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

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Mormon chapter four up to the Book of Ether Mormon chapter four. And now
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it came to pass that in the three hundred and sixty and third year,
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the Nephites did go up with their armies to battle against the Lamanites out of
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the land Desolation. And it came to pass that the armies of the Nephites
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were driven back again to the land of Desolation. And while they were yet
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weary, a fresh army of the Lamanites did come upon them, and they
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had a sore battle, insomuch that the Lamanites did take possession of the city
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Desolation, and did slay many of the Nephites, and did take many prisoners,
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and the remainder did flee and join the inhabitants of the city Tiancum.
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Now the city Tiancum lay the borders by the seashore, and it was also
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near the city Desolation. And it was because the armies of the Nephites went
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up unto the Lamanites that they began to be smitten. For were it not
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for that, the Lamanites could have had no power over them. But behold,
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the judgments of God will overtake the wicked, And it is by the
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wicked that the wicked are punished, for it is the wicked that stir up
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the hearts of the children of men unto bloodshed. And it came to pass
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that the Lamanites did make preparations to come against the city Tiancum, and it
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came to pass in the three one hundred and sixty and fourth year the Lamanites
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did come against the city Tiancum, that they might take possession of the city
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Tiancum also, and it came to pass that they were pulsed and driven back
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by the Nephytes. And when the Nephites saw that they had driven the Lamanites,
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they did again boast of their own strength, and they went forth in
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their own might and took possession again of the city Desolation. And now all
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these things had been done, and there had been thousands slain on both sides,
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both the Nephytes and the Lamanites. And it came to pass that the
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three hundred and sixty and sixth year had passed away, and the Lamanites came
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again upon the Nephites to battle. And yet the Nephites repented not of the
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evil they had done, but persisted in their wickedness continually, and it is
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impossible for the tongue to describe, or for man to write a perfect description
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of the horrible scene of the blood and carnage which was among the people,
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both of the Nephites and of the Lamanites. And every heart was hardened,
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so that they delighted in the shedding of blood continually. And there never had
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been so great wickedness among all the children of Lehi, nor even among all
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the House of Israel, according to the words of the Lord, as was
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among this people. And it came to pass that the Lamanites did take possession
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of the city Desolation, and this because their number did exceed the number of
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the Nephites. And they did also march forward against the city Tiancum, and
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did drive the inhabitants forth out of her, and did take many prisoners,
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both women and children, and did offer them up as sacrifices unto their idol
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gods. And it came to pass that in the three one hundred and sixty
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and seventh year, the Nephtes, being angry because the Lamanites had sacrificed their
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women and their children, that they did go against the Lamanites with exceedingly great
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anger, insomuch that they did beat again the Lamanites and drive them out of
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their lands. And the Lamanites did not come again against the Nephytes until the
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three one hundred and seventy and fifth year. And in this year they did
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come down against the Knphtes with all their powers, and they were not numbered
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because of the greatness of their number. And from this time forth did the
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Nephites gain no power over the Lamanites, but began to be swept off by
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them, even as a do before the sun. And it came to pass
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that the Lamanites did come down against the city Desolation, and there was an
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exceedingly sore battle fought in the land Desolation, in which they did beat the
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Nephites, and they fled again from before them, and they came to the
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city Boaz, and there they did stand against the Lamanites with exceeding boldness,
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insomuch that the Lamanites did not beat them until they had come again the second
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time. And when they had come the second time, the Nephites were driven
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and slaughtered with an exceedingly great slaughter. Their women and their children were again
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sacrificed unto idols, and it came to pass that the Nephites did again flee
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from before them, taking all the inhabitants with them, both in towns and
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villages. And now I Mormon, seeing that the Laymanis were about to overthrow
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the land. Therefore I did go to the hill Shim and did take up
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all the records which Amarn had hid up unto the Lord Mormon, Chapter five.
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And it came to pass that I did go forth among the Nephites and
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did repent of the oath which I had made, that I would no more
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assist them. And they gave me command again of their armies. For they
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looked upon me as though I could deliver them from their afflictions. But behold,
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I was without hope, for I knew the judgments of the Lord which
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should come upon them. And they repented not of their iniquities, but did
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struggle for their lives without calling upon that being who created them. And it
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came to pass that the Lamanites did come against us, as we had fled
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to the city of Jordan. But behold, they were driven back, that
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they did not take the city at that time. And it came to pass
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that they came against us again, and we did maintain the city. And
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there were also other cities which were maintained by Nephites, which strongholds did cut
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them off when they could not get into the country which lay before us,
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to destroy the inhabitants of our land. And it came to pass that whatsoever
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lands we had passed by, and the inhabitants thereof were not gathered in,
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were destroyed by the Lamanites, and their towns and villages and cities were burned
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with fire. And thus three hundred and seventy and nine years passed away,
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and it came to pass that in the three hundred and eightieth year, the
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Lamanites did come again against us to battle, and we did stand against them
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boldly, but it was all in vain, for so great were their numbers
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that they did tread the people of the Nephites under their feet. And it
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came to pass that we did again take to flight, and those whose flight
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was swifter than the Lamanites did escape, and those whose flight did not exceed
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the Lamanites were swept down and destroyed. And now behold, I Mormon do
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not desire to harrow up the souls of men in casting before them such an
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awful scene of blood and carnage, as was laid before mine eyes. But
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I knowing that these things must surely be made known, and that all things
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which are hid must be revealed upon the housetops. And also that a knowledge
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of these things must come unto the remnant of this people, and also unto
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the gentiles, who the Lord hath said should scatter this people, and this
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people should be counted as not among them. Therefore I write a small abridgment,
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daring not to give a full account of the things which I have seen,
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because of the commandment which I have received, and also that ye might
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not have too great sorrow because of the wickedness of this people. And now
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behold this I speak unto their seed, and also to the gentiles who have
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care for the House of Israel, that realize and know from whence their blessings
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come. For I know that such will sorrow for the calamity of the House
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of Israel. Yea, they will sorrow for the destruction of this people.
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They will sorrow that this people had not repented, that they might have been
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clasped in the arms of Jesus. Now these things are written unto the remnant
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of the House of Jacob. And they are written after this manner, because
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it is known of God that wickedness will not bring them forth unto them,
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And they are to be hid up unto the Lord, that they may come
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forth in his own due time. And this is the commandment which I have
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received. And behold, they shall come forth according to the commandment of the
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Lord, when he shall see fit in his wisdom. And behold they shall
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go unto the unbelieving of the Jews. And for this intent shall they go,
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that they may be persuaded that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of
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the Living God, that the Father may bring about through his most beloved,
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his great and an eternal purpose, in restoring the Jews of all the House
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of Israel to the land of their inheritance, which the Lord their God hath
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given them unto the fulfilling of his covenant. And also that the seed of
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this people may more fully believe His gospel, which shall go forth unto them
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from the Gentiles. For this people shall be scattered and shall become a dark,
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a filthy, and a loathsome people beyond the description of that whichever hath
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been amongst us, yea even that which hath been among the Lamanites. And
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this because of their unbelief and idolatry. For behold, the spirit of the
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Lord Hath already ceased to strive with their fathers. And they are without Christ
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and God in the world, and they are driven out as chaff before the
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wind. They were once a delightsome people, and they had Christ for their
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shepherd. Yea, they were led even by God the Father. But now
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behold, they are led about by Satan, even as chaff is driven before
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the wind, or as a vessel is tossed about upon the waves without sail
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or anchor, or without anything wherewith to steer her. And even as she
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is, so are they. And behold, the Lord hath reserved their blessings
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which they might have received in the land, for the gentiles, who shall
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possess the land. But behold, it shall come to pass that they shall
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be driven and scattered by the gentiles. And after they have been driven and
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scattered by the gentiles, Behold, then will the Lord remember the covenant which
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he made aid unto Abraham and unto all the house of Israel. And also
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the Lord will remember the prayers of the righteous which have been put up unto
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him for them. And then, oh, ye gentiles, how can ye
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stand before the power of God, except ye shall repent and turn from your
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evil ways? Know ye not that ye are in the hands of God,
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Know ye not that He hath all power, and at his great command the
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earth shall be rolled together as a scroll. Therefore, repent ye and humble
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yourselves before Him, lest he shall come out in justice against you, lest
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a remnant of the seed of Jacob shall go forth among you as a lion
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and tear you in pieces. And there is none to deliver Mormon chapter And
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now I finish my record concerning the destruction of my people, the Nephites.
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And it came to pass that we did march forth before the Lamanites. And
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I Mormon wrote an epistle unto the King of the Lamanites, and desired of
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him that he would grant unto us, that we might gather together our people
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unto the land of Camorra by a hill which was called Kimora, and there
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we could give them battle. And it came to pass that the King of
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the Lamanites did grant unto me the thing which I desired. And it came
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to pass that we did march forth to the land of Camorra, and we
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did pitch our tents around about the hill Camora. And it was in a
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land of many waters, rivers and fountains. And here we had hoped to
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gain advantage over the Lamanites. And when three hundred and eighty and four years
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had passed away, we had gathered in all the remainder of our people unto
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the land of Kimora. And it came to pass that when we had gathered
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in all our people in one to the land of Camora, behold, I
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Mormon, began to be old, and knowing it to be the last struggle
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of my people, and having been commanded of the Lord, that I should
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not suffer the records which had been handed down by our fathers, which were
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sacred, to fall into the hands of the Lamanites, for the Lamanites would
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destroy them. Therefore I made this record out of the plates of Nephi,
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and hid up in the hill Camorra. All the records which had been entrusted
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to me by the hand of the Lord. Save it worth these few plates
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which I gave unto my son Moroni. And it came to pass that my
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people, with their wives and their children. Did now behold the armies of
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the Lamanites marching towards them, And with that awful fear of death which fills
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the breasts of all the wicked, did they await to receive them. And
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it came to pass that they came to battle against us, And every soul
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was filled with terror because of the greatness of their numbers. And it came
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to pass that they did fall upon my people with the sword, and with
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the bow, and with the arrow, and with the axe, and with
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all manner of weapons of war. And it came to pass that my men
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were hewn down. Yea, even my ten thousand who were with me and
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I fell wounded in the midst and they passed by me, that they did
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not put an end to my life. And when they had gone through and
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hewn down all my people save it were twenty and four of us, among
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whom was my son Moroni. And we, having survived the dead of our
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people, did behold on the morrow, when the Lamanites had returned unto their
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camps, from the top of the hill Camora, the ten thousand of my
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people who were hewn down, being led in the front by me, and
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we also beheld the ten thousand of my people who were led by my son
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Moroni. And behold, the ten thousand of Gidgidona had fallen, and he
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also in the midst and Laima had fallen with his ten thousand, and Gilgal
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had fallen with his ten thousand, and Limha had fallen with his ten thousand,
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and Genium had fallen with his ten thousand. And Kumniha and Moroniha,
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and Antionum and Shiblom and Shem and Josh had fallen with their ten thousand each.
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And it came to pass that there were ten more who did fall by
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the sword with their ten thousand each. Yea, even all my people save
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it were those twenty and four who were with me, And also a few
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who had escaped into the south countries, and a few who had deserted over
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unto the Lamanites had fallen. And their flesh and bones and blood lay upon
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the face of the earth, being left by the hands of those who slew
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them to molder upon the land and to crumble, and to return to their
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mother earth. And my soul was rent with anguish because of the slain of
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my people. And I cried, oh ye fair ones, How could ye
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have departed from the ways of the Lord? Oh, ye, fair ones,
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how could ye have rejected that Jesus, who stood with open arms to
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receive you. Behold, if ye had not done this, ye would not
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have fallen. But behold, ye are fallen. And I mourn your loss.
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Oh ye fair sons and daughters, Ye fathers and mothers, Ye husbands
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and wives. Ye, fair ones, how is it that ye could have
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fallen? But behold, ye are gone, And my sorrows cannot bring your
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return. And the day soon cometh that your mortal must put on immortality.
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And these bodies, which are now moldering in corruption, must soon become incorruptible
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bodies. And then ye must stand before the judgment seed of Christ, to
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be judged according to your works. And if it so be that ye are
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righteous, then are ye blessed with your fathers who have gone before you.
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Oh that ye had repented before this great destruction had come upon you. But
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behold, ye are gone. And the Father, YEA, the eternal Father
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of Heaven, knoweth your state, and he doeth with you according to his
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justice and mercy Mormon chapter seven. And now behold, I would speak somewhat
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unto the remnant of this people who are spared, if it so be that
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God may give unto them my words, that they may know of the things
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of their fathers. Yea I speak unto you, ye remnant of the House
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of Israel, And these are the words which I speak. Know ye that
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ye are of the House of Israel. Know ye that ye must come unto
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repentance, or ye cannot be saved. Know ye that ye must lay down
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your weapons of war, and delight no more in the shedding of blood,
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and take them not again, save it be that God shall command you.
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Know ye that ye must come to the knowledge of your fathers, and repent
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of all your sins and iniquities. And believe in Jesus Christ, that he
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is the son of God, and that he was slain by the Jews,
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and by the power of the Father. He hath risen again, whereby he
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hath gained the victory over the grave. And also in him is the sting
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of death swallowed up. And he bringeth to pass the resurrection of the dead,
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whereby man must be raised to stand before his judgment seat. And he
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hath brought to pass the redemption of the world, whereby he that is found
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guiltless before him at the judgment day, hath it given unto him to dwell
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in the presence of God in his kingdom, to sing ceaseless praises with the
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choirs above, unto the Father and unto the Son, and unto the Holy
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Ghost, which are one God, in a state of happiness which hath no
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end. Therefore, repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus, and
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lay hold upon the Gospel of Christ, which shall be set by for you,
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not only in this record, but also in the record which shall come
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unto the Gentiles from the Jews, which records shall come from the Gentiles unto
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you. For behold, this is written for the intent that ye may believe
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that. And if ye believe that, ye will believe this also. And
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if you believe this, ye will know concerning your father's and also the marvelous
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works which were wrought by the power of God among them. And ye will
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also know that ye are a remnant of the seed of Jacob. Therefore ye
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are numbered among the people of the First Covenant. And if it so be
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that ye believe in Christ and are baptized first with water, then with fire
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and with the Holy Ghost, following the example of our Savior, according to
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that which he hath commanded us, it shall be well with you in the
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day of judgment, Amen, Mormon chapter eight. Behold, I Moronai,
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do finish the record of my father Mormon. Behold, I have but few
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things to write, which things I have been commanded by my father. And
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now it came to pass that after the great and tremendous battle at Kimora.
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Behold, the Nephites, who had escaped into the country southward, were hunted
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by the Lamanites until they were all destroyed, and my father also was killed
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by them. And I even remain alone to write the sad tale of the
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destruction of my people. But behold, they are gone, and I fulfill
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the commandment of my father. And whether they slay me I know not.
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Therefore I will write and hide up the records in the earth, and whither
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I go it mattereth not. Behold, my father hath made this record,
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and he hath written the intent thereof, And behold, I would write it
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also if I had room upon the plates. But I have not, and
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or I have none, for I am alone. My father hath been slain
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in battle, and all my kinsfolk, and I have not friends, nor
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whither to go. And how long the Lord will suffer that I may live,
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I know not. Behold, four hundred years have passed away since the
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coming of our Lord and Savior. And behold, the Lamanites have hunted my
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people, the Nephites, down from city to city and from place to place,
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even until they are no more. And great has been their fall.
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Yea, great and marvelous is the destruction of my people, the Nephites.
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And behold it is the hand of the Lord which hath done it. And
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behold also the Lamanites are at war one with another, and the whole face
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of this land is one continual round of murder and bloodshed, and no one
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knoweth the end of the war. And now behold, I say no more
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concerning them, for there are none save it be the Lamanites and robbers that
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do exist upon the face of the land. And there are none that do
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know the True God, save it be the disciples of Jesus, who did
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tarry in the land until the wickedness of the people was so great that the
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Lord would not suffer them to remain with the people, and whether they be
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upon the face of the land, no man knoweth. But behold, my
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father and I have seen them, and they have ministered unto us. And
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whoso receiveth this record and shall not condemn it because of the imperfections which are
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in it, the same shall know of greater things than these. Behold,
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I am Moronai, and were it possible, I would make all things known
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unto you. Behold, I make an end of speaking concerning this people.
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I am the son of Mormon, and my father was a descendant of Nephi.
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And I am the same who hideth up this record unto the Lord.
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The plates thereof are of no worth because of the commandment of the Lord,
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for he truly saith that no one shall have them to get gain. But
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the record thereof is of great worth. And whoso shall bring it to light
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him will the Lord bless for none can have power to bring it to light,
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save it be given him of God. For God gives that it shall
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be done with an eye single to His glory or the welfare of the ancient
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and long dispersed covenant people of the Lord. And blessed be he that shall
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bring this thing to light. For it shall be brought out of darkness unto
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light, according to the word of God. Yeay, it shall be brought
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out of the earth, and it shall shine forth out of darkness and come
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unto the knowledge of the people. And it shall be done by the power
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of God. And if there be faults, they be the faults of a
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man. But behold, we know no fault. Nevertheless, God, God
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knoweth all things. Therefore, he that condemneth, let him be aware,
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lest he shall be in danger of hell fire. And he that saith show
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unto me, or ye shall be smitten. Let him beware, lest he
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commandeth that which is forbidden of the Lord. For behold, the same that
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judgeth rashly shall be judged rashly again. For according to his works shall his
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wages be. Therefore, he that smiteth shall be smitten again of the Lord.
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Behold what the scripture says, men shall not smite, neither shall he
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judge. For judgment is mine, saith the Lord. And vengeance is mine
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also. And I will repay. And he that shall breathe out wrath and
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strifes against the work of the Lord and against the covenant people the Lord,
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who are the House of Israel, and shall say, we will destroy the
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work of the Lord. And the Lord will not remember his covenant which he
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hath made unto the House of Israel. The same is in danger to be
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hewn down and cast into the fire. For the eternal purposes of the Lord
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shall roll on until all his promises shall be fulfilled. Search the prophecies of
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Isaiah. Behold, I cannot write them. Yea. Behold, I say
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unto you that those saints who have gone before me, who have possessed this
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land, shall cry. Yea, even from the dust will they cry unto
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the Lord. And as the Lord liveth, he will remember the covenant which
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he hath made with them. And he knoweth their prayers, that they were
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in behalf of their brethren, and he knoweth their faith. For in his
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name could they remove mountains, And in his name could they cause the earth
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to shake. And by the power of His word did they cause prisons to
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tumble to the earth. Yea, even as the fiery furnace could not harm
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them, neither wild beasts nor poisonous serpents, because of the power of His
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word. And behold, their prayers were also in behalf of Him. That
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the Lord should suffer to bring these things forth, And no one need say
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they shall not come, for they surely shall, for the Lord hath spoken
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it. For out of the earth shall they come, by the hand of
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the Lord. And none can stay it. And it shall come in a
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day when it shall be said that miracles are done away. And it shall
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come even as if one should speak from the dead. And it shall come
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in a day when the blood of saints shall cry unto the Lord because of
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the secret combinations and the works of darkness. Yay, it shall come in
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a day when the power of God shall be denied, and churches become defiled
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and be lifted up in the pride of their hearts. Yay, even in
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a day when leaders of churches and teachers shall rise in the pride of their
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hearts, even to the envying of them who belong to their churches. Yay.
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It shall come in a day when there shall be heard of fires and
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tempests and vapors of smoke in foreign lands, and there shall also be heard
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of wars, rumors of wars, and earthquakes in diverse places. Yay,
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it shall come in a day when there shall be great pollutions upon the face
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of the earth. There shall be murders and robbing, and lying, and
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deceivings, and horedoms, and all manner of abominations. When there shall be
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many who will say, do this or do that, And it mattereth not,
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for the Lord will uphold such at the last day. But woe unto
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such, for they are in the gall of bitterness and in the bonds of
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iniquity. Yea, it shall come in a day when there shall be churches
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built up that shall say, come unto me, and for your money,
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you shall be forgiven of your sins. Oh, ye wicked and perverse and
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stiff necked people. Why have ye built up churches unto your cells to get
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gain? Why have ye transfigured the Holy Word of God? That ye might
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bring damnation upon your souls. Behold, look ye unto the revelations of God.
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For behold, the time cometh at that day when all these things must
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be fulfilled. Behold, the Lord hath shown unto me great and marvelous things
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concerning that which must shortly come. At that day when these things shall come
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forth among you. Behold, I speak unto you as if ye were present,
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and yet ye are not. But Behold, Jesus Christ hath shown you
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unto me, and I know your doing, and I know that ye do
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walk in the pride of your hearts. And there are none save a few
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only, who do not lift themselves up in the pride of their hearts.
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Unto the wearing of ye fine apparel, unto envying and strifes, and malice
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and persecutions, and all manner of iniquities. And your churches, yea,
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even everyone have become polluted because of the pride of your hearts. For behold,
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ye do love money and your substance, and your fine apparel, and
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the adorning of your churches, more than ye love the poor and the needy,
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the sick and the afflicted. Oh, ye pollutions, ye hypocrites,
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ye teachers, who sell yourselves for that which will canker. Why have ye
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polluted the Holy Church of God? Why are ye ashamed to take upon you
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the name of Christ? Why do ye not think that greater is the value
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of an endless happiness than that misery which never die because of the praise of
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the world. Why do ye adorn yourselves with that which hath no life,
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and yet suffer the hungry and the needy, and the naked, and the
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sick and the afflicted, to pass by you and notice them not, yea,
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why do ye build up your secret abominations to get gain and cause that
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widows should mourn before the Lord, and also orphans to mourn before the Lord,
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and also the blood of their fathers and their husbands to cry unto the
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Lord from the ground for vengeance upon your heads. Behold, the sword of
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vengeance hangeth over you. And the time soon cometh that he avengeth the blood
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of the saints upon you, for he will not suffer their cries any longer.
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Mormon, chapter nine. And now I speak also concerning those who do
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not believe in Christ. Behold, will ye believe in the day of your
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visitation? Behold when the Lord shall come? Yea, even that great day
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when the earth shall be rolled together as a scroll, and the elements shall
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melt with fervent heat. YEA. In that great day, when ye shall
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be brought to stand before the lamb of God. Then will ye say that
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there is no God? Then will ye longer deny the Christ? Or can
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ye behold the Lamb of God? Do ye suppose that ye shall dwell with
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Him under a consciousness of your guilt. Do ye suppose that ye could be
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happy to dwell with that Holy being when your souls are racked with a consciousness
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of guilt that ye have ever abused His laws. Behold, I say unto
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you that ye would be more miserable to dwell with a holy and just God
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under a consciousness of your filthiness before Him, than ye would to dwell with
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the damned souls in hell. For behold, when ye shall be brought to
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see your nakedness before God and also the glory of God and the holiness of
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Jesus Christ, it will kindle a flame of unquenchable fire upon you. Oh,
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then ye unbelieving, turn ye unto the Lord, cry mightily unto the
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Father in the name of Jesus, that perhaps ye may be found spotless,
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pure, fair and white, having been cleansed by the blood of the Lamb
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at that great and last day. And again I speak unto you who deny
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the revelations of God and say that they are done away, that there are
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no revelations, nor prophecies, nor gifts, nor healing, nor speaking with
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tongues and the interpretation of tongues. Behold, I say unto you, he
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that denieth these things knoweth not the Gospel of Christ. Yea, he has
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not read the scriptures. If so, he does not understand them. For
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do we not read that God is the same yesterday, today and forever,
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and in him there is no variableness, neither shadow of changing. And Now,
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if ye have imagined up unto yourselves a God who doth vary, and
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in whom there is shadow of changing, then have ye imagined up unto yourselves
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a God who is not God of miracles. But behold, I will show
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unto you a god of miracles, even the God of Abraham, and the
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God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And it is that same
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God who created the heavens and the earth and all things that in them are.
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Behold, he created Adam, and by Adam came the fall of man.
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And because of the fall of man came Jesus Christ, even the Father
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and the Son. And because of Jesus Christ came the redemption of man.
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And because of the redemption of man which came by Jesus Christ, they are
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brought back into the presence of the Lord. Yea, this is wherein all
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men are redeemed, because the death of Christ bringeth to pass the resurrection,
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which bringeth to pass, a redemption from an endless sleep, from which sleep
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all men shall be awakened by the power of God. When the trumph shall
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sound, and they shall come forth, both small and great, and all
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shall stand before His bar, being redeemed and loose from this eternal band of
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death, which death is a temporal death. And then cometh the judgment of
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the Holy One upon them. And then cometh the time that he that is
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filthy shall be filthy still, and he that is righteous shall be righteous still.
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He that is happy shall be happy still, and he that is unhappy
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shall be unhappy still. And now, oh, all ye that have imagined
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up unto yourselves a God who can do no miracles, I would ask of
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you, have all these things passed of which I have spoken? Has the
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end come yet? Behold? I say unto you, nay. And God
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has not ceased to be a god of miracle. Behold, are not the
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things that God hath wrought marvelous in our eyes? Yea? And who can
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comprehend the marvelous works of God? Who shall say that it was not a
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miracle that by his word the heaven and the earth should be. And by
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the power of his word man was created of the dust of the earth.
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And by the power of his word have miracles been wrought? And who shall
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say that Jesus Christ did not many mighty miracles? And there were many mighty
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miracles wrought by the hands of the apostles. And if there were miracles wrought,
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then why has God ceased to be a god of miracles and yet be
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an unchangeable being? And behold, I say unto you, he changeth not,
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if so he would cease to be God. And he ceaseth not to
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be God, and is a God of miracles. And the reason why he
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ceaseth to do miracles among the children of men is because that they dwindle in
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unbelief and depart from the right way, and know not the God in whom
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they should trust. Behold, I say unto you that whoso believeth in Christ,
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doubting nothing whatsoever, he shall ask the Father in the name of Christ,
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it shall be granted him. And this promise is unto all, even
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unto the ends of the earth. For behold, thus said Jesus Christ,
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the Son of God, unto his disciples, who should tarry yea and also
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to all his disciples in the hearing of the multitude. Go ye into all
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the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature. And he that believeth
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and is baptized shall be saved. But he that believeth not shall be damned.
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And these signs shall follow. Them that believe in my name. Shall
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they cast out devils, They shall speak with new tongues. They shall take
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up serpents, and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt
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them. They shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.
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And whosoever shall believe in my name, doubting nothing unto him, will I
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confirm all my words, even unto the ends of the earth. And now
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behold, who can stand against the works of the Lord, Who can deny
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his sayings, Who will rise up against the almighty power of the Lord,
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Who will despise the works of the Lord, who will despise the children of
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Christ. Behold all ye, ye who are despisers of the works of the
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Lord, For ye shall wonder and perish. Oh, then despise not and
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wonder not. But hearken unto the words of the Lord, and ask the
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Father in the name of Jesus, for what things soever ye shall stand in
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need. Doubt not, but be believing, and begin as in times of
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old, and come unto the Lord with all your heart, and work out
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your own salvation with fear and trembling before him. Be wise in the days
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of your probation, strip yourselves of all uncleanness. Ask not that ye may
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consume it on your lusts, but ask with a firmness, unshaken, that
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ye will yield to no temptation, but that ye will serve the True and
45:57
Living God. See that ye are not baptized unworthily, See that ye partake
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not of the sacrament of Christ unworthily. But see that ye do all things
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in worthiness, and do it in the name of Jesus Christ, the Son
46:15
of the Living God. And if ye do this and endure to the end,
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ye will in no wise be cast out. Behold, I speak unto
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you as though I spake from the dead, For I know that ye shall
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have my words. Condemn me not because of mine imperfection, neither my Father
46:37
because of his imperfection, neither them who have written before him. But rather
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give thanks unto God that he hath made manifest unto you our imperfections, that
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ye may learn to be more wise than we have been. And now behold,
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we have written this record according to our knowledge, in the characters which
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are called among us the Reformed Egyptian being handed down and altered by us according
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to our manner of speech. And if our plates had been sufficiently large,
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we should have written in Hebrew. But the Hebrew hath been altered by us
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also. And if we could have written in Hebrew, behold, ye would
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have had no imperfection in our record. But the Lord knoweth the things which
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we have written, and also that none other people knoweth our language. And
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because that none other people knoweth our language, therefore he hath prepared means for
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the interpretation thereof. And these things are written that we may rid our garments
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of the blood of our brethren who have dwindled in unbelief. And behold,
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these things which we have desired concerning our brethren, yea, even their restoration
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to the nulge of Christ, are according to the prayers of all the saints
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who have dwelt in the land. And may the Lord Jesus Christ grant that
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their prayers may be answered according to their faith. And may God the Father
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remember the covenant which he hath made with the House of Israel, and may
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He bless them forever through faith on the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
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End of Mormon, chapter four, up to the Book of Ether.