1 Nephi 13 |
1 Nephi 14 |
1 Nephi 22 |
1 Nephi 13:Verse 32 32 Neither will the Lord God suffer that the Gentiles shall forever remain in that awful state of blindness, which thou beholdest they are in, because of the plain and most precious parts of the gospel of the Lamb which have been kept back by that abominable church, whose formation thou hast seen. 1 Nephi 13:Verse 33 33 Wherefore saith the Lamb of God: I will be merciful unto the Gentiles, unto the visiting of the remnant of the house of Israel in great judgment. 1 Nephi 13:Verse 34 34 And it came to pass that the angel of the Lord spake unto me, saying: Behold, saith the Lamb of God, after I have visited the remnant of the house of Israel--and this remnant of whom I speak is the seed of thy father--wherefore, after I have visited them in judgment, and smitten them by the hand of the Gentiles, and after the Gentiles do stumble exceedingly, because of the most plain and precious parts of the gospel of the Lamb which have been kept back by that abominable church, which is the mother of harlots, saith the Lamb--I will be merciful unto the Gentiles in that day, insomuch that I will bring forth unto them, in mine own power, much of my gospel, which shall be plain and precious, saith the Lamb. |
1 Nephi 14:Verse 5 5 And it came to pass that the angel spake unto me, Nephi, saying: Thou hast beheld that if the Gentiles repent it shall be well with them; and thou also knowest concerning the covenants of the Lord unto the house of Israel; and thou also hast heard that whoso repenteth not must perish. 1 Nephi 14:Verse 6 6 Therefore, wo be unto the Gentiles if it so be that they harden their hearts against the Lamb of God. 1 Nephi 14:Verse 1 1 AND it shall come to pass, that if the Gentiles shall hearken unto the Lamb of God in that day that he shall manifest himself unto them in word, and also in power, in very deed, unto the taking away of their stumbling blocks-- 1 Nephi 14:Verse 2 2 And harden not their hearts against the Lamb of God, they shall be numbered among the seed of thy father; yea, they shall be numbered among the house of Israel; and they shall be a blessed people upon the promised land forever; they shall be no more brought down into captivity; and the house of Israel shall no more be confounded. |
1 Nephi 22:Verse 12 12 Wherefore, he will bring them again out of captivity, and they shall be gathered together to the lands of their inheritance; and they shall be brought out of obscurity and out of darkness; and they shall know that the Lord is their Savior and their Redeemer, the Mighty One of Israel. |
After the Gentiles arrive in the Americas and scatter the seed of Lehi, the Lord will bring forth a "marvelous work and wonder" which will restore the covenants of the fathers and the plain and precious truths that were taken out of the Bible by the great and abominable church (1 Nephi 13:34).
8 And after our seed is scattered the Lord God will proceed to do a marvelous work among the Gentiles, which shall be of great worth unto our seed; wherefore, it is likened unto their being nourished by the Gentiles and being carried in their arms and upon their shoulders.
9 And it shall also be of worth unto the Gentiles; and not only unto the Gentiles but unto all the house of Israel, unto the making known of the covenants of the Father of heaven unto Abraham, saying: In thy seed shall all the kindreds of
the earth be blessed. (1 Nephi 22:8-9).
The Book of Mormon will come forth from the hands Joseph Smith, a descendent of the european gentile nations. The Lord will use Joseph Smith to translate the "marvelous work and wonder" of the
Book of Mormon, restore the priesthood of God and the church organization that existed in the Dispensation of the Meridian of Times. The Lord spoke of Joseph Smith and the great work that will be accomplished by his hands,
10 But behold, the life of my servant shall be in my hand; therefore they shall not hurt him, although he shall be marred because of them. Yet I will heal him, for I will show unto them that my wisdom is greater than the cunning of the devil.
11 Therefore it shall come to pass that whosoever will not believe in my words, who am Jesus Christ, which the Father shall cause him to bring forth unto the Gentiles, and shall give unto him power that he shall bring them forth unto the Gentiles, (it shall be done even as Moses said) they shall be cut off from among my people who are of the covenant. (3 Nephi 21:10-11).
The Book of Mormon will go forth unto the Gentiles, to the salvation of those who accept the fullness of the gospel contained therein. This marvelous work will not only become the salvation of the Gentiles, but also, the salvation to the children of Israel (Judah) and the seed of Lehi, and Nephi, that "dwindle in unbelief" in the Americas. The Lord makes the promise to Nephi that he will remember, "the promises which I have made unto thee, Nephi, and also unto thy father, that I would remember your seed; and that the words of your seed should proceed forth out of my mouth unto your seed; and my words shall hiss forth unto the ends of the earth, for a standard unto my people, which are of the house of Israel" (2 Nephi 29:2).
Because of the plain and precious things that were taken out of the bible many stumble because they know not the truth about the nature of God, and our specific relationships to the Father, His Son Jesus Christ and Holy Ghost. It is this vision of religious confusion among the peoples of the world, that Isaiah sees as he states, " Forasmuch as this people draw near [me] with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men" (Isaiah 29:13). Because of the precepts of men being taught, the Lord promises to do a "marvelous work and wonder" (Isaiah 29:14) that will confound the most learned doctors and scholars in the established religions of the world.
In the opening lines of the Doctrine and Covenants the Lord reveals why the restoration must take place in these, the latter-days. The first Section of the Doctrine and Covenants is known as the "Preface" and could well be said to be the "Preface" of the Lord's work in the Last Days.
Verses 2-8 declare that the voice of the Lord is unto all, and there are none to escape the understanding of his word and the truth that will be restored to the earth in the last days. The gospel shall roll forth to fill the whole earth, and this gospel will reveal the wickedness of mankind.
2 For verily the voice of the Lord is unto all men, and there is none to escape; and there is no eye that shall not see, neither ear that shall not hear, neither heart that shall not be penetrated.
3 And the rebellious shall be pierced with much sorrow; for their iniquities shall be spoken upon the housetops, and their secret acts shall be revealed.
4 And the voice of warning shall be unto all people, by the mouths of my disciples, whom I have chosen in these last days.
5 And they shall go forth and none shall stay them, for I the Lord have commanded them.
6 Behold, this is mine authority, and the authority of my servants, and my preface unto the book of my commandments, which I have given them to publish unto you, O inhabitants of the earth.
7 Wherefore, fear and tremble, O ye people, for what I the Lord have decreed in them shall be fulfilled.
Verses 8-14 portray the destruction that will come upon the wicked without measure as the arm of the Lord is revealed to the inhabitants of the earth as the Lord prepares to destroy Babylon
8 And verily I say unto you, that they who go forth, bearing these tidings unto the inhabitants of the earth, to them is power given to seal both on earth and in heaven, the unbelieving and rebellious;
9 Yea, verily, to seal them up unto the day when the wrath of God shall be poured out upon the wicked without measure--
10 Unto the day when the Lord shall come to recompense unto every man according to his work, and measure to every man according to the measure which he has measured to his fellow man.
11 Wherefore the voice of the Lord is unto the ends of the earth, that all that will hear may hear:
12 Prepare ye, prepare ye for that which is to come, for the Lord is nigh;
13 And the anger of the Lord is kindled, and his sword is bathed in heaven, and it shall fall upon the inhabitants of the earth.
14 And the arm of the Lord shall be revealed; and the day cometh that they who will not hear the voice of the Lord, neither the voice of his servants, neither give heed to the words of the prophets and apostles, shall be cut off from among the people;
Verses 15-16 illustrate the reason for the inevitable destruction that will come upon the earth in the above verses while this reason is the same for the restoration that will come below.
15 For they have strayed from mine ordinances, and have broken mine everlasting covenant;
16 They seek not the Lord to establish his righteousness, but every man walketh in his own way, and after the image of his own god, whose image is in the likeness of the world, and whose substance is that of an idol, which waxeth old
and shall perish in Babylon, even Babylon the great, which shall fall.
Verses 17- 30 demonstrate why the truth is restored and the blessings that will result from the restored gospel, church and plain and precious truths.
17 Wherefore, I the Lord, knowing the calamity which should come upon the inhabitants of the earth, called upon my servant Joseph Smith, Jun., and spake unto him from heaven, and gave him commandments;
18 And also gave commandments to others, that they should proclaim these things unto the world; and all this that it might be fulfilled, which was written by the prophets--
19 The weak things of the world shall come forth and break down the mighty and strong ones, that man should not counsel his fellow man, neither trust in the arm of flesh--
20 But that every man might speak in the name of God the Lord, even the Savior of the world;
21 That faith also might increase in the earth;
22 That mine everlasting covenant might be established;
23 That the fulness of my gospel might be proclaimed by the weak and the simple unto the ends of the world, and before kings and rulers.
24 Behold, I am God and have spoken it; these commandments are of me, and were given unto my servants in their weakness, after the manner of their language, that they might come to understanding.
25 And inasmuch as they erred it might be made known;
26 And inasmuch as they sought wisdom they might be instructed;
27 And inasmuch as they sinned they might be chastened, that they might repent;
28 And inasmuch as they were humble they might be made strong, and blessed from on high, and receive knowledge from time to time.
29 And after having received the record of the Nephites, yea, even my servant Joseph Smith, Jun., might have power to translate through the mercy of God, by the power of God, the Book of Mormon.
30 And also those to whom these commandments were given, might have power to lay the foundation of this church, and to bring it forth out of obscurity and out of darkness, the only true and living church upon the face of the whole earth, with which I, the Lord, am well pleased, speaking unto the church collectively and not individually--
31 For I the Lord cannot look upon sin with the least degree of allowance;
32 Nevertheless, he that repents and does the commandments of the Lord shall be forgiven;
33 And he that repents not, from him shall be taken even the light which he has received; for my Spirit shall not always strive with man, saith the Lord of Hosts.
Verses 34-36 reveal that the word of the Lord and His blessings are available to all mankind, and "unto all flesh." The promise to the righteous is that the Lord will protect his saints, and dwell in their midst.
34 And again, verily I say unto you, O inhabitants of the earth: I the Lord am willing to make these things known unto all flesh;
35 For I am no respecter of persons, and will that all men shall know that the day speedily cometh; the hour is not yet, but is nigh at hand, when peace shall be taken from the earth, and the devil shall have power over his own dominion.
36 And also the Lord shall have power over his saints, and shall reign in their midst, and shall come down in judgment upon Idumea, or the world. (D&C 1:2-36).
The restoration of Israel is when the Lord will "set his hand again the second time to restore his people from their lost and fallen state" (2 Nephi 25:17), this can only be done by the
restoration of the church, gospel and the Book of Mormon that contains the plain and precious truths. The Lord will do this by the hands of the Gentiles after they accept the gospel. The church at the time of Christ was first given to the Jews and
then went forth unto the Gentiles by the hands of the Jewish apostles and leaders of the first church. The last days require that the gospel shall go unto the house of Israel by the hand of the Gentiles. Thus, shall the first be last and last, first.
41 And they must come according to the words which shall be established by the mouth of the Lamb; and the words of the Lamb shall be made known in the records of thy seed, as well as in the records of the twelve apostles of the Lamb; wherefore they both shall be established in one; for there is one God and one Shepherd over all the earth.
42 And the time cometh that he shall manifest himself unto all nations, both unto the Jews and also unto the Gentiles; and after he has manifested himself unto the Jews and also unto the Gentiles, then he shall manifest himself unto the Gentiles and also unto the Jews, and the last shall be first, and the first shall be last. (1 Nephi 13:41-42).
The Gentiles have the opportunity to accept the newly restored gospel, and accept it unto salvation or unto damnation. Nephi warns "wo be unto the Gentiles if it so be that they harden their hearts against the Lamb of God" the marvelous work that will come forth will be "to the convincing of them unto peace and life eternal, or unto the deliverance of them to the hardness of their hearts." The rejection of the restored truth by the Gentiles will lead "unto their being brought down into captivity, and also into destruction, both temporally and spiritually, according to the captivity of the devil" (1 Nephi 14:7). The restoration and proclamation of the gospel will come from, and go unto the Gentiles, that the "Lord may show forth his power unto the Gentiles" so they may "repent and come unto me and be baptized in my name and know of the true points of my doctrine, that they may be numbered among my people" (3 Nephi 21:6).