The Atonement of Jesus Christ

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Lehi's Daughters

Nephi evidently had at least 4 sisters:

1 Nephi 7:6

Alma 3:7

Alma 47:35

Jurnal of Discourses: 23:184

Covenants

Covenants made by the multitude after hearing King Benjamin's Address
Mosiah 5:5, 8,

We covenant with our God:

1. To do His will
2. To be obedient to his commandments in all things that he shall command us, all the remainder of our days
3. To take upon ourselves the name of Christ (6:2)

Pride

Jacob 2:12-22   Pride

Pride: a feeling or deep pleasure or satisfaction derived from one's own achievements, the achievements of those with whom one is closely associated, or from qualities or possessions that are widely admired


Jacob 2:13, 16

13 And the hand of providence hath smiled upon you most pleasingly, that you have obtained many riches; and because some of you have obtained more abundantly than that of your brethren ye are lifted up in the pride of your hearts, and wear stiff necks and high heads because of the costliness of your apparel, and persecute your brethren because ye suppose that ye are better than they.

One has pride because:

1. He is richer than others
2. He has more material things than others
3. He has and wears more expensive clothes than others
4. He supposes that he is better than others

verse 16

pride will destroy our souls

Beware of Pride (President Benson's talk)
Beware of Pride (President Benson's lesson, Chapter 18, "Teachings of the Presidents of the Church"

Tongue of Angels

Tongue of Angels
talk by Elder Holland, April 2007 General Conference


"Our words, like our deeds, should be filled with faith and hope and charity."

Book of Mormon Notes / Journal

I Nephi 17:20 How does our heart imagine things?"...imaginations of his (Lehi's) heart..."


I Nephi 16:29 By small means the Lord can bring about great things."...by small means the Lord can bring about great things."
Small things like: perfectly honest prayer, pure faith, common courtesies like "Thank you," a friendly handshake, an invitation to attend church or watch general conference, conducting a Stewardship Interview and holding leaders accountable for their duties, scripture study 30 minutes per day, 



I Nephi 16:24-25  Murmuring  against the Lord displeases Him, and  the Lord desires to chasten us

Lehi murmurs and the Lord chastens him for it. How does this apply to us?

24 And it came to pass that he (Lehi) did inquire of the Lord, for they had humbled themselves because of my words; for I did say many things unto them in the energy of my soul.

 25 And it came to pass that the voice of the Lord came unto my father; and he was truly chastened because of his murmuring against the Lord, insomuch that he was brought down into the depths of sorrow.

I Nephi 11:28 Jesus ministered in Power and Great Glory because.....

Nephi saw in vision Jesus "ministering unto the people in power and great glory..." Jesus displayed power and great glory because He was God, even while in the flesh, because He was born having a mortal mother and an immortal Father, even God the Father; therefore, He possessed and demonstrated great power and glory. Yet, many still didn't believe Him and cast Him out.


I Nephi 19:11 God visits people in various ways
The Lord God surely shall visit all the house of Israel at that day, some with his voice, because of their righteousness, unto their great joy and salvation, and others with the thunderings and the lightnings of his power, by tempest, by fire, and by smoke, and vapor of darkness, and by the opening of the earth, and by mountains which shall be carried up.



2 Nephi 31:11-12, 14-15 Nephi hears the voice of Jesus Christ AND God the Father

 11 And the Father said: Repent ye, repent ye, and be baptized in the name of my Beloved Son.

 12 And also, the voice of the Son came unto me, saying: He that is baptized in my name, to him will the Father give the Holy Ghost, like unto me; wherefore, follow me, and do the things which ye have seen me do.

14 But, behold, my beloved brethren, thus came the voice of the Son unto me, saying: After ye have repented of your sins, and witnessed unto the Father that ye are willing to keep my commandments, by the baptism of water, and have received the baptism of fire and of the Holy Ghost, and can speak with a new tongue, yea, even with the tongue of angels, and after this should deny me, it would have been better for you that ye had not known me.

 15 And I heard a voice from the Father, saying: Yea, the words of my Beloved are true and faithful. He that endureth to the end, the same shall be saved.

Lehi's Dream

Lehi's Dream 1 Nephi 8

Urim and Thummim and Breastplate

During an 1830 trial Oliver Cowdery testified under oath, that “said [Joseph] Smith found with the plates, from which he translated his book, two transparent stones, resembling glass, set in silver bows. That by looking through these, he was able to read in English, the reformed Egyptian characters, which were engraved on the plates."  

The Prophet Joseph Smith's Mother, Lucy Mack Smith recorded the following:

(Replica of the Urim & Thummim courtesy of Steven Reed.)

"On the morning of September 22, after Joseph had returned from the hill, he placed the article [the Nephite interpreters] of which he spoke into my hands, and, upon examination, I found that it consisted of two smooth three-cornered diamonds set in glass, and the glasses were set in silver bows, which were connected with each other in much the same way as old fashioned spectacles. . . . He [Joseph Smith] handed me the breastplate spoken of in his history. It was wrapped in a thin muslin handkerchief, so thin that I could feel its proportions without any difficulty. It was concave on one side and convex on the other, and extended from the neck downwards, as far as the center of the stomach of a man of extraordinary size. It had four straps of the same material, for the purpose of fastening it to the breast." (References: Lucy Mack Smith, History of Joseph Smith)

Jaredite Royal Line2

Jaredite Barges

The Jaredites built garages (see YouTube)

Book of Mormon Printer's Manuscript

Church History Department Releases Book of Mormon Printer’s Manuscript in New Book

August 4, 2015

SALT LAKE CITY — A new volume of “The Joseph Smith Papers Project” featuring the printer’s manuscript of the Book of Mormon was released Tuesday by the Church Historian’s Press, an imprint of the History Department of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. “Revelations and Translations, Volume 3: Printer’s Manuscript of the Book of Mormon” is the 11th published volume of the project in the Church’s ongoing effort to make every document produced by Church founder Joseph Smith or by his scribes available to the public.

“We’re pleased that this document will now be available for scholars and members of the Church to review and study as they desire,” said Elder Steven E. Snow of the Quorum of the Seventy during a news conference in the Church History Library. “The nice thing about this volume as well as all volumes of the Joseph Smith Papers project [is that] eventually these will all be online and will be free to the public.” Elder Snow also serves as the Church historian and recorder and executive director of the Church History Department.

“This is truly an exceptional contribution to the study, research and understanding of Latter-day Saint history and culture,” said Robin Linkhart, president of the Seventy of the Community of Christ, during the media event. “The magnificent two-volume resource represents decades of research with the printer’s manuscript.”

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The volume is published in two parts, each a full-color, oversized book that showcases each page of the historic manuscript with a high-resolution photograph and color-coded transcript. In addition to the photographs and transcripts of the manuscript, the volume also contains a list of scribes and printers involved in its creation and the printing of the 1830 edition of the Book of Mormon.

“High-quality, full-color images of the most complete early manuscript of the Book of Mormon give users of this volume unprecedented access, as though they were holding the original in their hands,” said assistant Church historian and recorder Richard E. Turley Jr.

Publication of the volume represents a major milestone in a longstanding collaboration between historians from the Church History Department and the Community of Christ (formerly Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints).

“We’re very pleased that they’ve been partners with us in this process and exceptionally good stewards of this priceless document,” said Elder Snow. “It’s great to be able to cooperate like we have and to be able to print this particular volume. I think members of both churches will find this very, very interesting.” The Church has assisted in the conservation of the document.

“Well, I think it’s really quite remarkable,” said Ronald E. Romig of the Community of Christ, who is director of the Kirtland Temple Visitors’ Center. “I’m remembering when there were times that there wasn’t as much collaboration as there is today, and that’s been very refreshing and I’m very thankful that that’s the case.”

Romig added, “We’re very appreciative of the scholars and the staff who have worked on the Joseph Smith Papers Project. Not only do I consider them to be close colleagues and friends in many cases, but … I’ve come to really value their contribution to helping preserve and make not only this particular manuscript but many of the sacred documents and scriptural materials of the restoration movement available to people who are sometimes just not going to ever see them if they weren’t scholars.”

Mormons regard the Book of Mormon as scripture and a companion to the Bible for study, believing it contains a record of ancient American civilizations and is another testament of Jesus Christ.

An accompanying article on the history of the Book of Mormon translation will appear in the October 2015 issue of the Church’s Ensign magazine, and is now available online. Both the introduction to the new volume and the magazine article discuss the instruments Joseph Smith used to translate, and both include never-before-seen photographs of a seer stone Joseph Smith likely used in the translation of the Book of Mormon.

The stone he used in the translation was often referred to as a chocolate-colored stone with an oval shape. The stone was passed from Joseph Smith to scribe Oliver Cowdery and then from Cowdery’s widow, Elizabeth Whitmer Cowdery, to Phineas Young. Young then passed it on to his brother, Brigham Young, the second president of the Church. After President Young died, one of his wives, Zina D. H. Young, donated it to the Church. In addition to this seer stone, historical records indicate that Joseph Smith owned other seer stones during his lifetime.

The entire project has been endorsed by the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC), a division of the National Archives. The Joseph Smith Papers volumes undergo extensive peer reviews, from both Church and outside scholars.

The print edition of the Joseph Smith Papers is expected to span more than 20 volumes when complete. It is divided into six series: Journals, Revelations and Translations, Histories, Documents, Administrative Records, and Legal and Business Records. The first volume of the project was published in 2008. For more information, visit josephsmithpapers.org.

Seer Stone used by Joseph Smith

The Church Shows Joseph Smith’s Seer Stone for the First Time: Five Things to Know about the Seer Stone

Merridian Magazine August 5, 2015

Yesterday The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints released photographs of a seer stone that was apparently one that the Prophet Joseph Smith used to aid him in translating the Book of Mormon. The stone has been in the Church Archives for many generations, but no known photographs have ever been taken of it or shown to the public.

Seer stone used by the Prophet Joseph Smith. Photo by Weldon C. Andersen and Richard E. Turley Jr. (Click on image to enlarge)

The chocolate-colored oval-shaped stone was passed down from Oliver Cowdery’s widow, Elizabeth Ann Whitmer Cowdery, to Phineas Young who gave it to his brother Brigham Young. President Young’s wife, Zina D. H. Young, found this same stone in the estate of her late husband and gave it to the Church. It has remained in the archives ever since that time.

Here are five things to know about this seer stone.

One: It appears that Joseph Smith found this seer stone while digging a well for a nearby neighbor in Macedon Township, New York.

Elder B.H. Roberts recorded: “The Seer Stone referred to here was a chocolate-colored, somewhat egg-shaped stone which the prophet found while digging a well in company with his brother Hryum, for a Mr. Clark Chase, near Palmyra, New York. It possessed the qualities of Urim and Thummim, since by means of it…Joseph was able to translate the characters engraven on the plates.”[i]

Two: Joseph Smith used this seer stone by putting it in the bottom of a hat and putting his face into the hat to block out ambient light.

David Whitmer, one of the Three Witnesses of the plates, gives many accounts of the use of the seer stone during the translation process. George Q. Cannon interviewed David Whitmer on February 27, 1884 and recorded, “In speaking of the translating he said that Joseph had the stone in a hat from which all light was excluded. In the stone the characters appeared and under that the translation in English and they remained until the scribe had copied it correctly. If he had made a mistake the words still remained and were not replaced by any other.”[ii]

In another account published in the Omaha Herald, October 10, 1886, the reporter indicated that “the stone…glared forth its letters of fire. The Urim and Thummim [still referring to the stone], in this strange process of translation, would reflect a number of words in pure English, which would remain on its face until the party acting as scribe had got it correctly written, and the occasional disposition of the characters to remain long after they had been so written was always an infallible evidence that there was something wrong in the translation of the record, and a close comparison would invariably reveal this fact. When the necessary corrections had been made the words would instantly disappear from the Urim and Thummim [again referring to the stone] and new ones take their place.”[iii]

Three: The descriptions given of the seer stone by David Whitmer are consistent with the photograph released yesterday.

David Whitmer gave a number of physical descriptions of the seer stone including: “a small oval kidney-shaped stone,”[iv] “one dark colored, opaque stone.”[v] In one account David said Joseph “had two small stones of a chocolate color, nearly egg shaped and perfectly smooth, but not transparent…”[vi]

This Seer stone passed from Joseph to Oliver Cowdery and finally to the Church. Photo by Weldon C. Andersen and Richard E. Turley Jr. (Click on image to enlarge)

In some interviews, David Whitmer claims that after Martin Harris lost the 116 pages of manuscript, Joseph did not receive the original Urim and Thummim but “was given by the angel a Urim of Thummim of another pattern, it being shaped in oval or kidney form.”[vii] The Richmond Democratreported in January 1888, that after the manuscript debacle, Joseph Smith “was presented with a strange oval-shaped, chocolate colored stone, about the size of an egg but more flat, which it was promised should answer the same purpose.”[viii] Elder Bruce R. McConkie made it clear that “The prophet also had a seer stone which was separate and distinct from the Urim and Thummim, and which (speaking loosely) has been called by some a Urim and Thummim.”[ix]

Four: Joseph Smith was using a seer stone to translate when Martin Harris was scribe.

According to Edward Stevenson’s interview with Martin Harris, it appears that Joseph had the seer stone before the loss of the 116 manuscript pages (which is not consistent with David Whitmer’s account). Here we see a most interesting account of Martin Harris and the Prophet Joseph’s interaction. Martin reported:

“The Prophet Joseph Smith…possessed a seer stone by which he was enabled to translate, as well as from the Urim and Thummim, and for convenience he then used the seer stone…The seer stone differed in appearance entirely from the Urim and Thummim that was obtained with the plates (which was two clear stones set in two rims, very much resembling spectacles)…After continued translation, we would become weary, and would go down to the river and exercise by throwing stones out on the river, etc. While so doing on one occasion, I found a stone very much resembling the one used for translating, and on resuming our labor of translation, I put in place the stone that I had found…The Prophet remained silent, unusually and intently gazing in darkness…Much surprised, Joseph exclaimed, ‘Martin! What is the matter? All is as dark as Egypt!’ My countenance betrayed me, and the Prophet asked me why I had done so. I said, to stop the mouths of fools, who had told me that the Prophet had learned those sentences and was merely repeating them…”[x]

Five: Joseph Smith could see things in the present using the seer stone.

In an account given by David Whitmer and Oliver Cowdery, Joseph used the seer stone to see the journey of David Whitmer from Seneca Falls (or Fayette) to Harmony Pennsylvania (over 100 miles) where he came to pick up Joseph and Oliver by wagon. David reported: “I was a little over two and a half days going, and traveled over 40 miles the first day, and met them on the third day at the head of Cayuga Lake, Seneca Co. Oliver told me, they knew just when I started, where I put up at night and even the name on the sign board of the hotel where I stayed each night, for he had asked Joseph to look in the Seer stone, that he did so and told him all these particulars of my journey. Oliver asked me when I first met them, when I left home, where I stayed on the road, and the names of the persons at Hotels. I could not tell the names; but as we returned I pointed out the several houses where I had stopped, when he took out his book and found them to correspond even to the names on the sign boards, all of which he had written before we met. As had been told him by the Prophet, and which agreed in every particular.”[xi]

Martin Harris recorded a most interesting account of the use of the Seer stone: “I was at the house of his father in Manchester, two miles south of Palmyra village, and was picking my teeth with a pin while sitting on the bars. The pin caught in my teeth, and dropped from my fingers into shavings and straw. I jumped from the bars and looked for it…I then took Joseph on surprise, and said to him—I said, ‘Take your stone.’ I had never seen it, and did not know that he had it with him. He had it in his pocket. He took it and placed it in his hat—the old white hat—and placed his face in his hat. I watched him closely to see that he did not look [to] one side; he reached out his hand beyond me on the right, and moved a little stick, and there I saw the pin, which he picked up and gave to me.[xii]

The Lord used miraculous means to bring forth His Church in these last days and we are now privileged to see one of those means in photograph.

[i] Roberts, B.H. Comprehensive History of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Volume 1: 129.

[ii] Cook, Lyndon W. David Whitmer Interviews, A Restoration Witness. Orem, Utah: Grandin Book Company, 1991, p. 108.

[iii] Ibid, pp. 199-200.

[iv] Ibid, p. 76.

[v] Ibid, p. 55.

[vi] Ibid, p. 62.

[vii] Ibid. p. 175.

[viii] Ibid. p. 230.

[ix] McConkie, Bruce R. Mormon Doctrine. Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1966, p. 818.

[x] See Backman, Milton V. Eyewitness Accounts of the Restoration. Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Company, 1983, pp. 84-85 (emphasis added). See primary source: Edward Stevenson, “Incidents in the Life of Martin Harris,” MS 44 (February 6, 1882): 86-87.

[xi] Whitmer Interviews, p. 123 (emphasis added).

[xii] As quoted from Opening the Heavens, Accounts of Divine Manifestations, 1820-1844. Edited by John W. Welch with Erick B. Carlson. Provo, Utah: Brigham Young University Press and Deseret Book Company (Salt Lake City), 2005, p. 274.

Maps

Click below to see several Book of Mormon maps

bookofmormononline.net

Quetzalcoatl

Quetzalcoatl: The White & Bearded God = Christ

War Lessons

Lessons We Can Learn from Wars in the Book of Mormon:

1. The value of freedom
2. God's role in preserving freedom
3. Moral justifications for waging war to uphold freedom
4. Moral limitations on bloodshed
5. For freedom's sake
6. God can and will deliver those who trust in him and go forth in the strength of the Lord
7. We need to defend our families: "Ye shall defend your families even unto bloodshed." (Alma 43:47)
8. We need to defend ourselves, our lands, country, rights, and religion." (Alma 43:47)
9. 
   

Nephi-A Complete Human Being

Nephi was almost a complete human being:

1. Prophet
2. Teacher
3. Ruler
4. Colonizer
5. Builder
6. Craftsman
7. Intellect
8. Writer
9. Poet
10. Military leader
11. Father of nations
12. Son
13. Husband
14. Physical powerhouse
15. Temple builder
16. Faithful
17. Saw Christ
18. Prayerful
19. 
    

Nephite Judges

Nephite Judges

Chiasm

Chiasm Example

Discussions of Chiasmus by John Welch
New Era, February 1972, p6
Ensign, September 1977, p.46


Chiasmus by David Ridges
Book of Mormon Made Easier Part 1
Pg 250-254

Examples:
Isaiah 6:10
Mosiah 3:18-19
2 Nephi 13:1-8
Alma 36

Power of the Book of Mormon

Power of the Book of Mormon
by Gordon B. Hinckley
Ensign, June 1988

"Here is a voice that has touched the hearts of men and women in many lands. Those who have read it prayerfully, be they rich or poor, learned or unlearned, have grown under its power."

How to be Set Free

Mosiah 7:33

If ye will:
 1. Turn to the Lord with full purpose of heart
2. put your trust in him
3. serve him with all diligence of mind (all your mental faculties)

Then he will deliver you out of bondage.

Jacob & Enos Had Faith in Christ

Jacob 7:3, 5

Jacob had seen Christ, heard His voice, had seen angels, and received many revelations. And it says that he had 'FAITH in Christ who should come.' Thus, he still needed to have faith in Christ even though he had already had marvelous spiritual experiences.

 3 And he (Sherem) labored diligently that he might lead away the hearts of the people, insomuch that he did lead away many hearts; and he knowing that I, Jacob, had faith in Christ who should come, he sought much opportunity that he might come unto me.

 4 And he was learned, that he had a perfect knowledge of the language of the people; wherefore, he could use much flattery, and much power of speech, according to the power of the devil.

 5 And he had hope to shake me from the faith, notwithstanding the many revelations and the many things which I had seen concerning these things; for I truly had seen angels, and they had ministered unto me. And also, I had heard the voice of the Lord speaking unto me in very word, from time to time; wherefore, I could not be shaken.

Enos 1:8
Enos had faith in Christ and he had never seen Christ nor heard His voice prior to this revelation.

 And he said unto me: Because of thy faith in Christ, whom thou hast never before heard nor seen. And many years pass away before he shall manifest himself in the flesh; wherefore, go to, thy faith hath made thee whole.

Sealed Portion of the Plates

2 Nephi 27:6-11 

6 And it shall come to pass that the Lord God shall bring forth unto you the words of a book, and they shall be the words of them which have slumbered.

 7 And behold the book shall be sealed; and in the book shall be a revelation from God, from the beginning of the world to the ending thereof.

 8 Wherefore, because of the things which are sealed up, the things which are sealed shall not be delivered in the day of the wickedness and abominations of the people. Wherefore the book shall be kept from them.

 9 But the book shall be delivered unto a man, and he shall deliver the words of the book, which are the words of those who have slumbered in the dust, and he shall deliver these words unto another;

 10 But the words which are sealed he shall not deliver, neither shall he deliver the book. For the book shall be sealed by the power of God, and the revelation which was sealed shall be kept in the book until the own due time of the Lord, that they may come forth; for behold, they revealall things from the foundation of the world unto the end thereof.

 11 And the day cometh that the words of the book which were sealed shall be read upon the house tops; and they shall be read by the power of Christ; and all things shall be revealed unto the children of men which ever have been among the children of men, and which ever will be even unto the end of the earth.

United States is the Promised Land of the Book of Mormon

Elder L. Tom Perry said, 

"The United States is the promised land foretold in the Book of Mormon—a place where divine guidance directed inspired men to create the conditions necessary for the Restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ. It was the birth of the United States of America that ushered out the Great Apostasy, when the earth was darkened by the absence of prophets and revealed light. It was no coincidence that the lovely morning of the First Vision occurred just a few decades after the establishment of the United States.

The First Vision precipitated a flood of revealed truth. Knowledge was restored about the nature of the Godhead. A new translated scripture gave a second witness and testament of Jesus Christ. The restoration of the priesthood reendowed mankind with the power and authority to act for and on behalf of God in conducting priesthood ordinances and in reestablishing the Church of Jesus Christ on the earth. We are blessed to be members of the restored Church."

See complete article (Ensign, December 2012) 

Condescension of Jesus Christ

Condescension of Jesus Christ (article in Dec. 2011 Ensign)

Brass Plates

Contents Purposes of the Brass Plates

1. 2 Nephi 4:2  Prophecies by Joseph who was sold into Egypt. He prophesied about future generations. 
2. 1 Nephi 5:16 Lehi's genealogy, Records of the Jews from Abraham to Zedekiah.
3. Omni 1:14  "... the Lord had sent the people of Mosiah1 with the plates of brass which contained the record of the Jews."
4. Alma 37:3-5 3 And these plates of brass, which contain these engravings, which have the records of the holy scriptures upon them, which have the genealogy of our forefathers, even from the beginning—4 Behold, it has been prophesied by our fathers, that they should be kept and handed down from one generation to another, and be kept and preserved by the hand of the Lord until they should go forth unto every nation, kindred, tongue, and people, that they shall know of the mysteries contained thereon. 5 And now behold, if they are kept they must retain their brightness; yea, and they will retain their brightness; yea, and also shall all the plates which do contain that which is holy writ.6 Now ye may suppose that this is foolishness in me; but behold I say unto you, that by small and simple things are great things brought to pass; and small means in many instances doth confound the wise.
    7 And the Lord God doth work by means to bring about his great and eternal purposes; and by very small means the Lord doth confound the wise and bringeth about the salvation of many souls. 8 And now, it has hitherto been wisdom in God that these things (Brass plates and other scriptures) should be preserved; for behold, they have enlarged the memory of this people, yea, and convinced many of the error of their ways, and brought them to the knowledge of their God unto the salvation of their souls. 9 Yea, I say unto you, were it not for these things that these records do contain, which are on these plates, Ammon and his brethren could not have convinced so many thousands of the Lamanites of the incorrect tradition of their fathers; yea, these records and their words brought them unto repentance; that is, they brought them to the knowledge of the Lord their God, and to rejoice in Jesus Christ their Redeemer. 10 And who knoweth but what they will be the means of bringing many thousands of them, yea, and also many thousands of our stiffnecked brethren, the Nephites, who are now hardening their hearts in sin and iniquities, to the knowledge of their Redeemer? 11 Now these mysteries are not yet fully made known unto me; therefore I shall forbear. 12 And it may suffice if I only say they are preserved for a wise purpose, which purpose is known unto God; for he doth counsel in wisdom over all his works, and his paths are straight, and his course is one eternal round. 13 O remember, remember, my son Helaman, how strictare the commandments of God. And he said: If ye will keep my commandments ye shall prosper in the land—but if ye keep not his commandments ye shall be cut off from his presence. 14 And now remember, my son, that God has entrustedyou with these things, which are sacred, which he has kept sacred, and also which he will keep and preserve for a wise purpose in him, that he may show forth his power unto future generations. 15 And now behold, I tell you by the spirit of prophecy, that if ye transgress the commandments of God, behold, these things which are sacred shall be taken away from you by the power of God, and ye shall be delivered up unto Satan, that he may sift you as chaff before the wind. 16 But if ye keep the commandments of God, and do with these things which are sacred according to that which the Lord doth command you, (for you must appeal unto the Lord for all things whatsoever ye must do with them) behold, no power of earth or hell can take them from you, for God is powerful to the fulfilling of all his words. 17 For he will fulfil all his promises which he shall make unto you, for he has fulfilled his promises which he has made unto our fathers. 18 For he promised unto them that he would preserve these things for a wise purpose in him, that he might show forth his power unto future generations. 19 And now behold, one purpose hath he fulfilled, even to the restoration of many thousands of the Lamanites to the knowledge of the truth; and he hath shown forth his power in them, and he will also still show forth his power in them unto future generations; therefore they shall be preserved. 20 Therefore I command you, my son Helaman, that ye be diligent in fulfilling all my words, and that ye be diligent in keeping the commandments of God as they are written.
   5. 
   
   
   
   

Major Leaders and Record Keepers

Jaredite Royal Line