8:1 Behold I, Moroni, do finish the record of my
father, Mormon. Behold, I have but few things to write,
which things I have been commanded by my father. |
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8:2 And now it came to pass that after the great
and tremendous battle at Cumorah, behold, the Nephites
who had escaped into the country southward were hunted by
the Lamanites, until they were all destroyed. |
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8:3 And my father also was killed by them, and I
even remain alone to write the sad tale of the
destruction of my people. But behold, they are gone, and
I fulfil the commandment of my father. And whether they
will slay me, I know not. |
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8:4 Therefore I will write and hide up the records
in the earth; and whither I go it mattereth not. |
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8:5 Behold, my father hath made this record, and he
hath written the intent thereof. And behold, I would
write it also if I had room upon the plates, but I have
not; and ore I have none, for I am alone. My father hath
been slain in battle, and all my kinsfolk, and I have not
friends nor whither to go; and how long the Lord will
suffer that I may live I know not. |
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8:6 Behold, four hundred years have passed away
since the coming of our Lord and Savior. |
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8:7 And behold, the Lamanites have hunted my
people, the Nephites, down from city to city and from
place to place, even until they are no more; and great
has been their fall; yea, great and marvelous is the
destruction of my people, the Nephites. |
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8:8 And behold, it is the hand of the Lord which
hath done it. And behold also, the Lamanites are at war
one with another; and the whole face of this land is one
continual round of murder and bloodshed; and no one
knoweth the end of the war. |
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8:9 And now, behold, I say no more concerning them,
for there are none save it be the Lamanites and robbers
that do exist upon the face of the land. |
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8:10 And there are none that do know the true God
save it be the disciples of Jesus, who did tarry in the
land until the wickedness of the people was so great that
the Lord would not suffer them to remain with the people;
and whether they be upon the face of the land no man
knoweth. |
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8:11 But behold, my father and I have seen them, and
they have ministered unto us. |
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8:12 And whoso receiveth this record, and shall not
condemn it because of the imperfections which are in it,
the same shall know of greater things than these. Behold,
I am Moroni; and were it possible, I would make all
things known unto you. |
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8:13 Behold, I make an end of speaking concerning
this people. I am the son of Mormon, and my father was a
descendant of Nephi. |
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8:14 And I am the same who hideth up this record
unto the Lord; the plates thereof are of no worth,
because of the commandment of the Lord. For he truly
saith that no one shall have them to get gain; but the
record thereof is of great worth; and whoso shall bring
it to light, him will the Lord bless. |
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8:15 For none can have power to bring it to light
save it be given him of God; for God wills that it shall
be done with an eye single to his glory, or the welfare
of the ancient and long dispersed covenant people of the
Lord. |
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8:16 And blessed be he that shall bring this thing
to light; for it shall be brought out of darkness unto
light, according to the word of God; yea, it shall be
brought out of the earth, and it shall shine forth out of
darkness, and come unto the knowledge of the people; and
it shall be done by the power of God. |
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8:17 And if there be faults they be the faults of a
man. But behold, we know no fault; nevertheless God
knoweth all things; therefore, he that condemneth, let
him be aware lest he shall be in danger of hell fire. |
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8:18 And he that saith: Show unto me, or ye shall be
smitten--let him beware lest he commandeth that which is
forbidden of the Lord. |
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8:19 For behold, the same that judgeth rashly shall
be judged rashly again; for according to his works shall
his wages be; therefore, he that smiteth shall be smitten
again, of the Lord. |
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8:20 Behold what the scripture says--man shall not
smite, neither shall he judge; for judgment is mine,
saith the Lord, and 1vengeance is mine also, and I will repay. |
[1] Romans 12:19: ...Vengeance is mine; I
will repay, saith the Lord. (See Mormon 3:15) |
8:21 And he that shall breathe out wrath and strifes
against the work of the Lord, and against the covenant
people of the Lord who are the house of Israel, and shall
say: We will destroy the work of the Lord, and the Lord
will not remember his covenant which he hath made unto
the house of Israel--the same is in danger to be hewn
down and cast into the fire; |
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8:22 For the eternal purposes of the Lord shall roll
on, until all his promises shall be fulfilled. |
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8:23 Search the prophecies of Isaiah. Behold, I
cannot write them. Yea, behold I say unto you, that those
saints who have gone before me, who have possessed this
land, shall cry, yea, even from the dust will they cry
unto the Lord; and as the Lord liveth he will remember
the covenant which he hath made with them. |
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8:24 And he knoweth their prayers, that they were in
behalf of their brethren. And he knoweth their faith, for
in his name could they remove mountains; and in his name
could they cause the earth to shake; and by the power of
his word did they cause prisons to tumble to the earth;
yea, even the fiery furnace could not harm them, neither
wild beasts nor poisonous serpents, because of the power
of his word. |
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8:25 And behold, their prayers were also in behalf
of him that the Lord should suffer to bring these things
forth. |
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8:26 And no one need say they shall not come, for
they surely shall, for the Lord hath spoken it; for out
of the earth shall they come, by the hand of the Lord,
and none can stay it; and it shall come in a day when it
shall be said that miracles are done away; and it shall
come even as if one should speak from the dead. |
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8:27 And it shall come in a day when the blood of
saints shall cry unto the Lord, because of secret
combinations and the works of darkness. |
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8:28 Yea, it shall come in a day when the power of
God shall be denied, and churches become defiled and be
lifted up in the pride of their hearts; yea, even in a
day when leaders of churches and teachers shall rise in
the pride of their hearts, even to the envying of them
who belong to their churches. |
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8:29 Yea, it shall come in a day when there shall be
heard of fires, and tempests, and 1vapors of smoke in foreign lands; |
[1] Acts 2:19: ...blood, and fire, and vapour of
smoke... |
8:30 And there shall also be heard of 1wars,
rumors of wars, and earthquakes in divers places. |
[1] Matthew 24:6-7: And ye shall hear of wars and
rumours of wars...and earthquakes, in divers places. |
8:31 Yea, it shall come in a day when there shall be
great pollutions upon the face of the earth; there shall
be murders, and robbing, and lying, and deceivings, and
whoredoms, and all manner of abominations; when there
shall be many who will say, Do this, or do that, and it
mattereth not, for the Lord will uphold such at the last
day. But wo unto such for they are 1in the gall of bitterness and in the bonds of
iniquity. |
[1] Acts 8:23: ...thou art in the gall of
bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity. |
8:32 Yea, it shall come in a day when there shall be
churches built up that shall say: Come unto me, and for
your money you shall be forgiven of your sins. |
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8:33 O ye wicked and perverse and stiffnecked
people, why have ye built up churches unto yourselves to
get gain? Why have ye transfigured the holy word of God,
that ye might bring damnation upon your souls? Behold,
look ye unto the revelations of God; for behold, the time
cometh at that day when all these things must be
fulfilled. |
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8:34 Behold, the Lord hath shown unto me great and
marvelous things concerning that which must shortly come,
at that day when these things shall come forth among you.
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8:35 Behold, I speak unto you as if ye were present,
and yet ye are not. But behold, Jesus Christ hath shown
you unto me, and I know your doing. |
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8:36 And I know that ye do walk in the pride of your
hearts; and there are none save a few only who do not
lift themselves up in the pride of their hearts, unto the
wearing of very fine apparel, unto envying, and strifes,
and malice, and persecutions, and all manner of
iniquities; and your churches, yea, even every one, have
become polluted because of the pride of your hearts. |
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8:37 For behold, ye do love money, and your
substance, and your fine apparel, and the adorning of
your churches, more than ye love the poor and the needy,
the sick and the afflicted. |
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8:38 O ye pollutions, ye hypocrites, ye teachers,
who sell yourselves for that which will canker, why have
ye polluted the holy church of God? Why are ye ashamed to
take upon you the name of Christ? Why do ye not think
that greater is the value of an endless happiness than
that misery which never dies--because of the praise of
the world? |
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8:39 Why do ye adorn yourselves with that which hath
no life, and yet suffer the hungry, and the needy, and
the naked, and the sick and the afflicted to pass by you,
and notice them not? |
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8:40 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? |
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8:41 Behold, the sword of vengeance hangeth over
you; and the time soon cometh that he avengeth the blood
of the saints upon you, for he will not suffer their
cries any longer. |
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