RLDS Chapter Context

1 Now I, Nephi, do speak somewhat concerning the words which I have written, which have been spoken by the mouth of Isaiah.

2 For behold, Isaiah spake many things which were hard for many of my people to understand; for they know not concerning the manner of prophesying among the Jews.

3 For I, Nephi, have not taught them many things concerning the manner of the Jews; for their works were works of darkness, and their doings were doings of abomination.

4 Wherefore, I write unto my people, unto all those that shall receive hereafter these things which I write, that they may know the judgments of God, that they come upon all nations, according to the word which he hath spoken.

5 Wherefore hearken, O my people, which are of the house of Israel, and give ear unto my words: for because the words of Isaiah are not plain unto you, nevertheless, they are plain unto all those that are filled with the spirit of prophecy.

6 But I give unto you a prophecy, according to the spirit which is in me; wherefore I shall prophesy according to the plainness which hath been with me from the time that I came out of Jerusalem with my father.

7 For behold, my soul delighteth in plainness unto my people, that they may learn;

8 Yea, and my soul delighteth in the words of Isaiah, for I came out from Jerusalem, and mine eyes hath beheld the things of the Jews, and I know that the Jews do understand the things of the prophets, and there is none other people that understand the things which were spoken unto the Jews, like unto them, save it be that they are taught after the manner of the things of the Jews.

9 But behold, I, Nephi, have not taught my children after the manner of the Jews; but behold, I, of myself, have dwelt at Jerusalem, wherefore I know concerning the regions round about;

10 And I have made mention unto my children concerning the judgments of God, which hath come to pass among the Jews, unto my children, according to all that which Isaiah hath spoken, and I do not write them.

11 But behold, I proceed with mine own prophecy, according to my plainness; in the which I know that no man can err;

12 Nevertheless, in the days that the prophecies of Isaiah shall be fulfilled, men shall know of a surety, at the times when they shall come to pass;

13 Wherefore, they are of worth unto the children of men, and he that supposeth that they are not, unto them will I speak particularly, and confine the words unto mine own people:

14 For I know that they shall be of great worth unto them in the last days; for in that day shall they understand them; wherefore, for their good have I written them.

15 And as one generation hath been destroyed among the Jews, because of iniquity, even so have they been destroyed from generation to generation, according to their iniquities;

16 And never hath any of them been destroyed, save it were foretold them by the prophets of the Lord.

17 Wherefore, it hath been told them concerning the destruction which should come upon them, immediately after my father left Jerusalem;

18 Nevertheless, they hardened their hearts; and according to my prophecy, they have been destroyed, save it be those which are carried away captive into Babylon.

19 And now this I speak because of the spirit which is in me.

20 And notwithstanding they have been carried away, they shall return again, and possess the land of Jerusalem; wherefore they shall be restored again to the lands of their inheritance.

21 But, behold, they shall have wars, and rumors of wars; and when the day cometh that the Only Begotten of the Father, yea, even the Father of heaven and of earth, shall manifest himself unto them in the flesh, behold, they will reject him, because of their iniquities, and the hardness of their hearts, and the stiffness of their necks.

22 Behold, they will crucify him, and after he is laid in a sepulcher for the space of three days, he shall rise from the dead, with healing in his wings, and all those who shall believe on his name, shall be saved in the kingdom of God;

23 Wherefore, my soul delighteth to prophesy concerning him, for I have seen his day, and my heart doth magnify his holy name.

24 And behold, it shall come to pass, that after the Messiah hath risen from the dead, and hath manifested himself unto his people, unto as many as will believe on his name, behold, Jerusalem shall be destroyed again: for wo unto them that fight against God and the people of his church.

25 Wherefore, the Jews shall be scattered among all nations; yea, and also Babylon shall be destroyed; wherefore, the Jews shall be scattered by other nations;

26 And after they have been scattered, and the Lord God hath scourged them by other nations, for the space of many generations, yea, even down from generation to generation until they shall be persuaded to believe in Christ, the Son of God, and the atonement, which is infinite for all mankind;

27 And when that day shall come, that they shall believe in Christ, and worship the Father in his name, with pure hearts, and clean hands, and look not forward anymore for another Messiah, then, at that time, the day will come that it must needs be expedient that they should believe these things,

28 And the Lord will set his hand again the second time to restore his people from their lost and fallen state.

29 Wherefore, he will proceed to do a marvelous work, and a wonder among the children of men.

30 Wherefore, he shall bring forth his words unto them, which words shall judge them at the last day;

31 For they shall be given them for the purpose of convincing them of the true Messiah, who was rejected by them;

32 And unto the convincing of them that they need not look forward anymore for a Messiah to come,

33 For there should not any come, save it should be a false Messiah, which should deceive the people:

34 For there is save one Messiah spoken of by the prophets, and that Messiah is he who should be rejected of the Jews.

35 For according to the words of the prophets, the Messiah cometh in six hundred years from the time that my father left Jerusalem;

36 And according to the words of the prophets, and also the word of the angel of God, his name shall be Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

37 And now my brethren, I have spoken plain, that ye can not err;

38 And as the Lord God liveth, that brought Israel up out of the land of Egypt, and gave unto Moses power that he should heal the nations, after they had been bitten by the poisonous serpents, if they would cast their eyes unto the serpent which he did raise up before them, and also gave him power that he should smite the rock, and the water should come forth;

39 Yea, behold, I say unto you, that as these things are true, and as the Lord God liveth, there is none other name given under heaven, save it be this Jesus Christ of which I have spoken, whereby man can be saved.

40 Wherefore, for this cause hath the Lord God promised unto me that these things which I write, shall be kept and preserved, and handed down unto my seed, from generation to generation, that the promise may be fulfilled unto Joseph, that his seed should never perish as long as the earth should stand.

41 Wherefore, these things shall go from generation to generation as long as the earth shall stand; and they shall go according to the will and pleasure of God;

42 And the nations which shall possess them, shall be judged of them according to the words which are written;

43 For we labor diligently to write, to persuade our children, and also our brethren, to believe in Christ, and to be reconciled to God;

44 For we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do.

45 And notwithstanding we believe in Christ, we keep the law of Moses, and look forward with steadfastness unto Christ, until the law shall be fulfilled; for, for this end was the law given;

46 Wherefore, the law hath become dead unto us, and we are made alive in Christ, because of our faith;

47 Yet we keep the law because of the commandments;

48 And we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins.

49 Wherefore, we speak concerning the law, that our children may know the deadness of the law;

50 And they, by knowing the deadness of the law, may look forward unto that life which is in Christ, and know for what end the law was given.

51 And after the law is fulfilled in Christ, that they need not harden their hearts against him, when the law ought to be done away.

52 And now behold, my people, ye are a stiff-necked people; wherefore, I have spoken plain unto you, that ye can not misunderstand.

53 And the words which I have spoken, shall stand as a testimony against you; for they are sufficient to teach any man the right way:

54 For the right way is to believe in Christ and deny him not; for by denying him, ye also deny the prophets and the law.

55 And now behold I say unto you, that the right way is to believe in Christ, and deny him not; and Christ is the Holy One of Israel:

56 Wherefore ye must bow down before him, and worship him with all your might, mind and strength, and your whole soul, and if ye do this, ye shall in no wise be cast out.

57 And inasmuch as it shall be expedient, ye must keep the performances and ordinances of God, until the law shall be fulfilled which was given unto Moses.

58 And after Christ shall have risen from the dead, he shall shew himself unto you, my children, and my beloved brethren;

59 And the words which he shall speak unto you, shall be the law which ye shall do.

60 For behold, I say unto you, that I have beheld that many generations shall pass away, and there shall be great wars and contentions among my people.

61 And after the Messiah shall come, there shall be signs given unto my people of his birth, and also of his death and resurrection;

62 And great and terrible shall that day be unto the wicked; for they shall perish;

63 And they perish because they cast out the prophets, and the saints, and stone them, and slay them;

64 Wherefore the cry of the blood of the saints shall ascend up to God from the ground, against them.

65 Wherefore all those who are proud, and that do wickedly, the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the Lord of hosts, for they shall be as stubble;

66 And they that kill the prophets, and the saints, the depths of the earth shall swallow them up, saith the Lord of hosts:

67 And mountains shall cover them, and whirlwinds shall carry them away, and buildings shall fall upon them, and crush them to pieces and grind them to powder;

68 And they shall be visited with thunderings, and lightnings, and earthquakes, and all manner of destructions;

69 For the fire of the anger of the Lord shall be kindled against them, and they shall be as stubble, and the day that cometh shall consume them, saith the Lord of hosts.

70 O the pain, and the anguish of my soul for the loss of the slain of my people!

71 For I, Nephi, hath seen it, and it well nigh consumeth me before the presence of the Lord: but I must cry unto my God, Thy ways are just.

72 But behold, the righteous, that hearken unto the words of the prophets, and destroy them not, but look forward unto Christ with steadfastness for the signs which are given, notwithstanding all persecutions; behold they are they which shall not perish.

73 But the Son of Righteousness shall appear unto them; and he shall heal them, and they shall have peace with him, until three generations shall have passed away and many of the fourth generation shall have passed away in righteousness.

74 And when these things shall have passed away, a speedy destruction cometh unto my people; for, notwithstanding the pains of my soul, I have seen it; wherefore, I know that it shall come to pass;

75 And they sell themselves for nought; for, for the reward of their pride, and their foolishness, they shall reap destruction;

76 For because they yield unto the devil, and choose works of darkness rather than light; therefore they must go down to hell, for the Spirit of the Lord will not always strive with man.

77 And when the Spirit ceaseth to strive with man, then cometh speedy destruction; and this grieveth my soul.

78 And as I spake concerning the convincing of the Jews, that Jesus is the very Christ, it must needs be that the Gentiles be convinced also, that Jesus is the Christ, the Eternal God; and that he manifesteth himself unto all those who believe in him, by the power of the Holy Ghost;

79 Yea, unto every nation, kindred, tongue, and people, working mighty miracles, signs and wonders, among the children of men, according to their faith.

80 But behold, I prophesy unto you concerning the last days; concerning the days when the Lord God shall bring these things forth unto the children of men.

81 After my seed, and the seed of my brethren shall have dwindled in unbelief, and shall have been smitten by the Gentiles;

82 Yea, after the Lord God shall have camped against them round about, and shall have laid siege against them with a mount, and raised forts against them;

83 And after they shall have been brought down low in the dust, even that they are not, yet the words of the righteous shall be written, and the prayers of the faithful shall be heard, and all those who have dwindled in unbelief, shall not be forgotten;

84 For those who shall be destroyed shall speak unto them out of the ground, and their speech shall be low out of the dust, and their voice shall be as one that hath a familiar spirit;

85 For the Lord God will give unto him power, that he may whisper concerning them, even as it were out of the ground; and their speech shall whisper out of the dust.

86 For thus saith the Lord God: They shall write the things which shall be done among them, and they shall be written and sealed up in a book, and those who have dwindled in unbelief shall not have them, for they seek to destroy the things of God;

87 Wherefore, as those who have been destroyed, have been destroyed speedily: and the multitude of their terrible ones shall be as chaff that passeth away.

88 Yea, thus saith the Lord God: It shall be at an instant, suddenly.

89 And it shall come to pass, that those who have dwindled in unbelief, shall be smitten by the hand of the Gentiles.

90 And the Gentiles are lifted up in the pride of their eyes, and have stumbled, because of the greatness of their stumbling block, that they have built up many churches;

91 Nevertheless they put down the power and the miracles of God, and preach up unto themselves, their own wisdom, and their own learning, that they may get gain, and grind upon the face of the poor;

92 And there are many churches built up which cause envyings, and strifes, and malice;

93 And there are also secret combinations, even as in times of old, according to the combinations of the devil, for he is the foundation of all these things; yea, the foundation of murder, and works of darkness;

94 Yea, and he leadeth them by the neck with a flaxen cord, until he bindeth them with his strong cords for ever.

95 For behold, my beloved brethren, I say unto you, that the Lord God worketh not in darkness.

96 He doeth not anything save it be for the benefit of the world; for he loveth the world, even that he layeth down his own life, that he may draw all men unto him.

97 Wherefore, he commandeth none that they shall not partake of his salvation.

98 Behold, doth he cry unto any, saying, Depart from me?

99 Behold, I say unto you, Nay; but he saith, Come unto me all ye ends of the earth, buy milk and honey, without money and without price.

100 Behold, hath he commanded any that they should depart out of the synagogues, or out of the houses of worship?

101 Behold, I say unto you, Nay.

102 Hath he commanded any that they should not partake of his salvation?

103 Behold, I say unto you, Nay; but he hath given it free for all men; and he hath commanded his people that they should persuade all men to repentance.

104 Behold, hath the Lord commanded any that they should not partake of his goodness?

105 Behold, I say unto you, Nay; but all men are privileged the one like unto the other, and none are forbidden.

106 He commandeth that there shall be no priestcrafts; for, behold, priestcrafts are that men preach and set themselves up for a light unto the world, that they may get gain, and praise of the world; but they seek not the welfare of Zion.

107 Behold, the Lord hath forbidden this thing; wherefore, the Lord God hath given a commandment, that all men should have charity, which charity is love.

108 And except they should have charity, they were nothing: wherefore, if they should have charity, they would not suffer the laborer in Zion to perish.

109 But the laborer in Zion shall labor for Zion; for if they labor for money, they shall perish.

110 And, again, the Lord God hath commanded that men should not murder; that they should not lie; that they should not steal; that they should not take the name of the Lord their God in vain; that they should not envy; that they should not have malice; that they should not contend one with another; that they should not commit whoredoms; and that they should do none of these things;

111 For whoso doeth them shall perish; for none of these iniquities come of the Lord; for he doeth that which is good among the children of men;

112 And he doeth nothing save it be plain unto the children of men;

113 And he inviteth them all to come unto him, and partake of his goodness;

114 And he denieth none that come unto him, black and white, bond and free, male and female;

115 And he remembereth the heathen, and all are alike unto God, both Jew and Gentile.

116 But behold, in the last days, or in the days of the Gentiles; yea, behold all the nations of the Gentiles, and also the Jews, both those who shall come upon this land, and those who shall be upon other lands; yea, even upon all the lands of the earth; behold, they will be drunken with iniquity, and all manner of abominations;

117 And when that day shall come, they shall be visited of the Lord of hosts, with thunder and with earthquake, and with a great noise, and with storm and with tempest, and with the flame of devouring fire;

118 And all the nations that fight against Zion, and that distress her, shall be as a dream of a night vision;

119 Yea, it shall be unto them even as unto a hungry man, which dreameth, and behold he eateth, but he awaketh and his soul is empty;

120 Or like unto a thirsty man which dreameth, and behold he drinketh, but he awaketh, and behold he is faint, and his soul hath appetite:

121 Yea, even so shall the multitude of all the nations be that fight against mount Zion:

122 For behold, all ye that do iniquity, stay yourselves and wonder; for ye shall cry out, and cry, yea, ye shall be drunken, but not with wine; ye shall stagger, but not with strong drink;

123 For behold, the Lord hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep.

124 For behold, ye have closed your eyes, and ye have rejected the prophets, and your rulers, and the seers hath he covered because of your iniquity.

125 And it shall come to pass, that the Lord God shall bring forth unto you the words of a book, and they shall be the words of them which have slumbered.

126 And behold the book shall be sealed: and in the book shall be a revelation from God, from the beginning of the world to the ending thereof.

127 Wherefore, because of the things which are sealed up, the things which are sealed, shall not be delivered in the day of the wickedness and abominations of the people.

128 Wherefore the book shall be kept from them.

129 But the book shall be delivered unto a man, and he shall deliver the words of the book, which are the words of those who have slumbered in the dust; and he shall deliver these words unto another; but the words which are sealed, he shall not deliver, neither shall he deliver the book.

130 For the book shall be sealed by the power of God, and the revelation which was sealed, shall be kept in the book until the own due time of the Lord, that they may come forth: for, behold, they reveal all things from the foundation of the world unto the end thereof.

131 And the day cometh that the words of the book which were sealed, shall be read upon the housetops; and they shall be read by the power of Christ;

132 And all things shall be revealed unto the children of men which ever have been among the children of men, and which ever will be, even unto the end of the earth.

133 Wherefore, at that day when the book shall be delivered unto the man of whom I have spoken, the book shall be hid from the eyes of the world, that the eyes of none shall behold it, save it be that three witnesses shall behold it, by the power of God, besides him to whom the book shall be delivered; and they shall testify to the truth of the book and the things therein.

134 And there is none other which shall view it, save it be a few, according to the will of God, to bear testimony of his word unto the children of men: for the Lord God hath said, that the words of the faithful should speak as if it were from the dead.

135 Wherefore, the Lord God will proceed to bring forth the words of the book; and in the mouth of as many witnesses as seemeth him good, will he establish his word; and wo be unto him that rejecteth the word of God.

136 But behold, it shall come to pass that the Lord God shall say unto him to whom he shall deliver the book, Take these words which are not sealed, and deliver them to another, that he may shew them unto the learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee.

137 And the learned shall say, Bring hither the book, and I will read them:

138 And now, because of the glory of the world, and to get gain, will they say this, and not for the glory of God.

139 And the man shall say, I can not bring the book, for it is sealed.

140 Then shall the learned say, I can not read it.

141 Wherefore, it shall come to pass, that the Lord God will deliver again the book and the words thereof, to him that is not learned; and the man that is not learned, shall say, I am not learned.

142 Then shall the Lord God say unto him, The learned shall not read them, for they have rejected them, and I am able to do mine own work; wherefore, thou shalt read the words which I shall give unto thee.

143 Touch not the things which are sealed, for I will bring them forth in mine own due time: for I will shew unto the children of men, that I am able to do mine own work.

144 Wherefore, when thou hast read the words which I have commanded thee, and obtained the witnesses which I have promised unto thee, then shalt thou seal up the book again, and hide it up unto me, that I may preserve the words which thou hast not read, until I shall see fit in mine own wisdom, to reveal all things unto the children of men.

145 For behold, I am God; and I am a God of miracles; and I will shew unto the world that I am the same yesterday, to-day, and for ever; and I work not among the children of men, save it be according to their faith.

146 And again it shall come to pass, that the Lord shall say unto him that shall read the words that shall be delivered him, Forasmuch as this people draw near unto me with their mouth, and with their lips do honor me, but have removed their hearts far from me, and their fear towards me is taught by the precepts of men, therefore, I will proceed to do a marvelous work among this people;

147 Yea, a marvelous work, and a wonder, for the wisdom of their wise and learned shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent shall be hid.

148 And wo unto them that seek deep to hide their counsel from the Lord.

149 And their works are in the dark; and they say, who seeth us; and who knoweth us?

150 And they also say, Surely, your turning of things upside down, shall be esteemed as the potter's clay.

151 But behold, I will shew unto them, saith the Lord of hosts, that I know all their works.

152 For shall the works say of him that made it, He made me not?

153 Or shall the thing framed say of him that framed it, He had no understanding?

154 But behold, saith the Lord of hosts, I will shew unto the children of men, that it is not yet a very little while, and Lebanon shall be turned into a fruitful field; and the fruitful field shall be esteemed as a forest.

155 And in that day shall the deaf hear the words of the book; and the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity and out of darkness:

156 And the meek also shall increase, and their joy shall be in the Lord; and the poor among men shall rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.

157 For assuredly as the Lord liveth, they shall see that the terrible one is brought to nought, and the scorner is consumed, and all that watch for iniquity are cut off; and they that make a man an offender for a word, and lay a snare for him that reproveth in the gate, and turn aside the just for a thing of nought.

158 Therefore thus saith the Lord, who redeemed Abraham, concerning the house of Jacob, Jacob shall not now be ashamed, neither shall his face now wax pale.

159 But when he seeth his children, the work of my hands, in the midst of him, they shall sanctify my name, and sanctify the Holy One of Jacob, and shall fear the God of Israel.

160 They also that erred in spirit shall come to understanding, and they that murmured shall learn doctrine.