The Collected Works. Joseph Smith Jr.
the land.
Alma 37:26
26 And now, my son, we see that they did not repent; therefore
they have been destroyed, and thus far the word of God has been
fulfilled; yea, their secret abominations have been brought out
of darkness and made known unto us.
Alma 37:27
27 And now, my son, I command you that ye retain all their
oaths, and their covenants, and their agreements in their secret
abominations; yea, and all their signs and their wonders ye shall
keep from this people, that they know them not, lest peradventure
they should fall into darkness also and be destroyed.
Alma 37:28
28 For behold, there is a curse upon all this land, that
destruction shall come upon all those workers of darkness,
according to the power of God, when they are fully ripe;
therefore I desire that this people might not be destroyed.
Alma 37:29
29 Therefore ye shall keep these secret plans of their oaths and
their covenants from this people, and only their wickedness and
their murders and their abominations shall ye make known unto
them; and ye shall teach them to abhor such wickedness and
abominations and murders; and ye shall also teach them that these
people were destroyed on account of their wickedness and
abominations and their murders.
Alma 37:30
30 For behold, they murdered all the prophets of the Lord who
came among them to declare unto them concerning their iniquities;
and the blood of those whom they murdered did cry unto the Lord
their God for vengeance upon those who were their murderers; and
thus the judgments of God did come upon these workers of darkness
and secret combinations.
Alma 37:31
31 Yea, and cursed be the land forever and ever unto those
workers of darkness and secret combinations, even unto
destruction, except they repent before they are fully ripe.
Alma 37:32
32 And now, my son, remember the words which I have spoken unto
you; trust not those secret plans unto this people, but teach
them an everlasting hatred against sin and iniquity.
Alma 37:33
33 Preach unto them repentance, and faith on the Lord Jesus
Christ; teach them to humble themselves and to be meek and lowly
in heart; teach them to withstand every temptation of the devil,
with their faith on the Lord Jesus Christ.
Alma 37:34
34 Teach them to never be weary of good works, but to be meek
and lowly in heart; for such shall find rest to their souls.
Alma 37:35
35 O, remember, my son, and learn wisdom in thy youth; yea,
learn in thy youth to keep the commandments of God.
Alma 37:36
36 Yea, and cry unto God for all thy support; yea, let all thy
doings be unto the Lord, and whithersoever thou goest let it be
in the Lord; yea, let all thy thoughts be directed unto the Lord;
yea, let the affections of thy heart be placed upon the Lord
forever.
Alma 37:37
37 Counsel with the Lord in all thy doings, and he will direct
thee for good; yea, when thou liest down at night lie down unto
the Lord, that he may watch over you in your sleep; and when thou
risest in the morning let thy heart be full of thanks unto God;
and if ye do these things, ye shall be lifted up at the last day.
Alma 37:38
38 And now, my son, I have somewhat to say concerning the thing
which our fathers call a ball, or director—or our fathers called
it Liahona, which is, being interpreted, a compass; and the Lord
prepared it.
Alma 37:39
39 And behold, there cannot any man work after the manner of so
curious a workmanship. And behold, it was prepared to show unto
our fathers the course which they should travel in the
wilderness.
Alma 37:40
40 And it did work for them according to their faith in God;
therefore, if they had faith to believe that God could cause that
those spindles should point the way they should go, behold, it
was done; therefore they had this miracle, and also many other
miracles wrought by the power of God, day by day.
Alma 37:41
41 Nevertheless, because those miracles were worked by small
means it did show unto them marvelous works. They were slothful,
and forgot to exercise their faith and diligence and then those
marvelous works ceased, and they did not progress in their
journey;
Alma 37:42
42 Therefore, they tarried in the wilderness, or did not travel
a direct course, and were afflicted with hunger and thirst,
because of their transgressions.
Alma 37:43
43 And now, my son, I would that ye should understand that these
things are not without a shadow; for as our fathers were slothful
to give heed to this compass (now these things were temporal)
they did not prosper; even so it is with things which are
spiritual.
Alma 37:44
44 For behold, it is as easy to give heed to the word of Christ,
which will point to you a straight course to eternal bliss, as it
was for our fathers to give heed to this compass, which would
point unto them a straight course to the promised land.
Alma 37:45
45 And now I say, is there not a type in this thing? For just
as surely as this director did bring our fathers, by following
its course, to the promised land, shall the words of Christ, if
we follow their course, carry us beyond this vale of sorrow into
a far better land of promise.
Alma 37:46
46 O my son, do not let us be slothful because of the easiness
of the way; for so was it with our fathers; for so was it
prepared for them,