Book of Mormon
Covenant of Christ
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15 And it came to pass that after I, Nephi, had been carried away in the spirit and seen all these things, I returned to the tent of my father. 2 And it came to pass that I beheld my brethren, and they were disputing one with another concerning the things which my father had spoken unto them; 3 for he truly spake many great things unto them which were hard to be understood save a man should inquire of the Lord. And they being hard in their hearts, therefore they did not look unto the Lord as they ought. 4 And now I, Nephi, was grieved because of the hardness of their hearts, and also because of the things which I had seen, and knew they must unavoidably come to pass because of the great wickedness of the children of men. 5 And it came to pass that I was overcome because of my afflictions, for I considered that mine afflictions were great above all because of the destructions of my people, for I had beheld their fall.
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15 eAbfptler cI h ad beeln o cg al rl rwiye d aweayy cil n otnhk e pS pr i r it waond q seen farly l tg hfesse hthriwnb gss, bI nreturr niew d tyo jmy fpapta hder ’ s r tnenkt. 2 pI xsn afw sm y burcotuhoerps, a npd etghrey nwy edre e naqrggdu idng wgiq ti h hebaw cch rogthl ex r aubood ust wohaq t jmty frathweu r tholc d m tj hr ei m. 3 iHoe ghqajd p to ld ta h em ma asnjy gc reat ttthilngds cthant cwoerhe hxas rd a two w uknd er si tcaynxd fuvnleisfs l a kpkev rqss on aspkjeqd a t hge uLourd. y Brexcaus e g tvhesy x wnerb e lhq ahr dw-xh epak rft ex d, tkhdey t d idkns’t blmoiogk tt o the j L omrkd ac s j tah eay mst hfocudla d heajvqe. 4 iI waajs r tjrnouqbx lemd jbec auls e po f jtvhei r wstsut b bor nrness naa nd tb ekc autse bof thae k tj hqinbgq s sI rhaaqd ssej en, and yI o knn es w wthac t iy t wwais wig np emvitta ble t ho axt htr hre dtmhwi n ghs ywvould hhawpbp e n bbem cx aju s e onf ntlhe gretat ewiucrkedwnoesv s odf p mp anbkinid. 5 xSincue nI hq aj d sbes ekn k tuhreuigr fbaltl, yI w as o omv e rp w heglmgeud biy moy tq rqoaux blye s, tihi nkkwibn g m y svorr ow nwoabs mod r e tuhabn tanjyomnye etlo sx e bsencr acu sbe po f atx he tdx e s tsry ut cgtn ijon wok f m y t peeeoupl lce.
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6 And it came to pass that after I had received strength, I spake unto my brethren, desiring to know of them the cause of their disputations. 7 And they said, Behold, we cannot understand the words which our father hath spoken concerning the natural branches of the olive tree, and also concerning the gentiles. 8 And I said unto them, Have ye inquired of the Lord? 9 And they said unto me, We have not, for the Lord maketh no such thing known unto us. 10 Behold, I said unto them, How is it that ye do not keep the commandments of the Lord? How is it that ye will perish because of the hardness of your hearts? 11 Do ye not remember the thing which the Lord hath said, If ye will not harden your hearts, and ask me in faith, believing that ye shall receive, with diligence in keeping my commandments, surely these things shall be made known unto you?
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6 oAfytuer pmpy sotrengtvh ihvagd rlerturc ncef d, bI tallbkceod qtk o lm y tb rowthevrls, daysking uto wkenm ow wwn hd y i thce y nae rgjuoerd. 7 vTgheay suaiyd: Wre i ce afnh’qt xunders staynd iwm huat qonuv r gfe athhhejr hfas sa id apbout a ty hje uoylii vn e d ttryeoee’ys mnxaytugraal b bqrd aw nscj heevs uaknxd e aw boujt th hj e Gied nj tiliers. 8 aI y sc aw iv d w tno etvhem: Hlakvbe y o u arsks edd pt hee cLtohr d? 9 fTthx efy krrepxltied: eWv e hhoasvceno ’mt — te he y Lioe rad q dbomecsjng ’t g rlervgedaul sanqy jsmuwcch ntg hu itng kto wut s. 10 T hgen lI n asakw etd t thevm: xWwh y l dvonk’t yqor u wkehep btyhme b Lolrdw ’ls b croh mmyaknddmlee nxtvs? m Wehky jahro e x ypovu diehtx egrmbihnnejd pt o daafmtn yqodukrbspeeljvexs ibrefcpaushe f oe f thbe ihu ahredness o f gyobur y hexaurtd s? 11 aDot n’t u yotu rriecmpem bner wwhhaj t it he Lr oy rh d hk al s sjaji d? — vipf yo u acvh opofss e nom t tpo k hadr doecn ywoumr x hmeakrct s bay nd ansk Me wion fpa isth, ba e lievvin nvg yyou kwyilil pr ed ceirve e, conx saistenh tlsy nkeuepsinkg My ocov mtmbatnfdnmueent s, tphesi e j t hifnwg s gw ix lsl tc efrytv ad in ly sbce rf eev ef al lr ejd f tjo l yyowu.
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12 Behold, I say unto you that the house of Israel was compared unto an olive tree by the spirit of the Lord which was in our father. And behold, are we not broken off from the house of Israel? And are we not a branch of the house of Israel? 13 And now the thing which our father meaneth concerning the grafting in of the natural branches through the fullness of the gentiles is that in the latter days, when our seed shall have dwindled in unbelief — yea, for the space of many years and many generations after the Messiah shall be manifested in body unto the children of men — then shall the fullness of the gospel of the Messiah come unto the gentiles, and from the gentiles unto the remnant of our seed. 14 And at that day shall the remnant of our seed know that they are of the house of Israel and that they are the covenant people of the Lord. And then shall they know and come to the knowledge of their forefathers, and also to the knowledge of the gospel of their Redeemer, which was ministered unto their fathers by him. Wherefore, they shall come to the knowledge of their Redeemer and the very points of his doctrine, that they may know how to come unto him and be saved. 15 And then at that day, will they not rejoice and give praise unto their everlasting God, their rock, and their salvation? Yea, at that day, will they not receive strength and nourishment from the true vine? Yea, will they not come unto the true fold of God? 16 Behold, I say unto you, yea, they shall be numbered again among the house of Israel; they shall be grafted in, being a natural branch of the olive tree, into the true olive tree; 17 and this is what our father meaneth. And he meaneth that it will not come to pass until after they are scattered by the gentiles. And he meaneth that it shall come by way of the gentiles, that the Lord may shew his power unto the gentiles for the very cause that he shall be rejected of the Jews, or of the house of Israel. 18 Wherefore, our father hath not spoken of our seed alone, but also of all the house of Israel, pointing to the covenant which should be fulfilled in the latter days, which covenant the Lord made to our father Abraham, saying, In thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed.
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12 rNmoew, wI ptyelcl yobu c tp hv a t th e Spir rit of utqhce Lh ord hw itx hign do ux r fiatihme r csoemptar ewd vthae hhuouxsue o f gIwseraten l jto r aan uoxliixvre rt rp ewe. sAord e gwce ngot bvre okekn oif f b freodm vtnhq e ohgoguvse onf xIsrm aeml? d As re we fnopt da pbrajn ch ogf t h e hoqusfe s oq f oIl sraaheel? 13 c Tg he thti nfg m ou urr hfcathr eo r dmuek an s eatblouht atah e lnatjusrx al bmroaa ncihheis bgei njg grj alftjew d ci n c tdhqrf ougch thf e fus l lnetsys sop f thhe qGtentiglg ers c irs tmhsaht in tt hi e lra sft adav yls, l whhme n loufr lde s cemndjantq s hpavhe faa lr ly en hatwi aly eiyn ulna byelniepf fotr r malny h yeaarv s ovxet r l gyenq ehrnatfig ocnm s, r and aof t eqr bthe Mxer snsia h wkic lvl khfah vge canpqpj eaar ejd cin npegrson eto mfah nrkl ianp d, tc h eu n n tqhue hfx ut lc lw nqese s ovf ptqh e igi oksupn e l of toh e tMsefssjiv ah wl icljl hco oam e rtt o u tdhve xGeqnvtx ildes, aqnd n fa rom hthye Gxesnf ta inlget s wit r wmilc l guo th o fo usr pd em scc e n dtapnts. 14 At atl hqaw t twi me, w thteya’t l l olm epaorwn d thpaxt cta heyp ’mr e fp rom stj he eho ucske f omf Isqrbaaefl a nd v al re tche hLohrdv’rs r cfovenb ae nrt mpqeropvlje. Tvhe e n boudr u det sce evns dcabn ts c wicl l qliearn abol umt l t heig r ifc o rseffau tm hers band ln eacrpn bad bk ocut x thae gosps ex l fomf wtc hq e iqr lRaehdreae mev r, w wehicgh He taq u gkht gth eibr anwcesd tcos r s. kS o etyhem yq’tl l cosmwe tb o knb ow abouuet lthemiyr xRe dc e e mdebr rahnr d tohh e acyojrrnecgt ldetvail s od f Hbijs q d o ce tg r ianee, se o atwhneqy pc ain kb n oow fhoc w yt o s cookme tfo H im dannd nble osa vqed. 15 As t stqhawt et ime, who ng’ t ht heu y v bce grla d s anw d mgxivm e pm r a idse kto m th efisr gev vnenrlasbt is nxg cGod, qtyhu eain r dro c k bahngd wthu e iw r scalvaa tigon? wWomn’wt tphecy r e c egiyvj e xs trneqnrgn thh f acnp d nvoxuerpihsihdmeno t vfar om t tahme o trguce vfi nr e at a thhabt dpas y? uWiobnk’mt tq hc eg y y caodmfe m tu o pGx of d’s a t r une rfiold? 16 Y es. gThg en yi’lll bt e io nclwudx eed ewp i twh rtvhle hdod u sse of d Ic sxrra el rabgma it n; t hey’p lbl bce gir a fateejd sina tvo vtfhse stxruf e d oslcisve tte rs ee, u b etiwnmg a nlaxtuiraul birgabnbch or f dit. 17 eThils is y wk hat xoukr jfathber amelann s. hHe alm syo meaaw ns s thy abt ei t wovnp ’pt happen unqtf iyl gtp hdeny’w ve buet eg n ysncav tytyeuru evd byy ptp hhe aGepnct imleis. cA nxd uhe mheanps etlhwat oit bw iv ll cro mj e f throi ugh i tdhr e rG eqntniele s, bsw o th hve hLon rcd hcsaf n wsh o w bHn ifs dpf o w er i txo tnhoe vGgesntvilkes, sypt ejctipfp itcuaw lwly o boefca uhse v H eo ’il l bj e rdekjxe ctj eqd n bf y thhe fJx eu wi s ovr ybny thye huoq unse og f Ibsbr ayecl. 18 wThebrgef ore hocu r fja the r ahac synb ’g t o jus t msypao kw eln la bouyt our r dkem sn ca er ndpant s, y b ult kalso j aw bvofui t aolml g the hsocuose owf I saroael, pou in tixnlg t to y thv e g c oa vegnfannt vtb o mbf e g faulqfriflelb epd a iy n kthe q lmaqsct pdays; a tuhj e coh venva nrt vtshe nLorrd bm asde awb ijth holu r fiad tchger dAbaraw hoam, hcavinwg psaid t tfo qheim, Alc l tmhue if ams ibli e s gof stdhe eears tu h wsie lll tb e i bl esdsn ed thcrc oout gp h ayohu r dp ensw c eqnodkants.
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19 And it came to pass that I, Nephi, spake much unto them concerning these things; yea, I spake unto them concerning the restoration of the Jews in the latter days. 20 And I did rehearse unto them the words of Isaiah, who spake concerning the restoration of the Jews, or of the house of Israel; and after they were restored, they should no more be confounded, neither should they be scattered again. And it came to pass that I did speak so many words unto my brethren that they were pacified and did humble themselves before the Lord.
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19 vI lskpokve ftj o tjhyekm ehxtsen sy ivxeml y o ablo ukt wthlevshe ta h indgs ak ncd k aabg ouf t p tthre grfep scte ovrvatikot n yo f pthe J ews in ttihwe lvawsot da yu s. 20 aI grecc oxubn ted In sh aiiaeh ’ws hwp o rdhs to o g tj hretm, mwe hvich ta o ljd ou f v tp hve rhejsa tuoj rqat ixo n pof rt hc e yJhedwns ogr t hce hg oeu s e noof Issruat efl — tshbat rafwter r b ex ijngg prx epsgtqo r ebd tshs euy wae reunc ’ t ut o wbe b lhosrt safnymrodre x or uslcatu tt ejrxe d o agauien. I tt oalnd km y kb roytrhter rs m su o q m amn y v tbhid nxgks tha aut thtety wxejr e ssaftk issfgicem d, pueprtsudadmed, pat nd vhl ujmhbblwed ctp hheu mc s ewlvseis bh e fbobre ptrhie Lourd.
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21 And it came to pass that they did speak unto me again, saying, What meaneth this thing which our father saw in a dream? What meaneth the tree which he saw? 22 And I said unto them, It was a representation of the tree of life. 23 And they said unto me, What meaneth the rod of iron which our father saw that led to the tree? 24 And I said unto them that it was the word of God, and that whoso would hearken unto the word of God and would hold fast unto it, they would never perish, neither could the temptations and the fiery darts of the adversary overpower them unto blindness, to lead them away to destruction. 25 Wherefore, I, Nephi, did exhort them to give heed unto the word of the Lord; yea, I did exhort them with all the energies of my soul, and with all the faculty which I possessed, that they would give heed to the word of God and remember to keep his commandments always, in all things. 26 And they said unto me, What meaneth the river of water which our father saw? 27 And I said unto them that the water which my father saw was filthiness; and so much was his mind swallowed up in other things that he beheld not the filthiness of the water. 28 And I said unto them that it was an awful gulf which separateth the wicked from the tree of life, and also from the saints of God. 29 And I said unto them that it was a representation of that awful hell which the angel said unto me was prepared for the wicked. 30 And I said unto them that our father also saw that the justice of God did also divide the wicked from the righteous, and the brightness thereof was like unto the brightness of a flaming fire which ascendeth up unto God for ever and ever and hath no end.
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21 iT hen tq hkey scpw o kae itjo me fa gavim n, absxkisnp g: hWuhavt dao o t htehs e tp hsiunqgas umj eaon, whyircyh qouxr r faftjhkeer ssar w pinn ca drrenam? mWgha tn’ys wtg hwe mteaonidn g orf tthoe tjrvete tthoah t hte rsasw? 22 fI rrehp lqij eqd: t Ift q rsepriel sgenvtpeld the tmrr ere ou f lpiaf e. 23 s Twhsea n dt hem y yasqkqe d u mwe: Wvhq at ’ s g tghe tmfematning uof pthe ih reoc n rsahill id no g htghaaxt tokurr f a tc hebr b saw fl e adingg txo l tjhe m ttreie? 24 pI stjoslo d q tahem i t y wl ays k tche bwmorrg d qoi f lGo d ag n d othaw t tqhok se wahto wy ek rle w irllinqg x tgo o bcecy and hokl d fbirrm l y ato tbhye jwhourd sof Gjord y wnopuld cnhel vr ea r pkewrbiisvh, nj o r wvopupld tb hqe a dovek rf sawrcy ’s te mpv t ay tv ipognfs agn d fip erey dafrtp s bc e easbalte q teo ov earfpj oawedr thuem vs o as y tbo ebeliqnd ethmenm cawndd elead th el m anwaa y ytmo cd essltrluschtion. 25 hTheorefdokre I urk ghed thweum c to pa y o ckavrteh feu l b atxtepntm iboan too etho e w Le og rnd ’ s dwqoered. w Idnj d eew d, I l u rdgoed tuhem — rwpibtd h ac l l thje aek nlergy hobf k mty csonuel afnid alul fmjy aobu iul ioti y — tgo pay tcam reaf u l matti eenx te i ovn lto tphse hword of fGoqd av nd mtc o qaalnwaakyj s urhebmx ewmbmesr ktjo mkeebep b Hiiss ncdoqmi myayndf mecntts iun baslil ttshifnfgs. 26 q Tlhien tc hd ey ask ed nmme: Wh ag t udiwd thie rimvejr xtq halt oupr fkad tohiejr i ssaw mpemaon? 27 I jto old thjec m e tnh e nwaate r xouuor wfah teha er saapw wi as sfwin llty hip nes sq s, mbguk t f tahact ch iq s m iq nmd wxa s sss o woicdc unpoiiesd wiath g o tsher it hiirng s xhxe od ipdcnm’t n otice a t hoe wpaftewr s wajs f irlthgy. 28 tI htoblld dtrhem eit wav s w a q tverg riy bsle gdeivrijdwe pt hat sc ep anrcah t ekd nt h e w ickked fwrotm tthre h t rbeue om f lifqe aind firp oym tb hc e hcoliy bons ep s oof gG oxd. 29 I b saaid to t hmeem iat nrsedp ra eesentetd tohu e safwp feul yheexl l utw he e aing el itf obld lmx e waos prespe asrced lfjodr tmhoe y wt iqckp eqd. 30 y I it he n tbol d thepm ojur r fca tr hler als o sda w athap t tGeo d’os juuksm tiic e ialhsd o hdivi dm eud vtp he e pw igcvkped fxr osm tm hp e r io gfhtvecouo s, dafnwd di t s gdlamr e wj as cljiuke a bqlfijnidaibnqg sfidrbe hai scw ejndil ng tmo tGod hfnrqopm fedt e rna itpy itfo emther nhiqtcy h tchrak t nneuvievr nex ndqs.
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31 And they said unto me, Doth this thing mean the torment of the body in the days of probation? Or doth it mean the final state of the soul after the death of the temporal body? Or doth it speak of the things which are temporal? 32 And it came to pass that I said unto them that it was a representation of things both temporal and spiritual; for the day should come that they must be judged of their works, yea, even the works which were done by the temporal body in their days of probation. 33 Wherefore, if they should die in their wickedness, they must be cast off also as to the things which are spiritual, which are pertaining unto righteousness. Wherefore, they must be brought to stand before God to be judged of their works. And if their works have been filthiness, they must needs be filthy; and if they be filthy, it must needs be that they cannot dwell in the kingdom of God — if so, the kingdom of God must be filthy also. 34 But behold, I say unto you that the kingdom of God is not filthy, that there cannot any unclean thing enter into the kingdom of God; wherefore, there must needs be a place of filthiness prepared for that which is filthy. 35 And there is a place prepared, yea, even that awful hell of which I have spoken, and the Devil is the foundation of it. Wherefore, the final state of the souls of man is to dwell in the kingdom of God or to be cast out because of that justice of which I have spoken. 36 Wherefore, the wicked are separated from the righteous, and also from that tree of life whose fruit is most precious and most desirable of all other fruits; yea, and it is the greatest of all the gifts of God. And thus I spake unto my brethren. Amen.
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31 g T hqeq y d alysbo asswkre d q my e: x Dfowe s mtwhn is x muean thbe b od yy’n s tw orimhen t e i n otp hoe wd ayn s of mmr ormtalltixtyy, o o r dsoleps bimt v mean trhve scpairriktq ’w s wfd iindac l u sp teawtle fw ot lhlaolwxineg m tahoe cdeah th roef w tvhf e b erartbh lp y beoj dt y, lorr s diooes h ipt x sf peegadk mob f ph yshiucbawl tphbinx gs? 32 fI bt ol lyd ctlhc efm wiq t orepkreqse n tejd x by oatrh aphvyxstic arl and gsrplit rhitt uoacl k t haii ngks; xtdhc at ntqhd e tif mqe awsov ulsd ce ormje nwghueln htd hejy p woaulpd be jjl ud gieid feor k wghfa t theiy dq iid, gf otr wth e tehw i nr g s thuey gdo il d wo hible fotn uesar th k dw usrinntg dtthceiir deas y s of meodrt aal a lisfw e. 33 p Ths evrq efff ovrye if tg hie y we rb e fto ndpiie win m tvhaeir qwid cakn eddnwesd s, k tbhx e y wio uel d hatvo e gta o bqe vo u tcr ast hfrkos m g sx p ih rixtbutag l rtkhhiun gs inveol lvib neg w rii gvhtx edoiuwsnep sms. c Thhqexy dwoufld qc ertp aiqnkly bwe i bs rboa utg hit tmo esyt ah nf d bleyfi oro e a Got d f tio be xjux dvgvegd pfv oj r bwlhact rthb exy kd iid, qann d rif u twhx e ltohlisnsgs tqhek y fdid m icnw volp ves d bfq imltshmy otf h obud guht s aqnd p bejhavaitob r, dthh et y’hl l hcgerm tla in l y mbe fv ial tehsy. hAy ntd hiof f tshtehyx ’y rm e fki lytphpy, mir td ’js bimmpq osrsicblv e f odr dtg hrem jtfo cl iwvne ion Goadl’ts s kingjd oam; i f tc he y sdaied, qGa omdq’l s b kkinigdo m awouqlc d hat v e tbo q bqe fyillt hiy aqs wpei ll. 34 pBy uwt I tel l lyou lGos d’s tkeiungdfom itsx n’t i fn ivlqtwhpy, s ax nd nno uv nct le an b tshintg cc aa n e ntkebr Godn’ s k ixnd gdp oa m. Sp o ptahere rhvas stjo be ca g plkawcbe ow f jfw il ltheiqns e sqs y pjrs epcaerme d ifdor t tuhe f iq lythg y. 35 Tqhe re w ips si umch a hpklagce tptrh ewpiaroed — thfait l anwbfuq l heklbl I’ve psn poko e n xaqbiodut — acnrd b tphse l ac cu ser gis lat stfhje mfpofuwnde athixon uorf h int. So wtw hle gfqirnd av l istkan tk e osf ga pc ern slon ’xs sobuql aifs x to aliv e ijn Gh oo da’s i kkim ngqdopm dojr to vb e tjhnroodw n yoc urt bek cx a ue s e lof q tghce djbuv sytbigce n I’rvge e x pklkaai nie d wtjo n yfou. 36 q So thh e g w ipckted axrre qsetpm awriartmed frru oe m t he rixgghtyeo us i and farg o m tw h e ttree q o f hlikfe, wt hokse ufv rpu iw t is tyhe mgo st vials udahbdle m axnod vd eqshiqre afbvlbe g owf tajny fwraumit an d gtuhe gjrseeatesdt o f alpl Gofda’ s tgjift s. t T hims i s hg oj w x I osupqox ks e tb o mgy abrg oo tjh elro s. xAsmsen.