Great Themes
of
The Book of Mormon
And they all cried aloud with one voice, saying, O have mercy, and apply the atoning blood of Christ, that we may receive forgiveness of our sins, and our hearts may be purified:
For we believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who created heaven and earth, and all things, who shall come down among the children of men.
Mosiah 2:3,4
Great Themes
- Testimony of Jesus Christ
- Gospel of Jesus Christ
- Doctrine of Jesus Christ
- Salvation through faith on His Name
- Saved by Grace After All We Can Do
- Salvation is Only for Those Who Exercise Faith Unto Repentance
- Last Sacrifice – An Infinite & Eternal Atonement
- Plan of Happiness, Redemption, Salvation, & Mercy
- This Probationary State – A Time to Prepare to Meet God
- The Word Restoration
- Call to be Reconciled to the Will of God
- Conditions of Repentance
- Covenants of God – Remembered & Fulfilled
- Decree: Inasmuch as Ye Keep the Commandments of the Lord…
- Preach the Word of God
- Warning: Secret Bands, Combinations, & Societies
- The Wisdom of Keeping Records
- God’s Support of the Righteous
- Joseph’s Land, a Choice Land of Liberty to the Righteous
- Awakened to a Remembrance of the Deliverance of Our Fathers
- …
The Testimony of Jesus Christ
The Book of Mormon: An account written by the hand of Mormon Upon plates taken from the plates of Nephi.
Wherefore, it is an abridgment of the record of the people of Nephi, and also of the Lamanites;
written to the Lamanites, who are a remnant of the house of Israel; and also to Jew and Gentile;
written by way of commandment, and also by the spirit of prophecy and of revelation.
Written, and sealed up, and hid unto the Lord, that they might not be destroyed; to come forth by the gift and power of God unto the interpretation thereof;
sealed by the hand of Moroni, and hid up unto the Lord, to come forth in due time by the way of Gentile; the interpretation thereof by the gift of God.
An abridgment taken from the Book of Ether; also, which is a record of the people of Jared; who were scattered at the time the Lord confounded the language of the people, when they were building a tower to get to heaven:
which is to shew unto the remnant of the house of Israel what great things the Lord hath done for their fathers; and that they may know the covenants of the Lord, that they are not cast off for ever;
and also to the convincing of the Jew and Gentile that Jesus is the Christ, the Eternal God, manifesting himself unto all nations.
And now if there are faults, they are the mistakes of men; wherefore, condemn not the things of God, that ye may be found spotless at the judgment seat of Christ.
Title Page of the Book of Mormon
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;
Yea, unto every nation, kindred, tongue, and people, working mighty miracles, signs and wonders, among the children of men, according to their faith.
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.
II Nephi 11:78-80
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.
II Nephi 11:48
And Alma went and began to declare the word of God unto the church which was established in the valley of Gideon, according to the revelation of the truth of the word which had been spoken by his fathers,
And according to the spirit of prophecy which was in him, according to the testimony of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who should come to redeem his people from their sins, and the holy order by which he was called. And thus it is written. Amen.
Alma 4:9,10
Now behold, it came to pass that I, Jacob, having ministered much unto my people, in word, (and I can not write but little of my words, because of the difficulty of engraving our words upon plates, ) and we know that the things which we write upon plates must remain;
But whatsoever things we write upon anything save it be upon plates, must perish and vanish away; but we can write a few words upon plates, which will give our children, and also our beloved brethren, a small degree of knowledge concerning us, or concerning their fathers.
Now in this thing we do rejoice; and we labor diligently to engraven these words upon plates, hoping that our beloved brethren, and our children, will receive them with thankful hearts, and look upon them, that they may learn with joy, and not with sorrow, neither with contempt concerning their first parents:
For, for this intent have we written these things, that they may know that we knew of Christ, and we had a hope of his glory, many hundred years before his coming, and not only we, ourselves, had a hope of his glory, but also all the holy prophets which were before us.
Behold, they believed in Christ, and worshipped the Father in his name; and also, we worship the Father in his name.
Jacob 3:1-5
He [Christ] is the light and the life of the world; yea, a light that is endless, that can never be darkened; yea, and also a life which is endless, that there can be no more death.
Even this mortal shall put on immortality, and this corruption shall put on incorruption, and shall be brought to stand before the bar of God, to be judged of him according to their works, whether they be good or whether they be evil.
If they be good, to the resurrection of endless life and happiness, And if they be evil, to the resurrection of endless damnation;
being delivered up to the devil, who has subjected them, which is damnation;
having gone according to their own carnal wills and desires; having never called upon the Lord while the arms of mercy were extended towards them;
for the arms of mercy were extended towards them, and they would not; they being warned of their iniquities, and yet they would not depart from them;
and they were commanded to repent, and yet they would not repent.
And now had ye not ought to tremble and repent of your sins, and remember only in and through Christ ye can be saved?
Therefore, if ye teach the Law of Moses, also teach that it is a shadow of those things which are to come;
Teach them that redemption cometh through Christ the Lord, who is the very eternal Father. Amen.
Mosiah 8:82-91
And now my brethren, ye see that a second prophet of old has testified of the Son of God; and because the people would not understand his words, they stoned him to death.
Alma 16:189
Nephi also testified of these things, and also almost all of our fathers, even down to this time; yea, they have testified of the coming of Christ, and have looked forward, and have rejoiced in his day which is to come.
And behold, he is God, and he is with them, and he did manifest himself unto them that they were redeemed by him; and they gave unto him glory, because of that which is to come.
Helaman 3:59,60
And there began to be men inspired from heaven, and sent forth, standing among the people in all the land, preaching and testifying boldly of the sins and iniquities of the people,
And testifying unto them concerning the redemption which the Lord would make for his people; or in other words, the resurrection of Christ; and they did testify boldly of his death and sufferings.
Now there were many of the people who were exceeding angry, because of those who testified of these things:
And those who were angry, were chiefly the chief judges, and they who had been high priests and lawyers;
Yea, all those who were lawyers, were angry with those who testified of these things.
Now there was no lawyer, nor judge, nor high priest, that could have power to condemn any one to death, save their condemnation was signed by the governor of the land.
Now there were many of those who testified of the things pertaining to Christ, who testified boldly, who were taken and put to death secretly by the judges, and the knowledge of their death came not unto the governor of the land, until after their death.
III Nephi 3:22-28
And it came to pass that he stretched forth his hand, and spake unto the people, saying, Behold I am Jesus Christ, of whom the prophets testified should come into the world:
And behold I am the light and the life of the world, and I have drunk out of that bitter cup which the Father hath given me, and have glorified the Father in taking upon me the sins of the world, in the which I have suffered the will of the Father in all things, from the beginning.
III Nephi 5:11,12
And for this cause I write unto you, that ye may know that ye must all stand before the judgment seat of Christ; yea, every soul who belongs to the whole human family of Adam;
And ye must stand to be judged of your works, whether they be good or evil; and also that ye may believe the gospel of Jesus Christ, which ye shall have among you;
And also that the Jews, the covenant people of the Lord, shall have other witness besides him whom they saw and heard, that Jesus whom they slew, was the very Christ, and the very God;
And I would that I could persuade all ye ends of the earth to repent and prepare to stand before the judgment seat of Christ.
Mormon 1:86-89
The Gospel of Jesus Christ
Behold I have given unto you my gospel, and this is the gospel which I have given unto you, that I came into the world to do the will of my Father, because my Father sent me;
And my Father sent me that I might be lifted up upon the cross; and after that I had been lifted up upon the cross, I might draw all men unto me:
That as I have been lifted up by men, even so should men be lifted up by the Father, to stand before me, to be judged of their works, whether they be good or whether they be evil;
And for this cause have I been lifted up; therefore, according to the power of the Father, I will draw all men unto me, that they may be judged according to their works.
And it shall come to pass, that whoso repenteth and is baptized in my name, shall be filled; and if he endureth to the end, behold, him will I hold guiltless before my Father, at that day when I shall stand to judge the world.
And he that endureth not unto the end, the same is he that is also hewn down and cast into the fire, from whence they can no more return, because of the justice of the Father: and this is the word which he hath given unto the children of men.
And for this cause he fulfilleth the words which he hath given, and he lieth not, but fulfilleth all his words; and no unclean thing can enter into his kingdom;
Therefore nothing entereth into his rest, save it be those who have washed their garments in my blood, because of their faith, and the repentance of all their sins, and their faithfulness unto the end.
Now this is the commandment, Repent, all ye ends of the earth, and come unto me and be baptized in my name, that ye may be sanctified by the reception of the Holy Ghost, that ye may stand spotless before me at the last day.
Verily, verily I say unto you, This is my gospel; and ye know the things that ye must do in my church; for the works which ye have seen me do, that shall ye also do;
For that which ye have seen me do, even that shall ye do; therefore if ye do these things, blessed are ye, for ye shall be lifted up at the last day.
III Nephi 12:25-35
And the first-fruits of repentance is baptism;
and baptism cometh by faith, unto the fulfilling the commandments;
and the fulfilling the commandments bringeth remission of sins;
and the remission of sins bringeth meekness, and lowliness of heart;
and because of meekness and lowliness of heart, cometh the visitation of the Holy Ghost,
which Comforter filleth with hope and perfect love,
which love endureth by diligence unto prayer,
until the end shall come, when all the saints shall dwell with God.
Moroni 8:29
The Doctrine of Jesus Christ
Wherefore the things which I have written, sufficeth me, save it be a few words which I must speak, concerning the doctrine of Christ; wherefore I shall speak unto you plainly, according to the plainness of my prophesying.
For my soul delighteth in plainness: for after this manner doth the Lord God work among the children of men.
For the Lord God giveth light unto the understanding: for he speaketh unto men according to their language, unto their understanding.
Wherefore, I would that ye should remember that I have spoken unto you, concerning that prophet which the Lord shewed unto me, that should baptize the Lamb of God, which should take away the sin of the world.
And now, if the Lamb of God, he being holy, should have need to be baptized by water to fulfill all righteousness, O then, how much more need have we, being unholy, to be baptized, yea, even by water.
And now, I would ask of you, my beloved brethren, wherein the Lamb of God did fulfill all righteousness in being baptized by water? Know ye not that he was holy?
But notwithstanding he being holy, he sheweth unto the children of men, that according to the flesh, he humbleth himself before the Father, and witnesseth unto the Father that he would be obedient unto him in keeping his commandments;
Wherefore, after he was baptized with water, the Holy Ghost descended upon him in the form of a dove.
And again: It sheweth unto the children of men the straightness of the path, and the narrowness of the gate, by which they should enter, he having set the example before them.
And he said unto the children of men, Follow thou me.
Wherefore, my beloved brethren, can we follow Jesus, save we shall be willing to keep the commandments of the Father?
And the Father said, Repent ye, repent ye, and be baptized in the name of my beloved Son.
And also, the voice of the Son came unto me, saying, He that is baptized in my name, to him will the Father give the Holy Ghost, like unto me; wherefore, follow me, and do the things which ye have seen me do.
Wherefore, my beloved brethren, I know that if ye shall follow the Son with full purpose of heart, acting no hypocrisy and no deception before God, but with real intent, repenting of your sins, witnessing unto the Father, that ye are willing to take upon you the name of Christ, by baptism; yea, by following your Lord and your Savior down into the water, according to his word; behold, then shall ye receive the Holy Ghost;
Yea, then cometh the baptism of fire and of the Holy Ghost; and then can ye speak with the tongue of angels, and shout praises unto the Holy One of Israel.
But behold, my beloved brethren, thus came the voice of the Son unto me, saying, After ye have repented of your sins, and witnessed unto the Father that ye are willing to keep my commandments, by the baptism of water, and have received the baptism of fire and of the Holy Ghost, and can speak with a new tongue, yea, even with the tongue of angels, and after this, should deny me, it would have been better for you, that ye had not known me.
And I heard a voice from the Father, saying, Yea, the words of my beloved, are true and faithful.
He that endureth to the end, the same shall be saved.
And now, my beloved brethren, I know by this, that unless a man shall endure to the end, in following the example of the Son of the living God, he can not be saved;
Wherefore, do the things which I have told you I have seen, that your Lord and your Redeemer should do:
For, for this cause have they been shewn unto me, that ye might know the gate by which ye should enter.
For the gate by which ye should enter is repentance and baptism by water: and then cometh a remission of your sins by fire, and by the Holy Ghost.
And then are ye in this strait and narrow path which leads to eternal life; yea, ye have entered in by the gate; ye have done according to the commandments of the Father and the Son;
And ye have received the Holy Ghost, which witnesses of the Father and the Son, unto the fulfilling of the promise which he hath made, that if ye enter in by the way, ye should receive.
And now, my beloved brethren, after ye have gotten into this strait and narrow path, I would ask, if all is done?
Behold, I say unto you, Nay; for ye have not come thus far, save it were by the word of Christ, with unshaken faith in him, relying wholly upon the merits of him who is mighty to save;
Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men.
Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life.
And now behold, my beloved brethren, this is the way; and there is none other way nor name given under heaven, whereby man can be saved in the kingdom of God.
And now behold, this is the doctrine of Christ, and the only and true doctrine of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, which is one God, without end. Amen.
II Nephi 13:3-32
For verily, verily I say unto you, He that hath the spirit of contention, is not of me, but is of the devil, who is the father of contention, and he stirreth up the hearts of men to contend with anger one with another;
Behold, this is not my doctrine, to stir up the hearts of men with anger one against another; but this is my doctrine, that such things should be done away.
Behold, verily, verily I say unto you, I will declare unto you my doctrine. And this is my doctrine, and it is the doctrine which the Father hath given unto me;
And I bear record of the Father, and the Father beareth record of me, and the Holy Ghost beareth record of the Father and me, and I bear record that the Father commandeth all men, everywhere, to repent and believe in me;
And whoso believeth in me, and is baptized, the same shall be saved; and they are they who shall inherit the kingdom of God.
And whoso believeth not in me, and is not baptized, shall be damned.
Verily, verily I say unto you, that this is my doctrine; and I bear record of it from the Father; and whoso believeth in me, believeth in the Father also;
And unto him will the Father bear record of me; for he will visit him with fire and with the Holy Ghost;
And thus will the Father bear record of me; and the Holy Ghost will bear record unto him of the Father and me; for the Father, and I, and the Holy Ghost, are one.
And again I say unto you, Ye must repent, and become as a little child, and be baptized in my name, or ye can in no wise receive these things.
And again I say unto you, Ye must repent, and be baptized in my name, and become as a little child, or ye can in nowise inherit the kingdom of God.
Verily, verily I say unto you, that this is my doctrine; and whoso buildeth upon this, buildeth upon my rock; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against them.
And whoso shall declare more or less than this, and establish it for my doctrine, the same cometh of evil, and is not built upon my rock, but he buildeth upon a sandy foundation, and the gates of hell standeth open to receive such, when the floods come, and the winds beat upon them.
Therefore go forth unto this people, and declare the words which I have spoken, unto the ends of the earth.
III Nephi 5:30-43
Salvation through faith on His Name
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;
Wherefore, my soul delighteth to prophesy concerning him, for I have seen his day, and my heart doth magnify his holy name.
II Nephi 11:22,23
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.
And now my brethren, I have spoken plain, that ye can not err;
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;
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.
II Nephi 11:36-39
There is no other name given, whereby salvation cometh, therefore, I would that ye should take upon you the name of Christ, all you that have entered into the covenant with God, that ye should be obedient unto the end of your lives.
And it shall come to pass that whosoever doeth this, shall be found at the right hand of God, for he shall know the name by which he is called; for he shall be called by the name of Christ.
Mosiah 3:11,12
For behold, this is my church: whosoever is baptized, shall be baptized unto repentance.
And whosoever ye receive, shall believe in my name; and him will I freely forgive:
For it is I that taketh upon me the sins of the world; for it is I that hath created them; and it is I that granteth unto him that believeth in the end, a place at my right hand. For behold, in my name are they called; and if they know me, they shall come forth, and shall have a place eternally at my right hand.
Mosiah 11:129-132
And I say unto you, that I know that Jesus Christ shall come; yea, the Son, the only begotten of the Father, full of grace, and mercy, and truth.
And behold, it is he that cometh to take away the sins of the world; yea, the sins of every man who steadfastly believeth on his name.
Alma 3:83,84
And he shall come into the world to redeem his people; and he shall take upon him the transgressions of those who believe on his name; and these are they that shall have eternal life, and salvation cometh to none else.
Alma 8:96
… he is just in all his works, and … he is merciful unto the children of men, and … he has all power to save every man that believeth on his name, and bringeth forth fruit meet for repentance.
Alma 9:27
For as sure as thou livest, behold, I have seen my Redeemer; and he shall come forth and be born of a woman, and he shall redeem all mankind who believe on his name.
Alma 12:143
And we see that his arm is extended to all people who will repent and believe on his name.
Alma 12:180
And Aaron did expound unto him the scriptures, from the creation of Adam, laying the fall of man before him, and their carnal state, and also the plan of redemption, which was prepared from the foundation of the world, through Christ, for all whosoever would believe on his name.
Alma 13:45
But Aaron said unto him, If thou desirest this thing, if thou wilt bow down before God, yea, if thou wilt repent of all thy sins, and will bow down before God, and call on his name in faith, believing that ye shall receive, then shalt thou receive the hope which thou desirest.
Alma 13:51
Yea, and my joy is carried away, even unto boasting in my God; for he has all power, all wisdom, and all understanding; he comprehendeth all things, and he is a merciful Being even unto salvation, to those who will repent and believe on his name.
Alma 14:124
And now, behold, I say unto you; and I would that ye should remember that God is merciful unto all who believe on his name; therefore he desireth, in the first place, that ye should believe, yea, even on his word.
Alma 16:144
Therefore may God grant unto you, my brethren, that ye may begin to exercise your faith unto repentance, that ye begin to call upon his holy name, that he would have mercy upon you; yea, cry unto him for mercy; for he is mighty to save;
Alma 16:218
Thus we may see that the Lord is merciful unto all who will in the sincerity of their hearts, call upon his holy name; yea, thus we see that the gate of heaven is open unto all, even to those who will believe on the name of Jesus Christ, who is the Son of God;
Helaman 2:25
And ye shall hear my words, for, for this intent I have come up upon the walls of this city, that ye might hear and know of the judgments of God which do await you because of your iniquities, and also that ye might know the conditions of repentance;
And also that ye might know of the coming of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Father of heaven, and of earth, the Creator of all things, from the beginning; and that ye might know of the signs of his coming, to the intent that ye might believe on his name.
And if ye believe on his name, ye will repent of all your sins, that thereby ye may have a remission of them through his merits.
Helaman 5:65-67
And as many as have received me, to them have I given to become the sons of God; and even so will I to as many as shall believe on my name, for behold, by me redemption cometh, and in me is the Law of Moses fulfilled.
III Nephi 4:47
Have they not read the scriptures, which say, Ye must take upon you the name of Christ, which is my name? for by this name shall ye be called at the last day; and whoso taketh upon him my name, and endureth to the end, the same shall be saved at the last day;
Therefore, whatsoever ye shall do, ye shall do it in my name; therefore ye shall call the church in my name; and ye shall call upon the Father in my name, that he will bless the church for my sake; and how be it my church, save it be called in my name?
III Nephi 12:18,19
And whosoever shall believe in my name, doubting nothing, unto him will I confirm all my words, even unto the ends of the earth.
Mormon 4:88
Behold, I am he who was prepared from the foundation of the world to redeem my people. Behold, I am Jesus Christ. I am the Father and the Son.
In me shall all mankind have life, and that eternally, even they who shall believe on my name; and they shall become my sons and my daughters.
Ether 1:77,78
Therefore, repent all ye ends of the earth, and come unto me, and believe in my gospel, and be baptized in my name; for he that believeth, and is baptized, shall be saved; but he that believeth not, shall be damned; and signs shall follow them that believe in my name.
Ether 1:115
Wherefore, by the ministering of angels, and by every word which proceedeth forth out of the mouth of God, men began to exercise faith in Christ; and thus by faith, they did lay hold upon every good thing; and thus it was until the coming of Christ.
And after that he came, men also were saved by faith in his name; and by faith, they become the sons of God.
And as sure as Christ liveth, he spake these words unto our fathers, saying, Whatsoever thing ye shall ask the Father in my name, which is good, in faith believing that ye shall receive, behold it shall be done unto you.
Moroni 7:24-26
O remember, remember, my sons, the words which King Benjamin spake unto his people; yea, remember that there is no other way nor means whereby man can be saved, only through the atoning blood of Jesus Christ, who shall come; yea, remember that he cometh to redeem the world.
And remember also, the words which Amulek spake unto Zeezrom, in the city of Ammonihah; for he said unto him, that the Lord surely should come to redeem his people; but that he should not come to redeem them in their sins, but to redeem them from their sins.
And he hath power given unto him from the Father, to redeem them from their sins, because of repentance; therefore he hath sent his angels to declare the tidings of the conditions of repentance, which bringeth unto the power of the Redeemer, unto the salvation of their souls.
And now my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation, that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds; yea, his shafts in the whirlwind;
Yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you, to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build, they can not fall.
Helaman 2:71-75
Then Joseph, her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily.
But while he thought on there things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a vision, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife; for that which is conceived in her, is of the Holy Ghost.
And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus; for he shall save his people from their sins.
Matthew 2:2-4
Saved by Grace After All We Can Do
Therefore cheer up your hearts, and remember that ye are free to act for yourselves; to choose the way of everlasting death, or the way of eternal life.
Wherefore, my beloved brethren, reconcile yourselves to the will of God, and not to the will of the devil and the flesh;
And remember after ye are reconciled unto God, that it is only in and through the grace of God that ye are saved.
Wherefore, may God raise you from death, by the power of the resurrection, and also from everlasting death, by the power of the atonement,
That ye may be received into the eternal kingdom of God, that ye may praise him through grace divine. Amen.
II Nephi 7:40-44
For we labor diligently to write, to persuade our children, and also our brethren, to believe in Christ, and to be reconciled to God;
For we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do.
II Nephi 11:43,44
And now behold, my brethren, since it has been all that we could do, (as we were the most lost of all mankind,) to repent of all our sins and the many murders which we have committed, and to get God to take them away from our hearts, for it was all we could do to repent sufficiently before God, that he would take away our stain.
Alma 14:33
My bowels are filled with mercy; for I perceive that ye desire that I should shew unto you what I have done unto your brethren at Jerusalem, for I see that your faith is sufficient, that I should heal you.
III Nephi 8:8
And again I would exhort you, that ye would come unto Christ, and lay hold upon every good gift and touch not the evil gift, nor the unclean thing.
And awake, and arise from the dust, O Jerusalem; yea, and put on thy beautiful garments, O daughter of Zion, and strengthen thy stakes, and enlarge thy borders for ever, that thou mayest no more be confounded, that the covenants of the eternal Father which he hath made unto thee, O house of Israel, may be fulfilled.
Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in no wise deny the power of God.
And again, if ye, by the grace of God, are perfect in Christ, and deny not his power, then are ye sanctified in Christ by the grace of God, through the shedding of the blood of Christ, which is in the covenant of the Father, unto the remission of your sins, that ye become holy without spot.
Moroni 10:27-30
Salvation is Only for Those Who Exercise Faith Unto Repentance
I, Nephi, was desirous also that I might see, and hear, and know of these things, by the power of the Holy Ghost, which is the gift of God unto all those who diligently seek him, as well in times of old as in the time that he should manifest himself unto the children of men;
For he is the same yesterday, to-day, and for ever.
And the way is prepared from the foundation of the world, if it so be that they repent and come unto him;
For he that diligently seeketh shall find;
And the mysteries of God shall be unfolded unto them by the power of the Holy Ghost, as well in this time as in times of old;
And as well in times of old as in times to come;
Wherefore, the course of the Lord is one eternal round.
Therefore remember, O man, for all thy doings thou shalt be brought into judgment.
I Nephi 3:26-33
And it came to pass that the angel spake unto me, Nephi, saying, Thou hast beheld that if the Gentiles repent, it shall be well with them;
And thou also knowest concerning the covenants of the Lord unto the house of Israel;
And thou also hast heard, that whoso repenteth not, must perish;
Therefore, wo, be unto the Gentiles, if it so be that they harden their hearts against the Lamb of God;
For the time cometh, saith the Lamb of God, that I will work a great and a marvelous work among the children of men;
A work which shall be everlasting, either on the one hand or on the other;
Either to the convincing of them unto peace and life eternal, or unto the deliverance of them to the hardness of their hearts and the blindness of their minds, unto their being brought down into captivity and also unto destruction, both temporally and spiritually, according to the captivity of the devil, of which I have spoken.
I Nephi 3:210-216
And after Adam and Eve had partaken of the forbidden fruit, they were driven out of the garden of Eden, to till the earth.
And they have brought forth children; yea, even the family of all the earth.
And the days of the children of men were prolonged, according to the will of God, that they might repent while in the flesh;
Wherefore, their state became a state of probation, and their time was lengthened, according to the commandments which the Lord God gave unto the children of men.
For he gave commandment that all men must repent;
For he shewed unto all men that they were lost, because of the transgression of their parents.
II Nephi 1:105-110
Oh how great the holiness of our God! For he knoweth all things, and there is not anything save he knows it.
And he cometh into the world that he may save all men, if they will hearken unto his voice;
For behold, he suffereth the pains of all men: yea, the pains of every living creature, both men, women and children, who belong to the family of Adam.
And he suffereth this, that the resurrection might pass upon all men, that all might stand before him at the great and judgment day.
And he commandeth all men that they must repent, and be baptized in his name, having perfect faith in the Holy One of Israel, or they can not be saved in the kingdom of God.
And if they will not repent and believe in his name, and be baptized in his name, and endure to the end, they must be damned; For the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, hath spoken it.
II Nephi 6:44-50
For behold, my beloved brethren, I say unto you, that the Lord God worketh not in darkness.
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.
Wherefore, he commandeth none that they shall not partake of his salvation.
Behold, doth he cry unto any, saying, Depart from me?
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.
Behold, hath he commanded any that they should depart out of the synagogues, or out of the houses of worship?
Behold, I say unto you, Nay.
Hath he commanded any that they should not partake of his salvation?
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.
Behold, hath the Lord commanded any that they should not partake of his goodness?
Behold, I say unto you, Nay; but all men are privileged the one like unto the other, and none are forbidden.
II Nephi 11:95-105
For the day shall come that the Lord God will speedily visit the inhabitants of the earth; and in that day that they are fully ripe in iniquity, they shall perish.
But behold, if the inhabitants of the earth shall repent of their wickedness and abominations, they shall not be destroyed, saith the Lord of hosts.
But behold, that great and abominable church, the whore of all the earth, must tumble to the earth; and great must be the fall thereof:
For the kingdom of the devil must shake, and they which belong to it must needs be stirred up unto repentance, or the devil will grasp them with his everlasting chains, and they be stirred up to anger and perish:
For behold, at that day shall he rage in the hearts of the children of men, and stir them up to anger against that which is good;
And others will he pacify, and lull them away into carnal security, that they will say, All is well in Zion; yea, Zion prospereth, all is well;
And thus the devil cheateth their souls, and leadeth them away carefully down to hell.
II Nephi 12:20-26
Wo be unto the Gentiles, saith the Lord God of hosts; for notwithstanding I shall lengthen out mine arm unto them from day to day, they will deny me;
Nevertheless, I will be merciful unto them, saith the Lord God, if they will repent and come unto me; for mine arm is lengthened out all the day long, saith the Lord God of hosts.
II Nephi 12:40,41
And now, behold, my beloved brethren, I would speak unto you: for I, Nephi, would not suffer that ye should suppose that ye are more righteous than the Gentiles shall be.
For behold, except ye shall keep the commandments of God ye shall all likewise perish; and because of the words which have been spoken ye need not suppose that the Gentiles are utterly destroyed.
For behold, I say unto you, That as many of the Gentiles as will repent, are the covenant people of the Lord; and as many of the Jews as will not repent, shall be cast off;
For the Lord covenanteth with none, save it be with them that repent and believe in his Son, who is the Holy One of Israel.
II Nephi 12:75-78
Wherefore, my beloved brethren, can we follow Jesus, save we shall be willing to keep the commandments of the Father?
And the Father said, Repent ye, repent ye, and be baptized in the name of my beloved Son.
II Nephi 13:13,14
Wherefore, do the things which I have told you I have seen, that your Lord and your Redeemer should do:
For, for this cause have they been shewn unto me, that ye might know the gate by which ye should enter.
For the gate by which ye should enter is repentance and baptism by water: and then cometh a remission of your sins by fire, and by the Holy Ghost.
And then are ye in this strait and narrow path which leads to eternal life; yea, ye have entered in by the gate; ye have done according to the commandments of the Father and the Son;
And ye have received the Holy Ghost, which witnesses of the Father and the Son, unto the fulfilling of the promise which he hath made, that if ye enter in by the way, ye should receive.
And now, my beloved brethren, after ye have gotten into this strait and narrow path, I would ask, if all is done?
Behold, I say unto you, Nay; for ye have not come thus far, save it were by the word of Christ, with unshaken faith in him, relying wholly upon the merits of him who is mighty to save;
Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men.
Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life.
And now behold, my beloved brethren, this is the way; and there is none other way nor name given under heaven, whereby man can be saved in the kingdom of God.
And now behold, this is the doctrine of Christ, and the only and true doctrine of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, which is one God, without end. Amen.
II Nephi 13:22-32
And now, I say unto you, my brethren, that after ye have known and have been taught all these things, if ye should transgress, and go contrary to that which has been spoken, that ye do withdraw yourselves from the Spirit of the Lord, that it may have no place in you to guide you in wisdom’s path, that ye may be blessed, prospered, and preserved.
I say unto you, that the man that doeth this, the same cometh out in open rebellion against God;
Therefore he listeth to obey the evil spirit, and becometh an enemy to all righteousness;
Therefore, the Lord has no place in him, for he dwelleth not in unholy temples.
Therefore, if that man repenteth not, and remaineth and dieth an enemy to God, the demands of divine justice doth awaken his immortal soul to a lively sense of his own guilt,
Which doth cause him to shrink from the presence of the Lord, and doth fill his breast with guilt, and pain, and anguish, which is like an unquenchable fire, whose flames ascendeth up for ever and ever.
Mosiah 1:79-84
And lo, he cometh unto his own, that salvation might come unto the children of men, even through faith, on his name;
And even after all this, they shall consider him a man, and say that he hath a devil, and shall scourge him, and shall crucify him.
And he shall rise the third day from the dead; and behold, he standeth to judge the world.
And behold, all these things are done, that a righteous judgement might come upon the children of men.
For behold, and also his blood atoneth for the sins of those who have fallen by the transgression of Adam, who have died, not knowing the will of God concerning them, or who have ignorantly sinned.
But wo, wo unto him who knoweth that he rebelleth against God; for salvation cometh to none such, except it be through repentance and faith on the Lord Jesus Christ.
Mosiah 1:103-108
But men drink damnation to their own souls, except they humble themselves, and become as little children, and believe that salvation was, and is, and is to come, in and through the atoning blood of Christ, the Lord Omnipotent:
For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been, from the fall of Adam, and will be, for ever and ever;
But if <unless> he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man, and becometh a saint, through the atonement of Christ, the Lord, and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father.
And moreover, I say unto you, that the time shall come, when the knowledge of a Savior shall spread throughout every nation, kindred, tongue, and people.
And behold, when that time cometh, none shall be found blameless before God, except it be little children, only through repentance and faith on the name of the Lord God Omnipotent.
Mosiah 1:118-122
And if Christ had not risen from the dead, or have broken the bands of death, that the grave should have no victory, and that death should have no sting, there could have been no resurrection.
But there is a resurrection, therefore the grave hath no victory, and the sting of death is swallowed up in Christ.
He is the light and the life of the world; yea, a light that is endless, that can never be darkened; yea, and also a life which is endless, that there can be no more death.
Even this mortal shall put on immortality, and this corruption shall put on incorruption, and shall be brought to stand before the bar of God, to be judged of him according to their works, whether they be good or whether they be evil.
If they be good, to the resurrection of endless life and happiness, and if they be evil, to the resurrection of endless damnation;
Being delivered up to the devil, who has subjected them, which is damnation;
Having gone according to their own carnal wills and desires; having never called upon the Lord while the arms of mercy were extended towards them;
For the arms of mercy were extended towards them, and they would not; they being warned of their iniquities, and yet they would not depart from them;
And they were commanded to repent, and yet they would not repent.
And now had ye not ought to tremble and repent of your sins, and remember only in and through Christ ye can be saved?
Therefore, if ye teach the Law of Moses, also teach that it is a shadow of those things which are to come;
Teach them that redemption cometh through Christ the Lord, who is the very eternal Father. Amen.
Mosiah 8:80-91
And it came to pass that whosoever was baptized by the power and authority of God, was added to his church.
And it came to pass that Alma, having authority from God, ordained priests; even one priest to every fifty of their number did he ordain to preach unto them, and to teach them concerning the things pertaining to the kingdom of God.
And he commanded them that they should teach nothing save it were the things which he had taught, and which had been spoken by the mouth of the holy prophets.
Yea, even he commanded them that they should preach nothing save it were repentance and faith on the Lord, who had redeemed his people.
And he commanded them that there should be no contention one with another, but that they should look forward with one eye, having one faith and one baptism; having their hearts knit together in unity and in love, one towards another.
And thus he commanded them to preach. And thus they became the children of God.
Mosiah 9:50-55
And Alma did speak unto them, when they were assembled together in large bodies, and he went from one body to another preaching unto the people repentance and faith on the Lord.
…
For there was nothing preached in all the churches except it were repentance and faith in God.
…
For behold, this is my church: whosoever is baptized, shall be baptized unto repentance.
…
Mosiah 11:92,101,129
Therefore I say unto you, that he that will not hear my voice, the same shall ye not receive into my church, for him I will not receive at the last day:
Therefore I say unto you, Go; and whosoever transgresseth against me, him shall ye judge according to the sins which he has committed;
And if he confess his sins before thee and me, and repenteth in the sincerity of his heart, him shall ye forgive, and I will forgive him also;
Yea, and as often as my people repent, will I forgive them their trespasses against me.
And ye shall also forgive one another your trespasses: for verily I say unto you, He that forgiveth not his neighbor’s trespasses, when he says that he repents, the same hath brought himself under condemnation.
Now I say unto you, Go; and whosoever will not repent of his sins, the same shall not be numbered among my people: and this shall be observed from this time forward.
Mosiah 11:136-141
And again I say unto you, Is there one among you that doth make a mock of his brother, or that heapeth upon him persecutions?
Wo unto such an one, for he is not prepared, and the time is at hand that he must repent, or he can not be saved;
Yea, even wo unto all ye workers of iniquity; repent, repent, for the Lord God hath spoken it.
Behold, he sendeth an invitation unto all men; for the arms of mercy are extended towards them, and he saith, Repent, and I will receive you;
Yea, he saith, Come unto me and ye shall partake of the fruit of the tree of life; yea, ye shall eat and drink of the bread and the waters of life freely; Y
ea, come unto me and bring forth works of righteousness, and ye shall not be hewn down and cast into the fire;
For behold, the time is at hand that whosoever bringeth forth not good fruit, or whosoever doeth not the works of righteousness, the same have cause to wail and mourn.
O ye workers of iniquity; ye that are puffed up in the vain things of the world; ye that have professed to have known the ways of righteousness; nevertheless have gone astray, as sheep having no shepherd, notwithstanding a shepherd hath called after you, and art still calling after you, but ye will not hearken unto his voice.
Alma 3:54-61
And I say unto you, that I know that Jesus Christ shall come; yea, the Son, the only begotten of the Father, full of grace, and mercy, and truth.
And behold, it is he that cometh to take away the sins of the world; yea, the sins of every man who steadfastly believeth on his name.
And now I say unto you, that this is the order after which I am called; yea, to preach unto my beloved brethren; yea, and every one that dwelleth in the land;
Yea, to preach unto all, both old and young, both bond and free; yea, I say unto you, the aged, and also the middle aged, and the rising generation; yea, to cry unto them that they must repent and be born again;
Yea, thus saith the Spirit, Repent all ye ends of the earth, for the kingdom of heaven is soon at hand; yea, the Son of God cometh in his glory, in his might, majesty, power and dominion.
Yea, my beloved brethren, I say unto you, that the Spirit saith, Behold, the glory of the King of all the earth; and also the King of heaven shall very soon shine forth among all the children of men;
And also the Spirit saith unto me, yea, crieth unto me with a mighty voice, saying, Go forth and say unto this people, Repent, for except ye repent, ye can in no wise inherit the kingdom of heaven.
Alma 3:83-89
Now the Spirit knoweth all things; nevertheless the Son of God suffereth according to the flesh, that he might take upon him the sins of his people, that he might blot out their transgressions, according to the power of his deliverance; and now behold, this is the testimony which is in me.
Now I say unto you, that ye must repent, and be born again: for the Spirit saith, If ye are not born again, ye can not inherit the kingdom of heaven;
Therefore come and be baptized unto repentance, that ye may be washed from your sins, that ye may have faith on the Lamb of God, who taketh away the sins of the world, who is mighty to save and to cleanse from all unrighteousness;
Yea, I say unto you, Come and fear not, and lay aside every sin, which easily doth beset you, which doth bind you down to destruction;
Yea, come and go forth, and shew unto your God that ye are willing to repent of your sins, and enter into a covenant with him to keep his commandments, and witness it unto him this day, by going into the waters of baptism;
And whosoever doeth this, and keepeth the commandments of God from thenceforth, the same will remember that I say unto him, yea, he will remember that I have said unto him, he shall have eternal life, according to the testimony of the Holy Spirit, which testifieth in me.
And now my beloved brethren, do you believe these things?
Alma 5:23-29
Behold, now I say unto you, that he commandeth you to repent; and except ye repent, ye can in no wise inherit the kingdom of God.
But behold, this is not all: he has commanded you to repent, or he will utterly destroy you from off the face of the earth; yea, he will visit you in his anger, and in his fierce anger he will not turn away.
Alma 7:13,14
And not many days hence, the Son of God shall come in his glory; and his glory shall be the glory of the Only Begotten of the Father, full of grace, equity and truth, full of patience, mercy, and long suffering, quick to hear the cries of his people, and to answer their prayers.
And behold, he cometh to redeem those who will be baptized unto repentance, through faith on his name;
Therefore prepare ye the way of the Lord, for the time is at hand that all men shall reap a reward of their works, according to that which they have been:
If they have been righteous, they shall reap the salvation of their souls, according to the power and deliverance of Jesus Christ;
And if they have been evil, they shall reap the damnation of their souls, according to the power and captivation of the devil.
Alma 7:40-44
Then if our hearts have been hardened, yea, if we have hardened our hearts against the word, insomuch that it has not been found in us, then will our state be awful, for then we shall be condemned;
For our words will condemn us, yea, all our works will condemn us; we shall not be found spotless:
And our thoughts will also condemn us; and in this awful state, we shall not dare look up to our God;
And we would fain be glad if we could command the rocks and the mountains to fall upon us, to hide us from his presence.
But this can not be: we must come forth and stand before him in his glory, and in his power, and in his might, majesty, and dominion, and acknowledge to our everlasting shame, that all his judgments are just:
That he is just in all his works, and that he is merciful unto the children of men, and that he has all power to save every man that believeth on his name, and bringeth forth fruit meet for repentance.
Alma 9:22-27
Therefore, whosoever repenteth, and hardeneth not his heart, he shall have claim on mercy through mine only begotten Son, unto a remission of his sins; and these shall enter into my rest.
And whosoever will harden his heart and will do iniquity, behold, I swear in my wrath that he shall not enter into my rest.
Alma 9:55,56
And now, my brethren, I would that ye should humble yourselves before God, and bring forth fruit meet for repentance, that ye may also enter into that rest.
Alma 10:6
And may the Lord grant unto you repentance, that ye may not bring down his wrath upon you, that ye may not be bound down by the chains of hell, that ye may not suffer the second death.
Alma 10:30
And we see that his arm is extended to all people who will repent and believe on his name.
Alma 12:180
And also, what is this that Ammon said: If ye will repent ye shall be saved, and if ye will not repent, ye shall be cast off at the last day?
Alma 13:37
And it came to pass that after Aaron had expounded these things unto him, the king said, What shall I do, that I may have this eternal life of which thou hast spoken?
Yea, what shall I do that I may be born of God, having this wicked spirit rooted out of my breast, and receive his Spirit, that I may be filled with joy, that I may not be cast off at the last day?
Behold, said he, I will give up all that I possess; yea, I will forsake my kingdom, that I may receive this great joy.
But Aaron said unto him, If thou desirest this thing, if thou wilt bow down before God, yea, if thou wilt repent of all thy sins, and will bow down before God, and call on his name in faith, believing that ye shall receive, then shalt thou receive the hope which thou desirest.
Alma 13:48-51
Yea, and my joy is carried away, even unto boasting in my God; for he has all power, all wisdom, and all understanding; he comprehendeth all things, and he is a merciful Being even unto salvation, to those who will repent and believe on his name.
Alma 14:124
And now surely, whosoever repenteth shall find mercy; and he that findeth mercy and endureth to the end, the same shall be saved.
And now as I said unto you, that because ye were compelled to be humble, ye were blessed, do ye not suppose that they are more blessed who truly humble themselves because of the word?
Yea, he that truly humbleth himself and repenteth of his sins, and endureth to the end, the same shall be blessed; yea, much more blessed than they who are compelled to be humble, because of their exceeding poverty; therefore blessed are they who humble themselves without being compelled to be humble,
Or rather, in other words, Blessed is he that believeth in the word of God, and is baptized without stubbornness of heart; yea, without being brought to know the word, or even compelled to know, before they will believe.
Alma 16:135-138
And now, my brethren, I would that after ye have received so many witnesses, seeing that the holy scriptures testify of these things, come forth and bring fruit unto repentance;
Yea, I would that ye would come forth and harden not your hearts any longer; for behold, now is the time, and the day of your salvation; and therefore, if ye will repent and harden not your hearts, immediately shall the great plan of redemption be brought about unto you.
For behold, this life is the time for men to prepare to meet God: yea, behold, the day of this life is the day for men to perform their labors.
And now as I said unto you before, as ye have had so many witnesses, therefore I beseech of you, that ye do not procrastinate the day of your repentance until the end;
For after this day of life, which is given us to prepare for eternity, behold, if we do not improve our time while in this life, then cometh the night of darkness, wherein there can be no labor performed.
Ye can not say, when ye are brought to that awful crisis, that I will repent, that I will return to my God.
Nay, ye can not say this; for that same spirit which doth possess your bodies at the time that ye go out of this life, that same spirit will have power to possess your body in that eternal world.
For behold, if ye have procrastinated the day of your repentance, even until death, behold, ye have become subjected to the spirit of the devil, and he doth seal you his;
Therefore the Spirit of the Lord hath withdrawn from you, and hath no place in you, and the devil hath all power over you; and this is the final state of the wicked.
And this I know, because the Lord has said, he dwelleth not in unholy temples, but in the hearts of the righteous doth he dwell;
Yea, and he has also said, that the righteous shall sit down in his kingdom, to go no more out; but their garments should be made white, through the blood of the Lamb.
Alma 16:226-236
…God ceaseth not to be God, and mercy claimeth the penitent, and mercy cometh because of the atonement; and the atonement bringeth to pass the resurrection of the dead: and the resurrection of the dead bringeth back men into the presence of God;
And thus they are restored into his presence; to be judged according to their works; according to the law and justice; for behold, justice exerciseth all his demands, and also mercy claimeth all which is her own; and thus, none but the truly penitent are saved.
Alma 19:105,106
And it came to pass that in this same year, there was exceeding great prosperity in the church, insomuch that there were thousands who did join themselves unto the church, and were baptized unto repentance;
And so great was the prosperity of the church, and so many the blessings which were poured out upon the people, that even the high priests and the teachers were themselves astonished beyond measure.
And it came to pass that the work of the Lord did prosper unto the baptizing and uniting to the church of God, many souls; yea, even tens of thousands.
Thus we may see that the Lord is merciful unto all who will in the sincerity of their hearts, call upon his holy name; yea, thus we see that the gate of heaven is open unto all, even to those who will believe on the name of Jesus Christ, who is the Son of God;
Yea, we see that whosoever will lay hold upon the word of God which is quick and powerful, which shall divide asunder all the cunning, and the snares, and the wiles of the devil, and lead the man of Christ in a strait and narrow course across that everlasting gulf of misery which is prepared to engulf the wicked, and land their souls, yea, their immortal souls, at the right hand of God, in the kingdom of heaven, to sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and with Jacob, and with all our holy fathers, to go no more out.
Helaman 2:22-26
O repent ye, repent ye! why will ye die? Turn ye, turn ye unto the Lord your God. Why has he forsaken you?
It is because you have hardened your hearts; yea, ye will not hearken unto the voice of the Good Shepherd; yea, ye have provoked him to anger against you.
And behold, instead of gathering you, except ye will repent, behold he shall scatter you forth that ye shall become meat for dogs and wild beasts.
O how could you have forgotten your God in the very day that he has delivered you?
But behold, it is to get gain, to be praised of men; yea, and that ye might get gold and silver.
And ye have set your hearts upon the riches and the vain things of this world, for the which ye do murder, and plunder, and steal, and bear false witness against your neighbor, and do all manner of iniquity; and for this cause wo shall come unto you except ye shall repent.
Helaman 3:18-23
And behold, if the Lord shall say unto a man, Because of thine iniquities thou shalt be accursed for ever, it shall be done.
And if the Lord shall say, Because of thine iniquities, thou shalt be cut off from my presence, he will cause that it shall be so.
And wo unto him to whom he shall say this, for it shall be unto him that will do iniquity, and he can not be saved; therefore, for this cause, that men might be saved, hath repentance been declared.
Therefore blessed are they who will repent and hearken unto the voice of the Lord their God; for these are they that shall be saved.
And may God grant, in his great fullness, that men might be brought unto repentance and good works, that they might be restored unto grace, for grace according to their works.
And I would that all men might be saved. But we read that in that great and last day, there are some who shall be cast out; yea, who shall be cast off from the presence of the Lord;
Yea, who shall be consigned to a state of endless misery, fulfilling the words which say, They that have done good, shall have everlasting life; and they that have done evil, shall have everlasting damnation. And thus it is. Amen.
Helaman 4:67-73
Yea, heavy destruction awaiteth this people, and it surely cometh unto this people, and nothing can save this people, save it be repentance and faith on the Lord Jesus Christ, who surely shall come into the world, and shall suffer many things, and shall be slain for his people.
And behold, an angel of the Lord hath declared it unto me, and he did bring glad tidings to my soul.
And behold, I was sent unto you to declare it unto you also, that ye might have glad tidings; but behold ye would not receive me,
Therefore thus saith the Lord, Because of the hardness of the hearts of the people of the Nephites, except they repent I will take away my word from them, and I will withdraw my Spirit from them, and I will suffer them no longer, and I will turn the hearts of their brethren against them;
And four hundred years shall not pass away, before I will cause that they shall be smitten; yea, I will visit them with the sword, and with famine, and with pestilence;
Yea, I will visit them in my fierce anger, and there shall be those of the fourth generation, who shall live, of your enemies, to behold your utter destruction:
And this shall surely come, except ye repent, saith the Lord: and those of the fourth generation shall visit your destruction.
But if ye will repent and return unto the Lord your God, I will turn away mine anger, saith the Lord; yea, thus saith the Lord, Blessed are they who will repent and turn unto me, but wo unto him that repenteth not.
Helaman 5:7-14
And they knew it was because of their repentance and their humility that they had been delivered from an everlasting destruction.
III Nephi 2:81
And Nephi did cry unto the people in the commencement of the thirty and third year; and he did preach unto them repentance and remission of sins.
Now I would have you remember also, that there were none who were brought unto repentance, who were not baptized with water;
Therefore there were ordained of Nephi, men unto this ministry, that all such as should come unto them, should be baptized with water, and this as a witness and a testimony before God, and unto the people, that they had repented and received a remission of their sins.
And there were many in the commencement of this year, that were baptized unto repentance: and thus the more part of the year did pass away.
III Nephi 3:67-70
O all ye that are spared, because ye were more righteous than they, will ye not now return unto me, and repent of your sins, and be converted, that I may heal you?
III Nephi 4:41
Behold, I have come unto the world to bring redemption unto the world, to save the world from sin: therefore whoso repenteth and cometh unto me as a little child, him will I receive; for of such is the kingdom of God.
Behold, for such I have laid down my life, and have taken it up again; therefore repent, and come unto me ye ends of the earth, and be saved.
III Nephi 4:51,52
And again I say unto you, Ye must repent, and become as a little child, and be baptized in my name, or ye can in no wise receive these things.
And again I say unto you, Ye must repent, and be baptized in my name, and become as a little child, or ye can in nowise inherit the kingdom of God
III Nephi 5:39,40
Therefore if ye know that a man is unworthy to eat and drink of my flesh and blood, ye shall forbid him; nevertheless ye shall not cast him out from among you, but ye shall minister unto him, and shall pray for him unto the Father, in my name,
And if it so be that he repenteth, and is baptized in my name, then shall ye receive him, and shall minister unto him of my flesh and blood;
But if he repent not, he shall not be numbered among my people, that he may not destroy my people, for behold I know my sheep, and they are numbered;
Nevertheless ye shall not cast him out of your synagogues, or your places of worship, for unto such shall ye continue to minister;
For ye know not but what they will return and repent, and come unto me with full purpose of heart, and I shall heal them, and ye shall be the means of bringing salvation unto them.
Therefore keep these sayings which I have commanded you, that ye come not under condemnation, for wo unto him whom the Father condemneth.
And I give you these commandments, because of the disputations which have been among you.
And blessed are ye if ye have no disputations among you.
III Nephi 8:61-68
For it shall come to pass, saith the Father, that at that day, whosoever will not repent and come unto my beloved Son, them will I cut off from among my people, O house of Israel, and I will execute vengeance and fury upon them, even as upon the heathen, such as they have not heard.
3 Nephi 9:106
And whosoever will hearken unto my words, and repenteth, and is baptized, the same shall be saved.
III Nephi 10:31
And for this cause have I been lifted up; therefore, according to the power of the Father, I will draw all men unto me, that they may be judged according to their works.
And it shall come to pass, that whoso repenteth and is baptized in my name, shall be filled; and if he endureth to the end, behold, him will I hold guiltless before my Father, at that day when I shall stand to judge the world.
And he that endureth not unto the end, the same is he that is also hewn down and cast into the fire, from whence they can no more return, because of the justice of the Father: and this is the word which he hath given unto the children of men.
And for this cause he fulfilleth the words which he hath given, and he lieth not, but fulfilleth all his words; and no unclean thing can enter into his kingdom;
Therefore nothing entereth into his rest, save it be those who have washed their garments in my blood, because of their faith, and the repentance of all their sins, and their faithfulness unto the end.
Now this is the commandment, Repent, all ye ends of the earth, and come unto me and be baptized in my name, that ye may be sanctified by the reception of the Holy Ghost, that ye may stand spotless before me at the last day.
Verily, verily I say unto you, This is my gospel; and ye know the things that ye must do in my church; for the works which ye have seen me do, that shall ye also do;
For that which ye have seen me do, even that shall ye do; therefore if ye do these things, blessed are ye, for ye shall be lifted up at the last day.
III Nephi 12:28-35
Turn all ye Gentiles, from your wicked ways, and repent of your evil doings, of your lyings and deceivings, and of your whoredoms, and of your secret abominations, and your idolatries, and of your murders, and your priestcrafts, and your envyings, and your strifes, and from all your wickedness and abominations,
And come unto me, and be baptized in my name, that ye may receive a remission of your sins, and be filled with the Holy Ghost, that ye may be numbered with my people, who are of the house of Israel.
III Nephi 1:2,3
And for this cause I write unto you, that ye may know that ye must all stand before the judgment seat of Christ; yea, every soul who belongs to the whole human family of Adam;
And ye must stand to be judged of your works, whether they be good or evil; and also that ye may believe the gospel of Jesus Christ, which ye shall have among you;
And also that the Jews, the covenant people of the Lord, shall have other witness besides him whom they saw and heard, that Jesus whom they slew, was the very Christ, and the very God;
And I would that I could persuade all ye ends of the earth to repent and prepare to stand before the judgment seat of Christ.
Mormon 1:86-89
Know ye that ye must come unto repentance, or ye can not be saved.
Know ye that ye must lay down your weapons of war, and delight no more in the shedding of blood, and take them not again, save it be that God shall command you.
Know ye that ye must come to the knowledge of your fathers, and repent of all your sins and iniquities, and believe in Jesus Christ, that he is the Son of God, and that he was slain by the Jews, and by the power of the Father he hath risen again, whereby he hath gained the victory over the grave; and also in him is the sting of death swallowed up.
And he bringeth to pass the resurrection of the dead, whereby man must be raised to stand before his judgment seat.
And he hath brought to pass the redemption of the world, whereby he that is found guiltless before him at the judgment day, hath it given unto him to dwell in the presence of God in his kingdom, to sing ceaseless praises with the choirs above, unto the Father, and unto the Son, and unto the Holy Ghost, which are one God, in a state of happiness which hath no end.
Therefore repent, and be baptized in the name of Jesus, and lay hold upon the gospel of Christ, which shall be set before you, not only in this record, but also in the record which shall come unto the Gentiles from the Jews, which record shall come from the Gentiles unto you.
For behold, this is written for the intent that ye may believe that; and if ye may believe that, ye will believe this also; and if ye believe this, ye will know concerning your fathers, and also the marvelous works which were wrought by the power of God among them;
And ye will also know that ye are a remnant of the seed of Jacob; therefore ye are numbered among the people of the first covenant;
And if it so be that ye believe in Christ, and are baptized, first with water, then with fire and with the Holy Ghost, following the example of our Savior according to that which he hath commanded us, it shall be well with you in the day of judgment. Amen.
Mormon 3:25-33
Therefore, repent all ye ends of the earth, and come unto me, and believe in my gospel, and be baptized in my name; for he that believeth, and is baptized, shall be saved; but he that believeth not, shall be damned; and signs shall follow them that believe in my name.
Ether 1:115
And if it so be that they repent and come unto the Father in the name of Jesus, they shall be received into the kingdom of God.
Ether 2:4
And because the people did repent of their iniquities and idolatries, the Lord did spare them, and they began to prosper again in the land.
Ether 3:64
Wherefore, O ye Gentiles, it is wisdom in God that these things should be shewn unto you, that thereby ye may repent of your sins, and suffer not that these murderous combinations shall get above you, which are built up to get power and gain, and the work, yea, even the work of destruction come upon you;
Yea, even the sword of the justice of the eternal God, shall fall upon you, to your overthrow and destruction, if ye shall suffer these things to be;
Wherefore the Lord commandeth you, when ye shall see these things come among you, that ye shall awake to a sense of your awful situation, because of this secret combination which shall be among you, or wo be unto it, because of the blood of them who have been slain; for they cry from the dust for vengeance upon it, and also upon those who build it up.
Ether 3:96-98
And the people began to repent of their iniquity; and inasmuch as they did, the Lord did have mercy on them.
Ether 4:98
And it came to pass that the days of Ether were in the days of Coriantumr; and Coriantumr was king over all the land.
And Ether was a prophet of the Lord; wherefore Ether came forth in the days of Coriantumr, and began to prophesy unto the people, for he could not be restrained because of the Spirit of the Lord which was in him;
For he did cry from the morning, even until the going down of the sun, exhorting the people to believe in God unto repentance, lest they should be destroyed, saying unto them, that by faith all things are fulfilled;
Wherefore, whoso believeth in God, might with surety hope for a better world, yea, even a place at the right hand of God, which hope cometh of faith, maketh an anchor to the souls of men, which would make them sure and steadfast, always abounding in good works, being led to glorify God.
Ether 5:1-4
And Christ hath said, If ye will have faith in me, ye shall have power to do whatsoever thing is expedient in me.
And he hath said, Repent all ye ends of the earth, and come unto me and be baptized in my name, and have faith in me, that ye may be saved.
Moroni 7:35,36
Behold I say unto you, that this thing shall ye teach, repentance and baptism unto those who are accountable and capable of committing sin; yea, teach parents that they must repent and be baptized, and humble themselves as their little children, and they shall all be saved with their little children: and their little children need no repentance, neither baptism.
Behold, baptism is unto repentance to the fulfilling the commandments unto the remission of sins.
Moroni 8:11,12
Little children can not repent; wherefore it is awful wickedness to deny the pure mercies of God unto them, for they are all alive in him because of his mercy.
Moroni 8:20
And the first–fruits of repentance is baptism;
and baptism cometh by faith, unto the fulfilling the commandments;
and the fulfilling the commandments bringeth remission of sins;
and the remission of sins bringeth meekness, and lowliness of heart;
and because of meekness and lowliness of heart, cometh the visitation of the Holy Ghost,
which Comforter filleth with hope and perfect love,
which love endureth by diligence unto prayer,
until the end shall come, when all the saints shall dwell with God.
Moroni 8:29
Pray for them, my son, that repentance may come unto them.
Moroni 8:32
The Last Sacrifice – An Infinite & Eternal Atonement
For it behooveth the great Creator that he suffereth himself to become subject unto man in the flesh, and die for all men, that all men might become subject unto him.
For as death has passed upon all men, to fulfill the merciful plan of the great Creator, there must needs be a power of resurrection,
And the resurrection must needs come unto man by reason of the fall;
And the fall came by reason of transgression;
And because man became fallen, they were cut off from the presence of the Lord;
Wherefore, it must needs be an infinite atonement;
Save it should be an infinite atonement, this corruption could not put on incorruption.
Wherefore, the first judgment which came upon man, must needs have remained to an endless duration.
II Nephi 6:10-17
For it is expedient that an atonement should be made; for according to the great plan of the eternal God, there must be an atonement made, or else all mankind must unavoidably perish;
Yea, all are hardened; yea, all are fallen, and are lost, and must perish except it be through the atonement which it is expedient should be made;
For it is expedient that there should be a great and last sacrifice; yea, not a sacrifice of man, neither of beast, neither of any manner of fowl; for it shall not be a human sacrifice: but it must be an infinite and eternal sacrifice.
Now there is not any man that can sacrifice his own blood, which will atone for the sins of another.
Now if a man murdereth, behold, will our law, which is just, take the life of his brother? I say unto you, Nay.
But the law requireth the life of him who hath murdered; therefore there can be nothing, which is short of an infinite atonement, which will suffice for the sins of the world; therefore it is expedient that there should be a great and last sacrifice;
And then shall there be, or it is expedient there should be, a stop to the shedding of blood; then shall the Law of Moses be fulfilled; yea, it shall all be fulfilled; every jot and tittle, and none shall have passed away.
And behold, this is the whole meaning of the law; every whit pointing to that great and last sacrifice; and that great and last sacrifice will be the Son of God; yea, infinite and eternal; and thus he shall bring salvation to all those who shall believe on his name;
This being the intent of this last sacrifice, to bring about the bowels of mercy, which overpowereth justice and bringeth about means unto men that they may have faith unto repentance.
And thus mercy can satisfy the demands of justice, and encircles them in the arms of safety, while he that exercises no faith unto repentance, is exposed to the whole law of the demands of justice; therefore, only unto him that has faith unto repentance, is brought about the great and eternal plan of redemption.
Alma 16:208-217
The Plan of Happiness, Redemption, Salvation, & Mercy
Behold, my soul delighteth in proving unto my people the truth of the coming of Christ:
For, for this end hath the law of Moses been given:
And all things which have been given of God from the beginning of the world, unto man, are the typifying of him.
And also, my soul delighteth in the covenants of the Lord which he hath made to our fathers;
Yea, my soul delighteth in his grace, and his justice, and power, and mercy, in the great and eternal plan of deliverance from death.
And my soul delighteth in proving unto my people, that save Christ should come, all men must perish.
For if there be no Christ, there be no God; and if there be no God, we are not, for there could have been no creation.
But there is a God, and he is Christ; and he cometh in the fullness of his own time.
II Nephi 8:7-14
Behold, I say unto you, that I do know that Christ shall come among the children of men, to take upon him the transgressions of his people, and that he shall atone for the sins of the world; for the Lord God has spoken it;
For it is expedient that an atonement should be made; for according to the great plan of the eternal God, there must be an atonement made, or else all mankind must unavoidably perish;
Yea, all are hardened; yea, all are fallen, and are lost, and must perish except it be through the atonement which it is expedient should be made;
For it is expedient that there should be a great and last sacrifice; yea, not a sacrifice of man, neither of beast, neither of any manner of fowl; for it shall not be a human sacrifice: but it must be an infinite and eternal sacrifice.
Alma 16:207-210
And thus we see, that there was a time granted unto man, to repent, yea, a probationary time, a time to repent and serve God.
For behold, if Adam had put forth his hand immediately, and partook of the tree of life, he would have lived for ever, according to the word of God, having no space for repentance;
Yea, and also the word of God would have been void, and the great plan of salvation would have been frustrated.
But behold it was appointed unto man to die; therefore as they were cut off from the tree of life, they should be cut off from the face of the earth; and man became lost for ever; yea, they became fallen man.
And now we see by this, that our first parents were cut off, both temporally and spiritually, from the presence of the Lord; and thus we see they became subjects to follow after their own will.
Now behold, it was not expedient that man should be reclaimed from this temporal death, for that would destroy the great plan of happiness;
Therefore, as the soul could never die, and the fall had brought upon all mankind a spiritual death as well as a temporal; that is, they were cut off from the presence of the Lord; therefore it was expedient that mankind should be reclaimed from this spiritual death;
Therefore as they had been carnal, sensual and devilish, by nature, this probationary state became a state for them to prepare; it became a preparatory state.
And now remember, my son, if it were not for the plan of redemption, (laying it aside,) as soon as they were dead, their souls were miserable, being cut off from the presence of the Lord.
And now there was no means to reclaim men from this fallen state which man had brought upon himself, because of his own disobedience;
Therefore, according to justice, the plan of redemption could not be brought about, only, on conditions of repentance of men in this probationary state; yea, this preparatory state; for except it were for these conditions, mercy could not take effect except it should destroy the work of justice.
Now the work of justice could not be destroyed: if so God would cease to be God.
And thus we see that all mankind were fallen, and they were in the grasp of justice; yea, the justice of God, which consigned them for ever to be cut off from his presence.
And now the plan of mercy could not be brought about, except an atonement should be made; therefore God himself atoneth for the sins of the world, to bring about the plan of mercy, to appease the demands of justice, that God might be a perfect, just God, and a merciful God also.
Alma 19:84-97
This Probationary State – A Time to Prepare to Meet God
And after Adam and Eve had partaken of the forbidden fruit, they were driven out of the garden of Eden, to till the earth.
And they have brought forth children; yea, even the family of all the earth.
And the days of the children of men were prolonged, according to the will of God, that they might repent while in the flesh;
Wherefore, their state became a state of probation, and their time was lengthened, according to the commandments which the Lord God gave unto the children of men.
II Nephi 1:105-108
And now behold, I say unto you, that if it had been possible for Adam to have partaken of the fruit of the tree of life at that time, there would have been no death, and the word would have been void, making God a liar: for he said, If thou eat, thou shall surely die.
And we see that death comes upon mankind, yea, the death which has been spoken of by Amulek, which is the temporal death; nevertheless there was a space granted unto man, in which he might repent;
Therefore this life became a probationary state; a time to prepare to meet God; a time to prepare for that endless state, which has been spoken of by us, which is after the resurrection of the dead.
Now if it had not been for the plan of redemption, which was laid from the foundation of the world, there could have been no resurrection of the dead;
But there was a plan of redemption laid, which shall bring to pass the resurrection of the dead, of which has been spoken.
And now behold, if it were possible that our first parents could have gone forth and partaken of the tree of life, they would have been for ever miserable, having no preparatory state;
And thus the plan of redemption would have been frustrated, and the word of God would have been void, taking none effect.
But behold, it was not so; but it was appointed unto man that they must die; and after death, they must come to judgment; even that same judgment of which we have spoken, which is the end.
And after God had appointed that these things should come unto man, behold, then he saw that it was expedient that man should know concerning the things whereof he had appointed unto them;
Therefore he sent angels to converse with them, who caused men to behold of his glory.
And they began from that time forth to call on his name; therefore God conversed with men, and made known unto them the plan of redemption, which had been prepared from the foundation of the world;
And this he made known unto them according to their faith and repentance, and their holy works;
Wherefore he gave commandments unto men, they having first transgressed the first commandments as to things which were temporal, and becoming as gods, knowing good from evil, placing themselves in a state to act, or being placed in a state to act according to their wills and pleasures, whether to do evil or to do good;
Therefore God gave unto them commandments, after having made known unto them the plan of redemption, that they should not do evil, the penalty thereof being a second death, which was an everlasting death as to things pertaining unto righteousness;
For on such the plan of redemption could have no power, for the works of justice could not be destroyed, according to the supreme goodness of God.
But God did call on men, in the name of his Son, (this being the plan of redemption which was laid,) saying: If ye will repent, and harden not your hearts, then will I have mercy upon you, through mine only begotten Son.
Therefore, whosoever repenteth, and hardeneth not his heart, he shall have claim on mercy through mine Only Begotten Son, unto a remission of his sins; and these shall enter into my rest.
And whosoever will harden his heart and will do iniquity, behold, I swear in my wrath that he shall not enter into my rest. Amen.
Alma 9:39-56
And thus we see, that there was a time granted unto man, to repent, yea, a probationary time, a time to repent and serve God.
For behold, if Adam had put forth his hand immediately, and partook of the tree of life, he would have lived for ever, according to the word of God, having no space for repentance;
Yea, and also the word of God would have been void, and the great plan of salvation would have been frustrated.
But behold it was appointed unto man to die; therefore as they were cut off from the tree of life, they should be cut off from the face of the earth; and man became lost for ever; yea, they became fallen man.
And now we see by this, that our first parents were cut off, both temporally and spiritually, from the presence of the Lord; and thus we see they became subjects to follow after their own will.
Now behold, it was not expedient that man should be reclaimed from this temporal death, for that would destroy the great plan of happiness;
Therefore, as the soul could never die, and the fall had brought upon all mankind a spiritual death as well as a temporal; that is, they were cut off from the presence of the Lord; therefore it was expedient that mankind should be reclaimed from this spiritual death;
Therefore as they had been carnal, sensual and devilish, by nature, this probationary state became a state for them to prepare; it became a preparatory state.
And now remember, my son, if it were not for the plan of redemption, (laying it aside,) as soon as they were dead, their souls were miserable, being cut off from the presence of the Lord.
And now there was no means to reclaim men from this fallen state which man had brought upon himself, because of his own disobedience;
Therefore, according to justice, the plan of redemption could not be brought about, only, on conditions of repentance of men in this probationary state; yea, this preparatory state; for except it were for these conditions, mercy could not take effect except it should destroy the work of justice.
Now the work of justice could not be destroyed: if so God would cease to be God.
And thus we see that all mankind were fallen, and they were in the grasp of justice; yea, the justice of God, which consigned them for ever to be cut off from his presence.
And now the plan of mercy could not be brought about, except an atonement should be made; therefore God himself atoneth for the sins of the world, to bring about the plan of mercy, to appease the demands of justice, that God might be a perfect, just God, and a merciful God also.
Alma 19:84-97
Doubt not, but be believing, and begin as in times of old, and come unto the Lord with all your heart, and work out your own salvation with fear and trembling before him.
Be wise in the days of your probation; strip yourselves of all uncleanness; ask not, that ye may consume it on your lusts, but ask with a firmness unshaken, that ye will yield to no temptation, but that ye will serve the true and living God.
See that ye are not baptized unworthily; see that ye partake not of the sacrament of Christ unworthily; but see that ye do all things in worthiness, and do it in the name of Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God: and if ye do this, and endure to the end, ye will in no wise be cast out.
Mormon 4:93-95
The Word Restoration
For behold, the day cometh that all shall rise from the dead and stand before God, and be judged according to their works.
Now there is a death which is called a temporal death; and the death of Christ shall loose the bands of this temporal death, that all shall be raised from this temporal death;
The spirit and the body shall be reunited again, in its perfect form; both limb and joint shall be restored to its proper frame, even as we now are at this time;
And we shall be brought to stand before God, knowing even as we know now, and have a bright recollection of all our guilt.
Now this restoration shall come to all, both old and young, both bond and free, both male and female, both the wicked and the righteous;
And even there shall not so much as a hair of their heads be lost; but all things shall be restored to its perfect frame, as it is now, or in the body,
And shall be brought and be arraigned before the bar of Christ the Son, and God the Father, and the Holy Spirit, which is one eternal God, to be judged according to their works, whether they be good or whether they be evil.
Now behold I have spoken unto you concerning the death of the mortal body, and also concerning the resurrection of the mortal body.
I say unto you, that this mortal body is raised to an immortal body; that is from death; even from the first death, unto life, that they can die no more; their spirits uniting with their bodies, never to be divided;
Thus the whole becoming spiritual and immortal, that they can no more see corruption.
Alma 8:98-107
Now the decrees of God are unalterable; therefore the way is prepared, that whosoever will, may walk therein and be saved.
And now behold, my son, do not risk one more offense against your God upon those points of doctrine, which ye have hitherto risked to commit sin.
Do not suppose, because it has been spoken concerning restoration, that ye shall be restored from sin to happiness.
Behold, I say unto you, Wickedness never was happiness.
And now, my son, all men that are in a state of nature, or I would say, in a carnal state, are in the gall of bitterness, and in the bonds of iniquity; they are without God in the world, and they have gone contrary to the nature of God; therefore they are in a state contrary to the nature of happiness.
And now behold, is the meaning of the word restoration, to take a thing of a natural state, and place it in an unnatural state, or to place it in a state opposite to its nature?
O, my son, this is not the case; but the meaning of the word restoration, is to bring back again evil for evil, or carnal for carnal, or devilish for devilish; good for that which is good; righteous for that which is righteous; just for that which is just; merciful for that which is merciful;
Therefore, my son, see that ye are merciful unto your brethren; deal justly, judge righteously, and do good continually; and if ye do all these things, then shall ye receive your reward;
Yea, ye shall have mercy restored unto you again; ye shall have justice restored unto you again; ye shall have a righteous judgment restored unto you again;
And ye shall have good rewarded unto you again; for that which ye do send out, shall return unto you again, and be restored; therefore the word restoration, more fully condemneth the sinner, and justifieth him not at all.
Alma 19:71-80
And now remember, remember, my brethren, that whosoever perisheth, perisheth unto himself; and whosoever doeth iniquity, doeth it unto himself; for behold ye are free; ye are permitted to act for yourselves; for behold, God hath given unto you a knowledge, and he hath made you free;
He hath given unto you that ye might know good from evil, and he hath given unto you that ye might choose life or death, and ye can do good and be restored unto that which is good, or have that which is good restored unto you; or ye can do evil, and have that which is evil restored unto you.
Helaman 5:85,86
And it shall come to pass, that when all men shall have passed from this first death unto life, insomuch as they have become immortal, they must appear before the judgment seat of the Holy One of Israel;
And then cometh the judgment; and then must they be judged according to the holy judgment of God.
And assuredly, as the Lord liveth, for the Lord God hath spoken it, and it is his eternal word, which can not pass away, that they who are righteous shall be righteous still, and they who are filthy shall be filthy still;
Wherefore, they who are filthy are the devil and his angels;
And they shall go away into everlasting fire, prepared for them; and their torment is as a lake of fire and brimstone, whose flames ascendeth up for ever and ever; and has no end.
O the greatness and the justice of our God! For he executeth all his words, and they have gone forth out of his mouth, and his law must be fulfilled.
But, behold, the righteous, the saints of the Holy One of Israel, they who have believed in the Holy One of Israel; they who have endured the crosses of the world, and despised the shame of it; they shall inherit the kingdom of God, which was prepared for them from the foundation of the world: and their joy shall be full for ever.
O the greatness of the mercy of our God, the Holy One of Israel! For he delivereth his saints from that awful monster the devil, and death, and hell, and that lake of fire and brimstone, which is endless torment.
II Nephi 6:36-43
And now, if ye have imagined up unto yourselves a god who doth vary, and in him there is shadow of changing, then have ye imagined up unto yourselves a god who is not a god of miracles.
But behold, I will shew unto you a God of miracles, even the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob; and it is that same God who created the heavens and the earth, and all things that in them are.
Behold, he created Adam; and by Adam came the fall of man. And because of the fall of man, came Jesus Christ, even the Father and the Son; and because of Jesus Christ came the redemption of man.
And because of the redemption of man, which came by Jesus Christ, they are brought back into the presence of the Lord; yea, this is wherein all men are redeemed, because the death of Christ bringeth to pass the resurrection, which bringeth to pass a redemption from an endless sleep, from which sleep all men shall be awakened by the power of God, when the trump shall sound;
And they shall come forth, both small and great, and all shall stand before his bar, being redeemed and loosed from this eternal band of death, which death is a temporal death;
And then cometh the judgment of the Holy One upon them; and then cometh the time that he that is filthy, shall be filthy still, and he that is righteous, shall be righteous still; he that is happy, shall be happy still; and he that is unhappy, shall be unhappy still.
Mormon 4:69-74
Call to be Reconciled to the Will of God
Therefore cheer up your hearts, and remember that ye are free to act for yourselves; to choose the way of everlasting death, or the way of eternal life.
Wherefore, my beloved brethren, reconcile yourselves to the will of God, and not to the will of the devil and the flesh;
And remember after ye are reconciled unto God, that it is only in and through the grace of God that ye are saved.
Wherefore, may God raise you from death, by the power of the resurrection, and also from everlasting death, by the power of the atonement,
That ye may be received into the eternal kingdom of God, that ye may praise him through grace divine. Amen.
II Nephi 7:40-44
For we labor diligently to write, to persuade our children, and also our brethren, to believe in Christ, and to be reconciled to God;
For we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do.
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;
Wherefore, the law hath become dead unto us, and we are made alive in Christ, because of our faith;
Yet we keep the law because of the commandments;
And we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophecy 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.
II Nephi 11:43-48
And now behold, my brethren, since it has been all that we could do, (as we were the most lost of all mankind,) to repent of all our sins and the many murders which we have committed, and to get God to take them away from our hearts, for it was all we could do to repent sufficiently before God, that he would take away our stain.
Alma 14:33
The Conditions of Repentance
And now I ask of you on what conditions are they saved? Yea, what grounds had they to hope for salvation?
What is the cause of their being loosed from the bands of death? Yea, and also, the chains of hell?
Behold, I can tell you: Did not my father Alma believe in the words which were delivered by the mouth of Abinadi? And was he not a holy prophet?
Did he not speak the words of God, and my father Alma believe them?
And according to his faith there was a mighty change wrought in his heart.
Behold I say unto you, that this is all true.
And behold, he preached the word unto your fathers, and a mighty change was also wrought in their hearts; and they humbled themselves, and put their trust in the true and living God.
And behold, they were faithful until the end; therefore they were saved.
And now behold, I ask of you, my brethren of the church, Have ye spiritually been born of God?
Have ye received his image in your countenances?
Have ye experienced this mighty change in your hearts?
Do ye exercise faith in the redemption of him who created you?
Do you look forward with an eye of faith, and view this mortal body raised in immortality, and this corruption raised in incorruption, to stand before God, to be judged according to the deeds which have been done in the mortal body?
I say unto you, Can you imagine to yourselves that ye hear the voice of the Lord, saying unto you, in that day, Come unto me ye blessed, for behold, your works have been the works of righteousness upon the face of the earth?
Alma 3:19-32
Therefore, according to justice, the plan of redemption could not be brought about, only, on conditions of repentance of men in this probationary state; yea, this preparatory state; for except it were for these conditions, mercy could not take effect except it should destroy the work of justice.
Now the work of justice could not be destroyed: if so God would cease to be God.
And thus we see that all mankind were fallen, and they were in the grasp of justice; yea, the justice of God, which consigned them for ever to be cut off from his presence.
And now the plan of mercy could not be brought about, except an atonement should be made; Therefore God himself atoneth for the sins of the world, to bring about the plan of mercy, to appease the demands of justice, that God might be a perfect, just God, and a merciful God also.
Alma 19:94-97
But God ceaseth not to be God, and mercy claimeth the penitent, and mercy cometh because of the atonement; and the atonement bringeth to pass the resurrection of the dead: and the resurrection of the dead bringeth back men into the presence of God;
And thus they are restored into his presence; to be judged according to their works; according to the law and justice; for behold, justice exerciseth all his demands, and also mercy claimeth all which is her own; and thus, none but the truly penitent are saved.
Alma 19:105,106
O remember, remember, my sons, the words which King Benjamin spake unto his people; yea, remember that there is no other way nor means whereby man can be saved, only through the atoning blood of Jesus Christ, who shall come; yea, remember that he cometh to redeem the world.
And remember also, the words which Amulek spake unto Zeezrom, in the city of Ammonihah; for he said unto him, that the Lord surely should come to redeem his people; but that he should not come to redeem them in their sins, but to redeem them from their sins.
And he hath power given unto him from the Father, to redeem them from their sins, because of repentance; therefore he hath sent his angels to declare the tidings of the conditions of repentance, which bringeth unto the power of the Redeemer, unto the salvation of their souls.
And now my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation, that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds; yea, his shafts in the whirlwind;
Yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you, to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build, they can not fall.
Helaman 2:71-75
And ye shall hear my words, for, for this intent I have come up upon the walls of this city, that ye might hear and know of the judgments of God which do await you because of your iniquities, and also that ye might know the conditions of repentance;
And also that ye might know of the coming of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Father of heaven, and of earth, the Creator of all things, from the beginning; and that ye might know of the signs of his coming, to the intent that ye might believe on his name.
And if ye believe on his name, ye will repent of all your sins, that thereby ye may have a remission of them through his merits.
And behold, again, another sign I give unto you; yea a sign of his death; for behold, he surely must die, that salvation may come;
Yea, it behooveth him, and becometh expedient that he dieth, to bring to pass the resurrection of the dead, that thereby men may be brought into the presence of the Lord;
Yea, behold this death bringeth to pass the resurrection, and redeemeth all mankind from the first death; that spiritual death for all mankind, by the fall of Adam, being cut off from the presence of the Lord, or considered as dead, both as to things temporal and to things spiritual.
But behold, the resurrection of Christ redeemeth mankind, yea, even all mankind, and bringeth them back into the presence of the Lord;
Yea, and it bringeth to pass the conditions of repentance, that whosoever repenteth, the same is not hewn down and cast into the fire;
But whosoever repenteth not, is hewn down and cast into the fire, and there cometh upon them again a spiritual death, yea, a second death, for they are cut off again as to things pertaining to righteousness;
Therefore repent ye, repent ye, lest by knowing these things and not doing them, ye shall suffer yourselves to come under condemnation, and ye are brought down unto this second death.
Helaman 5:65-74
And now behold, my brethren, what natural man is there, that knoweth these things? I say unto you, there is none that knoweth these things, save it be the penitent;
Yea, he that repenteth and exerciseth faith, and bringeth forth good works, and prayeth continually without ceasing: Unto such it is given to know the mysteries of God; yea, unto such it shall be given to reveal things which never have been revealed;
Yea, and it shall be given unto such, to bring thousands of souls to repentance, even as it has been given unto us to bring these our brethren to repentance.
Alma 14:102-104
Yea, I say unto you, were it not for these things that these records do contain, which are on these plates, Ammon and his brethren could not have convinced so many thousands of the Lamanites, of the incorrect tradition of their fathers;
Yea, these records and their words, brought them unto repentance; that is, they brought them to the knowledge of the Lord their God, and to rejoice in Jesus Christ their Redeemer.
Alma 17:38,39
Covenants of God: Remembered & Fulfilled
The Book of Mormon: An account written by the hand of Mormon upon plates taken from the plates of Nephi.
Wherefore, it is an abridgment of the record of the people of Nephi, and also of the Lamanites;
written to the Lamanites, who are a remnant of the house of Israel; and also to Jew and Gentile;
written by way of commandment, and also by the spirit of prophecy and of revelation.
Written, and sealed up, and hid unto the Lord, that they might not be destroyed; to come forth by the gift and power of God unto the interpretation thereof;
Sealed by the hand of Moroni, and hid up unto the Lord, to come forth in due time by the way of Gentile; the interpretation thereof by the gift of God.
An abridgment taken from the Book of Ether; also, which is a record of the people of Jared; who were scattered at the time the Lord confounded the language of the people, when they were building a tower to get to heaven:
which is to shew unto the remnant of the house of Israel what great things the Lord hath done for their fathers; and that they may know the covenants of the Lord, that they are not cast off for ever;
and also to the convincing of the Jew and Gentile that Jesus is the Christ, the Eternal God, manifesting himself unto all nations.
And now if there are faults, they are the mistakes of men; wherefore, condemn not the things of God, that ye may be found spotless at the judgment seat of Christ.
Title Page of the Book of Mormon
And I beheld a book, and it was carried forth among them.
And the angel said unto me, Knowest thou the meaning of the book?
And I said unto him, I know not.
And he said, Behold, it proceedeth out of the mouth of a Jew; and I, Nephi, beheld it;
And he said unto me, The book that thou beholdest is a record of the Jews, which contains the covenants of the Lord which he hath made unto the house of Israel;
And it also containeth many of the prophecies of the holy prophets;
And it is a record like unto the engravings which are upon the plates of brass, save there are not so many; nevertheless, they contain the covenants of the Lord which he hath made unto the house of Israel;
Wherefore, they are of great worth unto the Gentiles.
I Nephi 3:157-164
Nevertheless, when that day cometh, saith the prophet, that they no more turn aside their hearts against the Holy One of Israel, then will he remember the covenants which he made to their fathers;
Yea, then will he remember the isles of the sea;
Yea, and all the people who are of the house of Israel, will I gather in, saith the Lord, according to the words of the prophet Zenos, from the four quarters of the earth;
Yea, and all the earth shall see the salvation of the Lord, saith the prophet;
Every nation, kindred, tongue and people, shall be blessed.
I Nephi 5:253-257
He ruleth high in the heavens, for it is his throne, and this earth is his footstool.
And he loveth those who will have him to be their God.
Behold, he loved our fathers; and he covenanted with them, yea, even Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob: and he remembered the covenants which he had made…
I Nephi 5:130-132
And after our seed is scattered, the Lord God will proceed to do a marvelous work among the Gentiles, which shall be of great worth unto our seed;
Wherefore, it is likened unto their being nourished by the Gentiles, and being carried in their arms, and upon their shoulders.
And it shall also be of worth unto the Gentiles:
And not only unto the Gentiles, but unto all the house of Israel, unto the making known of the covenants of the Father of heaven unto Abraham, saying, In thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed.
And I would, my brethren, that ye should know that all the kindreds of the earth can not be blessed unless he shall make bare his arm in the eyes of the nations.
Wherefore, the Lord God will proceed to make bare his arm in the eyes of all the nations, in bringing about his covenants and his gospel, unto those who are of the house of Israel.
Wherefore, he will bring them again out of captivity, and they shall be gathered together to the lands of their inheritance;
And they shall be brought out of obscurity, and out of darkness;
And they shall know that the Lord is their Savior and their Redeemer, the mighty one of Israel.
I Nephi 7:17-25
Cursed is he that putteth his trust in man, or maketh flesh his arm, or shall hearken unto the precepts of men, save their precepts shall be given by the power of the Holy Ghost.
Wo be unto the Gentiles, saith the Lord God of hosts; for notwithstanding I shall lengthen out mine arm unto them from day to day, they will deny me;
Nevertheless, I will be merciful unto them, saith the Lord God, if they will repent and come unto me; for mine arm is lengthened out all the day long, saith the Lord God of hosts.
But behold, there shall be many at that day, when I shall proceed to do a marvelous work among them, that I may remember my covenants which I have made unto the children of men, that I may set my hand again the second time to recover my people, which are the house of Israel;
And also, that I may remember the promises which I have made unto thee, Nephi, and also unto thy father, that I would remember your seed; and that the words of your seed should proceed forth out of my mouth unto your seed.
And my words shall hiss forth unto the ends of the earth, for a standard unto my people, which are of the house of Israel.
II Nephi 12:39-44
And great were the covenants of the Lord, which he made unto Joseph; wherefore, Joseph truly saw our day.
And he obtained a promise of the Lord, that out of the fruit of his loins, the Lord God would raise up a righteous branch unto the house of Israel;
Not the Messiah, but a branch which was to be broken off; nevertheless, to be remembered in the covenants of the Lord,
That the Messiah should be made manifest unto them in the latter days, in the spirit of power, unto the bringing of them out of darkness unto light; yea, out of hidden darkness and out of captivity unto freedom.
For Joseph truly testified, saying: A seer shall the Lord my God raise up, who shall be a choice seer unto the fruit of my loins.
Yea, Joseph truly said, Thus saith the Lord unto me: A choice seer will I raise up out of the fruit of thy loins; and he shall be esteemed highly among the fruit of thy loins.
And unto him will I give commandment, that he shall do a work for the fruit of thy loins, his brethren, which shall be of great worth unto them, even to the bringing of them to the knowledge of the covenants which I have made with thy fathers.
And I will give unto him a commandment, that he shall do none other work save the work which I shall command him.
And I will make him great in mine eyes: for he shall do my work.
And he shall be great like unto Moses, whom I have said I would raise up unto you, to deliver my people, O house of Israel.
And Moses will I raise up, to deliver thy people out of the land of Egypt.
But a seer will I raise up out of the fruit of thy loins; and unto him will I give power to bring forth my word unto the seed of thy loins;
And not to the bringing forth my word only, saith the Lord, but to the convincing them of my word, which shall have already gone forth among them.
Wherefore, the fruit of thy loins shall write; and the fruit of the loins of Judah shall write;
And that which shall be written by the fruit of thy loins, and also that which shall be written by the fruit of the loins of Judah, shall grow together,
Unto the confounding of false doctrines, and laying down of contentions, and establishing peace among the fruit of thy loins,
And bringing them to the knowledge of their fathers in the latter days;
And also to the knowledge of my covenants, saith the Lord.
II Nephi 2:6-23
And blessed are the Gentiles, they of whom the prophet has written:
For behold, if it so be that they shall repent and fight not against Zion, and do not unite themselves to that great and abominable church, they shall be saved:
For the Lord God will fulfill his covenants which he has made unto his children: and for this cause the prophet has written these things.
Wherefore, they that fight against Zion and the covenant people of the Lord, shall lick up the dust of their feet;
And the people of the Lord shall not be ashamed.
For the people of the Lord are they who wait for him: for they still wait for the coming of the Messiah.
And behold, according to the words of the prophet, the Messiah will set himself again the second time, to recover them;
Wherefore, he will manifest himself unto them in power and great glory, unto the destruction of their enemies, when that day cometh when they shall believe in him;
And none will he destroy that believe in him.
And they that believe not in him, shall be destroyed, both by fire, and by tempest, and by earthquakes, and by bloodsheds, and by pestilence, and by famine. And they shall know that the Lord is God, the Holy One of Israel.
II Nephi 5:30-40
Yea, wo be unto the Gentiles, except they repent, for it shall come to pass in that day, saith the Father, that I will cut off thy horses out of the midst of thee, and I will destroy thy chariots, and I will cut off the cities of thy land and throw down all thy strongholds;
And I will cut off witchcrafts out of thy hand, and thou shalt have no more soothsayers:
Thy graven images I will also cut off, and thy standing images out of the midst of thee; and thou shalt no more worship the works of thy hands;
And I will pluck up thy groves out of the midst of thee; so will I destroy thy cities.
And it shall come to pass that all lyings, and deceivings, and envyings, and strifes, and priestcrafts and whoredoms, shall be done away.
For it shall come to pass, saith the Father, that at that day, whosoever will not repent and come unto my beloved Son, them will I cut off from among my people, O house of Israel, and I will execute vengeance and fury upon them, even as upon the heathen, such as they have not heard.
But if they will repent, and hearken unto my words, and harden not their hearts, I will establish my church among them, and they shall come in unto the covenant, and be numbered among this the remnant of Jacob, unto whom I have given this land for their inheritance, and they shall assist my people, the remnant of Jacob;
And also, as many of the house of Israel as shall come, that they may build a city, which shall be called the New Jerusalem;
And then shall they assist my people that they may be gathered in, who are scattered upon all the face of the land, in unto the New Jerusalem.
And then shall the power of heaven come down among them; and I also will be in the midst, and then shall the work of the Father commence, at that day even when this gospel shall be preached among the remnant of this people.
Verily, I say unto you, At that day shall the work of the Father commence among all the dispersed of my people; yea, even the tribes which have been lost, which the Father hath led away out of Jerusalem.
Yea, the work shall commence among all the dispersed of my people, with the Father, to prepare the way whereby they may come unto me, that they may call on the Father in my name;
Yea, and then shall the work commence, with the Father, among all nations, in preparing the way whereby his people may be gathered home to the land of their inheritance.
And they shall go out from all nations; and they shall not go out in haste, nor go by flight; for I will go before them, saith the Father, and I will be their rearward. And then shall that which is written come to pass.
III Nephi 9:101-10:8
Wherefore, for this cause, that my covenants may be fulfilled, which I have made unto the children of men, that I will do unto them while they are in the flesh, I must needs destroy the secret works of darkness, and of murders, and of abominations;
Wherefore, he that fighteth against Zion, both Jew and Gentile, both bond and free, both male and female, shall perish:
For they are they who are the whore of all the earth;
For they who are not for me, are against me, saith our God.
For I will fulfill my promises which I have made unto the children of men, that I will do unto them while they are in the flesh.
II Nephi 7:22-26
And now, my beloved brethren, I have read these things that ye might know concerning the covenants of the Lord; that he has covenanted with the house of Israel;
That he has spoken unto the Jews, by the mouth of his holy prophets, even from the beginning down, from generation to generation, until the time comes that they shall be restored to the true church and fold of God;
When they shall be gathered home to the lands of their inheritance, and shall be established in all their lands of promise.
Behold, my beloved brethren, I speak unto you these things that ye may rejoice, and lift up your heads for ever, because of the blessings which the Lord God shall bestow upon your children.
II Nephi 6:1-4 (see 1-106)
And now I come to that faith, of which I said I would speak; and I will tell you the way whereby ye may lay hold on every good thing.
For behold, God knowing all things, being from everlasting to everlasting, behold he sent angels to minister unto the children of men, to make manifest concerning the coming of Christ; and in Christ there should come every good thing.
And God also declared unto prophets by his own mouth, that Christ should come.
And behold, there were divers ways that he did manifest things unto the children of men, which were good; and all things which are good, cometh of Christ, otherwise men were fallen, and there could no good thing come unto them.
Wherefore, by the ministering of angels, and by every word which proceedeth forth out of the mouth of God, men began to exercise faith in Christ; and thus by faith, they did lay hold upon every good thing; and thus it was until the coming of Christ.
And after that he came, men also were saved by faith in his name; and by faith, they become the sons of God.
And as sure as Christ liveth, he spake these words unto our fathers, saying, Whatsoever thing ye shall ask the Father in my name, which is good, in faith believing that ye shall receive, behold it shall be done unto you.
Wherefore, my beloved brethren, hath miracles ceased, because Christ hath ascended into heaven, and hath sat down on the right hand of God, to claim of the Father his rights of mercy which he hath upon the children of men;
For he hath answered the ends of the law, and he claimeth all those who have faith in him; and they who have faith in him, will cleave unto every good thing; wherefore he advocateth the cause of the children of men; and he dwelleth eternally in the heavens?
And because he hath done this, my beloved brethren, hath miracles ceased? Behold, I say unto you, Nay; neither have angels ceased to minister unto the children of men.
For behold, they are subject unto him, to minister according to the word of his command, shewing themselves unto them of strong faith and a firm mind, in every form of godliness.
And the office of their ministry is, to call men unto repentance, and to fulfill and to do the work of the covenants of the Father which he hath made unto the children of men, to prepare the way among the children of men, by declaring the word of Christ unto the chosen vessels of the Lord, that they may bear testimony of him;
And by so doing, the Lord God prepareth the way that the residue of men may have faith in Christ, that the Holy Ghost may have place in their hearts, according to the power thereof;
And after this manner bringeth to pass the Father the covenants which he hath made unto the children of men.
Moroni 7:20-34
…
Decree: Inasmuch as Ye Shall Keep the Commandments of the Lord…
And it came to pass that the Lord spake unto me, saying, Blessed art thou Nephi, because of thy faith, for thou hast sought me diligently, with lowliness of heart.
And inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments, ye shall prosper, and shall be led to a land of promise; yea, even a land which I have prepared for you; yea, a land which is choice above all other lands.
And inasmuch as thy brethren shall rebel against thee, they shall be cut off from the presence of the Lord.
And inasmuch as thou shalt keep my commandments, thou shalt be made a ruler and a teacher over thy brethren.
For behold, in that day that they shall rebel against me, I will curse them even with a sore curse, and they shall have no power over thy seed, except they shall rebel against me also.
And if it so be that they rebel against me, they shall be a scourge unto thy seed, to stir them up in the ways of remembrance.
I Nephi 1:53-58
And it came to pass that I, Nephi, said unto my father, I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them.
And it came to pass that when my father had heard these words, he was exceeding glad, for he knew that I had been blessed of the Lord.
I Nephi 1:65,66
And it came to pass that thus far I and my father had kept the commandments wherewith the Lord had commanded us.
And we had obtained the record which the Lord had commanded us, and searched them and found that they were desirable; yea, even of great worth unto us, insomuch that we could preserve the commandments of the Lord unto our children.
Wherefore it was wisdom in the Lord that we should carry them with us as we journeyed in the wilderness towards the land of promise.
I Nephi 1:172-174
And thus we see that the commandments of God must be fulfilled.
And if it so be that the children of men keep the commandments of God, he doth nourish them, and strengthen them, and provide means whereby they can accomplish the thing which he has commanded them;
Wherefore, he did provide means for us while we did sojourn in the wilderness.
I Nephi 5:58-60
Wherefore, I, Lehi, have obtained a promise, that inasmuch as those whom the Lord God shall bring out of the land of Jerusalem shall keep his commandments, they shall prosper upon the face of this land;
And they shall be kept from all other nations, that they may possess this land unto themselves.
And if it so be that they shall keep his commandments, they shall be blessed upon the face of this land,
And there shall be none to molest them, nor to take away the land of their inheritance; and they shall dwell safely for ever.
II Nephi 1:18-21
And may the Lord consecrate also unto thee this land, which is a most precious land, for thine inheritance and the inheritance of thy seed with thy brethren, for thy security for ever, if it so be that ye shall keep the commandments of the Holy One of Israel.
II Nephi 2:3
For the Lord God hath said, That inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments, ye shall prosper in the land;
And inasmuch as ye will not keep my commandments, ye shall be cut off from my presence.
II Nephi 3:8,9
Wherefore, my beloved brethren, can we follow Jesus, save we shall be willing to keep the commandments of the Father?
II Nephi 13:13
Behold, the Lamanites, your brethren, whom ye hate, because of their filthiness and the cursings which hath come upon their skins, are more righteous than you;
For they have not forgotten the commandments of the Lord, which were given unto our fathers, that they should have, save it were one wife: and concubines they should have none; and there should not be whoredoms committed among them.
And now this commandment they observe to keep; wherefore because of this observance in keeping this commandment, the Lord God will not destroy them, but will be merciful unto them; and one day they shall become a blessed people.
Behold, their husbands love their wives, and their wives love their husbands, and their husbands and their wives love their children;
And their unbelief and their hatred towards you, is because of the iniquity of their fathers; wherefore, how much better are you than they, in the sight of your great Creator?
Jacob 2:54-58
But the word of the Lord was verified, which he spake unto our fathers, saying, That inasmuch as ye will keep my commandments, ye shall prosper in the land.
And it came to pass that the prophets of the Lord did threaten the people of Nephi, according to the word of God, that if they did not keep the commandments, but should fall into transgression, they should be destroyed from off the face of the land;
Wherefore, the prophets, and the priests, and the teachers, did labor diligently, exhorting with all long suffering, the people to diligence; teaching the law of Moses, and the intent for which it was given;
Persuading them to look forward unto the Messiah, and believe in him to come, as though he already was.
And after this manner did they teach them.
And it came to pass, that by so doing they kept them from being destroyed upon the face of the land:
For they did prick their hearts with the word, continually stirring them up unto repentance.
Jarom 1:22-28
I say unto you, my brethren, that if you should render all the thanks and praise which your whole souls have power to possess, to that God who has created you, and has kept and preserved you, and has caused that ye should rejoice, and has granted that ye should live in peace one with another;
I say unto you, that if ye should serve him who has created you from the beginning, and art preserving you from day to day, by lending you breath, that ye may live and move, and do according to your own will, and even supporting you from one moment to another;
I say, if ye should serve him with all your whole soul, yet ye would be unprofitable servants.
And behold, all that he requires of you, is to keep his commandments; and he has promised you that if ye would keep his commandments, ye should prosper in the land;
And he never doth vary from that which he hath said; therefore, if ye do keep his commandments, he doth bless you, and prosper you.
And now, in the first place, he hath created you, and granted unto you your lives, for which ye are indebted unto him.
And secondly: he doth require that ye should do as he hath commanded you, for which if ye do, he doth immediately bless you; and therefore, he hath paid you.
And ye are still indebted unto him; and are, and will be, for ever and ever; therefore, of what have ye to boast?
Mosiah 1:52-59
And moreover, I would desire that ye should consider on the blessed and happy state of those that keep the commandments of God.
Mosiah 1:88
And have ye forgotten so soon how many times he delivered our fathers out of the hands of their enemies, and preserved them from being destroyed, even by the hands of their own brethren?
Yea, and if it had not been for his matchless power, and his mercy, and his long suffering towards us, we should unavoidably have been cut off from the face of the earth, long before this period of time, and perhaps been consigned to a state of endless misery and wo.
Behold, now I say unto you, that he commandeth you to repent; and except ye repent, ye can in no wise inherit the kingdom of God.
But behold, this is not all: he has commanded you to repent, or he will utterly destroy you from off the face of the earth; yea, he will visit you in his anger, and in his fierce anger he will not turn away.
Behold, do ye not remember the words which he spake unto Lehi, saying, that inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments ye shall prosper in the land?
And again it is said, that inasmuch as ye will not keep my commandments, ye shall be cut off from the presence of the Lord.
Now I would that ye should remember, that inasmuch as the Lamanites have not kept the commandments of God, they have been cut off from the presence of the Lord.
Now we see that the word of the Lord has been verified in this thing, and the Lamanites have been cut off from his presence, from the beginning of their transgressions in the land.
Nevertheless I say unto you, that it shall be more tolerable for them in the day of judgment than for you, if ye remain in your sins;
Yea, and even more tolerable for them in this life, than for you, except ye repent, for there are many promises which are extended to the Lamanites.
Alma 7:11-20
My son, give ear to my words; for I swear unto you, that inasmuch as ye shall keep the commandments of God, ye shall prosper in the land.
I would that ye should do as I have done, in remembering the captivity of our fathers; for they were in bondage, and none could deliver them, except it was the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob: and he surely did deliver them in their afflictions.
And now, O my son Helaman, behold thou art in thy youth, and therefore I beseech of thee that thou wilt hear my words, and learn of me; for I do know that whosoever shall put their trust in God, shall be supported in their trials, and their troubles, and their afflictions, and shall be lifted up at the last day;
And I would not that ye think that I know of myself, not of the temporal, but of the spiritual; not of the carnal mind, but of God.
Alma 17:1-4
O remember, remember, my son Helaman, how strict are the commandments of God.
And he said, If ye will keep my commandments, ye shall prosper in the land; but if ye keep not my commandments, ye shall be cut off from my presence.
Alma 17:43,44
O remember my son, and learn wisdom in thy youth; yea, learn in thy youth to keep the commandments of God; yea, and cry unto God for all thy support;
Yea, let all thy doings be unto the Lord, and whithersoever thou goest, let it be in the Lord; yea, let thy thoughts be directed unto the Lord; yea, let the affections of thy heart be placed upon the Lord for ever; counsel the Lord in all thy doings, and he will direct thee for good:
Yea, when thou liest down at night, lie down unto the Lord, that he may watch over you in your sleep; and when thou riseth in the morning, let thy heart be full of thanks unto God; and if ye do these things, ye shall be lifted up at the last day.
Alma 17:68-70
My son, give ear to my words; for I say unto you, even as I said unto Helaman, that inasmuch as ye shall keep the commandments of God, ye shall prosper in the land; and inasmuch as ye will not keep the commandments of God, ye shall be cast off from his presence.
And now my son, I trust that I shall have great joy in you, because of your steadiness and your faithfulness unto God; for as you have commenced in your youth, to look to the Lord your God, even so I hope that you will continue in keeping his commandments: for blessed is he that endureth to the end.
Alma 18:1,2
And now it came to pass that when Jesus had ended these sayings, he cast his eyes round about on the multitude, and said unto them, Behold, ye have heard the things which I have taught before I ascended to my Father;
Therefore whoso remembereth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, him will I raise up at the last day.
And it came to pass that when Jesus had said these words, he perceived that there were some among them who marveled, and wondered what he would concerning the Law of Moses; for they understood not the saying, that old things had passed away, and that all things had become new.
And he said unto them, Marvel not that I said unto you, that old things had passed away, and that all things had become new.
Behold, I say unto you, that the law is fulfilled that was given unto Moses.
Behold, I am he that gave the law, and I am he who covenanted with my people Israel; therefore, the law in me is fulfilled, for I have come to fulfill the law; therefore, it hath an end.
Behold, I do not destroy the prophets, for as many as have not been fulfilled in me, verily, I say unto you, shall all be fulfilled.
And because I said unto you, that old things hath passed away, I do not destroy that which hath been spoken concerning things which are to come.
For behold, the covenant which I have made with my people, is not all fulfilled; but the law which was given unto Moses, hath an end in me.
Behold, I am the law, and the light; look unto me, and endure to the end, and ye shall live, for unto him that endureth to the end will I give eternal life.
Behold, I have given unto you the commandments; therefore keep my commandments.
And this is the law and the prophets, for they truly testified of me.
III Nephi 7:1-12
And if ye do always remember me, ye shall have my Spirit to be with you.
And I give unto you a commandment that ye shall do these things.
And if ye shall always do these things, blessed are ye, for ye are built upon my rock.
But whoso among you shall do more or less than these, are not built upon my rock, but are built upon a sandy foundation;
And when the rain descends, and the floods come, and the winds blow, and beat upon them, they shall fall, and the gates of hell are already open to receive them:
Therefore blessed are ye if ye shall keep my commandments, which the Father hath commanded me that I should give unto you.
III Nephi 8:41-46
Nephi’s Example: Honor Thy Father and Mother
Wherefore worship the Lord thy God; and honor thy father and thy mother, that thy days may be long in the land which the Lord thy God shall give thee.
I Nephi 5:167
I, Nephi, having been born of goodly parents, therefore I was taught somewhat in all the learning of my father; and having seen many afflictions in the course of my days–nevertheless, having been highly favored of the Lord in all my days; yea, having had a great knowledge of the goodness and the mysteries of God, therefore I make a record of my proceedings in my days; yea, I make a record in the language of my father, which consists of the learning of the Jews and the language of the Egyptians.
I Nephi 1:1
Preach the Word of God
Now I would that ye should understand that the word of God was liberal unto all; that none were deprived of the privilege of assembling themselves together to hear the word of God;
Nevertheless the children of God were commanded that they should gather themselves together oft, and join in fasting and mighty prayer, in behalf of the welfare of the souls of those who knew not God.
Alma 4:5,6
And now, as the preaching of the word had had a greater tendency to lead the people to do that which was just; yea, it had had more powerful effect upon the minds of the people than the sword, or anything else, which had happened unto them; therefore Alma thought it was expedient that they should try the virtue of the word of God.
Alma 16:82
Now we will compare the word unto a seed.
Now if ye give place, that a seed may be planted in your heart, behold, if it be a true seed, or a good seed, if ye do not cast it out by your unbelief, that ye will resist the Spirit of the Lord, behold, it will begin to swell within your breasts;
And when you feel those swelling motions, ye will begin to say within yourselves, It must needs be that this is a good seed, or that the word is good, for it beginneth to enlarge my soul; yea, it beginneth to enlighten my understanding; yea, and it beginneth to be delicious to me.
Now behold, would not this increase your faith? I say unto you, Yea; nevertheless it hath not grown up to a perfect knowledge.
But behold, as the seed swelleth, and sprouteth, and beginneth to grow, then ye must needs say, that the seed is good; for behold it swelleth, and sprouteth, and beginneth to grow.
And now behold, will not this strengthen your faith? Yea, it will strengthen your faith, for ye will say, I know that this is a good seed, for behold, it sprouteth and beginneth to grow.
And now behold, are ye sure that this is a good seed? I say unto you, Yea; for every seed bringeth forth unto its own likeness; therefore, if a seed groweth, it is good, but if it groweth not, behold, it is not good; therefore it is cast away.
And now, behold, because ye have tried the experiment, and planted the seed, and it swelleth, and sprouteth, and beginneth to grow, ye must needs know that the seed is good.
And now behold, is your knowledge perfect? Yea, your knowledge is perfect in that thing, and your faith is dormant;
And this because you know; for ye know that the word hath swelled your souls, and ye also know that it hath sprouted up, that your understanding doth begin to be enlightened, and your mind doth begin to expand.
O then, is not this real? I say unto you, Yea; because it is light; and whatsoever is light, is good, because it is discernible; therefore ye must know that it is good.
And now behold, after ye have tasted this light, is your knowledge perfect? Behold, I say unto you, Nay; neither must ye lay aside your faith, for ye have only exercised your faith to plant the seed, that ye might try the experiment, to know if the seed was good.
And behold, as the tree beginneth to grow, ye will say, let us nourish it with great care, that it may get root, that it may grow up and bring forth fruit unto us.
And now behold, if ye nourish it with much care, it will get root, and grow up, and bring forth fruit.
But if ye neglect the tree, and take no thought for its nourishment, behold, it will not get any root; and when the heat of the sun cometh and scorcheth it, because it hath no root, it withers away, and ye pluck it up and cast it out.
Now this is not because the seed was not good, neither is it because the fruit thereof would not be desirable.
But it is because your ground is barren, and ye will not nourish the tree; therefore ye can not have the fruit thereof.
And thus it is if ye will not nourish the word, looking forward with an eye of faith to the fruit thereof, ye can never pluck of the fruit of the tree of life.
But if ye will nourish the word, yea, nourish the tree as it beginneth to grow, by your faith with great diligence, and with patience, looking forward to the fruit thereof, it shall take root; and behold, it shall be a tree springing up unto everlasting life;
And because of your diligence, and your faith, and your patience with the word, in nourishing it, that it may take root in you, behold, by and by, ye shall pluck the fruit thereof, which is most precious, which is sweet above all that is sweet, and which is white above all that is white; yea, and pure above all that is pure;
And ye shall feast upon this fruit, even until ye are filled, that ye hunger not, neither shall ye thirst.
Then my brethren ye shall reap the rewards of your faith, and your diligence, and patience, and long suffering, waiting for the tree to bring forth fruit unto you.
Alma 16:152-173
And now it came to pass, that the sons of Alma did go forth among the people to declare the word unto them. And Alma also, himself, could not rest, and he also went forth.
Now we shall say no more concerning their preaching, except that they preached the word, and the truth, according to the spirit of prophecy and revelation: and they preached after the holy order of God, by which they were called.
Alma 20:1,2
Warning: Secret Bands, Combinations, & Societies
(From The Enemy In the Secret Chambers)
Awake to a Sense of Your Awful Situation:
While Moroni was abridging the record of Ether – and while avoiding capture by the Lamanites – the Lord had him write specifically to us, this Gentile nation, about secret combinations. The message revealed the wisdom of God in showing us how secret combinations had brought destruction to the peoples who had inhabited this land long before us. Simply stated, the same will happen to us if we fail to repent and allow these secret combinations to get above us.
And whatsoever nation shall uphold such secret combinations to get power and gain, until they shall spread over the nation, behold, they shall be destroyed; for the Lord will not suffer that the blood of His saints, which shall be shed by them, shall always cry unto Him from the ground for vengeance upon them and yet He avenge them not;
Wherefore, O ye Gentiles, it is wisdom in God that these things should be shown unto you, that thereby ye may repent of your sins, and suffer not that these murderous combinations shall get above you, which are built up to get power and gain, and the work, yea, even the work of destruction come upon you;
Yea, even the sword of the justice of the Eternal God shall fall upon you, to your overthrow and destruction if ye shall suffer these things to be;
Wherefore, the Lord commandeth you, when ye shall see these things come among you, that ye shall awake to a sense of your awful situation because of this secret combination which shall be among you, or wo be unto it because of the blood of them who have been slain! For they cry from the dust for vengeance upon it, and also upon those who build it up.
For it cometh to pass that whoso buildeth it up seeketh to overthrow the freedom of all lands, nations and countries;
And it bringeth to pass the destruction of all people; for it is built up by the devil, which is the father of all lies, even that same liar which beguiled our first parents,
Yea, even that same liar which hath caused man to commit murder from the beginning, which hath hardened the hearts of men that they have murdered the prophets and stoned them and cast them out from the beginning.
Wherefore, I, Moroni, am commanded to write these things that evil may be done away, and that the time may come that satan may have no power upon the hearts of the children of men, but that they may be persuaded to do good continually, that they may come unto the fountain of all righteousness and be saved.
Ether 3:95-102
1. The main secret society found in the Book of Mormon among the Nephites and Lamanites was called the secret society of Gaddianton. Some who belonged to it affirmed that they knew it to be good, even though it proved to be so destructive to the people of Nephi.
And behold, I am Giddianhi and am the governor of this, the secret society of Gaddianton, which society and the works thereof I know to be good; and they are of ancient date and they have been handed down unto us.
III Nephi 2:11
And behold, in the end of this book ye shall see that this Gaddianton did prove the overthrow, yea, almost the entire destruction of the people of Nephi.
Behold, I do not mean the end of the book of Helaman, but I mean the end of the book of Nephi from which I have taken all the account which I have written.
Helaman 1:51,52
2. These secret societies were often referred to as secret bands or secret combinations
And it came to pass in the forty and ninth year of the reign of the judges, there was continual peace established in the land, all save it were the secret combinations which Gaddianton the robber had established in the more settled parts of the the land, which at that time were not known unto those which were at the head of the government; Therefore, they were not destroyed out of the land.
Helaman 2:21
And now it had come to pass that there were many, even among the Nephites, of Gaddianton’s band; But behold, they were more numerous among the more wicked part of the Lamanites.
Helaman 2:142
Yea, wo be unto you because of that great abomination which has come among you! And ye have united yourselves unto it, yea, to that secret band which was established by Gaddianton.
Helaman 3:28
And it came to pass that the wicked part of the people began again to build up the secret oaths and combinations of Gaddianton;
And also the people which were called the people of Nephi began to be proud in their hearts because of their exceeding riches and became vain like unto their brethren, the Lamanites.
IV Nephi 1:50,51
3. The devil is the author of all such secret combinations or societies.
O the wisdom of God, His mercy and grace!
For behold, if the flesh should rise no more, our spirits must become subject to that angel which fell from before the presence of the Eternal God and became the devil, to rise no more;
And our spirits must have become like unto him, and we become devils, angels to a devil, to be shut out from the presence of our God and to remain with the father of lies, in misery like unto himself;
Yea, to that being who beguiled our first parents,
Who transformeth himself nigh unto an angel of light and stirreth up the children of men unto secret combinations of murder and all manner of secret works of darkness.
II Nephi 6:19-23
And there are also secret combinations, even as in times of old, according to the combinations of the devil; for he is the founder of all these things, yea, the founder of murder, and works of darkness,
Yea, and he leadeth them by the neck with a flaxen cord, until he bindeth them with his strong cords forever.
For, behold, my beloved brethren, I say unto you that the Lord God worketh not in darkness.
II Nephi 11:93-95
Yea, it is that same being who put it into the heart of Gaddianton to still carry on the work of darkness, and of secret murder; And he hath brought it forth from the beginning of man, even down to this time;
And behold, it is he who is the author of all sin. And behold, he doth carry on his works of darkness and secret murder, and doth hand down their plots and their oaths and their covenants and their plans of awful wickedness from generation to generation, according as he can get hold upon the hearts of the children of men.
Helaman 2:155,156
And behold, they both belong to your secret band, whose author is Gaddianton and the evil one which seeketh to destroy the souls of men.
Helaman 3:66
4. The Lord does not work in any secret societies or combinations, for they are abominable to Him. As Jesus Christ warned, if anyone tells you He is in the secret chambers, believe it not because it is a lie from the father of all lies.
Come ye near unto me; I have not spoken in secret from the beginning; from the time that it was declared have I spoken. And the Lord God and his Spirit hath sent me.
I Nephi 6:23
And it came to pass that they formed a secret combination, even as they of old which combination is most abominable and wicked above all in the sight of God;
For the Lord worketh not in secret combinations, neither doth He will that man should shed blood, but in all things hath forbidden it, from the beginning of man.
Ether 3:92,93
For behold, my beloved brethren, I say unto you that the Lord God worketh not in darkness…
And He doeth nothing save it be plain unto the children of men…
II Nephi 11:95,112
5. The secret societies or combinations in the Book of Mormon times were from ancient origin, from the time of Cain, and they are perpetuated throughout the generations by the devil, that same being who did entice our first parents to partake of the forbidden fruit and who plotted with Cain to murder his brother Abel to get gain secretly.
Now behold, those secret oaths and covenants did not come forth unto Gaddianton from the records which were delivered unto Helaman;
But behold, they were put into the heart of Gaddianton by that same being who did entice our first parents to partake of the forbidden fruit; yea, the same being who did plot with Cain, that if he would murder his brother Abel, it should not be known unto the world;
And he did plot with Cain and his followers, from that time forth.
And also it is that same being who put it into the hearts of the people, to build a tower sufficiently high that they might get to heaven.And it was that same being who led on the people which came from that tower into this land, which spread the works of darkness and abominations over all the face of the land until he dragged the people down to an entire destruction and to an everlasting hell,
Yea, it is that same being who put it into the heart of Gaddianton to still carry on the work of darkness and of secret murder; and he has brought it forth from the beginning of man, even down to this time.
And behold, it is he which is the author of all sin; And behold, he doth carry on his works of darkness and secret murder, and doth hand down their plots and their oaths and their covenants and their plans of awful wickedness from generation to generation, according as he can get hold upon the hearts of the children of men.
Helaman 2:150-156
And Akish did administer unto them the oaths which were given by them of old who also sought power, which had been handed down, even from Cain who was a murderer from the beginning;
And they were kept up by the power of the devil to administer these oaths unto the people to keep them in darkness, to help such as sought power to gain power, and to murder, and to plunder, and to lie, and to commit all manner of wickedness and whoredoms.
Ether 3:89,90
6. The members of the secret society of Gaddianton had their secret signs and words to distinguish them from those not of their craft.
And it came to pass that they did have their signs, yea, their secret signs and their secret words; and this that they might distinguish a brother who had entered into the covenant, that whatsoever wickedness his brother should do, he should not be injured by his brother, nor by those who did belong to his band who had taken this covenant.
Helaman 2:146
And now my son, I command you that ye retain all their oaths and their covenants and their agreements in their secret abominations; yea, and all their signs and their wonders ye shall retain from this people, that they know them not, lest peradventure they should fall into darkness also and be destroyed;
For behold, there is a curse upon all this land that destruction shall come upon all those workers of darkness, according to the power of God, when they are fully ripe. Therefore, I desire that this people might not be destroyed;
Therefore, ye shall keep these secret plans of their oaths and their covenants from this people, and only their wickedness and their murders and their abominations shall ye make known unto them.
Alma 17:59-61
7. Those who revealed the secrets of their secret societies or combinations were to be judged by the laws and covenants of the society or combination, not according to the just laws of the land.
And whosoever of those which belonged to their band should reveal unto the world of their wickedness and their abominations, should be tried, not according to the laws of their country, but according to the laws of their wickedness which had been given by Gaddianton and Kishkumen.
Helaman 2:148
8. It is not wisdom in God for the secret oaths, covenants, agreements, signs, plans, etc., of their craft to be revealed. Doing so greatly assist the devil in tempting people to build up his secret works of darkness among them and, thereby, bring a curse upon their land.
And now my son, I command you that ye retain all their oaths and their covenants and their agreements in their secret abominations; yea, and all their signs and their wonders ye shall retain from this people, that they know them not, lest peradventure they should fall into darkness also, and be destroyed;
For behold, there is a curse upon all this land that destruction shall come upon all those workers of darkness, according to the power of God, when they are fully ripe. Therefore I desire that this people might not be destroyed;
Therefore, ye shall keep these secret plans of their oaths and their covenants from this people, and only their wickedness and their murders and their abominations shall ye make known unto them;
And ye shall teach them to abhor such wickedness and abominations and murders, and ye shall also teach them that these people were destroyed on account of their wickedness and abominations and their murders;
For behold, they murdered all the prophets of the Lord who came among them to declare unto them concerning their iniquities; and the blood of those whom they murdered did cry unto the Lord their God for vengeance upon those who were their murderers.
And thus the judgments of God did come upon these workers of darkness and secret combinations; yea, and cursed be the land forever and ever unto those workers of darkness and secret combinations, even unto destruction, except they repent before they are fully ripe.
And now my son, remember the words which I have spoken unto you; Trust not those secret plans unto this people, but teach them an everlasting hatred against sin and iniquity;
Preach unto them repentance and faith on the Lord Jesus Christ; Teach them to humble themselves, and to be meek and lowly in heart; Teach them to withstand every temptation of the devil with their faith on the Lord Jesus Christ;
Teach them to never be weary of good works, but to be meek and lowly in heart; for such shall find rest to their souls.
Alma 17:59-67
9. These secret combinations are built up to get glory, i.e. power and gain, and moreover that they might commit adultery steal, kill, and do according to their own wills.
… it was the object of all those which belonged to his band to murder and to rob and to gain power, and this was their secret plan and their combination…
Helaman 1:44
And thus they might murder and plunder and steal and commit whoredoms and all manner of wickedness contrary to the laws of their country, and also the laws of their God.
Helaman 2:147
Behold, now it came to pass in the sixty and ninth year of the reign of the judges over the people of the Nephites that Nephi, the son of Helaman, returned to the land of Zarahemla …and did preach the word of God unto them, and did prophesy many things unto them;
And they did reject all his words insomuch that he could not stay among them, but returned again unto the land of his nativity.
And seeing the people in a state of such awful wickedness and those Gaddianton robbers filling the judgment seats, having usurped the power and authority of the land, laying aside the commandments of God and not in the least aright before Him, doing no justice unto the children of men, condemning the righteous because of their righteousness, letting the guilty and the wicked go unpunished because of their money;
And moreover, to be held in office at the head of government to rule and to do according to their wills, that they might get gain and glory of the world; and moreover, that they might the more easy commit adultery and steal and kill and do according to their own wills.
Helaman 3:1-4
Hath he not read the record which our fathers brought across the great deep?
Behold, is there not an account concerning them of old, that they by their secret plans did obtain kingdoms and great glory?
Ether 3:80,81
And Akish did administer unto them the oaths which were given by them of old who also sought power, which had been handed down, even from Cain who was a murderer from the beginning;
And they were kept up by the power of the devil to administer these oaths unto the people to keep them in darkness, to help such as sought power to gain power, and to murder, and to plunder, and to lie, and to commit all manner of wickedness and whoredoms.
Ether 3:89,90
Yea, why do ye build up your secret abominations to get gain, and cause that widows should mourn before the Lord? And also orphans to mourn before the Lord? And also the blood of their fathers and their husbands to cry unto the Lord from the ground for vengeance upon your heads?
Mormon 4:55
And it came to pass that there arose a rebellion among the people, because of that secret combination which was built up to get power and gain…
Ether 4:107
10. God’s judgments were and are upon those who join themselves to such combinations.
And thus the judgments of God did come upon these workers of darkness and secret combinations; yea, and cursed be the land for ever and ever unto those workers of darkness and secret combinations, even unto destruction, except they repent before they are fully ripe.
Alma 17:64
O how could you have forgotten your God in the very day that he has delivered you?
But behold, it is to get gain, to be praised of men; yea, and that ye might get gold and silver;
And ye have set your hearts upon the riches and the vain things of this world, for the which ye do murder and plunder and steal and bear false witness against your neighbor and do all manner of iniquity; and for this cause, wo shall come unto you, except ye shall repent!
For if ye will not repent, behold, this great city, and also all those great cities which are round about, which are in the land of our possession, shall be taken away, that ye shall have no place in them, for behold, the Lord will not grant unto you strength, as He has hitherto done, to withstand against your enemies.
For behold, thus saith the Lord: I will not shew unto the wicked of My strength, to one more than the other, save it be unto those who repenteth of their sins and hearken unto My words;
Now therefore, I would that ye should behold, my brethren, that it shall be better for the Lamanites than for you, except ye shall repent; for behold, they are more righteous than you, for they have not sinned against that great knowledge which ye have received;
Therefore, the Lord will be merciful unto them; yea, He will lengthen out their days and increase their seed, even when thou shalt be utterly destroyed, except thou shalt repent.
Yea, wo be unto you because of that great abomination which has come among you! And ye have united yourselves unto it, yea, to that secret band which was established by Gaddianton.
Yea, wo shall come unto you because of that pride which ye have suffered to enter your hearts, which hath lifted you up beyond that which is good because of your exceeding great riches. Yea, wo be unto you because of your wickedness and abominations!
And except ye repent, ye shall perish! Yea, even your lands shall be taken from you and ye shall be destroyed from off the face of the earth.
Helaman 3:21-30
11. Because of their secret societies, the people rejected the words of the Lord’s prophets.
And they did reject all the words of the prophets because of their secret society and wicked abominations.
Ether 4:114
… great and marvelous were the prophecies of Ether! But they esteemed him as naught and cast him out, and he hid himself in the cavity of a rock by day, and by night he went forth viewing the things which should come upon the people;
And as he dwelt in the cavity of a rock, he made the remainder of this record, viewing the destructions which came upon the people, by night.
And it came to pass that in that same year which he was cast out from among the people; there began to be a great war among the people, for there were many who rose up who were mighty men and sought to destroy Coriantumr by their secret plans of wickedness of which hath been spoken.
Ether 6:14-16
12. These secret societies or combinations destabilize governments.
And the regulations of the government were destroyed because of the secret combination of the friends and kindreds of those who murdered the prophets.
III Nephi 3:41
And it came to pass that they did have their signs, yea, their secret signs and their secret words; and this that they might distinguish a brother who had entered into the covenant, that whatsoever wickedness his brother should do, he should not be injured by his brother, nor by those who did belong to his band who had taken this covenant.
And thus they might murder and plunder and steal and commit whoredoms and all manner of wickedness contrary to the laws of their country, and also the laws of their God.
Helaman 2:146,147
And thus they did obtain the sole management of the government, insomuch that they did trample under their feet and smite and rend and turn their backs upon the poor and the meek and the humble followers of God.
And thus we see that they were in an awful state and ripening for an everlasting destruction.
Helaman 2:166,167
For it cometh to pass that whoso buildeth it [secret combination] up seeketh to overthrow the freedom of all lands, nations, and countries;
And it bringeth to pass the destruction of all people; for it is built up by the devil, who is the father of all lies, even that same liar who beguiled our first parents,
Yea, even that same liar which hath caused man to commit murder from the beginning, which hath hardened the hears of men that they have murdered the prophets and stoned them and cast them out from the beginning.
Ether 3:99-101
13. God will destroy these secret works of darkness so He might bring Zion again upon the earth.
And he that fighteth against shall perish, saith God; for he that raiseth up a king against Me shall perish;
For I the Lord, the King of heaven, will be their king, and I will be a light upon them forever that hear My words.
Wherefore, for this cause, that My covenants may be fulfilled which I have made unto the children of men, that I will do unto them while they are in the flesh, I must needs destroy the secret works of darkness, and of murders and of abominations;
Wherefore, he that fighteth against Zion, both Jew and Gentile, both bond and free, both male and female, shall perish:
For they are they which are the whore of all the earth;
For they which are not for Me are against Me, saith our God;
For I will fulfill My promises which I have made unto the children of men, that I will do unto them while they are in the flesh.
II Nephi 7:20-26
14. Notwithstanding all their secret plans and covenants, all things that are done in secret will be revealed.
Wherefore, the things of all nations shall be made known: yea, all things shall be made known unto the children of men.
There is nothing which is secret, save it shall be revealed; there is no work of darkness, save it shall be made manifest in the light; and there is nothing which is sealed upon the earth, save it shall be loosed.
Wherefore, all things which have been revealed unto the children of men, shall at that day be revealed;
And Satan shall have power over the hearts of the children of men no more, for a long time.
II Nephi 12:96-99
And now, my son, these directors were prepared that the word of God might be fulfilled which he spake, saying: I will bring forth out of darkness unto light all their secret works and their abominations;
And, except they repent, I will destroy them from off the face of the earth; And I will bring to light all their secrets and abominations unto every nation that shall hereafter possess the land.
And now my son, we see that they did not repent, therefore, they have been destroyed; and thus far the word of God has been fulfilled, yea, their secret abominations have been brought out of darkness and made known unto us.
Alma 17:56-58
But I knowing that these things must surely be made known, and that all things which are hid must be revealed upon the housetops, and also that a knowledge of these things must come unto the remnant of these people, and also unto the Gentiles which the Lord hath said should scatter this people, and this people should be counted as nought among them.
Therefore, I write a small abridgment, daring not to give a full account of the things which I have seen because of the commandment which I have received, and also that ye might not have too great sorrow because of the wickedness of this people.
And now behold, this I speak unto their seed, and also to the Gentiles which have care for the house of Israel, that realize and know from whence their blessings come.
Mormon 2:35-37
15. The covenant people of the Lord, even those who have received great blessings at the Lord’s hand, will be overrun if they harden their hearts against the word of the Lord and fail to give diligent heed to His commands.
And thus we see that the Spirit of the Lord began to withdraw from the Nephites because of the wickedness and the hardness of their hearts.
And thus we see that the Lord began to pour out his Spirit upon the Lamanites because of their easiness and willingness to believe in His word.
And it came to pass that the Lamanites did hunt the band of robbers of Gaddianton; and they did preach the word of God among the more wicked part of them, insomuch that this band of robbers was utterly destroyed from among the Lamanites.
And it came to pass on the other hand, that the Nephites did build them up and support them, beginning at the more wicked part of them, until they had overspread all the land of the Nephites and had seduced the more part of the righteous, until they had come down to believe in their works and partake of their spoils and to join with them in their secret murders and combinations.
And thus they did obtain the sole management of the government, insomuch that they did trample under their feet and smite and rend and turn their backs upon the poor and the meek and the humble followers of God.
And thus we see that they were in an awful state and ripening for an everlasting destruction.
Helaman 2:162-167
16. The only way that proved successful in dealing with the Gaddiantons was to preach the word of God to them, in particular the more wicked part of them.
And it came to pass that the Lamanites did hunt the band of robbers of Gaddianton; and they did preach the word of God among the more wicked part of them, insomuch that this band of robbers was utterly destroyed from among the Lamanites.
Helaman 2:164
17. The peoples of old received forgiveness and the judgments of God were turned away from them because they humbled themselves and repented and swept away the band of Gaddianton from among them until it was extinct.
And the people began to plead with their chief judges and their leaders, that they would say unto Nephi: Behold, we know that thou art a man of God; and therefore, cry unto the Lord our God that he turn away from us this famine, lest all the words which thou hast spoken concerning our destruction, be fulfilled.
And it came to pass that the judges did say unto Nephi according to the words which had been desired.
And it came to pass that when Nephi saw that the people had repented and did humble themselves in sackcloth, he cried again unto the Lord, saying: O Lord, behold this people repenteth;
And they have swept away the band of Gaddianton from amongst them, insomuch that they have become extinct and they have concealed their secret plans in the earth.
Now, O Lord, because of this their humility, wilt Thou turn away Thine anger, and let Thine anger be appeased in the destruction of those wicked men whom Thou hast already destroyed?
O Lord, wilt Thou turn away Thine anger, yea, Thy fierce anger, and cause that this famine may cease in this land?
O Lord, wilt Thou hearken unto me, and cause that it may be done according to my words, and send forth rain upon the face of the earth, that she may bring forth her fruit and her grain in the season of grain?
O Lord, Thou didst hearken unto my words when I said, Let there be a famine that the pestilence of the sword might cease; and I know that Thou wilt, even at this time, hearken unto my words, for Thou saidst, that if this people repent, I will spare them.
Yea, O Lord, and Thou seest that they have repented because of the famine and the pestilence and destruction which have come unto them.
And now, O Lord, wilt Thou turn away Thine anger, and try again if they will serve Thee? And if so, O Lord, Thou canst bless them according to Thy words which Thou hast said.
And it came to pass that in the seventy and sixth year, the Lord did turn away his anger from the people and caused that rain should fall upon the earth, insomuch that it did bring forth her fruit in the season of her fruit.
And it came to pass that it did bring forth her grain, in the season of her grain.
And behold, the people did rejoice and glorify God, and the whole face of the land was filled with rejoicing; and they did no more seek to destroy Nephi, but they did esteem him as a great prophet and a man of God, having great power and authority given unto him from God;
And behold, Lehi his brother was not a whit behind him as to things pertaining to righteousness.
And thus it did come to pass that the people of Nephi began to prosper again in the land, and began to build up their waste places, and began to multiply and spread, even until they did cover the whole face of the land, both on the northward and on the southward, from the sea west, to the sea east.
And it came to pass that the seventy and sixth year did end in peace.
Helaman 4:10-25
We would be wise, then, to follow the counsel Alma gave his son, Helaman, regarding secret orders.
Trust not those secret plans unto this people, but teach them an everlasting hatred against sin and iniquity.
Alma 17:65
Otherwise, many more will ultimately end up rejecting the word of the Lord as did those of old.
And they did reject all the words of the prophets because of their secret society and wicked abominations.
Ether 4:114
The Wisdom of Keeping Records
And after they had given thanks unto the God of Israel, my father Lehi took the records which were engraven upon the plates of brass, and he did search them from the beginning.
And he beheld that they did contain the five books of Moses, which gave an account of the creation of the world; And also of Adam and Eve, who were our first parents; And also a record of the Jews from the beginning, even down to the commencement of the reign of Zedekiah, king of Judah;
And also the prophecies of the holy prophets, from the beginning, even down to the commencement of the reign of Zedekiah;
And also many prophecies which have been spoken by the mouth of Jeremiah.
And it came to pass that my father Lehi also found upon the plates of brass a genealogy of his fathers;
Wherefore he knew that he was a descendant of Joseph; yea, even that Joseph who was the son of Jacob, who was sold into Egypt, and who was preserved by the hand of the Lord, that he might preserve his father Jacob and all his household from perishing with famine.
And they were also led out of captivity and out of the land of Egypt, by that same God who had preserved them.
And thus my father Lehi did discover the genealogy of his fathers.
And Laban also was a descendant of Joseph, wherefore he and his fathers had kept the records.
And now when my father saw all these things he was filled with the Spirit, and began to prophesy concerning his seed; that these plates of brass should go forth unto all nations, kindreds, tongues and people, who were of his seed.
Wherefore he said that these plates of brass should never perish, neither should they be dimmed any more by time.
And he prophesied many things concerning his seed.
And it came to pass that thus far I and my father had kept the commandments wherewith the Lord had commanded us.
And we had obtained the record which the Lord had commanded us, and searched them and found that they were desirable; yea, even of great worth unto us, insomuch that we could preserve the commandments of the Lord unto our children.
Wherefore it was wisdom in the Lord that we should carry them with us as we journeyed in the wilderness towards the land of promise.
I Nephi 1:158-174
And an account of my making these plates shall be given hereafter;
And then, behold, I proceed according to that which I have spoken; and this I do, that the more sacred things may be kept for the knowledge of my people.
Nevertheless, I do not write anything upon plates, save it be that I think it be sacred.
And now, if I do err, even did they err of old.
Not that I would excuse myself because of other men, but because of the weakness which is in me, according to the flesh, I would excuse myself.
For the things which some men esteem to be of great worth, both to the body and soul, others set at nought, and trample under their feet.
Yea, even the very God of Israel, do men trample under their feet;
I say, trample under their feet; but I would speak in other words:
They set him at nought, and hearken not to the voice of his counsels;
And behold, he cometh according to the words of the angel, in six hundred years from the time my father left Jerusalem.
And the world, because of their iniquity, shall judge him to be a thing of nought; wherefore, they scourge him, and he suffereth it; and they smite him, and he suffereth it.
Yea, they spit upon him, and he suffereth it, because of his loving kindness and his long-sufferings towards the children of men.
And the God of our fathers, who [our fathers] where led out of Egypt, out of bondage, and also were preserved in the wilderness by him;
Yea, the God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, yieldeth himself according to words of the angel, as a man, into the hands of wicked men, to be lifted up according to the words of Zenock,
And to be crucified, according to the words of Neum,
And to be buried in a sepulcher, according to the words of Zenos, which he spake concerning the three days of darkness,
Which should be a sign given of his death, unto those who should inhabit the isles of the sea;
More especially given unto those who are of the house of Israel.
For thus spake the prophet, The Lord God surely shall visit all the house of Israel at that day;
Some with his voice, because of their righteousness, unto their great joy and salvation;
And others with the thunderings and the lightnings of his power, by tempest, by fire, and by smoke, and vapor of darkness, and by the opening of the earth, and by mountains which shall be carried up;
And all these things must surely come, saith the prophet Zenos.
And the rocks of the earth must rend;
And because of the groanings of the earth, many of the kings of the isles of the sea shall be wrought upon by the Spirit of God, to exclaim, The God of nature suffers.
And as for those who are at Jerusalem, saith the prophet, they shall be scourged by all people, because they crucify the God of Israel, and turn their hearts aside, rejecting signs and wonders, and power and glory of the God of Israel;
And because they turn their hearts aside, saith the prophet, and have despised the Holy One of Israel, they shall wander in the flesh, and perish, and become a hiss and a byword, and be hated among all nations;
Nevertheless, when that day cometh, saith the prophet, that they no more turn aside their hearts against the Holy One of Israel, then will he remember the covenants which he made to their fathers;
Yea, then will he remember the isles of the sea;
Yea, and all the people who are of the house of Israel, will I gather in, saith the Lord, according to the words of the prophet Zenos, from the four quarters of the earth;
Yea, and all the earth shall see the salvation of the Lord, saith the prophet;
Every nation, kindred, tongue and people, shall be blessed.
I Nephi 5:227-257
Wherefore, my brethren, I would that ye should consider that the things which have been written upon the plates of brass, are true;
And they testify that a man must be obedient to the commandments of God.
Wherefore, ye need not suppose that I and my father are the only ones that have testified, and also taught them.
Wherefore, if ye shall be obedient to the commandments, and endure to the end, ye shall be saved at the last day.
And thus it is. Amen.
I Nephi 7:66-70
And now I, Nephi, can not write all the things which were taught among my people; neither am I mighty in writing, like unto speaking: for when a man speaketh by the power of the Holy Ghost, the power of the Holy Ghost carrieth it unto the hearts of the children of men.
But behold, there are many that harden their hearts against the Holy Spirit, that it hath no place in them; wherefore, they cast many things away which are written, and esteem them as things of nought.
But I, Nephi, have written what I have written; and I esteem it as of great worth, and especially unto my people.
For I pray continually for them by day, and mine eyes water my pillow by night, because of them; and I cry unto my God in faith, and I know that he will hear my cry; and I know that the Lord God will consecrate my prayers, for the gain of my people.
And the words which I have written in weakness, will he make strong unto them; for it persuadeth them to do good; it maketh known unto them of their fathers; and it speaketh of Jesus, and persuadeth them to believe in him, and to endure to the end, which is life eternal.
And it speaketh harsh against sin, according to the plainness of the truth; wherefore, no man will be angry at the words which I have written, save he shall be of the spirit of the devil.
I glory in plainness; I glory in truth; I glory in my Jesus, for he hath redeemed my soul from hell.
…
And if ye shall believe in Christ, ye will believe in these words; for they are the words of Christ, and he hath given them unto me; and they teach all men that they should do good.
And if they are not the words of Christ, judge ye: for Christ will shew unto you, with power and great glory, that they are his words, at the last day.
II Nephi 15:1-7,12,13
And at the time that Mosiah discovered them, they had become exceeding numerous.
Nevertheless, they had had many wars and serious contentions, and had fallen by the sword from time to time;
And their language had become corrupted; and they had brought no records with them:
And they denied the being of their Creator; and Mosiah, nor the people of Mosiah, could understand them.
But it came to pass that Mosiah caused that they should be taught in his language.
And it came to pass that after they were taught in the language of Mosiah, Zarahemla gave a genealogy of his fathers, according to his memory; and they are written, but not in these plates.
Omni 1:28-33
And now there was no more contention in all the land of Zarahemla, among all the people who belonged to King Benjamin, so that King Benjamin had continual peace all the remainder of his days.
And it came to pass that he had three sons; and he called their names Mosiah, and Helorum, and Helaman.
And he caused that they should be taught in all the language of his fathers, that thereby they might become men of understanding; and that they might know concerning the prophecies which had been spoken by the mouths of their fathers, which were delivered them by the hand of the Lord.
And he also taught them concerning the records which were engraven on the plates of brass, saying, My sons, I would that ye should remember, that were it not for these plates, which contain these records and these commandments, we must have suffered in ignorance, even at this present time, not knowing the mysteries of God:
For it were not possible that our father Lehi could have remembered all these things, to have taught them to his children, except it were for the help of these plates:
For he having been taught in the language of the Egyptians, therefore he could read these engravings, and teach them to his children, that thereby they could teach them to their children, and so fulfilling the commandments of God, even down to this present time.
I say unto you, my sons, Were it not for these things, which have been kept and preserved by the hand of God, that we might read and understand of his mysteries, and have his commandments always before our eyes, that even our fathers would have dwindled in unbelief,
And we should have been like unto our brethren, the Lamanites, who know nothing concerning these things, or even do not believe them when they are taught them, because of the traditions of their fathers, which are not correct.
O my sons, I would that ye should remember that these sayings are true; and also, that these records are true.
And behold, also the plates of Nephi, which contain the records and the sayings of our fathers from the time they left Jerusalem, until now; and they are true; and we can know of their surety, because we have them before our eyes.
And now, my sons, I would that ye should remember to search them diligently, that ye may profit thereby;
And I would that ye should keep the commandments of God, that ye may prosper in the land, according to the promises which the Lord made unto our fathers.
Mosiah 1:1-12
Now these sons of Mosiah were with Alma at the time the angel first appeared unto him; therefore Alma did rejoice exceedingly, to see his brethren;
And what added more to his joy, they were still his brethren in the Lord; yea, and they had waxed strong in the knowledge of the truth;
For they were men of a sound understanding, and they had searched the scriptures diligently, that they might know the word of God.
But this is not all: they had given themselves to much prayer, and fasting, therefore they had the spirit of prophecy, and the spirit of revelation, and when they taught, they taught with power and authority, even as with the power and authority of God.
And they had been teaching the word of God for the space of fourteen years, among the Lamanites, having had much success in bringing many to the knowledge of the truth;
Yea, by the power of their words, many were brought before the altar of God, to call on his name, and confess their sins before him.
Alma 12:2-7
And now my son Helaman, I command you that ye take the records which have been entrusted with me; and I also command you that ye keep a record of this people, according as I have done, upon the plates of Nephi, and keep all these things sacred which I have kept, even as I have kept them: for it is for a wise purpose that they are kept;
And these plates of brass which contain these engravings, which have the records of the holy scriptures upon them, which have the genealogy of our forefathers, even from the beginning.
And behold, it has been prophesied by our fathers, that they should be kept and handed down from one generation to another, and be kept and preserved by the hand of the Lord, until they should go forth unto every nation, kindred, tongue and people, that they shall know of the mysteries contained thereon.
And now behold, if they are kept, they must retain their brightness; yea, and they will retain their brightness; yea, and also shall all the plates which do contain that which is holy writ.
Now ye may suppose that this is foolishness in me; but behold I say unto you, that by small and simple things, are great things brought to pass; and small means in many instances, doth confound the wise.
And the Lord God doth work by means to bring about his great and eternal purposes; and by very small means the Lord doth confound the wise, and bringeth about the salvation of many souls.
And now, it has hitherto been wisdom in God, that these things should be preserved: for behold, they have enlarged the memory of this people, yea, and convinced many of the error of their ways, and brought them to the knowledge of their God, unto the salvation of their souls.
Yea, I say unto you, were it not for these things that these records do contain, which are on these plates, Ammon and his brethren could not have convinced so many thousands of the Lamanites, of the incorrect tradition of their fathers;
Yea, these records and their words, brought them unto repentance; that is, they brought them to the knowledge of the Lord their God, and to rejoice in Jesus Christ their Redeemer.
And who knoweth but what they will be the means of bringing many thousands of them, yea, and also many thousands of our stiff-necked brethren, the Nephites, who are now hardening their hearts, in sins and iniquities, to the knowledge of their Redeemer.
Alma 17:31-40
Now I, Moroni, after having made an end of abridging the account of the people of Jared, I had supposed not to have written more, but I have not as yet perished; and I make not myself known to the Lamanites, lest they should destroy me.
For behold, their wars are exceeding fierce among themselves; and because of their hatred, they put to death every Nephite that will not deny the Christ.
And I, Moroni, will not deny the Christ; wherefore, I wander whithersoever I can, for the safety of mine own life.
Wherefore I write a few more things, contrary to that which I had supposed; for I had supposed not to have written any more; but I write a few more things, that perhaps they may be of worth unto my brethren, the Lamanites, in some future day, according to the will of the Lord.
Moroni 1:1-4
God’s Support of the Righteous
And it came to pass that I, Nephi, said unto my father, I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them.
I Nephi 1:65
Yea, and I also know of a surety that the Lord hath protected my sons, and delivered them out of the hands of Laban, and gave them power whereby they could accomplish the thing which the Lord hath commanded them.
I Nephi 1:155
Behold, the Lord esteemeth all flesh in one.
He that is righteous, is favored of God.
I Nephi 5:121-122
Joseph’s Land, a Choice Land of Liberty to the Righteous
And inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments, ye shall prosper, and shall be led to a land of promise; yea, even a land which I have prepared for you; yea, a land which is choice above all other lands.
1 Nephi 1:54
Nevertheless thou beholdest that the Gentiles who have gone forth out of captivity, and have been lifted up by the power of God above all other nations upon the face of the land, which is choice above all other lands,
Which is the land that the Lord God hath covenanted with thy father that his seed should have for the land of their inheritance, will not utterly destroy the mixture of thy seed, which are among thy brethren;
Neither will he suffer that the Gentiles shall destroy the seed of thy brethren;
Neither will the Lord God suffer that the Gentiles shall for ever remain in that awful state of blindness, which thou beholdest they are in because of the plain and most precious parts of the gospel of the Lamb which have been kept back by that abominable church, whose formation thou hast seen.
I Nephi 3:176-179
Wherefore, inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments, ye shall be led toward the promised land; and ye shall know that it is by me that ye are led.
Yea, and the Lord said also, that after ye have arrived to the promised land, ye shall know that I, the Lord, am God;
And that I, the Lord, did deliver you from destruction;
Yea, that I did bring you out of the land of Jerusalem.
I Nephi 5:79-82
And if it so be that they shall serve him according to the commandments which he hath given, it shall be a land of liberty unto them;
II Nephi 1:12
And this land shall be a land of liberty unto the Gentiles: and there shall be no kings upon the land, who shall raise up unto the Gentiles.
II Nephi 7:18
Wherefore, I will consecrate this land unto thy seed, and they who shall be numbered among thy seed, for ever, for the land of their inheritance:
For it is a choice land, saith God unto me, above all other lands;
Wherefore, I will have all men that dwell thereon, that they shall worship me, saith God.
II Nephi 7:30-32
And I would that ye should keep the commandments of God, that ye may prosper in the land, according to the promises which the Lord made unto our fathers.
Mosiah 1:12
For behold I say unto you, The sins of many people have been caused by the iniquities of their kings; therefore their iniquities are answered upon the heads of their kings.
And now I desire that this inequality should be no more in this land, especially among this my people;
But I desire that this land be a land of liberty, and every man may enjoy his rights and privileges alike, so long as the Lord sees fit, that we may live and inherit the land;
Yea, even as long as any of our posterity remains upon the face of the land.
Mosiah 13:43-46
Yea, all those who were the true believers in Christ, took upon them, gladly, the name of Christ, or Christians, as they were called, because of their belief in Christ, who should come; and therefore, at this time, Moroni prayed that the cause of the Christians, and the freedom of the land might be favored.
Alma 21:45
And thus he was preparing to support their liberty, their lands, their wives, and their children, and their peace, and that they might live unto the Lord their God, and that they might maintain that which was called by their enemies the cause of Christians.
And Moroni was a strong and a mighty man; he was a man of a perfect understanding; yea, a man that did not delight in bloodshed; a man whose soul did joy in the liberty and the freedom of his country, and his brethren from bondage and slavery;
Yea, a man whose heart did swell with thanksgiving to his God, for the many privileges and blessings which he bestowed upon his people; a man who did labor exceedingly for the welfare and safety of his people:
Yea, and he was a man who was firm in the faith of Christ, and he had sworn with an oath, to defend his people, his rights, and his country, and his religion, even to the loss of his blood.
Alma 21:131-134
And the Lord would not suffer that they should stop beyond the sea in the wilderness, but he would that they should come forth even unto the land of promise, which was choice above all other lands, which the Lord God had preserved for a righteous people;
And he had sworn in his wrath unto the Brother of Jared, that whoso should possess this land of promise, from that time henceforth and forever, should serve him, the true and only God, or they should be swept off when the fullness of his wrath should come upon them.
And now we can behold the decrees of God concerning this land, that it is a land of promise, and whatsoever nation shall possess it, shall serve God, or they shall be swept off when the fullness of his wrath shall come upon them.
And the fullness of his wrath cometh upon them when they are ripened in iniquity; for behold, this is a land which is choice above all other lands; wherefore he that doth possess it shall serve God, or shall be swept off; for it is the everlasting decree of God.
And it is not until the fullness of iniquity among the children of the land, that they are swept off.
And this cometh unto you, O ye Gentiles, that ye may know the decrees of God, that ye may repent, and not continue in your iniquities until the fullness come, that ye may not bring down the fullness of the wrath of God upon you, as the inhabitants of the land have hitherto done.
Behold, this is a choice land, and whatsoever nation shall possess it, shall be free from bondage, and from captivity, and from all other nations under heaven, if they will but serve the God of the land, who is Jesus Christ who hath been manifested by the things which we have written.
Ether 1:29-35
And now I, Moroni, proceed to finish my record concerning the destruction of the people of whom I have been writing.
For behold, they rejected all the words of Ether; for he truly told them of all things, from the beginning of man; and that after the waters had receded from off the face of this land, it became a choice land above all other lands, a chosen land of the Lord;
Wherefore the Lord would have that all men should serve him, who dwell upon the face thereof; and that it was the place of the New Jerusalem, which should come down out of heaven, and the holy sanctuary of the Lord.
Behold, Ether saw the days of Christ, and he spake concerning a New Jerusalem upon this land; and he spake also concerning the house of Israel, and the Jerusalem from whence Lehi should come; after it should be destroyed, it should be built up again a holy city unto the Lord;
Wherefore it could not be a New Jerusalem, for it had been in a time of old, but it should be built up again, and become a holy city of the Lord: and it should be built up unto the house of Israel;
And that a New Jerusalem should be built up upon this land, unto the remnant of the seed of Joseph, for which things there has been a type; for as Joseph brought his father down into the land of Egypt, even so he died there;
Wherefore the Lord brought a remnant of the seed of Joseph out of the land of Jerusalem, that he might be merciful unto the seed of Joseph, that they should perish not, even as he was merciful unto the father of Joseph, that he should perish not;
Wherefore the remnant of the house of Joseph shall be built up upon this land; and it shall be a land of their inheritance; and they shall build up a holy city unto the Lord, like unto the Jerusalem of old; and they shall no more be confounded, until the end come, when the earth shall pass away.
And there shall be a new heaven and a new earth; and they shall be like unto the old, save the old have passed away, and all things have become new.
And then cometh the New Jerusalem; and blessed are they who dwell therein, for it is they whose garments are white through the blood of the Lamb; and they are they who are numbered among the remnant of the seed of Joseph, who were of the house of Israel.
And then also cometh the Jerusalem of old; and the inhabitants thereof, blessed are they, for they have been washed in the blood of the Lamb;
And they are they who were scattered and gathered in from the four quarters of the earth, and from the north countries, and are partakers of the fulfilling of the covenant which God made with their father Abraham.
And when these things come, bringeth to pass the scripture which saith, There are they who were first, who shall be last; and there are they who were last, who shall be first.
Ether 6:1-13
Awakened to a Remembrance of the Deliverance of Our Fathers
Yea, in the strength of the Lord did we go forth to battle against the Lamanites,
For I and my people did cry mightily to the Lord that He would deliver us out of the hands of our enemies, For we were awakened to a remembrance of the deliverance of our fathers.
And God did hear our cries and did answer our prayers, And we did go forth in His might,
Mosiah 6:21-22
Now I say unto thee, Go, And remember the captivity of thy fathers in the Land of Helam and in the Land of Nephi, And remember how great things He hath done for them, for they were in bondage and He hath delivered them.
Mosiah 11:174
And now behold I say unto you my brethren, you that belong to this church, Have you sufficiently retained in remembrance the captivity of your fathers?
Yea, and have you sufficiently retained in remembrance His mercy and longsuffering toward them?
And moreover, have ye sufficiently retained in remembrance that He hath delivered their souls from hell?
Alma 3:8-10
Yea, and I also remember the captivity of my fathers, For I surely do know that the Lord did deliver them out of bondage and by this did establish His church; Yea, the Lord God-the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob-did deliver them out of bondage;
Yea, I have always remembered the captivity of my fathers, And that same God who delivered them out of the hands of the Egyptians did deliver them out of bondage, Yea, and that same God did establish His church among them.
Alma 15:63,64
My son, give ear to my words, For I swear unto you that inasmuch as ye shall keep the commandments of God, ye shall prosper in the land;
I would that ye should do as I have done in remembering the captivity of our fathers, For they were in bondage and none could deliver them except it was the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob, And He surely did deliver them in their afflictions.
Alma 17:1,2
And it came to pass that Shule begat sons and daughters in his old age;
And there were no more wars in the days of Shule; And he remembered the great things that the Lord had done for his fathers in bringing them across the great deep into the Promised Land; Wherefore, he did execute judgment in righteousness all his days.
Ether 3:65,66
And it came to pass that Shez, which was a descendant of Heth-for Heth had perished by the famine and all his household, save it were Shez-Wherefore, Shez began to build up again a broken people.
And it came to pass that Shez did remember the destruction of his fathers; And he did build up a righteous kingdom, for he remembered what the Lord had done in bringing Jared and his brother across the deep; And he did walk in the ways of the Lord; And he begat sons and daughters;
Ether 4:43,44