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2 Nephi 26


Chapter 26

Christ will minister to the Nephites—Nephi foresees the destruction of his people—They will speak from the dust—The Gentiles will build up false churches and secret combinations—The Lord forbids men to practice priestcrafts. About 559–545 B.C.

And after Christ shall have risen from the dead he shall show himself unto you, my children, and my beloved brethren; and the words which he shall speak unto you shall be the law which ye shall do.

For behold, I say unto you that I have beheld that many generations shall pass away, and there shall be great wars and contentions among my people.

And after the Messiah shall come there shall be signs given unto my people of his birth, and also of his death and resurrection; and great and terrible shall that day be unto the wicked, for they shall perish; and they perish because they cast out the prophets, and the saints, and stone them, and slay them; wherefore the cry of the blood of the saints shall ascend up to God from the ground against them.

Wherefore, all those who are proud, and that do wickedly, the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the Lord of Hosts, for they shall be as stubble.

And they that kill the prophets, and the saints, the depths of the earth shall swallow them up, saith the Lord of Hosts; and mountains shall cover them, and whirlwinds shall carry them away, and buildings shall fall upon them and crush them to pieces and grind them to powder.

And they shall be visited with thunderings, and lightnings, and earthquakes, and all manner of destructions, for the fire of the anger of the Lord shall be kindled against them, and they shall be as stubble, and the day that cometh shall consume them, saith the Lord of Hosts.

O the pain, and the anguish of my soul for the loss of the slain of my people! For I, Nephi, have seen it, and it well nigh consumeth me before the presence of the Lord; but I must cry unto my God: Thy ways are just.

But behold, the righteous that hearken unto the words of the prophets, and destroy them not, but look forward unto Christ with steadfastness for the signs which are given, notwithstanding all persecutionbehold, they are they which shall not perish.

But the Son of Righteousness shall appear unto them; and he shall heal them, and they shall have peace with him, until three generations shall have passed away, and many of the fourth generation shall have passed away in righteousness.

10 And when these things have passed away a speedy destruction cometh unto my people; for, notwithstanding the pains of my soul, I have seen it; wherefore, I know that it shall come to pass; and they sell themselves for naught; for, for the reward of their pride and their foolishness they shall reap destruction; for because they yield unto the devil and choose works of darkness rather than light, therefore they must go down to hell.

11 For the Spirit of the Lord will not always strive with man. And when the Spirit ceaseth to strive with man then cometh speedy destruction, and this grieveth my soul.

12 And as I spake concerning the convincing of the Jews, that Jesus is the very Christ, it must needs be that the Gentiles be convinced also that Jesus is the Christ, the Eternal God;

13 And that he manifesteth himself unto all those who believe in him, by the power of the Holy Ghost; yea, unto every nation, kindred, tongue, and people, working mighty miracles, signs, and wonders, among the children of men according to their faith.

14 But behold, I prophesy unto you concerning the last days; concerning the days when the Lord God shall bring these things forth unto the children of men.

15 After my seed and the seed of my brethren shall have dwindled in unbelief, and shall have been smitten by the Gentiles; yea, after the Lord God shall have camped against them round about, and shall have laid siege against them with a mount, and raised forts against them; and after they shall have been brought down low in the dust, even that they are not, yet the words of the righteous shall be written, and the prayers of the faithful shall be heard, and all those who have dwindled in unbelief shall not be forgotten.

16 For those who shall be destroyed shall speak unto them out of the ground, and their speech shall be low out of the dust, and their voice shall be as one that hath a familiar spirit; for the Lord God will give unto him power, that he may whisper concerning them, even as it were out of the ground; and their speech shall whisper out of the dust.

17 For thus saith the Lord God: They shall write the things which shall be done among them, and they shall be written and sealed up in a book, and those who have dwindled in unbelief shall not have them, for they seek to destroy the things of God.

18 Wherefore, as those who have been destroyed have been destroyed speedily; and the multitude of their terrible ones shall be as chaff that passeth awayyea, thus saith the Lord God: It shall be at an instant, suddenly—

19 And it shall come to pass, that those who have dwindled in unbelief shall be smitten by the hand of the Gentiles.

20 And the Gentiles are lifted up in the pride of their eyes, and have stumbled, because of the greatness of their stumbling block, that they have built up many churches; nevertheless, they put down the power and miracles of God, and preach up unto themselves their own wisdom and their own learning, that they may get gain and grind upon the face of the poor.

21 And there are many churches built up which cause envyings, and strifes, and malice.

22 And there are also secret combinations, even as in times of old, according to the combinations of the devil, for he is the founder of all these things; yea, the founder of murder, and works of darkness; yea, and he leadeth them by the neck with a flaxen cord, until he bindeth them with his strong cords forever.

23 For behold, my beloved brethren, I say unto you that the Lord God worketh not in darkness.

24 He doeth not anything save it be for the benefit of the world; for he loveth the world, even that he layeth down his own life that he may draw all men unto him. Wherefore, he commandeth none that they shall not partake of his salvation.

25 Behold, doth he cry unto any, saying: Depart from me? Behold, I say unto you, Nay; but he saith: Come unto me all ye ends of the earth, buy milk and honey, without money and without price.

26 Behold, hath he commanded any that they should depart out of the synagogues, or out of the houses of worship? Behold, I say unto you, Nay.

27 Hath he commanded any that they should not partake of his salvation? Behold I say unto you, Nay; but he hath given it free for all men; and he hath commanded his people that they should persuade all men to repentance.

28 Behold, hath the Lord commanded any that they should not partake of his goodness? Behold I say unto you, Nay; but all men are privileged the one like unto the other, and none are forbidden.

29 He commandeth that there shall be no priestcrafts; for, behold, priestcrafts are that men preach and set themselves up for a light unto the world, that they may get gain and praise of the world; but they seek not the welfare of Zion.

30 Behold, the Lord hath forbidden this thing; wherefore, the Lord God hath given a commandment that all men should have charity, which charity is love. And except they should have charity they were nothing. Wherefore, if they should have charity they would not suffer the laborer in Zion to perish.

31 But the laborer in Zion shall labor for Zion; for if they labor for money they shall perish.

32 And again, the Lord God hath commanded that men should not murder; that they should not lie; that they should not steal; that they should not take the name of the Lord their God in vain; that they should not envy; that they should not have malice; that they should not contend one with another; that they should not commit whoredoms; and that they should do none of these things; for whoso doeth them shall perish.

33 For none of these iniquities come of the Lord; for he doeth that which is good among the children of men; and he doeth nothing save it be plain unto the children of men; and he inviteth them all to come unto him and partake of his goodness; and he denieth none that come unto him, black and white, bond and free, male and female; and he remembereth the heathen; and all are alike unto God, both Jew and Gentile.

      • according to (preposition)

        In a way that agrees with.

      • all manner of (adjective phrase)

        Every kind of.

      • all (pronoun)

        Everyone.

      • appear (verb)

        To make oneself visible; to come to; to show oneself.

      • as (adverb)

        Like.

      • ascend, ascend up (verb)

        To rise; to go or come up.

      • away (adverb)

        Out of existence.

      • B.C. (noun)

        Before the birth of Christ.

      • because of (conjunction)

        By reason of; through.

      • before (preposition)

        In front of.

      • behold (interjection, archaic)

        Look! See! In fact.

      • behold (verb)

        To see; to understand.

      • beloved (adjective)

        Dear; well-loved.

      • brethren (noun)

        Brothers.

      • brother, brethren (noun)

        Peer; neighbor; relative; kinsman.

      • cast out, cast off, cast away (verb)

        To throw out; to chase away.

      • cease (verb)

        To stop; to come to an end.

      • charity (noun)

        Love; the pure love of Christ.

      • children of men (noun)

        All people.

      • Christ (noun)

        A title for Jesus Christ. The titles Christ and Messiah both mean a king or priest sent by God to save the world.

      • cometh (verb, archaic)

        Comes.

      • command (verb)

        To give a law, order, or binding instruction.

      • commandment (noun)

        Law; order; binding instruction (especially from God).

      • concerning (preposition)

        About.

      • contention (noun)

        Disputes; disagreements (sometimes leading to violence).

      • convincing (noun)

        Persuading; proving.

      • cry (verb)

        To call; to shout; to exclaim.

      • cry (verb)

        To plead; to pray earnestly.

      • day (noun)

        Period; time.

      • latter days; last days (noun)

        Modern times; the period before the Second Coming of Jesus Christ (sometimes also called the “end times”).

      • depart (verb)

        To leave.

      • destroy (verb)

        To kill; to thwart.

      • destroy (verb)

        To ruin something; to cause something to cease to exist.

      • destruction (noun)

        The tearing down or complete ruin of something.

      • devil (noun)

        Satan (also called Lucifer), a spiritual being who rebelled against God and opposes Him. Satan deceives people and tempt them to sin.

      • doth, doeth (verb, archaic)

        Does.

      • dwindle (verb)

        To shrink; to decline; to lose faith and knowledge.

      • earth (noun)

        Ground.

      • ends of the earth (noun phrase)

        Everywhere on earth; the most remote places on earth.

      • even unto (adverb)

        To the point of; up until.

      • even (adverb)

        In the same way.

      • except (conjunction)

        Unless.

      • faith (noun)

        Belief in God, willingness to follow His gospel, and trust in the impressions of the Holy Ghost.

      • faithful (noun)

        People who have faith and are loyal to the teachings of the gospel.

      • for behold (conjunction)

        Therefore; so you see.

      • for (conjunction)

        Because.

      • for (conjunction)

        Because.

      • for (conjunction)

        Because; because you see.

      • for (preposition)

        Because of.

      • forbid (verb)

        To prohibit; to command someone not to do something.

      • free (adjective)

        Having the ability to choose; not being forced.

      • from the dust (adverb phrase)

        From the grave.

      • generation (noun)

        An age; a long period of time; the people living at a given time.

      • Gentile (proper noun)

        Member of a nation or tribe other than Israel.

      • God (proper noun)

        God the Father or His Son, Jesus Christ. God the Father rules all things with perfect justice, mercy, and love. Jesus Christ often speaks and acts for His Father. He suffered so that we could be forgiven of our sins and be resurrected. The Father and Son are separate individuals but are united in purpose.

      • hath (verb, archaic)

        Has.

      • hearken (verb)

        To listen; to take advice from; to obey.

      • hell (noun)

        The torment we will feel after this life for our sins if we do not repent.

      • Holy Ghost (proper noun)

        The Holy Ghost, also known as the Holy Spirit or the Spirit of the Lord. He is a divine spirit, one in purpose with God the Father and Jesus Christ. He speaks to our hearts and testifies of truth.

      • it must needs be that (phrase)

        It is necessary that; it follows that.

      • Jesus (proper noun)

        Personal name of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. The name means “Savior.”

      • Jew (proper noun)

        Member of the tribe of Judah, one of the twelve tribes of Israel; people who lived in the land of Judah.

      • kindred (noun)

        A group of people who are related to each other.

      • labor (verb)

        To work.

      • learning (noun)

        Knowledge.

      • lie (verb)

        To say something that is not true; to deceive someone.

      • Lord God (noun)

        A term of respect for God the Father or Jesus Christ.

      • Lord (noun)

        A term of respect for God the Father or Jesus Christ.

      • loveth (verb, archaic)

        Loves.

      • man (noun)

        Human beings.

      • men (noun)

        People; humanity.

      • manifest (verb)

        To appear; to show.

      • may, might (verb)

        Can; could.

      • Messiah (proper noun)

        A title for Jesus Christ. The titles Messiah and Christ both mean a king or priest sent by God to save the world.

      • mighty (adjective)

        Great; wondrous.

      • minister (verb)

        To teach; to serve.

      • miracle (noun)

        Something done by God that seems impossible to human beings; something done by a human through God’s power that would ordinarily be impossible for them.

      • multitude (noun)

        Crowd.

      • nation (noun)

        A large group of people who are related to each other or who have the same language, history, or government; the country where they live.

      • nay (adverb)

        No.

      • Nephi (proper noun)

        A prophet, fourth son of Lehi; author of the first two books of the Book of Mormon.

      • nevertheless (adverb)

        But still; in spite of this.

      • none (pronoun)

        No one.

      • O (interjection)

        Oh (spoken when one is filled with emotion or surprise.

      • of (preposition)

        From.

      • one with another (adverb)

        With each other.

      • one (pronoun)

        Someone.

      • out of the dust (adverb phrase)

        From the grave.

      • partake, partake of (verb)

        To eat or drink; to take a portion.

      • peace (noun)

        Contentment; freedom from guilt or turmoil; confidence in God’s plan.

      • perish (verb)

        To die; to be killed.

      • perish (verb)

        To die or be killed; to be lost spiritually.

      • persecution (noun)

        Hurting or harming someone because of that person’s beliefs or their membership in a group.

      • persuade (verb)

        To convince; to bring someone to believe or agree.

      • preach (verb)

        To give a public speech on principles of faith or on how to live a righteous life.

      • prophesy (verb)

        To deliver a message or predict future events by inspiration from God.

      • prophet (noun)

        A person sent by God to speak for Him.

      • reap (verb)

        To gather; to harvest; to receive.

      • repentance (noun)

        Feeling sorrow for one’s sins, making amends, changing one’s life, and seeking forgiveness.

      • resurrection (noun)

        Coming to life after being dead; the body and spirit coming together permanently; becoming immortal.

      • righteousness (noun)

        Goodness; morality; obedience to God’s commandments.

      • rise (verb)

        To be resurrected; to rise from the dead.

      • round about (preposition)

        Around; surrounding.

      • saints (noun)

        Members of Christ’s Church; individuals become holy through living the principles of the gospel.

      • salvation (noun)

        Being saved by God from death and the effects of sin; being saved by God from enemies or other physical danger.

      • save it be (adverb phrase)

        Except; other than.

      • save it be (adverb phrase)

        Unless it is.

      • seal, seal up (verb)

        To mark or bind something to protect it from alteration or unauthorized use; to place something under the Lord’s protection.

      • seed (noun)

        Posterity; descendants.

      • seek, sought (verb)

        Try, tried.

      • seek, sought (verb)

        To strive for; to try to obtain or make happen.

      • shall, should (verb)

        Will, would.

      • should (verb)

        May; must; ought to.

      • it shall came to pass (verb phrase)

        It will happened.

      • should (verb)

        Were to.

      • sign (noun)

        A symbolic act or event given by God to show that something is true.

      • slay (verb)

        To kill.

      • Son (proper noun)

        Jesus Christ, the Son of God. He created the earth and rules it. He often speaks and acts for His Father. He suffered so that we could be forgiven of our sins and be resurrected.

      • soul (noun)

        Spirit; the part of us that exists before birth, that continues after death, and that has awareness and the ability to choose.

      • spake (verb, archaic)

        Said.

      • speedily (adverb)

        Quickly.

      • Spirit of the Lord (noun)

        The Holy Ghost. He is a divine spirit, one in purpose with God the Father and Jesus Christ. He speaks to our hearts and testifies of truth.

      • spirit (noun)

        The part of us that exists before birth, that continues after death, and that has awareness and the ability to choose.

      • Spirit (noun)

        The Holy Ghost, also known as the Spirit of the Lord. He is a divine spirit, one in purpose with God the Father and Jesus Christ. He speaks to our hearts and testifies of truth.

      • steal (verb)

        To seize or take something from someone without their permission.

      • stone (verb)

        To throw stones at in order to kill or punish.

      • suffer (verb, archaic)

        To allow; to permit.

      • synagogue (noun)

        A place of worship.

      • that (conjunction)

        In order that; so that.

      • that (conjunction)

        Who.

      • therefore (adverb)

        For this reason.

      • thy (pronoun, archaic)

        Your.

      • tongue (noun)

        A group of people who speak the same language.

      • unbelief (noun)

        Absence or lack of belief or faith.

      • unto (preposition)

        To.

      • come unto (verb)

        To come to; to show willingness to follow or obey.

      • unto (preposition)

        To.

      • unto (preposition)

        To.

      • unto (preposition)

        For; to.

      • like unto (preposition)

        Like; the same as.

      • unto (preposition)

        To.

      • unto (preposition)

        To.

      • war (noun)

        Extended fight between large groups of people.

      • welfare (noun)

        Well-being; benefit; good; advantage.

      • wherefore (adverb)

        So you see; therefore.

      • wherefore (adverb)

        So.

      • whoso (pronoun)

        Anyone that; whoever; whosoever.

      • wicked (noun)

        A person who does evil or bad things in an ongoing way.

      • with (preposition)

        Through; by means of.

      • word (noun)

        Message; teachings.

      • works (noun)

        Actions; deeds.

      • work (verb)

        To do; to perform.

      • world (noun)

        All human beings.

      • ye (pronoun, archaic)

        You.

      • yea (interjection, archaic)

        Indeed; yes. This is pronounced “yay.”

      • Zion (proper noun)

        The kingdom of God on earth.