| Book of Mormon |
Annotations |
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Chapter 25
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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2 Ne 25:23-30
Many Christians claim Mormons are not Christian and claim
part of the reason for this is that Mormons believe they are saved because of
their works. Whether someone is a Christian certainly depends on your definition
of the word “Christian.” If it is defined as someone who believes in the
divine role of Jesus to save humankind from death and sin, then Mormons are
Christian by definition.
But what of the idea that works have some important part
in one’s faith? According to the Bible, Jesus said, “Not every one that saith
unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth
the will of my Father which is in heaven” (Matt 7:21, read through verse 27
for the parable of the wise man who builds his house upon the rock—Jesus—by
doing the sayings of Jesus). Clearly Christian holy texts teach that doing,
though insufficient, is essential. This should demonstrate to all Christians
that Mormons are on to something when they teach that faith is manifested in
works.
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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.
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Annotation for 2 Ne 25:23-30 above
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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.
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Annotation for 2 Ne 25:23-30 above
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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.
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Annotation for 2 Ne 25:23-30 above
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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.
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Annotation for 2 Ne 25:23-30 above
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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.
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Annotation for 2 Ne 25:23-30 above
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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.
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Annotation for 2 Ne 25:23-30 above
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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.
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Annotation for 2 Ne 25:23-30 above
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