7:1 Behold my beloved brethren, seeing that I have been permitted to
come unto you, therefore I attempt to address you in my language; yea,
by my own mouth, seeing that it is the first time that I have spoken
unto you by the words of my mouth, I having been wholly confined to the
judgment-seat, having had much business that I could not come unto you.
7:2 And even I could not have come now at this time were it not that
the judgment-seat hath been given to another, to reign in my stead; and
the Lord in much mercy hath granted that I should come unto you.
7:3 And behold, I have come having great hopes and much desire that I
should find that ye had humbled yourselves before God, and that ye had
continued in the supplicating of his grace, that I should find that ye
were blameless before him, that I should find that ye were not in the
awful dilemma that our brethren were in at Zarahemla.
7:4 But blessed be the name of God, that he hath given me to know, yea,
hath given unto me the exceedingly great joy of knowing that they are
established again in the way of his righteousness.
7:5 And I trust, according to the Spirit of God which is in me, that I
shall also have joy over you; nevertheless I do not desire that my joy
over you should come by the cause of so much afflictions and sorrow
which I have had for the brethren at Zarahemla, for behold, my joy
cometh over them after wading through much affliction and sorrow.
7:6 But behold, I trust that ye are not in a state of so much unbelief
as were your brethren; I trust that ye are not lifted up in the pride
of your hearts; yea, I trust that ye have not set your hearts upon
riches and the vain things of the world; yea, I trust that you do not
worship idols, but that ye do worship the true and living God, and that
ye look forward for the remission of your sins, with an everlasting
faith, which is to come.
7:7 For behold, I say unto you there be many things to come; and
behold, there is one thing which is of more importance than they
all—for behold, the time is not far distant that the Redeemer liveth
and cometh among his people.
7:8 Behold, I do not say that he will come among us at the time of his
dwelling in his mortal tabernacle; for behold, the Spirit hath not said
unto me that this should be the case. Now as to this thing I do not
know; but this much I do know, that the Lord God hath power to do all
things which are according to his word.
7:9 But behold, the Spirit hath said this much unto me, saying: Cry
unto this people, saying—Repent ye, and prepare the way of the Lord,
and walk in his paths, which are straight; for behold, the kingdom of
heaven is at hand, and the Son of God cometh upon the face of the
earth.
7:10 And behold, he shall be born of Mary, at Jerusalem which is the
land of our forefathers, she being a virgin, a precious and chosen
vessel, who shall be overshadowed and conceive by the power of the Holy
Ghost, and bring forth a son, yea, even the Son of God.
7:11 And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and
temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled
which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his
people.
7:12 And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of
death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their
infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the
flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people
according to their infirmities.
7:13 Now the Spirit knoweth all things; nevertheless the Son of God
suffereth according to the flesh that he might take upon him the sins
of his people, that he might blot out their transgressions according to
the power of his deliverance; and now behold, this is the testimony
which is in me.
7:14 Now I say unto you that ye must repent, and be born again; for the
Spirit saith if ye are not born again ye cannot inherit the kingdom of
heaven; therefore come and be baptized unto repentance, that ye may be
washed from your sins, that ye may have faith on the Lamb of God, who
taketh away the sins of the world, who is mighty to save and to cleanse
from all unrighteousness.
7:15 Yea, I say unto you come and fear not, and lay aside every sin,
which easily doth beset you, which doth bind you down to destruction,
yea, come and go forth, and show unto your God that ye are willing to
repent of your sins and enter into a covenant with him to keep his
commandments, and witness it unto him this day by going into the waters
of baptism.
7:16 And whosoever doeth this, and keepeth the commandments of God from
thenceforth, the same will remember that I say unto him, yea, he will
remember that I have said unto him, he shall have eternal life,
according to the testimony of the Holy Spirit, which testifieth in me.
7:17 And now my beloved brethren, do you believe these things? Behold,
I say unto you, yea, I know that ye believe them; and the way that I
know that ye believe them is by the manifestation of the Spirit which
is in me. And now because your faith is strong concerning that, yea,
concerning the things which I have spoken, great is my joy.
7:18 For as I said unto you from the beginning, that I had much desire
that ye were not in the state of dilemma like your brethren, even so I
have found that my desires have been gratified.
7:19 For I perceive that ye are in the paths of righteousness; I
perceive that ye are in the path which leads to the kingdom of God;
yea, I perceive that ye are making his paths straight.
7:20 I perceive that it has been made known unto you, by the testimony
of his word, that he cannot walk in crooked paths; neither doth he vary
from that which he hath said; neither hath he a shadow of turning from
the right to the left, or from that which is right to that which is
wrong; therefore, his course is one eternal round.
7:21 And he doth not dwell in unholy temples; neither can filthiness or
anything which is unclean be received into the kingdom of God;
therefore I say unto you the time shall come, yea, and it shall be at
the last day, that he who is filthy shall remain in his filthiness.
7:22 And now my beloved brethren, I have said these things unto you
that I might awaken you to a sense of your duty to God, that ye may
walk blameless before him, that ye may walk after the holy order of
God, after which ye have been received.
7:23 And now I would that ye should be humble, and be submissive and
gentle; easy to be entreated; full of patience and long-suffering;
being temperate in all things; being diligent in keeping the
commandments of God at all times; asking for whatsoever things ye stand
in need, both spiritual and temporal; always returning thanks unto God
for whatsoever things ye do receive.
7:24 And see that ye have faith, hope, and charity, and then ye will
always abound in good works.
7:25 And may the Lord bless you, and keep your garments spotless, that
ye may at last be brought to sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob,
and the holy prophets who have been ever since the world began, having
your garments spotless even as their garments are spotless, in the
kingdom of heaven to go no more out.
7:26 And now my beloved brethren, I have spoken these words unto you
according to the Spirit which testifieth in me; and my soul doth
exceedingly rejoice, because of the exceeding diligence and heed which
ye have given unto my word.
7:27 And now, may the peace of God rest upon you, and upon your houses
and lands, and upon your flocks and herds, and all that you possess,
your women and your children, according to your faith and good works,
from this time forth and forever. And thus I have spoken. Amen.