25:1 Now I, Nephi, do speak somewhat concerning the words which I have
written, which have been spoken by the mouth of Isaiah. For behold,
Isaiah spake many things which were hard for many of my people to
understand; for they know not concerning the manner of prophesying
among the Jews.
25:2 For I, Nephi, have not taught them many things concerning the
manner of the Jews; for their works were works of darkness, and their
doings were doings of abominations.
25:3 Wherefore, I write unto my people, unto all those that shall
receive hereafter these things which I write, that they may know the
judgments of God, that they come upon all nations, according to the
word which he hath spoken.
25:4 Wherefore, hearken, O my people, which are of the house of Israel,
and give ear unto my words; for because the words of Isaiah are not
plain unto you, nevertheless they are plain unto all those that are
filled with the spirit of prophecy. But I give unto you a prophecy,
according to the spirit which is in me; wherefore I shall prophesy
according to the plainness which hath been with me from the time that I
came out from Jerusalem with my father; for behold, my soul delighteth
in plainness unto my people, that they may learn.
25:5 Yea, and my soul delighteth in the words of Isaiah, for I came out
from Jerusalem, and mine eyes hath beheld the things of the Jews, and I
know that the Jews do understand the things of the prophets, and there
is none other people that understand the things which were spoken unto
the Jews like unto them, save it be that they are taught after the
manner of the things of the Jews.
25:6 But behold, I, Nephi, have not taught my children after the manner
of the Jews; but behold, I, of myself, have dwelt at Jerusalem,
wherefore I know concerning the regions round about; and I have made
mention unto my children concerning the judgments of God, which hath
come to pass among the Jews, unto my children, according to all that
which Isaiah hath spoken, and I do not write them.
25:7 But behold, I proceed with mine own prophecy, according to my
plainness; in the which I know that no man can err; nevertheless, in
the days that the prophecies of Isaiah shall be fulfilled men shall
know of a surety, at the times when they shall come to pass.
25:8 Wherefore, they are of worth unto the children of men, and he that
supposeth that they are not, unto them will I speak particularly, and
confine the words unto mine own people; for I know that they shall be
of great worth unto them in the last days; for in that day shall they
understand them; wherefore, for their good have I written them.
25:9 And as one generation hath been destroyed among the Jews because
of iniquity, even so have they been destroyed from generation to
generation according to their iniquities; and never hath any of them
been destroyed save it were foretold them by the prophets of the Lord.
25:10 Wherefore, it hath been told them concerning the destruction
which should come upon them, immediately after my father left
Jerusalem; nevertheless, they hardened their hearts; and according to
my prophecy they have been destroyed, save it be those which are
carried away captive into Babylon.
25:11 And now this I speak because of the spirit which is in me. And
notwithstanding they have been carried away they shall return again,
and possess the land of Jerusalem; wherefore, they shall be restored
again to the land of their inheritance.
25:12 But, behold, they shall have wars, and rumors of wars; and when
the day cometh that the Only Begotten of the Father, yea, even the
Father of heaven and of earth, shall manifest himself unto them in the
flesh, behold, they will reject him, because of their iniquities, and
the hardness of their hearts, and the stiffness of their necks.
25:13 Behold, they will crucify him; and after he is laid in a
sepulchre for the space of three days he shall rise from the dead, with
healing in his wings; and all those who shall believe on his name shall
be saved in the kingdom of God. Wherefore, my soul delighteth to
prophesy concerning him, for I have seen his day, and my heart doth
magnify his holy name.
25:14 And behold it shall come to pass that after the Messiah hath
risen from the dead, and hath manifested himself unto his people, unto
as many as will believe on his name, behold, Jerusalem shall be
destroyed again; for wo unto them that fight against God and the people
of his church.
25:15 Wherefore, the Jews shall be scattered among all nations; yea,
and also Babylon shall be destroyed; wherefore, the Jews shall be
scattered by other nations.
25:16 And after they have been scattered, and the Lord God hath
scourged them by other nations for the space of many generations, yea,
even down from generation to generation until they shall be persuaded
to believe in Christ, the Son of God, and the atonement, which is
infinite for all mankind—and when that day shall come that they shall
believe in Christ, and worship the Father in his name, with pure hearts
and clean hands, and look not forward any more for another Messiah,
then, at that time, the day will come that it must needs be expedient
that they should believe these things.
25:17 And the Lord will set his hand again the second time to restore
his people from their lost and fallen state. Wherefore, he will proceed
to do a marvelous work and a wonder among the children of men.
25:18 Wherefore, he shall bring forth his words unto them, which words
shall judge them at the last day, for they shall be given them for the
purpose of convincing them of the true Messiah, who was rejected by
them; and unto the convincing of them that they need not look forward
any more for a Messiah to come, for there should not any come, save it
should be a false Messiah which should deceive the people; for there is
save one Messiah spoken of by the prophets, and that Messiah is he who
should be rejected of the Jews.
25:19 For according to the words of the prophets, the Messiah cometh in
six hundred years from the time that my father left Jerusalem; and
according to the words of the prophets, and also the word of the angel
of God, his name shall be Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
25:20 And now, my brethren, I have spoken plainly that ye cannot err.
And as the Lord God liveth that brought Israel up out of the land of
Egypt, and gave unto Moses power that he should heal the nations after
they had been bitten by the poisonous serpents, if they would cast
their eyes unto the serpent which he did raise up before them, and also
gave him power that he should smite the rock and the water should come
forth; yea, behold I say unto you, that as these things are true, and
as the Lord God liveth, there is none other name given under heaven
save it be this Jesus Christ, of which I have spoken, whereby man can
be saved.
25:21 Wherefore, for this cause hath the Lord God promised unto me that
these things which I write shall be kept and preserved, and handed down
unto my seed, from generation to generation, that the promise may be
fulfilled unto Joseph, that his seed should never perish as long as the
earth should stand.
25:22 Wherefore, these things shall go from generation to generation as
long as the earth shall stand; and they shall go according to the will
and pleasure of God; and the nations who shall possess them shall be
judged of them according to the words which are written.
25:23 For we labor diligently to write, to persuade our children, and
also our brethren, to believe in Christ, and to be reconciled to God;
for we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do.
25:24 And, notwithstanding we believe in Christ, we keep the law of
Moses, and look forward with steadfastness unto Christ, until the law
shall be fulfilled.
25:25 For, for this end was the law given; wherefore the law hath
become dead unto us, and we are made alive in Christ because of our
faith; yet we keep the law because of the commandments.
25:26 And we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ,
we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that
our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of
their sins.
25:27 Wherefore, we speak concerning the law that our children may know
the deadness of the law; and they, by knowing the deadness of the law,
may look forward unto that life which is in Christ, and know for what
end the law was given. And after the law is fulfilled in Christ, that
they need not harden their hearts against him when the law ought to be
done away.
25:28 And now behold, my people, ye are a stiffnecked people;
wherefore, I have spoken plainly unto you, that ye cannot
misunderstand. And the words which I have spoken shall stand as a
testimony against you; for they are sufficient to teach any man the
right way; for the right way is to believe in Christ and deny him not;
for by denying him ye also deny the prophets and the law.
25:29 And now behold, I say unto you that the right way is to believe
in Christ, and deny him not; and Christ is the Holy One of Israel;
wherefore ye must bow down before him, and worship him with all your
might, mind, and strength, and your whole soul; and if ye do this ye
shall in nowise be cast out.
25:30 And, inasmuch as it shall be expedient, ye must keep the
performances and ordinances of God until the law shall be fulfilled
which was given unto Moses.