3:1 And it came to pass that the brother of Jared,
(now the number of the vessels which had been prepared
was eight) went forth unto the mount, which they called
the mount Shelem, because of its exceeding height, and
did molten out of a rock sixteen small stones; and they
were white and clear, even as transparent glass; and he
did carry them in his hands upon the top of the mount,
and cried again unto the Lord, saying: |
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3:2 O Lord, thou hast said that we must be
encompassed about by the floods. Now behold, O Lord, and
do not be angry with thy servant because of his weakness
before thee; for we know that thou art holy and dwellest
in the heavens, and that we are unworthy before thee;
because of the fall our natures have become evil
continually; nevertheless, O Lord, thou hast given us a
commandment that we must call upon thee, that from thee
we may receive according to our desires. |
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3:3 Behold, O Lord, thou hast smitten us because of
our iniquity, and hast driven us forth, and for these
many years we have been in the wilderness; nevertheless,
thou hast been merciful unto us. O Lord, look upon me in
pity, and turn away thine anger from this thy people, and
suffer not that they shall go forth across this raging
deep in darkness; but behold these things which I have
molten out of the rock. |
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3:4 And I know, O Lord, that thou hast all power,
and can do whatsoever thou wilt for the benefit of man;
therefore touch these stones, O Lord, with thy finger,
and prepare them that they may shine forth in darkness;
and they shall shine forth unto us in the vessels which
we have prepared, that we may have light while we shall
cross the sea. |
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3:5 Behold, O Lord, thou canst do this. We know
that thou art able to show forth great power, which looks
small unto the understanding of men. |
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3:6 And it came to pass that when the brother of
Jared had said these words, behold, the Lord stretched
forth his hand and touched the stones one by one with his
finger. And the veil was taken from off the eyes of the
brother of Jared, and he saw the finger of the Lord; and
it was as the finger of a man, like unto flesh and blood;
and the brother of Jared fell down before the Lord, for
he was struck with fear. |
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3:7 And the Lord saw that the brother of Jared had
fallen to the earth; and the Lord said unto him: Arise,
why hast thou fallen? |
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3:8 And he saith unto the Lord: I saw the finger of
the Lord, and I feared lest he should smite me; for I
knew not that the Lord had flesh and blood. |
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3:9 And the Lord said unto him: Because of thy
faith thou hast seen that I shall take upon me flesh and
blood; and never has man come before me with such
exceeding faith as thou hast; for were it not so ye could
not have seen my finger. Sawest thou more than this? |
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3:10 And he answered: Nay; Lord, show thyself unto
me. |
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3:11 And the Lord said unto him: Believest thou the
words which I shall speak? |
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3:12 And he answered: Yea, Lord, I know that thou
speakest the truth, for thou art a God of truth, and
canst not lie. |
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3:13 And when he had said these words, behold, the
Lord showed himself unto him, and said: Because thou
knowest these things ye are redeemed from the fall;
therefore ye are brought back into my presence; therefore
I show myself unto you. |
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3:14 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. |
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3:15 And never have I showed myself unto man whom I
have created, for never has man believed in me as thou
hast. Seest thou that ye are created after mine own
image? Yea, even all men were created in the beginning
after mine own image. |
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3:16 Behold, this body, which ye now behold, is the
body of my spirit; and man have I created after the body
of my spirit; and even as I appear unto thee to be in the
spirit will I appear unto my people in the flesh. |
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3:17 And now, as I, Moroni, said I could not make a
full account of these things which are written therefore
it sufficeth me to say that Jesus showed himself unto
this man in the spirit, even after the manner and in the
likeness of the same body even as he showed himself unto
the Nephites. |
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3:18 And he ministered unto him even as he
ministered unto the Nephites; and all this, that this man
might know that he was God, because of the many great
works which the Lord had showed unto him. |
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3:19 And because of the knowledge of this man he
could not be kept from beholding within the veil; and he
saw the finger of Jesus, which, when he saw, he fell with
fear; for he knew that it was the finger of the Lord; and
he had faith no longer, for he knew, nothing doubting. |
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3:20 Wherefore, having this perfect knowledge of
God, he could not be kept from within the veil; therefore
he saw Jesus; and he did minister unto him. |
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3:21 And it came to pass that the Lord said unto the
brother of Jared: Behold, thou shalt not suffer these
things which ye have seen and heard to go forth unto the
world, until the time cometh that I shall glorify my name
in the flesh; wherefore, ye shall treasure up the things
which ye have seen and heard, and show it to no man. |
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3:22 And behold, when ye shall come unto me, ye
shall write them and shall seal them up, that no one can
interpret them; for ye shall write them in a language
that they cannot be read. |
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3:23 And behold, these two stones will I give unto
thee, and ye shall seal them up also with the things
which ye shall write. |
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3:24 For behold, the language which ye shall write I
have confounded; wherefore I will cause in my own due
time that these stones shall magnify to the eyes of men
these things which ye shall write. |
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3:25 And when the Lord had said these words, he
showed unto the brother of Jared all the inhabitants of
the earth which had been, and also all that would be; and
he withheld them not from his sight, even unto the ends
of the earth. |
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3:26 For he had said unto him in times before, that
if he would believe in him that he could show unto him
all things--it should be shown unto him; therefore the
Lord could not withhold anything from him, for he knew
that the Lord could show him all things. |
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3:27 And the Lord said unto him: Write these things
and seal them up; and I will show them in mine own due
time unto the children of men. |
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3:28 And it came to pass that the Lord commanded him
that he should seal up the two stones which he had
received, and show them not, until the Lord should show
them unto the children of men. |
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