1 And now I, Moroni, proceed to give the record of Jared and his brother.
2 For it came to pass after that the Lord had prepared the stones which the brother of Jared had carried up into the mount, the brother of Jared came down out of the mount, and he did put forth the stones into the vessels which were prepared, one in each end thereof; and behold, they did give light unto the vessels thereof.
3 And thus the Lord caused the stones to shine in darkness, to give light unto men, women and children, that they might not cross the great waters in darkness.
4 And it came to pass that when they had prepared all manner of food, that thereby they might subsist upon the water, and also food for their flocks and herds, and whatsoever beast, or animal, or fowl that they should carry with them. And it came to pass that when they had done all these things, they got aboard of their vessels or barges, and set forth into the sea, commending themselves unto the Lord their God.
5 And it came to pass that the Lord caused that there should a furious wind blow upon the face of the waters, towards the promised land; and thus they were tossed upon the waves of the sea before the wind.
6 And it came to pass that they were many times buried in the depths of the sea, because of the mountain waves which broke upon them, and also the great and terrible tempests which were caused by the fierceness of the wind.
7 And it came to pass that when they were buried in the deep, there was no water that could hurt them, their vessels being tight like unto a dish, and also they were tight like unto the ark of Noah; therefore when they were encompassed about by many waters, they did cry unto the Lord, and he did bring them forth again upon the top of the waters.
8 And it came to pass that the wind did never cease to blow towards the promised land, while they were upon the waters; and thus they were driven forth before the wind;
9 and they did sing praises unto the Lord; yea, the brother of Jared did sing praises unto the Lord, and he did thank and praise the Lord all the day long; and when the night came, they did not cease to praise the Lord.
10 And thus they were driven forth; and no monster of the sea, could break them, neither whale that could mar them: and they did have light continually, whether it was above the water or under the water.
11 And thus they were driven forth, three hundred and forty and four days upon the water;
12 and they did land upon the shore of the promised land. And when they had set their feet upon the shores of the promised land, they bowed themselves down upon the face of the land, and did humble themselves before the Lord, and did shed tears of joy before the Lord, because of the multitude of his tender mercies over them.
13 And it came to pass that they went forth upon the face of the land, and began to till the earth.
14 And Jared had four sons; and they were called Jacom, and Gilgah, and Mahah, and Orihah.
15 And the brother of Jared also begat sons and daughters.
16 And the friend of Jared and his brother, were in number about twenty and two souls; and they also begat sons and daughters, before they came to the promised land; and therefore they began to be many.
17 And they were taught to walk humbly before the Lord; and they were also taught from on high.
18 And it came to pass that they began to spread upon the face of the land, and to multiply and to till the earth; and they did wax strong in the land.
19 And the brother of Jared began to be old, and saw that he must soon go down to the grave; wherefore he saith unto Jared, Let us gather together our people, that we may number them, that we may know of them what they will desire of us before we go down to our graves.
20 And accordingly the people were gathered together. Now the number of the sons and daughters of the brother of Jared were twenty and two souls; and the number of the sons and daughters of Jared were twelve, he having four sons.
21 And it came to pass that they did number all their people; and after that they had numbered them, they did desire of them the things which they would that they should do before they went down to their graves.
22 And it came to pass that the people desired of them that they should anoint one of their sons to be a king over them.
23 And now behold, this was grievous unto them. But the brother of Jared said unto them, Surely, this thing leadeth into captivity.
24 But Jared said unto his brother, Suffer them that they may have a king; and therefore he said unto them, Choose ye out from among our sons a king, even whom ye will.
25 And it came to pass that they chose even the first born of the brother of Jared; and his name was Pagag. And it came to pass that he refused and would not be their king. And the people would that his father should constrain him; but his father would not; and he commanded them that they should constrain no man to be their king.
26 And it came to pass that they chose all the brothers of Pagag, and they would not.
27 And it came to pass that neither would the sons of Jared, even all, save it were one; and Orihah, he was anointed to be king over the people.
28 And he began to reign, and the people began to prosper; and they became exceeding rich.
29 And it came to pass that Jared died, and his brother also.
30 And it came to pass that Orihah did walk humbly before the Lord, and did remember how great things the Lord had done for his father, and also taught his people how great things the Lord had done for their fathers.
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Ether 5
1 And now I, Moroni, have written the words which was commanded me, according to my memory; and I have told you the things which I have sealed up; therefore touch them not, in order that ye may translate: for that thing is forbidden you, except by and by it shall be wisdom in God.
2 And behold, ye may be privileged that ye may shew the plates unto those who shall assist to bring forth this work;
3 and unto three shall they be shewn by the power of God; wherefore, they shall know of a surety that these things are true.
4 And in the mouth of three witnesses shall these things be established; and the testimony of three, and this work, in which shall be shewn forth the power of God, and also his word, of which the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost beareth record; and all this shall stand as a testimony against the world, at the last day.
5 And if it so be that they repent and come unto the Father in the name of Jesus, they shall be received into the kingdom of God.
6 And now, if I have no authority for these things, judge ye, for ye shall know that I have authority when ye shall see me, and we shall stand before God at the last day. Amen.
Ether 4
1 And the Lord commanded the brother of Jared to go down out of the mount from the presence of the Lord, and write the things which he had seen: and they were forbidden to come unto the children of men, until after that he should be lifted up upon the cross: and for this cause did king Benjamin keep them, that they should not come unto the world until after Christ shew himself unto his people.
2 And after that Christ truly had shewed himself unto his people, he commanded that they should be made manifest.
3 And now, after that, they have all dwindled in unbelief, and there is none, save it be the Lamanites, and they have rejected the Gospel of Christ; therefore I am commanded that I should hide them up again in the earth.
4 Behold, I have written upon these plates the very things which the brother of Jared saw; and there never was greater things made manifest, than that which was made manifest unto the brother of Jared;
5 wherefore, the Lord hath commanded me to write them; and I have wrote them. And he commanded me that I should seal them up; and he also hath commanded that I should seal up the interpretation thereof; wherefore I have sealed up the interpreters. according to the commandments of the Lord.
6 For the Lord saith unto me, They shall not go forth unto the Gentiles until the day that they shall repent of their iniquity, and become clean before the Lord;
7 and in that day that they shall exercise faith in me, saith the Lord, even as the brother of Jared did, that they may become sanctified in me, then will I manifest unto them the things which the brother of Jared saw, even to the unfolding unto them all my revelations, saith Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Father of the heavens and of the earth, and all things that in them is.
8 And he that will contend against the word of the Lord, let him be accursed; and he that shall deny these things, saith Jesus Christ, for I am he which speaketh;
9 and at my command the heavens are opened and are shut; and at my word, the earth shall shake; and at my command the inhabitants thereof shall pass away, even so as by fire;
10 and he that believeth not my words, believeth not my disciples; and if it so be that I do not speak, judge ye: for ye shall know that it is I that speaketh, at the last day.
11 But he that believeth these things which I have spoken, him will I visit with the manifestations of my spirit, and he shall know and bear record. For because of my spirit, he shall know that these things are true: for it persuadeth men to do good;
12 and whatsoever thing persuadeth men to do good, is of me: for good cometh of none, 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, will not believe the Father which sent me. For behold, I am the Father, I am the light, and the life, and the truth of the world.
13 Come unto me, O ye Gentiles, and I will shew unto you the greater things, the knowledge which is hid up because of unbelief.
14 Come unto me, O ye house of Israel, and it shall be made manifest unto you how great things the father hath laid up for you, from the foundation of the world; and it hath not come unto you, because of the unbelief.
15 Behold, when ye shall rend that veil of unbelief which doth cause you to remain in your awful state of wickedness, and hardness of heart, and blindness of mind, then shall the great and marvellous things which have been hid up from the foundation of the world from you; yea, when ye shall call upon the father in my name, with a broken heart and a contrite spirit, then shall ye know that the Father hath remembered the covenant which he made unto your fathers, O house of Israel;
16 and then shall my revelations which I have caused to be written by my servant John, be unfolded in the eyes of all the people. Remember, when ye see these things, ye shall know that the time is at hand that they shall be made manifest in very deed;
17 therefore, when ye shall receive this record, ye may know that the work of the Father has commenced upon all the face of the land.
18 Therefore, 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.
19 And blessed is he that is found faithful unto my name, at the last day: for they shall be lifted up to dwell in the kingdom prepared for them from the foundation of the world. And behold, it is I that hath spoken it. Amen.
Ether 3
1 And it came to pass that the brother of Jared—now the number of the vessels which had been prepared, was eight—went forth unto the mount, which they called the mount Shelem, because of its exceeding height, and did molten out of a rock sixteen small stones; and they were light and clear, even as transparent glass; and he did carry them in his hands upon the top of the mount, and cried again unto the Lord, saying,
2 O Lord, thou hast said that we must be encompassed about by the floods. Now behold, O Lord, and do not be angry with they servant because of his weakness before thee: for we know that thou art holy, and dwellest in the heavens, and that we are unworthy before thee: because of the fall, of our natures have become evil continually; nevertheless, O Lord, thou hast given us a commandment that we must call upon thee, that from thee we may receive according to our desires.
3 Behold, O Lord, thou hast smitten us because of our iniquity, and hath driven us forth, and for this many years we have been in the wilderness; nevertheless, thou hast been merciful unto us. O Lord, look upon me in pity, and turn away thine anger from this thy people, and suffer it not that they shall go forth across this raging deep in darkness, but behold these things which I have molten out of the rock.
4 And I know, O Lord, that thou hast all power, and can do whatsoever thou wilt for the benefit of man; therefore touch these stones, O Lord, with thy finger, and prepare them that they may shine forth in darkness; and they shall shine forth unto us in the vessels which we have prepared, that we may have light while we cross the sea.
5 Behold, O Lord, thou canst do this. We know that thou art able to shew forth great power, which looks small unto the understanding of men.
6 And it came to pass that when the brother of Jared had said those words, behold, the Lord stretched forth his hand and touched the stones, one by one, with his finger; and the veil was taken from off the eyes of the brother of Jared, and he saw the finger of the Lord; and it was as the finger of a man, like unto flesh and blood; and the brother of Jared fell down before the Lord, for he was struck with fear.
7 And the Lord saw that the brother of Jared had fallen to the earth; and the Lord said unto him, Arise, why hast thou fallen down?
8 And he saith unto the Lord, I saw the finger of the Lord, and I feared lest he should smite me: for I knew not that the Lord had flesh and blood.
9 And the Lord said unto him, Because of thy faith thou hast seen that I shall take upon me flesh and blood, and never has man come before me with such exceeding faith as thou hast: for were it so, ye could not have seen my finger. Sawest thou more than this?
10 And he answered, Nay, Lord, shew thyself unto me.
11 And the Lord said unto him, Believest thou the words which I shall speak?
12 And he answered, Yea, Lord, I know that thou speakest the truth, for thou art a God of truth, and canst not lie.
13 And when he had said these words, behold, the Lord shewed himself unto him, and said, Because thou knowest these things, ye are redeemed from the fall; therefore ye are brought back into my presence; therefore I shew myself unto you.
14 Behold, I am he which was prepared from the foundation of the world, to redeem my people. Behold, I am Jesus Christ. I am the Father and the Son. In me shall all mankind have light, and that eternally, even they which shall believe on my name; and they shall become my sons and daughters.
15 And never hath I shewed myself unto man whom I have created, for never hath man believed in me as thou hast. Seest thou that ye are created after mine own image? Yea, even all men were created, in the beginning, after mine own image.
16 Behold, this body, which ye now behold, is the body of my spirit; and man have I created after the body of my spirit; and even as I appear unto thee to be in the spirit, will I appear unto my people in the flesh.
17 And now, as I Moroni, said I could not make a full account of these things which are written, therefore it sufficeth me to say, That Jesus shewed himself unto this man in the spirit, even after the manner and in the likeness of the same body, even as he shewed himself unto the Nephites;
18 and he ministered unto him, even as he ministered unto the Nephites: and all this, that this man knew that he was God, because of the many great works which the Lord had shewed unto him.
19 And 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;
20 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.
21 And it came to pass that the Lord said unto the brother of Jared, Behold, thou shalt not suffer these things which ye have seen and heard, to go forth unto the world, until the time cometh that I shall glorify my name in the flesh; wherefore, ye shall treasure up the things which ye have seen and heard, and shew it to no man.
22 And behold, when ye shall come unto me, ye shall write them and shall seal them up, that no one can interpret them: for ye shall write them in a language that they cannot read.
23 And behold, these two stones will I give unto thee, and ye shall seal them up also with the things which ye shall write.
24 For behold, the language which ye shall write, I have confounded; wherefore I will cause in mine own due time that these stones shall magnify to the eyes of men, these things which ye shall write.
25 And when the Lord had said these words, the Lord shewed unto the brother of Jared all the inhabitants of the earth which had been, and also all that would be; and the Lord withheld them not from his sight, even unto the ends of the earth:
26 for the Lord had said unto him in times before, that if he would believe in him, that he could shew unto him all things –it should be shewn unto him; therefore the Lord could not withhold any thing from him: for he knew that the Lord could shew him all things.
27 And the Lord said unto him, Write these things and seal them up, and I will shew them in mine own due time unto the children of men.
28 And it came to pass that the Lord commanded him that he should seal up the two stones which he had received, and shew them not, until the Lord should shew them unto the children of men.
Ether 2
1 And it came to pass that Jared and his brother, and their families, and also the friends of Jared and his brother, and their families, went down into the valley which was northward—and the name of the valley was Nimrod, being called after the mighty hunter—with their flocks which they had gathered together, male and female, of every kind.
2 And they did also lay snares and catch the fowls of the air; and they did also prepare a vessel, in the which they did carry with them the fish of the waters;
3 and they did also carry with them deseret, which by interpretation, is a honey bee; 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.
4 And it came to pass that when they did come down into the valley of Nimrod, the Lord came down and talked with the brother of Jared; and he was in a cloud, and the brother of Jared saw him not.
5 And it came to pass that the Lord commanded them that they should go forth into the wilderness, yea, into that quarter where there never had man been. And it came to pass that the Lord did go before them, and did talk with them as he stood in a cloud, and gave directions, whither they should travel.
6 And it came to pass that they did travel in the wilderness, and did build barges, in the which they did cross many waters, being directed continually by the hand of the Lord.
7 And the Lord would not suffer that they should stop beyond the sea in the wilderness, but he would that they should come forth even unto the land of promise, which was choice above all other lands, which the Lord God had preserved for a righteous people;
8 and he had sworn in his wrath unto the brother of Jared, that whoso possess this land of promise, from that time henceforth and forever, should serve him, the true and only God, or they should be swept off when the fullness of his wrath should come upon them.
9 And now we can behold the decrees of God concerning this land, that is a land of promise, and whatsoever nation shall possess it, shall serve God, or they shall be swept off when the fullness of his wrath shall come upon them. And the fullness of his wrath cometh upon them when they are ripened in iniquity:
10 for behold, 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 decrees of God. And it is not until the fullness of iniquity among the children of the land, that they are swept off.
11 And this cometh unto you, O ye Gentiles, that ye may know the decrees of God, that ye may repent, and not continue in your iniquities until the fullness be come, that ye may not bring down the fullness of the wrath of God upon you, as the inhabitants of the land hitherto done.
12 Behold, this is a choice land, and whatsoever nation shall possess it, shall be free from bondage, and captivity, and from all other nations under the Heaven, if they will but serve the God of the land, which is Jesus Christ, which hath been manifested by the things which we have written.
13 And now I proceed with my record: for behold it came to pass that the Lord did bring Jared and his brethren forth even to that great sea which divideth the lands. And as they came to the sea, they pitched their tents; and they called the name of the place Moriancumer; and they dwelt in tents; and dwelt in tents upon the seashore for the space of four years.
14 And it came to pass at the end of the four years, that the Lord came again unto the brother of Jared, and stood in a cloud and talked to 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.
15 And the brother of Jared repented him of the evil which he had done, and did call upon the name of the Lord for his brethren which were with him. And the Lord said unto him, I will forgive thee and thy brethren of their sins; but thou shalt not sin anymore, 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 this is my thoughts upon the land which I shall give you for your inheritance; for it shall be a land choice above all other lands.
16 And the Lord said, Go to work and build, after the manner of barges which ye have hitherto built. And it came to pass that the brother of Jared did go to work, and also his brethren, and built barges after the manner which they had built, according to the instructions of the Lord. And they were small, and they were light upon the water;
17 and they were built after a manner that they were exceeding tight; even that they would hold water like unto a dish; and the bottom thereof was tight like unto a dish; and the sides thereof was tight like unto a dish; and the ends thereof were peaked; and the top thereof was tight like unto a dish; and the length thereof was the length of a tree; and the door thereof, when it was shut, was tight like unto a dish.
18 And it came to pass that the brother of Jared cried unto the Lord, saying: O Lord, I have performed the work which thou hast commanded me, and I have made the barges according as thou hast directed me.
19 And behold, O Lord, in them there is no light, whither shall we steer. And also we shall perish, for in them we cannot breathe, save it is the air which is in them; therefore we shall perish.
20 And the Lord said unto the brother of Jared, Behold, thou shalt make a hole in the top thereof, and also in the bottom thereof; and when thou shalt suffer for air, thou shalt unstop the hole thereof, and receive air. And if it so be that the water come in upon thee, behold, ye shall stop the hole thereof, that ye may not perish in the flood.
21 And it came to pass that the brother of Jared did so, according as the Lord commanded.
22 And he cried again unto the Lord, saying, O Lord, behold I have done even as thou hast commanded me; and I have prepared the vessels for my people, and behold, there is no light in them. Behold, O Lord, wilt thou suffer that we shall cross this great water in darkness?
23 And the Lord said unto the brother of Jared, What will ye that I should do that ye may have light in your vessels? For behold, ye cannot have windows, for they will be dashed in pieces; neither shall ye take fire with you, for ye shall not go by the light of the fire:
24 for behold, ye shall be as a whale in the midst of the sea; for the mountain waves shall dash upon you. Nevertheless, I will bring you up again out of the depths of the sea: for the winds have gone out of my mouth, and also the rains and the floods have I sent forth.
25 And behold, I prepare you against these things: for howbeit, ye cannot cross this great deep, save I prepare you against the waves of the sea, and the winds which have gone forth, and the floods which shall come. Therefore what will ye that I should prepare for you, that ye may have light when ye are swallowed up in the depths of the sea?
Mormon 9
1 And now, I speak also concerning those who do not believe in Christ.
2 Behold, will ye believe in the day of your visitation, behold, when the Lord shall come; yea, even that great day when the earth shall be rolled together as a scroll, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat; yea, in that great day when ye shall be brought to stand before the Lamb of God, then will ye say that there is no God?
3 Then will ye longer deny the Christ, or can ye behold the Lamb of God? 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 your guilt that ye have ever abused his laws?
4 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?
5 For behold, when ye shall be brought to see your nakedness before God, and also the glory of God, and the holiness of Jesus Christ, it will kindle a flame of unquenchable fire upon you.
6 O then ye unbelieving, turn ye unto the Lord; cry mightily unto the Father in the name of Jesus, that perhaps ye may be found spotless, pure, fair, and white, having been cleansed by the blood of the Lamb, at that great and last day.
7 And again I speak unto you, who deny the revelations of God, and say that they are done away, that there is no revelations, nor prophecies, and the interpretation of tongues.
8 Behold I say unto you, He that denieth these things, knoweth not the Gospel of Christ; yea, they have not read the Scriptures; if so, they do not understand them.
9 For do we not read that God is the same yesterday, to-day, and forever: and in him there is no variableness, neither shadow of changing.
10 And now, if ye have imagined up unto yourselves a god which doth vary, and in him there is shadow of changing, then have ye imagined up unto yourselves a god which is not a God of miracles. But behold, I will shew unto you a God of miracles,
11 even the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob; and it is that same God which created the heavens and the earth, and all things that in them is.
12 Behold, he crated Adam; and by Adam came the fall of man. And because of the fall of man, came Jesus Christ, even the Father and the Son; and because of Jesus Christ, came the redemption of man.
13 And 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 awoke 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 their eternal band of death, which death is a temporal death;
14 and then cometh the judgment of the Holy One upon them; and then cometh the time that he that is filthy, shall be filthy still; and he that is righteous, shall be righteous still: he that is happy, shall be happy still; and he that is unhappy, shall be unhappy still.
15 And now, O all ye that have imagined up unto yourselves a god which can do no miracles, I would ask of you, have all these things past, of which I have spoken? Has, the end come yet? Behold I say unto you, Nay; and God has not ceased to be a God of miracles.
16 Behold, are not the things that God hath wrought, marvellous in our eyes? Yea, and who can comprehend the marvelous works of God?
17 Who shall say that it was not a miracle, that by his word the heaven and the earth should be; and by the power of his word, man was created of the dust of the earth; and by the power of his word, hath miracles been wrought?
18 And who shall say that Jesus Christ did not do many miracles? And there was many mighty miracles wrought by the hands of the apostles.
19 And if there was miracles wrought, then why has God ceased to be God of miracles, and yet be an unchangeable being. And behold I say unto you, He changeth not: if so, he would cease to be God; and he ceaseth not to be God, and is a God of miracles.
20 And the reason why he ceaseth to do miracles among the children of men, is because that they dwindle in unbelief, and depart from the right way, and know not the God in whom they should trust.
21 Behold I say unto you, That whoso believeth in Christ, doubting nothing what so ever he shall ask the Father in the name of Christ, it shall be granted them: and this promise is unto all, even unto the ends of the earth.
22 For behold, thus saith Jesus Christ, the Son of God, unto his disciples which should tarry; yea, and also to all his disciples, in the hearing of the multitude, Go ye into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature;
23 and he that believeth and is baptized, shall be saved, but he that believeth not, shall be damned.
24 And these signs shall follow them that believe: In my name shall they cast out Devils; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover;
25 and whosoever shall believe in my name, doubting nothing, unto him will I confirm all my words, even unto the ends of the earth.
26 And now behold, who can stand against the works of the Lord? Who can deny his sayings? Who will rise up against the almighty power of the Lord? Who will despise the works of the Lord? Who will despise the children of Christ? Behold, all ye that are despisers of the works of the Lord, for ye shall wonder and perish.
27 O then despise not, and wonder not, but hearken unto the words of the Lord, and ask the Father in the name of Jesus for what things soever ye shall stand in need. Doubt not, but believing and begin as in times of old, and come unto the Lord with all your heart, and work out your own salvation with fear and trembling before him.
28 Be wise in the days of your probation; strip yourselves of all uncleanness; ask not, that ye may consume it on your lusts, but ask with firmness unshaken, that ye will yield to no temptation, but that ye will serve the true and living God.
29 See that ye are 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 no wise be cast out.
30 Behold, I speak unto you as though I spake from the dead: for I know that ye shall hear my words.
31 Condemn me not because of mine imperfection; neither my father, because of his imperfection; neither them which have written before him, but rather give thanks unto God that he hath made manifest unto you our imperfections, that ye may learn to be more wise than that which we have been.
32 And now behold, we have written this record according to our knowledge in the characters, which are called among us the reformed Egyptian being handed down and altered by us, according to our manner of speech.
33 And if our plates had been sufficiently large, we should have written in Hebrew; but the Hebrew hath been altered by us also; and if we could have written in the Hebrew, behold, ye would have had none imperfection in our record.
34 But the Lord knoweth the things which we have written, and also that none other people knoweth our language; and because that none other people knoweth our language, therefore he hath prepared means for the interpretation thereof.
35 And these things are written, that ye may rid our garments of the blood of our brethren which have dwindled in unbelief.
36 And behold, these things which we have desired concerning our brethren, yea, even their restoration to the knowledge of Christ, is according to the prayers of all the saints which have dwelt in the land.
37 And may the Lord Jesus Christ grant that their prayers may be answered according to their faith; and may God the Father remember the covenant which he hath made with the house of Israel; and may he bless them forever, through faith on the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
Mormon 8
1 Behold I, Moroni, do finish the record of my father Mormon. Behold, I have but a few things to write, which things I have been commanded of my father.
2 And now it came to pass that after the great and tremendous battle at Cumorah, behold, the Nephites which had escaped into the country southward, were hunted by the Lamanites, until they were all destroyed;
3 and my father was also killed by them; and I, even I remaineth 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;
4 therefore I will write and hide up the records in the earth: and whither I go it mattereth not.
5 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 that the Lord will suffer that I may live, I know not.
6 Behold, four hundred years have passed away since the coming of our Lord and Savior.
7 And behold, the Lamanites have hunted my people, the Nephites, down from city to city, and from place to place, even until they are no more; and great has been their fall; yea, great and marvelous is the destruction of my people, the Nephites.
8 and behold, it is the hand of the Lord which hath done it. And behold also, the Lamanites are at war one with another; and the whole face of this land is one continual round of murder and bloodshed; and no one knoweth the end of the war.
9 And now behold, I say no more concerning them, for there are none, save it be Lamanites and robbers, that do exist upon the face of the land;
10 and there are none that do know the true God, save it be the disciples of Jesus, which did tarry in the land until the wickedness of the people were so great, that the Lord would not suffer them to remain with the people; and whether they be upon the face of the land, no man knoweth.
11 But behold, my father and I have seen them, and they have ministered unto us.
12 And whoso receiveth this record and shall not condemn it because of the imperfections which are in it, the same shall know of greater things than these. Behold, I am Moroni; and were it possible, I would make all things known unto you.
13 Behold, I make an end of speaking concerning this people. I am the son of Mormon, and my father was a descendant of Nephi;
14 and I am the same which hideth up this record unto the Lord; the plates thereof are of no worth, because of the commandment of the Lord. For he truly saith, That no one shall have them to get gain; but the record thereof is of great worth; and whoso shall bring it to light, him will the Lord bless.
15 For none can have power to bring it to light, save it be given him of God: for God will that it shall be done with and eye singled to his glory, or the welfare of the ancient and long dispersed covenant people of the Lord.
16 And blessed be him that shall bring this thing to light: for it shall be brought out of darkness unto light, according to the word of God; yea, it shall be brought out of the earth, and it shall shine forth out of darkness, and come unto the knowledge of the people; and it shall be done by the power of God:
17 and if there be faults, they be the faults of a man. But behold, we know no fault. Nevertheless, God knoweth all things; therefore he that condemneth, let him be aware lest he shall be in danger of hell fire.
18 And he that sayeth, Shew unto me, or ye shall be smitten, let him beware lest he commandeth that which is forbidden of the Lord.
19 For behold, the same that judgeth rashly, shall be judged rashly again: for according to his works shall his wages be; therefore, he that smiteth, shall be smitten again of the Lord.
20 Behold what the Scriptures saith: Man shall not smite, neither shall he judge: for judgment is mine, saith the Lord; and vengeance is mine also, and I will repay.
21 And he that shall breathe out wrath and strifes against the work of the Lord, and against the covenant people of the Lord, which is the house of Israel, and shall say, We will destroy the work of the Lord, and the Lord will not remember his covenant which he hath made unto the house of Israel, the same is in danger to be hewn down and cast into the fire:
22 for the eternal purposes of the Lord shall roll on, until all his promises shall be fulfilled.
23 Search the prophecies of Isaiah. Behold, I cannot write them. Yea, behold I say unto you, That those saints which have gone before me, which have possessed this land, shall cry; yea, even from the dust will they cry unto the Lord; and the Lord liveth, he will remember the covenant which he hath made with them.
24 And he knoweth their prayers, that they were in the behalf of their brethren. And he knoweth their faith: for in his name could they remove mountains; and in his name could they cause the earth to shake; and by the power of his word did they cause prisons to tumble to the earth; yea, even the fiery furnace could not harm them; neither wild beasts, nor poisonous serpents, because of the power of his word.
25 And behold, their prayers were also in behalf of him that the Lord should suffer to bring these things forth.
26 And no one need not say, They shall not come, for they surely shall, for the Lord hath spoken it: for out of the earth shall they come, by the hand of the Lord, and none can stay it; and it shall come in a day when it shall be said that miracles are done away; and it shall come even as if one should speak from the dead.
27 And it shall come in a day when the blood of saints shall cry unto the Lord, because of secret combinations and the works of darkness;
28 yea, it shall come in a day when the power of God shall be denied, and churches become defiled, and shall be lifted up in the pride of their hearts; yea, even in a day when leaders of churches, and teachers, in the pride of their hearts, even to the envying of them who belong to their churches;
29 yea, it shall come in a day when there shall be heard of fires, and tempests, and vapors of smoke in foreign lands;
30 and there shall also be heard of wars, and rumors of wars, and earthquakes in diverse places;
31 yea, it shall come in a day when there shall be great pollutions upon the face of the earth: there shall be murders, and robbing, and lying, and deceivings, and whoredoms, and all manner of abominations; when there shall be many which will say, Do this, or do that, and it mattereth not, for the Lord will uphold such at the last day. But wo unto such, for they are in the gall of bitterness, and in the bonds of iniquity.
32 Yea, it shall come in a day when there shall be churches built up that shall say, Come unto me, and for your money you shall be forgiven of your sins.
33 O ye wicked and perverse, and stiffnecked people, why have ye built up churches unto yourselves to get gain? Why have ye transfigured the holy word of God, that ye might bring damnation upon your souls? Behold, look ye unto the revelations of God. For behold, the time cometh at that day when all these things must be fulfilled.
34 Behold, the Lord hath shewn unto me great and marvelous things concerning that which must shortly come at that day when these things shall come forth among you.
35 Behold, I speak unto you as if ye were present, and yet ye are not. But behold, Jesus Christ hath shewn you unto me, and I know your doings;
36 and I know that ye do walk in the pride of your hearts; and there are none, save a few only, which do not lift themselves up in the pride of their hearts, unto the wearing of very fine apparel, unto envyings, and strifes, and malice, and persecutions, and all manner of iniquities; and your churches, yea, even every one, have become polluted because of the pride of your hearts.
37 For behold, ye do love money, and your substances, and your fine apparel, and the adorning of your churches, more than ye love the poor and the needy, the sick and afflicted.
38 O ye pollutions, ye hypocrites, ye teachers, which sell yourselves for that which will canker, why have ye polluted the holy church of God? Why are ye ashamed to take upon you the name of Christ? Why do ye not think that greater is the value of an endless happiness, than that misery which never dies, because of the praise of the world?
39 Why do ye adorn yourselves with that which hath no life, and yet suffer the hungry, and the needy, and the naked, and the sick, and the afflicted to pass by you, and notice them not?
40 Yea, why do ye build up your secret abominations to get gain, and cause that widows should mourn before the Lord, and also orphans to mourn before the Lord; and also the blood of their fathers and their husbands to cry unto the Lord from the ground, for vengeance upon your heads?
41 Behold, the sword of vengeance hangeth over you; and the time cometh that he avengeth the blood of the saints upon you, for he will not suffer their cries any longer.
Mormon 7
1 And now behold, I would speak somewhat unto the remnant of this people which are spared, if it so be that God may give unto them my words, that they may know of the things of their fathers; yea, I speak unto you, ye remnant of the house of Israel; and this is the words which I speak:
2 Know ye that ye are of the house of Israel.
3 Know ye that ye must come unto repentance, or ye cannot be saved.
4 Know ye that ye must lay down your weapons of war, and delight no more in the shedding of blood, and take them not again, save it be that God shall command you.
5 Know ye that ye must come to the knowledge of your fathers, and repent of all of your sins and iniquities, and believe in Jesus Christ, that he is the Son of God, and that he was slain by the Jews, and by the power of the Father he hath risen again, whereby he hath gained the victory over the grave; and also in him is the sting of death swallowed up.
6 And he bringeth to pass the resurrection of the dead, whereby man must be raised to stand before his judgment seat.
7 And he hath brought to pass the redemption of the world, whereby he that is found guiltless before him at the judgment day, hath it given unto them to dwell in the presence of God in his kingdom, to sing ceaseless praises with the choirs above, unto the Father, and unto the Son, and unto the Holy Ghost, which is one God, in a state of happiness which hath no end.
8 Therefore repent, and be baptized in the name of Jesus, and lay hold upon the Gospel of Christ, which shall be set before you, not only in this record, but also in the record which shall come unto the Gentiles from the Jews, which record shall come from the Gentiles unto you.
9 For behold, this is written for the intent that ye may believe that; and if ye believe that, ye will believe this also; and if ye believe this, ye will know concerning your fathers, and also the marvelous works which were wrought by the power of God among them;
10 and ye will also know that ye are a remnant of the seed of Jacob; therefore ye are numbered among the people of the first covenant; and if it so be that ye believe in Christ, and are baptized, first with water, then with fire and with the Holy Ghost, following the example of our Savior according to that which he hath commanded us, it shall be well with you in the day of judgment. Amen.
Mormon 6
1 And now I finish my record concerning the destruction of my people, the Nephites. And it came to pass that we did march forth before the Lamanites.
2 And I, Mormon, wrote an epistle unto the king of the Lamanites, and desired of him that he would grant unto us that we might gather together our people unto the land of Cumorah, by the hill which was called Cumorah, and there we would give them battle.
3 And it came to pass that the king of the Lamanites did grant unto me the thing which I desired.
4 And it came to pass that we did march forth to the land of Cumorah; and we did pitch our tents round about the hill of Cumorah; and it was in a land of many waters, rivers and fountains; and here we had hope to gain advantage over the Lamanites.
5 And when three hundred and eighty and four years had passed away, we had gathered in all the remainder of our people unto the land Cumorah.
6 And it came to pass that when we had gathered in all our people in one to the land of Cumorah, behold I, Mormon, began to be old; knowing it to be the last struggle of my people, and having been commanded of the Lord that I should not suffer that the records which had been handed down by our fathers, which were sacred, to fall into the hands of the Lamanites—for the Lamanites would destroy them—therefore I made this record out of the plates of Nephi, and hid up in the hill of Cumorah, all the records which had been entrusted to me by the hand of the Lord, save it were these few plates which I gave unto my son Moroni.
7 And it came to pass that my people, with their wives and their children, did now behold the armies of the Lamanites a marching towards them; and with that awful fear of death which fills the breasts of all the wicked, did they await to receive them.
8 And it came to pass that they came to battle against us, and every soul was filled with terror, because of the greatness of their numbers.
9 And it came to pass that they did fall upon my people with the sword, and with the bow, and with the arrow, and with the axe, and with all manner of weapons of war.
10 And it came to pass that my men were hewn down, yea, even my ten thousand which were with me, and I fell wounded in the midst; and they passed by me that they did not put an end to my life.
11 And when they had gone through and hewn down all my people save it were twenty and four of us, (among whom was my son Moroni,) and we having survived the dead of our 34 people, did behold on the morrow, when the Lamanites had returned unto their camps, from the top of the hill Cumorah, the ten thousand of my people which were hewn down, being led in front by me,
12 and we also beheld the ten thousand of my people which were led by my son Moroni.
13 And behold, the ten thousand of Gidgiddonah had fallen, and he also in the midst;
14 and Lamah had fallen with his ten thousand; and Gilgal had fallen with his ten thousand; and Limhah had fallen with his ten thousand; and Joneum had fallen with his ten thousand; and Cumenihah and Moronihah, and Antionum, and Shiblom, and Shem, and Josh, had fallen with their ten thousand each.
15 And it came to pass that there were ten more which did fall by the sword, with their ten thousand each; yea, even all my people, save it were those twenty and four which were with me, and also a few which had escaped into the south countries, and a few which had dissented over unto the Lamanites, had fallen, and their flesh, and bones, and blood lay upon the face of the earth, being left by the hands of those who slew them, to moulder [molder] upon the land, and to crumble and to return to their mother earth.
16 And my soul was rent with anguish, because of the slain of my people: And I cried,
17 O ye fair ones, how could ye have departed from the ways of the Lord! O ye fair ones, how could ye have rejected that Jesus, who stood with open arms to receive you!
18 Behold, if ye had not done this, ye would not have fallen. But behold, ye are fallen, and I mourn your loss.
19 O ye fair sons and daughters, ye fathers and mothers, ye husbands and wives, ye fair ones, how is it that ye could have fallen!
20 But behold, ye are gone, and my sorrows cannot bring your return;
21 and the day soon cometh that your mortal must put on immortality, and these bodies which are now mouldering [moldering] in corruption, must soon become incorruptible bodies; and then ye must stand before the judgment seat of Christ, to be judged according to your works: and if it so be that ye are righteous, then ye are blessed with your fathers which have gone before you.
22 O that ye had repented before that this great destruction had come upon you. But behold, ye are gone, and the Father, yea, the eternal Father of heaven, knoweth your state; and he doeth with you according to his justice and mercy.
Mormon 5
1 And it came to pass that I did go forth among the Nephites, and did repent of the oath which I made, That I would no more assist them; and they gave me command again of their armies: for they looked upon me as though I could deliver them from their afflictions.
2 But behold, I was without hopes, for I knew the judgments of the Lord which should come upon them: for they repented not of their iniquities, but did struggle for their lives, without calling upon that Being who had created them.
3 And it came to pass that the Lamanites did come against us as we fled to the city of Jordan; but behold, they were driven back that they did not take the city at that time.
4 And it came to pass that they came against us again, and we did maintain the city. And there were also other cities which were maintained by the Nephites, which strong holds did cut them off that they could not get into the country which lay before us to destroy the inhabitants of our land.
5 But it came to pass that whatsoever lands we had passed by, and the inhabitants thereof were not gathered in, were destroyed by the Lamanites, and their towns, and villages, and cities were burned with fire; and thus the three hundred and seventy and nine years passed away.
6 And it came to pass that in the three hundred and eightieth year, the Lamanites did come again against us to battle, and we did stand against them boldly; but it was all in vain, for so great were their numbers that they did tread the people of the Nephites under their feet.
7 And it came to pass that we did again take to flight, and they whose flight were swifter than the Lamanites did escape, and they whose flight did not exceed the Lamanites, were swept down and destroyed.
8 And now behold, I, Mormon, do not desire to harrow up the souls of men in casting before them such an awful scene of blood and carnage as was laid before mine eyes, but I, knowing that these things must surely be made known, and that all things which are hid must be revealed upon the house tops,
9 and also that a knowledge of these things must come unto the remnant of these people, and also unto the Gentiles, which the Lord hath said should scatter this people, and this people should be counted as nought among them, therefore I write a small abridgement, daring not to give a full account of the things which I have seen, because of the commandment which I have received, and also that ye might not have too great sorrow because of the wickedness of this people.
10 And now behold, this I speak unto their seed, and also to the Gentiles, which hath care for the house of Israel, that realize and know from whence their blessings come:
11 For I know that such will sorrow for the calamity of the house of Israel; yea, they will sorrow for the destruction of this people; they will sorrow that this people had not repented, that they might have been clasped in the arms of Jesus.
12 Now these things are written unto the remnant of the house of Jacob; and they are written after the manner, because it is known of God that wickedness will not bring them forth unto them; and they are to be hid up unto the Lord, that they may come forth in his own due time.
13 And this is the commandment which I have received; and behold they shall come forth according to the commandment of the Lord, when he shall see fit, in his wisdom.
14 And behold they shall go unto the unbelieving of the Jews; and for this intent shall they go: that they may be persuaded that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God; that the Father may bring about, through his most beloved, his great and eternal purpose, in the restoring the Jews or all the house of Israel, to the land of their inheritance, which the Lord their God hath given them, unto the fulfilling of his covenant,
15 and also that the seed of this people may more fully believe his gospel, which shall go forth unto them from the Gentiles: for this people shall be scattered, and shall become a dark, a filthy, and loathsome people beyond the description of that which ever hath been amongst us; yea, even that which hath been among the Lamanites; and this because of their unbelief and idolatry:
16 For behold, the spirit of the Lord hath already ceased to strive with their fathers, and they are without Christ and God in the world, and they are driven about as chaff before the wind.
17 They were once a delightsome people, and they had Christ for their Shepherd; yea, they were led even by God the Father.
18 But now, behold they are led about by Satan, even as chaff is driven before the wind, or as a vessel is tossed about upon the waves, without sail or anchor, or without any thing wherewith to steer her; and even as she is, so are they.
19 And behold, the Lord hath reserved their blessing, which they might have received in the land, for the Gentiles, which shall possess the land.
20 But behold, it shall come to pass that they shall be driven and scattered by the Gentiles; and after that they have been driven and scattered by the Gentiles, behold, then will the Lord remember the covenant which he made unto Abraham, and unto all the house of Israel.
21 And also the Lord will remember the prayers of the righteous, which hath been put up unto him for them.
22 And then, O ye Gentiles, how can ye stand before the power of God, except ye shall repent and turn from your evil ways?
23 Know ye not that ye are in the hands of God? Know ye not that he hath all power, and at his great command the earth shall be rolled together as a scroll?
24 Therefore repent ye, and humble yourselves before him, lest he shall come out in justice against you; lest a remnant of the seed of Jacob shall go forth among you as a lion, and tear you in pieces, and there is none to deliver.