Thus, from start to finish, difficulty and danger beset the coming forth of the Book of Mormon. But at last every obstacle was surmounted; every difficulty overcome; every device of the enemy thwarted; every danger to the record of the Nephites past. It was published--a five thousand edition of it. Henceforth, thanks to "the great art preservative"--printing--it would be indestructible. To the world was given the testimony of sleeping nations that the Lord is God; that Jesus is the Christ, the Redeemer of the world; that the gospel is the power of God unto salvation. The fervent prayers of the prophets and other righteous men among the ancient inhabitants of America were answered. The Gentile nations which, by the spirit of prophecy, they knew would at some time occupy their land, would become informed as to them; of their origin; of the promises of God to the remnant of their seed, which the Gentiles would find upon the land. So, too, would the Jews know of the ancient inhabitants of the land; and would know of the decrees of God respecting the land and the inhabitants thereof; and would have the testimony of these ancient nations of Israelites in America that Jesus of Nazareth, whom the Jews had crucified, was indeed the Messiah, the hope of Israel, and the world's Savior. But what was of more immediate interest to these ancient worthies of the western hemisphere, their descendants remaining in the land would, through their record, be brought to a knowledge of their forefathers, and of the goodness and favor and severity of God towards them. They would be brought to a knowledge of how their fathers had departed from the ways of the Lord; why the disfavor of God was upon them; and how they might return into his favor through obedience to that gospel which their fathers had rejected. For these several things righteous men among the Nephites earnestly prayed; and obtained a promise from the Lord that he would preserve their records and at the last bring them to the remnant of their seed, to the Jews and to the Gentiles that their testimonies to the truth of God might not be lost to the world. [13] And now the hopes and promises were fulfilled. Their record was published and was destined to be read in all the languages spoken by the children of men, and stand as a Witness for God to all the world. Footnotes 1. History of the Church, vol. I, pp. 48, 49. 2. The Statement referred to was given to Elder Francis M. Lyman, of the Council of the Twelve Apostles, who called upon Mr. Gilbert at Palmyra on October 23, 1897. Mr. Gilbert wrote with his own hand in Elder Lyman's Journal, and signed the following: Palmyra, N. Y., Oct. 23, 1897.