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56 - Book of Mormon - Joseph Smith Jr · Sacred Texts Archive

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Ether Chapter one. And now I maron, I proceed to give an account
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of those ancient inhabitants who were destroyed by the hand of the Lord upon the
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face of this north country. And I take mine account from the twenty and
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four plates which were found by the people of Limhai, which is called the
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Book of Ether. And as I suppose that the first part of this record,
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which speaks concerning the creation of the world, and also of Adam,
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and an account from that time even to the Great Tower, and whatsoever things
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transpired among the children of men until that time, is had among the Jews.
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Therefore I do not write those things which transpired from the days of Adam
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until that time. They are had upon the plates, and whoso findeth them
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the same will have power that he may get the full account. But behold,
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I give not the full account, but a part of the account I
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give from the tower down until they were destroyed. And on this wise do
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I give the account. He that wrote this record was Ether, and he
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was a descendant of Krianterer, and Krianter was the son of Morn, and
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Morn was the son of Ethem, and Ethel was the son of Aha,
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and Deha was the son of Seth, and Seth was the son of Shiblin,
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and Shiblin was the son of Coombe, and Coombe was the son of
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Kriantum, and Kriantum was the son of Amnagada, and Amnagada was the son
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of Erin, and Erin was a descendant of Heath, who was the son
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of h Artham, and he Artham was the son of Lib, and Lib
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was the son of Kish, and Kish was the son of Koram, and
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Koram was the son of Levi, and Levi was the son of Kim,
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and Kim was the son of Moriantin, and Moriantin was a descendant of Ripley
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Kish and replay Kish was the son of Shez, and Schez was the son
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of Heth, and Heth was the son of Comb and Combe was the son
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of Koorantum, and Koreantem was the son of Emr and Emer was the son
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of Omer, and Omer was the son of Shul, and Shul was the
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son of KiB, and KiB was the son of Araha, who was the
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son of Jared, which Jared came forth with his brother and their families with
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some others, and their families from the Great Tower. At the time the
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Lord confounded the language of the people and swore in his wrath that they should
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be scattered upon all the face of the earth. And according to the word
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of the Lord, the people were scattered. And the brother of Jared,
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being a large and mighty man and a man highly favored of the Lord,
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Jared his brother said unto him, cry unto the Lord, that he will
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not confound us, that we may not understand our words. And it came
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to pass that the brother of Jared did cry unto the Lord, and the
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Lord had compassion upon Jared. Therefore he did not confound the language of Jared,
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and Jared and his brother were not confounded. Then Jared said unto his
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brother, cry again unto the Lord, and it may be that he will
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turn away his anger from them who are our friends, that he confound not
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their language. And it came to pass that the brother of Jared did cry
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unto the Lord, and the Lord had compassion upon their friends and their families
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also that they were not confounded. And it came to pass that Jared spake
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again unto his brother, saying, go and inquire of the Lord whether he
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will drive us out of the land. And if you will drive us out
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of the land, cry unto him whither we shall go. And who knoweth
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but the Lord will carry us forth into a land which is choice above all
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the earth. And if it so be, let us be faithful unto the
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Lord, that we may receive it for our inheritance. And it came to
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pass that the brother of Jared did cry into the Lord according to that which
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had been spoken by the mouth of Jared. And it came to pass that
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the Lord did hear the brother of Jared, and had compassion upon him,
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and said unto him, go too, and gather together thy flocks, both
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male and female, of every kind, and also of the seed of the
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earth, of every kind, and thy families, and also Jared, thy
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brother and his family, and also thy friends and their families, and the
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friends of Jared and their families. And when thou hast done this, thou
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shalt go at the head of them down into the valley which is northward,
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And there will I meet Thee. And I will go before THEE into a
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land which is choice above all the lands of the earth. And there will
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I bless THEE and thy seed, and raise up unto me of thy seed
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and of the seed of thy brother. And they who shall go with THEE
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a great nation. And there shall be none greater than the nation which I
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will raise up unto me of thy seed upon all the face of the earth.
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And this I will do unto THEE, because this long time ye have
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cried unto me ether Chapter two. And it came to pass that Jared and
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his brother and their families, and also the friends of Jared and his brother
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and their families, went down into the valley which was northward, and the
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name of the valley was Nimrad, being called after the mighty hunter, with
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their flocks, which they had gathered together, male and female of every kind.
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And they did also lay snares and catch fowls of the air. And
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they did also prepare a vessel, in which they did carry with them the
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fish of the waters. And they did also carry with them deseret, which
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by interpretation is a honey bee. And thus they did carry with them swarms
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of bees, and all manner of that which was upon the face of the
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land, seeds of every kind. And it came to pass that when they
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had come down into the valley of Nimrad, the Lord came down and talked
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with the brother of Jared, and he was in a cloud, and the
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brother of Jared saw him not. And it came to pass that the Lord
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commanded them that they should go forth into the wilderness, ye ate into that
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quarter where there never had man been. And it came to pass that the
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Lord did go before them and did talk with them as he stood in a
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cloud, and gave directions whether they should travel. And it came to pass
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that they did travel in the wilderness, and did build barges in which they
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did cross many waters, being directed continually by the hand of the Lord.
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And the Lord would not suffer that they should stop beyond the sea in the
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wilderness, but he would that they should come forth even into the land of
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Promise, which was choice above all other lands, which the Lord God had
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preserved for a righteous people. And he had sworn in his wrath unto the
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brother of Jared, that whoso should possess this land of Promise from that time
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henceforth and forever should serve him the True and only God, or they should
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be swept off when the fullness of his wrath should come upon them. And
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now we can behold the decrees of God concerning this land, that it is
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a land of promise, and whatsoever nation shall possess it shall serve God,
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or they shall be swept off when the fullness of His wrath shall come upon
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them, And the fullness of His wrath cometh upon them when they are ripened
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in iniquity. For behold, this is a land which is choice above all
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other lands. Wherefore he that doth possess it shall serve God, or or
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shall be swept off. For it is the everlasting decree of God. And
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it is not until the fullness of iniquity among the children of the land that
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they are swept off. And this cometh unto you, o, you gentiles,
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that ye may know the decrees of God, that ye may repent and
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not continue in your iniquities until the fullness come, that ye may not bring
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down the fullness of the wrath of God upon you, as the inhabitants of
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the land have hitherto done. Behold, this is a choice land, and
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whatsoever nations shall possess it shall be free from bondage and from captivity, and
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from all other nations under heaven, if they will but serve the God of
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the land. Who is Jesus Christ, who hath been manifested by the things
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which we have written. And now I proceed with my record. For behold,
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it came to pass that the Lord did bring Jared and his brethren forth,
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even to that great sea which divideth the lands. And as they came
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to the sea, they pitched their tents, and they called the name of
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the place more Aancomer. And they dwelt intense, and dwelt in tents upon
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the sea shore for the space of four years. And it came to pass
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at the end of four years that the Lord came again unto the brother of
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Jared, and in a cloud, and talked with him. And for the
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space of three hours did the Lord talk with the brother of Jared, and
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chastened him because he remembered not to call upon the name of the Lord.
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And the brother of Jared repented of the evil which he had done, and
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did call upon the name of the Lord for his brethren who were with him.
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And the Lord said unto him, I will forgive thee and thy brethren
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of their sins, but thou shalt not sin any more, for ye shall
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remember that my spirit will not always strive with man. Wherefore, if ye
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will sin until ye are fully ripe, ye shall be cut off from the
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presence of the Lord. And these are my thoughts upon the land which I
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shall give you for your inheritance, for it shall be a land choice above
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all other lands. And the Lord said, go to work and build after
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the manner of barges which he have hitherto built. And it came to pass
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that the brother of Jared did go to work, and also his brethren,
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and built barges after the manner which they had built, according to the instructions
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of the Lord. And they were small, and they were light upon the
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water, even like unto the lightness of a fowl upon the water. And
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they were built after a manner that they were exceedingly tight, even that they
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would hold water like unto a dish. And the bottom thereof was tight like
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unto a dish, and the sides thereof were tight like unto a dish,
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and the ends thereof were peaked, and the top thereof was tight like unto
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a dish. And the length thereof was the length of a tree. And
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the door thereof, when it was shut, was tight like unto a dish,
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And it came to pass that the brother of Jared cried unto the Lord,
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saying, O Lord, I have performed the work which thou hast commanded
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me, and I have made the barges according as thou hast directed me.
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And behold, O Lord, in them there is no light whither shall we
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steer, And also we shall perish, for in them we cannot breathe save
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it is the air which is in them. Therefore we shall perish. And
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the Lord said unto the brother of Jared, behold, thou shalt make a
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hole in the top and also in the bottom. And when thou shalt suffer
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for air, thou shalt unstop the hole and receive air. And if it
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be so that the water coming upon thee, behold, ye shall stop the
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hole, that ye may not perish in the flood. And it came to
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pass that the brother of Jared did so according as the Lord had commanded,
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and he cried again unto the Lord, saying, O Lord, behold,
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I have done even as thou hast commanded me, and I have prepared the
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vessels for my people. And behold there is no light in them. Behold,
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O Lord, wilt thou suffer that we shall cross this great water in
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darkness. And the Lord said, unto the brother of Gered, what will
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ye that I should do that ye may have light in your vessels? For
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behold, ye cannot have windows, for they will be dashed in pieces.
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Neither shall ye take fire with you, for ye shall not go by the
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light of fire. For behold, ye shall be as a wail in the
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midst of the sea, for the mountain a wave shall dash upon you.
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Nevertheless, I will bring you up again out of the depths of the sea.
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For the winds have gone forth out of my mouth, and also the
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rains and the floods have I sent forth. And behold, I prepare you
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against these things, for ye cannot cross this great deep. Save I prepare
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you against the waves of the sea, and the winds which have gone forth,
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and the floods which shall come. Therefore, what will ye that I
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should prepare for you, that ye may have light when ye are swallowed up
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in the depths of the sea? Ether Chapter three. Then it came to
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that the brother of Jared, now the number of the vessels which had been
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prepared was eight, went forth unto the mount which they called the Mount shelam
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because of its exceeding height, and did molten out of a rock sixteen small
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stones, and they were white and clear, even his transparent glass. And
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he did carry them in his hands upon the top of the mount, and
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cried again unto the Lord, saying, O Lord, thou hast said that
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we must be encompassed about by the floods. Now, behold, o Lord,
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and do not be angry with thy servant because of his weakness before THEE.
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For we know that thou art holy and dwellest in the heavens, and
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that we are unworthy before THEE because of the fall. Our natures have become
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evil continually. Nevertheless, O Lord, thou hast given us a commandment that
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we must call upon THEE, that from THEE we may receive according to our
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desires. Behold, O Lord, thou hast smitten us because of our iniquity,
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and hath driven us forth, and for these many years we have been
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in the wilderness. Nevertheless, thou hast been merciful unto us, O Lord,
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look upon me in pity, and turn away thine anger from this thy
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people, and suffer not that they shall go forth across this rage deep in
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darkness, but behold these things which I have molted out of the rock.
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And I know, O Lord, that thou hast all power and can do
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whatsoever thou wilt for the benefit of man. Therefore, touch these stones,
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o Lord, with thy finger, and prepare them that they may shine forth
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in darkness. And they shall shine forth unto us in the vessels which we
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have prepared, that we may have light while we cross the sea. Behold,
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O Lord, thou canst do this. We know that thou art able
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to show forth great power, which looks small, into the understanding of men.
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And it came to pass that, when the brother of Jared had said
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these words, behold, the Lord stretched forth his hand and touched the stones
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one by one with his finger, and the veil was taken from off the
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eyes of the brother of Jared. And he saw the finger of the Lord,
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and it was as the finger of a man like unto flesh and blood.
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And the brother of Jared fell down before the Lord, for he was
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struck with fear. And the Lord saw that the brother of Jared had fallen
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to the earth. And the Lord said unto him, arise, why hast
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thou fallen? And he saith unto the Lord. I saw the finger of
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the Lord, and I feared lest he should smite me, for I know
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not that the Lord had flesh and blood. And the Lord said, unto
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him, because of thy faith, thou hast seen that I shall take upon
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me flesh and blood. And never has man come before me with such exceeding
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faith as thou hast. For were it not so, ye could not have
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seen my finger. Sawest thou more than this? And he answered, nay,
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Lord, show thyself unto me. And the Lord said, unto him,
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believest thou the words which I shall speak. And he answered, yea
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Lord, I know that thou speakest the truth, for thou art a God
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of truth, and canst not lie. And when he had said these words,
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behold, the Lord showed himself unto him and said, because thou knowest
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these things, ye are redeemed from the fall. Therefore ye are brought back
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into my presence. Therefore I show myself unto you. Behold, I am
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he who was prepared from the foundation of the world to redeem my people.
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Behold, I am Jesus Christ. I am the Father and the Son.
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In me, shall all mankind have life, And that eternally, even they
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who shall believe on my name, and they shall become my sons and my
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daughters. And never have I showed myself unto man whom I have created.
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For never has man believed in me, as thou hast seest thou that ye
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are created after Mine own image. Yea, even all men were created in
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the beginning after mine own image. Behold, this body, which ye now
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behold, is the body of my Spirit. And man have I created after
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the body of my Spirit. And even as I appear unto thee to be
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in the spirit, while I appear unto my people in the flesh. And
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now as I moron, I said, I could not make a full account
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of these things which are written. Therefore it sufficeth me to say that Jesus
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showed himself unto this man in the spirit, even after the manner, and
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in the likeness of the same body, even as he showed himself unto the
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Nephites, and he ministered unto him, even as he ministered unto the Nephites.
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And all this that this man might know that he was God, because
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of the many great works which the Lord had shown unto him, and because
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of the knowledge of this man, he could not be kept from beholding within
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the veil. And he saw the finger of Jesus, which when he saw
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he fell with fear, for he knew that it was the finger of the
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Lord, and he had faith no longer, for he knew nothing doubting.
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Wherefore, having this perfect knowledge of God, he could not be kept from
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within the veil. Therefore he saw Jesus, and he did minister unto him.
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And it came to pass that the Lord said unto the brother of Jared,
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Behold, thou shalt not suffer these things which ye have seen and heard
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to go forth unto the world, until the time cometh that I shall glorify
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my name in the flesh. Wherefore ye shall treasure up the things which ye
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have seen and heard, and show it to no man. And behold,
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when ye shall come unto me, ye shall write them and shall seal them
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up that no one can interpret them, for ye shall write them in a
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language that they cannot be read. And behold, these two stones will I
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give unto thee, and ye shall seal them up also with the things which
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ye shall write. For behold, the language which ye shall write, I
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have confounded wherefore I will cause in my own due time that these stones shall
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magnify to the eyes of men, these things which ye shall write. And
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when the Lord had said these words, he showed unto the brother of Jared
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all the inhabitants of the earth which had been, and also all that would
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be. And he withheld them not from his sight, even unto the ends
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of the earth. For he had said unto him in times before that if
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he would believe in him that he could show unto him all things, it
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should be shown unto him. Therefore the Lord could not withhold anything from him,
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for he knew that the Lord could show him all things. And the
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Lord said unto him, write these things and seal them up, and I
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will show them in mine own due time unto the children of men. And
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it came to pass that the Lord commanded him that he should seal up the
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two stones which he had received, and show them not until the Lord should
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show them unto the children of men ether chapter four. And the Lord commanded
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the brother of Jared to go down out of the mount from the presence of
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the Lord and write the things which he had seen. And they were forbidden
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to come unto the children of men until after that he should be lifted up
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upon the cross. And for this cause did King Mosiah keep them that they
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should not come into the world until after Christ should show himself unto the people.
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And after Christ truly had shown himself unto his people, he commanded that
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they should be made manifest. And now after that they have all dwindled an
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unbelief, and there is none save it be the Lamanites, and they have
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rejected the Gospel of Christ. Therefore I am commanded that I should hide them
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up again in the earth. Behold, I have written upon these plates the
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very things which the brother of Jared saw. And there never were greater things
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made manifest than those which were made manifest unto the brother of Jared. Wherefore
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the Lord hath commanded me to write them, and I have written them,
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and he commanded me that I should seal them up. And he also hath
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commanded that I should seal up the interpretation thereof Wherefore I have sealed up the
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interpreters according to the commandment of the Lord. For the Lord said unto me,
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they shall not go forth unto the gentiles until the day that they shall
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repent of their iniquity and become clean before the Lord. And in that day
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that they shall exercise faith in me, Saith the Lord, even as the
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brother of Jared did, that they may become sanctified in me. Then will
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I manifest unto them the things which the brother of Jared saw, even to
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the unfolding unto them all my revelations, Saith Jesus Christ, the Son of
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God, the Father of the heavens and of the earth, and all things
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that in them are. And he that will contend against the word of the
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Lord, let him be accursed. And he that shall deny these things,
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let him be accursed. Friend to them, Will I show no greater things,
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Saith Jesus Christ. For I am he who speaketh. And at my
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command the heavens are opened and are shut. And at my word the earth
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shall shake, and at my command the inhabitants thereof shall pass away. Even
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so is by fire. And he that believeth not my words, believeth not
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my disciples. And if it so be that I do not speak, judge
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ye, for ye shall know that it is I that speaketh at the last
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Day. But he that believeth these things which I have spoken him will I
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visit with the manifestations of my spirit, and he shall know and bear record.
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For because of my spirit, he shall know that these things are true.
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For it persuadeth men to do good. And whatsoever thing persuadeth men to
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do good, is of me. For good cometh of none, save it
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be of me. I am the same that leadeth men to all good.
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He that will not believe my words will not believe me that I am.
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And he that will not believe me will not believe the Father who sent me.
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For Behold, I am the Father. I am the Light and the
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life and the truth of the world. World. Come unto me, o,
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you gentiles, and I will show unto you the greater things, the
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knowledge which is hit up because of unbelief. Come unto me, o,
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ye house of Israel, and it shall be made manifest unto you, how
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great things the Father hath laid up for you from the foundation of the world,
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and it hath not come unto you because of unbelief. Behold, when
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ye shall render that veil of unbelief which hath cause you to remain in your
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awful state of wickedness and hardness of heart and blindness of mind, then shall
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the great and marvelous things which have been hit up from the foundation of the
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world from you, YEA. When ye shall call upon the Father in my
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name with a broken heart and a contrite spirit, then shall ye know that
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the Father hath remembered the covenant which ye made unto your fathers, O house
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of Israel. And then shall my revelations, which I have caused to be
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written by my servant John, be unfolded in the eyes of all the people.
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Remember, when ye see these things, ye shall know that the time
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is at hand that they shall be made manifest in the very deed. Therefore,
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when ye shall receive this record, ye may know that the work of
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the Father has commenced upon all the face of the land. Therefore, repent
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all ye ends of the earth, and come unto Me and believe in my
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Gospel, and be baptized in my name. For he that believeth and is
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baptized shall be saved. But he that believeth not shall be damned, and
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signs shall follow them that believe in my name. And blessed is he that
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is found faithful unto my name with the last day, for he shall be
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lifted up to dwell in the kingdom prepared for him from the foundation of the
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world. And behold, it is I that hath spoken it Amen. End
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of Ether, Chapters one through four.