Library
Ether 4


Chapter 4

Moroni is commanded to seal up the writings of the brother of Jared—They will not be revealed until men have faith even as the brother of Jared—Christ commands men to believe His words and those of His disciples—Men are commanded to repent, believe the gospel, and be saved.

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.

And after Christ truly had showed himself unto his people he commanded that they should be made manifest.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

      • according to (preposition)

        In a way that agrees with.

      • amen (interjection)

        Let it be so! Often said at the end of religious speeches and prayers.

      • as (adverb)

        Like.

      • away (adverb)

        Out of existence.

      • baptize (verb)

        To perform the ordinance of baptism. In baptism a person is immersed in water to symbolize being cleansed from sin.

      • bear record (verb)

        To give testimony; to state, based on personal knowledge, that something is true.

      • because of (conjunction)

        By reason of; through.

      • before (preposition)

        In front of.

      • behold (interjection, archaic)

        Look! See! In fact.

      • believeth (verb, archaic)

        Believes.

      • blessed (adjective)

        Having received help, protection, favors, or gifts from God.

      • broken heart (noun)

        Sorrow for one’s sins.

      • cause (adverb phrase)

        Reason.

      • 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 (noun)

        Order; instruction.

      • command (verb)

        To give a law, order, or binding instruction.

      • commandment (noun)

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

      • commence (verb)

        To begin.

      • contrite spirit (noun)

        A repentant attitude; sorrow for sins, along with the desire to change and to make amends.

      • covenant (noun)

        A promise God makes to a person or group if they will obey Him.

      • damn (verb)

        To condemn; to deny access forever to the presence of God.

      • day (noun)

        Period; time.

      • deny (verb)

        To claim something is false or unimportant; to refuse to recognize or obey.

      • did, didst (verb, archaic)

        A term used before verbs to make them past tense.

      • doth, doeth (verb, archaic)

        Does.

      • dwell (verb)

        To live; to reside.

      • 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.

      • exercise (verb)

        To use; to apply.

      • faith (noun)

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

      • faithful (adjective)

        Constant; loyal; with faith.

      • fathers (noun)

        Ancestors (one’s parents, their parents, theirs, and so on).

      • Father (proper noun)

        God the Father. He created all life and is the Father of our spirits. He rules all things and is just, righteous, merciful, and loving. He is the father of Jesus Christ.

      • found (verb)

        Considered; judged.

      • for behold (conjunction)

        Therefore; so you see.

      • for (conjunction)

        Because.

      • for (conjunction)

        Because; because you see.

      • forbid (verb)

        To prohibit; to command someone not to do something.

      • from (preposition)

        Starting from or with.

      • Gentile (proper noun)

        Member of a nation or tribe other than Israel.

      • go forth (verb phrase)

        To move forward from a starting point.

      • Son of God (proper noun)

        A title of Jesus Christ. He is Heavenly Father’s Firstborn Child in the spirit and His Only Child in the flesh.

      • gospel (noun)

        God’s plan for saving His children from death and the effects of sin and bringing them back to His presence.

      • hardness of one’s heart (noun phrase)

        Stubbornness; wickedness; resistance to good influences.

      • hath (verb, archaic)

        Has.

      • heaven (noun)

        The sky; figuratively, the place where God lives.

      • hide, hide up (verb)

        To conceal; to place out of sight.

      • hide, hide up (verb)

        Keep from the knowledge of others; keep secret.

      • if it so be that (phrase)

        If.

      • in my name (adverb phrase)

        With faith in me; while following my teachings.

      • in my name (adverb phrase)

        By someone with my authority; by someone acting for me.

      • inhabitant (noun)

        A person who lives in a certain place.

      • iniquity (noun)

        Wickedness; evil.

      • interpretation (noun)

        Translation; explanation.

      • house of Israel (proper noun)

        God’s ancient covenant people, as described in the Bible (house means a nation or tribe); members of God’s Church.

      • Jesus Christ (proper noun)

        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.

      • king (noun)

        Ruler or leader of a country. Kings are usually the son of the previous king.

      • Lamanites (proper noun)

        A people of the Book of Mormon, often enemies of the Nephites, who descended from Nephi’s brother Laman and of those who followed him.

      • Lord (noun)

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

      • men (noun)

        People; humanity.

      • manifest (verb)

        To show; to reveal.

      • manifestation (noun)

        Showing or revealing things; communication from a divine source; .

      • marvelous (adjective)

        Wonderful; astonishing.

      • may, might (verb)

        Can; could.

      • none (pronoun)

        No one.

      • O (interjection, archaic)

        A word placed before the name of someone being addressed, often to show strong feeling.

      • of (preposition)

        From.

      • persuade (verb)

        To convince; to bring someone to believe or agree.

      • plates (noun)

        Books or other records made from thin sheets of metal.

      • prepare (verb)

        To get something ready.

      • from the presence of (prepositional phrase)

        From being in front of or next to; from receiving inspiration, blessings, or protection from; from being able to live with God in the next life.

      • receive (verb)

        To get; to have given to you.

      • record (noun)

        A written description or account.

      • reject (verb)

        To refuse to believe or accept.

      • remain (verb)

        To stay.

      • repent (verb)

        To feel sorrow for one’s sins, ask to be forgiven, and change one’s life.

      • revelation (noun)

        Communication from God. This often comes through prophets and is recorded in scriptures.

      • the same (noun)

        That same person.

      • sanctify (verb)

        To make holy; to purify.

      • save it be (adverb phrase)

        Except; other than.

      • save (verb)

        To rescue from death and sin.

      • 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.

      • send (verb)

        To cause someone to go to someone or someplace or to do something.

      • shall, should (verb)

        Will, would.

      • shall, should (verb)

        Will, would.

      • should (verb)

        May; must; ought to.

      • sign (noun)

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

      • speaketh (verb, archaic)

        Speaks.

      • 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.

      • state (noun)

        Condition; circumstance.

      • that he (or they) should not (phrase)

        So that he (or they) would not.

      • that (conjunction)

        In order that; so that.

      • that (conjunction)

        Who.

      • therefore (adverb)

        For this reason.

      • thereof (adverb)

        Of it; of him; of them.

      • unbelief (noun)

        Absence or lack of belief or faith.

      • come unto (verb)

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

      • unto (preposition)

        To.

      • unto (preposition)

        To.

      • unto (preposition)

        To.

      • whatsoever (adjective)

        Whatever.

      • wherefore (adverb)

        So you see; therefore.

      • wickedness (noun)

        Evil; wrongdoing; disobedience to God’s commandments.

      • word (noun)

        Message; teachings.

      • word (noun)

        Command; instruction.

      • world (noun)

        The earth.

      • world (noun)

        All human beings.

      • writing (noun)

        Something written; a written account or record.

      • ye (pronoun, archaic)

        You.

      • yea (interjection, archaic)

        Indeed; yes. This is pronounced “yay.”