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. 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. 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; 23. For we labour 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. 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; 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; 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. 27. Wherefore, we speak concerning the law, that cur 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. 28. And now behold, my people, ye are a stiffnecked. people wherefore, I have spoken plain 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 n, ver. 18. II. Nep. 33: 10-15. III. Nep. 27:23 27. 29: 34. Ether 4:8-10. o, vers. 25-30. I. Nep. 5:9. Jacob II. Nep. 5: 10. 26: 1. 4:4, 5. Jarom 1:5. Mos. 2:3. 3:14-16. III. believe in Christ and deny him not; for by denying him, ye also deny the prophets and the law. 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 no wise be cast out. 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. CHAPTER 26. 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. 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. 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. 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 ; 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; 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. 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. 8. But behold, the righteous, that hearken unto the words of the prophets, and destroy them not, but look a, ver. 9. 1. Nep. 11: 7. 12. c, see a, 1. Nep. 12. 12: 6. See b, I. Nep. 12. b, see α, 1. Nep. forward unto Christ with stedfastness for the signs which are given, notwithstanding all persecutions; behold they are they which shall not perish. 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. 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 devil, and choose works of darkness rather than light; therefore they must go down to hell; 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. 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; 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. 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. 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; 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. d, I. Nep. 9:13. 10: 12, 13. e, see b, 1. Nep. 12. f, 1. Nep. 12: 12. Alma 45: 10, 12. Hela. 13: 5, 9, 10. III. Nep. 27: 32. h, see s, 1. Nep. 13. See i. Nep. 13: i, see j, II. Nep. 25. j, 1. Nep. k, Isa. 29: 3. 1, Isa. 29: 4. g, see f, II. Nep. 25. Mor. 6: 5-22. 34-38, 42. 14: 12: 22, 23. 8: 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: 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. 19. And it shall come to pass, that those who have dwindled in unbelief, shall be smitten by the hand of the Gentiles. 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; 21. And there are many churches built up which cause envyings, and strifes, and malice; 22. And there are also "secret combinations, even as in times of old, according to the combinations of the devil, for he is the foundation of all these things; yea, the foundation 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 for ever. 23. For behold, my beloved brethren, I say unto you, That the Lord God worketh not in darkness. 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. 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, wbuy milk and honey, without money and without price. 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. 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. 28. Behold, hath the Lord commanded any that they n, Isa. 29: 5. Mor. 6: 6-15. o, see j. q, I. Nep.14: 9, 10. 22: 23. II. Nep. 28. 28: 5, 6. Mor. 8: 26. 9:7-26. Moro. 7: t, I. Nep. 22: 23. II. Nep. 28: 12, 13. Mor. u, see i, . Nep. 10. v, see c, II. Nep. 9. m, Enos 1:14. Mor. 6: 6. P, I. Nep. 13: 29, 34. 14:1-3. Mor. 8: 25-41. r, 11. Nep. 33-38. 8, II. Nep. 28: 4. 8: 28, 32, 33, 36-39. w, Isa. 55: 1. discuted and Priest C. 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. 29. He commandeth that there shall be no priest-crafts; for, behold, priest-crafts 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. 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 labourer in Zion to perish. 31. But the labourer in Zion, shall labour for Zion; for if they labour for money, they shall perish. 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; 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. CHAPTER 27. 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. 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; 3. And all the nations that fight against Zion, and that distress her, shall be as a dream of a night vision; yea, it x, III. Nep. 21: 19-21. 2, vers. 23, 24. 29:4-9. 30 ch. y, Moro. 7: 47, 48. 8: 26 a, Isa. 29: 9. b, Isa. 29: 6-10. H Black Fuki's |