O then, how much more need have we, being unholy, to be baptized, yea, even by water. 6. And now, I would ask of you, my beloved brethren, wherein the Lamb of God did fulfil all righteousness in being baptized by water? 7. Know ye not that he was holy? But notwithstanding he being holy, he sheweth unto the children of men, that according to the flesh, he humbleth himself before the Father, and witnesseth unto the Father that he would be obedient unto him in keeping his commandments. 8. Wherefore, after he was baptized with water, the Holy Ghost descended upon him in the form of a dove. 9. And again: it showeth unto the children of men the straightness of the path, and the narrowness of the gate, by which they should enter, he having set the example before them. 10. And he said unto the children of men, Follow thou me. Wherefore, my beloved brethren, can we follow Jesus, save we shall be willing to keep the commandments of the Father? 11. And the Father said, Repent ye, repent ye, and be baptized in the name of my beloved Son. 12. And also, the voice of the Son came unto me, saying, He that is baptized in my name, to him will the Father give the Holy Ghost, like unto me; wherefore, follow me, and do the things which ye have seen me do. 13. Wherefore, my beloved brethren, I know that if ye shall follow the Son, with full purpose of heart, acting no hypocrisy and no deception before God, but with real intent, repenting of your sins, witnessing unto the Father, that ye are willing to take upon you the name of Christ, by baptism: yea, by following your Lord and your Saviour down into the water, according to his word; behold, then shall ye receive the Holy Ghost; yea, then cometh the baptism of fire and of the Holy Ghost; and then can ye speak with the tongue of angels, and shout praises unto the Holy One of Israel. 14. But, behold, my beloved brethren, thus came the voice of the Son unto me, saying, After ye have repented of your sins, and witnessed unto the Father that ye are willing to keep my commandments, by the baptism of water, and have received the baptism of fire and of the Holy Ghost, and can speak with a new tongue, yea, even with the tongue of angels, and after this should deny me, it would have been better for you, that ye had "not known me. 15. And I heard a voice from the Father, saying, Yea, the words of my Beloved are true and faithful. He that endureth to the end, the same shall be saved. 16. And now, my beloved brethren, I know by this, that unless a man shall endure to the end, in following the d, I. g, ver. 14. 15: 26, 27. Nep. 11: 27. e, see 2a, II. Nep. 9. f, see u, II. Nep. 9. h, vers. 15, 16. Jacob 6:7-11. Mos. 5: 11. III. Nep. 27: 17. Mor. 1: 16, 17. 39:6. example of the Son of the living God, he cannot be saved; 17. Wherefore, do the things which I have told you I have seen, that your Lord and your Redeemer should do: for, for this cause have they been shown unto me, that ye might know the 'gate by which ye should enter. For the gate by which ye should enter, is repentance, and baptism by water; and then cometh a remission of your sins by fire, and by the Holy Ghost. 18. And then are ye in this straight and narrow path which leads to eternal life; yea, ye have entered in by the gate: ye have done according to the commandments of the Father and the Son; and ye have received the Holy Ghost, which witnesses of the Father and the Son, unto the fulfilling of the promise which he hath made, that if ye entered in by the way, ye should receive. 19. And now, my beloved brethren, after ye have gotten into this straight and narrow path, I would ask, If all is done? Behold, I say unto you, Nay; for ye have not come thus far, save it were by the word of Christ with unshaken faith in him, relying wholly upon the merits of him who is mighty to save; 20. Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father, Ye shall have eternal life. 21. And now, behold, my beloved brethren, this is the way; and there is none other way nor name given under heaven, whereby man can be saved in the kingdom of God. And now, behold, this is the doctrine of Christ, and the only and true doctrine of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, which is one God, without end. Amen. CHAPTER 32. 1. And now, behold, my beloved brethren, I suppose that ye ponder somewhat in your hearts, concerning that which ye should do, after ye have entered in by the way. But, behold, why do ye ponder these things in your hearts? 2. Do ye not remember that I said unto you, That after ye had received the Holy Ghost, ye could speak with the tongue of angels? And now, how could ye speak with the "tongue of angels, save it were by the Holy Ghost? 3. Angels speak by the power of the Holy Ghost; i, see e. j, see e. k, Alma 11: 44. III. Nep. 11:27, 28, 36. 28: 10. Mor. 7: 7. a, see g, II. Nep. 31. wherefore, they speak the words of Christ. Wherefore, I said unto you, Feast upon the words of Christ: for behold, the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do. 4. Wherefore, now after I have spoken these words, if ye cannot understand them, it will be because ye ask not, neither do ye knock; wherefore, ye are not brought into the light, but must perish in the dark. 5. For behold, again I say unto you, That if ye will enter in by the way, and receive the Holy Ghost, it will shew unto you all things what ye should do. 6. Behold, this is the doctrine of Christ, and there will be no more doctrine given, until after he shall manifest himself unto you in the flesh. And when he shall manifest himself unto you in the flesh, the things which he shall say unto you, shall ye observe to do. 7. And now I, Nephi, cannot say more; the Spirit stoppeth mine utterance, and I am left to mourn because of the unbelief, and the wickedness, and the ignorance, and the stiff-neckedness of men: for they will not search knowledge, nor understand great knowledge, when it is given unto them in plainness, even as plain as word can be. 8. And now, my beloved brethren, I perceive that ye ponder still in your hearts; and it grieveth me that I must speak concerning this thing. For if ye would hearken unto the Spirit which teacheth a man to pray, ye would know that ye must pray for the evil spirit teacheth not a man to pray, but teacheth him that he must not pray. 9. But behold, I say unto you, That ye must pray always, and not faint; that ye must not perform any thing unto the Lord, save in the first place ye shall pray unto the Father in the name of Christ, that he will consecrate thy performance unto thee, that thy performance may be for the welfare of thy soul. CHAPTER 33. 1. AND now I, Nephi, cannot write all the things which were taught among my people; neither am I "mighty b, I. Nep. 10: 17-19. 5: 46-48. II. Nep. 12: 4-7. c, I. Nep. 12: 6. Nep. 1: 5. 6:21. 8:8. 28-35. Jacob 7: 22. 19-22. 9: 17-18. 19: 14-16. 22:16. 43:49, 50. 45: 1. III. Nep. 1: 11-14. 13: 37. II. Nep. 31: 13. Jarom 1: 4. Alma 1, 2. 16: 6. 30 ch. Ether 4: 11, 12. Moro. 10: See b, 1. Nep. 12. d, see b, 11. Nep. 25. e, I. 15: 8-11. 17: 7. 18: 3, 21. II. Nep. 4: 23, 24, Enos 1: 4, 11, 15-18. Mos. 3: 4. 4: 1-3, 11, 21: 14. 26: 39. Alma 6: 6. 17: 3. 18: 41-43. 27: 11, 12. 31: 10, 26-35. 33:4-11. 34:39. 38: 8. 58:10. 62: 51. Hela. 11: 3, 4, 10-16. 14:7-11. 17: 3, 15-17, 21. 18: 15-24, 27: 1, 2, 7, 9, 28, 29. 28: 1-9, 30. 46: 13, 16. 13: 5-13. 30. 19: 6-10, 17 --36. 20: 1. Mor. 9: 6, 21, 28, 36, 37. Ether 1: 34-43. 2: 14, 15, 18-22. 3:1-5. Moro. 6:4, 5, 9. 7: 6-10, 26, 48. 8:3, 26. 10:4, 5. a, Ether 12: 23-27. in writing, like unto speaking: for when a man speaketh by the power of the Holy Ghost the power of the Holy Ghost carrieth it unto the hearts of the children of men. 2. But behold, there are many that harden their hearts against the Holy Spirit, that it hath no place in them; Wherefore, they cast many things away which are written, and esteem them as things of naught. 3. But I, Nephi, have written what I have written; and I esteem it as of great worth, and especially unto my people. For I pray continually for them by day, and mine eyes water my pillow by night, because of them; and I cry unto my God in faith, and I know that he will hear my cry; 4. And I know that the Lord God will consecrate my prayers, for the gain of my people. And the words which I have written in weakness, will be made strong unto them; for it persuadeth them to do good; it maketh known unto them of their fathers; and it speaketh of Jesus, and persuadeth them to believe in him, and to endure to the end, which is life eternal. 5. And it speaketh harsh against sin, according to the plainness of the truth; wherefore, no man will be angry at the words which I have written, save he shall be of the spirit of the devil. 6. I glory in plainness; I glory in truth; I glory in my Jesus, for he hath redeemed my soul from hell. 7. I have charity for my people, and great faith in Christ, that I shall meet many souls spotless at his judgment seat. 8. I have charity for the Jew: I say Jew, because I mean them from whence I came. 9. I also have charity for the Gentiles. But behold, for none of these can I hope, except they shall be reconciled unto Christ, and enter into the narrow gate, and walk in the straight path, which leads to life, and continue in the path until the end of the day of probation. 10. And now, my beloved brethren, and also Jew, and all ye ends of the earth, hearken unto these words, and believe in Christ; and if ye believe not in these words, believe in Christ. And if ye shall believe in Christ, ye will believe in these words: for they are the words of Christ, and he hath given them unto me; and they teach all men that they should do good. 11. And if they are not the words of Christ, judge ye; for Christ will show unto you, with power and great glory, that they are his words, at the last day; and you and I shall stand face to face before his bar; and ye shall know that I have been commanded of him to write these things, notwithstanding my weakness: Nep. 30. c, I. Nep. 16: 1-3. b, see g, II. Nep. 3. Also see e, II. 17: 48. II. Nep. 1: 25-27. Enos 1: 23. 17. Moro. 9: 4. d, see b, II. Nep. 25. 2 a, 11. Nep. 9. g, Ether 4: 8-10. 5:4-6. 12. And I pray the Father in the name of Christ, that many of us, if not all, may be saved in his kingdom, at that great and last day. 13. And now, my beloved brethren, all those who are of the house of Israel, and all ye ends of the earth, I speak unto you, as the voice of one "crying from the dust: farewell until that great day shall come; 14. And you that will not partake of the goodness of God, and respect the words of the Jews, and also my words, and the words which shall proceed forth out of the mouth of the Lamb of God, behold, I bid you an everlasting farewell, for these words shall condemn you at the last day; 15. For what I seal on earth, shall be brought against you at the judgment bar; for thus hath the Lord commanded me, and I must obey. Amen. The words of his preaching unto his brethren. He confoundeth a man who seeketh to overthrow the doctrine of Christ. A few words concerning the history of the people of Nephi. CHAPTER 1. 1. FOR behold, it came to pass that fifty and five years had passed away, from the time that Lehi left Jerusalem; wherefore, Nephi gave me, Jacob, a commandment concerning the "small plates, upon which these things are engraven. 2. And he gave me, Jacob, a commandment that I should write upon these plates, a few of the things which I considered to be most precious: that I should not touch, save it were lightly, concerning the history of this people which are called the people of Nephi. 3. For he said that the history of his people should be engraven upon his 'other plates, and that I should preserve these plates and hand them down unto my seed, from generation to generation. 4. And if there were preaching which was sacred, or j, Hela. 10: 5-11. See g, h, see l, II. Nep. 26. II. Nep. 27. a, see b, I. Nep. 6. i, see q, 11. Nep. 27. b, see f, I. Nep. 1. |