3:1 And it came to pass that the brother of Jared, (now the number of
the vessels which had been prepared was eight) went forth unto the
mount, which they called the mount Shelem, because of its exceeding
height, and did molten out of a rock sixteen small stones; and they
were white and clear, even as transparent glass; and he did carry them
in his hands upon the top of the mount, and cried again unto the Lord,
saying:
3:2 O Lord, thou hast said that we must be encompassed about by the
floods. Now behold, O Lord, and do not be angry with thy servant
because of his weakness before thee; for we know that thou art holy and
dwellest in the heavens, and that we are unworthy before thee; because
of the fall our natures have become evil continually; nevertheless, O
Lord, thou hast given us a commandment that we must call upon thee,
that from thee we may receive according to our desires.
3:3 Behold, O Lord, thou hast smitten us because of our iniquity, and
hast driven us forth, and for these many years we have been in the
wilderness; nevertheless, thou hast been merciful unto us. O Lord, look
upon me in pity, and turn away thine anger from this thy people, and
suffer not that they shall go forth across this raging deep in
darkness; but behold these things which I have molten out of the rock.
3:4 And I know, O Lord, that thou hast all power, and can do whatsoever
thou wilt for the benefit of man; therefore touch these stones, O Lord,
with thy finger, and prepare them that they may shine forth in
darkness; and they shall shine forth unto us in the vessels which we
have prepared, that we may have light while we shall cross the sea.
3:5 Behold, O Lord, thou canst do this. We know that thou art able to
show forth great power, which looks small unto the understanding of
men.
3:6 And it came to pass that when the brother of Jared had said these
words, behold, the Lord stretched forth his hand and touched the stones
one by one with his finger. And the veil was taken from off the eyes of
the brother of Jared, and he saw the finger of the Lord; and it was as
the finger of a man, like unto flesh and blood; and the brother of
Jared fell down before the Lord, for he was struck with fear.
3:7 And the Lord saw that the brother of Jared had fallen to the earth;
and the Lord said unto him: Arise, why hast thou fallen?
3:8 And he saith unto the Lord: I saw the finger of the Lord, and I
feared lest he should smite me; for I knew not that the Lord had flesh
and blood.
3:9 And the Lord said unto him: Because of thy faith thou hast seen
that I shall take upon me flesh and blood; and never has man come
before me with such exceeding faith as thou hast; for were it not so ye
could not have seen my finger. Sawest thou more than this?
3:10 And he answered: Nay; Lord, show thyself unto me.
3:11 And the Lord said unto him: Believest thou the words which I shall
speak?
3:12 And he answered: Yea, Lord, I know that thou speakest the truth,
for thou art a God of truth, and canst not lie.
3:13 And when he had said these words, behold, the Lord showed himself
unto him, and said: Because thou knowest these things ye are redeemed
from the fall; therefore ye are brought back into my presence;
therefore I show myself unto you.
3:14 Behold, I am he who was prepared from the foundation of the world
to redeem my people. Behold, I am Jesus Christ. I am the Father and the
Son. In me shall all mankind have life, and that eternally, even they
who shall believe on my name; and they shall become my sons and my
daughters.
3:15 And never have I showed myself unto man whom I have created, for
never has man believed in me as thou hast. Seest thou that ye are
created after mine own image? Yea, even all men were created in the
beginning after mine own image.
3:16 Behold, this body, which ye now behold, is the body of my spirit;
and man have I created after the body of my spirit; and even as I
appear unto thee to be in the spirit will I appear unto my people in
the flesh.
3:17 And now, as I, Moroni, said I could not make a full account of
these things which are written therefore it sufficeth me to say that
Jesus showed himself unto this man in the spirit, even after the manner
and in the likeness of the same body even as he showed himself unto the
Nephites.
3:18 And he ministered unto him even as he ministered unto the
Nephites; and all this, that this man might know that he was God,
because of the many great works which the Lord had showed unto him.
3:19 And because of the knowledge of this man he could not be kept from
beholding within the veil; and he saw the finger of Jesus, which, when
he saw, he fell with fear; for he knew that it was the finger of the
Lord; and he had faith no longer, for he knew, nothing doubting.
3:20 Wherefore, having this perfect knowledge of God, he could not be
kept from within the veil; therefore he saw Jesus; and he did minister
unto him.
3:21 And it came to pass that the Lord said unto the brother of Jared:
Behold, thou shalt not suffer these things which ye have seen and heard
to go forth unto the world, until the time cometh that I shall glorify
my name in the flesh; wherefore, ye shall treasure up the things which
ye have seen and heard, and show it to no man.
3:22 And behold, when ye shall come unto me, ye shall write them and
shall seal them up, that no one can interpret them; for ye shall write
them in a language that they cannot be read.
3:23 And behold, these two stones will I give unto thee, and ye shall
seal them up also with the things which ye shall write.
3:24 For behold, the language which ye shall write I have confounded;
wherefore I will cause in my own due time that these stones shall
magnify to the eyes of men these things which ye shall write.
3:25 And when the Lord had said these words, he showed unto the brother
of Jared all the inhabitants of the earth which had been, and also all
that would be; and he withheld them not from his sight, even unto the
ends of the earth.
3:26 For he had said unto him in times before, that if he would believe
in him that he could show unto him all things—it should be shown unto
him; therefore the Lord could not withhold anything from him, for he
knew that the Lord could show him all things.
3:27 And the Lord said unto him: Write these things and seal them up;
and I will show them in mine own due time unto the children of men.
3:28 And it came to pass that the Lord commanded him that he should
seal up the two stones which he had received, and show them not, until
the Lord should show them unto the children of men.