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18 - Book of Mormon - Joseph Smith Jr · Philosophy and Faith

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Speaker 1: Mosiah chapter four. And now it came to pass that
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Speaker 1: when King Benjamin had made an end of speaking the
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Speaker 1: words which had been delivered unto him by the Angel
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Speaker 1: of the Lord, that he cast his eyes round about
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Speaker 1: on the multitude. And behold, they had fallen to the earth,
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Speaker 1: for the fear of the Lord had come upon them,
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Speaker 1: and they had viewed themselves in their own carnal state,
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Speaker 1: even less than the dust of the earth. And they
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Speaker 1: all cried aloud with one voice, saying, Oh, have mercy,
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Speaker 1: and apply the atoning blood of Christ, that we may
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Speaker 1: receive forgiveness of our sins, and our hearts may be purified.
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Speaker 1: For we believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God,
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Speaker 1: who created heaven and earth and all things, who shall
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Speaker 1: come down among the children of men. And it came
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Speaker 1: to pass that after they had spoken these words, the
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Speaker 1: spirit of the Lord came upon them, and they were
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Speaker 1: filled with joy, having received a remission of their sins,
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Speaker 1: and having peace of conscience because of the exceeding fate
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Speaker 1: which they had in Jesus Christ, who should come according
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Speaker 1: to the words which King Benjamin had spoken unto them.
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Speaker 1: And King Benjamin again opened his mouth and began to
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Speaker 1: speak unto them, saying, my friends, my brethren, my kindred,
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Speaker 1: and my people, I would again call your attention, that
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Speaker 1: you may here and understand the remainder of my words
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Speaker 1: which I shall speak unto you. For behold, if the
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Speaker 1: knowledge of the goodness of God at this time has
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Speaker 1: wakened you to a sense of your nothingness and your
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Speaker 1: worthless and fallen state, I say unto you, if ye
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Speaker 1: have come to a knowledge of the goodness of God
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Speaker 1: and his matchel's power, and his wisdom, and his patience,
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Speaker 1: and his long suffering towards the children of men, and
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Speaker 1: also the atonement which has been prepared from the foundation
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Speaker 1: of the world, that thereby salvation might come to him
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Speaker 1: that should put his trust in the Lord, and should
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Speaker 1: be diligent in keeping his commandments, and continue in the
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Speaker 1: faith even unto the end of his life, I mean
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Speaker 1: the life of the immortal body. I say that this
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Speaker 1: is the man who receiveth salvation through the atonement which
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Speaker 1: was prepared from the foundation of the world, for all mankind,
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Speaker 1: which ever were since the fall of Adam, who are
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Speaker 1: whoever shall be, even unto the end of the world.
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Speaker 1: And this is the means whereby salvation cometh. And there
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Speaker 1: is none other salvation save this which hath been spoken of.
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Speaker 1: Neither are there any conditions whereby man can be saved
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Speaker 1: except the conditions which I have told you. Believe in God.
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Speaker 1: Believe that he is and that he created all things,
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Speaker 1: both in heaven and in earth. Believe that He has
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Speaker 1: all wisdom and all power, both in heaven and in earth.
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Speaker 1: Believe that man doth not comprehend all the things which
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Speaker 1: the Lord can comprehend. And again, believe that ye must
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Speaker 1: repent of your sins and forsake them, and humble yourself
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Speaker 1: before God, and ask in sincerity of heart that He
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Speaker 1: would forgive you. And now, if you believe all these things,
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Speaker 1: see that ye do them. And again I stand to
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Speaker 1: you as I have said before, that as ye have
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Speaker 1: come to the knowledge of the glory of God, or
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Speaker 1: if ye have known of His goodness and have tasted
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Speaker 1: of His love and have received a remission of your sins,
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Speaker 1: which causeth such exceedingly great joy in your souls, even
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Speaker 1: so I would that ye should remember and always retain
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Speaker 1: in remembrance the greatness of God and your own nothingness
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Speaker 1: and His goodness, along suffering towards you unworthy creatures, and
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Speaker 1: humble yourself even in the depths of humility, calling on
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Speaker 1: the name of the Lord daily, and standing steadfastly in
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Speaker 1: the faith of that which is to come, which was
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Speaker 1: spoken by the mouth of the Angel. And behold, I
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Speaker 1: say unto you that if ye do this, ye shall
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Speaker 1: always rejoice and be filled with the love of God,
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Speaker 1: and always retain your remission of your sins. And ye
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Speaker 1: shall grow in the knowledge of the glory of Him
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Speaker 1: that created you, or in knowledge of that which is
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Speaker 1: just and true. And ye will not have a mind
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Speaker 1: to injure one another, but live peaceably, and to render
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Speaker 1: to every man according to that which is his due.
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Speaker 1: And you will not suffer your children that they go
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Speaker 1: hungry or naked. Neither will you suffer that they transgress
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Speaker 1: the laws of God, and fight and quarrel one with another,
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Speaker 1: and serve the devil, who is the master of sin,
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Speaker 1: or who is the evil spirit, which hath been spoken
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Speaker 1: of by our fathers, he being an enemy to all righteousness.
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Speaker 1: But you will teach them to walk in the ways
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Speaker 1: of truth and soberness. You will teach them to love
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Speaker 1: one another and to serve one another. And also ye
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Speaker 1: yourselves will succor those that stand in need of your succor.
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Speaker 1: You will administer your substance unto him that standeth in need,
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Speaker 1: and you will not suffer that the beggar putteth up
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Speaker 1: his petition to you in vain, and turn him out
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Speaker 1: to perish. Perhaps thou shalt say, the man has brought
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Speaker 1: upon himself his misery. Therefore I will stay my hand
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Speaker 1: and will not give unto him of my food, Nor
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Speaker 1: you are in part of him of my substance, that
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Speaker 1: he may not suffer, for his punishments are just. But
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Speaker 1: I say unto you, oh man, whosoever doeth this, the
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Speaker 1: same hath great cause to repent. And except he repentance
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Speaker 1: of that which he hath done, he perisheth forever. And
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Speaker 1: have no interest in the Kingdom of God. For behold,
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Speaker 1: are we not all beggars? Do we not all depend
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Speaker 1: upon the same being, even God, for all the substance
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Speaker 1: which we have, for both food and raiment, for gold
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Speaker 1: and for silver, and for all the riches which we
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Speaker 1: have of every kind. And behold, even at this time
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Speaker 1: you have been calling on His name and begging for
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Speaker 1: a remission of your sins, And has he suffered that
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Speaker 1: ye have begged in vain. Nay, he has poured out
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Speaker 1: of his spirit upon you, and has caused that your
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Speaker 1: heart should be filled with joy, and has caused that
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Speaker 1: your mouth should be stopped that ye could not find utterance.
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Speaker 1: So exceedingly was your joy. And Now, if God, who
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Speaker 1: has created you, on whom you are dependent for your
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Speaker 1: lives and for all that ye have and are, doth
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Speaker 1: grant unto you whatsoever ye ask that is right in faith,
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Speaker 1: believing that ye shall receive. Oh, then how ye ought
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Speaker 1: to impart the substance that ye have one to another.
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Speaker 1: And if ye judge the man who putteth up his
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Speaker 1: petition to you for your substance, that he perish not
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Speaker 1: and condemn him, how much more just will your condemnation
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Speaker 1: for withholding your substance which does not belong to you,
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Speaker 1: but to God, to whom all your life belongeth. And
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Speaker 1: yet ye put up no petition nor repent of the
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Speaker 1: thing which thou hast done. I say unto you, well,
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Speaker 1: be unto that man, for his substance shall perish with him.
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Speaker 1: And now I say these things unto those who are rich,
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Speaker 1: as pertaining to the things of the world. And again
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Speaker 1: I stand to the poor, ye who have not and
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Speaker 1: yet to have sufficient that ye remain from day to day.
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Speaker 1: I mean all ye you who deny the beggar because
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Speaker 1: ye have not. I would that you say in your
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Speaker 1: hearts that I give not because I have not, but
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Speaker 1: if I had, I would give. And now if you
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Speaker 1: say this in your hearts, you remain guiltless. Otherwise ye
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Speaker 1: are condemned. And your condemnation is just for ye covet
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Speaker 1: that which ye have not received. And now for the
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Speaker 1: sake of these things which I have spoken unto you,
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Speaker 1: that is for the sake of retaining your remission of
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Speaker 1: your sins from day to day, that ye may walk
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Speaker 1: guiltless before God. I would that ye should impart of
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Speaker 1: your substance to the poor every man according to that
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Speaker 1: which he hath, such as feeding the hungry, clothing the naked,
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Speaker 1: visiting the sick, and administering to their relief, both spiritually
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Speaker 1: and temporarily according to their wants. And see that all
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Speaker 1: these things are done in wisdom and order. For it
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Speaker 1: is not requisite that a man should run faster than
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Speaker 1: he has drink. And again it is expedient that he
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Speaker 1: should be diligent, that thereby he might win the prize. Therefore,
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Speaker 1: all things must be done in order, and a word
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Speaker 1: that you should remember that whosoever among you borroweth of
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Speaker 1: his neighbor should return the thing that he borroweth, according
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Speaker 1: as he is doth agreed, or else thou shalt commit sin,
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Speaker 1: and perhaps thou shalt cause the neighbor to commit sin also.
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Speaker 1: And finally, I cannot tell you all the things whereby
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Speaker 1: ye may commit sin, for there are diverse ways and means,
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Speaker 1: even so many that I cannot number them. But this
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Speaker 1: much I can tell you that if ye do not
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Speaker 1: watch yourselves and your thoughts, and your words and your deeds,
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Speaker 1: and observe the commandments of God, and continue in the
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Speaker 1: faith of what ye have heard concerning the coming of
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Speaker 1: our Lord, even under the end of your lives, ye
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Speaker 1: must perish. And now o man, remember and perish not
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Speaker 1: Mosiah chapter five. And now it came to pass that
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Speaker 1: when King Benjamin had thus been spoken to his people,
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Speaker 1: he sent among them, desiring to know of his people
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Speaker 1: if they believe the words which he had spoken unto them.
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Speaker 1: And they all cried with one voice, saying, yea, we
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Speaker 1: believe all the words which thou hast spoken unto us.
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Speaker 1: And also we know of their surety and truth because
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Speaker 1: of the spirit of the Lord Omnipotent, which has wrought
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Speaker 1: a mighty change in us or in our hearts, that
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Speaker 1: we have no more disposition to do evil, but to
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Speaker 1: do good continually. And we ourselves, also, through the infinite
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Speaker 1: goodness of God and the manifestations of His Spirit, have
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Speaker 1: great views of that which is to come, and word expedient.
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Speaker 1: We could prophesy of all things. And it is the
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Speaker 1: faith which we have had on the things which our
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Speaker 1: King has spoken unto us, that has brought us to
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Speaker 1: this great knowledge. Whereby we do our joice with such
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Speaker 1: exceedingly great joy. And we are willing to enter into
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Speaker 1: a covenant with our God, to do his will and
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Speaker 1: to be obedient to his commandment in all things, that
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Speaker 1: He shall command us all the remainder of our days,
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Speaker 1: though we may not bring upon ourselves a never ending torment,
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Speaker 1: as has been spoken by the Angel, though we may
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Speaker 1: not drink out of the cup of the wrath of God.
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Speaker 1: And now these are the words which King Benjamin desired
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Speaker 1: of them, and therefore he said, unto them, ye have
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Speaker 1: spoken the words that I desired, and the covenant which
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Speaker 1: ye have made is a righteous covenant. And now because
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Speaker 1: of the covenant which ye have made, ye shall be
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Speaker 1: called the children of Christ, his sons and his daughters.
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Speaker 1: For behold, this day He hath spiritually begotten you. For
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Speaker 1: ye say that your hearts are changed through the faith
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Speaker 1: on his name. Therefore ye are born of Him and
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Speaker 1: have become His sons and his daughters. And under this
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Speaker 1: head ye are made free. And there is no other
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Speaker 1: head whereby ye can be made free. There is no
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Speaker 1: other name given whereby salvation cometh. Therefore, I would that
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Speaker 1: ye should take upon you the name of Christ, all
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Speaker 1: you that have entered into the covenant with God, that
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Speaker 1: ye should be obedient unto the end of your lives.
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Speaker 1: And it shall come to pass that whosoever doeth this
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Speaker 1: shall be found at the right hand of God, for
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Speaker 1: he shall know the name by which he is called,
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Speaker 1: for he shall be called by the name of Christ.
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Speaker 1: And now it shall come to pass that whosoever shall
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Speaker 1: not take upon him the name of Christ, must be
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Speaker 1: called by some other name. Therefore he findeth himself on
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Speaker 1: the left hand of God. I would that ye should
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Speaker 1: remember also that this is the name that I said,
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Speaker 1: I should give unto you that never should be blotted out,
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Speaker 1: except it be through transgression. Therefore, take heed that ye
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Speaker 1: do not transgress, that the name be not blotted out
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Speaker 1: of your hearts. I say unto you, I would that
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Speaker 1: ye should remember to retain the name written always in
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Speaker 1: your hearts, that ye are not found on the left
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Speaker 1: hand of God, but that you hear and know the
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Speaker 1: voice by which ye shall be called, and also the
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Speaker 1: name by which he shall call you. For how knoweth
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Speaker 1: a man the master when he has not served, and
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Speaker 1: who is a stranger unto him, and is far from
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Speaker 1: the thoughts and intents of his heart? And again doth
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Speaker 1: a man take an ass which belongs to his neighbor
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Speaker 1: and keep him, I say unto you, nay, he will
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Speaker 1: not even supper, that he shall feed among his flocks,
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Speaker 1: but I will drive him away and cast him out.
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Speaker 1: I say unto you, that even so shall it be
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Speaker 1: among you if you know not the name by which
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Speaker 1: you are called. Therefore I would that ye should be
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Speaker 1: steadfast and immovable, always abandon in good works. That Christ,
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Speaker 1: the Lord God em in imputant, may sell you this,
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Speaker 1: that ye may be brought to heaven, that ye may
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Speaker 1: have everlasting salvation and eternal life through the wisdom and power,
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Speaker 1: and justice and mercy of Him who created all things
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Speaker 1: in heaven and in earth, who is God above all Amen,
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Speaker 1: Mosiah Chapter six. And now King Benjamin thought it was expedient,
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Speaker 1: after having finished speaking to the people, that he should
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Speaker 1: take the names of all those who had entered into
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Speaker 1: a covenant with God to keep his commandments. And it
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Speaker 1: came to pass that there was not one soul, except
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Speaker 1: it were little children who had entered into the covenant
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Speaker 1: and had taken upon them the name of Christ. And
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Speaker 1: again it came to pass that when King Benjamin had
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Speaker 1: made an end of all these things, and had consecrated
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Speaker 1: his son Mosiah to be a ruler and king over
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Speaker 1: his people, and had given him all the charges concerning
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Speaker 1: the kingdom, and also had appointed priests to teach the people,
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Speaker 1: that thereby they might here and know the commandments of God,
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Speaker 1: and to stir them up in remembrance of the oath
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Speaker 1: which they had made. He dismissed the multitude, and they
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Speaker 1: returned everyone according to their families, to their own houses.
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Speaker 1: And Mosiah began to reign in his father's dead, and
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Speaker 1: he began to reign in the thirtieth year of his age,
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Speaker 1: making in the whole about four hundred and seventy six
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Speaker 1: years from the time that Leah had left Jerusalem. And
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Speaker 1: King Benjamin lived three years and he died. And it
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Speaker 1: came to pass that King Mosiah did walk in the
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Speaker 1: ways of the Lord, and did observe his judgments and
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Speaker 1: his statutes, and did keep his commandments and all things
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Speaker 1: whatsoever he commanded him. And King Mosiah did cause his
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Speaker 1: people that they should kill the earth. And he also
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Speaker 1: himself did till the earth, that thereby he might not
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Speaker 1: become burdensome to his people, that he might do according
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Speaker 1: to that which his father had done in all things.
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Speaker 1: And there was no contention among all his people for
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Speaker 1: the space of three years Mosiah, chapter seven. And now
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Speaker 1: it came to pass that after King Mosiah had had
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Speaker 1: a continual peace for the space of three years, he
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Speaker 1: was desirous to know concerning the people who went up
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Speaker 1: to dwell in the land of Lehai Nephi or in
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Speaker 1: the city of Lehai Nephi. First people had heard nothing
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Speaker 1: from them from the time they left the land of Zarahemla. Therefore,
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Speaker 1: they wearied him with their teasings, and it came to
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Speaker 1: pass the king Lozai granted that sixteen of their strong
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Speaker 1: men might go up to the land of Lehigh Nephi
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Speaker 1: to inquire concerning their brethren. And it came to pass
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Speaker 1: that on the morrow they started to go up, having
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Speaker 1: with them one amen, he being a strong and mighty
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Speaker 1: man and a descendant of Zarahemlam, and he was also
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Speaker 1: their leader. And now they knew not the course that
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Speaker 1: they should travel in the wilderness to go up to
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Speaker 1: the land of Lehigh Nephi. Therefore they wandered many days
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Speaker 1: in the wilderness, even forty days did they wander. And
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Speaker 1: when they had wandered forty days, they came to a
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Speaker 1: hill which is north of the land of Sheilam, and
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Speaker 1: there they pitched their tents, and Amon took three of
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Speaker 1: his brethren, and the names were Malachi, Helam, and Hem
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Speaker 1: and they went down into the land of Nephi, and
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Speaker 1: behold they met the king of the people who were
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Speaker 1: in the land of Nephi and in the land of Sheilam.
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Speaker 1: And they were surrounded by the king's guard and were
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Speaker 1: taken underre bound and were committed to prison. And it
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Speaker 1: came to pass when they had been in prison too days.
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Speaker 1: They were again brought before the king, and their bands
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Speaker 1: were loosed, and they stood before the king and were permitted,
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Speaker 1: or rather commanded, that they should answer the questions which
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Speaker 1: he should ask them. And he said unto them, behold,
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Speaker 1: I am Limhai, the son of Noah, who was the
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Speaker 1: son of Zenith, who came up out of the land
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Speaker 1: of Zarahemla to inherit this land, which was the land
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Speaker 1: of their fathers, who was made a king by the
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Speaker 1: voice of the people. And now I desired to know
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Speaker 1: the cause whereby you were so bold as to come
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Speaker 1: near the walls of the city, when I myself was
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Speaker 1: with my guards without the gate. And now for this
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Speaker 1: cause have I suffered that ye should be preserved that
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Speaker 1: I might enquire of you, or else I should have
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Speaker 1: caused that my guard should have put you to death.
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Speaker 1: Ye are permitted to speak. And now when Ammond saw
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Speaker 1: that he was permitted to speak, he went forth and
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Speaker 1: bat himself before the king, and rising again, he said,
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Speaker 1: O King, I am very thankful before God this day
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Speaker 1: that I am yet alive and am permitted to speak.
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Speaker 1: And I will endeavor to speak with boldness, for I
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Speaker 1: am assured that if ye had known me, ye would
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Speaker 1: not have suffered that I should have worn these bands,
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Speaker 1: for I am Ammon, and I am a descendant of Zarahemla,
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Speaker 1: and have come up out of the land of Zarahemla
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Speaker 1: to inquire concerning our brethren, whom Zenith brought up out
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Speaker 1: of that land. And now it came to pass that
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Speaker 1: after Lambahi had heard the words of Ammin, he was
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Speaker 1: exceedingly glad and said, now I know of a surety
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Speaker 1: that my brethren who are in the land of Zarahemla
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Speaker 1: are yet alive. And now I will rejoice, and on
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Speaker 1: the morrow I will cause my people should rejoice also,
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Speaker 1: for behold, we are in bondage to the Lamanites, and
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Speaker 1: our tax with attacks, which is grievous to be born.
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Speaker 1: And now behold, our brethren will deliver us out of
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Speaker 1: our bondage or out of the hands of the Lamanites,
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Speaker 1: and we will be their slaves, for it is better
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Speaker 1: that we be slaves to the Nephites than to pay
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Speaker 1: tributes to the king of the Lamanites. And now King
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Speaker 1: Limhai commanded his guards they should no more bind Ammon
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Speaker 1: nor his brethren, but caused that they should go to
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Speaker 1: the hill which was north of Shelam, and bring their
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Speaker 1: brethren into the city, that thereby they might eat and drink,
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Speaker 1: and wrest themselves from the labors of their journey. For
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Speaker 1: they had suffered many things. They had suffered hunger, thirst,
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Speaker 1: and fatigue. And now it came to pass on the
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Speaker 1: morrow that King Limhi sent a proclamation among all his people,
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Speaker 1: that thereby they might gather themselves together to the temple
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Speaker 1: to hear the words which he should speak unto them.
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Speaker 1: And it came to pass that, when they had gathered
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Speaker 1: themselves together, that he speak unto them in this wise, saying,
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Speaker 1: oh ye, my people, lift up your heads and be comforted.
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Speaker 1: For behold, the time is at hand, or is not
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Speaker 1: far distant, when we shall no longer be in subjection
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Speaker 1: to our enemies. Notwithstanding our many strugglings which have been
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Speaker 1: in vain, yet I trust their remainings and effectual struggle
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Speaker 1: to be made. Therefore, lift up your heads and rejoice
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Speaker 1: and put your trust in God, in that God who
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Speaker 1: is the God of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob, and
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Speaker 1: also that God who brought the children of Israel out
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Speaker 1: of the land of Egypt. And caused that they should
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Speaker 1: walk through the Red Sea on dry ground, and fed
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Speaker 1: them with manna that they might not perish in the wilderness.
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Speaker 1: And many more things did he do for them. And
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Speaker 1: again that same God has brought our fathers out of
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Speaker 1: the land of Jerusalem, and has kept and preserved his
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Speaker 1: people even until now. And behold, it is because of
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Speaker 1: our iniquities and abominations that He has brought us into bondage.
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Speaker 1: And ye all are witnesses this day that Zenev, who
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Speaker 1: has made king over this people, he being over zealous
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Speaker 1: to inherit the land of his fathers, therefore being deceived
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Speaker 1: by the cunning and craftiness of the king Layman, who
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Speaker 1: having entered into a treaty with King Zenev, and having
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Speaker 1: yielded up into his hands the possessions of part of
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Speaker 1: the land, or even the city of Lehi Nephi, and
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Speaker 1: the city of Shelam, and the land run about, and
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Speaker 1: all this he did for this the sole purpose of
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Speaker 1: bringing this people into subjection or into bondage. And behold,
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Speaker 1: we at this time do pay tribute to the King
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Speaker 1: of the Lamanites to the amount of one half of
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Speaker 1: our corn and our barley, and even all our grain
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Speaker 1: of every kind, and one half of all the increase
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Speaker 1: of our flocks and our hurts, and even one half
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Speaker 1: of all we have or possess. The King of the
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Speaker 1: Lamanite still exact of us or our lives. And now
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Speaker 1: is not this grievous to be borne? And is not
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Speaker 1: this our affliction? Great? Now? Behold, how great reason we
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Speaker 1: have to mourn, YEA, I stand to you, great are
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Speaker 1: the reasons which we have to mourn. For behold, how
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Speaker 1: many of our brethren have been slain, and their blood
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Speaker 1: has been spilt in vain, and all because of iniquity.
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Speaker 1: For if this people had not fallen into transgression, the
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Speaker 1: Lord would not have suffered that this great evil should
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Speaker 1: come upon them. But behold, they would not hearken unto
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Speaker 1: his words. But there arose contentions among them, even so
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Speaker 1: that they did shed blood. Amae themselves. And a prophet
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Speaker 1: of the Lord have they slain, YEA, A chosen man
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Speaker 1: of God, who told them of their wickedness and abominations,
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Speaker 1: and prophesied of many things which are to come, YEA,
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Speaker 1: even the coming of Christ. And because he said unto
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Speaker 1: them that Christ was the God, the father of all things,
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Speaker 1: and said he should take upon him the image of man,
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Speaker 1: and it should be the image after which man was
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Speaker 1: created in the beginning. Or in other words, he said
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Speaker 1: that man was created after the image of God, and
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Speaker 1: that God should come down among the children of men
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Speaker 1: and take upon him flesh and blood, and go forth
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Speaker 1: upon the face of the earth. And now because he
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Speaker 1: said this, they did put him to death. And many
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Speaker 1: more things did they do, which brought down the wrath
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Speaker 1: of God upon them. Therefore, who under earth that they
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Speaker 1: are in bondage, and that they are smitten with sore afflictions.
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Speaker 1: For behold, the Lord hath said, I will not succor
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Speaker 1: my people in the day of their transgression, but I
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Speaker 1: will hedge up their ways. They prosper not, and their
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Speaker 1: doings shall be as a stumbling block before them. And
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Speaker 1: again he saith, if my people shall sew filthiness, they
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Speaker 1: shall reap, and the chaff thereof in the whirlwind, and
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Speaker 1: the effect thereof is poison. And again he saith, if
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Speaker 1: my people shall sew filthiness, they shall reap the east wind,
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Speaker 1: which bringeth immediate destruction. And now will hold the promise
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Speaker 1: of the Lord is fulfilled. And ye are smitten and afflicted.
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Speaker 1: But if he will turn to the Lord with full
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Speaker 1: purpose of heart and put your trust in him and
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Speaker 1: serve him with all diligence of mind. If he do this,
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Speaker 1: he will, according to his own will and pleasure, deliver
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Speaker 1: you out of bondage. End of Mosiah, chapters four through seven.