Latest / Philosophy and Faith / 36 - Book of Mormon - Joseph Smith Jr
Transcript
- 0:00Speaker 1: Almah chapter thirty eight, My son, give her to my words.
- 0:05Speaker 1: For I say unto you, even as I said unto Helaman,
- 0:08Speaker 1: that inasmuch as ye shall keep the commandments of God,
- 0:10Speaker 1: ye shall prosper in the land. And inasmuch as ye
- 0:13Speaker 1: will not keep the commandments of God, ye shall be
- 0:16Speaker 1: cut off from His presence. And now, my son, I
- 0:19Speaker 1: trust that I shall have great joy in you because
- 0:22Speaker 1: of your steadiness and your faithfulness unto God. For as
- 0:26Speaker 1: you have commenced in your youth to look to the
- 0:29Speaker 1: Lord your God, even so I hope that ye will
- 0:32Speaker 1: continue in keeping his commandments. For blessed is he that
- 0:36Speaker 1: endurest to the end. I say unto you, my son,
- 0:40Speaker 1: that I have had great joy in THEE already because
- 0:43Speaker 1: of thy faithfulness and thy diligence, and thy patience and
- 0:46Speaker 1: thy long suffering among the people of the Zoramites. For
- 0:50Speaker 1: I know that thou west in bonds yea. And I
- 0:53Speaker 1: also know that thou hast stoned for the Word's sake,
- 0:57Speaker 1: and thou didst bear all these things with patience, be
- 1:00Speaker 1: because the Lord was with thee. And now thou knowest
- 1:03Speaker 1: that the Lord did deliver thee and Now, my son, Shaiblon,
- 1:07Speaker 1: I would that ye should remember that as much as
- 1:09Speaker 1: ye shall put your trust in God, even so much
- 1:12Speaker 1: ye shall be delivered out of your trials and your
- 1:15Speaker 1: troubles and your afflictions, and ye shall be lifted up
- 1:18Speaker 1: at the last day. Now, my son, I would not
- 1:21Speaker 1: that ye should think that I know these things of myself.
- 1:24Speaker 1: But it is the Spirit of God which is in me,
- 1:27Speaker 1: which maketh these things known unto me. For if I
- 1:30Speaker 1: had not been born of God, I should not have
- 1:33Speaker 1: known these things. But behold, the Lord, in his great mercy,
- 1:37Speaker 1: sent his angel to declare unto me that I must
- 1:39Speaker 1: stop the work of destruction among his people. Yea, and
- 1:43Speaker 1: I have seen an angel face to face, and he
- 1:46Speaker 1: spake with me, and his voice was as thunder, and
- 1:49Speaker 1: it shook the whole earth. And it came to pass
- 1:53Speaker 1: that I was three days and three nights in the
- 1:55Speaker 1: most bitter pain and anguish of soul. And never until
- 1:59Speaker 1: I did cry unto the Lord Jesus Christ for mercy
- 2:02Speaker 1: did I receive a remission of my sins. But behold,
- 2:06Speaker 1: I did cry unto him, and I did find peace
- 2:10Speaker 1: to my soul. And now, my son, I have told
- 2:13Speaker 1: you this that ye may learn wisdom, that ye may
- 2:16Speaker 1: learn of Me, that there is no other way or
- 2:18Speaker 1: means whereby man can be saved only in and through Christ. Behold,
- 2:23Speaker 1: He is the life and the light of the world.
- 2:26Speaker 1: Behold he is the Word of truth and righteousness. And
- 2:30Speaker 1: now as ye have begun to teach the Word, even
- 2:33Speaker 1: so I would that ye should continue to teach. And
- 2:36Speaker 1: I would that ye would be diligent and temperate in
- 2:38Speaker 1: all things. See that ye are not lifted up unto pride. YEA.
- 2:43Speaker 1: See that ye do not boast in your own wisdom,
- 2:46Speaker 1: nor of your much strength. Use boldness, but not overbearance.
- 2:50Speaker 1: And also see that ye bridle all your passions, that
- 2:54Speaker 1: ye may be filled with love. See that ye refrain
- 2:56Speaker 1: from idleness. Do not pray as the Zoramites do, for
- 3:00Speaker 1: ye have seen that they pray to be heard of
- 3:02Speaker 1: men and to be praised for their wisdom. Do not say, O, God,
- 3:08Speaker 1: I thank THEE that we are better than our brethren,
- 3:11Speaker 1: but rather say, O, Lord, forgive my unworthiness and remember
- 3:16Speaker 1: my brethren in mercy. YEA acknowledge your unworthiness before God
- 3:20Speaker 1: at all times. And may the Lord bless your soul
- 3:24Speaker 1: and receive you at the last day into his kingdom
- 3:28Speaker 1: to sit down in peace. Now go, my son, and
- 3:31Speaker 1: teach the word unto this people. Be sober, my son,
- 3:36Speaker 1: farewell now my chapter thirty nine. And now, my son,
- 3:43Speaker 1: I have somewhat more to say unto THEE than what
- 3:46Speaker 1: I said unto thy brother. For behold, have ye not
- 3:49Speaker 1: observed the steadiness of thy brother, his faithfulness, and his
- 3:52Speaker 1: diligence in keeping the commandments of God. Behold has he
- 3:55Speaker 1: not set a good example for THEE. For thou didst
- 3:58Speaker 1: not give so much heed unto my words as did
- 4:00Speaker 1: thy brother among the people of the Zoramites. Now this
- 4:03Speaker 1: is what I have against THEE. Thou didst go on
- 4:06Speaker 1: unto boasting in thy strength and thy wisdom. And this
- 4:09Speaker 1: is not all, my son. Thou didst do that which
- 4:11Speaker 1: was grievous unto me. For thou didst forsake the ministry,
- 4:15Speaker 1: and did go over into the land of Siren among
- 4:18Speaker 1: the borders of the Lamanites. After the heart at Isabel. Yea,
- 4:22Speaker 1: she did still away the hearts of many. But this
- 4:24Speaker 1: was no excuse for THEE. My son, Thou shouldst have
- 4:27Speaker 1: tended to the ministry, wherewith thou wast entrusted, Know ye not,
- 4:32Speaker 1: my son, that these things are in abomination in the
- 4:35Speaker 1: sight of the Lord, yea, most abominable above all sins,
- 4:39Speaker 1: save it be the shedding of innocent blood, or denying
- 4:42Speaker 1: the Holy Ghost. For behold, if ye deny the Holy
- 4:45Speaker 1: Ghost when it once has had place in you, and
- 4:48Speaker 1: ye know that ye deny it, Behold, this is a
- 4:51Speaker 1: sin which is unpardonable, yea. And whosoever murdereth against the
- 4:56Speaker 1: light and knowledge of God, it is not easy for
- 4:58Speaker 1: him to obtain forgiveness. Yea.
- 5:00Speaker 2: I say unto you, my son, that it is not
- 5:03Speaker 2: easy for him to obtain a forgiveness. And now, my son,
- 5:07Speaker 2: I would to God that ye had not been guilty
- 5:09Speaker 2: of so great a crime. I would not dwell upon
- 5:12Speaker 2: your crimes to harrow up your soul if it were
- 5:15Speaker 2: not for your good. But behold, ye cannot hide your
- 5:19Speaker 2: crimes from God, and accept ye repent, they will stand
- 5:22Speaker 2: as a testimony against you at the last day. Now,
- 5:26Speaker 2: my son, I would that ye should repent and forsake
- 5:28Speaker 2: your sins, and go no more after the lusts of
- 5:31Speaker 2: your eyes. But cross yourself in all these things, For
- 5:35Speaker 2: except ye do this ye can in no wise inherit
- 5:38Speaker 2: the Kingdom of God. Oh, remember, and take it upon
- 5:42Speaker 2: you and cross yourself in these things. And I command
- 5:45Speaker 2: you to take it upon you to counsel with your
- 5:48Speaker 2: elder brothers in your undertakings. For behold thou art in
- 5:52Speaker 2: thy youth, and ye stand in need to be nourished
- 5:55Speaker 2: by your brothers, and give heed to their counsel. Suffer
- 5:59Speaker 2: not yourself to be led away by any vain or
- 6:01Speaker 2: foolish thing. Suffer not the devil to lead away your
- 6:05Speaker 2: heart again after those wicked harlots. Behold, o, my son,
- 6:09Speaker 2: how great iniquity ye brought upon the Zoramites. For when
- 6:12Speaker 2: they saw your conduct, they would not believe in my words.
- 6:17Speaker 2: And now the spirit of the Lord doth say unto me,
- 6:20Speaker 2: command thy children to do good, lest they lead away
- 6:24Speaker 2: the hearts of many people to destruction. Therefore I command you,
- 6:28Speaker 2: my son, in the fear of God, that ye refrain
- 6:31Speaker 2: from your iniquities, that ye turn to the Lord with
- 6:34Speaker 2: all your mind, might and strength, that ye lead away
- 6:38Speaker 2: the hearts of no more to do wickedly, but rather
- 6:41Speaker 2: return unto them, and acknowledge your faults and that wrong
- 6:45Speaker 2: which ye have done, seek not after riches nor the
- 6:48Speaker 2: vain things of this world. For behold, ye cannot carry
- 6:52Speaker 2: them with you. And now, my son, I would say
- 6:55Speaker 2: somewhat unto you concerning the coming of Christ. Behold, I
- 6:59Speaker 2: say unto you that it is he that surely shall
- 7:03Speaker 2: come to take away the sins of the world. Yea,
- 7:06Speaker 2: he cometh to declare glad tidings of salvation unto his people.
- 7:11Speaker 2: And now, my son, this was the ministry unto which
- 7:13Speaker 2: ye were called to declare these glad tidings unto this
- 7:17Speaker 2: people to prepare their minds, or rather, that salvation might
- 7:21Speaker 2: come unto them, that they may prepare the minds of
- 7:24Speaker 2: their children to hear the Word at the time of
- 7:26Speaker 2: his coming. And now I will ease your mind somewhat
- 7:30Speaker 2: on this subject. Behold you marvel why these things should
- 7:34Speaker 2: be known so long beforehand? Behold, I say unto you,
- 7:38Speaker 2: is not a soul at this time as precious unto
- 7:41Speaker 2: God as a soul will be at the time of
- 7:44Speaker 2: His coming. Is it not as necessary that the plan
- 7:47Speaker 2: of redemption should be made known unto this people as
- 7:50Speaker 2: well as unto their children? Is it not as easy
- 7:53Speaker 2: at this time for the Lord to send his angel
- 7:55Speaker 2: to declare these glad tidings unto us, as unto our children,
- 8:00Speaker 2: or as after the time of His coming.
- 8:04Speaker 1: All my chapter forty. Now, my son, here is somewhat
- 8:07Speaker 1: more I would say unto thee, for I perceive that
- 8:10Speaker 1: thy mind is worried concerning the resurrection of the dead. Behold,
- 8:14Speaker 1: I say unto you that there is no resurrection. Or
- 8:17Speaker 1: I would say, in other words, that this mortal does
- 8:19Speaker 1: not put on immortality, this corruption does not put on
- 8:22Speaker 1: incorruption until after the coming of Christ. Behold, he bringeth
- 8:27Speaker 1: the pass the resurrection of the dead. But behold, my son,
- 8:30Speaker 1: the resurrection is not yet. Now I unfold unto you
- 8:34Speaker 1: a mystery. Nevertheless, there are many mysteries which are kept,
- 8:38Speaker 1: that no one knoweth them, save God himself. But I
- 8:41Speaker 1: show unto you one thing which I have inquired diligently
- 8:44Speaker 1: of God, that I might know, that is concerning the resurrection. Behold,
- 8:48Speaker 1: there is a time appointed that all shall come forth
- 8:51Speaker 1: from the dead. Now when this time comes, no one knows,
- 8:55Speaker 1: but God knoweth the time which is appointed. Now, whether
- 8:58Speaker 1: there shall be one time, or a second time, or
- 9:01Speaker 1: a third time, that men shall come forth from the dead.
- 9:04Speaker 1: It mattereth not, for God knoweth all these things. And
- 9:08Speaker 1: it sufficeth me to know that this is the case,
- 9:11Speaker 1: that there is a time appointed that all shall rise
- 9:14Speaker 1: from the dead. Now there must needs be a space
- 9:17Speaker 1: betwixt the time of death and the time of the resurrection.
- 9:20Speaker 1: And now I would inquire what becometh of the souls
- 9:23Speaker 1: of men from this time of death to the time
- 9:26Speaker 1: appointed for the resurrection. Now, whether there is more than
- 9:30Speaker 1: one time appointed for men to rise, it mattereth not,
- 9:33Speaker 1: for all do not die at once. And this mattereth not.
- 9:37Speaker 1: All is as one day with God, and time only
- 9:40Speaker 1: is measured unto men. Therefore, there is a time appointed
- 9:43Speaker 1: unto men that they shall rise from the dead, and
- 9:46Speaker 1: there is a space between the time of death and
- 9:49Speaker 1: the resurrection. And now, concerning this space of time, what
- 9:54Speaker 1: becometh of the souls of men? Is the thing which
- 9:56Speaker 1: I have inquired diligently of the Lord to know. And
- 9:59Speaker 1: this is the thing of which I do know. And
- 10:02Speaker 1: when the time cometh when all shall rise, then shall
- 10:05Speaker 1: they know that God knoweth all the times which are
- 10:07Speaker 1: appointed unto man. Now, concerning the state of the soul
- 10:11Speaker 1: between death and the resurrection. Behold, it has been made
- 10:15Speaker 1: known unto me by an angel, that the spirits of
- 10:17Speaker 1: all men, as soon as they are departed from this
- 10:20Speaker 1: mortal body, Yea, the spirits of all men, whether they
- 10:23Speaker 1: be good or evil, are taken home to that God
- 10:27Speaker 1: who gave them life. And then shall it come to
- 10:30Speaker 1: pass that the spirits of those who are righteous are
- 10:33Speaker 1: received into a state of happiness, which is called paradise,
- 10:37Speaker 1: a state of rest, a state of peace, where they
- 10:40Speaker 1: shall rest from all their troubles and from all care
- 10:42Speaker 1: and sorrow. And then shall it come to pass that
- 10:45Speaker 1: the spirits of the wicked yea, who are evil. For behold,
- 10:49Speaker 1: they have no part nor portion of the spirit of
- 10:52Speaker 1: the Lord. For behold, they chose evil works rather than good.
- 10:56Speaker 1: Therefore the spirit of the devil did enter into them
- 10:59Speaker 1: and take possess of their house. And these shall be
- 11:02Speaker 1: cast out into outer darkness. There shall be weeping and
- 11:06Speaker 1: wailing and gnashing of teeth, And this because of their
- 11:09Speaker 1: own iniquity, being led captive by the will of the devil.
- 11:13Speaker 1: Now this is the state of the souls of the
- 11:15Speaker 1: wicked Yea, in darkness, and a state of awful, fearful
- 11:19Speaker 1: looking for the fiery indignation of the wrath of God
- 11:22Speaker 1: upon them. Thus they remain in this state, as well
- 11:26Speaker 1: as the righteous in paradise, until the time of their resurrection.
- 11:30Speaker 1: Now there are some who have understood that this state
- 11:33Speaker 1: of happiness and this state of misery of the soul
- 11:35Speaker 1: before the resurrection was a first resurrection. Yea, I admit
- 11:39Speaker 1: it may be termed a resurrection, the raising of the
- 11:42Speaker 1: spirit or the soul in their consignation to happiness or misery,
- 11:47Speaker 1: according to the words which have been spoken. And behold again,
- 11:51Speaker 1: it hath been spoken that there is a first resurrection,
- 11:55Speaker 1: a resurrection of all those who have been, or who
- 11:58Speaker 1: are or who shall be, down to the resurrection of
- 12:01Speaker 1: Christ from the dead. Now we do not suppose that
- 12:04Speaker 1: this first resurrection which is spoken of in this manner
- 12:07Speaker 1: can be the resurrection of the souls in their consignation
- 12:10Speaker 1: to happiness or misery. You cannot suppose that this is
- 12:13Speaker 1: what it meaneth. Behold, I say unto you nay, but
- 12:17Speaker 1: it meaneth the reuniting of the soul with the body
- 12:21Speaker 1: of those from the days of Adam down to the
- 12:23Speaker 1: resurrection of Christ. Now, whether the souls and the bodies
- 12:26Speaker 1: of those of whom has been spoken, shall all be
- 12:29Speaker 1: reunited at once, the wicked as well as the righteous,
- 12:31Speaker 1: I do not say. Let it suffice that I say
- 12:35Speaker 1: that they all come forth, or in other words, their
- 12:38Speaker 1: resurrection cometh to pass before the resurrection of those who
- 12:41Speaker 1: die after the resurrection of Christ. Now, my son, I
- 12:45Speaker 1: do not say that their resurrection cometh at the resurrection
- 12:48Speaker 1: of Christ. But behold, I give it is my opinion
- 12:52Speaker 1: that the souls and the bodies are reunited of the
- 12:55Speaker 1: righteous at the resurrection of Christ and his ascension into Heaven.
- 13:00Speaker 1: But whether it be at his resurrection or after, I
- 13:04Speaker 1: do not say. But this much I say that there
- 13:06Speaker 1: is a space between death and the resurrection of the body,
- 13:10Speaker 1: and a state of the soul in happiness or in misery,
- 13:13Speaker 1: until the time which is appointed of God, that the
- 13:16Speaker 1: dead shall come forth and be reunited, both soul and body,
- 13:20Speaker 1: and be brought to stand before God and be judged
- 13:23Speaker 1: according to their works. Yea, this bringeth about the restoration
- 13:27Speaker 1: of those things of which has been spoken by the
- 13:29Speaker 1: mouths of the prophets. The soul shall be restored to
- 13:32Speaker 1: the body, and the body to the soul. Yea. In
- 13:35Speaker 1: every limb and joint shall be restored to its body. Yea,
- 13:39Speaker 1: even a hair of the head shall not be lost,
- 13:42Speaker 1: but all things shall be restored to their proper and
- 13:44Speaker 1: perfect frame. And now, my son, this is the restoration
- 13:48Speaker 1: of which has been spoken by the mouths of the prophets.
- 13:52Speaker 1: And then shall the righteous shine forth in the Kingdom
- 13:55Speaker 1: of God. But behold, an awful death cometh upon the wicked,
- 14:00Speaker 1: for they die as to things pertaining to things of righteousness,
- 14:04Speaker 1: for they are unclean, and no unclean thing can inherit
- 14:09Speaker 1: the Kingdom of God. But they are cast out and
- 14:12Speaker 1: consigned to partake of the fruits of their labors or
- 14:15Speaker 1: their works, which have been evil, and they drink the
- 14:19Speaker 1: dregs of a bitter cup Almah, chapter forty one. And now,
- 14:25Speaker 1: my son, I have somewhat to say concerning the restoration
- 14:28Speaker 1: of which has been spoken. For behold, some have rested
- 14:32Speaker 1: the scriptures and have gone far astray because of this thing.
- 14:36Speaker 1: And I perceive that thy mind has been worried also
- 14:39Speaker 1: concerning this thing. But behold, I will explain it unto thee.
- 14:44Speaker 1: I say unto thee, my son, that the plan of
- 14:47Speaker 1: restoration is requisite with the justice of God. For it
- 14:51Speaker 1: is requisite that all things should be restored to their
- 14:54Speaker 1: proper order. Behold, it is requisite and just, according to
- 14:58Speaker 1: the power and resurrection of c that the soul of
- 15:02Speaker 1: man should be restored to its body, and that every
- 15:05Speaker 1: part of the body should be restored to itself. And
- 15:08Speaker 1: it is requisite with the justice of God that men
- 15:11Speaker 1: should be judged according to their works. And if their
- 15:15Speaker 1: works were good in this life, and the desires of
- 15:17Speaker 1: their hearts were good, that they should also, at the
- 15:20Speaker 1: last day be restored unto that which is good. And
- 15:24Speaker 1: if their works are evil, they shall be restored unto
- 15:27Speaker 1: them for evil. Therefore, all things shall be restored to
- 15:31Speaker 1: their proper order, everything to its natural frame. Mortality raised
- 15:36Speaker 1: to immortality, corruption to incorruption, raised to endless happiness, to
- 15:42Speaker 1: inherit the kingdom of God, or to endless misery, to
- 15:45Speaker 1: inherit the kingdom of the devil. The one on the
- 15:48Speaker 1: one hand, the other on the other. The one raised
- 15:52Speaker 1: to happiness according to his desires of happiness, or good
- 15:56Speaker 1: according to his desires of good, and the other to
- 15:59Speaker 1: evil according to his desires of evil. For as he
- 16:02Speaker 1: has desired to do evil all the day long, even
- 16:05Speaker 1: so shall he have his reward of evil when the
- 16:08Speaker 1: night cometh. And so it is, on the other hand,
- 16:12Speaker 1: if he hath repented of his sins and desired righteousness
- 16:15Speaker 1: until the end of his days, even so he shall
- 16:18Speaker 1: be rewarded unto righteousness. These are they that are redeemed
- 16:23Speaker 1: the Lord. Yea, these are they that are taken out,
- 16:26Speaker 1: that are delivered from that endless night of darkness. And
- 16:29Speaker 1: thus they stand or fall, for behold, they are their
- 16:32Speaker 1: own judges, whether to do good or do evil. Now
- 16:37Speaker 1: the decrees of God are unalterable. Therefore the way is
- 16:40Speaker 1: prepared that whosoever will may walk therein and be saved.
- 16:45Speaker 1: And now, behold, my son, do not risk one more
- 16:47Speaker 1: offense against your God upon those points of doctrine which
- 16:51Speaker 1: ye have hitherto risked to commit sin. Do not suppose,
- 16:55Speaker 1: because it has been spoken concerning restoration, that ye shall
- 16:59Speaker 1: be restored from sin to happiness. Behold, I say unto you,
- 17:04Speaker 1: wickedness never was happiness. And now, my son, all men
- 17:09Speaker 1: that are in a state of nature, or I would
- 17:12Speaker 1: say in a carnal state, are in the gall of
- 17:14Speaker 1: bitterness and in the bonds of iniquity. There without God
- 17:18Speaker 1: in the world, and they have gone contrary to the
- 17:21Speaker 1: nature of God. Therefore they are in a state contrary
- 17:24Speaker 1: to the nature of happiness. And now behold is the
- 17:28Speaker 1: meaning of the word restoration to take a thing of
- 17:31Speaker 1: a natural state and place it in an unnatural state,
- 17:35Speaker 1: or to place it in a state opposite to its nature. Oh,
- 17:39Speaker 1: my son, this is not the case. But the meaning
- 17:42Speaker 1: of the word restoration is to bring back again evil
- 17:45Speaker 1: for evil, or carnal for carnal, or devilish for devilish,
- 17:50Speaker 1: Good for that which is good, righteous, for that which
- 17:53Speaker 1: is righteous, just, for that which is just, merciful for
- 17:58Speaker 1: that which is merciful. Therefore, my son, see that you
- 18:02Speaker 1: are merciful unto your brethren, Deal justly, judge righteously, and
- 18:07Speaker 1: do good continually. And if ye do all these things,
- 18:11Speaker 1: then shall ye receive your reward. Yea, ye shall have
- 18:14Speaker 1: mercy restored unto you again. Ye shall have justice restored
- 18:18Speaker 1: unto you again. Ye shall have a righteous judgment restored
- 18:21Speaker 1: unto you again. And ye shall have good rewarded unto
- 18:24Speaker 1: you again. For that which ye do send out shall
- 18:28Speaker 1: return unto you again and be restored. Therefore, the word
- 18:33Speaker 1: restoration more fully condemneth the sinner, and justifieth him not
- 18:38Speaker 1: at all. End of Alma, chapters thirty eight through forty one,