4:1 Now behold, it came to pass that I, Jacob, having ministered much
unto my people in word, (and I cannot write but a little of my words,
because of the difficulty of engraving our words upon plates) and we
know that the things which we write upon plates must remain;
4:2 But whatsoever things we write upon anything save it be upon plates
must perish and vanish away; but we can write a few words upon plates,
which will give our children, and also our beloved brethren, a small
degree of knowledge concerning us, or concerning their fathers—
4:3 Now in this thing we do rejoice; and we labor diligently to
engraven these words upon plates, hoping that our beloved brethren and
our children will receive them with thankful hearts, and look upon them
that they may learn with joy and not with sorrow, neither with
contempt, concerning their first parents.
4:4 For, for this intent have we written these things, that they may
know that we knew of Christ, and we had a hope of his glory many
hundred years before his coming; and not only we ourselves had a hope
of his glory, but also all the holy prophets which were before us.
4:5 Behold, they believed in Christ and worshiped the Father in his
name, and also we worship the Father in his name. And for this intent
we keep the law of Moses, it pointing our souls to him; and for this
cause it is sanctified unto us for righteousness, even as it was
accounted unto Abraham in the wilderness to be obedient unto the
commands of God in offering up his son Isaac, which is a similitude of
God and his Only Begotten Son.
4:6 Wherefore, we search the prophets, and we have many revelations and
the spirit of prophecy; and having all these witnesses we obtain a
hope, and our faith becometh unshaken, insomuch that we truly can
command in the name of Jesus and the very trees obey us, or the
mountains, or the waves of the sea.
4:7 Nevertheless, the Lord God showeth us our weakness that we may know
that it is by his grace, and his great condescensions unto the children
of men, that we have power to do these things.
4:8 Behold, great and marvelous are the works of the Lord. How
unsearchable are the depths of the mysteries of him; and it is
impossible that man should find out all his ways. And no man knoweth of
his ways save it be revealed unto him; wherefore, brethren, despise not
the revelations of God.
4:9 For behold, by the power of his word man came upon the face of the
earth, which earth was created by the power of his word. Wherefore, if
God being able to speak and the world was, and to speak and man was
created, O then, why not able to command the earth, or the workmanship
of his hands upon the face of it, according to his will and pleasure?
4:10 Wherefore, brethren, seek not to counsel the Lord, but to take
counsel from his hand. For behold, ye yourselves know that he
counseleth in wisdom, and in justice, and in great mercy, over all his
works.
4:11 Wherefore, beloved brethren, be reconciled unto him through the
atonement of Christ, his Only Begotten Son, and ye may obtain a
resurrection, according to the power of the resurrection which is in
Christ, and be presented as the first-fruits of Christ unto God, having
faith, and obtained a good hope of glory in him before he manifesteth
himself in the flesh.
4:12 And now, beloved, marvel not that I tell you these things; for why
not speak of the atonement of Christ, and attain to a perfect knowledge
of him, as to attain to the knowledge of a resurrection and the world
to come?
4:13 Behold, my brethren, he that prophesieth, let him prophesy to the
understanding of men; for the Spirit speaketh the truth and lieth not.
Wherefore, it speaketh of things as they really are, and of things as
they really will be; wherefore, these things are manifested unto us
plainly, for the salvation of our souls. But behold, we are not
witnesses alone in these things; for God also spake them unto prophets
of old.
4:14 But behold, the Jews were a stiffnecked people; and they despised
the words of plainness, and killed the prophets, and sought for things
that they could not understand. Wherefore, because of their blindness,
which blindness came by looking beyond the mark, they must needs fall;
for God hath taken away his plainness from them, and delivered unto
them many things which they cannot understand, because they desired it.
And because they desired it God hath done it, that they may stumble.
4:15 And now I, Jacob, am led on by the Spirit unto prophesying; for I
perceive by the workings of the Spirit which is in me, that by the
stumbling of the Jews they will reject the stone upon which they might
build and have safe foundation.
4:16 But behold, according to the scriptures, this stone shall become
the great, and the last, and the only sure foundation, upon which the
Jews can build.
4:17 And now, my beloved, how is it possible that these, after having
rejected the sure foundation, can ever build upon it, that it may
become the head of their corner?
4:18 Behold, my beloved brethren, I will unfold this mystery unto you;
if I do not, by any means, get shaken from my firmness in the Spirit,
and stumble because of my over anxiety for you.