    And it came to pass that I said unto my father: I will go and do the thingswhich 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.                                     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.                                                                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.              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.                                              I spake unto him as a man speaketh; for I beheld that he was in the form ofa man; yet nevertheless, I knew that it was the Spirit of the Lord; and he     spake unto me as a man speaketh with another.                                      And it came to pass that I beheld that the rod of iron, which my father hadseen, 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.         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 alsocontaineth many of the prophecies of the holy prophets; and it is a record likeunto 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.    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 theGentiles 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.                                    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.                                                                     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 devil; 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.                 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.                                                 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: Iam 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 landwhich the Lord thy God shall give thee.                                            I did liken all scriptures unto us, that it might be for our profit and    learning.                                                                          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.                                   Wherefore, I . . . 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.                                                           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, andtaketh 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.                        For it must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things.  If not   so . . . 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.                             Adam fell that men might be;                                                   and men are, that they might have joy.                                         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 anddeath, according to the captivity and power of the devil; for he seeketh that  all men might be miserable like unto himself.                                      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;                                          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 scrip-   tures, and my heart pondereth them, and writeth them for the learning and the  profit of my children.  Behold, my soul delighteth in the things of the Lord;  and my heart pondereth continually upon the things which I have seen and heard.    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 puttethhis trust in the arm of flesh.  Yea, cursed is he that putteth his trust in manor maketh flesh his arm.                                                           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.         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.                                                                  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.                                                     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.                                                 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 beforethe 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.                    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, theywho are filthy are the devil and his angels; 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.           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.                                                             O how great the holiness of our God!  For he knoweth all things, and there is not anything save he knows it.                                                  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.  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.                                        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.  But to be learned is good if they hearken unto the counsels of God.                                                  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.                                Wo unto the deaf that will not hear; for they shall perish.                    Wo unto the blind that will not see; for they shall perish also.               Wo unto the uncircumcised of heart, for a knowledge of their iniquities    shall smite them at the last day.                                                  Wo unto the liar, for he shall be thrust down to hell.                         Wo unto the murderer who deliberately killeth, for he shall die.               Wo unto them who commit whoredoms, for they shall be thrust down to hell.      Wo unto those that worship idols, for the devil of all devils delighteth inthem.                                                                              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.                                                            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.           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.     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.                             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.                                                                       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.  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.                      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.  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 devil cheateth their souls, andleadeth them away carefully down to hell.                                          Others he flattereth away, and telleth them there is no hell; and he saith unto them: I am no devil, 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.                                                                       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 fromthem that shall say, We have enough, from them shall be taken away even that   which they have.                                                                   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.                                                                  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 theirunderstanding.                                                                     And now, if the Lamb of God, he being holy, should have need to be baptizedby water, to fulfil all righteousness, O then, how much more need have we,     being unholy, to be baptized, yea, even by water!                                  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 angels,   and shout praises unto the Holy One of Israel.                                     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 yeshall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end,  behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life.                         Angels 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.        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. 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.                                                       But before ye seek for riches, seek ye for the kingdom of God. And after yehave 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.                                                                         I will tell you of the wrestle which I had before God, before I            received a remission of my sins.                                                   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.                                             And now I would speak somewhat concerning a certain number who went up intothe wilderness to return to the land of Nephi; for there was a large number whowere 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 allslain, save fifty, in the wilderness, and they returned again to the land of   Zarahemla.                                                                         I . . . 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.                                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.                                         Behold, I tell you these things that ye may learn wisdom; that ye may learnthat when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the       service of your God.                                                               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?       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.                                                   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.          Believe in God; believe that he is, and that he created all things, both inheaven 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.  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.                                                                   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.                                                          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 faithon his name; therefore, ye are born of him and have become his sons and his    daughters.                                                                         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.                                                             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?                   The king said that a seer is greater than a prophet.  And Ammon said that aseer 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.                                           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.  Thus God has provided a     means that man, through faith, might work mighty miracles; therefore he        becometh a great benefit to his fellow beings.                                     I . . . 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 spyout their forces, that our army might come upon them and destroy them--but whenI saw that which was good among them I was desirous that they should not be    destroyed.                                                                         We began to till the ground, yea, even with all manner of seeds, with seedsof 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.                                                                          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.                       And now it came to pass that Zeniff conferred the kingdom upon Noah, one ofhis sons; therefore Noah began to reign in his stead; and he did not walk in   the ways of his father.                                                            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 restorationof these; and they have a part in the first resurrection, or have eternal life,being redeemed by the Lord.  And little children also have eternal life.           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.         Even this mortal shall put on immortality, and this corruption shall put onincorruption, and shall be brought to stand before the bar of God, to be judgedof him according to their works whether they be good or whether they be evil-- If they be good, to the resurrection of endless life and happiness; and if theybe evil, to the resurrection of endless damnation, being delivered up to the   devil, who hath subjected them, which is damnation--                               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; Yea, andare 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--                                                            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 yehave 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?            Now they were desirous that salvation should be declared to every creature,for they could not bear that any human soul should perish; yea, even the very  thoughts that any soul should endure endless torment did cause them to quake   and tremble.                                                                       Now it is not common that the voice of the people desireth anything        contrary to that which is right; but it is common for the lesser part of the   people to desire that which is not right; therefore this shall ye observe and  make it your law--to do your business by the voice of the people.                  Now this was a great trial to those that did stand fast in the faith;      nevertheless, they were steadfast and immovable in keeping the commandments of God, and they bore with patience the persecution which was heaped upon them.       In one year were thousands and tens of thousands of souls sent to the      eternal world, that they might reap their rewards according to their works,    whether they were good or whether they were bad, to reap eternal happiness or  eternal misery, according to the spirit which they listed to obey, whether it  be a good spirit or a bad one. For every man receiveth wages of him whom he    listeth to obey, and this according to the words of the spirit of prophecy;    therefore let it be according to the truth.                                        The wickedness of the church was a great stumbling-block to those who did  not belong to the church; and thus the church began to fail in its progress.       I ask of you, my brethren of the church, have ye spiritually been born of  God?  Have ye received his image in your countenances? Have ye experienced thismighty change in your hearts?                                                      Behold, I say unto you they are made known unto me by the Holy Spirit of   God.  Behold, I have fasted and prayed many days that I might know these thingsof myself.  And now I do know of myself that they are true; for the Lord God   hath made them manifest unto me by his Holy Spirit; and this is the spirit of  revelation which is in me.                                                         The Spirit saith unto me, yea, crieth unto me with a mighty voice, saying: Go forth and say unto this people--Repent, for except ye repent ye can in      nowise inherit the kingdom of heaven.                                              Now I say unto you that ye must repent, and be born again; for the Spirit  saith if ye are not born again ye cannot inherit the kingdom of heaven;        therefore come and be baptized unto repentance, that ye may be washed from yoursins, that ye may have faith on the Lamb of God, who taketh away the sins of   the world, who is mighty to save and to cleanse from all unrighteousness.          Yea, I say unto you come and fear not, and lay aside every sin, which      easily doth beset you, which doth bind you down to destruction, yea, come and  go forth, and show unto your God that ye are willing to repent of your sins andenter into a covenant with him to keep his commandments, and witness it unto   him this day by going into the waters of baptism.                                  And now my beloved brethren, do you believe these things?  Behold, I say   unto you, yea, I know that ye believe them; and the way that I know that ye    believe them is by the manifestation of the Spirit which is in me.  And now    because your faith is strong concerning that, yea, concerning the things which I have spoken, great is my joy.                                                    I would that ye should be humble, and be submissive and gentle; easy to be entreated; full of patience and long-suffering; being temperate in all things; being diligent in keeping the commandments of God at all times; asking for     whatsoever things ye stand in need, both spiritual and temporal; always        returning thanks unto God for whatsoever things ye do receive.                     Behold, do ye not remember the words which he spake unto Lehi, saying that:Inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments, ye shall prosper in the land?  And  again it is said that: Inasmuch as ye will not keep my commandments ye shall becut off from the presence of the Lord.                                             He shall come into the world to redeem his people; and he shall take upon  him the transgressions of those who believe on his name; and these are they    that shall have eternal life, and salvation cometh to none else. Therefore     the wicked remain as though there had been no redemption made, except it be theloosing of the bands of death; for behold, the day cometh that all shall rise  from the dead and stand before God, and be judged according to their works.        The spirit and the body shall be reunited again in its perfect form; both  limb and joint shall be restored to its proper frame, even as we now are at    this time; and we shall be brought to stand before God, knowing even as we knownow, and have a bright recollection of all our guilt.                              Now, this restoration shall come to all, both old and young, both bond and free, both male and female, both the wicked and the righteous; and even there  shall not so much as a hair of their heads be lost; but every thing shall be   restored to its perfect frame, as it is now, or in the body, and shall be      brought and be arraigned before the bar of Christ the Son, and God the Father, and the Holy Spirit, which is one Eternal God, to be judged according to their works, whether they be good or whether they be evil.                               It is given unto many to know the mysteries of God; nevertheless they are  laid under a strict command that they shall not impart only according to the   portion of his word which he doth grant unto the children of men, according to the heed and diligence which they give unto him.                                   He that will harden his heart, the same receiveth the lesser portion of theword; and he that will not harden his heart, to him is given the greater       portion of the word, until it is given unto him to know the mysteries of God   until he know them in full.                                                        They that will harden their hearts, to them is given the lesser portion of the word until they know nothing concerning his mysteries; and then they are   taken captive by the devil, and led by his will down to destruction.  Now this is what is meant by the chains of hell.                                            Those priests were ordained after the order of his Son, in a manner that   thereby the people might know in what manner to look forward to his Son for    redemption. And this is the manner after which they were ordained--being       called and prepared from the foundation of the world according to the          foreknowledge of God, on account of their exceeding faith and good works; in   the first place being left to choose good or evil; therefore they having chosengood, and exercising exceedingly great faith, are called with a holy calling,  yea, with that holy calling which was prepared with, and according to, a       preparatory redemption for such.                                                   They have been called to this holy calling on account of their faith,      while others would reject the Spirit of God on account of the hardness of theirhearts and blindness of their minds, while, if it had not been for this they   might have had as great privilege as their brethren.                               These sons of Mosiah were with Alma at the time the angel first appeared   unto him; therefore Alma did rejoice exceedingly to see his brethren; and what added more to his joy, they were still his brethren in the Lord; yea, and they had waxed strong in the knowledge of the truth; for they were men of a sound   understanding and they had searched the scriptures diligently, that they might know the word of God. But this is not all; they had given themselves to much   prayer, and fasting; therefore they had the spirit of prophecy, and the spirit of revelation, and when they taught, they taught with power and authority of   God.                                                                               I do not boast in my own strength, nor in my own wisdom; but behold, my joyis full, yea, my heart is brim with joy, and I will rejoice in my God. Yea, I  know that I am nothing; as to my strength I am weak; therefore I will not boastof myself, but I will boast of my God, for in his strength I can do all things;yea, behold, many mighty miracles we have wrought in this land, for which we   will praise his name forever.                                                      O that I were an angel, and could have the wish of mine heart, that I mightgo forth and speak with the trump of God, with a voice to shake the earth, and cry repentance unto every people! Yea, I would declare unto every soul, as withthe voice of thunder, repentance and the plan of redemption, that they should  repent and come unto our God, that there might not be more sorrow upon all the face of the earth.                                                                 I ought to be content with the things which the Lord hath allotted unto me.    Faith is not to have a perfect knowledge of things; therefore if ye have   faith ye hope for things which are not seen, which are true.                       Now, we will compare the word unto a seed.  Now, if ye give place, that a  seed may be planted in your heart, behold, if it be a true seed, or a good     seed, if ye do not cast it out by your unbelief, that ye will resist the Spiritof the Lord, behold, it will begin to swell within your breasts; and when you  feel these swelling motions, ye will begin to say within yourselves--It must   needs be that this is a good seed, or that the word is good, for it beginneth  to enlarge my soul; yea, it beginneth to enlighten my understanding, yea, it   beginneth to be delicious to me.                                                   When you do not cry unto the Lord, let your hearts be full, drawn out in   prayer unto him continually for your welfare, and also for the welfare of thosewho are around you.                                                                If ye turn away the needy, and the naked, and visit not the sick and       afflicted, and impart of your substance, if ye have, to those who stand in     need--I say unto you, if ye do not any of these things, behold, your prayer is vain, and availeth you nothing, and ye are as hypocrites who do deny the faith.    This life is the time for men to prepare to meet God; yea, behold the day  of this life is the day for men to perform their labors.  And now, as I said   unto you before, as ye have had so many witnesses, therefore, I beseech of you that ye do not procrastinate the day of your repentance until the end; for     after this day of life, which is given us to prepare for eternity, behold, if  we do not improve our time while in this life, then cometh the night of        darkness wherein there can be no labor performed.                                  Ye cannot say, when ye are brought to that awful crisis, that I will       repent, that I will return to my God.  Nay, ye cannot say this; for that same  spirit which doth possess your bodies at the time that ye go out of this life, that same spirit will have power to possess your body in that eternal world.       Yea, and I also exhort you, my brethren, that ye be watchful unto prayer   continually, that ye may not be led away by the temptations of the devil, that he may not overpower you, that ye may not become his subjects at the last day; for behold, he rewardeth you no good thing.                                        Preach unto them repentance, and faith on the Lord Jesus Christ; teach themto humble themselves and to be meek and lowly in heart; teach them to withstandevery temptation of the devil, with their faith on the Lord Jesus Christ. Teachthem to never be weary of good works, but to be meek and lowly in heart; for   such shall find rest to their souls.                                               O, remember, my son, and learn wisdom in thy youth; yea, learn in thy youthto keep the commandments of God.                                                   Yea, and cry unto God for all thy support; yea, let all thy doings be unto the Lord, and whithersoever thou goest let it be in the Lord; yea, let all thy thoughts be directed unto the Lord; yea, let the affections of thy heart be    placed upon the Lord forever.                                                      Counsel with the Lord in all thy doings, and he will direct thee for good; yea, when thou liest down at night lie down unto the Lord, that he may watch   over you in your sleep; and when thou risest in the morning let thy heart be   full of thanks unto God; and if ye do these things, ye shall be lifted up at   the last day.                                                                      Now my son, I would that ye should repent and forsake your sins, and go no more after the lusts of your eyes, but cross yourself in all these things; for except ye do this ye can in nowise inherit the kingdom of God.  Oh, remember,  and take it upon you, and cross yourself in these things.                          Suffer not yourself to be led away by any vain or foolish thing; suffer notthe devil to lead away your heart again after those wicked harlots.  Behold, O my son, how great iniquity ye brought upon the Zoramites; for when they saw    your conduct they would not believe in my words.                                   Now, concerning the state of the soul between death and the resurrection-- Behold, it has been made known unto me by an angel, that the spirits of all    men, as soon as they are departed from this mortal body, yea, the spirits of   all men, whether they be good or evil, are taken home to that God who gave themlife.                                                                              And then shall it come to pass, that the spirits of the wicked, yea, who   are evil--for behold, they have no part nor portion of the Spirit of the Lord; for behold, they chose evil works rather than good; therefore the spirit of thedevil did enter into them, and take possession of their house--and these shall be cast out into outer darkness; there shall be weeping, and wailing, and      gnashing of teeth, and this because of their own iniquity, being led captive bythe will of the devil.                                                             This is the state of the souls of the wicked, yea, in darkness, and a stateof awful, fearful looking for the fiery indignation of the wrath of God upon   them; thus they remain in this state, as well as the righteous in paradise,    until the time of their resurrection.                                              The soul shall be restored to the body, and the body to the soul; yea, and every limb and joint shall be restored to its body; yea, even a hair of the    head shall not be lost; but all things shall be restored to their proper and   perfect frame.                                                                     It is requisite with the justice of God that men should be judged accordingto their works; and if their works were good in this life, and the desires of  their hearts were good, that they should also, at the last day, be restored    unto that which is good.                                                           There was a time granted unto man to repent, yea, a probationary time, a   time to repent and serve God.                                                      Therefore, O my son, whosoever will come may come and partake of the watersof life freely; and whosoever will not come the same is not compelled to come; but in the last day it shall be restored unto him according to his deeds.          The design of the Nephites was to support their lands, and their houses,   and their wives, and their children, that they might preserve them from the    hands of their enemies; and also that they might preserve their rights and     their privileges, yea, and also their liberty, that they might worship God     according to their desires.                                                    He rent his coat; and he took a piece thereof, and wrote upon it--In memory of our God, our religion, and freedom, and our peace, our wives, and our children --and he fastened it upon the end of a pole.  And he fastened on his head-     plate, and his breastplate, and his shields, and girded on his armor about his loins; and he took the pole, which had on the end thereof his rent coat, (and  he called it the title of liberty) and he bowed himself to the earth, and he   prayed mightily unto his God for the blessings of liberty to rest upon his bre-thren, so long as there should a band of Christians remain to possess the land.    For the Lord suffereth the righteous to be slain that his justice and      judgment may come upon the wicked; therefore ye need not suppose that the      righteous are lost because they are slain; but behold, they do enter into the  rest of the Lord their God.                                                        Yea, thus we see that the gate of heaven is open unto all, even to those   who will believe on the name of Jesus Christ, who is the Son of God. Yea, we   see that whosoever will may lay hold upon the word of God, which is quick and  powerful, which shall divide asunder all the cunning and the snares and the    wiles of the devil, and lead the man of Christ in a strait and narrow course   across that everlasting gulf of misery which is prepared to engulf the wicked.     And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our       Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation;   that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the  whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endlesswo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall.                                  Remember, remember, my brethren, that whosoever perisheth, perisheth unto  himself; and whosoever doeth iniquity, doeth it unto himself; for behold, ye   are free; ye are permitted to act for yourselves; for behold, God hath given   unto you a knowledge and he hath made you free.                                    Had the mighty works been shown unto them which have been shown unto you,  yea, unto them who have dwindled in unbelief because of the traditions of theirfathers, ye can see of yourselves that they never would again have dwindled in unbelief.                                                                          Arise and come forth unto me, that ye may thrust your hands into my side,  and also that ye may feel the prints of the nails in my hands and in my feet,  that ye may know that I am the God of Israel, and the God of the whole earth,  and have been slain for the sins of the world.                                     The multitude went forth, and thrust their hands into his side, and did    feel the prints of the nails in his hands and in his feet; and this they did   do, going forth one by one until they had all gone forth, and did see with     their eyes and did feel with their hands, and did know of a surety and did bearrecord, that it was he, of whom it was written by the prophets, that should    come.                                                                              Verily, verily I say unto you, he that hath the spirit of contention is    not of me, but is of the devil, who is the father of contention, and he        stirreth up the hearts of men to contend with anger, one with another.  Behold,this is not my doctrine, to stir up the hearts of men with anger, one against  another; but this is my doctrine, that such things should be done away.            Old things are done away, and all things have become new.                      If ye forgive men their trespasses your heavenly Father will also forgive  you;                                                                               If ye forgive not men their trespasses neither will your Father forgive    your trespasses.                                                                   Verily, verily, I say unto you, ye must watch and pray always lest ye enterinto temptation; for Satan desireth to have you, that he may sift you as wheat.    Ye must always pray unto the Father in my name;   And whatsoever ye shall  ask the Father in my name, which is right, believing that ye shall receive,    behold it shall be given unto you.                                                 Pray in your families unto the Father, always in my name, that your wives  and your children may be blessed.                                                  Hold up your light that it may shine unto the world.  Behold I am the lightwhich ye shall hold up--that which ye have seen me do.  Behold ye see that I   have prayed unto the Father, and ye all have witnessed. And ye see that I have commanded that none of you should go away, but rather have commanded that ye   should come unto me, that ye might feel and see; even so shall ye do unto the  world; and whosoever breaketh this commandment suffereth himself to be led intotemptation.                                                                        Behold, this is the commandment which I give unto you, that ye shall not   suffer any one knowingly to partake of my flesh and blood unworthily, when ye  shall minister it; For whoso eateth and drinketh my flesh and blood unworthily eateth and drinketh damnation to his soul; therefore if ye know that a man is  unworthy to eat and drink of my flesh and blood ye shall forbid him.               When Jesus had thus prayed unto the Father, he came unto his disciples, andbehold, they did still continue, without ceasing, to pray unto him; and they   did not multiply many words, for it was given unto them what they should pray, and they were filled with desire.                                                  No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall revile against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn.  This is the heritageof the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of me.                     Will a man rob God?  Yet ye have robbed me.  But ye say: Wherein have we   robbed thee?  In tithes and offerings.  Ye are cursed with a curse, for ye haverobbed me, even this whole nation.  Bring ye all the tithes into the           storehouse, that there may be meat in my house; and prove me now herewith,     saith the Lord of Hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pouryou out a blessing that there shall not be room enough to receive it.              Have they not read the scriptures, which say ye must take upon you the nameof Christ, which is my name?  For by this name shall ye be called at the last  day; And whoso taketh upon him my name, and endureth to the end, the same shallbe saved at the last day.                                                          How be it my church save it be called in my name?  For if a church be      called in Moses' name then it be Moses' church; or if it be called in the name of a man then it be the church of a man; but if it be called in my name then itis my church, if it so be that they are built upon my gospel.                      No unclean thing can enter into his kingdom; therefore nothing entereth    into his rest save it be those who have washed their garments in my blood,     because of their faith, and the repentance of all their sins, and their        faithfulness unto the end.                                                         Now this is the commandment: Repent, all ye ends of the earth, and come    unto me and be baptized in my name, that ye may be sanctified by the reception of the Holy Ghost, that ye may stand spotless before me at the last day.           Out of the books which have been written, and which shall be written, shallthis people be judged, for by them shall their works be known unto men.            Yea, wo unto him that shall deny the revelations of the Lord, and that     shall say the Lord no longer worketh by revelation, or by prophecy, or by      gifts, or by tongues, or by healings, or by the power of the Holy Ghost!           In the thirty and sixth year, the people were all converted unto the Lord, upon all the face of the land, both Nephites and Lamanites, and there were no  contentions and disputations among them, and every man did deal justly one withanother. And they had all things common among them; therefore there were not   rich and poor, bond and free, but they were all made free, and partakers of theheavenly gift.                                                                     There was no contention in the land, because of the love of God which did  dwell in the hearts of the people.                                                 There were no envyings, nor strifes, nor tumults, nor whoredoms, nor       lyings, nor murders, nor any manner of lasciviousness; and surely there could  not be a happier people among all the people who had been created by the hand  of God.                                                                            There were no robbers, nor murderers, neither were there Lamanites, nor anymanner of -ites; but they were in one, the children of Christ, and heirs to thekingdom of God. And how blessed were they!  For the Lord did bless them in all their doings; yea, even they were blessed and prospered until an hundred and   ten years had passed away; and the first generation from Christ had passed     away, and there was no contention in all the land.                                 In this two hundred and first year there began to be among them those who  were lifted up in pride, such as the wearing of costly apparel, and all manner of fine pearls, and of the fine things of the world. And from that time forth  they did have their goods and their substance no more common among them. And   they began to be divided into classes; and they began to build up churches untothemselves to get gain, and began to deny the true church of Christ.               The true believers in Christ, and the true worshipers of Christ, (among    whom were the three disciples of Jesus who should tarry) were called Nephites, and Jacobites, and Josephites, and Zoramites. And it came to pass that they whorejected the gospel were called Lamanites, and Lemuelites, and Ishmaelites; andthey did not dwindle in unbelief, but they did wilfully rebel against the      gospel of Christ; and they did teach their children that they should not       believe, even as their fathers, from the beginning, did dwindle.                   Wickedness did prevail upon the face of the whole land, insomuch that      the Lord did take away his beloved disciples, and the work of miracles and of  healing did cease because of the iniquity of the people.                           I did endeavor to preach unto this people, but my mouth was shut, and I    was forbidden that I should preach unto them; for behold they had wilfully     rebelled against their God; and the beloved disciples were taken away out of   the land, because of their iniquity.                                               I did remain among them, but I was forbidden to preach unto them, because  of the hardness of their hearts; and because of the hardness of their hearts   the land was cursed for their sake.                                                My father also was killed by them, and I even remain alone to write the    sad tale of the destruction of my people.  But behold, they are gone, and I    fulfil the commandment of my father.  And whether they will slay me, I know    not.  Therefore I will write and hide up the records in the earth; and whither I go it mattereth not.                                                             Because of the redemption of man, which came by Jesus Christ, they are     brought back into the presence of the Lord; yea, this is wherein all men are   redeemed, because the death of Christ bringeth to pass the resurrection, which bringeth to pass a redemption from an endless sleep, from which sleep all men  shall be awakened by the power of God when the trump shall sound; and they     shall come forth, both small and great, and all shall stand before his bar,    being redeemed and loosed from this eternal band of death, which death is a    temporal death.                                                                    See that ye are not baptized unworthily; see that ye partake not of the    sacrament of Christ unworthily; but see that ye do all things in worthiness,   and do it in the name of Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God; and if ye do this, and endure to the end, ye will in nowise be cast out.                        And now I . . . proceed to give an account of those ancient inhabitants    who were destroyed by the hand of the Lord upon the face of this north country.    I take mine account from the twenty and four plates which were found by    the people of Limhi, which is called the Book of Ether.                            They did also carry with them deseret, which, by interpretation, is a honeybee; and thus they did carry with them swarms of bees, and all manner of that  which was upon the face of the land, seeds of every kind.                          They have received many wounds; nevertheless they stand fast in that       liberty wherewith God has made them free; and they are strict to remember the  Lord their God from day to day; yea, they do observe to keep his statutes, and his judgements, and his commandments continually; and their faith is strong in the prophecies concerning that which is to come.                                   This is a land which is choice above all other lands; wherefore he that    doth possess it shall serve God or shall be swept off; for it is the           everlasting decree of God.  And it is not until the fulness of iniquity among  the children of the land, that they are swept off.                                 Now they never had fought, yet they did not fear death; and they did think more upon the liberty of their fathers than they did upon their lives; yea,    they had been taught by their mothers, that if they did not doubt, God would   deliver them.  And they rehearsed unto me the words of their mothers, saying:  We do not doubt our mothers knew it.                                               Behold, this is a choice land, and whatsoever nation shall possess it shallbe free from bondage, and from captivity, and from all other nations under     heaven, if they will but serve the God of the land, who is Jesus Christ, who   hath been manifested by the things which we have written.                          The Lord came again unto the brother of Jared, and stood in a cloud and    talked with him.  And for the space of three hours did the Lord talk with the  brother of Jared, and chastened him because he remembered not to call upon the name of the Lord.                                                                  The brother of Jared repented of the evil which he had done, and did       call upon the name of the Lord for his brethren who were with him.  And the    Lord said unto him: I will forgive thee and thy brethren of their sins; but    thou shalt not sin any more, for ye shall remember that my Spirit will not     always strive with man; wherefore, if ye will sin until ye are fully ripe ye   shall be cut off from the presence of the Lord.  And these are my thoughts uponthe land which I shall give you for your inheritance; for it shall be a land   choice above all other lands.                                                      Because of the knowledge of this man he could not be kept from beholding   within the veil; and he saw the finger of Jesus, which, when he saw, he fell   with fear; for he knew that it was the finger of the Lord; and he had faith no longer, for he knew, nothing doubting.   Wherefore, having this perfect        knowledge of God, he could not be kept from within the veil; therefore he saw  Jesus; and he did minister unto him.                                               Repent all ye ends of the earth, and come unto me, and believe in my       gospel, and be baptized in my name; for he that believeth and is baptized      shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned; and signs shall     follow them that believe in my name. And blessed is he that is found faithful  unto my name at the last day, for he shall be lifted up to dwell in the kingdomprepared for him from the foundation of the world.  And behold it is I that    hath spoken it.  Amen.                                                             Whatsoever nation shall uphold such secret combinations, to get power and  gain, until they shall spread over the nation, behold, they shall be destroyed;for the Lord will not suffer that the blood of his saints, which shall be shed by them, shall always cry unto him from the ground for vengeance upon them and yet he avenge them not.                                                            O ye Gentiles, it is wisdom in God that these things should be shown unto  you, that thereby ye may repent of your sins, and suffer not that these        murderous combinations shall get above you, which are built up to get power andgain--and the work, yea, even the work of destruction come upon you, yea, even the sword of the justice of the Eternal God shall fall upon you, to your       overthrow and destruction if ye shall suffer these things to be.                   The Lord commandeth you, when ye shall see these things come among you thatye shall awake to a sense of your awful situation, because of this secret      combination which shall be among you; or wo be unto it, because of the blood ofthem who have been slain; for they cry from the dust for vengeance upon it, andalso upon those who built it up.                                                   They also had horses, and asses, and there were elephants and cureloms and cumoms; all of which were useful unto man, and more especially the elephants   and cureloms and cumoms.                                                           I would show unto the world that faith is things which are hoped for and   not seen; wherefore, dispute not because ye see not, for ye receive no witness until after the trial of your faith.                                               Ye may also have hope, and be partakers of the gift, if ye will but have   faith.                                                                             I would commend you to seek this Jesus of whom the prophets and apostles   have written, that the grace of God the Father, and also the Lord Jesus Christ,and the Holy Ghost, which beareth record of them, may be and abide in you      forever.                                                                           Neither did they receive any unto baptism save they came forth with a      broken heart and a contrite spirit, and witnessed unto the church that they    truly repented of all their sins. And none were received unto baptism save theytook upon them the name of Christ, having a determination to serve him to the  end.                                                                               As oft as they repented and sought forgiveness, with real intent, they     were forgiven.                                                                     God hath said a man being evil cannot do that which is good; for if he     offereth a gift, or prayeth unto God, except he shall do it with real intent itprofiteth him nothing.  For behold, it is not counted unto him for             righteousness.                                                                     If a man being evil giveth a gift, he doeth it grudgingly; wherefore it is counted unto him the same as if he had retained the gift; wherefore he is      counted evil before God.  And likewise also is it counted evil unto a man, if  he shall pray and not with real intent of heart; yea, and it profiteth him     nothing, for God receiveth none such.                                              A man being evil cannot do that which is good; neither will he give a good gift. For behold, a bitter fountain cannot bring forth good water; neither can a good fountain bring forth bitter water; wherefore, a man being a servant of  the devil cannot follow Christ; and if he follow Christ he cannot be a servant of the devil.                                                                      All things which are good cometh of God; and that which is evil cometh of  the devil; for the devil is an enemy unto God, and fighteth against him        continually, and inviteth and enticeth to sin, and to do that which is evil    continually.                                                                       That which is of God inviteth and enticeth to do good continually;         wherefore, every thing which inviteth and enticeth to do good, and             to love God, and to serve him, is inspired of God.                                The Spirit of Christ is given to every man, that he may know good from evil;wherefore, I show unto you the way to judge; for every thing which inviteth to do good, and to persuade to believe in Christ, is sent forth by the power and  gift of Christ; wherefore ye may know with a perfect knowledge it is of God.       Whatsoever thing persuadeth men to do evil, and believe not in Christ, and deny him, and serve not God, then ye may know with a perfect knowledge it is ofthe devil; for after this manner doth the devil work, for he persuadeth no man to do good, no, not one; neither do his angels; neither do they who subject    themselves unto him.                                                               And now, my brethren, seeing that ye know the light by which ye may judge, which light is the light of Christ, see that ye do not judge wrongfully; for   with that same judgment which ye judge ye shall also be judged.                    I beseech of you, brethren, that ye should search diligently in the light  of Christ that ye may know good from evil; and if ye will lay hold upon every  good thing, and condemn it not, ye certainly will be a child of Christ.            After . . . he came men also were saved by faith in his name; and by faith,they become the sons of God.  And as sure as Christ liveth he spake these wordsunto our fathers, saying: Whatsoever thing ye shall ask the Father in my name, which is good, in faith believing that ye shall receive, behold, it shall be   done unto you.                                                                     Christ hath said: If ye will have faith in me ye shall have power to do    whatsoever thing is expedient in me.                                               What is it that ye shall hope for?  Behold I say unto you that ye shall    have hope through the atonement of Christ and the power of his resurrection, tobe raised unto life eternal, and this because of your faith in him according tothe promise.                                                                       Charity suffereth long, and is kind, and envieth not, and is not puffed up,seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil, and rejoiceth   not in iniquity but rejoiceth in the truth, beareth all things, believeth all  things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.                                    My beloved brethren, if ye have not charity, ye are nothing, for charity   never faileth.  Wherefore, cleave unto charity, which is the greatest of all,  for all things must fail--But charity is the pure love of Christ, and it       endureth forever; and whoso is found possessed of it at the last day, it       shall be well with him.                                                            My beloved brethren, pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart,    that ye may be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are  true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ; that ye may become the sons of God;   that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he     is; that we may have this hope; that we may be purified even as he is pure.        Listen to the words of Christ, your Redeemer, your Lord and your God.      Behold, I came into the world not to call the righteous but sinners to         repentance; the whole need no physician, but they that are sick; wherefore,    little children are whole, for they are not capable of committing sin;         wherefore the curse of Adam is taken from them in me, that it hath no power    over them; and the law of circumcision is done away in me.                         This thing shall ye teach--repentance and baptism unto those who are       accountable and capable of committing sin; yea, teach parents that they must   repent and be baptized, and humble themselves as their little children, and    they shall all be saved with their little children.                                Little children need no repentance, neither baptism.  Behold, baptism is   unto repentance to the fulfilling the commandments unto the remission of sins. But little children are alive in Christ, even from the foundation of the world;if not so, God is a partial God, and also a changeable God, and a respecter to persons; for how many little children have died without baptism!                   He that supposeth that little children need baptism is in the gall of      bitterness and in the bonds of iniquity, for he hath neither faith, hope, nor  charity; wherefore, should he be cut off while in the thought, he must go down to hell.                                                                           Awful is the wickedness to suppose that God saveth one child because of    baptism, and the other must perish because he hath no baptism.                     And now, my beloved son, notwithstanding their hardness, let us labor      diligently; for if we should cease to labor, we should be brought under        condemnation; for we have a labor to perform whilst in this tabernacle of clay,that we may conquer the enemy of all righteousness, and rest our souls in the  kingdom of God.                                                                    Behold, I would exhort you that when ye shall read these things, if it be  wisdom in God that ye should read them, that ye would remember how merciful theLord hath been unto the children of men, from the creation of Adam even down   unto the time that ye shall receive these things, and ponder it in your hearts.    And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would   ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not    true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost.  And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things.    For I say unto you that whatsoever is good cometh from God, and whatsoever is evil cometh from the devil. Therefore, if a man bringeth forth good works   he hearkeneth unto the voice of the good shepherd, and he doth follow him; but whosoever bringeth forth evil works, the same becometh a child of the devil,   for he hearkeneth unto his voice, and doth follow him.                              Behold, are ye stripped of pride?  I say unto you, if ye are not ye are   not prepared to meet God.  Behold ye must prepare quickly; for the kingdom of  heaven is soon at hand, and such an one hath not eternal life.                     Behold, I say, is there one among you who is not stripped of envy?  I say  unto you that such an one is not prepared; and I would that he should prepare  quickly, for the hour is close at hand, and he knoweth not when the time shall come; for such an one is not found guiltless.                                      Behold, I say unto you, that the good shepherd doth call you; yea, and in  his own name he doth call you, which is the name of Christ; and if ye will not hearken unto the voice of the good shepherd, to the name by which ye are       called, behold, ye are not the sheep of the good shepherd.  And now if ye are  not the sheep of the good shepherd, of what fold are ye?  Behold, I say unto   you, that the devil is your shepherd, and ye are of his fold; and now, who can deny this?  Behold, I say unto you, whosoever denieth this is a liar and a     child of the devil.                                                                And now behold, I say unto you, my brethren, if ye have experienced a      change of heart, and if ye have felt to sing the song of redeeming love, I     would ask, can ye feel so now?  Have ye walked, keeping yourselves blameless   before God?  Could ye say, if ye were called to die at this time, within       yourselves, that ye have been sufficiently humble?  That your garments have    been cleansed and made white through the blood of Christ, who will come to     redeem his people from their sins?                                                 And now behold, I say unto you, my brethren, you that belong to this       church, have you sufficiently retained in remembrance the captivity of your    fathers?  Yea, and have you sufficiently retained in remembrance his mercy and long-suffering towards them?  And moreover, have ye sufficiently retained in   remembrance that he has delivered their souls from hell?                           Yea, he that repenteth and exerciseth faith, and bringeth forth good works,and prayeth continually without ceasing--unto such it is given to know the     mysteries of God; yea, unto such it shall be given to reveal things which      never have been revealed; yea, and it shall be given unto such to bring        thousands of souls to repentance, even as it has been given unto us to bring   these our brethren to repentance.                                                  And thus, if ye will not nourish the word, looking forward with an eye of  faith to the fruit thereof, ye can never pluck of the fruit of the tree of     life.  But if ye will nourish the word, yea, nourish the tree as it beginneth  to grow, by your faith with great diligence, and with patience, looking        forward to the fruit thereof, it shall take root; and behold it shall be a     tree springing up unto everlasting life.                                           Yea, cry unto him for mercy; for he is mighty to save.  Yea, humble        yourselves, and continue in prayer unto him.                                       Cry unto him when ye are in your fields, yea, over all your flocks. Cry    unto him in your houses, yea, over all your household, both morning, mid-day,  and evening.                                                                       Cry unto him over the crops of your fields, that ye may prosper in them.   Cry over the flocks of your fields, that they may increase.  But this is not   all; ye must pour out your souls in your closets, and your secret places, and  in your wilderness.                                                             Therefore, if ye do not remember to be charitable, ye are as dross, which the refiners do cast out, (it being of no worth) and is trodden under foot of men.     For behold, if ye have procrastinated the day of your repentance even untildeath, behold, ye have become subjected to the spirit of the devil, and he     doth seal you his; therefore, the Spirit of the Lord hath withdrawn from you,  and hath no place in you, and the devil hath all power over you; and this is   the final state of the wicked.                                                   Now ye may suppose that this is foolishness in me; but behold I say unto you,that by small and simple things are great things brought to pass; and small    means in many instances doth confound the wise.  And the Lord God doth work by means to bring about his great and eternal purposes; and by very small means   the Lord doth confound the wise and bringeth about the salvation of many souls.    And then shall it come to pass, that the spirits of those who are righteousare received into a state of happiness, which is called paradise, a state of   rest, a state of peace, where they shall rest from all their troubles and from all care, and sorrow.                                                              Now, the decrees of God are unalterable; therefore, the way is prepared    that whosoever will may walk therein and be saved.                                 And now, the plan of mercy could not be brought about except an atonement  should be made; therefore God himself atoneth for the sins of the world, to    bring about the plan of mercy, to appease the demands of justice, that God     might be a perfect, just God, and a merciful God also.                             Now, repentance could not come unto men except there were a punishment,    which also was eternal as the life of the soul should be, affixed opposite to  the plan of happiness, which was as eternal also as the life of the soul.      Now, how could a man repent except he should sin?  How could he sin if there   was no law?  How could there be a law save there was a punishment?  Now, there was a punishment affixed, and a just law given, which brought remorse of       conscience unto man.                                                               For behold, justice exerciseth all his demands, and also mercy claimeth allwhich is her own; and thus, none but the truly penitent are saved. What, do ye suppose that mercy can rob justice?  I say unto you, Nay; not one whit.  If    so, God would cease to be God.                                                  And those who did belong to the church were faithful; yea, all those who were true believers in Christ took upon them, gladly, the name of Christ, or Chris- tians as they were called, because of their belief in Christ who should come.      Thus we see how quick the children of men do forget the Lord their God,    yea, how quick to do iniquity, and to be led away by the evil one. Yea, and we also see the great wickedness one very wicked man can cause to take place      among the children of men.                                                         And Moroni was a strong and a mighty man; he was a man of a perfect        understanding; yea, a man that did not delight in bloodshed; a man whose soul  did joy in the liberty and the freedom of his country, and his brethren from   bondage and slavery; Yea, a man whose heart did swell with thanksgiving to his God, for the many privileges and blessings which he bestowed upon his people;  a man who did labor exceedingly for the welfare and safety of his people.      Yea, and he was a man who was firm in the faith of Christ, and he had sworn    with an oath to defend his people, his rights, and his country, and his        religion, even to the loss of his blood.                                           This was the faith of Moroni, and his heart did glory in it; not in the    shedding of blood but in doing good, in preserving his people, yea, in keeping the commandments of God, yea, and resisting iniquity.  Yea, verily, verily I   say unto you, if all men had been, and were, and ever would be, like unto      Moroni, behold, the very powers of hell would have been shaken forever; yea,   the devil would never have power over the hearts of the children of men.           And they were all young men, and they were exceedingly valiant for courage,and also for strength and activity; but behold, this was not all--they were    men who were true at all times in whatsoever thing they were entrusted. Yea,   they were men of truth and soberness, for they had been taught to keep the     commandments of God and to walk uprightly before him.                              Surely God shall not suffer that we, who are despised because we take upon us the name of Christ, shall be trodden down and destroyed, until we bring it  upon us by our own transgressions.                                                 Have ye forgotten the commandments of the Lord your God?  Yea, have ye     forgotten the captivity of our fathers?  Have ye forgotten the many times we   have been delivered out of the hands of our enemies?  Or do ye suppose that theLord will still deliver us, while we sit upon our thrones and do not make use  of the means which the Lord has provided for us?                                   And it came to pass that while they were thus conversing one with another, they heard a voice as if it came out of heaven; and they cast their eyes round about, for they understood not the voice which they heard; and it was not a    harsh voice, neither was it a loud voice; nevertheless, and notwithstanding it being a small voice it did pierce them that did hear to the center, insomuch   that there was no part of their frame that it did not cause to quake; yea, it  did pierce them to the very soul, and did cause their hearts to burn.              And behold, I am the light and the life of the world; and I have drunk out of that bitter cup which the Father hath given me, and have glorified the      Father in taking upon me the sins of the world, in the which I have suffered   the will of the Father in all things from the beginning.                           These are the words which ye shall say, calling them by name, saying:      Having authority given me of Jesus Christ, I baptize you in the name of the    Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.  Amen. And then shall ye immersethem in the water, and come forth again out of the water.  And after this      manner shall ye baptize . . .                                                      Blessed are the poor in spirit who come unto me, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.                                                                         Blessed are all they that mourn, for they shall be comforted.                  Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.                        Blessed are all they who do hunger and thirst after righteousness, for theyshall be filled with the Holy Ghost.                                               Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.                         Blessed are all the pure in heart, for they shall see God.                  Blessed are all the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God.    Blessed are all they who are persecuted for my name's sake, for theirs is  the kingdom of heaven. And blessed are ye when men shall revile you and        persecute, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake;  For ye shall have great joy and be exceedingly glad, for great shall be your   reward in heaven; for so persecuted they the prophets who were before you.         Verily, verily, I say unto you, I give unto you to be the light of this    people.  A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid.  Behold, do men light a   candle and put it under a bushel?  Nay, but on a candlestick, and it giveth    light to all that are in the house;  Therefore let your light so shine before  this people, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is  in heaven.                                                                         Therefore, if ye shall come unto me, or shall desire to come unto me, and  rememberest that thy brother hath aught against thee--Go thy way unto thy      brother, and first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come unto me with    full purpose of heart, and I will receive you.                                     Behold, it is written by them of old time, that thou shalt not commit      adultery; But I say unto you, that whosoever looketh on a woman, to lust after her, hath committed adultery already in his heart. Behold, I give unto you a   commandment, that ye suffer none of these things to enter into your heart;     For it is better that ye should deny yourselves of these things, wherein ye    will take up your cross, than that ye should be cast into hell.                    And behold it is written also, that thou shalt love thy neighbor and hate  thine enemy; But behold I say unto you, love your enemies, bless them that     curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them who despitefully   use you and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father who is inheaven; for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good.                 Verily, verily, I say that I would that ye should do alms unto the poor;   but take heed that ye do not your alms before men to be seen of them;          otherwise ye have no reward of your Father who is in heaven.                       And when thou prayest thou shalt not do as the hypocrites, for they love topray, standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they  may be seen of men.  Verily I say unto you, they have their reward. But thou,  when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door,    pray to thy Father who is in secret; and thy Father, who seeth in secret,      shall reward thee openly.                                                          But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen, for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. Be not ye therefore like untothem, for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of before ye ask him.       Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth   corrupt, and thieves break through and steal;  But lay up for yourselves       treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where       thieves do not break through nor steal.  For where your treasure is, there willyour heart be also.                                                                But seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these  things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow, for  the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself.  Sufficient is the day unto the evil thereof.                                                             Enter ye in at the strait gate; for wide is the gate, and broad is the way,which leadeth to destruction, and many there be who go in thereat;  Because    strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and        few there be that find it.                                                         Behold, I am the law, and the light.  Look unto me, and endure to the end, and ye shall live; for unto him that endureth to the end will I give eternal   life.                                                                              And it came to pass that when Jesus had made an end of praying unto the    Father, he arose; but so great was the joy of the multitude that they were     overcome. And it came to pass that Jesus spake unto them, and bade them arise. And they arose from the earth, and he said unto them: Blessed are ye because ofyour faith.  And now behold, my joy is full.                                       And it came to pass that he commanded the multitude that they should cease to pray, and also his disciples.  And he commanded them that they should not   cease to pray in their hearts.                                                     For it shall come to pass, saith the Father, that at that day whosoever    will not repent and come unto my Beloved Son, them will I cut off from among   my people, O house of Israel;  And I will execute vengeance and fury upon them,even as upon the heathen, such as they have not heard.                             And now, behold, I say unto you, that ye ought to search these things.     Yea, a commandment I give unto you that ye search these things diligently;     for great are the words of Isaiah.                                                 And it shall come to pass, that whoso repenteth and is baptized in my name shall be filled; and if he endureth to the end, behold, him will I hold        guiltless before my Father at that day when I shall stand to judge the world.  And he that endureth not unto the end, the same is he that is also hewn down   and cast into the fire, from whence they can no more return, because of the    justice of the Father.                                                             Verily, verily, I say unto you, this is my gospel; and ye know the things  that ye must do in my church; for the works which ye have seen me do that      shall ye also do; for that which ye have seen me do even that shall ye do;     Therefore, if ye do these things blessed are ye, for ye shall be lifted up at  the last day.                                                                      Yea, and wo unto him that shall say at that day, to get gain, that there   can be no miracle wrought by Jesus Christ; for he that doeth this shall become like unto the son of perdition, for whom there was no mercy, according to the  word of Christ!                                                                    Do ye suppose that ye shall dwell with him under a consciousness of your   guilt?  Do ye suppose that ye could be happy to dwell with that holy Being,    when your souls are racked with a consciousness of guilt that ye have ever     abused his laws?  Behold, I say unto you that ye would be more miserable to    dwell with a holy and just God, under a consciousness of your filthiness       before him, than ye would to dwell with the damned souls in hell.              And again I speak unto you who deny the revelations of God, and say that they  are done away, that there are no revelations, nor prophecies, nor gifts, nor   healing, nor speaking with tongues, and the interpretation of tongues; Behold Isay unto you, he that denieth these things knoweth not the gospel of Christ;   yea, he has not read the scriptures; if so, he does not understand them.           O Lord, thy righteous will be done, for I know that thou workest unto the  children of men according to their faith; For the brother of Jared said unto   the mountain Zerin, Remove--and it was removed.  And if he had not had faith   it would not have moved; wherefore thou workest after men have faith.              And I also remember that thou hast said that thou hast prepared a house forman, yea, even among the mansions of thy Father, in which man might have a     more excellent hope; wherefore man must hope, or he cannot receive an          inheritance in the place which thou hast prepared.                                 And it came to pass that I prayed unto the Lord that he would give unto theGentiles grace, that they might have charity.  And it came to pass that the    Lord said unto me: If they have not charity it mattereth not unto thee, thou   hast been faithful; wherefore, thy garments shall be made clean.  And because  thou hast seen thy weakness thou shalt be made strong, even unto the sitting   down in the place which I have prepared in the mansions of my Father.              And I would exhort you, my beloved brethren, that ye remember that every   good gift cometh of Christ.                                                        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!                                          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.                                                          What manner of men ought ye to be?  Verily I say unto you, even as I am.       Behold, my father hath made this record, and he hath written the intent    thereof.  And behold, I would write it also if I had room upon the plates, but I have not; and ore I have none, for I am alone.  My father hath been slain in battle, and all my kinsfolk, and I have not friends nor whither to go; and how long the Lord will suffer that I may live I know not.                              And whatsoever thing persuadeth men to do good is of me; for good cometh ofnone save it be of me.  I am the same that leadeth men to all good; he that    will not believe my words will not believe me--that I am; and he that will not believe me will not believe the Father who sent me.  For behold, I am the      Father, I am the light, and the life, and the truth of the world.                  Wherefore, do not spend money for that which is of no worth, nor your laborfor 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.                                                            