Not only has the voice of God been heard in modern times, but His words spell rebuke and reproof unto those who would close His mouth and estrange Him from His people. Verily hath He spoken, "proving to the world that the Holy Scriptures are true, and that God does inspire men and call them to his holy work in this age and generation, as well as in generations of old, thereby showing that he is the same God yesterday, to-day, and for ever." (D&C 20:11-12). Of old the Lord proclaimed: "Wo be unto him that shall say, We have received the word of God, and we need no more of the word of God, for we have enough" (Book of Mormon, 2 Nephi 28:29); and in this age hath He spoken words of admonition and warning: "Deny not the Spirit of revelation, nor the Spirit of prophecy, for wo unto him that denieth these things." (D&C 11:25). -- 43 -- THE TRAGEDY OF ISRAEL A Nation Without a Country WE believe in the literal gathering of Israel, and in the restoration of the Ten Tribes, etc. (Articles of Faith, No. 10). The gathering of Israel is contingent upon the fact of that people's dispersion. Consideration of the scattering is a necessary preliminary to a study of the reassembling of Israel's hosts. God made covenant with Abraham that through him and his posterity should all nations of the earth be blessed. A rich fulfilment of the promise is found in the earthly birth of the Christ through the lineage of Abraham. Further and related fulfilment appears in the effect of the distribution of Israelites amongst other nations through enforced dispersion. Abraham's descendants through his son Isaac and grandson Jacob have been distinctively known since Jacob's time as Israelites, or the Children of Israel. As the Old Testament avouches they grew to be a mighty nation, distinguished in certain respects from all other peoples. They were particularly characterized as "Jehovah worshipers," professing allegiance to the living God, whilst all the rest of the world was pagan and idolatrous. By their world wide dispersion a knowledge of the true and living God has been diffused. So long as the Israelites were true to the Divine covenants made with Abraham, and reaffirmed severally with Isaac and Jacob, they prospered in material things as in spiritual power. So far as they became alienated through pagan practises and unrighteous affiliations, they suffered both individually and as a nation. The Lord set before them the alternative of blessed perpetuity incident to their faithfulness, or disruption and subjugation to alien powers as the sure result of disobedience to Divine requirement. Both sacred and secular history make plain that Israel chose the evil part, forfeiting the promised blessings, reaping the foretold curses.