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The Holy & Sacred Book of Mormon is meant—like the Holy Bible, to be viewed through the lens of truth—not denominational filters or frameworks.

Hidden Records

Was there ever a time when records of the Lord were hidden and later found? Yes. Consider the account of Hilkiah (relevant points footnoted):

14 And when they brought out the money that was brought into the house of the LORD, Hilkiah the priest found1 a book of the law of the LORD given by Moses.
15 And Hilkiah answered and said to Shaphan the scribe, I have found the book of the law in the house of the LORD. And Hilkiah delivered the book to Shaphan.
16 And Shaphan carried the book to the king, and brought the king word back again, saying, All that was committed to thy servants, they do it.
17 And they have gathered together the money that was found in the house of the LORD, and have delivered it into the hand of the overseers, and to the hand of the workmen.
18 Then Shaphan the scribe told the king, saying, Hilkiah the priest hath given me a book. And Shaphan read it before the king.
19 And it came to pass, when the king had heard the words of the law, that he rent his clothes.2
20 And the king commanded Hilkiah, and Ahikam the son of Shaphan, and Abdon the son of Micah, and Shaphan the scribe, and Asaiah a servant of the king’s, saying,
21 Go, enquire of the LORD3 for me, and for them that are left in Israel and in Judah, concerning the words of the book that is found: for great is the wrath of the LORD that is poured out upon us,4 because our fathers have NOT KEPT THE WORD of the LORD, TO DO AFTER ALL THAT IS WRITTEN in this book.5 (2 Chronicles 34)

Points

1) A holy book, the “Law of the Lord” was hidden and later discovered.

2) After comparing the written word with what they were doing, the king rent his clothes in disgust.

3) It is a persons’ right to inquire of God regarding any book that claims to be from Him.

4) The realization was, they had not faithfully kept what the scriptures said. Without the written word there is nothing to prevent things from becoming lost due to the nature of memory loss, or falsehoods injected.

5) This was not the first, nor would it be the last time that the Word of the Lord was not faithfully kept. The key word here is “all”; to receive God’s favor, a person or people must faithfully keep God’s established law which cannot accurately be accomplished when the law is missing.

Scriptures set a precedent for the discovery of hidden sacred records and what to do when they are found: ask God, and if true, then OBEY what they say. We see the same admonition in The Holy Book of Mormon:

2 And I seal up these records, after I have spoken a few words by way of exhortation unto you.
3 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 the Lord hath been unto the children of men, from the creation of Adam even down until the time that ye shall receive these things, and ponder it in your hearts.
4 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.
5 And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things. (Moroni 10)

Many people have tested that promise, and in every case where its requirements were met (i.e., asking with a sincere heart), the individual received an answer from God. For this reason, The Holy Book of Mormon is a powerful introductory tool for how to communicate with God.

The second part where people fail, like the Israelites, is by not doing “all that is written” in The Holy Book of Mormon (which does not contradict The Holy Bible). Many are introduced to The Holy Book of Mormon by the Mormon Church (which is not faithfully following its precepts) but are then taught non-Biblical teachings its founder introduced, long after he did his part to bring it forth.

Many Jews currently sit in darkness because of the same thing; they are following rabbinical teachings, not scriptures. Mormons follow their Doctrine & Covenants and temple teachings, and not the Holy Bible and Holy Book of Mormon. They use the power of The Holy Book of Mormon for gaining converts and infer its confirming power includes all that Joseph Smith did afterward. The Mormon Church and its leaders continue this today (i.e., they are all good, all God-approved, all infallible).

The Mormon Church is not based on The Holy Book of Mormon:

“Despite the effort that went into the translation, Joseph Smith did not make the book the foundation of the church” (LDS Professor Richard L. Bushman, Joseph Smith and the Beginnings of Mormonism, 1984, p. 142).

Mormon scriptures say they are under a curse for not doing what The Holy Book of Mormon says:

“I have noted within the Church a difference in discernment, insight, conviction, and spirit between those who know and love the Book of Mormon and those who do not. That book is a great sifter (“Jesus Christ-Gifts and Expectations,” Christmas Devotional, Salt Lake City, Utah, 7 December 1986; Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson, pp. 60-61).

“Among the hallmarks of Ezra Taft Benson ‘s tenure as president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was his stirring summons to reemphasize the Book of Mormon.

‘My beloved brethren and sisters,’ he said during the October 1984 general conference, ‘for some years now I have been deeply concerned that we are not using the Book of Mormon as God intends. As I participated in the Mexico City Temple dedication, I received the distinct impression that God is not pleased with our neglect of the Book of Mormon. In the 84th section of the Doctrine and Covenants, the Lord decreed that the whole church was under condemnation, even all the children of Zion, because of the way they treated the Book of Mormon. ‘And they shall remain under this condemnation until they repent,’ said the Lord, ‘and remember the new covenant, even the Book of Mormon’ (Doctrine and Covenants 84:57)'” (Dan Peterson, “Embracing the power of the Book of Mormon,” Deseret News, January 5, 2012).

54 And your minds in times past have been darkened because of unbelief, and because you have treated lightly the things you have received-
55 Which vanity and unbelief have brought the whole church under condemnation.
56 And this condemnation resteth upon the children of Zion, even all.
57 And they shall remain under this condemnation until they repent and remember the new covenant, even the Book of Mormon and the former commandments which I have given them, not only to say, but to do according to that which I have written- (D&C 84:54-57, 1832)

If you want to convert a Mormon to Christ, use the Book of Mormon and Bible. If you want to convert a Jew to Christ, use the Torah and other books from the “Old Testament” such as Isaiah (see the ministry of Messianic Rabbi Zev Porat for many examples).

Preserve the Righteous

God did not leave Himself without witnesses to show that He provided well to those who loved Him:

17 Nevertheless he left not himself without witness, in that he did good (Acts 14)

17 I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him. (Malachi 3)

13 Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him. (Psalms 103)

1 Run ye to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem, and see now, and know, and seek in the broad places thereof, if ye can find a man, if there be any that executeth judgment, that seeketh the truth; and I will pardon it. (Jeremiah 5)

Examples include Lot and his family who were spared, while the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah weren’t:

26 And the Lord said, If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes. (Genesis 18)

15 And when the morning arose, then the angels hastened Lot, saying, Arise, take thy wife, and thy two daughters, which are here; lest thou be consumed in the iniquity of the city. (Genesis 19)

And Noah and his family were spared, but the rest of humanity was not:

5 And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly; (2 Peter 2)

Israel was warned more than once that their capital city Jerusalem would be destroyed and its people brought into captivity if they did not follow God. Prior to the Babylonian invasion of 600 BC God warned several obedient families to flee, just like He warned Lot. The Book of Mormon is comprised of two such accounts, and a third of an exodus prior to the scattering at the time of the Tower of Babel.

Witnesses

The Testimony of Three Witnesses

Be it known unto all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people, unto whom this work shall come: That we, through the grace of God the Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ, have seen the plates which contain this record, which is a record of the people of Nephi, and also of the Lamanites, their brethren, and also of the people of Jared, who came from the tower of which hath been spoken. And we also know that they have been translated by the gift and power of God, for his voice hath declared it unto us; wherefore we know of a surety that the work is true. And we also testify that we have seen the engravings which are upon the plates; and they have been shown unto us by the power of God, and not of man. And we declare with words of soberness, that an angel of God came down from heaven, and he brought and laid before our eyes, that we beheld and saw the plates, and the engravings thereon; and we know that it is by the grace of God the Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ, that we beheld and bear record that these things are true. And it is marvelous in our eyes. Nevertheless, the voice of the Lord commanded us that we should bear record of it; wherefore, to be obedient unto the commandments of God, we bear testimony of these things. And we know that if we are faithful in Christ, we shall rid our garments of the blood of all men, and be found spotless before the judgment-seat of Christ, and shall dwell with him eternally in the heavens. And the honor be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost, which is one God. Amen.

Oliver Cowdery
David Whitmer
Martin Harris

 

The Testimony of Eight Witnesses

Be it known unto all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people, unto whom this work shall come: That Joseph Smith, Jun., the translator of this work, has shown unto us the plates of which hath been spoken, which have the appearance of gold; and as many of the leaves as the said Smith has translated we did handle with our hands; and we also saw the engravings thereon, all of which has the appearance of ancient work, and of curious workmanship. And this we bear record with words of soberness, that the said Smith has shown unto us, for we have seen and hefted, and know of a surety that the said Smith has got the plates of which we have spoken. And we give our names unto the world, to witness unto the world that which we have seen. And we lie not, God bearing witness of it.

Christian Whitmer
Jacob Whitmer
Peter Whitmer, Jun.
John Whitmer
Hiram Page
Joseph Smith, Sen.
Hyrum Smith
Samuel H. Smith

Additional Witnesses

Sarah Heller Conrad

Sunday, June 13, 1897 – I conversed with one old lady eighty-eight years old who lived with David Whitmer when Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery were translating the Book of Mormon in the upper room of the house, and she, only a girl, saw them come down from [the] translating room several times when they looked so exceedingly white and strange that she inquired of Mrs. Whitmer the cause of their unusual appearance, but Mrs. Whitmer was unwilling to tell the hired girl the true cause, as it was a sacred, holy event connected with a holy, sacred work which was opposed and persecuted by nearly everyone who heard of it.

The girl felt so strangely at seeing so strange and unusual appearance, she finally told Mrs. Whitmer that she would not stay with her until she knew the cause of the strange looks of these men.

Sister Whitmer then told her what the men were doing in the room above and that the power of God was so great in the room that they could hardly endure it; at times angels were in the room in their glory, which nearly consumed them. This satisfied the girl (Oliver B. Huntington, History of the Life of Oliver B. Huntington, p. 49-50).

Mary Whitmer – Mother of David Whitmer

Mary Musselman Whitmer, the only woman who saw the plates of the Book of Mormon, was born Aug. 27, 1778, and became the wife of Peter Whitmer. Together with her husband she was baptized by Oliver Cowdery in Seneca lake, April 18, 1830. Among the early members of the Church she was familiarly known as Mother Whitmer, she being the wife of Peter Whitmer, sen., and mother of five of the witnesses to the Book of Mormon. Her son, David Whitmer, before his death, testified on several occasions that his mother had seen the plates, and when Elders Edward Stevenson and Andrew Jenson visited Richmond, Missouri, in 1888, John C. Whitmer, a grandson of the lady in question, testified in the following language: “I have heard my grandmother (Mary Musselman Whitmer) say on several occasions that she was shown the plates of the Book of Mormon by a holy angel, whom she always called Brother Nephi. (She undoubtedly refers to Moroni, the angel who had the plates in charge.) It was at the time, she said, when the translation was going on at the house of the elder Peter Whitmer, her husband. Joseph Smith with his wife and Oliver Cowdery, whom David Whitmer a short time previous had brought up from Harmony, Pennsylvania, were all boarding with the Whitmers, and my grandmother in having so many extra persons to care for, besides her own large household, was often overloaded with work to such an extent that she felt it to be quite a burden. One evening, when (after having done her usual day’s work in the house) she went to the barn to milk the cows, she met a stranger carrying something on his back that looked like a knapsack. At first she was a little afraid of him, but when he spoke to her in a kind, friendly tone and began to explain to her the nature of the work which was going on in her house, she was filled with inexpressible joy and satisfaction. He then untied his knapsack and showed her a bundle of plates, which in size and appearance corresponded with the description subsequently given by the witnesses to the Book of Mormon. This strange person turned the leaves of the book of plates over, leaf after leaf, and also showed her the engravings upon them; after which he told her to be patient and faithful in bearing her burden a little longer, promising that if she would do so, she should be blessed; and her reward would be sure, if she proved faithful to the end. The personage then suddenly vanished with the plates, and where he went, she could not tell. From that moment my grandmother was enabled to perform her household duties with comparative ease, and she felt no more inclination to murmur because her lot was hard. I knew my grandmother to be a good, noble and truthful woman, and I have not the least doubt of her statement in regard to seeing the plates being strictly true. She was a strong believer in the Book of Mormon until the day of her death.” Mother Whitmer died in Richmond, Ray county, Missouri, in January, 1856 (Andrew Jensen, Latter-day Saint Biographical Encyclopedia: A Compilation of Biographical Sketches of Prominent Men and Women in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1901, vol 1, p. 283; see also sketch of David Whitmer and Peter Whitmer: Historical Record, vol. 7, p. 621; Juvenile Instructor, vol. 24, p. 22).

Additional testimonies can be found here: https://bomchristian.com/testimonies/

Moroni 10

1 Now I, Moroni, write somewhat as seemeth me good; and I write unto my brethren, the Lamanites; and I would that they should know that more than four hundred and twenty years has passed away, since the sign was given of the coming of Christ.
2 And I seal up these records after that I have spoken a few words by way of exhortation unto you.
3 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 the Lord hath been unto the children of men, from the creation of Adam, even down until the time that ye shall receive these things, and ponder it in your hearts.
4 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, and he will manifest the truth in you, by the power of the Holy Ghost; and by the power of the Holy Ghost,
5 ye may know the truth of all things.
6 And whatsoever thing is good, is just and true; wherefore, nothing that is good denieth the Christ, but acknowledgeth that he is.
7 And ye may know that he is, by the power of the Holy Ghost; wherefore I would exhort you, that ye deny not the power of God: for he worketh by power according to the faith of the children of men, the same to-day, and to-morrow, and forever.
8 And again I exhort you, my brethren, that ye deny not the gifts of God, for they are many; and they come from the same God. And there are different ways that these gifts are administered; but it is the same God which worketh all in all: and they are given by the manifestations of the spirit of God unto men, to profit them.
9 For behold, to one is given by the spirit of God, that he may teach the word of wisdom;
10 and to another, that he may teach the word of knowledge by the same spirit;
11 and to another, exceeding great faith; and to another, the gifts of healing by the same spirit.
12 And again, to another, that he may work mighty miracles;
13 and again, to another, that he may prophesy concerning all things;
14 and again, to another, the beholding of angels and ministering spirits;
15 and again, to another, all kinds of tongues;
16 and again, to another, the interpretation of languages and of diverse kinds of tongues.
17 And all these gifts comes by the spirit of Christ; and they come unto every man severally, according as he will.
18 And I would exhort you, my beloved brethren, that ye remember that every good gift cometh of Christ.
19 And I would exhort you, my beloved brethren, that ye remember that he is the same yesterday, to-day, and forever, and that all these gifts which I have spoken, which are spiritual, never will be done away, even as long as the world shall stand, only according to the unbelief of the children of men.
20 Wherefore, there must be faith; and if there must be faith, there must also be hope; and if there must be hope, there must also be charity;
21 and except ye have charity ye can in no wise be saved in the kingdom of God; neither can ye be saved in the kingdom of God, if ye have not faith; neither can ye, if ye have no hope;
22 and if ye have no hope, ye must needs be in despair; and despair cometh because of iniquity.
23 And Christ truly said unto our fathers, If ye have faith, ye can do all things which is expedient unto me.
24 And now I speak unto all the ends of the earth, that if the day cometh that the power and gifts of God shall be done away among you, it shall be because of unbelief.
25 And wo be unto the children of men, if this be the case: for there shall be none that doeth good among you, no not one. For if there be one among you that doeth good, he shall work by the power and gifts of God.
26 And wo unto them which shall do these things away and die, for they die in their sins, and they cannot be saved in the kingdom of God; and I speak it according to the words of Christ, and I lie not.
27 And I exhort you to remember these things: for the time speedily cometh that ye shall know that I lie not, for ye shall see me at the bar of God: and the Lord God will say unto you, Did I not declare my words unto you, which was written by this man, like as one crying from the dead? yea,, even as one speaking out of the dust,
28 I declare these things unto the fulfilling of the prophecies. And behold, they shall proceed forth out of the mouth of the everlasting God; and his word shall hiss forth from generation to generation.
29 And God shall shew unto you, that that which I have written, is true.
30 And again I would exhort you, that ye would come unto Christ, and lay hold upon every good gift, and touch not the evil gift, nor the unclean thing.
31 And awake, and arise from the dust, O Jerusalem; yea, and put on thy beautiful garments, O daughter of Zion, and strengthen thy stakes, and enlarge thy borders forever, that thou mayest no more be confounded, that the covenants of the Eternal Father, which he hath made unto thee, O house of Israel, may be fulfilled.
32 Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in no wise deny the power of God.
33 And again, if ye, by the grace of God are perfect in Christ, and deny not his power, then are ye sanctified in Christ by the grace of God, through the shedding of the blood of Christ, which is in the covenant of the Father, unto the remission of your sins, that ye become holy without spot.
34 And now I bid unto all, farewell. I soon go to rest in the paradise of God, until my spirit and body shall again reunite, and I am brought forth triumphant through the air, to meet you before the pleasing bar of the great Jehovah, the Eternal Judge of both quick and dead. Amen.

Moroni 9

1 My beloved son, I write unto you again, that ye may know that I am yet alive; but I write somewhat that which is grievous.
2 For behold, I have had a sore battle with the Lamanites, in the which we did conquer; and Archeantus has fallen by the sword, and also Luram and Emron; yea, and we have lost a great number of our choice men.
3 And now behold, my son, I fear lest the Lamanites shall destroy this people, for they do not repent, and Satan stirreth them up continually to anger one with another.
4 Behold, I am laboring with them continually; and when I speak the word of God with sharpness, they tremble and anger against me; and when I use no sharpness, they harden their hearts against it; wherefore I fear lest the spirit of the Lord hath ceased striving with them.
5 For so exceedingly do they anger, that it seemeth me that they have no fear of death; and they have lost their love, one towards another; and they thirst after blood and revenge continually.
6 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.
7 And now I write somewhat concerning the sufferings of this people. For according to the knowledge which I have received from Amoron, behold the Lamanites have many prisoners, which they took from the tower of Sherrizah; and there were men, women, and children.
8 And the husbands and fathers of those women and children they have slain; and they feed the women upon the flesh of their husbands, and the children upon the flesh of their fathers; and no water, save a little do they give unto them.
9 And notwithstanding this great abomination of the Lamanites, it doth not exceed that of our people in Moriantum. For behold, many of the daughters of the Lamanites have they taken prisoners; and after depriving them of that which was most dear and precious above all things, which is chastity and virtue;
10 and after that they had done this thing, they did murder them in a most cruel manner, torturing their bodies even unto death; and after that they have done this, they devour their flesh like unto wild beasts, because of the hardness of their hearts; and they do it for a token of bravery.
11 O my beloved son, how can a people like this, that are without civilization;
12 —and only a few years have passed away, and they were a civil and a delightsome people—
13 but O my son, how can a people like this, whose delight is in so much abomination,
14 how can we expect that God will stay his hand in judgment against us?
15 Behold, my heart cries wo unto this people. Come out in judgment, O God, and hide their sins, and wickedness, and abominations from before thy face.
16 And again, my son, there are many widows and their daughters, which remain in Sherrizah; and that part of the provisions which the Lamanites did not carry away, behold, the army of Zenephi has carried away, and left them to wander whithersoever they can for food; and many old women do faint by the way and die.
17 And the army which is with me, is weak; and the armies of the Lamanites are betwixt Sherrizah and me; and as many as have fled to the army of Aaron, have fallen victims of their awful brutality.
18 O the depravity of my people! they are without order and without mercy. Behold, I am but a man, and I have but the strength of a man, and I cannot any longer enforce my commands;
19 and they have become strong in their perversion; and they are alike brutal, sparing none, neither old or young; and they delight in every thing save that which is good; and the sufferings of our women and our children upon all the face of this land, doth exceed every thing; yea, tongue cannot tell, neither can it be written,
20 And now my son, I dwell no longer upon this horrible scene. Behold, thou knowest the wickedness of this people; thou knowest that they are without principle and past feeling; and their wickedness doth exceed that of the Lamanites.
21 Behold, my son, I cannot recommend thee unto God, lest he should smite me.
22 But behold, my son, I recommend thee unto God, and I trust in Christ that thou wilt be saved; and I pray unto God that he would spare thy life, to witness the return of his people unto him, or their utter destruction: for I know that they must perish, except they repent and return unto him;
23 and if they perish, it will be like unto the Jaredites, because of the wilfulness of their hearts, seeking for blood and revenge.
24 And if it so be that they perish, we know that many of our brethren are dissented over unto the Lamanites, and many more will also dissent over unto them; wherefore, write somewhat a few things, if thou art spared; and I shall perish and not see thee; but I trust that I may see thee soon: for I have sacred records that I would deliver up unto thee.
25 My son, be faithful in Christ; and may not the things which I have written, grieve thee to weigh thee down unto death, but may Christ lift thee up, and may his sufferings and death, and the shewing his body unto our fathers, and his mercy and long suffering, and the hope of his glory and of eternal life, rest in your mind forever.
26 And may the grace of God, the Father, whose throne is high in the heavens, and our Lord Jesus Christ, who sitteth on the right hand of his power, until all things shall become subject unto him, be, and abide with you forever. Amen.

Moroni 8

1 And epistle of my father Moron, written to me, Moroni; and it was written unto me soon after my calling to the ministry. And on this wise did he write unto me, saying:
2 My beloved son Moroni, I rejoice exceedingly that your Lord Jesus Christ hath been mindful of you, and hath called you to his ministry, and to his holy work.
3 I am mindful of you always in my prayers, continually praying unto God the Father, in the name of his holy child, Jesus, that he, through his infinite goodness and grace, will keep you through the endurance of faith on his name to the end.
4 And now my son, I speak unto you concerning that which grieveth me exceedingly: for it grieveth me that there should disputations rise among you.
5 For if I have learned the truth, there has been disputations among you concerning the baptism of your little children.
6 And now my son, I desire that ye should labor diligently, that this gross error should be removed from among you: for, for this intent I have written this epistle.
7 For immediately after I had learned these things of you, I inquired of the Lord concerning this matter. And the word of the Lord came to me by the power of the Holy Ghost, saying,
8 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 not power over them: and the law of circumcision is done away in me.
9 And after this manner did the Holy Ghost manifest the word of God unto me; wherefore my beloved son, I know that it is solemn mockery before God, that ye should baptize little children.
10 Behold, I say unto you, that this thing shall ye teach, repentance and baptism unto they which 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 be saved with their little children;
11 and their little children need no repentance, neither baptism. Behold, baptism is unto repentance to the fulfilling the commandments unto the remission of sins.
12 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.
13 Wherefore, if little children could not be saved without baptism, they must have gone to an endless hell.
14 Behold I say unto you, That he that supposeth that little children needeth baptism, is in the gall of bitterness, and in the bonds 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.
15 For awful is the wickedness to suppose that God saveth one child because of baptism, and the other must perish because he hath no baptism.
16 Woe be unto him that shall pervert the ways of the Lord after this manner, for they shall perish, except they repent. Behold, I speak with boldness, having authority from God; and I fear not what man can do: for perfect love casteth out all fear;
17 and I am filled with charity, which is everlasting love; wherefore all children are alike unto me; wherefore I love little children with a perfect love; and they are all alike, and partakers of salvation.
18 For I know that God is not a partial God, neither a changeable being; but he is unchangeable from all eternity to all eternity.
19 Little children cannot repent; wherefore it is awful wickedness to deny the pure mercies of God unto them, for they are all alive in him because of his mercy.
20 And he that saith that little children needeth baptism, denieth the mercies of Christ, and setteth at nought the atonement of him and the power of his redemption.
21 Woe unto such, for they are in danger of death, hell, and an endless torment. I speak it boldly, God hath commanded me. Listen unto them and give heed, or they stand against you at the judgment seat of Christ.
22 For behold that all little children are alive in Christ, and also all they that are without the law. For the power of redemption cometh on all they that have no law; wherefore, he that is not condemned, or he that is under no condemnation, cannot repent; and unto such baptism availeth nothing.
23 But it is a mockery before God denying the mercies of Christ, and the power of his holy spirit, and putting trust in dead works.
24 Behold, my son, this thing had not ought to be: for repentance is unto them that are under condemnation, and under the curse of a broken law.
25 And the first fruits of repentance is baptism; and baptism cometh by faith, unto the fulfilling the commandments; and the fulfilling the commandments bringeth remission of sins;
26 and the remission of sins bringeth meekness, and lowliness of heart; and because of meekness, and lowliness of heart; cometh the visitation of the Holy Ghost, which comforter filleth with hope and perfect love, which love endureth by diligence unto prayer, until the end shall come when all the saints shall dwell with God.
27 Behold, my son, I will write unto you again, if I go not out soon against the Lamanites. Behold, the pride of this nation, or the people of the Nephites, hath proved their destruction, except they should repent.
28 Pray for them, my son, that repentance may come unto them. But behold, I fear lest the spirit hath ceased striving with them; and in this part of the land they are also seeking to put down all power and authority, which cometh from God; and they are denying the Holy Ghost.
29 And after rejecting so great a knowledge, my son, they must perish soon, until the fulfilling of the prophecies which was spoken by the prophets, as well as the words of our Savior himself.
30 Farewell, my son, until I write unto you, or shall meet you again. Amen.

Moroni 7

1 And now I, Moroni, write a few of the words of my father Mormon, which he spake concerning faith, hope, and charity: for after this manner did he speak unto the people as he taught them in the synagogue which they had built for the place of worship.
2 And now I, Moroni, speak unto you, my beloved brethren; and it is by the grace of God, the Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ, and his holy will, because of the gift of his calling unto me, that I am permitted to speak unto you at this time;
3 wherefore I would speak unto you that are of the church, that are the peaceable followers of Christ. and have obtained a sufficient hope, by which ye can enter into the rest of the Lord, from this time hence forth, until ye shall rest with him in Heaven.
4 And now my brethren, I judge these things of you because of your peaceable walk with the children of men:
5 for I remember the word of God, which saith, By their works ye shall know them: for if their works be good, then they are good also.
6 For behold, 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, it profiteth him nothing.
7 For behold, it is not counted unto him for righteousness.
8 For behold, 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.
9 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;
10 wherefore, a man being evil, cannot do that which is good; neither will he give a good gift.
11 For behold, a bitter fountain cannot bring forth good water; wherefore a man being the servant of the Devil, cannot follow Christ; and if he follow Christ, he cannot be a servant of the Devil. Wherefore, all things which are good, cometh of God; and that which is evil, cometh of the Devil:
12 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.
13 But behold, 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.
14 Wherefore take heed, my beloved brethren, that ye do not judge that which is evil to be of God, or that which is good and of God, to be of the Devil.
15 For behold, my brethren, it is given unto you to judge is as plain, that ye may know with a perfect knowledge, as daylight is from the dark night.
16 For behold, the spirit of Christ is given to every man, that they may know good from evil; wherefore I shew 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;
17 but 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 of the Devil, for after this manner doth the Devil work: for he persuadeth no man to do good, no not one; neither doth his angels; neither doth they which subject themselves unto him.
18 And now my brethren, seeing that ye know the light by which ye may judge, which 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.
19 Wherefore I beseech of you, brethren, that ye should preach 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.
20 And now, my brethren, how is it possible that ye can lay hold upon every good thing?
21 And now I come to that faith, of which I said I would speak; and I will tell you the way whereby ye may lay hold on every good thing.
22 For behold, God knowing all things, being from everlasting to everlasting, behold, he sent angels to minister unto the children of men, to make manifest concerning the coming of Christ; and in Christ there should come every good thing.
23 And God also declared unto prophets, by his own mouth, that Christ should come.
24 And behold, there were diverse ways that he did manifest things unto the children of men, which were good; and all things which are good, cometh of Christ, otherwise men were fallen, and there could no good things come unto them.
25 Wherefore, by the ministering of angels, and by every word which proceedeth forth out of the mouth of God, men began to exercise faith in Christ; and thus by faith, they did lay hold upon every good thing: and thus it were until the coming of Christ.
26 And after that he came, men also were saved by faith in his name; and by faith, they become the sons of God. And as suredly as Christ liveth, he spake these words unto 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.
27 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, hath miracles ceased, because that Christ hath ascended into heaven, and hath set down on the right hand of God, to claim the Father his rights of mercy which he hath upon the children of men:
28 for he hath answered the ends of the law, and he claimeth all those that hath faith in him; and they that have faith in him, will cleave unto every good thing; wherefore he advocateth the cause of the children of men; and he dwelleth eternally in the heavens.
29 And because that he hath done this, my beloved brethren, hath miracles ceased? Behold I say unto you, Nay; neither hath angels ceased to minister unto the children of men.
30 For behold, they are subject unto him, to minister according to the word of his command, shewing themselves unto them of strong faith and a firm mind, in every form of godliness.
31 And the office of their ministry is, to call men unto repentance, and to fulfil and do the work of the covenants of the Father which he hath made unto the children of men, to prepare the way among the children of men, by declaring the word of Christ unto the chosen vessel of the Lord, that they may bear testimony of him;
32 and by so doing, the Lord God prepareth the way that the residue of men may have faith in Christ, that the Holy Ghost may have place in their hearts, according to the power thereof: and after this manner bringeth to pass the Father the covenants which he hath made unto the children of men.
33 And Christ hath said, if ye will have faith in me, ye shall have power to do whatsoever thing is expedient in me.
34 And he hath said, Repent all ye ends of the earth, and come unto me and be baptized in my name, and have faith in me, that ye may be saved.
35 And now my beloved brethren, if this be the case that these things are true which I have spoken unto you, and God will shew unto you with power and great glory at the last day, that they are true; and if they are true, hath the day of miracles ceased?
36 or hath angels ceased to appear unto the children of men? or hath he withheld the power of the Holy Ghost from them? or will he, so long as time shall last, or the earth shall stand, or there shall be one man upon the face thereof to be saved?
37 Behold I say unto you Nay, for it is by faith that miracles are wrought; and it is by faith that angels appear and minister unto men; wherefore if these things have ceased, wo be unto the children of men, for it is because of unbelief, and all is vain:
38 for no man can be saved, according to the words of Christ, save they shall have faith in his name; wherefore, if these things have ceased, than has faith ceased also; an awful is the state of man: for they are as though there had been no redemption made.
39 But behold, my beloved brethren, I judge better things of you, for I judge that ye have faith in Christ, because of your meekness: for if ye have not both faith in him, then ye are not fit to be numbered among the people of his church.
40 And again my beloved brethren, I would speak unto you concerning hope. How is it that ye can attain unto faith, save ye shall have hope?
41 And 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, to be raised unto life eternal; and this because of your faith in him according to the promise;
42 wherefore, if a man have faith, he must needs have hope: for without faith there cannot be any hope.
43 And again: Behold I say unto you, That he cannot have faith and hope, save he shall be meek, and lowly of heart:
44 if so, his faith and hope is vain, for none is acceptable before God, save the meek and lowly of heart; and if a man be meek and lowly in heart, and confesses by the power of the Holy Ghost, that Jesus is the Christ, he must needs have charity: for if he have not charity, he is nothing; wherefore he must needs have charity.
45 And 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 into iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth, beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things;
46 wherefore, 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;
47 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 them.
48 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, pray unto the Father with all 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. Amen.

Moroni 6

1 And now I speak concerning baptism. Behold, elders, priests, and teachers were baptized; and they were not baptized, save they brought forth fruit meet that they were worthy of it;
2 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.
3 And none were received unto baptism, save they took upon them the name of Christ, having a determination to serve him unto the end.
4 And after they had been received unto baptism, and were wrought upon and cleansed by the power of the Holy Ghost, they were numbered among the people of the church of Christ, and their names were taken, that they might be remembered and nourished by the good word of God, to keep them in the right way, to keep them continually watchful unto prayer, relying alone upon the merits of Christ, who was the author and the finisher of their faith.
5 And the church did meet together oft, to fast and to pray, and to speak one with another concerning the welfare of their souls;
6 and they did meet together oft to partake of the bread and wine, in remembrance of the Lord Jesus;
7 and they were strict to observe that there should be no iniquity among them; and whoso was found to commit iniquity, and three witnesses of the church did condemn them before the elders; if they repented not, and confessed not, their names were blotted out, and they were not numbered among the people of Christ;
8 but as oft as they repented, and sought forgiveness, with real intent, they were forgiven.
9 And their meetings were conducted by the church, after the manner of the workings of the spirit, and by the power of the Holy Ghost: for as the power of the Holy Ghost led them whether to preach, or exhort, or to pray, or to supplicate, or to sing, even so it was done.

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