The Collected Works. Joseph Smith Jr.
brightness; yea, and they will retain their brightness; yea, and
also shall all the plates which do contain that which is holy
writ.
Alma 37:6
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.
Alma 37:7
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.
Alma 37:8
8 And now, it has hitherto been wisdom in God that these things
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.
Alma 37:9
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.
Alma 37:10
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?
Alma 37:11
11 Now these mysteries are not yet fully made known unto me;
therefore I shall forbear.
Alma 37:12
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.
Alma 37:13
13 O remember, remember, my son Helaman, how strict are 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.
Alma 37:14
14 And now remember, my son, that God has entrusted you 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.
Alma 37:15
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.
Alma 37:16
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.
Alma 37:17
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.
Alma 37:18
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.
Alma 37:19
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.
Alma 37:20
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.
Alma 37:21
21 And now, I will speak unto you concerning those twenty-four
plates, that ye keep them, that the mysteries and the works of
darkness, and their secret works, or the secret works of those
people who have been destroyed, may be made manifest unto this
people; yea, all their murders, and robbings, and their
plunderings, and all their wickedness and abominations, may be
made manifest unto this people; yea, and that ye preserve these
interpreters.
Alma 37:22
22 For behold, the Lord saw that his people began to work in
darkness, yea, work secret murders and abominations; therefore
the Lord said, if they did not repent they should be destroyed
from off the face of the earth.
Alma 37:23
23 And the Lord said: I will prepare unto my servant Gazelem, a
stone, which shall shine forth in darkness unto light, that I may
discover unto my people who serve me, that I may discover unto
them the works of their brethren, yea, their secret works, their
works of darkness, and their wickedness and abominations.
Alma 37:24
24 And now, my son, these interpreters were prepared that the
word of God might be fulfilled, which he spake, saying:
Alma 37:25
25 I will bring forth out of darkness unto light all their
secret works and their abominations; and except they repent I
will destroy them from off the face of the earth; and I will
bring to light all their secrets and abominations, unto every
nation that shall hereafter possess