A Revelation given to Joseph, in Harmony, Pennsylvania, July, 1828,
after Martin had lost the Manuscript of the forepart of the book of Mormon,
translated from the book of Lehi, which was abridged by the hand of Mormon,
saying:
- The works, and the designs, and the purpose of God, can not be frustrated,
neither can they come to nought, for God doth not walk in crooked paths;
neither doth he turn to the right hand nor to the left; neither doth
he vary from that which he hath said: [T]herefore his paths are strait
and his course is one eternal round.
- Remember, remember, that it is not the work of God that is frustrated,
but the work of men: for although a man may have many revelations, and
have power to do many mighty works, yet, if he boasts in his own strength,
and sets at nought the counsels of God, and follows after the dictates
of his own will, and carnal desires, he must fall and incur the vengeance
of a just God upon him.
- Behold, you have been instructed with these things, but how strict
were your commandments; and remember, also, the promises which were
made to you, if you did not transgress them; and behold, how oft you
have transgressed the commandments and the laws of God, and have gone
on in the persuasions of men: for behold, you should not have feared
man more than God, although men set at nought the counsels of God, and
despise his words, yet you should have been faithful and he would have
extended his arm, and supported you against all the fiery darts of the
adversary; and he would have been with you in every time of trouble.
- Behold thou art Joseph, and thou wast chosen to do the work of the
Lord, but because of transgression, if thou art not aware thou wilt
fall, but remember God is merciful: Therefore, repent of that which
thou hast done, and he will only cause thee to be afflicted for a season,
and thou art still chosen, and wilt again be called to the work; and
except thou do this, thou shalt be delivered up and become as other
men, and have no more gift.
- And when thou deliveredst up that which God had given thee sight and
power to translate, thou deliveredst up that which was sacred, into
the hands of a wicked man, who has set at nought the counsels of God,
and has broken the most sacred promises, which were made before God,
and has depended upon his own judgement, and boasted in his own wisdom,
and this is the reason that thou hast lost thy privileges for a season,
for thou hast suffered the counsel of thy director to be trampled upon
from the beginning.
- Nevertheless, my work shall go forth and accomplish my purposes, for
as the knowledge of a Savior has come into the world, even so shall
the knowledge of my people, the Nephites, and the Jacobites, and the
Josephites, and the Zoramites, come to the knowledge of the Lamanites,
and the Lemuelites and the Ishmaelites, which dwindled in unbelief,
because of the iniquities of their fathers, who have been suffered to
destroy their brethren, because of their iniquities, and their abominations:
and for this very purpose are these plates preserved which contain these
records, that the promises of the Lord might be fulfilled, which he
made to his people; and that the Lamanites might come to the knowledge
of their fathers, and that they might know the promises of the Lord,
and that they may believe the gospel and rely upon the merits of Jesus
Christ, and be glorified through faith in his name; and that through
their repentance they might be saved: Amen.
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