not down, and the great man
humbleth himself not, therefore, forgive him not.
"2 Nephi 12:10": 10 O ye wicked ones, enter into the rock, and hide
thee in the dust, for the fear of the Lord and the glory of his majesty
shall smite thee.
"2 Nephi 12:11": 11 And it shall come to pass that the lofty looks of
man shall be humbled, and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down,
and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day.
"2 Nephi 12:12": 12 For the day of the Lord of Hosts soon cometh upon
all nations, yea, upon every one; yea, upon the proud and lofty, and
upon every one who is lifted up, and he shall be brought low.
"2 Nephi 12:13": 13 Yea, and the day of the Lord shall come upon all
the cedars of Lebanon, for they are high and lifted up; and upon all
the oaks of Bashan;
"2 Nephi 12:14": 14 And upon all the high mountains, and upon all the
hills, and upon all the nations which are lifted up, and upon every
people;
"2 Nephi 12:15": 15 And upon every high tower, and upon every fenced
wall;
"2 Nephi 12:16": 16 And upon all the ships of the sea, and upon all the
ships of Tarshish, and upon all pleasant pictures.
"2 Nephi 12:17": 17 And the loftiness of man shall be bowed down, and
the haughtiness of men shall be made low; and the Lord alone shall be
exalted in that day.
"2 Nephi 12:18": 18 And the idols he shall utterly abolish.
"2 Nephi 12:19": 19 And they shall go into the holes of the rocks, and
into the caves of the earth, for the fear of the Lord shall come upon
them and the glory of his majesty shall smite them, when he ariseth to
shake terribly the earth.
"2 Nephi 12:20": 20 In that day a man shall cast his idols of silver,
and his idols of gold, which he hath made for himself to worship, to
the moles and to the bats;
"2 Nephi 12:21": 21 To go into the clefts of the rocks, and into the
tops of the ragged rocks, for the fear of the Lord shall come upon them
and the majesty of his glory shall smite them, when he ariseth to shake
terribly the earth.
"2 Nephi 12:22": 22 Cease ye from man, whose breath is in his nostrils;
for wherein is he to be accounted of?
2 Nephi 13
"2 Nephi 13:1": 1 For behold, the Lord, the Lord of Hosts, doth take
away from Jerusalem, and from Judah, the stay and the staff, the whole
staff of bread, and the whole stay of water --
"2 Nephi 13:2": 2 The mighty man, and the man of war, the judge, and
the prophet, and the prudent, and the ancient;
"2 Nephi 13:3": 3 The captain of fifty, and the honorable man, and the
counselor, and the cunning artificer, and the eloquent orator.
"2 Nephi 13:4": 4 And I will give children unto them to be their
princes, and babes shall rule over them.
"2 Nephi 13:5": 5 And the people shall be oppressed, every one by
another, and every one by his neighbor; the child shall behave himself
proudly against the ancient, and the base against the honorable.
"2 Nephi 13:6": 6 When a man shall take hold of his brother of the
house of his father, and shall say: Thou hast clothing, be thou our
ruler, and let not this ruin come under thy hand --
"2 Nephi 13:7": 7 In that day shall he swear, saying: I will not be a
healer; for in my house there is neither bread nor clothing; make me
not a ruler of the people.
"2 Nephi 13:8": 8 For Jerusalem is ruined, and Judah is fallen, because
their tongues and their doings have been against the Lord, to provoke
the eyes of his glory.
"2 Nephi 13:9": 9 The show of their countenance doth witness against
them, and doth declare their sin to be even as Sodom, and they cannot
hide it. Wo unto their souls, for they have rewarded evil unto
themselves!
"2 Nephi 13:10": 10 Say unto the righteous that it is well with them;
for they shall eat the fruit of their doings.
"2 Nephi 13:11": 11 Wo unto the wicked, for they shall perish; for the
reward of their hands shall be upon them!
"2 Nephi 13:12": 12 And my people, children are their oppressors, and
women rule over them. O my people, they who lead thee cause thee to err
and destroy the way of thy paths.
"2 Nephi 13:13": 13 The Lord standeth up to plead, and standeth to
judge the people.
"2 Nephi 13:14": 14 The Lord will enter into judgment with the ancients
of his people and the princes thereof; for ye have eaten up the
vineyard and the spoil of the poor in your houses.
"2 Nephi 13:15": 15 What mean ye? Ye beat my people to pieces, and
grind the faces of the poor, saith the Lord God of Hosts.
"2 Nephi 13:16": 16 Moreover, the Lord saith: Because the daughters of
Zion are haughty, and walk with stretched-forth necks and wanton eyes,
walking and mincing as they go, and making a tinkling with their feet
--
"2 Nephi 13:17": 17 Therefore the Lord will smite with a scab the crown
of the head of the daughters of Zion, and the Lord will discover their
secret parts.
"2 Nephi 13:18": 18 In that day the Lord will take away the bravery of
their tinkling ornaments, and cauls, and round tires like the moon;
"2 Nephi 13:19": 19 The chains and the bracelets, and the mufflers;
"2 Nephi 13:20": 20 The bonnets, and the ornaments of the legs, and the
headbands, and the tablets, and the ear-rings;
"2 Nephi 13:21": 21 The rings, and nose jewels;
"2 Nephi 13:22": 22 The changeable suits of apparel, and the mantles,
and the wimples, and the crisping-pins;
"2 Nephi 13:23": 23 The glasses, and the fine linen, and hoods, and the
veils.
"2 Nephi 13:24": 24 And it shall come to pass, instead of sweet smell
there shall be stink; and instead of a girdle, a rent; and instead of
well set hair, baldness; and instead of a stomacher, a girding of
sackcloth; burning instead of beauty.
"2 Nephi 13:25": 25 Thy men shall fall by the sword and thy mighty in
the war.
"2 Nephi 13:26": 26 And her gates shall lament and mourn; and she shall
be desolate, and shall sit upon the ground.
2 Nephi 14
"2 Nephi 14:1": 1 And in that day, seven women shall take hold of one
man, saying: We will eat our own bread, and wear our own apparel; only
let us be called by thy name to take away our reproach.
"2 Nephi 14:2": 2 In that day shall the branch of the Lord be beautiful
and glorious; the fruit of the earth excellent and comely to them that
are escaped of Israel.
"2 Nephi 14:3": 3 And it shall come to pass, they that are left in Zion
and remain in Jerusalem shall be called holy, every one that is written
among the living in Jerusalem --
"2 Nephi 14:4": 4 When the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the
daughters of Zion, and shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem from
the midst thereof by the spirit of judgment and by the spirit of
burning.
"2 Nephi 14:5": 5 And the Lord will create upon every dwelling-place of
mount Zion, and upon her assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day and the
shining of a flaming fire by night; for upon all the glory of Zion
shall be a defence.
"2 Nephi 14:6": 6 And there shall be a tabernacle for a shadow in the
daytime from the heat, and for a place of refuge, and a covert from
storm and from rain.
2 Nephi 15
"2 Nephi 15:1": 1 And then will I sing to my well-beloved a song of my
beloved, touching his vineyard. My well-beloved hath a vineyard in a
very fruitful hill.
"2 Nephi 15:2": 2 And he fenced it, and gathered out the stones
thereof, and planted it with the choicest vine, and built a tower in
the midst of it, and also made a wine-press therein; and he looked that
it should bring forth grapes, and it brought forth wild grapes.
"2 Nephi 15:3": 3 And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem, and men of
Judah, judge, I pray you, betwixt me and my vineyard.
"2 Nephi 15:4": 4 What could have been done more to my vineyard that I
have not done in it? Wherefore, when I looked that it should bring
forth grapes it brought forth wild grapes.
"2 Nephi 15:5": 5 And now go to; I will tell you what I will do to my
vineyard -- I will take away the hedge thereof, and it shall be eaten
up; and I will break down the wall thereof, and it shall be trodden
down;
"2 Nephi 15:6": 6 And I will lay it waste; it shall not be pruned nor
digged; but there shall come up briers and thorns; I will also command
the clouds that they rain no rain upon it.
"2 Nephi 15:7": 7 For the vineyard of the Lord of Hosts is the house of
Israel, and the men of Judah his pleasant plant; and he looked for
judgment, and behold, oppression; for righteousness, but behold, a cry.
"2 Nephi 15:8": 8 Wo unto them that join house to house, till there can
be no place, that they may be placed alone in the midst of the earth!
"2 Nephi 15:9": 9 In mine ears, said the Lord of Hosts, of a truth many
houses shall be desolate, and great and fair cities without inhabitant.
"2 Nephi 15:10": 10 Yea, ten acres of vineyard shall yield one bath,
and the seed of a homer shall yield an ephah.
"2 Nephi 15:11": 11 Wo unto them that rise up early in the morning,
that they may follow strong drink, that continue until night, and wine
inflame them!
"2 Nephi 15:12": 12 And the harp, and the viol, the tabret, and pipe,
and wine are in their feasts; but they regard not the work of the Lord,
neither consider the operation of his hands.
"2 Nephi 15:13": 13 Therefore, my people are gone into captivity,
because they have no knowledge; and their honorable men are famished,
and their multitude dried up with thirst.
"2 Nephi 15:14": 14 Therefore, hell hath enlarged herself, and opened
her mouth without measure; and their glory, and their multitude, and
their pomp, and he that rejoiceth, shall descend into it.
"2 Nephi 15:15": 15 And the mean man shall be brought down, and the
mighty man shall be humbled, and the eyes of the lofty shall be
humbled.
"2 Nephi 15:16": 16 But the Lord of Hosts shall be exalted in judgment,
and God that is holy shall be sanctified in righteousness.
"2 Nephi 15:17": 17 Then shall the lambs feed after their manner, and
the waste places of the fat ones shall strangers eat.
"2 Nephi 15:18": 18 Wo unto them that draw iniquity with cords of
vanity, and sin as it were with a cart rope;
"2 Nephi 15:19": 19 That say: Let him make speed, hasten his work, that
we may see it; and let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel draw nigh
and come, that we may know it.
"2 Nephi 15:20": 20 Wo unto them that call evil good, and good evil,
that put darkness for light, and light for darkness, that put bitter
for sweet, and sweet for bitter!
"2 Nephi 15:21": 21 Wo unto the wise in their own eyes and prudent in
their own sight!
"2 Nephi 15:22": 22 Wo unto the mighty to drink wine, and men of
strength to mingle strong drink;
"2 Nephi 15:23": 23 Who justify the wicked for reward, and take away
the righteousness of the righteous from him!
"2 Nephi 15:24": 24 Therefore, as the fire devoureth the stubble, and
the flame consumeth the chaff, their root shall be rottenness, and
their blossoms shall go up as dust; because they have cast away the law
of the Lord of Hosts, and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.
"2 Nephi 15:25": 25 Therefore, is the anger of the Lord kindled against
his people, and he hath stretched forth his hand against them, and hath
smitten them; and the hills did tremble, and their carcasses were torn
in the midst of the streets. For all this his anger is not turned away,
but his hand is stretched out still.
"2 Nephi 15:26": 26 And he will lift up an ensign to the nations from
far, and will hiss unto them from the end of the earth; and behold,
they shall come with speed swiftly; none shall be weary nor stumble
among them.
"2 Nephi 15:27": 27 None shall slumber nor sleep; neither shall the
girdle of their loins be loosed, nor the latchet of their shoes be
broken;
"2 Nephi 15:28": 28 Whose arrows shall be sharp, and all their bows
bent, and their horses' hoofs shall be counted like flint, and their
wheels like a whirlwind, their roaring like a lion.
"2 Nephi 15:29": 29 They shall roar like young lions; yea, they shall
roar, and lay hold of the prey, and shall carry away safe, and none
shall deliver.
"2 Nephi 15:30": 30 And in that day they shall roar against them like
the roaring of the sea; and if they look unto the land, behold,
darkness and sorrow, and the light is darkened in the heavens thereof.
2 Nephi 16
"2 Nephi 16:1": 1 In the year that king Uzziah died, I saw also the
Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled
the temple.
"2 Nephi 16:2": 2 Above it stood the seraphim; each one had six wings;
with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and
with twain he did fly.
"2 Nephi 16:3": 3 And one cried unto another, and said: Holy, holy,
holy, is the Lord of Hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory.
"2 Nephi 16:4": 4 And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him
that cried, and the house was filled with smoke.
"2 Nephi 16:5": 5 Then said I: Wo is unto me! for I am undone; because
I am a man of unclean lips; and I dwell in the midst of a people of
unclean lips; for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of Hosts.
"2 Nephi 16:6": 6 Then flew one of the seraphim unto me, having a live
coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar;
"2 Nephi 16:7": 7 And he laid it upon my mouth, and said: Lo, this has
touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged.
"2 Nephi 16:8": 8 Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: Whom
shall I send, and who will go for us? Then I said: Here am I; send me.
"2 Nephi 16:9": 9 And he said: Go and tell this people -- Hear ye
indeed, but they understood not; and see ye indeed, but they perceived
not.
"2 Nephi 16:10": 10 Make the heart of this people fat, and make their
ears heavy, and shut their eyes -- lest they see with their eyes, and
hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and be converted
and be healed.
"2 Nephi 16:11": 11 Then said I: Lord, how long? And he said: Until the
cities be wasted without inhabitant, and the houses without man, and
the land be utterly desolate;
"2 Nephi 16:12": 12 And the Lord have removed men far away, for there
shall be a great forsaking in the midst of the land.
"2 Nephi 16:13": 13 But yet there shall be a tenth, and they shall
return, and shall be eaten, as a teil-tree, and as an oak whose
substance is in them when they cast their leaves; so the holy seed
shall be the substance thereof.
2 Nephi 17
"2 Nephi 17:1": 1 And it came to pass in the days of Ahaz the son of
Jotham, the son of Uzziah, king of Judah, that Rezin, king of Syria,
and Pekah the son of Remaliah, king of Israel, went up toward Jerusalem
to war against it, but could not prevail against it.
"2 Nephi 17:2": 2 And it was told the house of David, saying: Syria is
confederate with Ephraim. And his heart was moved, and the heart of his
people, as the trees of the wood are moved with the wind.
"2 Nephi 17:3": 3 Then said the Lord unto Isaiah: Go forth now to meet
Ahaz, thou and Shearjashub thy son, at the end of the conduit of the
upper pool in the highway of the fuller's field;
"2 Nephi 17:4": 4 And say unto him: Take heed, and be quiet; fear not,
neither be faint-hearted for the two tails of these smoking firebrands,
for the fierce anger of Rezin with Syria, and of the son of Remaliah.
"2 Nephi 17:5": 5 Because Syria, Ephraim, and the son of Remaliah, have
taken evil counsel against thee, saying:
"2 Nephi 17:6": 6 Let us go up against Judah and vex it, and let us
make a breach therein for us, and set a king in the midst of it, yea,
the son of Tabeal.
"2 Nephi 17:7": 7 Thus saith the Lord God: It shall not stand, neither
shall it come to pass.
"2 Nephi 17:8": 8 For the head of Syria is Damascus, and the head of
Damascus, Rezin; and within three score and five years shall Ephraim be
broken that it be not a people.
"2 Nephi 17:9": 9 And the head of Ephraim is Samaria, and the head of
Samaria is Remaliah's son. If ye will not believe surely ye shall not
be established.
"2 Nephi 17:10": 10 Moreover, the Lord spake again unto Ahaz, saying:
"2 Nephi 17:11": 11 Ask thee a sign of the Lord thy God; ask it either
in the depths, or in the heights above.
"2 Nephi 17:12": 12 But Ahaz said: I will not ask, neither will I tempt
the Lord.
"2 Nephi 17:13": 13 And he said: Hear ye now, O house of David; is it a
small thing for you to weary men, but will ye weary my God also?
"2 Nephi 17:14": 14 Therefore, the Lord himself shall give you a sign
-- Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and shall bear a son, and shall
call his name Immanuel.
"2 Nephi 17:15": 15 Butter and honey shall he eat, that he may know to
refuse the evil and to choose the good.
"2 Nephi 17:16": 16 For before the child shall know to refuse the evil
and choose the good, the land that thou abhorrest shall be forsaken of
both her kings.
"2 Nephi 17:17": 17 The Lord shall bring upon thee, and upon thy
people, and upon thy father's house, days that have not come from the
day that Ephraim departed from Judah, the king of Assyria.
"2 Nephi 17:18": 18 And it shall come to pass in that day that the Lord
shall hiss for the fly that is in the uttermost part of Egypt, and for
the bee that is in the land of Assyria.
"2 Nephi 17:19": 19 And they shall come, and shall rest all of them in
the desolate valleys, and in the holes of the rocks, and upon all
thorns, and upon all bushes.
"2 Nephi 17:20": 20 In the same day shall the Lord shave with a razor
that is hired, by them beyond the river, by the king of Assyria, the
head, and the hair of the feet; and it shall also consume the beard.
"2 Nephi 17:21": 21 And it shall come to pass in that day, a man shall
nourish a young cow and two sheep;
"2 Nephi 17:22": 22 And it shall come to pass, for the abundance of
milk they shall give he shall eat butter; for butter and honey shall
every one eat that is left in the land.
"2 Nephi 17:23": 23 And it shall come to pass in that day, every place
shall be, where there were a thousand vines at a thousand silverlings,
which shall be for briers and thorns.
"2 Nephi 17:24": 24 With arrows and with bows shall men come thither,
because all the land shall become briers and thorns.
"2 Nephi 17:25": 25 And all hills that shall be digged with the
mattock, there shall not come thither the fear of briers and thorns;
but it shall be for the sending forth of oxen, and the treading of
lesser cattle.
2 Nephi 18
"2 Nephi 18:1": 1 Moreover, the word of the Lord said unto me: Take
thee a great roll, and write in it with a man's pen, concerning
Maher-shalal-hash-baz.
"2 Nephi 18:2": 2 And I took unto me faithful witnesses to record,
Uriah the priest, and Zechariah the son of Jeberechiah.
"2 Nephi 18:3": 3 And I went unto the prophetess; and she conceived and
bare a son. Then said the Lord to me: Call his name,
Maher-shalal-hash-baz.
"2 Nephi 18:4": 4 For behold, the child shall not have knowledge to
cry, My father, and my mother, before the riches of Damascus and the
spoil of Samaria shall be taken away before the king of Assyria.
"2 Nephi 18:5": 5 The Lord spake also unto me again, saying:
"2 Nephi 18:6": 6 Forasmuch as this people refuseth the waters of
Shiloah that go softly, and rejoice in Rezin and Remaliah's son;
"2 Nephi 18:7": 7 Now therefore, behold, the Lord bringeth up upon them
the waters of the river, strong and many, even the king of Assyria and
all his glory; and he shall come up over all his channels, and go over
all his banks.
"2 Nephi 18:8": 8 And he shall pass through Judah; he shall overflow
and go over, he shall reach even to the neck; and the stretching out of
his wings shall fill the breadth of thy land, O Immanuel.
"2 Nephi 18:9": 9 Associate yourselves, O ye people, and ye shall be
broken in pieces; and give ear all ye of far countries; gird
yourselves, and ye shall be broken in pieces; gird yourselves, and ye
shall be broken in pieces.
"2 Nephi 18:10": 10 Take counsel together, and it shall come to naught;
speak the word, and it shall not stand; for God is with us.
"2 Nephi 18:11": 11 For the Lord spake thus to me with a strong hand,
and instructed me that I should not walk in the way of this people,
saying:
"2 Nephi 18:12": 12 Say ye not, A confederacy, to all to whom this
people shall say, A confederacy; neither fear ye their fear, nor be
afraid.
"2 Nephi 18:13": 13 Sanctify the Lord of Hosts himself, and let him be
your fear, and let him be your dread.
"2 Nephi 18:14": 14 And he shall be for a sanctuary; but for a stone of
stumbling, and for a rock of offense to both the houses of Israel, for
a gin and a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
"2 Nephi 18:15": 15 And many among them shall stumble and fall, and be
broken, and be snared, and be taken.
"2 Nephi 18:16": 16 Bind up the testimony, seal the law among my
disciples.
"2 Nephi 18:17": 17 And I will wait upon the Lord, that hideth his face
from the house of Jacob, and I will look for him.
"2 Nephi 18:18": 18 Behold, I and the children whom the Lord hath given
me are for signs and for wonders in Israel from the Lord of Hosts,
which dwelleth in Mount Zion.
"2 Nephi 18:19": 19 And when they shall say unto you: Seek unto them
that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep and mutter --
should not a people seek unto their God for the living to hear from the
dead?
"2 Nephi 18:20": 20 To the law and to the testimony; and if they speak
not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.
"2 Nephi 18:21": 21 And they shall pass through it hardly bestead and
hungry; and it shall come to pass that when they shall be hungry, they
shall fret themselves, and curse their king and their God, and look
upward.
"2 Nephi 18:22": 22 And they shall look unto the earth and behold
trouble, and darkness, dimness of anguish, and shall be driven to
darkness.
2 Nephi 19
"2 Nephi 19:1": 1 Nevertheless, the dimness shall not be such as was in
her vexation, when at first he lightly afflicted the land of Zebulun,
and the land of Naphtali, and afterwards did more grievously afflict by
the way of the Red Sea beyond Jordan in Galilee of the nations.
"2 Nephi 19:2": 2 The people that walked in darkness have seen a great
light; they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them
hath the light shined.
"2 Nephi 19:3": 3 Thou hast multiplied the nation, and increased the
joy -- they joy before thee according to the joy in harvest, and as men
rejoice when they divide the spoil.
"2 Nephi 19:4": 4 For thou hast broken the yoke of his burden, and the
staff of his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor.
"2 Nephi 19:5": 5 For every battle of the warrior is with confused
noise, and garments rolled in blood; but this shall be with burning and
fuel of fire.
"2 Nephi 19:6": 6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given;
and the government shall be upon his shoulder; and his name shall be
called, Wonderful, Counselor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father,
The Prince of Peace.
"2 Nephi 19:7": 7 Of the increase of government and peace there is no
end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom to order it, and to
establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth, even
forever. The zeal of the Lord of Hosts will perform this.
"2 Nephi 19:8": 8 The Lord sent his word unto Jacob and it hath lighted
upon Israel.
"2 Nephi 19:9": 9 And all the people shall know, even Ephraim and the
inhabitants of Samaria, that say in the pride and stoutness of heart:
"2 Nephi 19:10": 10 The bricks are fallen down, but we will build with
hewn stones; the sycamores are cut down, but we will change them into
cedars.
"2 Nephi 19:11": 11 Therefore the Lord shall set up the adversaries of
Rezin against him, and join his enemies together;
"2 Nephi 19:12": 12 The Syrians before and the Philistines behind; and
they shall devour Israel with open mouth. For all this his anger is not
turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.
"2 Nephi 19:13": 13 For the people turneth not unto him that smiteth
them, neither do they seek the Lord of Hosts.
"2 Nephi 19:14": 14 Therefore will the Lord cut off from Israel head
and tail, branch and rush in one day.
"2 Nephi 19:15": 15 The ancient, he is the head; and the prophet that
teacheth lies, he is the tail.
"2 Nephi 19:16": 16 For the leaders of this people cause them to err;
and they that are led of them are destroyed.
"2 Nephi 19:17": 17 Therefore the Lord shall have no joy in their young
men, neither shall have mercy on their fatherless and widows; for every
one of them is a hypocrite and an evildoer, and every mouth speaketh
folly. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is
stretched out still.
"2 Nephi 19:18": 18 For wickedness burneth as the fire; it shall devour
the briers and thorns, and shall kindle in the thickets of the forests,
and they shall mount up like the lifting up of smoke.
"2 Nephi 19:19": 19 Through the wrath of the Lord of Hosts is the land
darkened, and the people shall be as the fuel of the fire; no man shall
spare his brother.
"2 Nephi 19:20": 20 And he shall snatch on the right hand and be
hungry; and he shall eat on the left hand and they shall not be
satisfied; they shall eat every man the flesh of his own arm --
"2 Nephi 19:21": 21 Manasseh, Ephraim; and Ephraim, Manasseh; they
together shall be against Judah. For all this his anger is not turned
away, but his hand is stretched out still.
2 Nephi 20
"2 Nephi 20:1": 1 Wo unto them that decree unrighteous decrees, and
that write grievousness which they have prescribed;
"2 Nephi 20:2": 2 To turn away the needy from judgment, and to take
away the right from the poor of my people, that widows may be their
prey, and that they may rob the fatherless!
"2 Nephi 20:3": 3 And what will ye do in the day of visitation, and in
the desolation which shall come from far? to whom will ye flee for
help? and where will ye leave your glory?
"2 Nephi 20:4": 4 Without me they shall bow down under the prisoners,
and they shall fall under the slain. For all this his anger is not
turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.
"2 Nephi 20:5": 5 O Assyrian, the rod of mine anger, and the staff in
their hand is their indignation.
"2 Nephi 20:6": 6 I will send him against a hypocritical nation, and
against the people of my wrath will I give him a charge to take the
spoil, and to take the prey, and to tread them down like the mire of
the streets.
"2 Nephi 20:7": 7 Howbeit he meaneth not so, neither doth his heart
think so; but in his heart it is to destroy and cut off nations not a
few.
"2 Nephi 20:8": 8 For he saith: Are not my princes altogether kings?
"2 Nephi 20:9": 9 Is not Calno as Carchemish? Is not Hamath as Arpad?
Is not Samaria as Damascus?
"2 Nephi 20:10": 10 As my hand hath founded the kingdoms of the idols,
and whose graven images did excel them of Jerusalem and of Samaria;
"2 Nephi 20:11": 11 Shall I not, as I have done unto Samaria and her
idols, so do to Jerusalem and to her idols?
"2 Nephi 20:12": 12 Wherefore it shall come to pass that when the Lord
hath performed his whole work upon Mount Zion and upon Jerusalem, I
will punish the fruit of the stout heart of the king of Assyria, and
the glory of his high looks.
"2 Nephi 20:13": 13 For he saith: By the strength of my hand and by my
wisdom I have done these things; for I am prudent; and I have moved the
borders of the people, and have robbed their treasures, and I have put
down the inhabitants like a valiant man;
"2 Nephi 20:14": 14 And my hand hath found as a nest the riches of the
people; and as one gathereth eggs that are left have I gathered all the
earth; and there was none that moved the wing, or opened the mouth, or
peeped.
"2 Nephi 20:15": 15 Shall the ax boast itself against him that heweth
therewith? $ Shall the saw magnify itself against him that shaketh it?
As if the rod should shake itself against them that lift it up, or as
if the staff should lift up itself as if it were no wood!
"2 Nephi 20:16": 16 Therefore shall the Lord, the Lord of Hosts, send
among his fat ones, leanness; and under his glory he shall kindle a
burning like the burning of a fire.
"2 Nephi 20:17": 17 And the light of Israel shall be for a fire, and
his Holy One for a flame, and shall burn and shall devour his thorns
and his briers in one day;
"2 Nephi 20:18": 18 And shall consume the glory of his forest, and of
his fruitful field, both soul and body; and they shall be as when a
standard-bearer fainteth.
"2 Nephi 20:19": 19 And the rest of the trees of his forest shall be
few, that a child may write them.
"2 Nephi 20:20": 20 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the
remnant of Israel, and such as are escaped of the house of Jacob, shall
no more again stay upon him that smote them, but shall stay upon the
Lord, the Holy One of Israel, in truth.
"2 Nephi 20:21": 21 The remnant shall return, yea, even the remnant of
Jacob, unto the mighty God.
"2 Nephi 20:22": 22 For though thy people Israel be as the sand of the
sea, yet a remnant of them shall return; the consumption decreed shall
overflow with righteousness.
"2 Nephi 20:23": 23 For the Lord God of Hosts shall make a consumption,
even determined in all the land.
"2 Nephi 20:24": 24 Therefore, thus saith the Lord God of Hosts: O my
people that dwellest in Zion, be not afraid of the Assyrian; he shall
smite thee with a rod, and shall lift up his staff against thee, after
the manner of Egypt.
"2 Nephi 20:25": 25 For yet a very little while, and the indignation
shall cease, and mine anger in their destruction.
"2 Nephi 20:26": 26 And the Lord of Hosts shall stir up a scourge for
him according to the slaughter of Midian at the rock of Oreb; and as
his rod was upon the sea so shall he lift it up after the manner of
Egypt.
"2 Nephi 20:27": 27 And it shall come to pass in that day that his
burden shall be taken away from off thy shoulder, and his yoke from off
thy neck, and the yoke shall be destroyed because of the anointing.
"2 Nephi 20:28": 28 He is come to Aiath, he is passed to Migron; at
Michmash he hath laid up his carriages.
"2 Nephi 20:29": 29 They are gone over the passage; they have taken up
their lodging at Geba; Ramath is afraid; Gibeah of Saul is fled.
"2 Nephi 20:30": 30 Lift up the voice, O daughter of Gallim; cause it
to be heard unto Laish, O poor Anathoth.
"2 Nephi 20:31": 31 Madmenah is removed; the inhabitants of Gebim
gather themselves to flee.
"2 Nephi 20:32": 32 As yet shall he remain at Nob that day; he shall
shake his hand against the mount of the daughter of Zion, the hill of
Jerusalem.
"2 Nephi 20:33": 33 Behold, the Lord, the Lord of Hosts shall lop the
bough with terror; and the high ones of stature shall be hewn down; and
the haughty shall be humbled.
"2 Nephi 20:34": 34 And he shall cut down the thickets of the forests
with iron, and Lebanon shall fall by a mighty one.
2 Nephi 21
"2 Nephi 21:1": 1 And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of
Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots.
"2 Nephi 21:2": 2 And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the
spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might,
the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord;
"2 Nephi 21:3": 3 And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear
of the Lord; and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes,
neither reprove after the hearing of his ears.
"2 Nephi 21:4": 4 But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and
reprove with equity for the meek of the earth; and he shall smite the
earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall
he slay the wicked.
"2 Nephi 21:5": 5 And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins,
and faithfulness the girdle of his reins.
"2 Nephi 21:6": 6 The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the
leopard shall lie down with the kid, and the calf and the young lion
and fatling together; and a little child shall lead them.
"2 Nephi 21:7": 7 And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones
shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
"2 Nephi 21:8": 8 And the suckling child shall play on the hole of the
asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice's den.
"2 Nephi 21:9": 9 They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy
mountain, for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as
the waters cover the sea.
"2 Nephi 21:10": 10 And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse,
which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles
seek; and his rest shall be glorious.
"2 Nephi 21:11": 11 And it shall come to pass in that day that the Lord
shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his
people which shall be left, from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from
Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from
Hamath, and from the islands of the sea.
"2 Nephi 21:12": 12 And he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and
shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the
dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth.
"2 Nephi 21:13": 13 The envy of Ephraim also shall depart, and the
adversaries of Judah shall be cut off; Ephraim shall not envy Judah,
and Judah shall not vex Ephraim.
"2 Nephi 21:14": 14 But they shall fly upon the shoulders of the
Philistines towards the west; they shall spoil them of the east
together; they shall lay their hand upon Edom and Moab; and the
children of Ammon shall obey them.
"2 Nephi 21:15": 15 And the Lord shall utterly destroy the tongue of
the Egyptian sea; and with his mighty wind he shall shake his hand over
the river, and shall smite it in the seven streams, and make men go
over dry shod.
"2 Nephi 21:16": 16 And there shall be a highway for the remnant of his
people which shall be left, from Assyria, like as it was to Israel in
the day that he came up out of the land of Egypt.
2 Nephi 22
"2 Nephi 22:1": 1 And in that day thou shalt say: O Lord, I will praise
thee; though thou wast angry with me thine anger is turned away, and
thou comfortedst me.
"2 Nephi 22:2": 2 Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be
afraid; for the Lord JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he also has
become my salvation.
"2 Nephi 22:3": 3 Therefore, with joy shall ye draw water out of the
wells of salvation.
"2 Nephi 22:4": 4 And in that day shall ye say: Praise the Lord, call
upon his name, declare his doings among the people, make mention that
his name is exalted.
"2 Nephi 22:5": 5 Sing unto the Lord; for he hath done excellent
things; this is known in all the earth.
"2 Nephi 22:6": 6 Cry out and shout, thou inhabitant of Zion; for great
is the Holy One of Israel in the midst of thee.
2 Nephi 23
"2 Nephi 23:1": 1 The burden of Babylon, which Isaiah the son of Amoz
did see.
"2 Nephi 23:2": 2 Lift ye up a banner upon the high mountain, exalt the
voice unto them, shake the hand, that they may go into the gates of the
nobles.
"2 Nephi 23:3": 3 I have commanded my sanctified ones, I have also
called my mighty ones, for mine anger is not upon them that rejoice in
my highness.
"2 Nephi 23:4": 4 The noise of the multitude in the mountains like as
of a great people, a tumultuous noise of the kingdoms of nations
gathered together, the Lord of Hosts mustereth the hosts of the battle.
"2 Nephi 23:5": 5 They come from a far country, from the end of heaven,
yea, the Lord, and the weapons of his indignation, to destroy the whole
land.
"2 Nephi 23:6": 6 Howl ye, for the day of the Lord is at hand; it shall
come as a destruction from the Almighty.
"2 Nephi 23:7": 7 Therefore shall all hands be faint, every man's heart
shall melt;
"2 Nephi 23:8": 8 And they shall be afraid; pangs and sorrows shall
take hold of them; they shall be amazed one at another; their faces
shall be as flames.
"2 Nephi 23:9": 9 Behold, the day of the Lord cometh, cruel both with
wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate; and he shall destroy
the sinners thereof out of it.
"2 Nephi 23:10": 10 For the stars of heaven and the constellations
thereof shall not give their light; the sun shall be darkened in his
going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine.
"2 Nephi 23:11": 11 And I will punish the world for evil, and the
wicked for their iniquity; I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to
cease, and will lay down the haughtiness of the terrible.
"2 Nephi 23:12": 12 I will make a man more precious than fine gold;
even a man than the golden wedge of Ophir.
"2 Nephi 23:13": 13 Therefore, I will shake the heavens, and the earth
shall remove out of her place, in the wrath of the Lord of Hosts, and
in the day of his fierce anger.
"2 Nephi 23:14": 14 And it shall be as the chased roe, and as a sheep
that no man taketh up; and they shall every man turn to his own people,
and flee every one into his own land.
"2 Nephi 23:15": 15 Every one that is proud shall be thrust through;
yea, and every one that is joined to the wicked shall fall by the
sword.
"2 Nephi 23:16": 16 Their children, also shall be dashed to pieces
before their eyes; their houses shall be spoiled and their wives
ravished.
"2 Nephi 23:17": 17 Behold, I will stir up the Medes against them,
which shall not regard silver and gold, nor shall they delight in it.
"2 Nephi 23:18": 18 Their bows shall also dash the young men to pieces,
and they shall have no pity on the fruit of the womb; their eyes shall
not spare children.
"2 Nephi 23:19": 19 And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the beauty of
the Chaldees' excellency, shall be as when God overthrew Sodom and
Gomorrah.
"2 Nephi 23:20": 20 It shall never be inhabited, neither shall it be
dwelt in from generation to generation: neither shall the Arabian pitch
tent there; neither shall the shepherds make their fold there.
"2 Nephi 23:21": 21 But wild beasts of the desert shall lie there; and
their houses shall be full of doleful creatures; and owls shall dwell
there, and satyrs shall dance there.
"2 Nephi 23:22": 22 And the wild beasts of the islands shall cry in
their desolate houses, and dragons in their pleasant palaces; and her
time is near to come, and her day shall not be prolonged. For I will
destroy her speedily; yea, for I will be merciful unto my people, but
the wicked shall perish.
2 Nephi 24
"2 Nephi 24:1": 1 For the Lord will have mercy on Jacob, and will yet
choose Israel, and set them in their own land; and the strangers shall
be joined with them, and they shall cleave to the house of Jacob.
"2 Nephi 24:2": 2 And the people shall take them and bring them to
their place; yea, from far unto the ends of the earth; and they shall
return to their lands of promise. And the house of Israel shall possess
them, and the land of the Lord shall be for servants and handmaids; and
they shall take them captives unto whom they were captives; and they
shall rule over their oppressors.
"2 Nephi 24:3": 3 And it shall come to pass in that day that the Lord
shall give thee rest, from thy sorrow, and from thy fear, and from the
hard bondage wherein thou wast made to serve.
"2 Nephi 24:4": 4 And it shall come to pass in that day, that thou
shalt take up this proverb against the king of Babylon, and say: How
hath the oppressor ceased, the golden city ceased!
"2 Nephi 24:5": 5 The Lord hath broken the staff of the wicked, the
scepters of the rulers.
"2 Nephi 24:6": 6 He who smote the people in wrath with a continual
stroke, he that ruled the nations in anger, is persecuted, and none
hindereth.
"2 Nephi 24:7": 7 The whole earth is at rest, and is quiet; they break
forth into singing.
"2 Nephi 24:8": 8 Yea, the fir-trees rejoice at thee, and also the
cedars of Lebanon, saying: Since thou art laid down no feller is come
up against us.
"2 Nephi 24:9": 9 Hell from beneath is moved for thee to meet thee at
thy coming; it stirreth up the dead for thee, even all the chief ones
of the earth; it hath raised up from their thrones all the kings of the
nations.
"2 Nephi 24:10": 10 All they shall speak and say unto thee: Art thou
also become weak as we? Art thou become like unto us?
"2 Nephi 24:11": 11 Thy pomp is brought down to the grave; the noise of
thy viols is not heard; the worm is spread under thee, and the worms
cover thee.
"2 Nephi 24:12": 12 How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of
the morning! Art thou cut down to the ground, which did weaken the
nations!
"2 Nephi 24:13": 13 For thou hast said in thy heart: I will ascend into
heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will sit also
upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north;
"2 Nephi 24:14": 14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I
will be like the Most High.
"2 Nephi 24:15": 15 Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the
sides of the pit.
"2 Nephi 24:16": 16 They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee,
and shall consider thee, and shall say: Is this the man that made the
earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms?
"2 Nephi 24:17": 17 And made the world as a wilderness, and destroyed
the cities thereof, and opened not the house of his prisoners?
"2 Nephi 24:18": 18 All the kings of the nations, yea, all of them, lie
in glory, every one of them in his own house.
"2 Nephi 24:19": 19 But thou art cast out of thy grave like an
abominable branch, and the remnant of those that are slain, thrust
through with a sword, that go down to the stones of the pit; as a
carcass trodden under feet.
"2 Nephi 24:20": 20 Thou shalt not be joined with them in burial,
because thou hast destroyed thy land and slain thy people; the seed of
evil-doers shall never be renowned.
"2 Nephi 24:21": 21 Prepare slaughter for his children for the
iniquities of their fathers, that they do not rise, nor possess the
land, nor fill the face of the world with cities.
"2 Nephi 24:22": 22 For I will rise up against them, saith the Lord of
Hosts, and cut off from Babylon the name, and remnant, and son, and
nephew, saith the Lord.
"2 Nephi 24:23": 23 I will also make it a possession for the bittern,
and pools of water; and I will sweep it with the besom of destruction,
saith the Lord of Hosts.
"2 Nephi 24:24": 24 The Lord of Hosts hath sworn, saying: Surely as I
have thought, so shall it come to pass; and as I have purposed, so
shall it stand --
"2 Nephi 24:25": 25 That I will bring the Assyrian in my land, and upon
my mountains tread him under foot; then shall his yoke depart from off
them, and his burden depart from off their shoulders.
"2 Nephi 24:26": 26 This is the purpose that is purposed upon the whole
earth; and this is the hand that is stretched out upon all nations.
"2 Nephi 24:27": 27 For the Lord of Hosts hath purposed, and who shall
disannul? $ And his hand is stretched out, and who shall turn it back?
"2 Nephi 24:28": 28 In the year that king Ahaz died was this burden.
"2 Nephi 24:29": 29 Rejoice not thou, whole Palestina, because the rod
of him that smote thee is broken; for out of the serpent's root shall
come forth a cockatrice, and his fruit shall be a fiery flying serpent.
"2 Nephi 24:30": 30 And the first-born of the poor shall feed, and the
needy shall lie down in safety; and I will kill thy root with famine,
and he shall slay thy remnant.
"2 Nephi 24:31": 31 Howl, O gate; cry, O city; thou, whole Palestina,
art dissolved; for there shall come from the north a smoke, and none
shall be alone in his appointed times.
"2 Nephi 24:32": 32 What shall then answer the messengers of the
nations? That the Lord hath founded Zion, and the poor of his people
shall trust in it.
2 Nephi 25
"2 Nephi 25:1": 1 Now I, Nephi, do speak somewhat concerning the words
which I have written, which have been spoken by the mouth of Isaiah.
For behold, Isaiah spake many things which were hard for many of my
people to understand; for they know not concerning the manner of
prophesying among the Jews.
"2 Nephi 25:2": 2 For I, Nephi, have not taught them many things
concerning the manner of the Jews; for their works were works of
darkness, and their doings were doings of abominations.
"2 Nephi 25:3": 3 Wherefore, I write unto my people, unto all those
that shall receive hereafter these things which I write, that they may
know the judgments of God, that they come upon all nations, according
to the word which he hath spoken.
"2 Nephi 25:4": 4 Wherefore, hearken, O my people, which are of the
house of Israel, and give ear unto my words; for because the words of
Isaiah are not plain unto you, nevertheless they are plain unto all
those that are filled with the spirit of prophecy. But I give unto you
a prophecy, according to the spirit which is in me; wherefore I shall
prophesy according to the plainness which hath been with me from the
time that I came out from Jerusalem with my father; for behold, my soul
delighteth in plainness unto my people, that they may learn.
"2 Nephi 25:5": 5 Yea, and my soul delighteth in the words of Isaiah,
for I came out from Jerusalem, and mine eyes hath beheld the things of
the Jews, and I know that the Jews do understand the things of the
prophets, and there is none other people that understand the things
which were spoken unto the Jews like unto them, save it be that they
are taught after the manner of the things of the Jews.
"2 Nephi 25:6": 6 But behold, I, Nephi, have not taught my children
after the manner of the Jews; but behold, I, of myself, have dwelt at
Jerusalem, wherefore I know concerning the regions round about; and I
have made mention unto my children concerning the judgments of God,
which hath come to pass among the Jews, unto my children, according to
all that which Isaiah hath spoken, and I do not write them.
"2 Nephi 25:7": 7 But behold, I proceed with mine own prophecy,
according to my plainness; in the which I know that no man can err;
nevertheless, in the days that the prophecies of Isaiah shall be
fulfilled men shall know of a surety, at the times when they shall come
to pass.
"2 Nephi 25:8": 8 Wherefore, they are of worth unto the children of
men, and he that supposeth that they are not, unto them will I speak
particularly, and confine the words unto mine own people; for I know
that they shall be of great worth unto them in the last days; for in
that day shall they understand them; wherefore, for their good have I
written them.
"2 Nephi 25:9": 9 And as one generation hath been destroyed among the
Jews because of iniquity, even so have they been destroyed from
generation to generation according to their iniquities; and never hath
any of them been destroyed save it were foretold them by the prophets
of the Lord.
"2 Nephi 25:10": 10 Wherefore, it hath been told them concerning the
destruction which should come upon them, immediately after my father
left Jerusalem; nevertheless, they hardened their hearts; and according
to my prophecy they have been destroyed, save it be those which are
carried away captive into Babylon.
"2 Nephi 25:11": 11 And now this I speak because of the spirit which is
in me. $ And notwithstanding they have been carried away they shall
return again, and possess the land of Jerusalem; wherefore, they shall
be restored again to the land of their inheritance.
"2 Nephi 25:12": 12 But, behold, they shall have wars, and rumors of
wars; and when the day cometh that the Only Begotten of the Father,
yea, even the Father of heaven and of earth, shall manifest himself
unto them in the flesh, behold, they will reject him, because of their
iniquities, and the hardness of their hearts, and the stiffness of
their necks.
"2 Nephi 25:13": 13 Behold, they will crucify him; and after he is laid
in a sepulchre for the space of three days he shall rise from the dead,
with healing in his wings; and all those who shall believe on his name
shall be saved in the kingdom of God. Wherefore, my soul delighteth to
prophesy concerning him, for I have seen his day, and my heart doth
magnify his holy name.
"2 Nephi 25:14": 14 And behold it shall come to pass that after the
Messiah hath risen from the dead, and hath manifested himself unto his
people, unto as many as will believe on his name, behold, Jerusalem
shall be destroyed again; for wo unto them that fight against God and
the people of his church.
"2 Nephi 25:15": 15 Wherefore, the Jews shall be scattered among all
nations; yea, and also Babylon shall be destroyed; wherefore, the Jews
shall be scattered by other nations.
"2 Nephi 25:16": 16 And after they have been scattered, and the Lord
God hath scourged them by other nations for the space of many
generations, yea, even down from generation to generation until they
shall be persuaded to believe in Christ, the Son of God, and the
atonement, which is infinite for all mankind -- and when that day shall
come that they shall believe in Christ, and worship the Father in his
name, with pure hearts and clean hands, and look not forward any more
for another Messiah, then, at that time, the day will come that it must
needs be expedient that they should believe these things.
"2 Nephi 25:17": 17 And the Lord will set his hand again the second
time to restore his people from their lost and fallen state. Wherefore,
he will proceed to do a marvelous work and a wonder among the children
of men.
"2 Nephi 25:18": 18 Wherefore, he shall bring forth his words unto
them, which words shall judge them at the last day, for they shall be
given them for the purpose of convincing them of the true Messiah, who
was rejected by them; and unto the convincing of them that they need
not look forward any more for a Messiah to come, for there should not
any come, save it should be a false Messiah which should deceive the
people; for there is save one Messiah spoken of by the prophets, and
that Messiah is he who should be rejected of the Jews.
"2 Nephi 25:19": 19 For according to the words of the prophets, the
Messiah cometh in six hundred years from the time that my father left
Jerusalem; and according to the words of the prophets, and also the
word of the Guardian of God, his name shall be Jesus Christ, the Son of
God.
"2 Nephi 25:20": 20 And now, my brethren, I have spoken plainly that ye
cannot err. And as the Lord God liveth that brought Israel up out of
the land of Egypt, and gave unto Moses power that he should heal the
nations after they had been bitten by the poisonous serpents, if they
would cast their eyes unto the serpent which he did raise up before
them, and also gave him power that he should smite the rock and the
water should come forth; yea, behold I say unto you, that as these
things are true, and as the Lord God liveth, there is none other name
given under heaven save it be this Jesus Christ, of which I have
spoken, whereby man can be saved.
"2 Nephi 25:21": 21 Wherefore, for this cause hath the Lord God
promised unto me that these things which I write shall be kept and
preserved, and handed down unto my seed, from generation to generation,
that the promise may be fulfilled unto Joseph, that his seed should
never perish as long as the earth should stand.
"2 Nephi 25:22": 22 Wherefore, these things shall go from generation to
generation as long as the earth shall stand; and they shall go
according to the will and pleasure of God; and the nations who shall
possess them shall be judged of them according to the words which are
written.
"2 Nephi 25:23": 23 For we labor diligently to write, to persuade our
children, and also our brethren, to believe in Christ, and to be
reconciled to God; for we know that it is by grace that we are saved,
after all we can do.
"2 Nephi 25:24": 24 And, notwithstanding we believe in Christ, we keep
the law of Moses, and look forward with steadfastness unto Christ,
until the law shall be fulfilled.
"2 Nephi 25:25": 25 For, for this end was the law given; wherefore the
law hath become dead unto us, and we are made alive in Christ because
of our faith; yet we keep the law because of the commandments.
"2 Nephi 25:26": 26 And we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we
preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our
prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for
a remission of their sins.
"2 Nephi 25:27": 27 Wherefore, we speak concerning the law that our
children may know the deadness of the law; and they, by knowing the
deadness of the law, may look forward unto that life which is in
Christ, and know for what end the law was given. And after the law is
fulfilled in Christ, that they need not harden their hearts against him
when the law ought to be done away.
"2 Nephi 25:28": 28 And now behold, my people, ye are a stiffnecked
people; wherefore, I have spoken plainly unto you, that ye cannot
misunderstand. And the words which I have spoken shall stand as a
testimony against you; for they are sufficient to teach any man the
right way; for the right way is to believe in Christ and deny him not;
for by denying him ye also deny the prophets and the law.
"2 Nephi 25:29": 29 And now behold, I say unto you that the right way
is to believe in Christ, and deny him not; and Christ is the Holy One
of Israel; wherefore ye must bow down before him, and worship him with
all your might, mind, and strength, and your whole soul; and if ye do
this ye shall in nowise be cast out.
"2 Nephi 25:30": 30 And, inasmuch as it shall be expedient, ye must
keep the performances and ordinances of God until the law shall be
fulfilled which was given unto Moses.
2 Nephi 26
"2 Nephi 26:1": 1 And after Christ shall have risen from the dead he
shall show himself unto you, my children, and my beloved brethren; and
the words which he shall speak unto you shall be the law which ye shall
do.
"2 Nephi 26:2": 2 For behold, I say unto you that I have beheld that
many generations shall pass away, and there shall be great wars and
contentions among my people.
"2 Nephi 26:3": 3 And after the Messiah shall come there shall be signs
given unto my people of his birth, and also of his death and
resurrection; and great and terrible shall that day be unto the wicked,
for they shall perish; and they perish because they cast out the
prophets, and the saints, and stone them, and slay them; wherefore the
cry of the blood of the saints shall ascend up to God from the ground
against them.
"2 Nephi 26:4": 4 Wherefore, all those who are proud, and that do
wickedly, the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the Lord of
Hosts, for they shall be as stubble.
"2 Nephi 26:5": 5 And they that kill the prophets, and the saints, the
depths of the earth shall swallow them up, saith the Lord of Hosts; and
mountains shall cover them, and whirlwinds shall carry them away, and
buildings shall fall upon them and crush them to pieces and grind them
to powder.
"2 Nephi 26:6": 6 And they shall be visited with thunderings, and
lightnings, and earthquakes, and all manner of destructions, for the
fire of the anger of the Lord shall be kindled against them, and they
shall be as stubble, and the day that cometh shall consume them, saith
the Lord of Hosts.
"2 Nephi 26:7": 7 O the pain, and the anguish of my soul for the loss
of the slain of my people! For I, Nephi, have seen it, and it well nigh
consumeth me before the presence of the Lord; but I must cry unto my
God: Thy ways are just.
"2 Nephi 26:8": 8 But behold, the righteous that hearken unto the words
of the prophets, and destroy them not, but look forward unto Christ
with steadfastness for the signs which are given, notwithstanding all
persecution -- behold, they are they which shall not perish.
"2 Nephi 26:9": 9 But the Son of righteousness shall appear unto them;
and he shall heal them, and they shall have peace with him, until three
generations shall have passed away, and many of the fourth generation
shall have passed away in righteousness.
"2 Nephi 26:10": 10 And when these things have passed away a speedy
destruction cometh unto my people; for, notwithstanding the pains of my
soul, I have seen it; wherefore, I know that it shall come to pass; and
they sell themselves for naught; for, for the reward of their pride and
their foolishness they shall reap destruction; for because they yield
unto the Diawl and choose works of darkness rather than light,
therefore they must go down to hell.
"2 Nephi 26:11": 11 For the Spirit of the Lord will not always strive
with man. $ And when the Spirit ceaseth to strive with man then cometh
speedy destruction, and this grieveth my soul.
"2 Nephi 26:12": 12 And as I spake concerning the convincing of the
Jews, that Jesus is the very Christ, it must needs be that the Gentiles
be convinced also that Jesus is the Christ, the Eternal God;
"2 Nephi 26:13": 13 And that he manifesteth himself unto all those who
believe in him, by the power of the Holy Ghost; yea, unto every nation,
kindred, tongue, and people, working mighty miracles, signs, and
wonders, among the children of men according to their faith.
"2 Nephi 26:14": 14 But behold, I prophesy unto you concerning the last
days; concerning the days when the Lord God shall bring these things
forth unto the children of men.
"2 Nephi 26:15": 15 After my seed and the seed of my brethren shall
have dwindled in unbelief, and shall have been smitten by the Gentiles;
yea, after the Lord God shall have camped against them round about, and
shall have laid siege against them with a mount, and raised forts
against them; and after they shall have been brought down low in the
dust, even that they are not, yet the words of the righteous shall be
written, and the prayers of the faithful shall be heard, and all those
who have dwindled in unbelief shall not be forgotten.
"2 Nephi 26:16": 16 For those who shall be destroyed shall speak unto
them out of the ground, and their speech shall be low out of the dust,
and their voice shall be as one that hath a familiar spirit; for the
Lord God will give unto him power, that he may whisper concerning them,
even as it were out of the ground; and their speech shall whisper out
of the dust.
"2 Nephi 26:17": 17 For thus saith the Lord God: They shall write the
things which shall be done among them, and they shall be written and
sealed up in a book, and those who have dwindled in unbelief shall not
have them, for they seek to destroy the things of God.
"2 Nephi 26:18": 18 Wherefore, as those who have been destroyed have
been destroyed speedily; and the multitude of their terrible ones shall
be as chaff that passeth away -- yea, thus saith the Lord God: It shall
be at an instant, suddenly --
"2 Nephi 26:19": 19 And it shall come to pass, that those who have
dwindled in unbelief shall be smitten by the hand of the Gentiles.
"2 Nephi 26:20": 20 And the Gentiles are lifted up in the pride of
their eyes, and have stumbled, because of the greatness of their
stumbling block, that they have built up many churches; nevertheless,
they put down the power and miracles of God, and preach up unto
themselves their own wisdom and their own learning, that they may get
gain and grind upon the face of the poor.
"2 Nephi 26:21": 21 And there are many churches built up which cause
envyings, and strifes, and malice.
"2 Nephi 26:22": 22 And there are also secret combinations, even as in
times of old, according to the combinations of the Diawl, for he is the
founder of all these things; yea, the founder of murder, and works of
darkness; yea, and he leadeth them by the neck with a flaxen cord,
until he bindeth them with his strong cords forever.
"2 Nephi 26:23": 23 For behold, my beloved brethren, I say unto you
that the Lord God worketh not in darkness.
"2 Nephi 26:24": 24 He doeth not anything save it be for the benefit of
the world; for he loveth the world, even that he layeth down his own
life that he may draw all men unto him. Wherefore, he commandeth none
that they shall not partake of his salvation.
"2 Nephi 26:25": 25 Behold, doth he cry unto any, saying: Depart from
me? $ Behold, I say unto you, Nay; but he saith: Come unto me all ye
ends of the earth, buy milk and honey, without money and without price.
"2 Nephi 26:26": 26 Behold, hath he commanded any that they should
depart out of the synagogues, or out of the houses of worship? Behold,
I say unto you, Nay.
"2 Nephi 26:27": 27 Hath he commanded any that they should not partake
of his salvation? Behold I say unto you, Nay; but he hath given it free
for all men; and he hath commanded his people that they should persuade
all men to repentance.
"2 Nephi 26:28": 28 Behold, hath the Lord commanded any that they
should not partake of his goodness? Behold I say unto you, Nay; but all
men are privileged the one like unto the other, and none are forbidden.
"2 Nephi 26:29": 29 He commandeth that there shall be no priestcrafts;
for, behold priestcrafts are that men preach and set themselves up for
a light unto the world, that they may get gain and praise of the world;
but they seek not the welfare of Zion.
"2 Nephi 26:30": 30 Behold, the Lord hath forbidden this thing;
wherefore, the Lord God hath given a commandment that all men should
have charity, which charity is love, and except they should have
charity they were nothing. Wherefore, if they should have charity they
would not suffer the laborer in Zion to perish.
"2 Nephi 26:31": 31 But the laborer in Zion shall labor for Zion; for
if they labor for money they shall perish.
"2 Nephi 26:32": 32 And again, the Lord God hath commanded that men
should not murder; that they should not lie; that they should not
steal; that they should not take the name of the Lord their God in
vain; that they should not envy; that they should not have malice; that
they should not contend one with another; that they should not commit
whoredoms; and that they should do none of these things; for whoso
doeth them shall perish.
"2 Nephi 26:33": 33 For none of these iniquities come of the Lord; for
he doeth that which is good among the children of men; and he doeth
nothing save it be plain unto the children of men; and he inviteth them
all to come unto him and partake of his goodness; and he denieth none
that come unto him, black and white, bond and free, male and female;
and he remembereth the heathen; and all are alike unto God, both Jew
and Gentile.
2 Nephi 27
"2 Nephi 27:1": 1 But, behold, in the last days, or in the days of the
Gentiles -- yea, behold all the nations of the Gentiles and also the
Jews, both those who shall come upon this land and those who shall be
upon other lands, yea, even upon all the lands of the earth, behold,
they will be drunken with iniquity and all manner of abominations --
"2 Nephi 27:2": 2 And when that day shall come they shall be visited of
the Lord of Hosts, with thunder and with earthquake, and with a great
noise, and with storm, and with tempest, and with the flame of
devouring fire.
"2 Nephi 27:3": 3 And all the nations that fight against Zion, and that
distress her, shall be as a dream of a night vision; yea, it shall be
unto them, even as unto a hungry man which dreameth, and behold he
eateth but he awaketh and his soul is empty; or like unto a thirsty man
which dreameth, and behold he drinketh but he awaketh and behold he is
faint, and his soul hath appetite; yea, even so shall the multitude of
all the nations be that fight against Mount Zion.
"2 Nephi 27:4": 4 For behold, all ye that doeth iniquity, stay
yourselves and wonder, for ye shall cry out, and cry; yea, ye shall be
drunken but not with wine, ye shall stagger but not with strong drink.
"2 Nephi 27:5": 5 For behold, the Lord hath poured out upon you the
spirit of deep sleep. For behold, ye have closed your eyes, and ye have
rejected the prophets; and your rulers, and the seers hath he covered
because of your iniquity.
"2 Nephi 27:6": 6 And it shall come to pass that the Lord God shall
bring forth unto you the words of a book, and they shall be the words
of them which have slumbered.
"2 Nephi 27:7": 7 And behold the book shall be sealed; and in the book
shall be a revelation from God, from the beginning of the world to the
ending thereof.
"2 Nephi 27:8": 8 Wherefore, because of the things which are sealed up,
the things which are sealed shall not be delivered in the day of the
wickedness and abominations of the people. Wherefore the book shall be
kept from them.
"2 Nephi 27:9": 9 But the book shall be delivered unto a man, and he
shall deliver the words of the book, which are the words of those who
have slumbered in the dust, and he shall deliver these words unto
another;
"2 Nephi 27:10": 10 But the words which are sealed he shall not
deliver, neither shall he deliver the book. For the book shall be
sealed by the power of God, and the revelation which was sealed shall
be kept in the book until the own due time of the Lord, that they may
come forth; for behold, they reveal all things from the foundation of
the world unto the end thereof.
"2 Nephi 27:11": 11 And the day cometh that the words of the book which
were sealed shall be read upon the house tops; and they shall be read
by the power of Christ; and all things shall be revealed unto the
children of men which ever have been among the children of men, and
which ever will be even unto the end of the earth.
"2 Nephi 27:12": 12 Wherefore, at that day when the book shall be
delivered unto the man of whom I have spoken, the book shall be hid
from the eyes of the world, that the eyes of none shall behold it save
it be that three witnesses shall behold it, by the power of God,
besides him to whom the book shall be delivered; and they shall testify
to the truth of the book and the things therein.
"2 Nephi 27:13": 13 And there is none other which shall view it, save
it be a few according to the will of God, to bear testimony of his word
unto the children of men; for the Lord God hath said that the words of
the faithful should speak as if it were from the dead.
"2 Nephi 27:14": 14 Wherefore, the Lord God will proceed to bring forth
the words of the book; and in the mouth of as many witnesses as seemeth
him good will he establish his word; and wo be unto him that rejecteth
the word of God!
"2 Nephi 27:15": 15 But behold, it shall come to pass that the Lord God
shall say unto him to whom he shall deliver the book: Take these words
which are not sealed and deliver them to another, that he may show them
unto the learned, saying: Read this, I pray thee. And the learned shall
say: Bring hither the book, and I will read them.
"2 Nephi 27:16": 16 And now, because of the glory of the world and to
get gain will they say this, and not for the glory of God.
"2 Nephi 27:17": 17 And the man shall say: I cannot bring the book, for
it is sealed.
"2 Nephi 27:18": 18 Then shall the learned say: I cannot read it.
"2 Nephi 27:19": 19 Wherefore it shall come to pass, that the Lord God
will deliver again the book and the words thereof to him that is not
learned; and the man that is not learned shall say: I am not learned.
"2 Nephi 27:20": 20 Then shall the Lord God say unto him: The learned
shall not read them, for they have rejected them, and I am able to do
mine own work; wherefore thou shalt read the words which I shall give
unto thee.
"2 Nephi 27:21": 21 Touch not the things which are sealed, for I will
bring them forth in mine own due time; for I will show unto the
children of men that I am able to do mine own work.
"2 Nephi 27:22": 22 Wherefore, when thou hast read the words which I
have commanded thee, and obtained the witnesses which I have promised
unto thee, then shalt thou seal up the book again, and hide it up unto
me, that I may preserve the words which thou hast not read, until I
shall see fit in mine own wisdom to reveal all things unto the children
of men.
"2 Nephi 27:23": 23 For behold, I am God; and I am a God of miracles;
and I will show unto the world that I am the same yesterday, today, and
forever; and I work not among the children of men save it be according
to their faith.
"2 Nephi 27:24": 24 And again it shall come to pass that the Lord shall
say unto him that shall read the words that shall be delivered him:
"2 Nephi 27:25": 25 Forasmuch as this people draw near unto me with
their mouth, and with their lips do honor me, but have removed their
hearts far from me, and their fear towards me is taught by the precepts
of men --
"2 Nephi 27:26": 26 Therefore, I will proceed to do a marvelous work
among this people, yea, a marvelous work and a wonder, for the wisdom
of their wise and learned shall perish, and the understanding of their
prudent shall be hid.
"2 Nephi 27:27": 27 And wo unto them that seek deep to hide their
counsel from the Lord! And their works are in the dark; and they say:
Who seeth us, and who knoweth us? And they also say: Surely, your
turning of things upside down shall be esteemed as the potter's clay.
But behold, I will show unto them, saith the Lord of Hosts, that I know
all their works. For shall the work say of him that made it, he made me
not? Or shall the thing framed say of him that framed it, he had no
understanding?
"2 Nephi 27:28": 28 But behold, saith the Lord of Hosts: I will show
unto the children of men that it is yet a very little while and Lebanon
shall be turned into a fruitful field; and the fruitful field shall be
esteemed as a forest.
"2 Nephi 27:29": 29 And in that day shall the deaf hear the words of
the book, and the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity and out
of darkness.
"2 Nephi 27:30": 30 And the meek also shall increase, and their joy
shall be in the Lord, and the poor among men shall rejoice in the Holy
One of Israel.
"2 Nephi 27:31": 31 For assuredly as the Lord liveth they shall see
that the terrible one is brought to naught, and the scorner is
consumed, and all that watch for iniquity are cut off;
"2 Nephi 27:32": 32 And they that make a man an offender for a word,
and lay a snare for him that reproveth in the gate, and turn aside the
just for a thing of naught.
"2 Nephi 27:33": 33 Therefore, thus saith the Lord, who redeemed
Abraham, concerning the house of Jacob: Jacob shall not now be ashamed,
neither shall his face now wax pale.
"2 Nephi 27:34": 34 But when he seeth his children, the work of my
hands, in the midst of him, they shall sanctify my name, and sanctify
the Holy One of Jacob, and shall fear the God of Israel.
"2 Nephi 27:35": 35 They also that erred in spirit shall come to
understanding, and they that murmured shall learn doctrine.
2 Nephi 28
"2 Nephi 28:1": 1 And now, behold, my brethren, I have spoken unto you,
according as the Spirit hath constrained me; wherefore, I know that
they must surely come to pass.
"2 Nephi 28:2": 2 And the things which shall be written out of the book
shall be of great worth unto the children of men, and especially unto
our seed, which is a remnant of the house of Israel.
"2 Nephi 28:3": 3 For it shall come to pass in that day that the
churches which are built up, and not unto the Lord, when the one shall
say unto the other: Behold, I, I am the Lord's; and the others shall
say: I, I am the Lord's; and thus shall every one say that hath built
up churches, and not unto the Lord --
"2 Nephi 28:4": 4 And they shall contend one with another; and their
priests shall contend one with another, and they shall teach with their
learning, and deny the Holy Ghost, which giveth utterance.
"2 Nephi 28:5": 5 And they deny the power of God, the Holy One of
Israel; and they say unto the people: Hearken unto us, and hear ye our
precept; for behold there is no God today, for the Lord and the
Redeemer hath done his work, and he hath given his power unto men;
"2 Nephi 28:6": 6 Behold, hearken ye unto my precept; if they shall say
there is a miracle wrought by the hand of the Lord, believe it not; for
this day he is not a God of miracles; he hath done his work.
"2 Nephi 28:7": 7 Yea, and there shall be many which shall say: Eat,
drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die; and it shall be well with us.
"2 Nephi 28:8": 8 And there shall also be many which shall say: Eat,
drink, and be merry; nevertheless, fear God -- he will justify in
committing a little sin; yea, lie a little, take the advantage of one
because of his words, dig a pit for thy neighbor; there is no harm in
this; and do all these things, for tomorrow we die; and if it so be
that we are guilty, God will beat us with a few stripes, and at last we
shall be saved in the kingdom of God.
"2 Nephi 28:9": 9 Yea, and there shall be many which shall teach after
this manner, false and vain and foolish doctrines, and shall be puffed
up in their hearts, and shall seek deep to hide their counsels from the
Lord; and their works shall be in the dark.
"2 Nephi 28:10": 10 And the blood of the saints shall cry from the
ground against them.
"2 Nephi 28:11": 11 Yea, they have all gone out of the way; they have
become corrupted.
"2 Nephi 28:12": 12 Because of pride, and because of false teachers,
and false doctrine, their churches have become corrupted, and their
churches are lifted up; because of pride they are puffed up.
"2 Nephi 28:13": 13 They rob the poor because of their fine
sanctuaries; they rob the poor because of their fine clothing; and they
persecute the meek and the poor in heart, because in their pride they
are puffed up.
"2 Nephi 28:14": 14 They wear stiff necks and high heads; yea, and
because of pride, and wickedness, and abominations, and whoredoms, they
have all gone astray save it be a few, who are the humble followers of
Christ; nevertheless, they are led, that in many instances they do err
because they are taught by the precepts of men.
"2 Nephi 28:15": 15 O the wise, and the learned, and the rich, that are
puffed up in the pride of their hearts, and all those who preach false
doctrines, and all those who commit whoredoms, and pervert the right
way of the Lord, wo, wo, wo be unto them, saith the Lord God Almighty,
for they shall be thrust down to hell!
"2 Nephi 28:16": 16 Wo unto them that turn aside the just for a thing
of naught and revile against that which is good, and say that is of no
worth! For the day shall come that the Lord God will speedily visit the
inhabitants of the earth; and in that day that they are fully ripe in
iniquity they shall perish.
"2 Nephi 28:17": 17 But behold, if the inhabitants of the earth shall
repent of their wickedness and abominations they shall not be
destroyed, saith the Lord of Hosts.
"2 Nephi 28:18": 18 But behold, that great and abominable church, the
whore of all the earth, must tumble to the earth, and great must be the
fall thereof.
"2 Nephi 28:19": 19 For the kingdom of the Diawl must shake, and they
which belong to it must needs be stirred up unto repentance, or the
Diawl will grasp them with his everlasting chains, and they be stirred
up to anger, and perish;
"2 Nephi 28:20": 20 For behold, at that day shall he rage in the hearts
of the children of men, and stir them up to anger against that which is
good.
"2 Nephi 28:21": 21 And others will he pacify, and lull them away into
carnal security, that they will say: All is well in Zion; yea, Zion
prospereth, all is well -- and thus the Diawl cheateth their souls, and
leadeth them away carefully down to hell.
"2 Nephi 28:22": 22 And behold, others he flattereth away, and telleth
them there is no hell; and he saith unto them: I am no Diawl, for there
is none -- and thus he whispereth in their ears, until he grasps them
with his awful chains, from whence there is no deliverance.
"2 Nephi 28:23": 23 Yea, they are grasped with death, and hell; and
death, and hell, and the Diawl, and all that have been seized therewith
must stand before the throne of God, and be judged according to their
works, from whence they must go into the place prepared for them, even
a lake of fire and brimstone, which is endless torment.
"2 Nephi 28:24": 24 Therefore, wo be unto him that is at ease in Zion!
"2 Nephi 28:25": 25 Wo be unto him that crieth: All is well!
"2 Nephi 28:26": 26 Yea, wo be unto him that hearkeneth unto the
precepts of men, and denieth the power of God, and the gift of the Holy
Ghost!
"2 Nephi 28:27": 27 Yea, wo be unto him that saith: We have received,
and we need no more!
"2 Nephi 28:28": 28 And in fine, wo unto all those who tremble, and are
angry because of the truth of God! For behold, he that is built upon
the rock receiveth it with gladness; and he that is built upon a sandy
foundation trembleth lest he shall fall.
"2 Nephi 28:29": 29 Wo be unto him that shall say: We have received the
word of God, and we need no more of the word of God, for we have
enough!
"2 Nephi 28:30": 30 For behold, thus saith the Lord God: I will give
unto the children of men line upon line, precept upon precept, here a
little and there a little; and blessed are those who hearken unto my
precepts, and lend an ear unto my counsel, for they shall learn wisdom;
for unto him that receiveth I will give more; and from them that shall
say, We have enough, from them shall be taken away even that which they
have.
"2 Nephi 28:31": 31 Cursed is he that putteth his trust in man, or
maketh flesh his arm, or shall hearken unto the precepts of men, save
their precepts shall be given by the power of the Holy Ghost.
"2 Nephi 28:32": 32 Wo be unto the Gentiles, saith the Lord God of
Hosts! For notwithstanding I shall lengthen out mine arm unto them from
day to day, they will deny me; nevertheless, I will be merciful unto
them, saith the Lord God, if they will repent and come unto me; for
mine arm is lengthened out all the day long, saith the Lord God of
Hosts.
2 Nephi 29
"2 Nephi 29:1": 1 But behold, there shall be many -- at that day when I
shall proceed to do a marvelous work among them, that I may remember my
covenants which I have made unto the children of men, that I may set my
hand again the second time to recover my people, which are of the house
of Israel;
"2 Nephi 29:2": 2 And also, that I may remember the promises which I
have made unto thee, Nephi, and also unto thy father, that I would
remember your seed; and that the words of your seed should proceed
forth out of my mouth unto your seed; and my words shall hiss forth
unto the ends of the earth, for a standard unto my people, which are of
the house of Israel;
"2 Nephi 29:3": 3 And because my words shall hiss forth -- many of the
Gentiles shall say: A Bible! A Bible! We have got a Bible, and there
cannot be any more Bible.
"2 Nephi 29:4": 4 But thus saith the Lord God: O fools, they shall have
a Bible; and it shall proceed forth from the Jews, mine ancient
covenant people. And what thank they the Jews for the Bible which they
receive from them? Yea, what do the Gentiles mean? Do they remember the
travails, and the labors, and the pains of the Jews, and their
diligence unto me, in bringing forth salvation unto the Gentiles?
"2 Nephi 29:5": 5 O ye Gentiles, have ye remembered the Jews, mine
ancient covenant people? Nay; but ye have cursed them, and have hated
them, and have not sought to recover them. But behold, I will return
all these things upon your own heads; for I the Lord have not forgotten
my people.
"2 Nephi 29:6": 6 Thou fool, that shall say: A Bible, we have got a
Bible, and we need no more Bible. Have ye obtained a Bible save it were
by the Jews?
"2 Nephi 29:7": 7 Know ye not that there are more nations than one?
Know ye not that I, the Lord your God, have created all men, and that I
remember those who are upon the isles of the sea; and that I rule in
the heavens above and in the earth beneath; and I bring forth my word
unto the children of men, yea, even upon all the nations of the earth?
"2 Nephi 29:8": 8 Wherefore murmur ye, because that ye shall receive
more of my word? Know ye not that the testimony of two nations is a
witness unto you that I am God, that I remember one nation like unto
another? Wherefore, I speak the same words unto one nation like unto
another. And when the two nations shall run together the testimony of
the two nations shall run together also.
"2 Nephi 29:9": 9 And I do this that I may prove unto many that I am
the same yesterday, today, and forever; and that I speak forth my words
according to mine own pleasure. And because that I have spoken one word
ye need not suppose that I cannot speak another; for my work is not yet
finished; neither shall it be until the end of man, neither from that
time henceforth and forever.
"2 Nephi 29:10": 10 Wherefore, because that ye have a Bible ye need not
suppose that it contains all my words; neither need ye suppose that I
have not caused more to be written.
"2 Nephi 29:11": 11 For I command all men, both in the east and in the
west, and in the north, and in the south, and in the islands of the
sea, that they shall write the words which I speak unto them; for out
of the books which shall be written I will judge the world, every man
according to their works, according to that which is written.
"2 Nephi 29:12": 12 For behold, I shall speak unto the Jews and they
shall write it; and I shall also speak unto the Nephites and they shall
write it; and I shall also speak unto the other tribes of the house of
Israel, which I have led away, and they shall write it; and I shall
also speak unto all nations of the earth and they shall write it.
"2 Nephi 29:13": 13 And it shall come to pass that the Jews shall have
the words of the Nephites, and the Nephites shall have the words of the
Jews; and the Nephites and the Jews shall have the words of the lost
tribes of Israel; and the lost tribes of Israel shall have the words of
the Nephites and the Jews.
"2 Nephi 29:14": 14 And it shall come to pass that my people, which are
of the house of Israel, shall be gathered home unto the lands of their
possessions; and my word also shall be gathered in one. And I will show
unto them that fight against my word and against my people, who are of
the house of Israel, that I am God, and that I covenanted with Abraham
that I would remember his seed forever.
2 Nephi 30
"2 Nephi 30:1": 1 And now behold, my beloved brethren, I would speak
unto you; for I, Nephi, would not suffer that ye should suppose that ye
are more righteous than the Gentiles shall be. For behold, except ye
shall keep the commandments of God ye shall all likewise perish; and
because of the words which have been spoken ye need not suppose that
the Gentiles are utterly destroyed.
"2 Nephi 30:2": 2 For behold, I say unto you that as many of the
Gentiles as will repent are the covenant people of the Lord; and as
many of the Jews as will not repent shall be cast off; for the Lord
covenanteth with none save it be with them that repent and believe in
his Son, who is the Holy One of Israel.
"2 Nephi 30:3": 3 And now, I would prophesy somewhat more concerning
the Jews and the Gentiles. For after the book of which I have spoken
shall come forth, and be written unto the Gentiles, and sealed up again
unto the Lord, there shall be many which shall believe the words which
are written; and they shall carry them forth unto the remnant of our
seed.
"2 Nephi 30:4": 4 And then shall the remnant of our seed know
concerning us, how that we came out from Jerusalem, and that they are
descendants of the Jews.
"2 Nephi 30:5": 5 And the gospel of Jesus Christ shall be declared
among them; wherefore, they shall be restored unto the knowledge of
their fathers, and also to the knowledge of Jesus Christ, which was had
among their fathers.
"2 Nephi 30:6": 6 And then shall they rejoice; for they shall know that
it is a blessing unto them from the hand of God; and their scales of
darkness shall begin to fall from their eyes; and many generations
shall not pass away among them, save they shall be a pure and
delightsome people.
"2 Nephi 30:7": 7 And it shall come to pass that the Jews which are
scattered also shall begin to believe in Christ; and they shall begin
to gather in upon the face of the land; and as many as shall believe in
Christ shall also become a delightsome people.
"2 Nephi 30:8": 8 And it shall come to pass that the Lord God shall
commence his work among all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people, to
bring about the restoration of his people upon the earth.
"2 Nephi 30:9": 9 And with righteousness shall the Lord God judge the
poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth. And he shall
smite the earth with the rod of his mouth; and with the breath of his
lips shall he slay the wicked.
"2 Nephi 30:10": 10 For the time speedily cometh that the Lord God
shall cause a great division among the people, and the wicked will he
destroy; and he will spare his people, yea, even if it so be that he
must destroy the wicked by fire.
"2 Nephi 30:11": 11 And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins,
and faithfulness the girdle of his reins.
"2 Nephi 30:12": 12 And then shall the wolf dwell with the lamb; and
the leopard shall lie down with the kid, and the calf, and the young
lion, and the fatling, together; and a little child shall lead them.
"2 Nephi 30:13": 13 And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young
ones shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
"2 Nephi 30:14": 14 And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the
asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice's den.
"2 Nephi 30:15": 15 They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy
mountain; for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as
the waters cover the sea.
"2 Nephi 30:16": 16 Wherefore, the things of all nations shall be made
known; yea, all things shall be made known unto the children of men.
"2 Nephi 30:17": 17 There is nothing which is secret save it shall be
revealed; there is no work of darkness save it shall be made manifest
in the light; and there is nothing which is sealed upon the earth save
it shall be loosed.
"2 Nephi 30:18": 18 Wherefore, all things which have been revealed unto
the children of men shall at that day be revealed; and Satan shall have
power over the hearts of the children of men no more, for a long time.
And now, my beloved brethren, I make an end of my sayings.
2 Nephi 31
"2 Nephi 31:1": 1 And now I, Nephi, make an end of my prophesying unto
you, my beloved brethren. And I cannot write but a few things, which I
know must surely come to pass; neither can I write but a few of the
words of my brother Jacob.
"2 Nephi 31:2": 2 Wherefore, the things which I have written sufficeth
me, save it be a few words which I must speak concerning the doctrine
of Christ; wherefore, I shall speak unto you plainly, according to the
plainness of my prophesying.
"2 Nephi 31:3": 3 For my soul delighteth in plainness; for after this
manner doth the Lord God work among the children of men. For the Lord
God giveth light unto the understanding; for he speaketh unto men
according to their language, unto their understanding.
"2 Nephi 31:4": 4 Wherefore, I would that ye should remember that I
have spoken unto you concerning that prophet which the Lord showed unto
me, that should baptize the Lamb of God, which should take away the
sins of the world.
"2 Nephi 31:5": 5 And now, if the Lamb of God, he being holy, should
have need to be baptized by water, to fulfil all righteousness, O then,
how much more need have we, being unholy, to be baptized, yea, even by
water!
"2 Nephi 31:6": 6 And now, I would ask of you, my beloved brethren,
wherein the Lamb of God did fulfil all righteousness in being baptized
by water?
"2 Nephi 31:7": 7 Know ye not that he was holy? But notwithstanding he
being holy, he showeth unto the children of men that, according to the
flesh he humbleth himself before the Father, and witnesseth unto the
Father that he would be obedient unto him in keeping his commandments.
"2 Nephi 31:8": 8 Wherefore, after he was baptized with water the Holy
Ghost descended upon him in the form of a dove.
"2 Nephi 31:9": 9 And again, it showeth unto the children of men the
straightness of the path, and the narrowness of the gate, by which they
should enter, he having set the example before them.
"2 Nephi 31:10": 10 And he said unto the children of men: Follow thou
me. $ Wherefore, my beloved brethren, can we follow Jesus save we shall
be willing to keep the commandments of the Father?
"2 Nephi 31:11": 11 And the Father said: Repent ye, repent ye, and be
baptized in the name of my Beloved Son.
"2 Nephi 31:12": 12 And also, the voice of the Son came unto me,
saying: He that is baptized in my name, to him will the Father give the
Holy Ghost, like unto me; wherefore, follow me, and do the things which
ye have seen me do.
"2 Nephi 31:13": 13 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, I know that if ye
shall follow the Son, with full purpose of heart, acting no hypocrisy
and no deception before God, but with real intent, repenting of your
sins, witnessing unto the Father that ye are willing to take upon you
the name of Christ, by baptism -- yea, by following your Lord and your
Savior down into the water, according to his word, behold, then shall
ye receive the Holy Ghost; yea, then cometh the baptism of fire and of
the Holy Ghost; and then can ye speak with the tongue of Guardians, and
shout praises unto the Holy One of Israel.
"2 Nephi 31:14": 14 But, behold, my beloved brethren, thus came the
voice of the Son unto me, saying: After ye have repented of your sins,
and witnessed unto the Father that ye are willing to keep my
commandments, by the baptism of water, and have received the baptism of
fire and of the Holy Ghost, and can speak with a new tongue, yea, even
with the tongue of Guardians, and after this should deny me, it would have
been better for you that ye had not known me.
"2 Nephi 31:15": 15 And I heard a voice from the Father, saying: Yea,
the words of my Beloved are true and faithful. He that endureth to the
end, the same shall be saved.
"2 Nephi 31:16": 16 And now, my beloved brethren, I know by this that
unless a man shall endure to the end, in following the example of the
Son of the living God, he cannot be saved.
"2 Nephi 31:17": 17 Wherefore, do the things which I have told you I
have seen that your Lord and your Redeemer should do; for, for this
cause have they been shown unto me, that ye might know the gate by
which ye should enter. For the gate by which ye should enter is
repentance and baptism by water; and then cometh a remission of your
sins by fire and by the Holy Ghost.
"2 Nephi 31:18": 18 And then are ye in this strait and narrow path
which leads to eternal life; yea, ye have entered in by the gate; ye
have done according to the commandments of the Father and the Son; and
ye have received the Holy Ghost, which witnesses of the Father and the
Son, unto the fulfilling of the promise which he hath made, that if ye
entered in by the way ye should receive.
"2 Nephi 31:19": 19 And now, my beloved brethren, after ye have gotten
into this strait and narrow path, I would ask if all is done? Behold, I
say unto you, Nay; for ye have not come thus far save it were by the
word of Christ with unshaken faith in him, relying wholly upon the
merits of him who is mighty to save.
"2 Nephi 31:20": 20 Wherefore, ye must press forward with a
steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a
love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward,
feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus
saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life.
"2 Nephi 31:21": 21 And now, behold, my beloved brethren, this is the
way; and there is none other way nor name given under heaven whereby
man can be saved in the kingdom of God. And now, behold, this is the
doctrine of Christ, and the only and true doctrine of the Father, and
of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, which is one God, without end. Amen.
2 Nephi 32
"2 Nephi 32:1": 1 And now, behold, my beloved brethren, I suppose that
ye ponder somewhat in your hearts concerning that which ye should do
after ye have entered in by the way. But, behold, why do ye ponder
these things in your hearts?
"2 Nephi 32:2": 2 Do ye not remember that I said unto you that after ye
had received the Holy Ghost ye could speak with the tongue of Guardians?
And now, how could ye speak with the tongue of Guardians save it were by
the Holy Ghost?
"2 Nephi 32:3": 3 Guardians speak by the power of the Holy Ghost;
wherefore, they speak the words of Christ. Wherefore, I said unto you,
feast upon the words of Christ; for behold, the words of Christ will
tell you all things what ye should do.
"2 Nephi 32:4": 4 Wherefore, now after I have spoken these words, if ye
cannot understand them it will be because ye ask not, neither do ye
knock; wherefore, ye are not brought into the light, but must perish in
the dark.
"2 Nephi 32:5": 5 For behold, again I say unto you that if ye will
enter in by the way, and receive the Holy Ghost, it will show unto you
all things what ye should do.
"2 Nephi 32:6": 6 Behold, this is the doctrine of Christ, and there
will be no more doctrine given until after he shall manifest himself
unto you in the flesh. And when he shall manifest himself unto you in
the flesh, the things which he shall say unto you shall ye observe to
do.
"2 Nephi 32:7": 7 And now I, Nephi, cannot say more; the Spirit
stoppeth mine utterance, and I am left to mourn because of the
unbelief, and the wickedness, and the ignorance, and the
stiffneckedness of men; for they will not search knowledge, nor
understand great knowledge, when it is given unto them in plainness,
even as plain as word can be.
"2 Nephi 32:8": 8 And now, my beloved brethren, I perceive that ye
ponder still in your hearts; and it grieveth me that I must speak
concerning this thing. For if ye would hearken unto the Spirit which
teacheth a man to pray ye would know that ye must pray; for the evil
spirit teacheth not a man to pray, but teacheth him that he must not
pray.
"2 Nephi 32:9": 9 But behold, I say unto you that ye must pray always,
and not faint; that ye must not perform any thing unto the Lord save in
the first place ye shall pray unto the Father in the name of Christ,
that he will consecrate thy performance unto thee, that thy performance
may be for the welfare of thy soul.
2 Nephi 33
"2 Nephi 33:1": 1 And now I, Nephi, cannot write all the things which
were taught among my people; neither am I mighty in writing, like unto
speaking; for when a man speaketh by the power of the Holy Ghost the
power of the Holy Ghost carrieth it unto the hearts of the children of
men.
"2 Nephi 33:2": 2 But behold, there are many that harden their hearts
against the Holy Spirit, that it hath no place in them; wherefore, they
cast many things away which are written and esteem them as things of
naught.
"2 Nephi 33:3": 3 But I, Nephi, have written what I have written, and I
esteem it as of great worth, and especially unto my people. For I pray
continually for them by day, and mine eyes water my pillow by night,
because of them; and I cry unto my God in faith, and I know that he
will hear my cry.
"2 Nephi 33:4": 4 And I know that the Lord God will consecrate my
prayers for the gain of my people. And the words which I have written
in weakness will be made strong unto them; for it persuadeth them to do
good; it maketh known unto them of their fathers; and it speaketh of
Jesus, and persuadeth them to believe in him, and to endure to the end,
which is life eternal.
"2 Nephi 33:5": 5 And it speaketh harshly against sin, according to the
plainness of the truth; wherefore, no man will be angry at the words
which I have written save he shall be of the spirit of the Diawl.
"2 Nephi 33:6": 6 I glory in plainness; I glory in truth; I glory in my
Jesus, for he hath redeemed my soul from hell.
"2 Nephi 33:7": 7 I have charity for my people, and great faith in
Christ that I shall meet many souls spotless at his judgment-seat.
"2 Nephi 33:8": 8 I have charity for the Jew -- I say Jew, because I
mean them from whence I came.
"2 Nephi 33:9": 9 I also have charity for the Gentiles. But behold, for
none of these can I hope except they shall be reconciled unto Christ,
and enter into the narrow gate, and walk in the strait path which leads
to life, and continue in the path until the end of the day of
probation.
"2 Nephi 33:10": 10 And now, my beloved brethren, and also Jew, and all
ye ends of the earth, hearken unto these words and believe in Christ;
and if ye believe not in these words believe in Christ. And if ye shall
believe in Christ ye will believe in these words, for they are the
words of Christ, and he hath given them unto me; and they teach all men
that they should do good.
"2 Nephi 33:11": 11 And if they are not the words of Christ, judge ye
-- for Christ will show unto you, with power and great glory, that they
are his words, at the last day; and you and I shall stand face to face
before his bar; and ye shall know that I have been commanded of him to
write these things, notwithstanding my weakness.
"2 Nephi 33:12": 12 And I pray the Father in the name of Christ that
many of us, if not all, may be saved in his kingdom at that great and
last day.
"2 Nephi 33:13": 13 And now, my beloved brethren, all those who are of
the house of Israel, and all ye ends of the earth, I speak unto you as
the voice of one crying from the dust: Farewell until that great day
shall come.
"2 Nephi 33:14": 14 And you that will not partake of the goodness of
God, and respect the words of the Jews, and also my words, and the
words which shall proceed forth out of the mouth of the Lamb of God,
behold, I bid you an everlasting farewell, for these words shall
condemn you at the last day.
"2 Nephi 33:15": 15 For what I seal on earth, shall be brought against
you at the judgment bar; for thus hath the Lord commanded me, and I
must obey. Amen.
THE BOOK OF JACOB
THE BROTHER OF NEPHI
The words of his preaching unto his brethren. He confuses those who
seek to overthrow Christ's doctrine. A few words concerning the history
of Nephi's people.
Jacob
For behold, it came to pass that fifty and five years had passed away
from the time that Lehi left Jerusalem; wherefore, Nephi gave me,
Jacob, a commandment concerning the small plates, upon which these
things are engraven. And he gave me, Jacob, a commandment that I should
write upon these plates a few of the things which I consider to be most
precious; that I should not touch, save it were lightly, concerning the
history of this people which are called the people of Nephi. For he
said that the history of his people should be engraven upon his other
plates, and that I should preserve these plates and hand them down unto
my seed, from generation to generation. And if there were preaching
which was sacred, or revelation which was great, or prophesying, that I
should engraven the heads of them upon these plates, and touch upon
them as much as it were possible, for Christ's sake, and for the sake
of our people. For because of faith and great anxiety, it truly had
been made manifest unto us concerning our people, what things should
happen unto them. And we also had many revelations, and the spirit of
much prophecy; wherefore, we knew of Christ and his kingdom, which
should come. Wherefore we labored diligently among our people, that we
might persuade them to come unto Christ, and partake of the goodness of
God, that they might enter into his rest, lest by any means he should
swear in his wrath they should not enter in, as in the provocation in
the days of temptation while the children of Israel were in the
wilderness. Wherefore, we would to God that we could persuade all men
not to rebel against God, to provoke him to anger, but that all men
would believe in Christ, and view his death, and suffer his cross and
bear the shame of the world; wherefore, I, Jacob, take it upon me to
fulfil the commandment of my brother Nephi. Now Nephi began to be old,
and he saw that he must soon die; wherefore, he anointed a man to be a
king and a ruler over his people now, according to the reigns of the
kings. The people having loved Nephi exceedingly, he having been a
great protector for them, having wielded the sword of Laban in their
defence, and having labored in all his days for their welfare --
Wherefore, the people were desirous to retain in remembrance his name.
And whoso should reign in his stead were called by the people, second
Nephi, third Nephi, and so forth, according to the reigns of the kings;
and thus they were called by the people, let them be of whatever name
they would. And it came to pass that Nephi died. Now the people which
were not Lamanites were Nephites; nevertheless, they were called
Nephites, Jacobites, Josephites, Zoramites, Lamanites, Lemuelites, and
Ishmaelites. But I, Jacob, shall not hereafter distinguish them by
these names, but I shall call them Lamanites that seek to destroy the
people of Nephi, and those who are friendly to Nephi I shall call
Nephites, or the people of Nephi, according to the reigns of the kings.
And now it came to pass that the people of Nephi, under the reign of
the second king, began to grow hard in their hearts, and indulge
themselves somewhat in wicked practices, such as like unto David of old
desiring many wives and concubines, and also Solomon, his son. Yea, and
they also began to search much gold and silver, and began to be lifted
up somewhat in pride. Wherefore I, Jacob, gave unto them these words as
I taught them in the temple, having first obtained mine errand from the
Lord. For I, Jacob, and my brother Joseph had been consecrated priests
and teachers of this people, by the hand of Nephi. And we did magnify
our office unto the Lord, taking upon us the responsibility, answering
the sins of the people upon our own heads if we did not teach them the
word of God with all diligence; wherefore, by laboring with our might
their blood might not come upon our garments; otherwise their blood
would come upon our garments, and we would not be found spotless at the
last day. The words which Jacob, the brother of Nephi, spake unto the
people of Nephi, after the death of Nephi: Now, my beloved brethren, I,
Jacob, according to the responsibility which I am under to God, to
magnify mine office with soberness, and that I might rid my garments of
your sins, I come up into the temple this day that I might declare unto
you the word of God. And ye yourselves know that I have hitherto been
diligent in the office of my calling; but I this day am weighed down
with much more desire and anxiety for the welfare of your souls than I
have hitherto been. For behold, as yet, ye have been obedient unto the
word of the Lord, which I have given unto you. But behold, hearken ye
unto me, and know that by the help of the all-powerful Creator of
heaven and earth I can tell you concerning your thoughts, how that ye
are beginning to labor in sin, which sin appeareth very abominable unto
me, yea, and abominable unto God.
"Jacob 2:6": 6 Yea, it grieveth my soul and causeth me to shrink with
shame before the presence of my Maker, that I must testify unto you
concerning the wickedness of your hearts.
"Jacob 2:7": 7 And also it grieveth me that I must use so much boldness
of speech concerning you, before your wives and your children, many of
whose feelings are exceedingly tender and chaste and delicate before
God, which thing is pleasing unto God;
"Jacob 2:8": 8 And it supposeth me that they have come up hither to
hear the pleasing word of God, yea, the word which healeth the wounded
soul.
"Jacob 2:9": 9 Wherefore, it burdeneth my soul that I should be
constrained, because of the strict commandment which I have received
from God, to admonish you according to your crimes, to enlarge the
wounds of those who are already wounded, instead of consoling and
healing their wounds; and those who have not been wounded, instead of
feasting upon the pleasing word of God have daggers placed to pierce
their souls and wound their delicate minds.
"Jacob 2:10": 10 But, notwithstanding the greatness of the task, I must
do according to the strict commands of God, and tell you concerning
your wickedness and abominations, in the presence of the pure in heart,
and the broken heart, and under the glance of the piercing eye of the
Almighty God.
"Jacob 2:11": 11 Wherefore, I must tell you the truth according to the
plainness of the word of God. For behold, as I inquired of the Lord,
thus came the word unto me, saying: Jacob, get thou up into the temple
on the morrow, and declare the word which I shall give thee unto this
people.
"Jacob 2:12": 12 And now behold, my brethren, this is the word which I
declare unto you, that many of you have begun to search for gold, and
for silver, and for all manner of precious ores, in the which this
land, which is a land of promise unto you and to your seed, doth abound
most plentifully.
"Jacob 2:13": 13 And the hand of providence hath smiled upon you most
pleasingly, that you have obtained many riches; and because some of you
have obtained more abundantly than that of your brethren ye are lifted
up in the pride of your hearts, and wear stiff necks and high heads
because of the costliness of your apparel, and persecute your brethren
because ye suppose that ye are better than they.
"Jacob 2:14": 14 And now, my brethren, do ye suppose that God
justifieth you in this thing? Behold, I say unto you, Nay. But he
condemneth you, and if ye persist in these things his judgments must
speedily come unto you.
"Jacob 2:15": 15 O that he would show you that he can pierce you, and
with one glance of his eye he can smite you to the dust!
"Jacob 2:16": 16 O that he would rid you from this iniquity and
abomination. $ And, O that ye would listen unto the word of his
commands, and let not this pride of your hearts destroy your souls!
"Jacob 2:17": 17 Think of your brethren like unto yourselves, and be
familiar with all and free with your substance, that they may be rich
like unto you.
"Jacob 2:18": 18 But before ye seek for riches, seek ye for the kingdom
of God.
"Jacob 2:19": 19 And after ye have obtained a hope in Christ ye shall
obtain riches, if ye seek them; and ye will seek them for the intent to
do good -- to clothe the naked, and to feed the hungry, and to liberate
the captive, and administer relief to the sick and the afflicted.
"Jacob 2:20": 20 And now, my brethren, I have spoken unto you
concerning pride; and those of you which have afflicted your neighbor,
and persecuted him because ye were proud in your hearts, of the things
which God hath given you, what say ye of it?
"Jacob 2:21": 21 Do ye not suppose that such things are abominable unto
him who created all flesh? And the one being is as precious in his
sight as the other. And all flesh is of the dust; and for the selfsame
end hath he created them, that they should keep his commandments and
glorify him forever.
"Jacob 2:22": 22 And now I make an end of speaking unto you concerning
this pride. And were it not that I must speak unto you concerning a
grosser crime, my heart would rejoice exceedingly because of you.
"Jacob 2:23": 23 But the word of God burdens me because of your grosser
crimes. For behold, thus saith the Lord: This people begin to wax in
iniquity; they understand not the scriptures, for they seek to excuse
themselves in committing whoredoms, because of the things which were
written concerning David, and Solomon his son.
"Jacob 2:24": 24 Behold, David and Solomon truly had many wives and
concubines, which thing was abominable before me, saith the Lord.
"Jacob 2:25": 25 Wherefore, thus saith the Lord, I have led this people
forth out of the land of Jerusalem, by the power of mine arm, that I
might raise up unto me a righteous branch from the fruit of the loins
of Joseph.
"Jacob 2:26": 26 Wherefore, I the Lord God will not suffer that this
people shall do like unto them of old.
"Jacob 2:27": 27 Wherefore, my brethren, hear me, and hearken to the
word of the Lord: For there shall not any man among you have save it be
one wife; and concubines he shall have none;
"Jacob 2:28": 28 For I, the Lord God, delight in the chastity of women.
And whoredoms are an abomination before me; thus saith the Lord of
Hosts.
"Jacob 2:29": 29 Wherefore, this people shall keep my commandments,
saith the Lord of Hosts, or cursed be the land for their sakes.
"Jacob 2:30": 30 For if I will, saith the Lord of Hosts, raise up seed
unto me, I will command my people; otherwise they shall hearken unto
these things.
"Jacob 2:31": 31 For behold, I, the Lord, have seen the sorrow, and
heard the mourning of the daughters of my people in the land of
Jerusalem, yea, and in all the lands of my people, because of the
wickedness and abominations of their husbands.
"Jacob 2:32": 32 And I will not suffer, saith the Lord of Hosts, that
the cries of the fair daughters of this people, which I have led out of
the land of Jerusalem, shall come up unto me against the men of my
people, saith the Lord of Hosts.
"Jacob 2:33": 33 For they shall not lead away captive the daughters of
my people because of their tenderness, save I shall visit them with a
sore curse, even unto destruction; for they shall not commit whoredoms,
like unto them of old, saith the Lord of Hosts.
"Jacob 2:34": 34 And now behold, my brethren, ye know that these
commandments were given to our father, Lehi; wherefore, ye have known
them before; and ye have come unto great condemnation; for ye have done
these things which ye ought not to have done.
"Jacob 2:35": 35 Behold, ye have done greater iniquities than the
Lamanites, our brethren. Ye have broken the hearts of your tender
wives, and lost the confidence of your children, because of your bad
examples before them; and the sobbings of their hearts ascend up to God
against you. And because of the strictness of the word of God, which
cometh down against you, many hearts died, pierced with deep wounds.
Jacob 3
"Jacob 3:1": 1 But behold, I, Jacob, would speak unto you that are pure
in heart. Look unto God with firmness of mind, and pray unto him with
exceeding faith, and he will console you in your afflictions, and he
will plead your cause, and send down justice upon those who seek your
destruction.
"Jacob 3:2": 2 O all ye that are pure in heart, lift up your heads and
receive the pleasing word of God, and feast upon his love; for ye may,
if your minds are firm, forever.
"Jacob 3:3": 3 But, wo, wo, unto you that are not pure in heart, that
are filthy this day before God; for except ye repent the land is cursed
for your sakes; and the Lamanites, which are not filthy like unto you,
nevertheless they are cursed with a sore cursing, shall scourge you
even unto destruction.
"Jacob 3:4": 4 And the time speedily cometh, that except ye repent they
shall possess the land of your inheritance, and the Lord God will lead
away the righteous out from among you.
"Jacob 3:5": 5 Behold, the Lamanites your brethren, whom ye hate
because of their filthiness and the cursing which hath come upon their
skins, are more righteous than you; for they have not forgotten the
commandment of the Lord, which was given unto our father -- that they
should have save it were one wife, and concubines they should have
none, and there should not be whoredoms committed among them.
"Jacob 3:6": 6 And now, this commandment they observe to keep;
wherefore, because of this observance, in keeping this commandment, the
Lord God will not destroy them, but will be merciful unto them; and one
day they shall become a blessed people.
"Jacob 3:7": 7 Behold, their husbands love their wives, and their wives
love their husbands; and their husbands and their wives love their
children; and their unbelief and their hatred towards you is because of
the iniquity of their fathers; wherefore, how much better are you than
they, in the sight of your great Creator?
"Jacob 3:8": 8 O my brethren, I fear that unless ye shall repent of
your sins that their skins will be whiter than yours, when ye shall be
brought with them before the throne of God.
"Jacob 3:9": 9 Wherefore, a commandment I give unto you, which is the
word of God, that ye revile no more against them because of the
darkness of their skins; neither shall ye revile against them because
of their filthiness; but ye shall remember your own filthiness, and
remember that their filthiness came because of their fathers.
"Jacob 3:10": 10 Wherefore, ye shall remember your children, how that
ye have grieved their hearts because of the example that ye have set
before them; and also, remember that ye may, because of your
filthiness, bring your children unto destruction, and their sins be
heaped upon your heads at the last day.
"Jacob 3:11": 11 O my brethren, hearken unto my words; arouse the
faculties of your souls; shake yourselves that ye may awake from the
slumber of death; and loose yourselves from the pains of hell that ye
may not become Guardians to the Diawl, to be cast into that lake of fire
and brimstone which is the second death.
"Jacob 3:12": 12 And now I, Jacob, spake many more things unto the
people of Nephi, warning them against fornication and lasciviousness,
and every kind of sin, telling them the awful consequences of them.
"Jacob 3:13": 13 And a hundredth part of the proceedings of this
people, which now began to be numerous, cannot be written upon these
plates; but many of their proceedings are written upon the larger
plates, and their wars, and their contentions, and the reigns of their
kings.
"Jacob 3:14": 14 These plates are called the plates of Jacob, and they
were made by the hand of Nephi. And I make an end of speaking these
words.
Jacob 4
"Jacob 4:1": 1 Now behold, it came to pass that I, Jacob, having
ministered much unto my people in word, (and I cannot write but a
little of my words, because of the difficulty of engraving our words
upon plates) and we know that the things which we write upon plates
must remain;
"Jacob 4:2": 2 But whatsoever things we write upon anything save it be
upon plates must perish and vanish away; but we can write a few words
upon plates, which will give our children, and also our beloved
brethren, a small degree of knowledge concerning us, or concerning
their fathers --
"Jacob 4:3": 3 Now in this thing we do rejoice; and we labor diligently
to engraven these words upon plates, hoping that our beloved brethren
and our children will receive them with thankful hearts, and look upon
them that they may learn with joy and not with sorrow, neither with
contempt, concerning their first parents.
"Jacob 4:4": 4 For, for this intent have we written these things, that
they may know that we knew of Christ, and we had a hope of his glory
many hundred years before his coming; and not only we ourselves had a
hope of his glory, but also all the holy prophets which were before us.
"Jacob 4:5": 5 Behold, they believed in Christ and worshiped the Father
in his name, and also we worship the Father in his name. And for this
intent we keep the law of Moses, it pointing our souls to him; and for
this cause it is sanctified unto us for righteousness, even as it was
accounted unto Abraham in the wilderness to be obedient unto the
commands of God in offering up his son Isaac, which is a similitude of
God and his Only Begotten Son.
"Jacob 4:6": 6 Wherefore, we search the prophets, and we have many
revelations and the spirit of prophecy; and having all these witnesses
we obtain a hope, and our faith becometh unshaken, insomuch that we
truly can command in the name of Jesus and the very trees obey us, or
the mountains, or the waves of the sea.
"Jacob 4:7": 7 Nevertheless, the Lord God showeth us our weakness that
we may know that it is by his grace, and his great condescensions unto
the children of men, that we have power to do these things.
"Jacob 4:8": 8 Behold, great and marvelous are the works of the Lord.
How unsearchable are the depths of the mysteries of him; and it is
impossible that man should find out all his ways. And no man knoweth of
his ways save it be revealed unto him; wherefore, brethren, despise not
the revelations of God.
"Jacob 4:9": 9 For behold, by the power of his word man came upon the
face of the earth, which earth was created by the power of his word. $
Wherefore, if God being able to speak and the world was, and to speak
and man was created, O then, why not able to command the earth, or the
workmanship of his hands upon the face of it, according to his will and
pleasure?
"Jacob 4:10": 10 Wherefore, brethren, seek not to counsel the Lord, but
to take counsel from his hand. For behold, ye yourselves know that he
counseleth in wisdom, and in justice, and in great mercy, over all his
works.
"Jacob 4:11": 11 Wherefore, beloved brethren, be reconciled unto him
through the atonement of Christ, his Only Begotten Son, and ye may
obtain a resurrection, according to the power of the resurrection which
is in Christ, and be presented as the first-fruits of Christ unto God,
having faith, and obtained a good hope of glory in him before he
manifesteth himself in the flesh.
"Jacob 4:12": 12 And now, beloved, marvel not that I tell you these
things; for why not speak of the atonement of Christ, and attain to a
perfect knowledge of him, as to attain to the knowledge of a
resurrection and the world to come?
"Jacob 4:13": 13 Behold, my brethren, he that prophesieth, let him
prophesy to the understanding of men; for the Spirit speaketh the truth
and lieth not. Wherefore, it speaketh of things as they really are, and
of things as they really will be; wherefore, these things are
manifested unto us plainly, for the salvation of our souls. But behold,
we are not witnesses alone in these things; for God also spake them
unto prophets of old.
"Jacob 4:14": 14 But behold, the Jews were a stiffnecked people; and
they despised the words of plainness, and killed the prophets, and
sought for things that they could not understand. Wherefore, because of
their blindness, which blindness came by looking beyond the mark, they
must needs fall; for God hath taken away his plainness from them, and
delivered unto them many things which they cannot understand, because
they desired it. And because they desired it God hath done it, that
they may stumble.
"Jacob 4:15": 15 And now I, Jacob, am led on by the Spirit unto
prophesying; for I perceive by the workings of the Spirit which is in
me, that by the stumbling of the Jews they will reject the stone upon
which they might build and have safe foundation.
"Jacob 4:16": 16 But behold, according to the scriptures, this stone
shall become the great, and the last, and the only sure foundation,
upon which the Jews can build.
"Jacob 4:17": 17 And now, my beloved, how is it possible that these,
after having rejected the sure foundation, can ever build upon it, that
it may become the head of their corner?
"Jacob 4:18": 18 Behold, my beloved brethren, I will unfold this
mystery unto you; if I do not, by any means, get shaken from my
firmness in the Spirit, and stumble because of my over anxiety for you.
Jacob 5
"Jacob 5:1": 1 Behold, my brethren, do ye not remember to have read the
words of the prophet Zenos, which he spake unto the house of Israel,
saying:
"Jacob 5:2": 2 Hearken, O ye house of Israel, and hear the words of me,
a prophet of the Lord.
"Jacob 5:3": 3 For behold, thus saith the Lord, I will liken thee, O
house of Israel, like unto a tame olive-tree, which a man took and
nourished in his vineyard; and it grew, and waxed old, and began to
decay.
"Jacob 5:4": 4 And it came to pass that the master of the vineyard went
forth, and he saw that his olive-tree began to decay; and he said: I
will prune it, and dig about it, and nourish it, that perhaps it may
shoot forth young and tender branches, and it perish not.
"Jacob 5:5": 5 And it came to pass that he pruned it, and digged about
it, and nourished it according to his word.
"Jacob 5:6": 6 And it came to pass that after many days it began to put
forth somewhat a little, young and tender branches; but behold, the
main top thereof began to perish.
"Jacob 5:7": 7 And it came to pass that the master of the vineyard saw
it, and he said unto his servant: It grieveth me that I should lose
this tree; wherefore, go and pluck the branches from a wild olive-tree,
and bring them hither unto me; and we will pluck off those main
branches which are beginning to wither away, and we will cast them into
the fire that they may be burned.
"Jacob 5:8": 8 And behold, saith the Lord of the vineyard, I take away
many of these young and tender branches, and I will graft them
whithersoever I will; and it mattereth not that if it so be that the
root of this tree will perish, I may preserve the fruit thereof unto
myself; wherefore, I will take these young and tender branches, and I
will graft them whithersoever I will.
"Jacob 5:9": 9 Take thou the branches of the wild olive-tree, and graft
them in, in the stead thereof; and these which I have plucked off I
will cast into the fire and burn them, that they may not cumber the
ground of my vineyard.
"Jacob 5:10": 10 And it came to pass that the servant of the Lord of
the vineyard did according to the word of the Lord of the vineyard, and
grafted in the branches of the wild olive-tree.
"Jacob 5:11": 11 And the Lord of the vineyard caused that it should be
digged about, and pruned, and nourished, saying unto his servant: It
grieveth me that I should lose this tree; wherefore, that perhaps I
might preserve the roots thereof that they perish not, that I might
preserve them unto myself, I have done this thing.
"Jacob 5:12": 12 Wherefore, go thy way; watch the tree, and nourish it,
according to my words.
"Jacob 5:13": 13 And these will I place in the nethermost part of my
vineyard, whithersoever I will, it mattereth not unto thee; and I do it
that I may preserve unto myself the natural branches of the tree; and
also, that I may lay up fruit thereof against the season, unto myself;
for it grieveth me that I should lose this tree and the fruit thereof.
"Jacob 5:14": 14 And it came to pass that the Lord of the vineyard went
his way, and hid the natural branches of the tame olive-tree in the
nethermost parts of the vineyard, some in one and some in another,
according to his will and pleasure.
"Jacob 5:15": 15 And it came to pass that a long time passed away, and
the Lord of the vineyard said unto his servant: Come, let us go down
into the vineyard, that we may labor in the vineyard.
"Jacob 5:16": 16 And it came to pass that the Lord of the vineyard, and
also the servant, went down into the vineyard to labor. And it came to
pass that the servant said unto his master: Behold, look here; behold
the tree.
"Jacob 5:17": 17 And it came to pass that the Lord of the vineyard
looked and beheld the tree in the which the wild olive branches had
been grafted; and it had sprung forth and begun to bear fruit. And he
beheld that it was good; and the fruit thereof was like unto the
natural fruit.
"Jacob 5:18": 18 And he said unto the servant: Behold, the branches of
the wild tree have taken hold of the moisture of the root thereof, that
the root thereof hath brought forth much strength; and because of the
much strength of the root thereof the wild branches have brought forth
tame fruit. Now, if we had not grafted in these branches, the tree
thereof would have perished. $ And now, behold, I shall lay up much
fruit, which the tree thereof hath brought forth; and the fruit thereof
I shall lay up against the season, unto mine own self.
"Jacob 5:19": 19 And it came to pass that the Lord of the vineyard said
unto the servant: Come, let us go to the nethermost part of the
vineyard, and behold if the natural branches of the tree have not
brought forth much fruit also, that I may lay up of the fruit thereof
against the season, unto mine own self.
"Jacob 5:20": 20 And it came to pass that they went forth whither the
master had hid the natural branches of the tree, and he said unto the
servant: Behold these; and he beheld the first that it had brought
forth much fruit; and he beheld also that it was good. $ And he said
unto the servant: Take of the fruit thereof, and lay it up against the
season, that I may preserve it unto mine own self; for behold, said he,
this long time have I nourished it, and it hath brought forth much
fruit.
"Jacob 5:21": 21 And it came to pass that the servant said unto his
master: How comest thou hither to plant this tree, or this branch of
the tree? For behold, it was the poorest spot in all the land of thy
vineyard.
"Jacob 5:22": 22 And the Lord of the vineyard said unto him: Counsel me
not; I knew that it was a poor spot of ground; wherefore, I said unto
thee, I have nourished it this long time, and thou beholdest that it
hath brought forth much fruit.
"Jacob 5:23": 23 And it came to pass that the Lord of the vineyard said
unto his servant: Look hither; behold I have planted another branch of
the tree also; and thou knowest that this spot of ground was poorer
than the first. But, behold the tree. I have nourished it this long
time, and it hath brought forth much fruit; therefore, gather it, and
lay it up against the season, that I may preserve it unto mine own
self.
"Jacob 5:24": 24 And it came to pass that the Lord of the vineyard said
again unto his servant: Look hither, and behold another branch also,
which I have planted; behold that I have nourished it also, and it hath
brought forth fruit.
"Jacob 5:25": 25 And he said unto the servant: Look hither and behold
the last. Behold, this have I planted in a good spot of ground; and I
have nourished it this long time, and only a part of the tree hath
brought forth tame fruit, and the other part of the tree hath brought
forth wild fruit; behold, I have nourished this tree like unto the
others.
"Jacob 5:26": 26 And it came to pass that the Lord of the vineyard said
unto the servant: Pluck off the branches that have not brought forth
good fruit, and cast them into the fire.
"Jacob 5:27": 27 But behold, the servant said unto him: Let us prune
it, and dig about it, and nourish it a little longer, that perhaps it
may bring forth good fruit unto thee, that thou canst lay it up against
the season.
"Jacob 5:28": 28 And it came to pass that the Lord of the vineyard and
the servant of the Lord of the vineyard did nourish all the fruit of
the vineyard.
"Jacob 5:29": 29 And it came to pass that a long time had passed away,
and the Lord of the vineyard said unto his servant: Come, let us go
down into the vineyard, that we may labor again in the vineyard. For
behold, the time draweth near, and the end soon cometh; wherefore, I
must lay up fruit against the season, unto mine own self.
"Jacob 5:30": 30 And it came to pass that the Lord of the vineyard and
the servant went down into the vineyard; and they came to the tree
whose natural branches had been broken off, and the wild branches had
been grafted in; and behold all sorts of fruit did cumber the tree.
"Jacob 5:31": 31 And it came to pass that the Lord of the vineyard did
taste of the fruit, every sort according to its number. And the Lord of
the vineyard said: Behold, this long time have we nourished this tree,
and I have laid up unto myself against the season much fruit.
"Jacob 5:32": 32 But behold, this time it hath brought forth much
fruit, and there is none of it which is good. And behold, there are all
kinds of bad fruit; and it profiteth me nothing, notwithstanding all
our labor; and now it grieveth me that I should lose this tree.
"Jacob 5:33": 33 And the Lord of the vineyard said unto the servant:
What shall we do unto the tree, that I may preserve again good fruit
thereof unto mine own self?
"Jacob 5:34": 34 And the servant said unto his master: Behold, because
thou didst graft in the branches of the wild olive-tree they have
nourished the roots, that they are alive and they have not perished;
wherefore thou beholdest that they are yet good.
"Jacob 5:35": 35 And it came to pass that the Lord of the vineyard said
unto his servant: The tree profiteth me nothing, and the roots thereof
profit me nothing so long as it shall bring forth evil fruit.
"Jacob 5:36": 36 Nevertheless, I know that the roots are good, and for
mine own purpose I have preserved them; and because of their much
strength they have hitherto brought forth, from the wild branches, good
fruit.
"Jacob 5:37": 37 But behold, the wild branches have grown and have
overrun the roots thereof; and because that the wild branches have
overcome the roots thereof it hath brought forth much evil fruit; and
because that it hath brought forth so much evil fruit thou beholdest
that it beginneth to perish; and it will soon become ripened, that it
may be cast into the fire, except we should do something for it to
preserve it.
"Jacob 5:38": 38 And it came to pass that the Lord of the vineyard said
unto his servant: Let us go down into the nethermost parts of the
vineyard, and behold if the natural branches have also brought forth
evil fruit.
"Jacob 5:39": 39 And it came to pass that they went down into the
nethermost parts of the vineyard. And it came to pass that they beheld
that the fruit of the natural branches had become corrupt also; yea,
the first and the second and also the last; and they had all become
corrupt.
"Jacob 5:40": 40 And the wild fruit of the last had overcome that part
of the tree which brought forth good fruit, even that the branch had
withered away and died.
"Jacob 5:41": 41 And it came to pass that the Lord of the vineyard
wept, and said unto the servant: What could I have done more for my
vineyard?
"Jacob 5:42": 42 Behold, I knew that all the fruit of the vineyard,
save it were these, had become corrupted. And now these which have once
brought forth good fruit have also become corrupted; and now all the
trees of my vineyard are good for nothing save it be to be hewn down
and cast into the fire.
"Jacob 5:43": 43 And behold this last, whose branch hath withered away,
I did plant in a good spot of ground; yea, even that which was choice
unto me above all other parts of the land of my vineyard.
"Jacob 5:44": 44 And thou beheldest that I also cut down that which
cumbered this spot of ground, that I might plant this tree in the stead
thereof.
"Jacob 5:45": 45 And thou beheldest that a part thereof brought forth
good fruit, and a part thereof brought forth wild fruit; and because I
plucked not the branches thereof and cast them into the fire, behold,
they have overcome the good branch that it hath withered away.
"Jacob 5:46": 46 And now, behold, notwithstanding all the care which we
have taken of my vineyard, the trees thereof have become corrupted,
that they bring forth no good fruit; and these I had hoped to preserve,
to have laid up fruit thereof against the season, unto mine own self.
But, behold, they have become like unto the wild olive-tree, and they
are of no worth but to be hewn down and cast into the fire; and it
grieveth me that I should lose them.
"Jacob 5:47": 47 But what could I have done more in my vineyard? Have I
slackened mine hand, that I have not nourished it, Nay, I have
nourished it, and I have digged about it, and I have pruned it, and I
have dunged it; and I have stretched forth mine hand almost all the day
long, and the end draweth nigh. And it grieveth me that I should hew
down all the trees of my vineyard, and cast them into the fire that
they should be burned. Who is it that has corrupted my vineyard?
"Jacob 5:48": 48 And it came to pass that the servant said unto his
master: Is it not the loftiness of thy vineyard -- have not the
branches thereof overcome the roots which are good? And because the
branches have overcome the roots thereof, behold they grew faster than
the strength of the roots, taking strength unto themselves. $ Behold, I
say, is not this the cause that the trees of thy vineyard have become
corrupted?
"Jacob 5:49": 49 And it came to pass that the Lord of the vineyard said
unto the servant: Let us go to and hew down the trees of the vineyard
and cast them into the fire, that they shall not cumber the ground of
my vineyard, for I have done all. What could I have done more for my
vineyard?
"Jacob 5:50": 50 But, behold, the servant said unto the Lord of the
vineyard: Spare it a little longer.
"Jacob 5:51": 51 And the Lord said: Yea, I will spare it a little
longer, for it grieveth me that I should lose the trees of my vineyard.
"Jacob 5:52": 52 Wherefore, let us take of the branches of these which
I have planted in the nethermost parts of my vineyard, and let us graft
them into the tree from whence they came; and let us pluck from the
tree those branches whose fruit is most bitter, and graft in the
natural branches of the tree in the stead thereof.
"Jacob 5:53": 53 And this will I do that the tree may not perish, that,
perhaps, I may preserve unto myself the roots thereof for mine own
purpose.
"Jacob 5:54": 54 And, behold, the roots of the natural branches of the
tree which I planted whithersoever I would are yet alive; wherefore,
that I may preserve them also for mine own purpose, I will take of the
branches of this tree, and I will graft them in unto them.
Yea, I will graft in unto them the branches of their mother tree, that
I may preserve the roots also unto mine own self, that when they shall
be sufficiently strong perhaps they may bring forth good fruit unto me,
and I may yet have glory in the fruit of my vineyard.
"Jacob 5:55": 55 And it came to pass that they took from the natural
tree which had become wild, and grafted in unto the natural trees,
which also had become wild.
"Jacob 5:56": 56 And they also took of the natural trees which had
become wild, and grafted into their mother tree.
"Jacob 5:57": 57 And the Lord of the vineyard said unto the servant:
Pluck not the wild branches from the trees, save it be those which are
most bitter; and in them ye shall graft according to that which I have
said.
"Jacob 5:58": 58 And we will nourish again the trees of the vineyard,
and we will trim up the branches thereof; and we will pluck from the
trees those branches which are ripened, that must perish, and cast them
into the fire.
"Jacob 5:59": 59 And this I do that, perhaps, the roots thereof may
take strength because of their goodness; and because of the change of
the branches, that the good may overcome the evil.
"Jacob 5:60": 60 And because that I have preserved the natural branches
and the roots thereof, and that I have grafted in the natural branches
again into their mother tree, and have preserved the roots of their
mother tree, that, perhaps, the trees of my vineyard may bring forth
again good fruit; and that I may have joy again in the fruit of my
vineyard, and, perhaps, that I may rejoice exceedingly that I have
preserved the roots and the branches of the first fruit --
"Jacob 5:61": 61 Wherefore, go to, and call servants, that we may labor
diligently with our might in the vineyard, that we may prepare the way,
that I may bring forth again the natural fruit, which natural fruit is
good and the most precious above all other fruit.
"Jacob 5:62": 62 Wherefore, let us go to and labor with our might this
last time, for behold the end draweth nigh, and this is for the last
time that I shall prune my vineyard.
"Jacob 5:63": 63 Graft in the branches; begin at the last that they may
be first, and that the first may be last, and dig about the trees, both
old and young, the first and the last; and the last and the first, that
all may be nourished once again for the last time.
"Jacob 5:64": 64 Wherefore, dig about them, and prune them, and dung
them once more, for the last time, for the end draweth nigh. And if it
be so that these last grafts shall grow, and bring forth the natural
fruit, then shall ye prepare the way for them, that they may grow.
"Jacob 5:65": 65 And as they begin to grow ye shall clear away the
branches which bring forth bitter fruit, according to the strength of
the good and the size thereof; and ye shall not clear away the bad
thereof all at once, lest the roots thereof should be too strong for
the graft, and the graft thereof shall perish, and I lose the trees of
my vineyard.
"Jacob 5:66": 66 For it grieveth me that I should lose the trees of my
vineyard; wherefore ye shall clear away the bad according as the good
shall grow, that the root and the top may be equal in strength, until
the good shall overcome the bad, and the bad be hewn down and cast into
the fire, that they cumber not the ground of my vineyard; and thus will
I sweep away the bad out of my vineyard.
"Jacob 5:67": 67 And the branches of the natural tree will I graft in
again into the natural tree;
"Jacob 5:68": 68 And the branches of the natural tree will I graft into
the natural branches of the tree; and thus will I bring them together
again, that they shall bring forth the natural fruit, and they shall be
one.
"Jacob 5:69": 69 And the bad shall be cast away, yea, even out of all
the land of my vineyard; for behold, only this once will I prune my
vineyard.
"Jacob 5:70": 70 And it came to pass that the Lord of the vineyard sent
his servant; and the servant went and did as the Lord had commanded
him, and brought other servants; and they were few.
"Jacob 5:71": 71 And the Lord of the vineyard said unto them: Go to,
and labor in the vineyard, with your might. For behold, this is the
last time that I shall nourish my vineyard; for the end is nigh at
hand, and the season speedily cometh; and if ye labor with your might
with me ye shall have joy in the fruit which I shall lay up unto myself
against the time which will soon come.
"Jacob 5:72": 72 And it came to pass that the servants did go and labor
with their mights; and the Lord of the vineyard labored also with them;
and they did obey the commandments of the Lord of the vineyard in all
things.
"Jacob 5:73": 73 And there began to be the natural fruit again in the
vineyard; and the natural branches began to grow and thrive
exceedingly; and the wild branches began to be plucked off and to be
cast away; and they did keep the root and the top thereof equal,
according to the strength thereof.
"Jacob 5:74": 74 And thus they labored, with all diligence, according
to the commandments of the Lord of the vineyard, even until the bad had
been cast away out of the vineyard, and the Lord had preserved unto
himself that the trees had become again the natural fruit; and they
became like unto one body; and the fruits were equal; and the Lord of
the vineyard had preserved unto himself the natural fruit, which was
most precious unto him from the beginning.
"Jacob 5:75": 75 And it came to pass that when the Lord of the vineyard
saw that his fruit was good, and that his vineyard was no more corrupt,
he called up his servants, and said unto them: Behold, for this last
time have we nourished my vineyard; and thou beholdest that I have done
according to my will; and I have preserved the natural fruit, that it
is good, even like as it was in the beginning. And blessed art thou;
for because ye have been diligent in laboring with me in my vineyard,
and have kept my commandments, and have brought unto me again the
natural fruit, that my vineyard is no more corrupted, and the bad is
cast away, behold ye shall have joy with me because of the fruit of my
vineyard.
"Jacob 5:76": 76 For behold, for a long time will I lay up of the fruit
of my vineyard unto mine own self against the season, which speedily
cometh; and for the last time have I nourished my vineyard, and pruned
it, and dug about it, and dunged it; wherefore I will lay up unto mine
own self of the fruit, for a long time, according to that which I have
spoken.
"Jacob 5:77": 77 And when the time cometh that evil fruit shall again
come into my vineyard, then will I cause the good and the bad to be
gathered; and the good will I preserve unto myself, and the bad will I
cast away into its own place. And then cometh the season and the end;
and my vineyard will I cause to be burned with fire.
Jacob 6
"Jacob 6:1": 1 And now, behold, my brethren, as I said unto you that I
would prophesy, behold, this is my prophecy -- that the things which
this prophet Zenos spake, concerning the house of Israel, in the which
he likened them unto a tame olive-tree, must surely come to pass.
"Jacob 6:2": 2 And the day that he shall set his hand again the second
time to recover his people, is the day, yea, even the last time, that
the servants of the Lord shall go forth in his power, to nourish and
prune his vineyard; and after that the end soon cometh.
"Jacob 6:3": 3 And how blessed are they who have labored diligently in
his vineyard; and how cursed are they who shall be cast out into their
own place! And the world shall be burned with fire.
"Jacob 6:4": 4 And how merciful is our God unto us, for he remembereth
the house of Israel, both roots and branches; and he stretches forth
his hands unto them all the day long; and they are a stiffnecked and a
gainsaying people; but as many as will not harden their hearts shall be
saved in the kingdom of God.
"Jacob 6:5": 5 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, I beseech of you in
words of soberness that ye would repent, and come with full purpose of
heart, and cleave unto God as he cleaveth unto you. And while his arm
of mercy is extended towards you in the light of the day, harden not
your hearts.
"Jacob 6:6": 6 Yea, today, if ye will hear his voice, harden not your
hearts; for why will ye die?
"Jacob 6:7": 7 For behold, after ye have been nourished by the good
word of God all the day long, will ye bring forth evil fruit, that ye
must be hewn down and cast into the fire?
"Jacob 6:8": 8 Behold, will ye reject these words? Will ye reject the
words of the prophets; and will ye reject all the words which have been
spoken concerning Christ, after so many have spoken concerning him; and
deny the good word of Christ, and the power of God, and the gift of the
Holy Ghost, and quench the Holy Spirit, and make a mock of the great
plan of redemption, which hath been laid for you?
"Jacob 6:9": 9 Know ye not that if ye will do these things, that the
power of the redemption and the resurrection, which is in Christ, will
bring you to stand with shame and awful guilt before the bar of God?
"Jacob 6:10": 10 And according to the power of justice, for justice
cannot be denied, ye must go away into that lake of fire and brimstone,
whose flames are unquenchable, and whose smoke ascendeth up forever and
ever, which lake of fire and brimstone is endless torment.
"Jacob 6:11": 11 O then, my beloved brethren, repent ye, and enter in
at the strait gate, and continue in the way which is narrow, until ye
shall obtain eternal life.
"Jacob 6:12": 12 O be wise; what can I say more?
"Jacob 6:13": 13 Finally, I bid you farewell, until I shall meet you
before the pleasing bar of God, which bar striketh the wicked with
awful dread and fear. Amen.
Jacob 7
"Jacob 7:1": 1 And now it came to pass after some years had passed
away, there came a man among the people of Nephi, whose name was
Sherem.
"Jacob 7:2": 2 And it came to pass that he began to preach among the
people, and to declare unto them that there should be no Christ. And he
preached many things which were flattering unto the people; and this he
did that he might overthrow the doctrine of Christ.
"Jacob 7:3": 3 And he labored diligently that he might lead away the
hearts of the people, insomuch that he did lead away many hearts; and
he knowing that I, Jacob, had faith in Christ who should come, he
sought much opportunity that he might come unto me.
"Jacob 7:4": 4 And he was learned, that he had a perfect knowledge of
the language of the people; wherefore, he could use much flattery, and
much power of speech, according to the power of the Diawl.
"Jacob 7:5": 5 And he had hope to shake me from the faith,
notwithstanding the many revelations and the many things which I had
seen concerning these things; for I truly had seen Guardians, and they had
ministered unto me. And also, I had heard the voice of the Lord
speaking unto me in very word, from time to time; wherefore, I could
not be shaken.
"Jacob 7:6": 6 And it came to pass that he came unto me, and on this
wise did he speak unto me, saying: Brother Jacob, I have sought much
opportunity that I might speak unto you; for I have heard and also know
that thou goest about much, preaching that which ye call the gospel, or
the doctrine of Christ.
"Jacob 7:7": 7 And ye have led away much of this people that they
pervert the right way of God, and keep not the law of Moses which is
the right way; and convert the law of Moses into the worship of a being
which ye say shall come many hundred years hence. And now behold, I,
Sherem, declare unto you that this is blasphemy; for no man knoweth of
such things; for he cannot tell of things to come. And after this
manner did Sherem contend against me.
"Jacob 7:8": 8 But behold, the Lord God poured in his Spirit into my
soul, insomuch that I did confound him in all his words.
"Jacob 7:9": 9 And I said unto him: Deniest thou the Christ who shall
come? $ And he said: If there should be a Christ, I would not deny him;
but I know that there is no Christ, neither has been, nor ever will be.
"Jacob 7:10": 10 And I said unto him: Believest thou the scriptures?
And he said, Yea.
"Jacob 7:11": 11 And I said unto him: Then ye do not understand them;
for they truly testify of Christ. Behold, I say unto you that none of
the prophets have written, nor prophesied, save they have spoken
concerning this Christ.
"Jacob 7:12": 12 And this is not all -- it has been made manifest unto
me, for I have heard and seen; and it also has been made manifest unto
me by the power of the Holy Ghost; wherefore, I know if there should be
no atonement made all mankind must be lost.
"Jacob 7:13": 13 And it came to pass that he said unto me: Show me a
sign by this power of the Holy Ghost, in the which ye know so much.
"Jacob 7:14": 14 And I said unto him: What am I that I should tempt God
to show unto thee a sign in the thing which thou knowest to be true?
Yet thou wilt deny it, because thou art of the Diawl. $ Nevertheless,
not my will be done; but if God shall smite thee, let that be a sign
unto thee that he has power, both in heaven and in earth; and also,
that Christ shall come. And thy will, O Lord, be done, and not mine.
"Jacob 7:15": 15 And it came to pass that when I, Jacob, had spoken
these words, the power of the Lord came upon him, insomuch that he fell
to the earth. And it came to pass that he was nourished for the space
of many days.
"Jacob 7:16": 16 And it came to pass that he said unto the people:
Gather together on the morrow, for I shall die; wherefore, I desire to
speak unto the people before I shall die.
"Jacob 7:17": 17 And it came to pass that on the morrow the multitude
were gathered together; and he spake plainly unto them and denied the
things which he had taught them, and confessed the Christ, and the
power of the Holy Ghost, and the ministering of Guardians.
"Jacob 7:18": 18 And he spake plainly unto them, that he had been
deceived by the power of the Diawl. And he spake of hell, and of
eternity, and of eternal punishment.
"Jacob 7:19": 19 And he said: I fear lest I have committed the
unpardonable sin, for I have lied unto God; for I denied the Christ,
and said that I believed the scriptures; and they truly testify of him.
$ And because I have thus lied unto God I greatly fear lest my case
shall be awful; but I confess unto God.
"Jacob 7:20": 20 And it came to pass that when he had said these words
he could say no more, and he gave up the ghost.
"Jacob 7:21": 21 And when the multitude had witnessed that he spake
these things as he was about to give up the ghost, they were astonished
exceedingly; insomuch that the power of God came down upon them, and
they were overcome that they fell to the earth.
"Jacob 7:22": 22 Now, this thing was pleasing unto me, Jacob, for I had
requested it of my Father who was in heaven; for he had heard my cry
and answered my prayer.
"Jacob 7:23": 23 And it came to pass that peace and the love of God was
restored again among the people; and they searched the scriptures, and
hearkened no more to the words of this wicked man.
"Jacob 7:24": 24 And it came to pass that many means were devised to
reclaim and restore the Lamanites to the knowledge of the truth; but it
all was vain, for they delighted in wars and bloodshed, and they had an
eternal hatred against us, their brethren. And they sought by the power
of their arms to destroy us continually.
"Jacob 7:25": 25 Wherefore, the people of Nephi did fortify against
them with their arms, and with all their might, trusting in the God and
rock of their salvation; wherefore, they became as yet, conquerors of
their enemies.
"Jacob 7:26": 26 And it came to pass that I, Jacob, began to be old;
and the record of this people being kept on the other plates of Nephi,
wherefore, I conclude this record, declaring that I have written
according to the best of my knowledge, by saying that the time passed
away with us, and also our lives passed away like as it were unto us a
dream, we being a lonesome and a solemn people, wanderers, cast out
from Jerusalem, born in tribulation, in a wilderness, and hated of our
brethren, which caused wars and contentions; wherefore, we did mourn
out our days.
"Jacob 7:27": 27 And I, Jacob, saw that I must soon go down to my
grave; wherefore, I said unto my son Enos: Take these plates. And I
told him the things which my brother Nephi had commanded me, and he
promised obedience unto the commands. And I make an end of my writing
upon these plates, which writing has been small; and to the reader I
bid farewell, hoping that many of my brethren may read my words.
Brethren, adieu.
THE BOOK OF ENOS
Enos 1
"Enos 1:1": 1 Behold, it came to pass that I, Enos, knowing my father
that he was a just man -- for he taught me in his language, and also in
the nurture and admonition of the Lord -- and blessed be the name of my
God for it --
"Enos 1:2": 2 And I will tell you of the wrestle which I had before
God, before I received a remission of my sins.
"Enos 1:3": 3 Behold, I went to hunt beasts in the forests; and the
words which I had often heard my father speak concerning eternal life,
and the joy of the saints, sunk deep into my heart.
"Enos 1:4": 4 And my soul hungered; and I kneeled down before my Maker,
and I cried unto him in mighty prayer and supplication for mine own
soul; and all the day long did I cry unto him; yea, and when the night
came I did still raise my voice high that it reached the heavens.
"Enos 1:5": 5 And there came a voice unto me, saying: Enos, thy sins
are forgiven thee, and thou shalt be blessed.
"Enos 1:6": 6 And I, Enos, knew that God could not lie; wherefore, my
guilt was swept away.
"Enos 1:7": 7 And I said: Lord, how is it done?
"Enos 1:8": 8 And he said unto me: Because of thy faith in Christ, whom
thou hast never before heard nor seen. And many years pass away before
he shall manifest himself in the flesh; wherefore, go to, thy faith
hath made thee whole.
"Enos 1:9": 9 Now, it came to pass that when I had heard these words I
began to feel a desire for the welfare of my brethren, the Nephites;
wherefore, I did pour out my whole soul unto God for them.
"Enos 1:10": 10 And while I was thus struggling in the spirit, behold,
the voice of the Lord came into my mind again, saying: I will visit thy
brethren according to their diligence in keeping my commandments. I
have given unto them this land, and it is a holy land; and I curse it
not save it be for the cause of iniquity; wherefore, I will visit thy
brethren according as I have said; and their transgressions will I
bring down with sorrow upon their own heads.
"Enos 1:11": 11 And after I, Enos, had heard these words, my faith
began to be unshaken in the Lord; and I prayed unto him with many long
strugglings for my brethren, the Lamanites.
"Enos 1:12": 12 And it came to pass that after I had prayed and labored
with all diligence, the Lord said unto me: I will grant unto thee
according to thy desires, because of thy faith.
"Enos 1:13": 13 And now behold, this was the desire which I desired of
him -- that if it should so be, that my people, the Nephites, should
fall into transgression, and by any means be destroyed, and the
Lamanites should not be destroyed, that the Lord God would preserve a
record of my people, the Nephites; even if it so be by the power of his
holy arm, that it might be brought forth at some future day unto the
Lamanites, that, perhaps, they might be brought unto salvation --
"Enos 1:14": 14 For at the present our strugglings were vain in
restoring them to the true faith. And they swore in their wrath that,
if it were possible, they would destroy our records and us, and also
all the traditions of our fathers.
"Enos 1:15": 15 Wherefore, I knowing that the Lord God was able to
preserve our records, I cried unto him continually, for he had said
unto me: Whatsoever thing ye shall ask in faith, believing that ye
shall receive in the name of Christ, ye shall receive it.
"Enos 1:16": 16 And I had faith, and I did cry unto God that he would
preserve the records; and he covenanted with me that he would bring
them forth unto the Lamanites in his own due time.
"Enos 1:17": 17 And I, Enos, knew it would be according to the covenant
which he had made; wherefore my soul did rest.
"Enos 1:18": 18 And the Lord said unto me: Thy fathers have also
required of me this thing; and it shall be done unto them according to
their faith; for their faith was like unto thine.
"Enos 1:19": 19 And now it came to pass that I, Enos, went about among
the people of Nephi, prophesying of things to come, and testifying of
the things which I had heard and seen.
"Enos 1:20": 20 And I bear record that the people of Nephi did seek
diligently to restore the Lamanites unto the true faith in God. $ But
our labors were vain; their hatred was fixed, and they were led by
their evil nature that they became wild, and ferocious, and a
bloodthirsty people, full of idolatry and filthiness; feeding upon
beasts of prey; dwelling in tents, and wandering about in the
wilderness with a short skin girdle about their loins and their heads
shaven; and their skill was in the bow, and in the cimeter, and the ax.
And many of them did eat nothing save it was raw meat; and they were
continually seeking to destroy us.
"Enos 1:21": 21 And it came to pass that the people of Nephi did till
the land, and raise all manner of grain, and of fruit, and flocks of
herds, and flocks of all manner of cattle of every kind, and goats, and
wild goats, and also many horses.
"Enos 1:22": 22 And there were exceedingly many prophets among us. And
the people were a stiffnecked people, hard to understand.
"Enos 1:23": 23 And there was nothing save it was exceeding harshness,
preaching and prophesying of wars, and contentions, and destructions,
and continually reminding them of death, and the duration of eternity,
and the judgments and the power of God, and all these things --
stirring them up continually to keep them in the fear of the Lord. I
say there was nothing short of these things, and exceedingly great
plainness of speech, would keep them from going down speedily to
destruction. And after this manner do I write concerning them.
"Enos 1:24": 24 And I saw wars between the Nephites and Lamanites in
the course of my days.
"Enos 1:25": 25 And it came to pass that I began to be old, and an
hundred and seventy and nine years had passed away from the time that
our father Lehi left Jerusalem.
"Enos 1:26": 26 And I saw that I must soon go down to my grave, having
been wrought upon by the power of God that I must preach and prophesy
unto this people, and declare the word according to the truth which is
in Christ. And I have declared it in all my days, and have rejoiced in
it above that of the world.
"Enos 1:27": 27 And I soon go to the place of my rest, which is with my
Redeemer; for I know that in him I shall rest. And I rejoice in the day
when my mortal shall put on immortality, and shall stand before him;
then shall I see his face with pleasure, and he will say unto me: Come
unto me, ye blessed, there is a place prepared for you in the mansions
of my Father. Amen.
Jarom
Now behold, I, Jarom, write a few words according to the commandment
of my father, Enos, that our genealogy may be kept.
"Jarom 1:2": 2 And as these plates are small, and as these things are
written for the intent of the benefit of our brethren the Lamanites,
wherefore, it must needs be that I write a little; but I shall not
write the things of my prophesying, nor of my revelations. $ For what
could I write more than my fathers have written? For have not they
revealed the plan of salvation? I say unto you, Yea; and this sufficeth
me.
"Jarom 1:3": 3 Behold, it is expedient that much should be done among
this people, because of the hardness of their hearts, and the deafness
of their ears, and the blindness of their minds, and the stiffness of
their necks; nevertheless, God is exceedingly merciful unto them, and
has not as yet swept them off from the face of the land.
"Jarom 1:4": 4 And there are many among us who have many revelations,
for they are not all stiffnecked. And as many as are not stiffnecked
and have faith, have communion with the Holy Spirit, which maketh
manifest unto the children of men, according to their faith.
"Jarom 1:5": 5 And now, behold, two hundred years had passed away, and
the people of Nephi had waxed strong in the land. They observed to keep
the law of Moses and the sabbath day holy unto the Lord. $ And they
profaned not; neither did they blaspheme. And the laws of the land were
exceedingly strict.
"Jarom 1:6": 6 And they were scattered upon much of the face of the
land, and the Lamanites also. And they were exceedingly more numerous
than were they of the Nephites; and they loved murder and would drink
the blood of beasts.
"Jarom 1:7": 7 And it came to pass that they came many times against
us, the Nephites, to battle. But our kings and our leaders were mighty
men in the faith of the Lord; and they taught the people the ways of
the Lord; wherefore, we withstood the Lamanites and swept them away out
of our lands, and began to fortify our cities, or whatsoever place of
our inheritance.
"Jarom 1:8": 8 And we multiplied exceedingly, and spread upon the face
of the land, and became exceedingly rich in gold, and in silver, and in
precious things, and in fine workmanship of wood, in buildings, and in
machinery, and also in iron and copper, and brass and steel, making all
manner of tools of every kind to till the ground, and weapons of war --
yea, the sharp pointed arrow, and the quiver, and the dart, and the
javelin, and all preparations for war.
"Jarom 1:9": 9 And thus being prepared to meet the Lamanites, they did
not prosper against us. But the word of the Lord was verified, which he
spake unto our fathers, saying that: Inasmuch as ye will keep my
commandments ye shall prosper in the land.
"Jarom 1:10": 10 And it came to pass that the prophets of the Lord did
threaten the people of Nephi, according to the word of God, that if
they did not keep the commandments, but should fall into transgression,
they should be destroyed from off the face of the land.
"Jarom 1:11": 11 Wherefore, the prophets, and the priests, and the
teachers, did labor diligently, exhorting with all long-suffering the
people to diligence; teaching the law of Moses, and the intent for
which it was given; persuading them to look forward unto the Messiah,
and believe in him to come as though he already was. $ And after this
manner did they teach them.
"Jarom 1:12": 12 And it came to pass that by so doing they kept them
from being destroyed upon the face of the land; for they did prick
their hearts with the word, continually stirring them up unto
repentance.
"Jarom 1:13": 13 And it came to pass that two hundred and thirty and
eight years had passed away -- after the manner of wars, and
contentions, and dissensions, for the space of much of the time.
"Jarom 1:14": 14 And I, Jarom, do not write more, for the plates are
small. $ But behold, my brethren, ye can go to the other plates of
Nephi; for behold, upon them the records of our wars are engraven,
according to the writings of the kings, or those which they caused to
be written.
"Jarom 1:15": 15 And I deliver these plates into the hands of my son
Omni, that they may be kept according to the commandments of my
fathers.
Omni
Behold, it came to pass that I, Omni, being commanded by my father,
Jarom, that I should write somewhat upon these plates, to preserve our
genealogy --
"Omni 1:2": 2 Wherefore, in my days, I would that ye should know that I
fought much with the sword to preserve my people, the Nephites, from
falling into the hands of their enemies, the Lamanites. But behold, I
of myself am a wicked man, and I have not kept the statutes and the
commandments of the Lord as I ought to have done.
"Omni 1:3": 3 And it came to pass that two hundred and seventy and six
years had passed away, and we had many seasons of peace; and we had
many seasons of serious war and bloodshed. Yea, and in fine, two
hundred and eighty and two years had passed away, and I had kept these
plates according to the commandments of my fathers; and I conferred
them upon my son Amaron. And I make an end.
"Omni 1:4": 4 And now I, Amaron, write the things whatsoever I write,
which are few, in the book of my father.
"Omni 1:5": 5 Behold, it came to pass that three hundred and twenty
years had passed away, and the more wicked part of the Nephites were
destroyed.
"Omni 1:6": 6 For the Lord would not suffer, after he had led them out
of the land of Jerusalem and kept and preserved them from falling into
the hands of their enemies, yea, he would not suffer that the words
should not be verified, which he spake unto our fathers, saying that:
Inasmuch as ye will not keep my commandments ye shall not prosper in
the land.
"Omni 1:7": 7 Wherefore, the Lord did visit them in great judgment;
nevertheless, he did spare the righteous that they should not perish,
but did deliver them out of the hands of their enemies.
"Omni 1:8": 8 And it came to pass that I did deliver the plates unto my
brother Chemish.
"Omni 1:9": 9 Now I, Chemish, write what few things I write, in the
same book with my brother; for behold, I saw the last which he wrote,
that he wrote it with his own hand; and he wrote it in the day that he
delivered them unto me. And after this manner we keep the records, for
it is according to the commandments of our fathers. And I make an end.
"Omni 1:10": 10 Behold, I, Abinadom, am the son of Chemish. Behold, it
came to pass that I saw much war and contention between my people, the
Nephites, and the Lamanites; and I, with my own sword, have taken the
lives of many of the Lamanites in the defence of my brethren.
"Omni 1:11": 11 And behold, the record of this people is engraven upon
plates which is had by the kings, according to the generations; and I
know of no revelation save that which has been written, neither
prophecy; wherefore, that which is sufficient is written. And I make an
end.
"Omni 1:12": 12 Behold, I am Amaleki, the son of Abinadom. Behold, I
will speak unto you somewhat concerning Mosiah, who was made king over
the land of Zarahemla; for behold, he being warned of the Lord that he
should flee out of the land of Nephi, and as many as would hearken unto
the voice of the Lord should also depart out of the land with him, into
the wilderness --
"Omni 1:13": 13 And it came to pass that he did according as the Lord
had commanded him. And they departed out of the land into the
wilderness, as many as would hearken unto the voice of the Lord; and
they were led by many preachings and prophesyings. And they were
admonished continually by the word of God; and they were led by the
power of his arm, through the wilderness, until they came down into the
land which is called the land of Zarahemla.
"Omni 1:14": 14 And they discovered a people, who were called the
people of Zarahemla. Now, there was great rejoicing among the people of
Zarahemla; and also Zarahemla did rejoice exceedingly, because the Lord
had sent the people of Mosiah with the plates of brass which contained
the record of the Jews.
"Omni 1:15": 15 Behold, it came to pass that Mosiah discovered that the
people of Zarahemla came out from Jerusalem at the time that Zedekiah,
king of Judah, was carried away captive into Babylon.
"Omni 1:16": 16 And they journeyed in the wilderness, and were brought
by the hand of the Lord across the great waters, into the land where
Mosiah discovered them; and they had dwelt there from that time forth.
"Omni 1:17": 17 And at the time that Mosiah discovered them, they had
become exceedingly numerous. Nevertheless, they had had many wars and
serious contentions, and had fallen by the sword from time to time; and
their language had become corrupted; and they had brought no records
with them; and they denied the being of their Creator; and Mosiah, nor
the people of Mosiah, could understand them.
"Omni 1:18": 18 But it came to pass that Mosiah caused that they should
be taught in his language. And it came to pass that after they were
taught in the language of Mosiah, Zarahemla gave a genealogy of his
fathers, according to his memory; and they are written, but not in
these plates.
"Omni 1:19": 19 And it came to pass that the people of Zarahemla, and
of Mosiah, did unite together; and Mosiah was appointed to be their
king.
"Omni 1:20": 20 And it came to pass in the days of Mosiah, there was a
large stone brought unto him with engravings on it; and he did
interpret the engravings by the gift and power of God.
"Omni 1:21": 21 And they gave an account of one Coriantumr, and the
slain of his people. And Coriantumr was discovered by the people of
Zarahemla; and he dwelt with them for the space of nine moons.
"Omni 1:22": 22 It also spake a few words concerning his fathers. And
his first parents came out from the tower, at the time the Lord
confounded the language of the people; and the severity of the Lord
fell upon them according to his judgments, which are just; and their
bones lay scattered in the land northward.
"Omni 1:23": 23 Behold, I, Amaleki, was born in the days of Mosiah; and
I have lived to see his death; and Benjamin, his son, reigneth in his
stead.
"Omni 1:24": 24 And behold, I have seen, in the days of king Benjamin,
a serious war and much bloodshed between the Nephites and the
Lamanites. But behold, the Nephites did obtain much advantage over
them; yea, insomuch that king Benjamin did drive them out of the land
of Zarahemla.
"Omni 1:25": 25 And it came to pass that I began to be old; and, having
no seed, and knowing king Benjamin to be a just man before the Lord,
wherefore, I shall deliver up these plates unto him, exhorting all men
to come unto God, the Holy One of Israel, and believe in prophesying,
and in revelations, and in the ministering of Guardians, and in the gift
of speaking with tongues, and in the gift of interpreting languages,
and in all things which are good; for there is nothing which is good
save it comes from the Lord; and that which is evil cometh from the
Diawl. And now, my beloved brethren, I would that ye should come unto
Christ, who is the Holy One of Israel, and partake of his salvation,
and the power of his redemption. Yea, come unto him, and offer your
whole souls as an offering unto him, and continue in fasting and
praying, and endure to the end; and as the Lord liveth ye will be
saved. And now I would speak somewhat concerning a certain number who
went up into the wilderness to return to the land of Nephi; for there
was a large number who were desirous to possess the land of their
inheritance. Wherefore, they went up into the wilderness. And their
leader being a strong and mighty man, and a stiffnecked man, wherefore
he caused a contention among them; and they were all slain, save fifty,
in the wilderness, and they returned again to the land of Zarahemla.
And it came to pass that they also took others to a considerable
number, and took their journey again into the wilderness. And I,
Amaleki, had a brother, who also went with them; and I have not since
known concerning them. And I am about to lie down in my grave; and
these plates are full. And I make an end of my speaking.
Words of Mormon
And now I, Mormon, being about to deliver up the record which I have
been making into the hands of my son Moroni, behold I have witnessed
almost all the destruction of my people, the Nephites. And it is many
hundred years after the coming of Christ that I deliver these records
into the hands of my son; and it supposeth me that he will witness the
entire destruction of my people. But may God grant that he may survive
them, that he may write somewhat concerning them, and somewhat
concerning Christ, that perhaps some day it may profit them. And now, I
speak somewhat concerning that which I have written; for after I had
made an abridgment from the plates of Nephi, down to the reign of this
king Benjamin, of whom Amaleki spake, I searched among the records
which had been delivered into my hands, and I found these plates, which
contained this small account of the prophets, from Jacob down to the
reign of this king Benjamin, and also many of the words of Nephi. And
the things which are upon these plates pleasing me, because of the
prophecies of the coming of Christ; and my fathers knowing that many of
them have been fulfilled; yea, and I also know that as many things as
have been prophesied concerning us down to this day have been
fulfilled, and as many as go beyond this day must surely come to pass
-- Wherefore, I chose these things, to finish my record upon them,
which remainder of my record I shall take from the plates of Nephi; and
I cannot write the hundredth part of the things of my people. But
behold, I shall take these plates, which contain these prophesyings and
revelations, and put them with the remainder of my record, for they are
choice unto me; and I know they will be choice unto my brethren. And I
do this for a wise purpose; for thus it whispereth me, according to the
workings of the Spirit of the Lord which is in me. And now, I do not
know all things; but the Lord knoweth all things which are to come;
wherefore, he worketh in me to do according to his will. And my prayer
to God is concerning my brethren, that they may once again come to the
knowledge of God, yea, the redemption of Christ; that they may once
again be a delightsome people. And now I, Mormon, proceed to finish out
my record, which I take from the plates of Nephi; and I make it
according to the knowledge and the understanding which God has given
me. Wherefore, it came to pass that after Amaleki had delivered up
these plates into the hands of king Benjamin, he took them and put them
with the other plates, which contained records which had been handed
down by the kings, from generation to generation until the days of king
Benjamin. And they were handed down from king Benjamin, from generation
to generation until they have fallen into my hands. And I, Mormon, pray
to God that they may be preserved from this time henceforth. And I know
that they will be preserved; for there are great things written upon
them, out of which my people and their brethren shall be judged at the
great and last day, according to the word of God which is written. And
now, concerning this king Benjamin -- he had somewhat of contentions
among his own people. And it came to pass also that the armies of the
Lamanites came down out of the land of Nephi, to battle against his
people. But behold, king Benjamin gathered together his armies, and he
did stand against them; and he did fight with the strength of his own
arm, with the sword of Laban. And in the strength of the Lord they did
contend against their enemies, until they had slain many thousands of
the Lamanites. And it came to pass that they did contend against the
Lamanites until they had driven them out of all the lands of their
inheritance. And it came to pass that after there had been false
Christs, and their mouths had been shut, and they punished according to
their crimes; And after there had been false prophets, and false
preachers and teachers among the people, and all these having been
punished according to their crimes; and after there having been much
contention and many dissensions away unto the Lamanites, behold, it
came to pass that king Benjamin, with the assistance of the holy
prophets who were among his people -- For behold, king Benjamin was a
holy man, and he did reign over his people in righteousness; and there
were many holy men in the land, and they did speak the word of God with
power and with authority; and they did use much sharpness because of
the stiffneckedness of the people -- Wherefore, with the help of these,
king Benjamin, by laboring with all the might of his body and the
faculty of his whole soul, and also the prophets, did once more
establish peace in the land.
Mosiah
And now there was no more contention in all the land of Zarahemla,
among all the people who belonged to king Benjamin, so that king
Benjamin had continual peace all the remainder of his days. And it came
to pass that he had three sons; and he called their names Mosiah, and
Helorum, and Helaman. And he caused that they should be taught in all
the language of his fathers, that thereby they might become men of
understanding; and that they might know concerning the prophecies which
had been spoken by the mouths of their fathers, which were delivered
them by the hand of the Lord. And he also taught them concerning the
records which were engraven on the plates of brass, saying: My sons, I
would that ye should remember that were it not for these plates, which
contain these records and these commandments, we must have suffered in
ignorance, even at this present time, not knowing the mysteries of God.
For it were not possible that our father, Lehi, could have remembered
all these things, to have taught them to his children, except it were
for the help of these plates; for he having been taught in the language
of the Egyptians therefore he could read these engravings, and teach
them to his children, that thereby they could teach them to their
children, and so fulfilling the commandments of God, even down to this
present time. I say unto you, my sons, were it not for these things,
which have been kept and preserved by the hand of God, that we might
read and understand of his mysteries, and have his commandments always
before our eyes, that even our fathers would have dwindled in unbelief,
and we should have been like unto our brethren, the Lamanites, who know
nothing concerning these things, or even do not believe them when they
are taught them, because of the traditions of their fathers, which are
not correct. O my sons, I would that ye should remember that these
sayings are true, and also that these records are true. And behold,
also the plates of Nephi, which contain the records and the sayings of
our fathers from the time they left Jerusalem until now, and they are
true; and we can know of their surety because we have them before our
eyes. And now, my sons, I would that ye should remember to search them
diligently, that ye may profit thereby; and I would that ye should keep
the commandments of God, that ye may prosper in the land according to
the promises which the Lord made unto our fathers. And many more things
did king Benjamin teach his sons, which are not written in this book.
And it came to pass that after king Benjamin had made an end of
teaching his sons, that he waxed old, and he saw that he must very soon
go the way of all the earth; therefore, he thought it expedient that he
should confer the kingdom upon one of his sons. Therefore, he had
Mosiah brought before him; and these are the words which he spake unto
him, saying: My son, I would that ye should make a proclamation
throughout all this land among all this people, or the people of
Zarahemla, and the people of Mosiah who dwell in the land, that thereby
they may be gathered together; for on the morrow I shall proclaim unto
this my people out of mine own mouth that thou art a king and a ruler
over this people, whom the Lord our God hath given us. And moreover, I
shall give this people a name, that thereby they may be distinguished
above all the people which the Lord God hath brought out of the land of
Jerusalem; and this I do because they have been a diligent people in
keeping the commandments of the Lord. And I give unto them a name that
never shall be blotted out, except it be through transgression. Yea,
and moreover I say unto you, that if this highly favored people of the
Lord should fall into transgression, and become a wicked and an
adulterous people, that the Lord will deliver them up, that thereby
they become weak like unto their brethren; and he will no more preserve
them by his matchless and marvelous power, as he has hitherto preserved
our fathers. For I say unto you, that if he had not extended his arm in
the preservation of our fathers they must have fallen into the hands of
the Lamanites, and become victims to their hatred. And it came to pass
that after king Benjamin had made an end of these sayings to his son,
that he gave him charge concerning all the affairs of the kingdom. And
moreover, he also gave him charge concerning the records which were
engraven on the plates of brass; and also the plates of Nephi; and
also, the sword of Laban, and the ball or director, which led our
fathers through the wilderness, which was prepared by the hand of the
Lord that thereby they might be led, every one according to the heed
and diligence which they gave unto him. Therefore, as they were
unfaithful they did not prosper nor progress in their journey, but were
driven back, and incurred the displeasure of God upon them; and
therefore they were smitten with famine and sore afflictions, to stir
them up in remembrance of their duty. And now, it came to pass that
Mosiah went and did as his father had commanded him, and proclaimed
unto all the people who were in the land of Zarahemla that thereby they
might gather themselves together, to go up to the temple to hear the
words which his father should speak unto them. And it came to pass that
after Mosiah had done as his father had commanded him, and had made a
proclamation throughout all the land, that the people gathered
themselves together throughout all the land, that they might go up to
the temple to hear the words which king Benjamin should speak unto
them. And there were a great number, even so many that they did not
number them; for they had multiplied exceedingly and waxed great in the
land. And they also took of the firstlings of their flocks, that they
might offer sacrifice and burnt offerings according to the law of
Moses; And also that they might give thanks to the Lord their God, who
had brought them out of the land of Jerusalem, and who had delivered
them out of the hands of their enemies, and had appointed just men to
be their teachers, and also a just man to be their king, who had
established peace in the land of Zarahemla, and who had taught them to
keep the commandments of God, that they might rejoice and be filled
with love towards God and all men. And it came to pass that when they
came up to the temple, they pitched their tents round about, every man
according to his family, consisting of his wife, and his sons, and his
daughters, and their sons, and their daughters, from the eldest down to
the youngest, every family being separate one from another. And they
pitched their tents round about the temple, every man having his tent
with the door thereof towards the temple, that thereby they might
remain in their tents and hear the words which king Benjamin should
speak unto them; For the multitude being so great that king Benjamin
could not teach them all within the walls of the temple, therefore he
caused a tower to be erected, that thereby his people might hear the
words which he should speak unto them. And it came to pass that he
began to speak to his people from the tower; and they could not all
hear his words because of the greatness of the multitude; therefore he
caused that the words which he spake should be written and sent forth
among those that were not under the sound of his voice, that they might
also receive his words. And these are the words which he spake and
caused to be written, saying: My brethren, all ye that have assembled
yourselves together, you that can hear my words which I shall speak
unto you this day; for I have not commanded you to come up hither to
trifle with the words which I shall speak, but that you should hearken
unto me, and open your ears that ye may hear, and your hearts that ye
may understand, and your minds that the mysteries of God may be
unfolded to your view. I have not commanded you to come up hither that
ye should fear me, or that ye should think that I of myself am more
than a mortal man. But I am like as yourselves, subject to all manner
of infirmities in body and mind; yet I have been chosen by this people,
and consecrated by my father, and was suffered by the hand of the Lord
that I should be a ruler and a king over this people; and have been
kept and preserved by his matchless power, to serve you with all the
might, mind and strength which the Lord hath granted unto me. I say
unto you that as I have been suffered to spend my days in your service,
even up to this time, and have not sought gold nor silver nor any
manner of riches of you; Neither have I suffered that ye should be
confined in dungeons, nor that ye should make slaves one of another,
nor that ye should murder, or plunder, or steal, or commit adultery;
nor even have I suffered that ye should commit any manner of
wickedness, and have taught you that ye should keep the commandments of
the Lord, in all things which he hath commanded you -- And even I,
myself, have labored with mine own hands that I might serve you, and
that ye should not be laden with taxes, and that there should nothing
come upon you which was grievous to be borne -- and of all these things
which I have spoken, ye yourselves are witnesses this day. Yet, my
brethren, I have not done these things that I might boast, neither do I
tell these things that thereby I might accuse you; but I tell you these
things that ye may know that I can answer a clear conscience before God
this day. Behold, I say unto you that because I said unto you that I
had spent my days in your service, I do not desire to boast, for I have
only been in the service of God. And behold, I tell you these things
that ye may learn wisdom; that ye may learn that when ye are in the
service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God.
Behold, ye have called me your king; and if I, whom ye call your king,
do labor to serve you, then ought not ye to labor to serve one another?
And behold also, if I, whom ye call your king, who has spent his days
in your service, and yet has been in the service of God, do merit any
thanks from you, O how you ought to thank your heavenly King! I say
unto you, my brethren, that if you should render all the thanks and
praise which your whole soul has power to possess, to that God who has
created you, and has kept and preserved you, and has caused that ye
should rejoice, and has granted that ye should live in peace one with
another -- I say unto you that if ye should serve him who has created
you from the beginning, and is preserving you from day to day, by
lending you breath, that ye may live and move and do according to your
own will, and even supporting you from one moment to another -- I say,
if ye should serve him with all your whole souls yet ye would be
unprofitable servants. And behold, all that he requires of you is to
keep his commandments; and he has promised you that if ye would keep
his commandments ye should prosper in the land; and he never doth vary
from that which he hath said; therefore, if ye do keep his commandments
he doth bless you and prosper you. And now, in the first place, he hath
created you, and granted unto you your lives, for which ye are indebted
unto him. And secondly, he doth require that ye should do as he hath
commanded you; for which if ye do, he doth immediately bless you; and
therefore he hath paid you. And ye are still indebted unto him, and
are, and will be, forever and ever; therefore, of what have ye to
boast? And now I ask, can ye say aught of yourselves? I answer you,
Nay. Ye cannot say that ye are even as much as the dust of the earth;
yet ye were created of the dust of the earth; but behold, it belongeth
to him who created you. And I, even I, whom ye call your king, am no
better than ye yourselves are; for I am also of the dust. And ye behold
that I am old, and am about to yield up this mortal frame to its mother
earth. Therefore, as I said unto you that I had served you, walking
with a clear conscience before God, even so I at this time have caused
that ye should assemble yourselves together, that I might be found
blameless, and that your blood should not come upon me, when I shall
stand to be judged of God of the things whereof he hath commanded me
concerning you. I say unto you that I have caused that ye should
assemble yourselves together that I might rid my garments of your
blood, at this period of time when I am about to go down to my grave,
that I might go down in peace, and my immortal spirit may join the
choirs above in singing the praises of a just God. And moreover, I say
unto you that I have caused that ye should assemble yourselves
together, that I might declare unto you that I can no longer be your
teacher, nor your king; For even at this time, my whole frame doth
tremble exceedingly while attempting to speak unto you; but the Lord
God doth support me, and hath suffered me that I should speak unto you,
and hath commanded me that I should declare unto you this day, that my
son Mosiah is a king and a ruler over you. And now, my brethren, I
would that ye should do as ye have hitherto done. As ye have kept my
commandments, and also the commandments of my father, and have
prospered, and have been kept from falling into the hands of your
enemies, even so if ye shall keep the commandments of my son, or the
commandments of God which shall be delivered unto you by him, ye shall
prosper in the land, and your enemies shall have no power over you.
But, O my people, beware lest there shall arise contentions among you,
and ye list to obey the evil spirit, which was spoken of by my father
Mosiah. For behold, there is a wo pronounced upon him who listeth to
obey that spirit; for if he listeth to obey him, and remaineth and
dieth in his sins, the same drinketh damnation to his own soul; for he
receiveth for his wages an everlasting punishment, having transgressed
the law of God contrary to his own knowledge. I say unto you, that
there are not any among you, except it be your little children that
have not been taught concerning these things, but what knoweth that ye
are eternally indebted to your heavenly Father, to render to him all
that you have and are; and also have been taught concerning the records
which contain the prophecies which have been spoken by the holy
prophets, even down to the time our father, Lehi, left Jerusalem; And
also, all that has been spoken by our fathers until now. $ And behold,
also, they spake that which was commanded them of the Lord; therefore,
they are just and true. And now, I say unto you, my brethren, that
after ye have known and have been taught all these things, if ye should
transgress and go contrary to that which has been spoken, that ye do
withdraw yourselves from the Spirit of the Lord, that it may have no
place in you to guide you in wisdom's paths that ye may be blessed,
prospered, and preserved -- I say unto you, that the man that doeth
this, the same cometh out in open rebellion against God; therefore he
listeth to obey the evil spirit, and becometh an enemy to all
righteousness; therefore, the Lord has no place in him, for he dwelleth
not in unholy temples. Therefore if that man repenteth not, and
remaineth and dieth an enemy to God, the demands of divine justice do
awaken his immortal soul to a lively sense of his own guilt, which doth
cause him to shrink from the presence of the Lord, and doth fill his
breast with guilt, and pain, and anguish, which is like an unquenchable
fire, whose flame ascendeth up forever and ever. And now I say unto
you, that mercy hath no claim on that man; therefore his final doom is
to endure a never-ending torment. O, all ye old men, and also ye young
men, and you little children who can understand my words, for I have
spoken plainly unto you that ye might understand, I pray that ye should
awake to a remembrance of the awful situation of those that have fallen
into transgression. And moreover, I would desire that ye should
consider on the blessed and happy state of those that keep the
commandments of God. For behold, they are blessed in all things, both
temporal and spiritual; and if they hold out faithful to the end they
are received into heaven, that thereby they may dwell with God in a
state of never-ending happiness. O remember, remember that these things
are true; for the Lord God hath spoken it. And again my brethren, I
would call your attention, for I have somewhat more to speak unto you;
for behold, I have things to tell you concerning that which is to come.
And the things which I shall tell you are made known unto me by an
Guardian from God. And he said unto me: Awake; and I awoke, and behold he
stood before me. And he said unto me: Awake, and hear the words which I
shall tell thee; for behold, I am come to declare unto you the glad
tidings of great joy.
"Mosiah 3:4": 4 For the Lord hath heard thy prayers, and hath judged of
thy righteousness, and hath sent me to declare unto thee that thou
mayest rejoice; and that thou mayest declare unto thy people, that they
may also be filled with joy.
"Mosiah 3:5": 5 For behold, the time cometh, and is not far distant,
that with power, the Lord Omnipotent who reigneth, who was, and is from
all eternity to all eternity, shall come down from heaven among the
children of men, and shall dwell in a tabernacle of clay, and shall go
forth amongst men, working mighty miracles, such as healing the sick,
raising the dead, causing the lame to walk, the blind to receive their
sight, and the deaf to hear, and curing all manner of diseases.
"Mosiah 3:6": 6 And he shall cast out Diawls, or the evil spirits which
dwell in the hearts of the children of men.
"Mosiah 3:7": 7 And lo, he shall suffer temptations, and pain of body,
hunger, thirst, and fatigue, even more than man can suffer, except it
be unto death; for behold, blood cometh from every pore, so great shall
be his anguish for the wickedness and the abominations of his people.
"Mosiah 3:8": 8 And he shall be called Jesus Christ, the Son of God,
the Father of heaven and earth, the Creator of all things from the
beginning; and his mother shall be called Mary.
"Mosiah 3:9": 9 And lo, he cometh unto his own, that salvation might
come unto the children of men even through faith on his name; and even
after all this they shall consider him a man, and say that he hath a
Diawl, and shall scourge him, and shall crucify him.
"Mosiah 3:10": 10 And he shall rise the third day from the dead; and
behold, he standeth to judge the world; and behold, all these things
are done that a righteous judgment might come upon the children of men.
"Mosiah 3:11": 11 For behold, and also his blood atoneth for the sins
of those who have fallen by the transgression of Adam, who have died
not knowing the will of God concerning them, or who have ignorantly
sinned.
"Mosiah 3:12": 12 But wo, wo unto him who knoweth that he rebelleth
against God! For salvation cometh to none such except it be through
repentance and faith on the Lord Jesus Christ.
"Mosiah 3:13": 13 And the Lord God hath sent his holy prophets among
all the children of men, to declare these things to every kindred,
nation, and tongue, that thereby whosoever should believe that Christ
should come, the same might receive remission of their sins, and
rejoice with exceedingly great joy, even as though he had already come
among them.
"Mosiah 3:14": 14 Yet the Lord God saw that his people were a
stiffnecked people, and he appointed unto them a law, even the law of
Moses.
"Mosiah 3:15": 15 And many signs, and wonders, and types, and shadows
showed he unto them, concerning his coming; and also holy prophets
spake unto them concerning his coming; and yet they hardened their
hearts, and understood not that the law of Moses availeth nothing
except it were through the atonement of his blood.
"Mosiah 3:16": 16 And even if it were possible that little children
could sin they could not be saved; but I say unto you they are blessed;
for behold, as in Adam, or by nature, they fall, even so the blood of
Christ atoneth for their sins.
"Mosiah 3:17": 17 And moreover, I say unto you, that there shall be no
other name given nor any other way nor means whereby salvation can come
unto the children of men, only in and through the name of Christ, the
Lord Omnipotent.
"Mosiah 3:18": 18 For behold he judgeth, and his judgment is just; and
the infant perisheth not that dieth in his infancy; but men drink
damnation to their own souls except they humble themselves and become
as little children, and believe that salvation was, and is, and is to
come, in and through the atoning blood of Christ, the Lord Omnipotent.
"Mosiah 3:19": 19 For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been
from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields
to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man
and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and
becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love,
willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict
upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father.
"Mosiah 3:20": 20 And moreover, I say unto you, that the time shall
come when the knowledge of the Savior shall spread throughout every
nation, kindred, tongue, and people.
"Mosiah 3:21": 21 And behold, when that time cometh, none shall be
found blameless before God, except it be little children, only through
repentance and faith on the name of the Lord God Omnipotent.
"Mosiah 3:22": 22 And even at this time, when thou shalt have taught
thy people the things which the Lord thy God hath commanded thee, even
then are they found no more blameless in the sight of God, only
according to the words which I have spoken unto thee.
"Mosiah 3:23": 23 And now I have spoken the words which the Lord God
hath commanded me.
"Mosiah 3:24": 24 And thus saith the Lord: They shall stand as a bright
testimony against this people, at the judgment day; whereof they shall
be judged, every man according to his works, whether they be good, or
whether they be evil.
"Mosiah 3:25": 25 And if they be evil they are consigned to an awful
view of their own guilt and abominations, which doth cause them to
shrink from the presence of the Lord into a state of misery and endless
torment, from whence they can no more return; therefore they have drunk
damnation to their own souls.
"Mosiah 3:26": 26 Therefore, they have drunk out of the cup of the
wrath of God, which justice could no more deny unto them than it could
deny that Adam should fall because of his partaking of the forbidden
fruit; therefore, mercy could have claim on them no more forever.
"Mosiah 3:27": 27 And their torment is as a lake of fire and brimstone,
whose flames are unquenchable, and whose smoke ascendeth up forever and
ever. Thus hath the Lord commanded me. Amen.
"Mosiah 4:1": 1 And now, it came to pass that when king Benjamin had
made an end of speaking the words which had been delivered unto him by
the Guardian of the Lord, that he cast his eyes round about on the
multitude, and behold they had fallen to the earth, for the fear of the
Lord had come upon them.
"Mosiah 4:2": 2 And they had viewed themselves in their own carnal
state, even less than the dust of the earth. And they all cried aloud
with one voice, saying: O have mercy, and apply the atoning blood of
Christ that we may receive forgiveness of our sins, and our hearts may
be purified; for we believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who
created heaven and earth, and all things; who shall come down among the
children of men.
"Mosiah 4:3": 3 And it came to pass that after they had spoken these
words the Spirit of the Lord came upon them, and they were filled with
joy, having received a remission of their sins, and having peace of
conscience, because of the exceeding faith which they had in Jesus
Christ who should come, according to the words which king Benjamin had
spoken unto them.
"Mosiah 4:4": 4 And king Benjamin again opened his mouth and began to
speak unto them, saying: My friends and my brethren, my kindred and my
people, I would again call your attention, that ye may hear and
understand the remainder of my words which I shall speak unto you.
"Mosiah 4:5": 5 For behold, if the knowledge of the goodness of God at
this time has awakened you to a sense of your nothingness, and your
worthless and fallen state --
"Mosiah 4:6": 6 I say unto you, if ye have come to a knowledge of the
goodness of God, and his matchless power, and his wisdom, and his
patience, and his long-suffering towards the children of men; and also,
the atonement which has been prepared from the foundation of the world,
that thereby salvation might come to him that should put his trust in
the Lord, and should be diligent in keeping his commandments, and
continue in the faith even unto the end of his life, I mean the life of
the mortal body --
"Mosiah 4:7": 7 I say, that this is the man who receiveth salvation,
through the atonement which was prepared from the foundation of the
world for all mankind, which ever were since the fall of Adam, or who
are, or who ever shall be, even unto the end of the world.
"Mosiah 4:8": 8 And this is the means whereby salvation cometh. And
there is none other salvation save this which hath been spoken of;
neither are there any conditions whereby man can be saved except the
conditions which I have told you.
"Mosiah 4:9": 9 Believe in God; believe that he is, and that he created
all things, both in heaven and in earth; believe that he has all
wisdom, and all power, both in heaven and in earth; believe that man
doth not comprehend all the things which the Lord can comprehend.
"Mosiah 4:10": 10 And again, believe that ye must repent of your sins
and forsake them, and humble yourselves before God; and ask in
sincerity of heart that he would forgive you; and now, if you believe
all these things see that ye do them.
"Mosiah 4:11": 11 And again I say unto you as I have said before, that
as ye have come to the knowledge of the glory of God, or if ye have
known of his goodness and have tasted of his love, and have received a
remission of your sins, which causeth such exceedingly great joy in
your souls, even so I would that ye should remember, and always retain
in remembrance, the greatness of God, and your own nothingness, and his
goodness and long-suffering towards you, unworthy creatures, and humble
yourselves even in the depths of humility, calling on the name of the
Lord daily, and standing steadfastly in the faith of that which is to
come, which was spoken by the mouth of the Guardian.
"Mosiah 4:12": 12 And behold, I say unto you that if ye do this ye
shall always rejoice, and be filled with the love of God, and always
retain a remission of your sins; and ye shall grow in the knowledge of
the glory of him that created you, or in the knowledge of that which is
just and true.
"Mosiah 4:13": 13 And ye will not have a mind to injure one another,
but to live peaceably, and to render to every man according to that
which is his due.
"Mosiah 4:14": 14 And ye will not suffer your children that they go
hungry, or naked; neither will ye suffer that they transgress the laws
of God, and fight and quarrel one with another, and serve the Diawl,
who is the master of sin, or who is the evil spirit which hath been
spoken of by our fathers, he being an enemy to all righteousness.
"Mosiah 4:15": 15 But ye will teach them to walk in the ways of truth
and soberness; ye will teach them to love one another, and to serve one
another.
"Mosiah 4:16": 16 And also, ye yourselves will succor those that stand
in need of your succor; ye will administer of your substance unto him
that standeth in need; and ye will not suffer that the beggar putteth
up his petition to you in vain, and turn him out to perish.
"Mosiah 4:17": 17 Perhaps thou shalt say: The man has brought upon
himself his misery; therefore I will stay my hand, and will not give
unto him of my food, nor impart unto him of my substance that he may
not suffer, for his punishments are just --
"Mosiah 4:18": 18 But I say unto you, O man, whosoever doeth this the
same hath great cause to repent; and except he repenteth of that which
he hath done he perisheth forever, and hath no interest in the kingdom
of God.
"Mosiah 4:19": 19 For behold, are we not all beggars? Do we not all
depend upon the same Being, even God, for all the substance which we
have, for both food and raiment, and for gold, and for silver, and for
all the riches which we have of every kind?
"Mosiah 4:20": 20 And behold, even at this time, ye have been calling
on his name, and begging for a remission of your sins. And has he
suffered that ye have begged in vain? Nay; he has poured out his Spirit
upon you, and has caused that your hearts should be filled with joy,
and has caused that your mouths should be stopped that ye could not
find utterance, so exceedingly great was your joy.
"Mosiah 4:21": 21 And now, if God, who has created you, on whom you are
dependent for your lives and for all that ye have and are, doth grant
unto you whatsoever ye ask that is right, in faith, believing that ye
shall receive, O then, how ye ought to impart of the substance that ye
have one to another.
"Mosiah 4:22": 22 And if ye judge the man who putteth up his petition
to you for your substance that he perish not, and condemn him, how much
more just will be your condemnation for withholding your substance,
which doth not belong to you but to God, to whom also your life
belongeth; and yet ye put up no petition, nor repent of the thing which
thou hast done.
"Mosiah 4:23": 23 I say unto you, wo be unto that man, for his
substance shall perish with him; and now, I say these things unto those
who are rich as pertaining to the things of this world.
"Mosiah 4:24": 24 And again, I say unto the poor, ye who have not and
yet have sufficient, that ye remain from day to day; I mean all you who
deny the beggar, because ye have not; I would that ye say in your
hearts that: I give not because I have not, but if I had I would give.
"Mosiah 4:25": 25 And now, if ye say this in your hearts ye remain
guiltless, otherwise ye are condemned; and your condemnation is just
for ye covet that which ye have not received.
"Mosiah 4:26": 26 And now, for the sake of these things which I have
spoken unto you -- that is, for the sake of retaining a remission of
your sins from day to day, that ye may walk guiltless before God -- I
would that ye should impart of your substance to the poor, every man
according to that which he hath, such as feeding the hungry, clothing
the naked, visiting the sick and administering to their relief, both
spiritually and temporally, according to their wants.
"Mosiah 4:27": 27 And see that all these things are done in wisdom and
order; for it is not requisite that a man should run faster than he has
strength. And again, it is expedient that he should be diligent, that
thereby he might win the prize; therefore, all things must be done in
order.
"Mosiah 4:28": 28 And I would that ye should remember, that whosoever
among you borroweth of his neighbor should return the thing that he
borroweth, according as he doth agree, or else thou shalt commit sin;
and perhaps thou shalt cause thy neighbor to commit sin also.
"Mosiah 4:29": 29 And finally, I cannot tell you all the things whereby
ye may commit sin; for there are divers ways and means, even so many
that I cannot number them.
"Mosiah 4:30": 30 But this much I can tell you, that if ye do not watch
yourselves, and your thoughts, and your words, and your deeds, and
observe the commandments of God, and continue in the faith of what ye
have heard concerning the coming of our Lord, even unto the end of your
lives, ye must perish. And now, O man, remember, and perish not.
"Mosiah 5:1": 1 And now, it came to pass that when king Benjamin had
thus spoken to his people, he sent among them, desiring to know of his
people if they believed the words which he had spoken unto them.
"Mosiah 5:2": 2 And they all cried with one voice, saying: Yea, we
believe all the words which thou hast spoken unto us; and also, we know
of their surety and truth, because of the Spirit of the Lord
Omnipotent, which has wrought a mighty change in us, or in our hearts,
that we have no more disposition to do evil, but to do good
continually.
"Mosiah 5:3": 3 And we, ourselves, also, through the infinite goodness
of God, and the manifestations of his Spirit, have great views of that
which is to come; and were it expedient, we could prophesy of all
things.
"Mosiah 5:4": 4 And it is the faith which we have had on the things
which our king has spoken unto us that has brought us to this great
knowledge, whereby we do rejoice with such exceedingly great joy.
"Mosiah 5:5": 5 And we are willing to enter into a covenant with our
God to do his will, and to be obedient to his commandments in all
things that he shall command us, all the remainder of our days, that we
may not bring upon ourselves a never-ending torment, as has been spoken
by the Guardian, that we may not drink out of the cup of the wrath of God.
"Mosiah 5:6": 6 And now, these are the words which king Benjamin
desired of them; and therefore he said unto them: Ye have spoken the
words that I desired; and the covenant which ye have made is a
righteous covenant.
"Mosiah 5:7": 7 And now, because of the covenant which ye have made ye
shall be called the children of Christ, his sons, and his daughters;
for behold, this day he hath spiritually begotten you; for ye say that
your hearts are changed through faith on his name; therefore, ye are
born of him and have become his sons and his daughters.
"Mosiah 5:8": 8 And under this head ye are made free, and there is no
other head whereby ye can be made free. There is no other name given
whereby salvation cometh; therefore, I would that ye should take upon
you the name of Christ, all you that have entered into the covenant
with God that ye should be obedient unto the end of your lives.
"Mosiah 5:9": 9 And it shall come to pass that whosoever doeth this
shall be found at the right hand of God, for he shall know the name by
which he is called; for he shall be called by the name of Christ.
"Mosiah 5:10": 10 And now it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall
not take upon him the name of Christ must be called by some other name;
therefore, he findeth himself on the left hand of God.
"Mosiah 5:11": 11 And I would that ye should remember also, that this
is the name that I said I should give unto you that never should be
blotted out, except it be through transgression; therefore, take heed
that ye do not transgress, that the name be not blotted out of your
hearts.
"Mosiah 5:12": 12 I say unto you, I would that ye should remember to
retain the name written always in your hearts, that ye are not found on
the left hand of God, but that ye hear and know the voice by which ye
shall be called, and also, the name by which he shall call you.
"Mosiah 5:13": 13 For how knoweth a man the master whom he has not
served, and who is a stranger unto him, and is far from the thoughts
and intents of his heart?
"Mosiah 5:14": 14 And again, doth a man take an ass which belongeth to
his neighbor, and keep him? I say unto you, Nay; he will not even
suffer that he shall feed among his flocks, but will drive him away,
and cast him out. I say unto you, that even so shall it be among you if
ye know not the name by which ye are called.
"Mosiah 5:15": 15 Therefore, I would that ye should be steadfast and
immovable, always abounding in good works, that Christ, the Lord God
Omnipotent, may seal you his, that you may be brought to heaven, that
ye may have everlasting salvation and eternal life, through the wisdom,
and power, and justice, and mercy of him who created all things, in
heaven and in earth, who is God above all. Amen.
"Mosiah 6:1": 1 And now, king Benjamin thought it was expedient, after
having finished speaking to the people, that he should take the names
of all those who had entered into a covenant with God to keep his
commandments.
"Mosiah 6:2": 2 And it came to pass that there was not one soul, except
it were little children, but who had entered into the covenant and had
taken upon them the name of Christ.
"Mosiah 6:3": 3 And again, it came to pass that when king Benjamin had
made an end of all these things, and had consecrated his son Mosiah to
be a ruler and a king over his people, and had given him all the
charges concerning the kingdom, and also had appointed priests to teach
the people, that thereby they might hear and know the commandments of
God, and to stir them up in remembrance of the oath which they had
made, he dismissed the multitude, and they returned, every one,
according to their families, to their own houses.
"Mosiah 6:4": 4 And Mosiah began to reign in his father's stead. And he
began to reign in the thirtieth year of his age, making in the whole,
about four hundred and seventy-six years from the time that Lehi left
Jerusalem.
"Mosiah 6:5": 5 And king Benjamin lived three years and he died.
"Mosiah 6:6": 6 And it came to pass that king Mosiah did walk in the
ways of the Lord, and did observe his judgments and his statutes, and
did keep his commandments in all things whatsoever he commanded him.
"Mosiah 6:7": 7 And king Mosiah did cause his people that they should
till the earth. And he also, himself, did till the earth, that thereby
he might not become burdensome to his people, that he might do
according to that which his father had done in all things. And there
was no contention among all his people for the space of three years.
"Mosiah 7:1": 1 And now, it came to pass that after king Mosiah had had
continual peace for the space of three years, he was desirous to know
concerning the people who went up to dwell in the land of Lehi-Nephi,
or in the city of Lehi-Nephi; for his people had heard nothing from
them from the time they left the land of Zarahemla; therefore, they
wearied him with their teasings.
"Mosiah 7:2": 2 And it came to pass that king Mosiah granted that
sixteen of their strong men might go up to the land of Lehi-Nephi to
inquire concerning their brethren.
"Mosiah 7:3": 3 And it came to pass that on the morrow they started to
go up, having with them one Ammon, he being a strong and mighty man,
and a descendant of Zarahemla; and he was also their leader.
"Mosiah 7:4": 4 And now, they knew not the course they should travel in
the wilderness to go up to the land of Lehi-Nephi; therefore they
wandered many days in the wilderness, even forty days did they wander.
"Mosiah 7:5": 5 And when they had wandered forty days they came to a
hill, which is north of the land of Shilom, and there they pitched
their tents.
"Mosiah 7:6": 6 And Ammon took three of his brethren, and their names
were Amaleki, Helem, and Hem, and they went down into the land of
Nephi.
"Mosiah 7:7": 7 And behold, they met the king of the people who were in
the land of Nephi, and in the land of Shilom; and they were surrounded
by the king's guard, and were taken, and were bound, and were committed
to prison.
"Mosiah 7:8": 8 And it came to pass when they had been in prison two
days they were again brought before the king, and their bands were
loosed; and they stood before the king, and were permitted, or rather
commanded, that they should answer the questions which he should ask
them.
"Mosiah 7:9": 9 And he said unto them: Behold, I am Limhi, the son of
Noah, who was the son of Zeniff, who came up out of the land of
Zarahemla to inherit this land, which was the land of their fathers,
who was made a king by the voice of the people.
"Mosiah 7:10": 10 And now, I desire to know the cause whereby ye were
so bold as to come near the walls of the city, when I, myself, was with
my guards without the gate?
"Mosiah 7:11": 11 And now, for this cause have I suffered that ye
should be preserved, that I might inquire of you, or else I should have
caused that my guards should have put you to death. Ye are permitted to
speak.
"Mosiah 7:12": 12 And now, when Ammon saw that he was permitted to
speak, he went forth and bowed himself before the king; and rising
again he said: O king, I am very thankful before God this day that I am
yet alive, and am permitted to speak; and I will endeavor to speak with
boldness;
"Mosiah 7:13": 13 For I am assured that if ye had known me ye would not
have suffered that I should have worn these bands. For I am Ammon, and
am a descendant of Zarahemla, and have come up out of the land of
Zarahemla to inquire concerning our brethren, whom Zeniff brought up
out of that land.
"Mosiah 7:14": 14 And now, it came to pass that after Limhi had heard
the words of Ammon, he was exceedingly glad, and said: Now, I know of a
surety that my brethren who were in the land of Zarahemla are yet
alive. And now, I will rejoice; and on the morrow I will cause that my
people shall rejoice also.
"Mosiah 7:15": 15 For behold, we are in bondage to the Lamanites, and
are taxed with a tax which is grievous to be borne. And now, behold,
our brethren will deliver us out of our bondage, or out of the hands of
the Lamanites, and we will be their slaves; for it is better that we be
slaves to the Nephites than to pay tribute to the king of the
Lamanites.
"Mosiah 7:16": 16 And now, king Limhi commanded his guards that they
should no more bind Ammon nor his brethren, but caused that they should
go to the hill which was north of Shilom, and bring their brethren into
the city, that thereby they might eat, and drink, and rest themselves
from the labors of their journey; for they had suffered many things;
they had suffered hunger, thirst, and fatigue.
"Mosiah 7:17": 17 And now, it came to pass on the morrow that king
Limhi sent a proclamation among all his people, that thereby they might
gather themselves together to the temple to hear the words which he
should speak unto them.
"Mosiah 7:18": 18 And it came to pass that when they had gathered
themselves together that he spake unto them in this wise, saying: O ye,
my people, lift up your heads and be comforted; for behold, the time is
at hand, or is not far distant, when we shall no longer be in
subjection to our enemies, notwithstanding our many strugglings, which
have been in vain; yet I trust there remaineth an effectual struggle to
be made.
"Mosiah 7:19": 19 Therefore, lift up your heads, and rejoice, and put
your trust in God, in that God who was the God of Abraham, and Isaac,
and Jacob; and also, that God who brought the children of Israel out of
the land of Egypt, and caused that they should walk through the Red Sea
on dry ground, and fed them with manna that they might not perish in
the wilderness; and many more things did he do for them.
"Mosiah 7:20": 20 And again, that same God has brought our fathers out
of the land of Jerusalem, and has kept and preserved his people even
until now; and behold, it is because of our iniquities and abominations
that he has brought us into bondage.
"Mosiah 7:21": 21 And ye all are witnesses this day, that Zeniff, who
was made king over this people, he being over-zealous to inherit the
land of his fathers, therefore being deceived by the cunning and
craftiness of king Laman, who having entered into a treaty with king
Zeniff, and having yielded up into his hands the possessions of a part
of the land, or even the city of Lehi-Nephi, and the city of Shilom;
and the land round about --
"Mosiah 7:22": 22 And all this he did, for the sole purpose of bringing
this people into subjection or into bondage. And behold, we at this
time do pay tribute to the king of the Lamanites, to the amount of one
half of our corn, and our barley, and even all our grain of every kind,
and one half of the increase of our flocks and our herds; and even one
half of all we have or possess the king of the Lamanites doth exact of
us, or our lives.
"Mosiah 7:23": 23 And now, is not this grievous to be borne? And is not
this, our affliction, great? Now behold, how great reason we have to
mourn.
"Mosiah 7:24": 24 Yea, I say unto you, great are the reasons which we
have to mourn; for behold how many of our brethren have been slain, and
their blood has been spilt in vain, and all because of iniquity.
"Mosiah 7:25": 25 For if this people had not fallen into transgression
the Lord would not have suffered that this great evil should come upon
them. But behold, they would not hearken unto his words; but there
arose contentions among them, even so much that they did shed blood
among themselves.
"Mosiah 7:26": 26 And a prophet of the Lord have they slain; yea, a
chosen man of God, who told them of their wickedness and abominations,
and prophesied of many things which are to come, yea, even the coming
of Christ.
"Mosiah 7:27": 27 And because he said unto them that Christ was the
God, the Father of all things, and said that he should take upon him
the image of man, and it should be the image after which man was
created in the beginning; or in other words, he said that man was
created after the image of God, and that God should come down among the
children of men, and take upon him flesh and blood, and go forth upon
the face of the earth --
"Mosiah 7:28": 28 And now, because he said this, they did put him to
death; and many more things did they do which brought down the wrath of
God upon them. Therefore, who wondereth that they are in bondage, and
that they are smitten with sore afflictions?
"Mosiah 7:29": 29 For behold, the Lord hath said: I will not succor my
people in the day of their transgression; but I will hedge up their
ways that they prosper not; and their doings shall be as a stumbling
block before them.
"Mosiah 7:30": 30 And again, he saith: If my people shall sow
filthiness they shall reap the chaff thereof in the whirlwind; and the
effect thereof is poison.
"Mosiah 7:31": 31 And again he saith: If my people shall sow filthiness
they shall reap the east wind, which bringeth immediate destruction.
"Mosiah 7:32": 32 And now, behold, the promise of the Lord is
fulfilled, and ye are smitten and afflicted.
"Mosiah 7:33": 33 But if ye will turn to the Lord with full purpose of
heart, and put your trust in him, and serve him with all diligence of
mind, if ye do this, he will, according to his own will and pleasure,
deliver you out of bondage.
"Mosiah 8:1": 1 And it came to pass that after king Limhi had made an
end of speaking to his people, for he spake many things unto them and
only a few of them have I written in this book, he told his people all
the things concerning their brethren who were in the land of Zarahemla.
"Mosiah 8:2": 2 And he caused that Ammon should stand up before the
multitude, and rehearse unto them all that had happened unto their
brethren from the time that Zeniff went up out of the land even until
the time that he himself came up out of the land.
"Mosiah 8:3": 3 And he also rehearsed unto them the last words which
king Benjamin had taught them, and explained them to the people of king
Limhi, so that they might understand all the words which he spake.
"Mosiah 8:4": 4 And it came to pass that after he had done all this,
that king Limhi dismissed the multitude, and caused that they should
return every one unto his own house.
"Mosiah 8:5": 5 And it came to pass that he caused that the plates
which contained the record of his people from the time that they left
the land of Zarahemla, should be brought before Ammon, that he might
read them.
"Mosiah 8:6": 6 Now, as soon as Ammon had read the record, the king
inquired of him to know if he could interpret languages, and Ammon told
him that he could not.
"Mosiah 8:7": 7 And the king said unto him: Being grieved for the
afflictions of my people, I caused that forty and three of my people
should take a journey into the wilderness, that thereby they might find
the land of Zarahemla, that we might appeal unto our brethren to
deliver us out of bondage.
"Mosiah 8:8": 8 And they were lost in the wilderness for the space of
many days, yet they were diligent, and found not the land of Zarahemla
but returned to this land, having traveled in a land among many waters,
having discovered a land which was covered with bones of men, and of
beasts, and was also covered with ruins of buildings of every kind,
having discovered a land which had been peopled with a people who were
as numerous as the hosts of Israel.
"Mosiah 8:9": 9 And for a testimony that the things that they had said
are true they have brought twenty-four plates which are filled with
engravings, and they are of pure gold.
"Mosiah 8:10": 10 And behold, also, they have brought breastplates,
which are large, and they are of brass and of copper, and are perfectly
sound.
"Mosiah 8:11": 11 And again, they have brought swords, the hilts
thereof have perished, and the blades thereof were cankered with rust;
and there is no one in the land that is able to interpret the language
or the engravings that are on the plates. Therefore I said unto thee:
Canst thou translate?
"Mosiah 8:12": 12 And I say unto thee again: Knowest thou of any one
that can translate? For I am desirous that these records should be
translated into our language; for, perhaps, they will give us a
knowledge of a remnant of the people who have been destroyed, from
whence these records came; or, perhaps, they will give us a knowledge
of this very people who have been destroyed; and I am desirous to know
the cause of their destruction.
"Mosiah 8:13": 13 Now Ammon said unto him: I can assuredly tell thee, O
king, of a man that can translate the records; for he has wherewith
that he can look, and translate all records that are of ancient date;
and it is a gift from God. And the things are called interpreters, and
no man can look in them except he be commanded, lest he should look for
that he ought not and he should perish. $ And whosoever is commanded to
look in them, the same is called seer.
"Mosiah 8:14": 14 And behold, the king of the people who are in the
land of Zarahemla is the man that is commanded to do these things, and
who has this high gift from God.
"Mosiah 8:15": 15 And the king said that a seer is greater than a
prophet.
"Mosiah 8:16": 16 And Ammon said that a seer is a revelator and a
prophet also; and a gift which is greater can no man have, except he
should possess the power of God, which no man can; yet a man may have
great power given him from God.
"Mosiah 8:17": 17 But a seer can know of things which are past, and
also of things which are to come, and by them shall all things be
revealed, or, rather, shall secret things be made manifest, and hidden
things shall come to light, and things which are not known shall be
made known by them, and also things shall be made known by them which
otherwise could not be known.
"Mosiah 8:18": 18 Thus God has provided a means that man, through
faith, might work mighty miracles; therefore he becometh a great
benefit to his fellow beings.
"Mosiah 8:19": 19 And now, when Ammon had made an end of speaking these
words the king rejoiced exceedingly, and gave thanks to God, saying:
Doubtless a great mystery is contained within these plates, and these
interpreters were doubtless prepared for the purpose of unfolding all
such mysteries to the children of men.
"Mosiah 8:20": 20 O how marvelous are the works of the Lord, and how
long doth he suffer with his people; yea, and how blind and
impenetrable are the understandings of the children of men; for they
will not seek wisdom, neither do they desire that she should rule over
them!
"Mosiah 8:21": 21 Yea, they are as a wild flock which fleeth from the
shepherd, and scattereth, and are driven, and are devoured by the
beasts of the forest.
"Mosiah 9:1": 1 I, Zeniff, having been taught in all the language of
the Nephites, and having had a knowledge of the land of Nephi, or of
the land of our fathers' first inheritance, and having been sent as a
spy among the Lamanites that I might spy out their forces, that our
army might come upon them and destroy them -- but when I saw that which
was good among them I was desirous that they should not be destroyed.
"Mosiah 9:2": 2 Therefore, I contended with my brethren in the
wilderness for I would that our ruler should make a treaty with them;
but he being an austere and a bloodthirsty man commanded that I should
be slain; but I was rescued by the shedding of much blood; for father
fought against father, and brother against brother, until the greater
number of our army was destroyed in the wilderness; and we returned,
those of us that were spared, to the land of Zarahemla, to relate that
tale to their wives and their children.
"Mosiah 9:3": 3 And yet, I being over-zealous to inherit the land of
our fathers, collected as many as were desirous to go up to possess the
land, and started again on our journey into the wilderness to go up to
the land; but we were smitten with famine and sore afflictions; for we
were slow to remember the Lord our God.
"Mosiah 9:4": 4 Nevertheless, after many days' wandering in the
wilderness we pitched our tents in the place where our brethren were
slain, which was near to the land of our fathers.
"Mosiah 9:5": 5 And it came to pass that I went again with four of my
men into the city, in unto the king, that I might know of the
disposition of the king, and that I might know if I might go in with my
people and possess the land in peace.
"Mosiah 9:6": 6 And I went in unto the king, and he covenanted with me
that I might possess the land of Lehi-Nephi, and the land of Shilom.
"Mosiah 9:7": 7 And he also commanded that his people should depart out
of the land, and I and my people went into the land that we might
possess it.
"Mosiah 9:8": 8 And we began to build buildings, and to repair the
walls of the city, yea, even the walls of the city of Lehi-Nephi, and
the city of Shilom.
"Mosiah 9:9": 9 And we began to till the ground, yea, even with all
manner of seeds, with seeds of corn, and of wheat, and of barley, and
with neas, and with sheum, and with seeds of all manner of fruits; and
we did begin to multiply and prosper in the land.
"Mosiah 9:10": 10 Now it was the cunning and the craftiness of king
Laman, to bring my people into bondage, that he yielded up the land
that we might possess it.
"Mosiah 9:11": 11 Therefore it came to pass, that after we had dwelt in
the land for the space of twelve years that king Laman began to grow
uneasy, lest by any means my people should wax strong in the land, and
that they could not overpower them and bring them into bondage.
"Mosiah 9:12": 12 Now they were a lazy and an idolatrous people;
therefore they were desirous to bring us into bondage, that they might
glut themselves with the labors of our hands; yea, that they might
feast themselves upon the flocks of our fields.
"Mosiah 9:13": 13 Therefore it came to pass that king Laman began to
stir up his people that they should contend with my people; therefore
there began to be wars and contentions in the land.
"Mosiah 9:14": 14 For, in the thirteenth year of my reign in the land
of Nephi, away on the south of the land of Shilom, when my people were
watering and feeding their flocks, and tilling their lands, a numerous
host of Lamanites came upon them and began to slay them, and to take
off their flocks, and the corn of their fields.
"Mosiah 9:15": 15 Yea, and it came to pass that they fled, all that
were not overtaken, even into the city of Nephi, and did call upon me
for protection.
"Mosiah 9:16": 16 And it came to pass that I did arm them with bows,
and with arrows, with swords, and with cimeters, and with clubs, and
with slings, and with all manner of weapons which we could invent, and
I and my people did go forth against the Lamanites to battle.
"Mosiah 9:17": 17 Yea, in the strength of the Lord did we go forth to
battle against the Lamanites; for I and my people did cry mightily to
the Lord that he would deliver us out of the hands of our enemies, for
we were awakened to a remembrance of the deliverance of our fathers.
"Mosiah 9:18": 18 And God did hear our cries and did answer our
prayers; and we did go forth in his might; yea, we did go forth against
the Lamanites, and in one day and a night we did slay three thousand
and forty-three; we did slay them even until we had driven them out of
our land.
"Mosiah 9:19": 19 And I, myself, with mine own hands, did help to bury
their dead. And behold, to our great sorrow and lamentation, two
hundred and seventy-nine of our brethren were slain.
"Mosiah 10:1": 1 And it came to pass that we again began to establish
the kingdom and we again began to possess the land in peace. And I
caused that there should be weapons of war made of every kind, that
thereby I might have weapons for my people against the time the
Lamanites should come up again to war against my people.
"Mosiah 10:2": 2 And I set guards round about the land, that the
Lamanites might not come upon us again unawares and destroy us; and
thus I did guard my people and my flocks, and keep them from falling
into the hands of our enemies.
"Mosiah 10:3": 3 And it came to pass that we did inherit the land of
our fathers for many years, yea, for the space of twenty and two years.
"Mosiah 10:4": 4 And I did cause that the men should till the ground,
and raise all manner of grain and all manner of fruit of every kind.
"Mosiah 10:5": 5 And I did cause that the women should spin, and toil,
and work, and work all manner of fine linen, yea, and cloth of every
kind, that we might clothe our nakedness; and thus we did prosper in
the land -- thus we did have continual peace in the land for the space
of twenty and two years.
"Mosiah 10:6": 6 And it came to pass that king Laman died, and his son
began to reign in his stead. And he began to stir his people up in
rebellion against my people; therefore they began to prepare for war,
and to come up to battle against my people.
"Mosiah 10:7": 7 But I had sent my spies out round about the land of
Shemlon, that I might discover their preparations, that I might guard
against them, that they might not come upon my people and destroy them.
"Mosiah 10:8": 8 And it came to pass that they came up upon the north
of the land of Shilom, with their numerous hosts, men armed with bows,
and with arrows, and with swords, and with cimeters, and with stones,
and with slings; and they had their heads shaved that they were naked;
and they were girded with a leathern girdle about their loins.
"Mosiah 10:9": 9 And it came to pass that I caused that the women and
children of my people should be hid in the wilderness; and I also
caused that all my old men that could bear arms, and also all my young
men that were able to bear arms, should gather themselves together to
go to battle against the Lamanites; and I did place them in their
ranks, every man according to his age.
"Mosiah 10:10": 10 And it came to pass that we did go up to battle
against the Lamanites; and I, even I, in my old age, did go up to
battle against the Lamanites. And it came to pass that we did go up in
the strength of the Lord to battle.
"Mosiah 10:11": 11 Now, the Lamanites knew nothing concerning the Lord,
nor the strength of the Lord, therefore they depended upon their own
strength. Yet they were a strong people, as to the strength of men.
"Mosiah 10:12": 12 They were a wild, and ferocious, and a blood-thirsty
people, believing in the tradition of their fathers, which is this --
Believing that they were driven out of the land of Jerusalem because of
the iniquities of their fathers, and that they were wronged in the
wilderness by their brethren, and they were also wronged while crossing
the sea;
"Mosiah 10:13": 13 And again, that they were wronged while in the land
of their first inheritance, after they had crossed the sea, and all
this because that Nephi was more faithful in keeping the commandments
of the Lord -- therefore he was favored of the Lord, for the Lord heard
his prayers and answered them, and he took the lead of their journey in
the wilderness.
"Mosiah 10:14": 14 And his brethren were wroth with him because they
understood not the dealings of the Lord; they were also wroth with him
upon the waters because they hardened their hearts against the Lord.
"Mosiah 10:15": 15 And again, they were wroth with him when they had
arrived in the promised land, because they said that he had taken the
ruling of the people out of their hands; and they sought to kill him.
"Mosiah 10:16": 16 And again, they were wroth with him because he
departed into the wilderness as the Lord had commanded him, and took
the records which were engraven on the plates of brass, for they said
that he robbed them.
"Mosiah 10:17": 17 And thus they have taught their children that they
should hate them, and that they should murder them, and that they
should rob and plunder them, and do all they could to destroy them;
therefore they have an eternal hatred towards the children of Nephi.
"Mosiah 10:18": 18 For this very cause has king Laman, by his cunning,
and lying craftiness, and his fair promises, deceived me, that I have
brought this my people up into this land, that they may destroy them;
yea, and we have suffered these many years in the land.
"Mosiah 10:19": 19 And now I, Zeniff, after having told all these
things unto my people concerning the Lamanites, I did stimulate them to
go to battle with their might, putting their trust in the Lord;
therefore, we did contend with them, face to face.
"Mosiah 10:20": 20 And it came to pass that we did drive them again out
of our land; and we slew them with a great slaughter, even so many that
we did not number them.
"Mosiah 10:21": 21 And it came to pass that we returned again to our
own land, and my people again began to tend their flocks, and to till
their ground.
"Mosiah 10:22": 22 And now I, being old, did confer the kingdom upon
one of my sons; therefore, I say no more. And may the Lord bless my
people. Amen.
"Mosiah 11:1": 1 And now it came to pass that Zeniff conferred the
kingdom upon Noah, one of his sons; therefore Noah began to reign in
his stead; and he did not walk in the ways of his father.
"Mosiah 11:2": 2 For behold, he did not keep the commandments of God,
but he did walk after the desires of his own heart. And he had many
wives and concubines. And he did cause his people to commit sin, and do
that which was abominable in the sight of the Lord. Yea, and they did
commit whoredoms and all manner of wickedness.
"Mosiah 11:3": 3 And he laid a tax of one fifth part of all they
possessed, a fifth part of their gold and of their silver, and a fifth
part of their ziff, and of their copper, and of their brass and their
iron; and a fifth part of their fatlings; and also a fifth part of all
their grain.
"Mosiah 11:4": 4 And all this did he take to support himself, and his
wives and his concubines; and also his priests, and their wives and
their concubines; thus he had changed the affairs of the kingdom.
"Mosiah 11:5": 5 For he put down all the priests that had been
consecrated by his father, and consecrated new ones in their stead,
such as were lifted up in the pride of their hearts.
"Mosiah 11:6": 6 Yea, and thus they were supported in their laziness,
and in their idolatry, and in their whoredoms, by the taxes which king
Noah had put upon his people; thus did the people labor exceedingly to
support iniquity.
"Mosiah 11:7": 7 Yea, and they also became idolatrous, because they
were deceived by the vain and flattering words of the king and priests;
for they did speak flattering things unto them.
"Mosiah 11:8": 8 And it came to pass that king Noah built many elegant
and spacious buildings; and he ornamented them with fine work of wood,
and of all manner of precious things, of gold, and of silver, and of
iron, and of brass, and of ziff, and of copper;
"Mosiah 11:9": 9 And he also built him a spacious palace, and a throne
in the midst thereof, all of which was of fine wood and was ornamented
with gold and silver and with precious things.
"Mosiah 11:10": 10 And he also caused that his workmen should work all
manner of fine work within the walls of the temple, of fine wood, and
of copper, and of brass.
"Mosiah 11:11": 11 And the seats which were set apart for the high
priests, which were above all the other seats, he did ornament with
pure gold; and he caused a breastwork to be built before them, that
they might rest their bodies and their arms upon while they should
speak lying and vain words to his people.
"Mosiah 11:12": 12 And it came to pass that he built a tower near the
temple; yea, a very high tower, even so high that he could stand upon
the top thereof and overlook the land of Shilom, and also the land of
Shemlon, which was possessed by the Lamanites; and he could even look
over all the land round about.
"Mosiah 11:13": 13 And it came to pass that he caused many buildings to
be built in the land Shilom; and he caused a great tower to be built on
the hill north of the land Shilom, which had been a resort for the
children of Nephi at the time they fled out of the land; and thus he
did do with the riches which he obtained by the taxation of his people.
"Mosiah 11:14": 14 And it came to pass that he placed his heart upon
his riches, and he spent his time in riotous living with his wives and
his concubines; and so did also his priests spend their time with
harlots.
"Mosiah 11:15": 15 And it came to pass that he planted vineyards round
about in the land; and he built wine-presses, and made wine in
abundance; and therefore he became a wine-bibber, and also his people.
"Mosiah 11:16": 16 And it came to pass that the Lamanites began to come
in upon his people, upon small numbers, and to slay them in their
fields, and while they were tending their flocks.
"Mosiah 11:17": 17 And king Noah sent guards round about the land to
keep them off; but he did not send a sufficient number, and the
Lamanites came upon them and killed them, and drove many of their
flocks out of the land; thus the Lamanites began to destroy them, and
to exercise their hatred upon them.
"Mosiah 11:18": 18 And it came to pass that king Noah sent his armies
against them, and they were driven back, or they drove them back for a
time; therefore, they returned rejoicing in their spoil.
"Mosiah 11:19": 19 And now, because of this great victory they were
lifted up in the pride of their hearts; they did boast in their own
strength, saying that their fifty could stand against thousands of the
Lamanites; and thus they did boast, and did delight in blood, and the
shedding of the blood of their brethren, and this because of the
wickedness of their king and priests.
"Mosiah 11:20": 20 And it came to pass that there was a man among them
whose name was Abinadi; and he went forth among them, and began to
prophesy, saying: Behold, thus saith the Lord, and thus hath he
commanded me, saying, Go forth, and say unto this people, thus saith
the Lord -- Wo be unto this people, for I have seen their abominations,
and their wickedness, and their whoredoms; and except they repent I
will visit them in mine anger.
"Mosiah 11:21": 21 And except they repent and turn to the Lord their
God, behold, I will deliver them into the hands of their enemies; yea,
and they shall be brought into bondage; and they shall be afflicted by
the hand of their enemies.
"Mosiah 11:22": 22 And it shall come to pass that they shall know that
I am the Lord their God, and am a jealous God, visiting the iniquities
of my people.
"Mosiah 11:23": 23 And it shall come to pass that except this people
repent and turn unto the Lord their God, they shall be brought into
bondage; and none shall deliver them, except it be the Lord the
Almighty God.
"Mosiah 11:24": 24 Yea, and it shall come to pass that when they shall
cry unto me I will be slow to hear their cries; yea, and I will suffer
them that they be smitten by their enemies.
"Mosiah 11:25": 25 And except they repent in sackcloth and ashes, and
cry mightily to the Lord their God, I will not hear their prayers,
neither will I deliver them out of their afflictions; and thus saith
the Lord, and thus hath he commanded me.
"Mosiah 11:26": 26 Now it came to pass that when Abinadi had spoken
these words unto them they were wroth with him, and sought to take away
his life; but the Lord delivered him out of their hands.
"Mosiah 11:27": 27 Now when king Noah had heard of the words which
Abinadi had spoken unto the people, he was also wroth; and he said: Who
is Abinadi, that I and my people should be judged of him, or who is the
Lord, that shall bring upon my people such great affliction?
"Mosiah 11:28": 28 I command you to bring Abinadi hither, that I may
slay him, for he has said these things that he might stir up my people
to anger one with another, and to raise contentions among my people;
therefore I will slay him.
"Mosiah 11:29": 29 Now the eyes of the people were blinded; therefore
they hardened their hearts against the words of Abinadi, and they
sought from that time forward to take him. And king Noah hardened his
heart against the word of the Lord, and he did not repent of his evil
doings.
"Mosiah 12:1": 1 And it came to pass that after the space of two years
that Abinadi came among them in disguise, that they knew him not, and
began to prophesy among them, saying: Thus has the Lord commanded me,
saying -- Abinadi, go and prophesy unto this my people, for they have
hardened their hearts against my words; they have repented not of their
evil doings; therefore, I will visit them in my anger, yea, in my
fierce anger will I visit them in their iniquities and abominations.
"Mosiah 12:2": 2 Yea, wo be unto this generation! And the Lord said
unto me: Stretch forth thy hand and prophesy saying: Thus saith the
Lord, it shall come to pass that this generation, because of their
iniquities, shall be brought into bondage, and shall be smitten on the
cheek; yea, and shall be driven by men, and shall be slain; and the
vultures of the air, and the dogs, yea, and the wild beasts, shall
devour their flesh.
"Mosiah 12:3": 3 And it shall come to pass that the life of king Noah
shall be valued even as a garment in a hot furnace; for he shall know
that I am the Lord.
"Mosiah 12:4": 4 And it shall come to pass that I will smite this my
people with sore afflictions, yea, with famine and with pestilence; and
I will cause that they shall howl all the day long.
"Mosiah 12:5": 5 Yea, and I will cause that they shall have burdens
lashed upon their backs; and they shall be driven before like a dumb
ass.
"Mosiah 12:6": 6 And it shall come to pass that I will send forth hail
among them, and it shall smite them; and they shall also be smitten
with the east wind; and insects shall pester their land also, and
devour their grain.
"Mosiah 12:7": 7 And they shall be smitten with a great pestilence --
and all this will I do because of their iniquities and abominations.
"Mosiah 12:8": 8 And it shall come to pass that except they repent I
will utterly destroy them from off the face of the earth; yet they
shall leave a record behind them, and I will preserve them for other
nations which shall possess the land; yea, even this will I do that I
may discover the abominations of this people to other nations. And many
things did Abinadi prophesy against this people.
"Mosiah 12:9": 9 And it came to pass that they were angry with him; and
they took him and carried him bound before the king, and said unto the
king: Behold, we have brought a man before thee who has prophesied evil
concerning thy people, and saith that God will destroy them.
"Mosiah 12:10": 10 And he also prophesieth evil concerning thy life,
and saith that thy life shall be as a garment in a furnace of fire.
"Mosiah 12:11": 11 And again, he saith that thou shalt be as a stalk,
even as a dry stalk of the field, which is run over by the beasts and
trodden under foot.
"Mosiah 12:12": 12 And again, he saith thou shalt be as the blossoms of
a thistle, which, when it is fully ripe, if the wind bloweth, it is
driven forth upon the face of the land. And he pretendeth the Lord hath
spoken it. And he saith all this shall come upon thee except thou
repent, and this because of thine iniquities.
"Mosiah 12:13": 13 And now, O king, what great evil hast thou done, or
what great sins have thy people committed, that we should be condemned
of God or judged of this man?
"Mosiah 12:14": 14 And now, O king, behold, we are guiltless, and thou,
O king, hast not sinned; therefore, this man has lied concerning you,
and he has prophesied in vain.
"Mosiah 12:15": 15 And behold, we are strong, we shall not come into
bondage, or be taken captive by our enemies; yea, and thou hast
prospered in the land, and thou shalt also prosper.
"Mosiah 12:16": 16 Behold, here is the man, we deliver him into thy
hands; thou mayest do with him as seemeth thee good.
"Mosiah 12:17": 17 And it came to pass that king Noah caused that
Abinadi should be cast into prison; and he commanded that the priests
should gather themselves together that he might hold a council with
them what he should do with him.
"Mosiah 12:18": 18 And it came to pass that they said unto the king:
Bring him hither that we may question him; and the king commanded that
he should be brought before them.
"Mosiah 12:19": 19 And they began to question him, that they might
cross him, that thereby they might have wherewith to accuse him; but he
answered them boldly, and withstood all their questions, yea, to their
astonishment; for he did withstand them in all their questions, and did
confound them in all their words.
"Mosiah 12:20": 20 And it came to pass that one of them said unto him:
What meaneth the words which are written, and which have been taught by
our fathers, saying:
"Mosiah 12:21": 21 How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him
that bringeth good tidings; that publisheth peace; that bringeth good
tidings of good; that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy
God reigneth;
"Mosiah 12:22": 22 Thy watchmen shall lift up the voice; with the voice
together shall they sing; for they shall see eye to eye when the Lord
shall bring again Zion;
"Mosiah 12:23": 23 Break forth into joy; sing together ye waste places
of Jerusalem; for the Lord hath comforted his people, he hath redeemed
Jerusalem;
"Mosiah 12:24": 24 The Lord hath made bare his holy arm in the eyes of
all the nations, and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation
of our God?
"Mosiah 12:25": 25 And now Abinadi said unto them: Are you priests, and
pretend to teach this people, and to understand the spirit of
prophesying, and yet desire to know of me what these things mean?
"Mosiah 12:26": 26 I say unto you, wo be unto you for perverting the
ways of the Lord! For if ye understand these things ye have not taught
them; therefore, ye have perverted the ways of the Lord.
"Mosiah 12:27": 27 Ye have not applied your hearts to understanding;
therefore, ye have not been wise. Therefore, what teach ye this people?
"Mosiah 12:28": 28 And they said: We teach the law of Moses.
"Mosiah 12:29": 29 And again he said unto them: If ye teach the law of
Moses why do ye not keep it? Why do ye set your hearts upon riches? Why
do ye commit whoredoms and spend your strength with harlots, yea, and
cause this people to commit sin, that the Lord has cause to send me to
prophesy against this people, yea, even a great evil against this
people?
"Mosiah 12:30": 30 Know ye not that I speak the truth? Yea, ye know
that I speak the truth; and you ought to tremble before God.
"Mosiah 12:31": 31 And it shall come to pass that ye shall be smitten
for your iniquities, for ye have said that ye teach the law of Moses.
And what know ye concerning the law of Moses? Doth salvation come by
the law of Moses? What say ye?
"Mosiah 12:32": 32 And they answered and said that salvation did come
by the law of Moses.
"Mosiah 12:33": 33 But now Abinadi said unto them: I know if ye keep
the commandments of God ye shall be saved; yea, if ye keep the
commandments which the Lord delivered unto Moses in the mount of Sinai,
saying:
"Mosiah 12:34": 34 I am the Lord thy God, who hath brought thee out of
the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
"Mosiah 12:35": 35 Thou shalt have no other God before me.
"Mosiah 12:36": 36 Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or
any likeness of any thing in heaven above, or things which are in the
earth beneath.
"Mosiah 12:37": 37 Now Abinadi said unto them, Have ye done all this? I
say unto you, Nay, ye have not. And have ye taught this people that
they should do all these things? I say unto you, Nay, ye have not.
"Mosiah 13:1": 1 And now when the king had heard these words, he said
unto his priests: Away with this fellow, and slay him; for what have we
to do with him, for he is mad.
"Mosiah 13:2": 2 And they stood forth and attempted to lay their hands
on him; but he withstood them, and said unto them:
"Mosiah 13:3": 3 Touch me not, for God shall smite you if ye lay your
hands upon me, for I have not delivered the message which the Lord sent
me to deliver; neither have I told you that which ye requested that I
should tell; therefore, God will not suffer that I shall be destroyed
at this time.
"Mosiah 13:4": 4 But I must fulfil the commandments wherewith God has
commanded me; and because I have told you the truth ye are angry with
me. $ And again, because I have spoken the word of God ye have judged
me that I am mad.
"Mosiah 13:5": 5 Now it came to pass after Abinadi had spoken these
words that the people of king Noah durst not lay their hands on him,
for the Spirit of the Lord was upon him; and his face shone with
exceeding luster, even as Moses' did while in the mount of Sinai, while
speaking with the Lord.
"Mosiah 13:6": 6 And he spake with power and authority from God; and he
continued his words, saying:
"Mosiah 13:7": 7 Ye see that ye have not power to slay me, therefore I
finish my message. Yea, and I perceive that it cuts you to your hearts
because I tell you the truth concerning your iniquities.
"Mosiah 13:8": 8 Yea, and my words fill you with wonder and amazement,
and with anger.
"Mosiah 13:9": 9 But I finish my message; and then it matters not
whither I go, if it so be that I am saved.
"Mosiah 13:10": 10 But this much I tell you, what you do with me, after
this, shall be as a type and a shadow of things which are to come.
"Mosiah 13:11": 11 And now I read unto you the remainder of the
commandments of God, for I perceive that they are not written in your
hearts; I perceive that ye have studied and taught iniquity the most
part of your lives.
"Mosiah 13:12": 12 And now, ye remember that I said unto you: Thou
shall not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of things
which are in heaven above, or which are in the earth beneath, or which
are in the water under the earth.
"Mosiah 13:13": 13 And again: Thou shalt not bow down thyself unto
them, nor serve them; for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting
the iniquities of the fathers upon the children, unto the third and
fourth generations of them that hate me;
"Mosiah 13:14": 14 And showing mercy unto thousands of them that love
me and keep my commandments.
"Mosiah 13:15": 15 Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in
vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in
vain.
"Mosiah 13:16": 16 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
"Mosiah 13:17": 17 Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work;
"Mosiah 13:18": 18 But the seventh day, the sabbath of the Lord thy
God, thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter,
thy man-servant, nor thy maid-servant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger
that is within thy gates;
"Mosiah 13:19": 19 For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, and
the sea, and all that in them is; wherefore the Lord blessed the
sabbath day, and hallowed it.
"Mosiah 13:20": 20 Honor thy father and thy mother, that thy days may
be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.
"Mosiah 13:21": 21 Thou shalt not kill.
"Mosiah 13:22": 22 Thou shalt not commit adultery. Thou shalt not
steal.
"Mosiah 13:23": 23 Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy
neighbor.
"Mosiah 13:24": 24 Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house, thou
shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife, nor his man-servant, nor his
maid-servant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor anything that is thy
neighbor's.
"Mosiah 13:25": 25 And it came to pass that after Abinadi had made an
end of these sayings that he said unto them: Have ye taught this people
that they should observe to do all these things for to keep these
commandments?
"Mosiah 13:26": 26 I say unto you, Nay; for if ye had, the Lord would
not have caused me to come forth and to prophesy evil concerning this
people.
"Mosiah 13:27": 27 And now ye have said that salvation cometh by the
law of Moses. I say unto you that it is expedient that ye should keep
the law of Moses as yet; but I say unto you, that the time shall come
when it shall no more be expedient to keep the law of Moses.
"Mosiah 13:28": 28 And moreover, I say unto you, that salvation doth
not come by the law alone; and were it not for the atonement, which God
himself shall make for the sins and iniquities of his people, that they
must unavoidably perish, notwithstanding the law of Moses.
"Mosiah 13:29": 29 And now I say unto you that it was expedient that
there should be a law given to the children of Israel, yea, even a very
strict law; for they were a stiffnecked people, quick to do iniquity,
and slow to remember the Lord their God;
"Mosiah 13:30": 30 Therefore there was a law given them, yea, a law of
performances and of ordinances, a law which they were to observe
strictly from day to day, to keep them in remembrance of God and their
duty towards him.
"Mosiah 13:31": 31 But behold, I say unto you, that all these things
were types of things to come.
"Mosiah 13:32": 32 And now, did they understand the law? I say unto
you, Nay, they did not all understand the law; and this because of the
hardness of their hearts; for they understood not that there could not
any man be saved except it were through the redemption of God.
"Mosiah 13:33": 33 For behold, did not Moses prophesy unto them
concerning the coming of the Messiah, and that God should redeem his
people? $ Yea, and even all the prophets who have prophesied ever since
the world began -- have they not spoken more or less concerning these
things?
"Mosiah 13:34": 34 Have they not said that God himself should come down
among the children of men, and take upon him the form of man, and go
forth in mighty power upon the face of the earth?
"Mosiah 13:35": 35 Yea, and have they not said also that he should
bring to pass the resurrection of the dead, and that he, himself,
should be oppressed and afflicted?
"Mosiah 14:1": 1 Yea, even doth not Isaiah say: Who hath believed our
report, and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?
"Mosiah 14:2": 2 For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and
as a root out of dry ground; he hath no form nor comeliness; and when
we shall see him there is no beauty that we should desire him.
"Mosiah 14:3": 3 He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows,
and acquainted with grief; and we hid as it were our faces from him; he
was despised, and we esteemed him not.
"Mosiah 14:4": 4 Surely he has borne our griefs, and carried our
sorrows; yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
"Mosiah 14:5": 5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was
bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon him;
and with his stripes we are healed.
"Mosiah 14:6": 6 All we, like sheep, have gone astray; we have turned
every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquities
of us all.
"Mosiah 14:7": 7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened
not his mouth; he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep
before her shearers is dumb so he opened not his mouth.
"Mosiah 14:8": 8 He was taken from prison and from judgment; and who
shall declare his generation? For he was cut off out of the land of the
living; for the transgressions of my people was he stricken.
"Mosiah 14:9": 9 And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the
rich in his death; because he had done no evil, neither was any deceit
in his mouth.
"Mosiah 14:10": 10 Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put
him to grief; when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin he
shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the
Lord shall prosper in his hand.
"Mosiah 14:11": 11 He shall see the travail of his soul, and shall be
satisfied; by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many;
for he shall bear their iniquities.
"Mosiah 14:12": 12 Therefore will I divide him a portion with the
great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath
poured out his soul unto death; and he was numbered with the
transgressors; and he bore the sins of many, and made intercession for
the transgressors.
"Mosiah 15:1": 1 And now Abinadi said unto them: I would that ye should
understand that God himself shall come down among the children of men,
and shall redeem his people.
"Mosiah 15:2": 2 And because he dwelleth in flesh he shall be called
the Son of God, and having subjected the flesh to the will of the
Father, being the Father and the Son --
"Mosiah 15:3": 3 The Father, because he was conceived by the power of
God; and the Son, because of the flesh; thus becoming the Father and
Son --
"Mosiah 15:4": 4 And they are one God, yea, the very Eternal Father of
heaven and of earth.
"Mosiah 15:5": 5 And thus the flesh becoming subject to the Spirit, or
the Son to the Father, being one God, suffereth temptation, and
yieldeth not to the temptation, but suffereth himself to be mocked, and
scourged, and cast out, and disowned by his people.
"Mosiah 15:6": 6 And after all this, after working many mighty miracles
among the children of men, he shall be led, yea, even as Isaiah said,
as a sheep before the shearer is dumb, so he opened not his mouth.
"Mosiah 15:7": 7 Yea, even so he shall be led, crucified, and slain,
the flesh becoming subject even unto death, the will of the Son being
swallowed up in the will of the Father.
"Mosiah 15:8": 8 And thus God breaketh the bands of death, having
gained the victory over death; giving the Son power to make
intercession for the children of men --
"Mosiah 15:9": 9 Having ascended into heaven, having the bowels of
mercy; being filled with compassion towards the children of men;
standing betwixt them and justice; having broken the bands of death,
taken upon himself their iniquity and their transgressions, having
redeemed them, and satisfied the demands of justice.
"Mosiah 15:10": 10 And now I say unto you, who shall declare his
generation? $ Behold, I say unto you, that when his soul has been made
an offering for sin he shall see his seed. And now what say ye? $ And
who shall be his seed?
"Mosiah 15:11": 11 Behold I say unto you, that whosoever has heard the
words of the prophets, yea, all the holy prophets who have prophesied
concerning the coming of the Lord -- I say unto you, that all those who
have hearkened unto their words, and believed that the Lord would
redeem his people, and have looked forward to that day for a remission
of their sins, I say unto you, that these are his seed, or they are
heirs of the kingdom of God.
"Mosiah 15:12": 12 For these are they whose sins he has borne; these
are they for whom he has died, to redeem them from their
transgressions. $ And now, are they not his seed?
"Mosiah 15:13": 13 Yea, and are not the prophets, every one that has
opened his mouth to prophesy, that has not fallen into transgression, I
mean all the holy prophets ever since the world began? I say unto you
that they are his seed.
"Mosiah 15:14": 14 And these are they who have published peace, who
have brought good tidings of good, who have published salvation; and
said unto Zion: Thy God reigneth!
"Mosiah 15:15": 15 And O how beautiful upon the mountains were their
feet!
"Mosiah 15:16": 16 And again, how beautiful upon the mountains are the
feet of those that are still publishing peace!
"Mosiah 15:17": 17 And again, how beautiful upon the mountains are the
feet of those who shall hereafter publish peace, yea, from this time
henceforth and forever!
"Mosiah 15:18": 18 And behold, I say unto you, this is not all. For O
how beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good
tidings, that is the founder of peace, yea, even the Lord, who has
redeemed his people; yea, him who has granted salvation unto his
people;
"Mosiah 15:19": 19 For were it not for the redemption which he hath
made for his people, which was prepared from the foundation of the
world, I say unto you, were it not for this, all mankind must have
perished.
"Mosiah 15:20": 20 But behold, the bands of death shall be broken, and
the Son reigneth, and hath power over the dead; therefore, he bringeth
to pass the resurrection of the dead.
"Mosiah 15:21": 21 And there cometh a resurrection, even a first
resurrection; yea, even a resurrection of those that have been, and who
are, and who shall be, even until the resurrection of Christ -- for so
shall he be called.
"Mosiah 15:22": 22 And now, the resurrection of all the prophets, and
all those that have believed in their words, or all those that have
kept the commandments of God, shall come forth in the first
resurrection; therefore, they are the first resurrection.
"Mosiah 15:23": 23 They are raised to dwell with God who has redeemed
them; thus they have eternal life through Christ, who has broken the
bands of death.
"Mosiah 15:24": 24 And these are those who have part in the first
resurrection; and these are they that have died before Christ came, in
their ignorance, not having salvation declared unto them. And thus the
Lord bringeth about the restoration of these; and they have a part in
the first resurrection, or have eternal life, being redeemed by the
Lord.
"Mosiah 15:25": 25 And little children also have eternal life.
"Mosiah 15:26": 26 But behold, and fear, and tremble before God, for ye
ought to tremble; for the Lord redeemeth none such that rebel against
him and die in their sins; yea, even all those that have perished in
their sins ever since the world began, that have wilfully rebelled
against God, that have known the commandments of God, and would not
keep them; these are they that have no part in the first resurrection.
"Mosiah 15:27": 27 Therefore ought ye not to tremble? For salvation
cometh to none such; for the Lord hath redeemed none such; yea, neither
can the Lord redeem such; for he cannot deny himself; for he cannot
deny justice when it has its claim.
"Mosiah 15:28": 28 And now I say unto you that the time shall come that
the salvation of the Lord shall be declared to every nation, kindred,
tongue, and people.
"Mosiah 15:29": 29 Yea, Lord, thy watchmen shall lift up their voice;
with the voice together shall they sing; for they shall see eye to eye,
when the Lord shall bring again Zion.
"Mosiah 15:30": 30 Break forth into joy, sing together, ye waste places
of Jerusalem; for the Lord hath comforted his people, he hath redeemed
Jerusalem.
"Mosiah 15:31": 31 The Lord hath made bare his holy arm in the eyes of
all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation
of our God.
"Mosiah 16:1": 1 And now, it came to pass that after Abinadi had spoken
these words he stretched forth his hand and said: The time shall come
when all shall see the salvation of the Lord; when every nation,
kindred, tongue, and people shall see eye to eye and shall confess
before God that his judgments are just.
"Mosiah 16:2": 2 And then shall the wicked be cast out, and they shall
have cause to howl, and weep, and wail, and gnash their teeth; and this
because they would not hearken unto the voice of the Lord; therefore
the Lord redeemeth them not.
"Mosiah 16:3": 3 For they are carnal and Diawlish, and the Diawl has
power over them; yea, even that old serpent that did beguile our first
parents, which was the cause of their fall; which was the cause of all
mankind becoming carnal, sensual, Diawlish, knowing evil from good,
subjecting themselves to the Diawl.
"Mosiah 16:4": 4 Thus all mankind were lost; and behold, they would
have been endlessly lost were it not that God redeemed his people from
their lost and fallen state.
"Mosiah 16:5": 5 But remember that he that persists in his own carnal
nature, and goes on in the ways of sin and rebellion against God,
remaineth in his fallen state and the Diawl hath all power over him.
Therefore, he is as though there was no redemption made, being an enemy
to God; and also is the Diawl an enemy to God.
"Mosiah 16:6": 6 And now if Christ had not come into the world,
speaking of things to come as though they had already come, there could
have been no redemption.
"Mosiah 16:7": 7 And if Christ had not risen from the dead, or have
broken the bands of death that the grave should have no victory, and
that death should have no sting, there could have been no resurrection.
"Mosiah 16:8": 8 But there is a resurrection, therefore the grave hath
no victory, and the sting of death is swallowed up in Christ.
"Mosiah 16:9": 9 He is the light and the life of the world; yea, a
light that is endless, that can never be darkened; yea, and also a life
which is endless, that there can be no more death.
"Mosiah 16:10": 10 Even this mortal shall put on immortality, and this
corruption shall put on incorruption, and shall be brought to stand
before the bar of God, to be judged of him according to their works
whether they be good or whether they be evil --
"Mosiah 16:11": 11 If they be good, to the resurrection of endless life
and happiness; and if they be evil, to the resurrection of endless
damnation, being delivered up to the Diawl, who hath subjected them,
which is damnation --
"Mosiah 16:12": 12 Having gone according to their own carnal wills and
desires; having never called upon the Lord while the arms of mercy were
extended towards them; for the arms of mercy were extended towards
them, and they would not; they being warned of their iniquities and yet
they would not depart from them; and they were commanded to repent and
yet they would not repent.
"Mosiah 16:13": 13 And now, ought ye not to tremble and repent of your
sins, and remember that only in and through Christ ye can be saved?
"Mosiah 16:14": 14 Therefore, if ye teach the law of Moses, also teach
that it is a shadow of those things which are to come --
"Mosiah 16:15": 15 Teach them that redemption cometh through Christ the
Lord, who is the very Eternal Father. Amen.
"Mosiah 17:1": 1 And now it came to pass that when Abinadi had finished
these sayings, that the king commanded that the priests should take him
and cause that he should be put to death.
"Mosiah 17:2": 2 But there was one among them whose name was Alma, he
also being a descendant of Nephi. And he was a young man, and he
believed the words which Abinadi had spoken, for he knew concerning the
iniquity which Abinadi has testified against them; therefore he began
to plead with the king that he would not be angry with Abinadi, but
suffer that he might depart in peace.
"Mosiah 17:3": 3 But the king was more wroth, and caused that Alma
should be cast out from among them, and sent his servants after him
that they might slay him.
"Mosiah 17:4": 4 But he fled from before them and hid himself that they
found him not. And he being concealed for many days did write all the
words which Abinadi had spoken.
"Mosiah 17:5": 5 And it came to pass that the king caused that his
guards should surround Abinadi and take him; and they bound him and
cast him into prison.
"Mosiah 17:6": 6 And after three days, having counseled with his
priests, he caused that he should again be brought before him.
"Mosiah 17:7": 7 And he said unto him: Abinadi, we have found an
accusation against thee, and thou art worthy of death.
"Mosiah 17:8": 8 For thou hast said that God himself should come down
among the children of men; and now, for this cause thou shalt be put to
death unless thou wilt recall all the words which thou hast spoken evil
concerning me and my people.
"Mosiah 17:9": 9 Now Abinadi said unto him: I say unto you, I will not
recall the words which I have spoken unto you concerning this people,
for they are true; and that ye may know of their surety I have suffered
myself that I have fallen into your hands.
"Mosiah 17:10": 10 Yea, and I will suffer even until death, and I will
not recall my words, and they shall stand as a testimony against you.
And if ye slay me ye will shed innocent blood, and this shall also
stand as a testimony against you at the last day.
"Mosiah 17:11": 11 And now king Noah was about to release him, for he
feared his word; for he feared that the judgments of God would come
upon him.
"Mosiah 17:12": 12 But the priests lifted up their voices against him,
and began to accuse him, saying: He has reviled the king. Therefore the
king was stirred up in anger against him, and he delivered him up that
he might be slain.
"Mosiah 17:13": 13 And it came to pass that they took him and bound
him, and scourged his skin with faggots, yea, even unto death.
"Mosiah 17:14": 14 And now when the flames began to scorch him, he
cried unto them, saying:
"Mosiah 17:15": 15 Behold, even as ye have done unto me, so shall it
come to pass that thy seed shall cause that many shall suffer the pains
that I do suffer, even the pains of death by fire; and this because
they believe in the salvation of the Lord their God.
"Mosiah 17:16": 16 And it will come to pass that ye shall be afflicted
with all manner of diseases because of your iniquities.
"Mosiah 17:17": 17 Yea, and ye shall be smitten on every hand, and
shall be driven and scattered to and fro, even as a wild flock is
driven by wild and ferocious beasts.
"Mosiah 17:18": 18 And in that day ye shall be hunted, and ye shall be
taken by the hand of your enemies, and then ye shall suffer, as I
suffer, the pains of death by fire.
"Mosiah 17:19": 19 Thus God executeth vengeance upon those that destroy
his people. O God, receive my soul.
"Mosiah 17:20": 20 And now, when Abinadi had said these words, he fell,
having suffered death by fire; yea, having been put to death because he
would not deny the commandments of God, having sealed the truth of his
words by his death.
"Mosiah 18:1": 1 And now, it came to pass that Alma, who had fled from
the servants of king Noah, repented of his sins and iniquities, and
went about privately among the people, and began to teach the words of
Abinadi --
"Mosiah 18:2": 2 Yea, concerning that which was to come, and also
concerning the resurrection of the dead, and the redemption of the
people, which was to be brought to pass through the power, and
sufferings, and death of Christ, and his resurrection and ascension
into heaven.
"Mosiah 18:3": 3 And as many as would hear his word he did teach. And
he taught them privately, that it might not come to the knowledge of
the king. And many did believe his words.
"Mosiah 18:4": 4 And it came to pass that as many as did believe him
did go forth to a place which was called Mormon, having received its
name from the king, being in the borders of the land having been
infested, by times or at seasons, by wild beasts.
"Mosiah 18:5": 5 Now, there was in Mormon a fountain of pure water, and
Alma resorted thither, there being near the water a thicket of small
trees, where he did hide himself in the daytime from the searches of
the king.
"Mosiah 18:6": 6 And it came to pass that as many as believed him went
thither to hear his words.
"Mosiah 18:7": 7 And it came to pass after many days there were a
goodly number gathered together at the place of Mormon, to hear the
words of Alma. Yea, all were gathered together that believed on his
word, to hear him. And he did teach them, and did preach unto them
repentance, and redemption, and faith on the Lord.
"Mosiah 18:8": 8 And it came to pass that he said unto them: Behold,
here are the waters of Mormon (for thus were they called) and now, as
ye are desirous to come into the fold of God, and to be called his
people, and are willing to bear one another's burdens, that they may be
light;
"Mosiah 18:9": 9 Yea, and are willing to mourn with those that mourn;
yea, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort, and to stand as
witnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all places that
ye may be in, even until death, that ye may be redeemed of God, and be
numbered with those of the first resurrection, that ye may have eternal
life --
"Mosiah 18:10": 10 Now I say unto you, if this be the desire of your
hearts, what have you against being baptized in the name of the Lord,
as a witness before him that ye have entered into a covenant with him,
that ye will serve him and keep his commandments, that he may pour out
his Spirit more abundantly upon you?
"Mosiah 18:11": 11 And now when the people had heard these words, they
clapped their hands for joy, and exclaimed: This is the desire of our
hearts.
"Mosiah 18:12": 12 And now it came to pass that Alma took Helam, he
being one of the first, and went and stood forth in the water, and
cried, saying: O Lord, pour out thy Spirit upon thy servant, that he
may do this work with holiness of heart.
"Mosiah 18:13": 13 And when he had said these words, the Spirit of the
Lord was upon him, and he said: Helam, I baptize thee, having authority
from the Almighty God, as a testimony that ye have entered into a
covenant to serve him until you are dead as to the mortal body; and may
the Spirit of the Lord be poured out upon you; and may he grant unto
you eternal life, through the redemption of Christ, whom he has
prepared from the foundation of the world.
"Mosiah 18:14": 14 And after Alma had said these words, both Alma and
Helam were buried in the water; and they arose and came forth out of
the water rejoicing, being filled with the Spirit.
"Mosiah 18:15": 15 And again, Alma took another, and went forth a
second time into the water, and baptized him according to the first,
only he did not bury himself again in the water.
"Mosiah 18:16": 16 And after this manner he did baptize every one that
went forth to the place of Mormon; and they were in number about two
hundred and four souls; yea, and they were baptized in the waters of
Mormon, and were filled with the grace of God.
"Mosiah 18:17": 17 And they were called the church of God, or the
church of Christ, from that time forward. And it came to pass that
whosoever was baptized by the power and authority of God was added to
his church.
"Mosiah 18:18": 18 And it came to pass that Alma, having authority from
God, ordained priests; even one priest to every fifty of their number
did he ordain to preach unto them, and to teach them concerning the
things pertaining to the kingdom of God.
"Mosiah 18:19": 19 And he commanded them that they should teach nothing
save it were the things which he had taught, and which had been spoken
by the mouth of the holy prophets.
"Mosiah 18:20": 20 Yea, even he commanded them that they should preach
nothing save it were repentance and faith on the Lord, who had redeemed
his people.
"Mosiah 18:21": 21 And he commanded them that there should be no
contention one with another, but that they should look forward with one
eye, having one faith and one baptism, having their hearts knit
together in unity and in love one towards another.
"Mosiah 18:22": 22 And thus he commanded them to preach. And thus they
became the children of God.
"Mosiah 18:23": 23 And he commanded them that they should observe the
sabbath day, and keep it holy, and also every day they should give
thanks to the Lord their God.
"Mosiah 18:24": 24 And he also commanded them that the priests whom he
had ordained should labor with their own hands for their support.
"Mosiah 18:25": 25 And there was one day in every week that was set
apart that they should gather themselves together to teach the people,
and to worship the Lord their God, and also, as often as it was in
their power, to assemble themselves together.
"Mosiah 18:26": 26 And the priests were not to depend upon the people
for their support; but for their labor they were to receive the grace
of God, that they might wax strong in the Spirit, having the knowledge
of God, that they might teach with power and authority from God.
"Mosiah 18:27": 27 And again Alma commanded that the people of the
church should impart of their substance, every one according to that
which he had; if he have more abundantly he should impart more
abundantly; and of him that had but little, but little should be
required; and to him that had not should be given.
"Mosiah 18:28": 28 And thus they should impart of their substance of
their own free will and good desires towards God, and to those priests
that stood in need, yea, and to every needy, naked soul.
"Mosiah 18:29": 29 And this he said unto them, having been commanded of
God; and they did walk uprightly before God, imparting to one another
both temporally and spiritually according to their needs and their
wants.
"Mosiah 18:30": 30 And now it came to pass that all this was done in
Mormon, yea, by the waters of Mormon, in the forest that was near the
waters of Mormon; yea, the place of Mormon, the waters of Mormon, the
forest of Mormon, how beautiful are they to the eyes of them who there
came to the knowledge of their Redeemer; yea, and how blessed are they,
for they shall sing to his praise forever.
"Mosiah 18:31": 31 And these things were done in the borders of the
land, that they might not come to the knowledge of the king.
"Mosiah 18:32": 32 But behold, it came to pass that the king, having
discovered a movement among the people, sent his servants to watch
them. $ Therefore on the day that they were assembling themselves
together to hear the word of the Lord they were discovered unto the
king.
"Mosiah 18:33": 33 And now the king said that Alma was stirring up the
people to rebellion against him; therefore he sent his army to destroy
them.
"Mosiah 18:34": 34 And it came to pass that Alma and the people of the
Lord were apprised of the coming of the king's army; therefore they
took their tents and their families and departed into the wilderness.
"Mosiah 18:35": 35 And they were in number about four hundred and fifty
souls.
"Mosiah 19:1": 1 And it came to pass that the army of the king
returned, having searched in vain for the people of the Lord.
"Mosiah 19:2": 2 And now behold, the forces of the king were small,
having been reduced, and there began to be a division among the
remainder of the people.
"Mosiah 19:3": 3 And the lesser part began to breathe out threatenings
against the king, and there began to be a great contention among them.
"Mosiah 19:4": 4 And now there was a man among them whose name was
Gideon, and he being a strong man and an enemy to the king, therefore
he drew his sword, and swore in his wrath that he would slay the king.
"Mosiah 19:5": 5 And it came to pass that he fought with the king; and
when the king saw that he was about to overpower him, he fled and ran
and got upon the tower which was near the temple.
"Mosiah 19:6": 6 And Gideon pursued after him and was about to get upon
the tower to slay the king, and the king cast his eyes round about
towards the land of Shemlon, and behold, the army of the Lamanites were
within the borders of the land.
"Mosiah 19:7": 7 And now the king cried out in the anguish of his soul,
saying: Gideon, spare me, for the Lamanites are upon us, and they will
destroy us; yea, they will destroy my people.
"Mosiah 19:8": 8 And now the king was not so much concerned about his
people as he was about his own life; nevertheless, Gideon did spare his
life.
"Mosiah 19:9": 9 And the king commanded the people that they should
flee before the Lamanites, and he himself did go before them, and they
did flee into the wilderness, with their women and their children.
"Mosiah 19:10": 10 And it came to pass that the Lamanites did pursue
them, and did overtake them, and began to slay them.
"Mosiah 19:11": 11 Now it came to pass that the king commanded them
that all the men should leave their wives and their children, and flee
before the Lamanites.
"Mosiah 19:12": 12 Now there were many that would not leave them, but
had rather stay and perish with them. And the rest left their wives and
their children and fled.
"Mosiah 19:13": 13 And it came to pass that those who tarried with
their wives and their children caused that their fair daughters should
stand forth and plead with the Lamanites that they would not slay them.
"Mosiah 19:14": 14 And it came to pass that the Lamanites had
compassion on them, for they were charmed with the beauty of their
women.
"Mosiah 19:15": 15 Therefore the Lamanites did spare their lives, and
took them captives and carried them back to the land of Nephi, and
granted unto them that they might possess the land, under the
conditions that they would deliver up king Noah into the hands of the
Lamanites, and deliver up their property, even one half of all they
possessed, one half of their gold, and their silver, and all their
precious things, and thus they should pay tribute to the king of the
Lamanites from year to year.
"Mosiah 19:16": 16 And now there was one of the sons of the king among
those that were taken captive, whose name was Limhi.
"Mosiah 19:17": 17 And now Limhi was desirous that his father should
not be destroyed; nevertheless, Limhi was not ignorant of the
iniquities of his father, he himself being a just man.
"Mosiah 19:18": 18 And it came to pass that Gideon sent men into the
wilderness secretly, to search for the king and those that were with
him. $ And it came to pass that they met the people in the wilderness,
all save the king and his priests.
"Mosiah 19:19": 19 Now they had sworn in their hearts that they would
return to the land of Nephi, and if their wives and their children were
slain, and also those that had tarried with them, that they would seek
revenge, and also perish with them.
"Mosiah 19:20": 20 And the king commanded them that they should not
return; and they were angry with the king, and caused that he should
suffer, even unto death by fire.
"Mosiah 19:21": 21 And they were about to take the priests also and put
them to death, and they fled before them.
"Mosiah 19:22": 22 And it came to pass that they were about to return
to the land of Nephi, and they met the men of Gideon. And the men of
Gideon told them of all that had happened to their wives and their
children; and that the Lamanites had granted unto them that they might
possess the land by paying a tribute to the Lamanites of one half of
all they possessed.
"Mosiah 19:23": 23 And the people told the men of Gideon that they had
slain the king, and his priests had fled from them farther into the
wilderness.
"Mosiah 19:24": 24 And it came to pass that after they had ended the
ceremony, that they returned to the land of Nephi, rejoicing, because
their wives and their children were not slain; and they told Gideon
what they had done to the king.
"Mosiah 19:25": 25 And it came to pass that the king of the Lamanites
made an oath unto them, that his people should not slay them.
"Mosiah 19:26": 26 And also Limhi, being the son of the king, having
the kingdom conferred upon him by the people, made oath unto the king
of the Lamanites that his people should pay tribute unto him, even one
half of all they possessed.
"Mosiah 19:27": 27 And it came to pass that Limhi began to establish
the kingdom and to establish peace among his people.
"Mosiah 19:28": 28 And the king of the Lamanites set guards round about
the land, that he might keep the people of Limhi in the land, that they
might not depart into the wilderness; and he did support his guards out
of the tribute which he did receive from the Nephites.
"Mosiah 19:29": 29 And now king Limhi did have continual peace in his
kingdom for the space of two years, that the Lamanites did not molest
them nor seek to destroy them.
"Mosiah 20:1": 1 Now there was a place in Shemlon where the daughters
of the Lamanites did gather themselves together to sing, and to dance,
and to make themselves merry.
"Mosiah 20:2": 2 And it came to pass that there was one day a small
number of them gathered together to sing and to dance.
"Mosiah 20:3": 3 And now the priests of king Noah, being ashamed to
return to the city of Nephi, yea, and also fearing that the people
would slay them, therefore they durst not return to their wives and
their children.
"Mosiah 20:4": 4 And having tarried in the wilderness, and having
discovered the daughters of the Lamanites, they laid and watched them;
"Mosiah 20:5": 5 And when there were but few of them gathered together
to dance, they came forth out of their secret places and took them and
carried them into the wilderness; yea, twenty and four of the daughters
of the Lamanites they carried into the wilderness.
"Mosiah 20:6": 6 And it came to pass that when the Lamanites found that
their daughters had been missing, they were angry with the people of
Limhi, for they thought it was the people of Limhi.
"Mosiah 20:7": 7 Therefore they sent their armies forth; yea, even the
king himself went before his people; and they went up to the land of
Nephi to destroy the people of Limhi.
"Mosiah 20:8": 8 And now Limhi had discovered them from the tower, even
all their preparations for war did he discover; therefore he gathered
his people together, and laid wait for them in the fields and in the
forests.
"Mosiah 20:9": 9 And it came to pass that when the Lamanites had come
up, that the people of Limhi began to fall upon them from their waiting
places, and began to slay them.
"Mosiah 20:10": 10 And it came to pass that the battle became
exceedingly sore, for they fought like lions for their prey.
"Mosiah 20:11": 11 And it came to pass that the people of Limhi began
to drive the Lamanites before them; yet they were not half so numerous
as the Lamanites. But they fought for their lives, and for their wives,
and for their children; therefore they exerted themselves and like
dragons did they fight.
"Mosiah 20:12": 12 And it came to pass that they found the king of the
Lamanites among the number of their dead; yet he was not dead, having
been wounded and left upon the ground, so speedy was the flight of his
people.
"Mosiah 20:13": 13 And they took him and bound up his wounds, and
brought him before Limhi, and said: Behold, here is the king of the
Lamanites; he having received a wound has fallen among their dead, and
they have left him; and behold, we have brought him before you; and now
let us slay him
"Mosiah 20:14": 14 But Limhi said unto them: Ye shall not slay him, but
bring him hither that I may see him. And they brought him. And Limhi
said unto him: What cause have ye to come up to war against my people?
Behold, my people have not broken the oath that I made unto you;
therefore, why should ye break the oath which ye made unto my people?
"Mosiah 20:15": 15 And now the king said: I have broken the oath
because thy people did carry away the daughters of my people;
therefore, in my anger I did cause my people to come up to war against
thy people.
"Mosiah 20:16": 16 And now Limhi had heard nothing concerning this
matter; therefore he said: I will search among my people and whosoever
has done this thing shall perish. Therefore he caused a search to be
made among his people.
"Mosiah 20:17": 17 Now when Gideon had heard these things, he being the
king's captain, he went forth and said unto the king: I pray thee
forbear, and do not search this people, and lay not this thing to their
charge.
"Mosiah 20:18": 18 For do ye not remember the priests of thy father,
whom this people sought to destroy? And are they not in the wilderness?
$ And are not they the ones who have stolen the daughters of the
Lamanites?
"Mosiah 20:19": 19 And now, behold, and tell the king of these things,
that he may tell his people that they may be pacified towards us; for
behold they are already preparing to come against us; and behold also
there are but few of us.
"Mosiah 20:20": 20 And behold, they come with their numerous hosts; and
except the king doth pacify them towards us we must perish.
"Mosiah 20:21": 21 For are not the words of Abinadi fulfilled, which he
prophesied against us -- and all this because we would not hearken unto
the words of the Lord, and turn from our iniquities?
"Mosiah 20:22": 22 And now let us pacify the king, and we fulfil the
oath which we have made unto him; for it is better that we should be in
bondage than that we should lose our lives; therefore, let us put a
stop to the shedding of so much blood.
"Mosiah 20:23": 23 And now Limhi told the king all the things
concerning his father, and the priests that had fled into the
wilderness, and attributed the carrying away of their daughters to
them.
"Mosiah 20:24": 24 And it came to pass that the king was pacified
towards his people; and he said unto them: Let us go forth to meet my
people, without arms; and I swear unto you with an oath that my people
shall not slay thy people.
"Mosiah 20:25": 25 And it came to pass that they followed the king, and
went forth without arms to meet the Lamanites. And it came to pass that
they did meet the Lamanites; and the king of the Lamanites did bow
himself down before them, and did plead in behalf of the people of
Limhi.
"Mosiah 20:26": 26 And when the Lamanites saw the people of Limhi, that
they were without arms, they had compassion on them and were pacified
towards them, and returned with their king in peace to their own land.
"Mosiah 21:1": 1 And it came to pass that Limhi and his people returned
to the city of Nephi, and began to dwell in the land again in peace.
"Mosiah 21:2": 2 And it came to pass that after many days the Lamanites
began again to be stirred up in anger against the Nephites, and they
began to come into the borders of the land round about.
"Mosiah 21:3": 3 Now they durst not slay them, because of the oath
which their king had made unto Limhi; but they would smite them on
their cheeks, and exercise authority over them; and began to put heavy
burdens upon their backs, and drive them as they would a dumb ass --
"Mosiah 21:4": 4 Yea, all this was done that the word of the Lord might
be fulfilled.
"Mosiah 21:5": 5 And now the afflictions of the Nephites were great,
and there was no way that they could deliver themselves out of their
hands, for the Lamanites had surrounded them on every side.
"Mosiah 21:6": 6 And it came to pass that the people began to murmur
with the king because of their afflictions; and they began to be
desirous to go against them to battle. And they did afflict the king
sorely with their complaints; therefore he granted unto them that they
should do according to their desires.
"Mosiah 21:7": 7 And they gathered themselves together again, and put
on their armor, and went forth against the Lamanites to drive them out
of their land.
"Mosiah 21:8": 8 And it came to pass that the Lamanites did beat them,
and drove them back, and slew many of them.
"Mosiah 21:9": 9 And now there was a great mourning and lamentation
among the people of Limhi, the widow mourning for her husband, the son
and the daughter mourning for their father, and the brothers for their
brethren.
"Mosiah 21:10": 10 Now there were a great many widows in the land, and
they did cry mightily from day to day, for a great fear of the
Lamanites had come upon them.
"Mosiah 21:11": 11 And it came to pass that their continual cries did
stir up the remainder of the people of Limhi to anger against the
Lamanites; and they went again to battle, but they were driven back
again, suffering much loss.
"Mosiah 21:12": 12 Yea, they went again even the third time, and
suffered in the like manner; and those that were not slain returned
again to the city of Nephi.
"Mosiah 21:13": 13 And they did humble themselves even to the dust,
subjecting themselves to the yoke of bondage, submitting themselves to
be smitten, and to be driven to and fro, and burdened, according to the
desires of their enemies.
"Mosiah 21:14": 14 And they did humble themselves even in the depths of
humility; and they did cry mightily to God; yea, even all the day long
did they cry unto their God that he would deliver them out of their
afflictions.
"Mosiah 21:15": 15 And now the Lord was slow to hear their cry because
of their iniquities; nevertheless the Lord did hear their cries, and
began to soften the hearts of the Lamanites that they began to ease
their burdens; yet the Lord did not see fit to deliver them out of
bondage.
"Mosiah 21:16": 16 And it came to pass that they began to prosper by
degrees in the land, and began to raise grain more abundantly, and
flocks, and herds, that they did not suffer with hunger.
"Mosiah 21:17": 17 Now there was a great number of women, more than
there was of men; therefore king Limhi commanded that every man should
impart to the support of the widows and their children, that they might
not perish with hunger; and this they did because of the greatness of
their number that had been slain.
"Mosiah 21:18": 18 Now the people of Limhi kept together in a body as
much as it was possible, and secured their grain and their flocks;
"Mosiah 21:19": 19 And the king himself did not trust his person
without the walls of the city, unless he took his guards with him,
fearing that he might by some means fall into the hands of the
Lamanites.
"Mosiah 21:20": 20 And he caused that his people should watch the land
round about, that by some means they might take those priests that fled
into the wilderness, who had stolen the daughters of the Lamanites, and
that had caused such a great destruction to come upon them.
"Mosiah 21:21": 21 For they were desirous to take them that they might
punish them; for they had come into the land of Nephi by night, and
carried off their grain and many of their precious things; therefore
they laid wait for them.
"Mosiah 21:22": 22 And it came to pass that there was no more
disturbance between the Lamanites and the people of Limhi, even until
the time that Ammon and his brethren came into the land.
"Mosiah 21:23": 23 And the king having been without the gates of the
city with his guard, discovered Ammon and his brethren; and supposing
them to be priests of Noah therefore he caused that they should be
taken, and bound, and cast into prison. And had they been the priests
of Noah he would have caused that they should be put to death.
"Mosiah 21:24": 24 But when he found that they were not, but that they
were his brethren, and had come from the land of Zarahemla, he was
filled with exceedingly great joy.
"Mosiah 21:25": 25 Now king Limhi had sent, previous to the coming of
Ammon, a small number of men to search for the land of Zarahemla; but
they could not find it, and they were lost in the wilderness.
"Mosiah 21:26": 26 Nevertheless, they did find a land which had been
peopled; yea, a land which was covered with