New Witnesses for God (Volume 2 of 3)Roberts, B. H. (Brigham Henry)
Religion
New Witnesses for God (Volume 2 of 3)
Roberts, B. H. (Brigham Henry)
Book of Mormon; Smith, Joseph, Jr., 1805-1844
be sure, and found the word of the angel fulfilled concerning the
reality of the records, but he had failed to remember the great end
for which they had been kept, and in consequence could not have
power to take them into his possession and bear them away.
At that instant he looked to the Lord in prayer, and as he prayed,
darkness began to disperse from his mind and his soul was lit up as
it was the evening before, and he was filled with the Holy Spirit;
and again did the Lord manifest his condescension and mercy; the
heavens were opened and the glory of the Lord shone around about
and rested upon him. While thus he stood gazing and admiring, the
angel said, "Look!" and as he thus spake he beheld the prince of
darkness, surrounded by his innumerable train of associates. All
this passed before him, and the heavenly messenger said, "All this
is shown, the good and the evil, the holy and impure, the glory
of God and the power of darkness, that you may know hereafter the
two powers and never be influenced or overcome by that wicked
one. Behold, whatever entices and leads to good and to do good,
is of God, and whatever does not is of that wicked one: it is he
that fills the hearts of men with evil, to walk in darkness and
blaspheme God; and you may learn from henceforth, that his ways
are to destruction, but the way of holiness is peace and rest. You
now see why you could not obtain this record; that the commandment
was strict, and that if ever these sacred things are obtained they
must be by prayer and faithfulness in obeying the Lord. They are
not deposited here for the sake of accumulating gain and wealth
for the glory of this world: they were sealed by the prayer of
faith, and because of the knowledge which they contain they are of
no worth among the children of men, only for their knowledge. On
them is contained the fulness of the gospel of Jesus Christ, as it
was given to his people on this land, and when it shall be brought
forth by the power of God it shall be carried to the Gentiles, of
whom many will receive it, and after will the seed of Israel be
brought into the fold of their Redeemer by obeying it also. Those
who kept the commandments of the Lord on this land, through the
prayer of faith obtained the promise, that if their descendants
should transgress and fall away, a record should be kept and in
the last days come to their children. These things are sacred,
and must be kept so, for the promise of the Lord concerning them
must be fulfilled. No man can obtain them if his heart is impure,
because they contain that which is sacred; and besides, should they
be entrusted in unholy hands the knowledge could not come to the
world, because they cannot be interpreted by the learning of this
generation: consequently they would be considered of no worth,
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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