The Book of Mormon

by Joseph Smith Jr.

I beheld the church of the Lamb of God, and its numbers were few, because of the wickedness and abominations of the whore who sat upon many waters; nevertheless, I beheld that the church of the Lamb, who were the saints of God, were also upon all the face of the earth; and their dominions upon the face of the earth were small, because of the wickedness of the great whore whom I saw.

And it came to pass that I beheld that the great mother of abominations did gather together multitudes upon the face of all the earth, among all the nations of the Gentiles, to fight against the Lamb of God.

Nephi, beheld the power of the Lamb of God, that it descended upon the saints of the church of the Lamb, and upon the covenant people of the Lord, who were scattered upon all the face of the earth; and they were armed with righteousness and with the power of God in great glory.

....righteousness and with the power of God in great glory. This passage, 1 Nephi 14:14 totally makes me think of Sister Nen Pichmonyroth.

Nephi, beheld the power of the Lamb of God, that it descended upon the saints of the church of the Lamb, and upon the covenant people of the Lord, who were scattered upon all the face of the earth; and they were armed with righteousness and with the power of God in great glory.

Covenant keeping saints have no need to fear. They are armed with the power of God in great glory.

Nephi, beheld the power of the Lamb of God, that it descended upon the saints of the church of the Lamb, and upon the covenant people of the Lord, who were scattered upon all the face of the earth; and they were armed w...

The only camp of safety among this world of abomination. A scripture I wish I knew in my youth.

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 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.

Nephi's brothren asked...

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 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.

Pivotal passage Age 17 inspired to never miss a day reading this book. Felt the power/confirmation

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.

Persuasion is huge for good or evil. This is the human condition and helps answer part of 'why'.

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.

Avoiding temptation, bitterness, jealousy is easy. Stay occupied in doing good, helping others etc.

the guilty taketh the truth to be hard, for it cutteth them to the very center.

A most painful road to knowingly break commandmends and after read/hear true doctrine.

we did take our tents and depart into the wilderness, across the river Laman.

Is there a list of all the known possible rivers?

29 And there was also written upon them a new writing, which was plain to be read, which did give us understanding concerning the ways of the Lord; and it was written and changed from time to time, according to the faith and diligence which we gave unto it. And thus we see that by small means the Lord can bring about great things.

Words of modern prophets, patriarchal blessing, and right here in this book. My perception changes from time to time.

29 And there was also written upon them a new writing, which was plain to be read, which did give us understanding concerning the ways of the Lord; and it was written and changed from time to time, according to the faith and diligence which we gave unto it. And thus we see that by small means the Lord can bring about great things.

General Conference is plain to be read and gives us understanding.

29 And there was also written upon them a new writing, which was plain to be read, which did give us understanding concerning the ways of the Lord; and it was written and changed from time to time, according to the faith and diligence which we gave unto it. And ...

We have this same miracle with patriarchal blessings and other like sources with faith.

I, Nephi, did go forth up into the top of the mountain, according to the directions which were given upon the ball.

Is there a list of all the possible mountains?

if it so be that the children of men keep the commandments of God he doth nourish them, and strengthen them, and provide means whereby they can accomplish the thing which he has commanded them; wherefore, he did provide means for us while we did sojourn in the wilderness.

The area they travled is desert. God had to have provided.

if it so be that the children of men keep the commandments of God he doth nourish them, and strengthen them, and provide means whereby they can accomplish the thing which he has commanded them; wherefore, he did provide means for us while we did sojourn in the wilderness.

I know this is true from experience

9 And I said: Lord, whither shall I go that I may find ore to molten, that I may make tools to construct the ship after the manner which thou hast shown unto me?

The bigger question is where could Nephi find wood. There is little vegitation. Miracles happen.

in the wilderness; and I will prepare the way before you,

The Lord would have had to over the 8 years. Their is nothing but hot desert along their path.

for they did not believe that I could build a ship; neither would they believe that I was instructed of the Lord.

I would have a hard time believing also unless had a strong whitness of the Spirit.

40 And he loveth those who will have him to be their God.

and after they were bitten he prepared a way that they might be healed; and the labor which they had to perform was to look; and because of the simpleness of the way, or the easiness of it, there were many who perished. 42 And they did harden their hearts

It seems so stupid to just 'look' reading this book every day will have the power to heal..it does

and after they were bitten he prepared a way that they might be healed; and the labor which they had to perform was to look; and because of the simpleness of the way, or the easiness of it, there were many who perished. 42 And they did harden their hearts

Look!

In the name of the Almighty God, I command you that ye touch me not, for I am filled with the power of God, even unto the consuming of my flesh; and whoso shall lay his hands upon me shall wither even as a dried reed; and he shall be as naught before the power of God, for God shall smite him.

In 1982 I read this far for the first time questioning its validity. Unexpectedly I felt the Spirit

beasts in the forests of every kind, both the cow and the ox, and the ass and the horse, and the goat and the wild goat, and

the things which some men esteem to be of great worth, both to the body and soul, others set at naught and trample under their feet. Yea, even the very God of Israel do men trample under their feet; I say, trample under their feet but I would speak in other words—they set him at naught, and hearken not to the voice of his counsels.

For the...

the things which some men esteem to be of great worth, both to the body and soul, others set at naught and trample under their feet. Yea, even the very God of Israel do men trample under their feet; I say, trample under their feet but I would speak in other words—they set him at naught, and hearken not to the voice of his counsels.

It is easy to see among friends and family

9 And the world, because of their iniquity, shall judge him to be a thing of naught; wherefore they scourge him, and he suffereth it; and they smite him, and he suffereth it. Yea, they spit upon him, and he suffereth it, because of his loving kindness and his long-suffering towards the children of men.

Our Lord God, Jesus Christ...

9 And the world, because of their iniquity, shall judge him to be a thing of naught; wherefore they scourge him, and he suffereth it; and they smite him, and he suffereth it. Yea, they spit upon him, and he suffereth it, because of his loving kindness and his long-suffering towards the children of men.

Christ's love for all people. He set the example.

9 And the world, because of their iniquity, shall judge him to be a thing of naught; wherefore they scourge him, and he suffereth it; and they smite him, and he suffereth it. Yea, they spit upon him, and he suffereth it, because of his lov...

A vivid image of charity I think...

visit all the house of Israel at that day, some with his voice, because of their righteousness, unto their great joy and salvation, and others with the thunderings and the lightnings of his power, by tempest, by fire, and by smoke, and vapor of darkness, and by the opening of the earth, and by mountains which shall be carried up.

The Lord God surely shall...

the groanings of the earth, many of the kings of the isles of the sea shall be wrought upon by the Spirit of God, to exclaim: The God of nature suffers.

Hawaii..

I might more fully persuade them to believe in the Lord their Redeemer

Nephi so strongly testifies of Jesus Christ in this chapter...

O that thou hadst hearkened to my commandments—then had thy peace been as a river, and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea.

all flesh shall know that I, the Lord, am thy Savior and thy Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.

All people will know eventually...

Father of heaven unto Abraham, saying: In thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed.

14 And every nation which shall war against thee, O house of Israel, shall be turned one against another, and they shall fall into the pit which they digged to ensnare the people of the Lord. And all that fight against Zion shall be destroyed, and that great whore, who hath perverted the right ways of the Lord, yea, that great and abominable church, shall tumble to the dust and great shall be the fall of it.

the fulness of his wrath must come, and the righteous be preserved, even unto the destruction of their enemies by fire. Wherefore, the righteous need not fear;

Some will mock such a passage as this..

all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people shall dwell safely in the Holy One of Israel if it so be that they will repent. 29 And now I, Nephi, make an end; for I durst not speak further as yet concerning these things.

Safety when destruction is all around intensifies peace and joy.

land of liberty unto them; wherefore, they shall never be brought down into captivity; if so, it shall be because of iniquity; for if iniquity shall abound cursed shall be the land for their sakes, but unto the righteous it shall be blessed

It should be clear that Lehi and his family landed in America because America is a ...

there shall be bloodsheds, and great visitations among them;

When the people of America reject Jesus Christ, the Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel then...

arise from the dust, my sons, and be men, and be determined in one mind and in one heart, united in all things, that ye may not come down into captivity;

.

arise from the dust, my sons, and be men, and be determined in one mind and in one heart, united in all things, that ye may not come down into captivity;

A good bit of advice for marriage...

Awake, my sons; put on the armor of righteousness. Shake off the chains with which ye are bound, and come forth out of obscurity, and arise from the dust.

These binding chans can simply be shaken off.

Awake, my sons; put on the armor of righteousness. Shake off the chains with which ye are bound, and come forth out of obscurity, and arise from the dust.

.

his sharpness was the sharpness of the power of the word of God,

law is given

by the law no flesh is justified;

or, by the law men are cu...

by the spirit...