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

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Morona, Chapter eight, an epistle of my father Mormon written to me,
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Morone. And it was written unto me soon after my calling to the ministry.
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And on this wise did he write unto me, saying, my beloved
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son, Morona, I rejoice exceedingly that your Lord Jesus Christ hath been mindful
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of you, and hath called you to his ministry and to his holy work.
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I am mindful of you always in my prayers, continually prying unto God
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the Father, in the name of his holy child Jesus, that He,
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through his infinite goodness and grace, will keep you through the endurance of faith
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on his name to the end. And now, my son, I speak
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unto you concerning that which grieveth me exceedingly, for it grieveth me that there
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should be disputations rise among you. For if I have learned the truth,
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there have been disputations among you concerning the baptism of your little children. And
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now, my son, I desire that ye should labor diligently that this gross
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error should be removed from among you. For for this intent I have written
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this epistle. For immediately after I had learned these things of you, I
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inquired of the Lord concerning the matter. And the word of the Lord came
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to me by the power of the Holy Ghost, saying, listen to the
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words of Christ, your Redeemer, your Lord, and your God. Behold,
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I came into the world not to call the righteous, but sinners to
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repentance. The whole need no physician, but they that are sick. Wherefore
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little children are whole, for they are not capable of committing sin. Wherefore
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the curse of Adam is taken from them in me, that it hath no
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power over them, and the law of circumcision is done away in me.
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And after this manner did the Holy Ghost manifest the word of God unto me.
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Wherefore, my beloved son, I know that it is solemn mockery before
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God that ye should baptize little children. Behold, I say unto you that
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this thing shall ye teach repentance and baptism. Unto those who are accountable and
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capable of committing sin. Yea teach parents that they must repent and be baptized,
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and humble themselves as their little children, and they shall all be saved
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with their little children. And their little children need no repentance. Neither baptism.
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Behold, baptism is unto repentance, to the fulfilling the commandments, unto
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the remission of sins. But little children are alive in Christ even from the
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foundation of the world. If not so, God is a partial God,
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and also a changeable God, and a respector to persons. For how many
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little children have died without baptism. Wherefore, if little children could not be
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saved without baptism, these must have gone to an endless hell. Behold,
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I say unto you that he that supposeth that little children need baptism is in
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the gall of bitterness, and in the bonds of iniquity. For he hath
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neither faith, hope, nor charity. Wherefore should he be cut off,
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while in the thought he must go down to hell? For awful is the
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wickedness to suppose that God saveth one child because of baptism, and the other
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must perish because he hath no baptism. Well be unto them that shall pervert
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the ways of the Lord after this manner, for they shall perish except they
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repent. Behold, I speak with boldness, having authority from God, and
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I fear not what man can do. For perfect love casteth out all fear,
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and I am filled with charity, which is everlasting love. Wherefore all
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children are alike unto me. Wherefore I love little children with a perfect love,
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and they are all alike and partakers of salvation. For I know that
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God is not a partial God, neither a changeable being. But He is
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unchangeable from all eternity to all eternity. Little children cannot repent. Wherefore it
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is awful wickedness to deny the pure mercies of God unto them, for they
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are all alive in Him because of His mercy. And he that saith that
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little children need baptism denieth the mercies of Christ and setteth a naught the atonement
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of Him and the power of His redemption. Woe unto such, for they
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are in danger of death, hell and an endless torment. I speak it
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boldly. God hath commanded me listen unto them and give heed, or they
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stand against you at the judgment seat of Christ. For behold that all little
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children are alive in Christ, and also all they that are without the law.
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For the power of redemption cometh on all them that have no law.
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Wherefore, he that is not condemned or he that is under no condemnation cannot
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repent, And unto such baptism availeth nothing. But it is mockery before God,
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denying the mercies of Christ and the power of His Holy Spirit, and
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putting trust in dead works. Behold, my son, this thing ought not
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to be for repentance is unto them that are under condemnation and under the curse
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of a broken law. And the first fruits of repentance is baptism. And
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baptism cometh by faith unto the fulfilling the commandments. And the fulfilling the commandments
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bringeth remission of sins. And the remission of sins bringeth meekness and lowliness of
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heart. And because of meekness and lowliness of heart cometh the visitation of the
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Holy Ghost, which comfort her fillth with hope and perfect love, which love
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endureth by diligence unto prayer, until the end shall come, when all the
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saints shall dwell with God. Behold, my son, I will write unto
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you again if I go not out soon against the Lamanites. Behold, the
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pride of this nation or the people of the Nephites, hath proven their destruction
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except they should repent. Pray for them, my son, that repentance may
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come unto them. But behold, I fear lest the Spirit hath ceased striving
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with them. And in this part of the land they are also seeking to
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put down all power and authority which cometh from God. And they are denying
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the Holy Ghost. And after rejecting so great a knowledge, my son,
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they must perish, Son, unto the fulfilling of the prophecies which were spoken
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by the prophets, as well as the words of our Savior himself. Farewell,
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my son, until I shall write unto you, or shall meet you
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again, Amen, Moroni. Chapter nine, My loved son, I write
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unto you again that ye may know that I am yet alive. But I
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write somewhat of that which is grieve us. For behold, I have had
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a sore battle with the Lamanites, in which we did not conquer, and
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Archiantus has fallen by the sword, and also Lram and Amrod yea, and
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we have lost a great number of our choice men. And now behold,
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my son, I fear lest the Lamanites shall destroy this people, for they
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do not repent, and Satan stirreth them up continually to anger one with another.
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Behold, I am laboring with them continually, And when I speak the
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word of God with sharpness, they tremble in anger against me. And when
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I use no sharpness, they hearten their hearts against it. Wherefore I fear
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lest the spirit of the Lord hath ceased striving with them. For so exceedingly
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do they anger, that it seemeth me that they have no fear of death.
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And they have lost their love one towards another, and they thirst after
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blood and revenge continually. And now, my beloved son, notwithstanding their hardness,
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let us labor diligently, for if we should cease to labor, we
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should be brought under condemnation. For we have a labor to perform whilst in
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this tabernacle of clay, that we may conquer the enemy of all righteousness and
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rest our souls in the Kingdom of God. And now I write somewhat concerning
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the sufferings of this people, For according to the knowledge which I have received
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from Amaron. Behold, the Lamanites have many prisoners which they took from the
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Tower of Shariza. And there were men, women and children, and the
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husbands and fathers of those women and children they have slain, and they feed
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the women upon the flesh of their husbands, and the children upon the flesh
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of their fathers. And no water, save a little, do they give
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unto them. And notwithstanding this great abomination of the Lamanites, it doth not
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exceed that of our people in Moriantum. For behold, many of the daughters
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of the Lamanites have they taken prisoners. And after depriving them of that which
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was most dear and precious above all things, which is chastity and virtue.
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And after they had done this thing, they did murder them in a most
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cruel manner, torturing their bodies even unto death. And after they have done
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this, they devour their flesh like unto wild beasts, because of the hardness
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of their hearts, and they do it for a token of bravery. Oh,
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my beloved son, how can a people like this that are without civilization?
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And only a few years have passed away, and they were a civil
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and a delightsome people. But, oh, my son, how can a
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people like this whose delight is in so much abomination? How can we expect
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that God will stay his hand and judgment against us? Behold, my heart
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cries woe unto this people. Come out in judgment, O God, and
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hide their sins and wickedness and abominations from before thy face. And again,
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my son, there are many widows and their daughters who remain in Shariza,
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and that part of the provisions which the Lamanites did not carry away. Behold,
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the army of XENOPHI has carried away and left them to wander whithersoever they
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can for food. And many old women do faint by the way and die.
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And the army which is with me is weak. And the armies of
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the Lamanites are betwixt Shariza and me. And as many as have fled to
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the army of Arin hath fallen victims to their awful brutality. Oh, the
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depravity of my people. They are without order and without mercy. Behold,
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I am but a man, and I have but the strength of a man.
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And I cannot any longer enforce my commands. And they have become strong
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in their perversion. And they are alike brutal, sparing, none neither old
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nor young. And they delight in everything save that which is good, and
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the suffering of our women and our children, upon all the face of this
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land doth exceed everything. Yea tongue cannot tell, neither can it be written.
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And now my son, I dwell no longer upon this horrible scene.
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Behold, thou knowest the wickedness of this people. Thou knowest that they are
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without principle and past feeling, and their wickedness doth exceed that of the Lamanites.
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Behold, my son, I cannot recommend them unto God, lest he
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should smite me. But behold, my son, I recommend thee unto God.
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And I trust in Christ that thou wilt be saved. And I pray
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unto God that he will spare thy life to witness the return of his people
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unto Him, or their utter destruction. For I know that they must perish
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except they repent and return unto Him. And if they perish, it will
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be like unto the Jaredites, because of the wilfulness of their hearts, seeking
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for blood and revenge. And if it so be that they perish, we
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know that many of our brethren have deserted over unto the Lamanites, and many
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more will also desert over unto them. Wherefore, write somewhat a few things,
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if thou art spared, and I shall perish and not see THEE.
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But I trust that I may see THEE soon, for I have sacred records
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that I would deliver up unto THEE my son. Be faithful in Christ.
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And may not the things which I have written grieve THEE to weigh THEE down
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unto death. But may Christ lift THEE up. And may his sufferings and
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death and the showing his body unto our fathers, and his mercy and long
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suffering, and the hope of his glory and of eternal life rest in your
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mind forever. And may the grace of God, the Father, whose throne
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is high in the heavens, and our Lord Jesus Christ, who sitteth on
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the right hand of his power, until all things shall become subject unto Him,
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be and abide with you forever, Amen, Moroni. Chapter ten.
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Now I, Moron, I write somewhat as seemeth me good. And I
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write unto my brethren, the Lamanites, And I would that they should know
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that more than four hundred and twenty years have passed away since the sign was
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given of the coming of Christ. And I seal up these records after I
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have spoken a few words by way of exhortation unto you. Behold, I
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would exhort you that when ye shall read these things, if it be wisdom
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in God, that ye should read them, that ye would remember how merciful
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the Lord hath been unto the children of men, from the creation of Adam,
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even down unto the time that ye shall receive thee these things and ponder
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it in your hearts. And when ye shall receive these things, I would
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exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name
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of Christ, if these things are not true, And if ye shall ask
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with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he
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will manifest the truth of it unto you by the power of the Holy Ghost.
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And by the power of the Holy Ghost, ye may know the truth
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of all things. And whatsoever thing is good, is just and true.
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Wherefore, nothing that is good denieth the Christ, but acknowledgeth that he is,
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and ye may know that he is by the power of the Holy Ghost.
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Wherefore I would exhort you that ye deny not the power of God,
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for He worketh by power according to the faith of the children of men,
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the same to day, and tomorrow and forever. And again I exhort you,
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my brethren, that ye deny not the gifts of God. For they
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are many, and they come from the same God. And there are different
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ways that these gifts are administered, But it is the same God who worketh
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all in all. And they are given by the manifestations of the Spirit of
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God, unto men to profit them. For behold, to one is given
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by the Spirit of God, that he may teach the word of wisdom,
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and to another that he may teach the word of knowledge by the same spirit.
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And to another exceedingly great faith, and to another the gifts of healing
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by the same spirit, and again to another that he may work mighty miracles,
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and again to another that he may prophesy concerning all things, and again
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to another the beholding of angels and ministering spirits, and again to another all
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kinds of tongues, and again to another the interpretation of languages, and of
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diverse kinds of time ungs. And all these gifts come by the Spirit of
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Christ, and they come unto every man severally according as ye will. And
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I would exhort you, my beloved brethren, that ye remember that every good
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gift cometh of Christ. And I would exhort you, my beloved brethren,
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that ye remember that He is the same, yesterday, to day and forever,
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and that all these gifts of which I have spoken, which are spiritual,
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never will be done away, even as long as the world shall stand,
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only according to the unbelief of the children of men. Wherefore there must
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be faith. And if there must be faith, there must also be hope.
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And if there must be hope, there must also be charity. And
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except ye have charity, ye can in no wise be saved in the Kingdom
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of God. Neither can ye be saved in the Kingdom of God, if
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ye have not faith. Neither can ye if ye have no hope. And
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if ye have no hope, ye must needs be in despair. And despair
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cometh because of iniquity. And Christ truly said unto our fathers, if ye
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have faith, ye can do all things which are expedient unto me. And
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now I speak unto all the ends of the earth, that if the day
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cometh that the power and gifts of God shall be done away among you,
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it shall be because of unbelief, and woe be unto the children of men.
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If this be the case, for there shall be none that doeth good
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among you, know not one. For if there be one among you that
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doeth good, ye shall work by the power and gifts of God. And
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woe unto them who shall do these things away and die, for they die
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in their sins, and they cannot be saved in the Kingdom of God.
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And I speak it according to the words of Christ. And I lie not,
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And I exhort you to remember these things, for the time speedily cometh
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that ye shall now that I lie not, for ye shall see me at
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the bar of God, and the Lord God will say unto you. Did
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I not declare my words unto you, which were written by this man,
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like as one crying from the dead. Yea, even as one speaking out
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of the dust. I declare these things unto the fulfilling of the prophecies.
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And behold, they shall proceed forth out of the mouth of the Everlasting God,
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and his word shall hiss forth from generation to generation. And God shall
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shew unto you that that which I have written is true. And again I
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would exhort you that ye would come unto Christ and lay hold upon every good
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gift and touch not the evil gift, nor the unclean thing, and awake
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and arise from the dust, O Jerusalem, yea, and put on thy
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beautiful garments, O, Daughter of Zion, and strengthen thy stakes and enlarge
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thy borders, forever that thou mayest no more be confounded, that the covenants
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of the Eternal Father, which he hath made unto thee O House of Israel,
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may be fulfilled. YEA, come unto Christ and be perfected in Him,
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and deny yourselves of all ungodliness. And if ye shall deny yourselves of
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all ungodliness and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then
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is His grace sufficient for you, that by His grace ye may be perfect
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in Christ. And if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ,
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ye can in no wise deny the power of God. And again,
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if ye, by the grace of God, are perfect in Christ and deny
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not His power, then are ye sanctified in Christ by the grace of God
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through the shedding of the Blood of Christ, which is in the covenant of
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the Father. Unto the remission of your sins, that ye become wholly without
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spot. And now I bid unto all farewell. I soon go to rest
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in the Paradise of God, until my spirit and body shall again reunite.
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And I am brought forth triumphant through the air to meet you before the pleasing
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bar of the Great Jehovah, the eternal judge of both quick and dead,
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Amen, And of Moroni, Chapters eight through ten.