Darkness and apostasy will cover the earth in the last days—The Book of Mormon will come forth—Three witnesses will testify of the book—The learned man will say he cannot read the sealed book—The Lord will do a marvelous work and a wonder—Compare Isaiah 29. About 559-545 B.C.
1 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
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—
2 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.
3 And all the nations
that fight against Zion, and that distress her, shall be as a dream of a night
vision; 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; 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; yea, even so shall the multitude of all
the nations be that fight against Mount Zion.
4 For behold, all ye
that doeth 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.
5 For behold, the Lord
hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep. 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.
6 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
7 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.
8 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. Wherefore
the book shall be kept from them.
9 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;
10 But the words which
are sealed he shall not deliver, neither shall he deliver the book. 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.
11 And the day cometh
that the words of the book which were sealed shall be read upon the house tops;
and they shall be read by the power of Christ; 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.
12 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.
13 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.
14 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 rejoiceth the word of God!
15 But behold, it shall
come to pass that the Lord 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 show them unto the learned, saying: Read this, I pray thee. And the
learned shall say: Bring hither the book, and I will read them.
16 And now, because of
the glory of the world and to get gain will they say this, and not for the
glory of God.
17 And the man shall say:
I cannot bring the book, for it is sealed.
18 Then shall the
learned say: I cannot read it.
19 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.
20 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.
21 Touch not the things
which are sealed, for I will bring them forth in mine own due time; for I will show
unto the children of men that I am able to do mine own work.
22 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 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.
23 For behold, I am
God; and I am a God of miracles; and I will show unto the world that I am the
same yesterday, today, and forever; and I work not among the children of men
save it be according to their faith.
24 And again it shall
come to pass that the Lord shall say unto him that shall read the words that
shall be delivered him:
25 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—
26 Therefore, I will
proceed to do a marvelous work among this people, 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.
27 And wo unto them that
seek deep to hide their counsel from the Lord! And their works are in the dark;
and they say: Who seeth us, and who knoweth us? And they also say: Surely, your
turning of things upside down shall be esteemed as the potter’s clay. But behold, I will show
unto them, saith the Lord of Hosts, that I know all their works. For shall the
work say of him that made it, he made me not? Or hall the thing framed say of
him that framed it, he had no understanding?
28 But behold, saith
the Lord of Hosts: I will show unto the children of men that it is yet a very
little while and Lebanon shall be turned into a fruitful field; and the
fruitful field shall be esteemed as a forest.
29 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.
30 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.
31 For assuredly as the
Lord Liveth they shall see that the terrible one is brought to naught, and the
scorner is consumed, and all that watch for iniquity are cut off;
32 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 naught.
33 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.
34 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.
35 They also that erred
in spirit shall come to understanding, and they that murmured shall learn
doctrine.
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