which kingdom is established among them which are in the flesh; 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 devil, 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. 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. 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. 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. 27. And now behold, I, Nephi, say unto you, That all these things must come according to the flesh. 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. 29. And now I, Nephi, make an end; for I durst not speak further as yet, concerning these things. 30. 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. 31. 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. 0, 1. Nep. 14: 10, 15-17. II. Nep. 28:3-32. 1:25-29. Mor. 8: 28, 32, 33, 36-38. Isa. 43:6, 7. Jer. 3:14. Rev. 18: 4, 5. III. Nep. 27: 7-12. IV. Nep. p. III. Nep. 25: 3. q, Psa. 50: 5. Eph. 1: 10. r, see a, L. Nep. 3. THE SECOND BOOK OF NEPHI. An account of the death of Lehi. Nephi's brethren rebelleth against him. The Lord warns Nephi to depart into the wilderness. His journeyings in the wilderness, &c. CHAPTER 1. 1. AND now it came to pass after I, Nephi, had made an end of teaching my brethren, our father, Lehi, also spake many things unto them, how great things the Lord had done for them, in bringing them out of the land of Jerusalem. 2. 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. 3. 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. 4. 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. 5. 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 for ever; and also all those who should be led out of other countries by the hand of the Lord. 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. 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 for ever. 8. And behold, it is wisdom that this land should be kept as yet from the knowledge of other nations; for behold, a, I. Nep. 18:9-20. b, vers. 5-12. Hela. 8: 21, 22. d, Alma 45: 10-14, 16. see a, I. Nep. 2. C, I. Nep. 17:14. Mor. 1:17. 6: 7-22. Ether 2: many nations would overrun the land, that there would be no place for an inheritance. 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 for ever. 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 marvellous 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; 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. 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. 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! 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 traveller can return; a few more days, and I go the way of all the earth. 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. 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. 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 e, I. Nep. 13: 12-20. Mor. 5: 19, 20. his wrath upon you, that ye be cut off and destroyed for ever; 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 devil. 19. O my sons, that these things might not come upon you, but that ye might be a choice and a favoured people of the Lord. But behold, his will be done; for his ways are righteousness for ever; 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; 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; 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. 23. Awake, my sons; put on the armour of righteousness. Shake off the chains with which ye are bound, and come forth out of obscurity, and arise from the dust. 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. 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. 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 f, L. Nep. 2: 23. II. Nep. 5: 21-24. Alma 3: 6-19. Mor. 5: 15. g, I. Nep. 12: 20-22. h, Jarom 1:9. Omni 1: 6. Mos. 1: 7. 2: 22, 31. Alma 9: 13, 14. 36:1, 30. 37: 13. 38:1. III. Nep. 5:22. 18: 3. j, I. Nep. 16: 32. k, I. Nep. 16: 37. m, I. Nep. 17: 48. i, I. Nep. 11:1. 7, L. Nep. 16: 38. 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. 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 him, but it was the Spirit of the Lord which was in him, which opened his mouth to utterance, that he could not shut it. 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. 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. 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, for ever. 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 for ever. 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. CHAPTER 2. 1. AND now, Jacob, I speak unto you: Thou art my "firstborn 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. Nevertheless, Jacob, my first-born in the wilderness, thou knowest the greatness of God; and he shall consecrate thine afflictions for thy gain. 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. 4. And thou hast beheld in thy youth his glory; wherefore, thou art blessed even as they unto whom he shall n, I. Nep. 4: 20, 35. a, I. Nep. 18: 7, 19. |