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Annotations |
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Chapter 4
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1 And the Lord commanded the brother of Jared to go down
out of the mount from the presence of the Lord, and write the things which he
had seen; and they were forbidden to come unto the children of men until
after that he should be lifted up upon the cross; and for this cause did king
Mosiah keep them, that they should not come unto the world until after
Christ should show himself unto his people.
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The original edition of the Book of Mormon said “king
Benjamin” here, not “king Mosiah”. The original edition also had Mosiah 21:28
refer to king Benjamin where the finding of the Jaredite records was talked
about. The only problem? King Benjamin had long since been dead in the story.
Apologists have explained that it is quite plausible that one of the Book of
Mormon characters (Ammon or a Zeniffite scribe in the Mosiah passage, and/or
Moroni in Ether) could have made such a mistake and that the mistake was
translated correctly by Joseph Smith.
This apologetic response makes sense if the Book of Mormon were translated
(in the normal sense of the word) by interpreting the reformed Egyptian
characters and writing the interpretation into English. In such a scenario,
the translator would quite likely pass on the mistake.
But, the golden plates were not used in the “translation” of the Book of
Mormon (Book of Mormon Translation).
Since Joseph used a rock in a hat to know what the “translation” was by the “gift
and power of God,” then God would have been the one to pass on the error to
Joseph.
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2 And after Christ truly had showed himself unto his
people he commanded that they should be made manifest.
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3 And now, after that, they have all dwindled in unbelief;
and there is none save it be the Lamanites, and they have rejected the gospel
of Christ; therefore I am commanded that I should hide them up again in the
earth.
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4 Behold, I have written upon these plates the very things
which the brother of Jared saw; and there never were greater things made
manifest than those which were made manifest unto the brother of Jared.
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5 Wherefore the Lord hath commanded me to write them; and
I have written them. And he commanded me that I should seal them up; and he
also hath commanded that I should seal up the interpretation thereof;
wherefore I have sealed up the interpreters, according to the commandment of
the Lord.
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6 For the Lord said unto me: They shall not go forth unto
the Gentiles until the day that they shall repent of their iniquity, and
become clean before the Lord.
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7 And in that day that they shall exercise faith in me,
saith the Lord, even as the brother of Jared did, that they may become
sanctified in me, then will I manifest unto them the things which the brother
of Jared saw, even to the unfolding unto them all my revelations, saith Jesus
Christ, the Son of God, the Father of the heavens and of the earth, and all
things that in them are.
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8 And he that will contend against the word of the Lord,
let him be accursed; and he that shall deny these things, let him be
accursed; for unto them will I show no greater things, saith Jesus Christ;
for I am he who speaketh.
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9 And at my command the heavens are opened and are shut;
and at my word the earth shall shake; and at my command the inhabitants
thereof shall pass away, even so as by fire.
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10 And he that believeth not my words believeth not my
disciples; and if it so be that I do not speak, judge ye; for ye shall know
that it is I that speaketh, at the last day.
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11 But he that believeth these things which I have spoken,
him will I visit with the manifestations of my Spirit, and he shall know and
bear record. For because of my Spirit he shall know that these things are
true; for it persuadeth men to do good.
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12 And whatsoever thing persuadeth men to do good is of
me; for good cometh of none save it be of me. I am the same that leadeth men
to all good; he that will not believe my words will not believe me—that I am;
and he that will not believe me will not believe the Father who sent me. For
behold, I am the Father, I am the light, and the life, and the truth of the
world.
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13 Come unto me, O ye Gentiles, and I will show unto you
the greater things, the knowledge which is hid up because of unbelief.
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14 Come unto me, O ye house of Israel, and it shall be made
manifest unto you how great things the Father hath laid up for you, from the
foundation of the world; and it hath not come unto you, because of unbelief.
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15 Behold, when ye shall rend that veil of unbelief which
doth cause you to remain in your awful state of wickedness, and hardness of
heart, and blindness of mind, then shall the great and marvelous things which
have been hid up from the foundation of the world from you—yea, when ye shall
call upon the Father in my name, with a broken heart and a contrite spirit,
then shall ye know that the Father hath remembered the covenant which he made
unto your fathers, O house of Israel.
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16 And then shall my revelations which I have caused to be
written by my servant John be unfolded in the eyes of all the people.
Remember, when ye see these things, ye shall know that the time is at hand
that they shall be made manifest in very deed.
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17 Therefore, when ye shall receive this record ye may
know that the work of the Father has commenced upon all the face of the land.
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18 Therefore, repent all ye ends of the earth, and come
unto me, and believe in my gospel, and be baptized in my name; for he that
believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be
damned; and signs shall follow them that believe in my name.
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19 And blessed is he that is found faithful unto my name
at the last day, for he shall be lifted up to dwell in the kingdom prepared
for him from the foundation of the world. And behold it is I that hath spoken
it. Amen.
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