The Book of Mormon. Joseph F. Smith
restoration of the Jews in the latter days.
1 Nephi 15:20
20 And I did rehearse unto them the words of Isaiah, who spake
concerning the restoration of the Jews, or of the house of
Israel; and after they were restored they should no more be
confounded, neither should they be scattered again. And it came
to pass that I did speak many words unto my brethren, that they
were pacified and did humble themselves before the Lord.
1 Nephi 15:21
21 And it came to pass that they did speak unto me again,
saying: What meaneth this thing which our father saw in a dream?
What meaneth the tree which he saw?
1 Nephi 15:22
22 And I said unto them: It was a representation of the tree of
life.
1 Nephi 15:23
23 And they said unto me: What meaneth the rod of iron which our
father saw, that led to the tree?
1 Nephi 15:24
24 And I said unto them that it was the word of God, and whoso
would hearken unto the word of God, and would hold fast unto it,
they would never perish; neither could the temptations and the
fiery darts of the adversary overpower them unto blindness, to
lead them away to destruction.
1 Nephi 15:25
25 Wherefore, I, Nephi, did exhort them to give heed unto the
word of the Lord; yea, I did exhort them with all the energies of
my soul, and with all the faculty which I possessed, that they
would give heed to the word of God and remember to keep his
commandments always in all things.
1 Nephi 15:26
26 And they said unto me: What meaneth the river of water which
our father saw?
1 Nephi 15:27
27 And I said unto them that the water which my father saw was
filthiness; and so much was his mind swallowed up in other things
that he beheld not the filthiness of the water.
1 Nephi 15:28
28 And I said unto them that it was an awful gulf, which
separated the wicked from the tree of life, and also from the
saints of God.
1 Nephi 15:29
29 And I said unto them that it was a representation of that
awful hell, which the angel said unto me was prepared for the
wicked.
1 Nephi 15:30
30 And I said unto them that our father also saw that the
justice of God did also divide the wicked from the righteous; and
the brightness thereof was like unto the brightness of a flaming
fire, which ascendeth up unto God forever and ever, and hath no
end.
1 Nephi 15:31
31 And they said unto me: Doth this thing mean the torment of
the body in the days of probation, or doth it mean the final
state of the soul after the death of the temporal body, or doth
it speak of the things which are temporal?
1 Nephi 15:32
32 And it came to pass that I said unto them that it was a
representation of things both temporal and spiritual; for the day
should come that they must be judged of their works, yea, even
the works which were done by the temporal body in their days of
probation.
1 Nephi 15:33
33 Wherefore, if they should die in their wickedness they must
be cast off also, as to the things which are spiritual, which are
pertaining to righteousness; wherefore, they must be brought to
stand before God, to be judged of their works; and if their works
have been filthiness they must needs be filthy; and if they be
filthy it must needs be that they cannot dwell in the kingdom of
God; if so, the kingdom of God must be filthy also.
1 Nephi 15:34
34 But behold, I say unto you, the kingdom of God is not filthy,
and there cannot any unclean thing enter into the kingdom of God;
wherefore there must needs be a place of filthiness prepared for
that which is filthy.
1 Nephi 15:35
35 And there is a place prepared, yea, even that awful hell of
which I have spoken, and the devil is the preparator of it;
wherefore the final state of the souls of men is to dwell in the
kingdom of God, or to be cast out because of that justice of
which I have spoken.
1 Nephi 15:36
36 Wherefore, the wicked are rejected from the righteous, and
also from that tree of life, whose fruit is most precious and
most desirable above all other fruits; yea, and it is the
greatest of all the gifts of God. And thus I spake unto my
brethren. Amen.
1 Nephi 16 Chapter 16
1 Nephi 16:1
1 And now it came to pass that after I, Nephi, had made an end
of speaking to my brethren, behold they said unto me: Thou hast
declared unto us hard things, more than we are able to bear.
1 Nephi 16:2
2 And it came to pass that I said unto them that I knew that I
had spoken hard things against the wicked, according to the
truth; and the righteous have I justified, and testified that
they should be lifted up at the last day; wherefore, the guilty
taketh the truth to be hard, for it cutteth them to the very
center.
1 Nephi 16:3
3 And now my brethren, if ye were righteous and were willing to
hearken to the truth, and give heed unto it, that ye might walk
uprightly before God, then ye would not murmur because of the
truth, and say: Thou speakest hard things against us.
1 Nephi 16:4
4 And it came to pass that I, Nephi, did exhort my brethren,
with all diligence, to keep the commandments of the Lord.
1 Nephi 16:5
5 And it came to pass that they did humble themselves before the
Lord; insomuch that I had joy and great hopes of them, that they
would walk in the paths of righteousness.
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