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.

who

19. And it shall come to pass, that those 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, "buy 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

m, Enos 1: 14. Mor. 6: 6. P, I. Nep. 13: 29, 34. 14:1-3. Mor. 8: 25-41. r, II. Nep.

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: 33-38. 8, II. Nep. 28: 4. t, I. Nep. 22: 23. II. Nep. 28: 12, 13. Mor. 8: 28, 32, 33, 36-39. u, see i, II. Nep. 10. v, see c, II. Nep. 9.

w, Isa. 55: 1.

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 y, Moro. 7: 47, 48. 8:26

x, III. Nep. 21: 19-21.

2, vers. 23, 24.

29:4-9. 30 ch.

a, Isa. 29:9. b, Isa. 29:6-10.

H

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:

4. For behold, all ye that do 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 :

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.

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,

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.

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.

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;

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.

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.

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 mthree witnesses shall behold it, by the power of God, besides him to whom the

c, I. Nep. 13: 34, 35, 39-42. II. Nep. 3: 6-23. 26: 16, 17. 29:11. Enos 1: 13-18. Mor. 5: 12, 13. 8: 14-16, 25-32. d, Isa. 29: 11. e, Ether 4: 1-7. f, Ether 4:6, 7. 9, Joseph Smith, Jr. h, Martin Harris. i, Ether 4: 7, 15. j, Ether 4: 15. k, Ether 4: 6, 7, 13—17.

1, Joseph Smith, Jr.

m, see c, II. Nep. 11.

book shall be delivered; and they shall testify to the truth of the book and the things therein.

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..

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.

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 shew them tunto the learned, saying, "Read this, I pray thee. And the learned shall say, Bring hither the book, and I will read them:

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. 17. And the man shall say, I cannot bring the book, for it is sealed.

18. Then shall the learned say, I cannot read it.

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.

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.

21. Touch not the things which are sealed, for I will bring them forth in mine own due time: for I will shew unto the children of men that I am able to do mine own work.

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.

23. For behold, I am God; and I am a God of miracles: and I will shew unto the world that I am the same yesterday, to-day, and for ever; and I work not among the children of men, save it be according to their faith.

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,

25. 2aForasmuch as this people draw near unto me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their hearts far from me, and their fear towards me is taught by the precepts of men,

26. Therefore, I will proceed to do a marvellous work among this people, yea, a marvellous work and a wonder: for the wisdom of their wise and learned shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent shall be hid.

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 shew 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?

28. But behold, saith the Lord of Hosts, I will shew 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.

29. 2 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,

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.

31. 2d 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;

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.

33. Therefore thus saith the Lord, who redeemed Abraham, concerning the house of Jacob, Jacob shall 2e not now be ashamed, neither shall his face now wax pale.

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.

35. They also that erred in spirit shall come to understanding, and they that murmured shall learn doctrine.

z, Joseph Smith, Jr. 2a, Isa. 29: 13-24. 2b, see i, II. Nep. 25. 2c, see c. 2d, see j, 1. Nep. 22. 2e, see e, I. Nep. 15. 2f, I. Nep. 13: 35--38. 14:1-3.