sought much opportunity that I might speak unto you: for I have heard and also know, that thou goest about much, preaching that which ye call the gospel, or the doctrine of Christ; and ye have led away much of this people, that they pervert the right way of God, and keep not the law of Moses, which is the right way: and convert the law of Moses into the worship of a being, which ye say shall come many hundred years hence. And now behold, I, Sherem, declare unto you, that this is blasphemy; for no man knoweth of such things; for he cannot tell of things to come. And after this manner did Sherem contend against me. But behold, the Lord God poured in his Spirit into my soul, insomuch that I did confound him in all his words. And I said unto him, deniest thou the Christ who should come? And he said, if there should be a Christ, I would not deny him; but I know that there is no Christ, neither has been, nor ever will be. And I said unto him, believest thou the scriptures? And he said, yea. And I said unto him, then ye do not understand them; for they truly testify of Christ. Behold I say unto you, that none of the prophets have written, nor prophesied, save they have spoken concerning this Christ. And this is not all it has been made manifest unto me, for I have heard and seen; and it also has been made manifest unto me by the power of the Holy Ghost; wherefore, I know if there should be no atonement made, all mankind must be lost.

3. And it came to pass that he said unto me, shew me a sign by this power of the Holy Ghost, in the which ye know so much. And I said unto him, what am I that I should tempt God to shew unto thee a sign in the thing which thou knowest to be true? Yet thou wilt deny it, because thou art of the devil. Nevertheless, not my will be done; but if God shall smite thee, let that be a sign unto thee that he has power, both in Heaven and in earth; and also that Christ shall come. And thy will, O Lord, be done, and not mine.

4. And it came to pass that when I, Jacob, had spoken these words, the power of the Lord came upon him, insomuch, that he fell to the earth. And it came to pass that he was nourished for the space of many days. And it came to pass that he said unto the people, gather together on the morrow, for I shall die; wherefore, I desire to speak unto the people before I shall die.

5. And it came to pass that on the morrow the multitude were gathered together; and he spake plainly unto them and denied the things which he had taught them; and confessed the Christ, and the power of the Holy Ghost, and the ministering of angels. And he spake plainly unto them,

that he had been deceived by the power of the devil. And he spake of hell, and of eternity, and of eternal punishment. And he said, I fear lest I have committed the unpardonable sin, for I have lied unto God: for I denied the Christ, and said that I believed the scriptures; and they truly testify of him. And because I have thus lied unto God, I greatly fear lest my case shall be awful; but I confess unto God.

6. And it came to pass that when he had said these words, he could say no more, and he gave up the ghost. And when the multitude had witnessed that he spake these things as he was about to give up the ghost, they were astonished exceedingly; insomuch that the power of God came down upon them, and they were overcome, that they fell to the earth. Now, this thing was pleasing unto me, Jacob, for I had requested it of my Father who was in heaven: for he had heard my cry and answered my prayer.

7. And it came to pass that peace and the love of God was restored again among the people; and they searched the scriptures, and hearkened no more to the words of this wicked man. And it came to pass that many means were devised to reclaim and restore the Lamanites to the knowledge of the truth; but it all were vain, for they delighted in wars and bloodsheds, and they had an eternal hatred against us, their brethren. And they sought by the power of their arms to destroy us continually; wherefore, the people of Nephi did fortify against them with their armies, and with all their might, trusting in the God and rock of their salvation; wherefore, they became as yet, conquerors of their enemies.

8. And it came to pass that I, Jacob, began to be old; and the record of this people being kept on the other plates of Nephi, wherefore, I conclude this record, declaring that I have written according to the best of my knowledge, by saying, that the time passed away with us, and also our lives passed away like as it were unto us a dream, we being a lonesome and a solemn people, wanderers, cast out from Jerusalem; born in tribulation, in a wilderness, and hated of our brethren, which caused wars and contentions; wherefore, we did mourn out our days.

9. And I, Jacob, saw that I must soon go down to my grave; wherefore, I said unto my son Enos, take these plates. And Itold him the things which my brother Nephi had commanded me, and he promised obedience unto the commands. And I make an end of my writing upon these plates, which writing has been small; and to the reader I bid farewell, hoping that many of my brethren may read my words. Brethren, adieu.

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THE BOOK OF ENOS

CHAPTER I.

1. BEHOLD, it came to pass that I, Enos, knowing my father that he was a just man: for he taught me in his language, and also in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. And blessed be the name of my God for it. And I will tell you of the wrestle which I had before God, before I received a remission of my sins: behold, I went to hunt beasts in the forest; and the words which I had often heard my father speak concerning eternal life, and the joy of the saints, sunk deep into my heart. And my soul hungered; and I kneeled down before my Maker, and I cried unto him in mighty prayer and supplication for mine own soul; and all the day long did I cry unto him; yea, and when the night came, I did still raise my voice high that it reached the heavens. And there came a voice unto me saying, Enos, thy sins are forgiven thee, and thou shalt be blessed. And I, Enos, knew that God could not lie, wherefore, my guilt was swept away. And I said, Lord, how is it done? And he said unto me, because of thy faith in Christ, whom thou hast never before heard nor seen. And many years pass away, before he shall manifest himself in the flesh; wherefore, go to, thy faith hath made thee whole.

2. Now, it came to pass, that when I had heard these words, I began to feel a desire for the welfare of my brethren, the Nephites; wherefore, I did pour out my whole soul unto God for them. And while I was thus struggling in the spirit, behold, the voice of the Lord came into my mind again, saying, I will visit thy brethren, according to their diligence in keeping my commandments. I have given unto them this land; and it is a holy land: and I curse it not, save it be for the cause of iniquity; wherefore, I will visit thy brethren, according as I have said; and their transgressions will I bring down with sorrow upon their own heads. And after I, Enos, had heard these words, my faith began to be unshaken in the Lord; and I prayed unto him with many long strugglings for my brethren, the Lamanites.

3. And it came to pass, that after I had prayed, and labored with all diligence, the Lord said unto me, I will grant unto thee according to thy desires, because of thy faith. And now behold, this was the desire which I desired of him: That if

it should so be, that my people, the Nephites, should fall into transgression, and by any means be destroyed, and the Lamanites should not be destroyed, that the Lord God would preserve a record of my people, the Nephites; even if it so be, by the power of his holy arm, that it might be brought forth at some future day unto the Lamanites, that, perhaps, they might be brought unto salvation: for at the present, our strugglings were vain in restoring them to the true faith. And they swore in their wrath, that if it were possible, they would destroy our records and us; and, also, all the traditions of our fathers.

4. Wherefore, I knowing that the Lord God was able to preserve our records, I cried unto him continually, for he had said unto me, whatsoever thing ye shall ask in faith, believing that ye shall receive in the name of Christ, ye shall receive it. And I had faith, and I did cry unto God that he would preserve the records; and he covenanted with me that he would bring them forth unto the Lamanites in his own due time. And I, Enos, knew it would be according to the covenant which he had made; wherefore my soul did rest. And the Lord said unto me, thy fathers have also required of me this thing; and it shall be done unto them according to their faith, for their faith was like unto thine.

5. And now it came to pass that I, Enos, went about among the people of Nephi, prophesying of things to come, and testifying of the things which I had heard and seen. And I bear record that the people of Nephi did seek diligently to restore the Lamanites unto the true faith in God. But our labours were vain; their hatred was fixed, and they were led by their evil nature that they became wild, and ferocious, and a bloodthirsty people; full of idolatry and filthiness: feeding upon beasts of prey; dwelling in tents, and wandering about in the wilderness with a short skin girdle about their loins and their heads shaven and their skill was in the bow, and in the cimeter, and the axe. And many of them did eat nothing save it was raw meat; and they were continually seeking to destroy us.

6. And it came to pass that the people of Nephi did till the land, and raise all manner of grain, and of fruit, and flocks of herds, and flocks of all manner of cattle of every kind, and goats, and wild goats, and also many horses. And there were exceeding many prophets among us. And the people were a stiffnecked people, hard to understand. And there was nothing save it was exceeding harshness, preaching and prophesying of wars, and contentions, and destructions, and continually reminding them of death, and the duration of eternity,

and the judgments and the power of God; and all these things stirring them up continually to keep them in the fear of the Lord. I say there was nothing short of these things; and exceeding great plainness of speech, would keep them from going down speedily to destruction. And after this manner do I write concerning them. And I saw wars between the Nephites and Lamanites in the course of my days.

7. And it came to pass that I began to be old, and an hundred and seventy and nine years had passed away from the time that our father Lehi left Jerusalem. And as I saw that I must soon go down to my grave, having been wrought upon by the power of God that I must preach and prophesy unto this people, and declare the word according to the truth which is in Christ. And I have declared it, in all my days, and have rejoiced in it, above that of the world. And I soon go to the place of my rest, which is with my Reedemer; for I know that in him I shall rest and I rejoice in the day when my mortal shall put on immortality, and shall stand before him: then shall I see his face with pleasure, and he will say unto me, come unto me, ye blessed, there is a place prepared for you in the mansions of my FATHER. Amen.

THE BOOK OF JAROM.

CHAPTER I.

1. Now behold, I, Jarom, write a few words, according to the commandment of my father Enos, that our genealogy may be kept. And as these plates are small, and as these things are written for the intent of the benefit of our brethren the Lamanites, wherefore, it must needs be that I write a little; but I shall not write the things of my prophesying, nor of my revelations. For what could I write more than my fathers have written? For have not they revealed the plan of salvation? say unto you, yea; and this sufficeth me.

I

2. Behold, it is expedient that much should be done among this people, because of the hardness of their hearts, and the deafness of their ears, and the blindness of their minds, and the stiffness of their necks; nevertheless, God is exceeding merciful unto them, and has not as yet swept them off from the face of the land. And there are many among us who have