2 Nephi
33 verses
After Christ has risen from the dead, he will show himself to you, my children and my beloved brothers, and the words he speaks to you will be the law you are to follow.
And after Christ shall have risen from the dead he shall show himself unto you, my children, and my beloved brethren; and the words which he shall speak unto you shall be the law which ye shall do.
I tell you that I have seen that many generations will pass away, and there will be great wars and conflicts among my people.
For behold, I say unto you that I have beheld that many generations shall pass away, and there shall be great wars and contentions among my people.
After the Messiah comes, my people will be given signs of his birth, as well as his death and resurrection. That day will be great and terrible for the wicked, because they will perish. They perish because they cast out the prophets and the saints, stone them, and kill them. The cry of the blood of the saints will rise up to God from the ground against them.
And after the Messiah shall come there shall be signs given unto my people of his birth, and also of his death and resurrection; and great and terrible shall that day be unto the wicked, for they shall perish; and they perish because they cast out the prophets, and the saints, and stone them, and slay them; wherefore the cry of the blood of the saints shall ascend up to God from the ground against them.
All those who are proud and do wickedly will be burned up on the coming day, says the Lord of Hosts, for they will be like stubble.
Wherefore, all those who are proud, and that do wickedly, the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the Lord of Hosts, for they shall be as stubble.
Those who kill the prophets and the saints will be swallowed up by the depths of the earth, says the Lord of Hosts. Mountains will cover them, whirlwinds will carry them away, and buildings will fall on them, crushing them to pieces and grinding them to powder.
And they that kill the prophets, and the saints, the depths of the earth shall swallow them up, saith the Lord of Hosts; and mountains shall cover them, and whirlwinds shall carry them away, and buildings shall fall upon them and crush them to pieces and grind them to powder.
They will experience thunder, lightning, earthquakes, and all kinds of destruction, because the fire of the Lord’s anger will be kindled against them. They will be like stubble, and the coming day will consume them, says the Lord of Hosts.
And they shall be visited with thunderings, and lightnings, and earthquakes, and all manner of destructions, for the fire of the anger of the Lord shall be kindled against them, and they shall be as stubble, and the day that cometh shall consume them, saith the Lord of Hosts.
Oh, the pain and anguish in my soul for the loss of my people who have been killed! I, Nephi, have seen it, and it almost overwhelms me before the Lord; but I must cry out to my God: Your ways are just.
O the pain, and the anguish of my soul for the loss of the slain of my people! For I, Nephi, have seen it, and it well nigh consumeth me before the presence of the Lord; but I must cry unto my God: Thy ways are just.
The righteous who listen to the words of the prophets and do not destroy them, but look forward to Christ with steadfastness for the signs that are given, despite all persecution—they are the ones who will not perish.
But behold, the righteous that hearken unto the words of the prophets, and destroy them not, but look forward unto Christ with steadfastness for the signs which are given, notwithstanding all persecution—behold, they are they which shall not perish.
The Son of righteousness will appear to them; he will heal them, and they will have peace with him until three generations have passed away, and many of the fourth generation have also passed away in righteousness.
But the Son of righteousness shall appear unto them; and he shall heal them, and they shall have peace with him, until three generations shall have passed away, and many of the fourth generation shall have passed away in righteousness.
And when these things have passed away, a swift destruction will come to my people. Even though it pains my soul, I have seen it, and I know it will happen. They sell themselves for nothing, and because of their pride and foolishness, they will receive destruction. Because they give in to the devil and choose works of darkness instead of light, they must go down to hell.
And when these things have passed away a speedy destruction cometh unto my people; for, notwithstanding the pains of my soul, I have seen it; wherefore, I know that it shall come to pass; and they sell themselves for naught; for, for the reward of their pride and their foolishness they shall reap destruction; for because they yield unto the devil and choose works of darkness rather than light, therefore they must go down to hell.
The Spirit of the Lord will not always strive with people. When the Spirit stops striving with them, quick destruction comes, and this makes me deeply sorrowful.
For the Spirit of the Lord will not always strive with man. And when the Spirit ceaseth to strive with man then cometh speedy destruction, and this grieveth my soul.
As I spoke about convincing the Jews that Jesus is truly the Christ, the Gentiles must also be convinced that Jesus is the Christ, the Eternal God.
And as I spake concerning the convincing of the Jews, that Jesus is the very Christ, it must needs be that the Gentiles be convinced also that Jesus is the Christ, the Eternal God;
He shows himself to all who believe in him, by the power of the Holy Ghost—unto every nation, kindred, language, and people—working mighty miracles, signs, and wonders among the children of men according to their faith.
And that he manifesteth himself unto all those who believe in him, by the power of the Holy Ghost; yea, unto every nation, kindred, tongue, and people, working mighty miracles, signs, and wonders, among the children of men according to their faith.
I prophesy to you about the last days, about the time when the Lord God will bring these things to the children of men.
But behold, I prophesy unto you concerning the last days; concerning the days when the Lord God shall bring these things forth unto the children of men.
After my descendants and the descendants of my brothers have dwindled in unbelief and have been struck by the Gentiles; after the Lord God has surrounded them and laid siege against them with a mound and built forts against them; and after they have been brought down to the dust, to the point that they are no more, the words of the righteous will still be written, the prayers of the faithful will be heard, and all those who have dwindled in unbelief will not be forgotten.
After my seed and the seed of my brethren shall have dwindled in unbelief, and shall have been smitten by the Gentiles; yea, after the Lord God shall have camped against them round about, and shall have laid siege against them with a mount, and raised forts against them; and after they shall have been brought down low in the dust, even that they are not, yet the words of the righteous shall be written, and the prayers of the faithful shall be heard, and all those who have dwindled in unbelief shall not be forgotten.
Those who are destroyed will speak to them from the ground, and their words will be quiet, coming out of the dust. Their voice will sound like someone with a familiar spirit, because the Lord God will give them power to whisper about them, almost as if from the ground, and their words will whisper out of the dust.
For those who shall be destroyed shall speak unto them out of the ground, and their speech shall be low out of the dust, and their voice shall be as one that hath a familiar spirit; for the Lord God will give unto him power, that he may whisper concerning them, even as it were out of the ground; and their speech shall whisper out of the dust.
This is what the Lord God says: They will write about the things that happen among them, and these things will be written and sealed in a book. Those who have fallen into unbelief will not have them, because they try to destroy the things of God.
For thus saith the Lord God: They shall write the things which shall be done among them, and they shall be written and sealed up in a book, and those who have dwindled in unbelief shall not have them, for they seek to destroy the things of God.
Just as those who were destroyed were destroyed quickly, the multitude of their terrifying ones will be like chaff that blows away. The Lord God says: It will happen instantly, suddenly.
Wherefore, as those who have been destroyed have been destroyed speedily; and the multitude of their terrible ones shall be as chaff that passeth away—yea, thus saith the Lord God: It shall be at an instant, suddenly—
Those who have dwindled in unbelief will be struck by the hand of the Gentiles.
And it shall come to pass, that those who have dwindled in unbelief shall be smitten by the hand of the Gentiles.
The Gentiles are filled with pride and have stumbled because of the great obstacle they created for themselves. They have built many churches, but they deny God's power and miracles, and they promote their own wisdom and learning to gain wealth and oppress the poor.
And the Gentiles are lifted up in the pride of their eyes, and have stumbled, because of the greatness of their stumbling block, that they have built up many churches; nevertheless, they put down the power and miracles of God, and preach up unto themselves their own wisdom and their own learning, that they may get gain and grind upon the face of the poor.
There are many churches established that lead to envy, conflict, and malice.
And there are many churches built up which cause envyings, and strifes, and malice.
There are also secret combinations, just like in ancient times, following the patterns of the devil, because he is the origin of all these things—the origin of murder and works of darkness. He leads people along gently at first, until he eventually binds them with his strong cords forever.
And there are also secret combinations, even as in times of old, according to the combinations of the devil, for he is the founder of all these things; yea, the founder of murder, and works of darkness; yea, and he leadeth them by the neck with a flaxen cord, until he bindeth them with his strong cords forever.
My beloved brothers, I tell you that the Lord God does not work in darkness.
For behold, my beloved brethren, I say unto you that the Lord God worketh not in darkness.
He does nothing except for the benefit of the world, because he loves the world—even to the point of laying down his own life so he can draw everyone to him. He doesn’t command anyone not to take part in his salvation.
He doeth not anything save it be for the benefit of the world; for he loveth the world, even that he layeth down his own life that he may draw all men unto him. Wherefore, he commandeth none that they shall not partake of his salvation.
Does he tell anyone to leave him? I tell you, no; instead, he says: Come to me, all the ends of the earth, and buy milk and honey without money and without cost.
Behold, doth he cry unto any, saying: Depart from me? Behold, I say unto you, Nay; but he saith: Come unto me all ye ends of the earth, buy milk and honey, without money and without price.
Has he commanded anyone to leave the synagogues or the houses of worship? I tell you, no.
Behold, hath he commanded any that they should depart out of the synagogues, or out of the houses of worship? Behold, I say unto you, Nay.
Has he commanded anyone not to receive his salvation? No; he has given it freely to everyone, and he has commanded his people to encourage everyone to repent.
Hath he commanded any that they should not partake of his salvation? Behold I say unto you, Nay; but he hath given it free for all men; and he hath commanded his people that they should persuade all men to repentance.
Has the Lord commanded anyone not to partake of his goodness? I tell you, no; everyone is equally privileged, and no one is forbidden.
Behold, hath the Lord commanded any that they should not partake of his goodness? Behold I say unto you, Nay; but all men are privileged the one like unto the other, and none are forbidden.
He commands that there should be no priestcrafts. Priestcrafts are when people preach and set themselves up as a light to the world so they can gain money and praise from others, but they do not seek the welfare of Zion.
He commandeth that there shall be no priestcrafts; for, behold priestcrafts are that men preach and set themselves up for a light unto the world, that they may get gain and praise of the world; but they seek not the welfare of Zion.
The Lord has forbidden this; the Lord God has commanded that everyone should have charity, which is love, and without charity they are nothing. So, if they have charity, they will not let the laborer in Zion perish.
Behold, the Lord hath forbidden this thing; wherefore, the Lord God hath given a commandment that all men should have charity, which charity is love, and except they should have charity they were nothing. Wherefore, if they should have charity they would not suffer the laborer in Zion to perish.
The worker in Zion should work for Zion; if they work for money, they will be destroyed.
But the laborer in Zion shall labor for Zion; for if they labor for money they shall perish.
The Lord God has commanded that people should not murder, should not lie, should not steal, should not take the name of the Lord their God in vain, should not envy, should not have malice, should not contend with each other, should not commit sexual immorality, and should not do any of these things, because whoever does them will be destroyed.
And again, the Lord God hath commanded that men should not murder; that they should not lie; that they should not steal; that they should not take the name of the Lord their God in vain; that they should not envy; that they should not have malice; that they should not contend one with another; that they should not commit whoredoms; and that they should do none of these things; for whoso doeth them shall perish.
None of these sins come from the Lord; he does what is good among the children of men, and he does nothing unless it is clear to them. He invites everyone to come to him and share in his goodness, and he does not deny anyone who comes to him—black and white, slave and free, male and female. He remembers the nations, and all are equal to God, both Jew and Gentile.
For none of these iniquities come of the Lord; for he doeth that which is good among the children of men; and he doeth nothing save it be plain unto the children of men; and he inviteth them all to come unto him and partake of his goodness; and he denieth none that come unto him, black and white, bond and free, male and female; and he remembereth the heathen; and all are alike unto God, both Jew and Gentile.