Part 76 (1/2)
Alma 36:24 24 Yea, and from that time even until now, I have labored without ceasing, that I might bring souls unto repentance; that I might bring them to taste of the exceeding joy of which I did taste; that they might also be born of G.o.d, and be filled with the Holy Ghost.
Alma 36:25 25 Yea, and now behold, O my son, the Lord doth give me exceedingly great joy in the fruit of my labors;
Alma 36:26 26 For because of the word which he has imparted unto me, behold, many have been born of G.o.d, and have tasted as I have tasted, and have seen eye to eye as I have seen; therefore they do know of these things of which I have spoken, as I do know; and the knowledge which I have is of G.o.d.
Alma 36:27 27 And I have been supported under trials and troubles of every kind, yea, and in all manner of afflictions; yea, G.o.d has delivered me from prison, and from bonds, and from death; yea, and I do put my trust in him, and he will still deliver me.
Alma 36:28 28 And I know that he will raise me up at the last day, to dwell with him in glory; yea, and I will praise him forever, for he has brought our fathers out of Egypt, and he has swallowed up the Egyptians in the Red Sea; and he led them by his power into the promised land; yea, and he has delivered them out of bondage and captivity from time to time.
Alma 36:29 29 Yea, and he has also brought our fathers out of the land of Jerusalem; and he has also, by his everlasting power, delivered them out of bondage and captivity, from time to time even down to the present day; and I have always retained in remembrance their captivity; yea, and ye also ought to retain in remembrance, as I have done, their captivity.
Alma 36:30 30 But behold, my son, this is not all; for ye ought to know as I do know, that inasmuch as ye shall keep the commandments of G.o.d ye shall prosper in the land; and ye ought to know also, that inasmuch as ye will not keep the commandments of G.o.d ye shall be cut off from his presence. Now this is according to his word.
Alma 37 Chapter 37
Alma 37:1 1 And now, my son Helaman, I command you that ye take the records which have been entrusted with me;
Alma 37:2 2 And I also command you that ye keep a record of this people, according as I have done, upon the plates of Nephi, and keep all these things sacred which I have kept, even as I have kept them; for it is for a wise purpose that they are kept.
Alma 37:3 3 And these plates of bra.s.s, which contain these engravings, which have the records of the holy scriptures upon them, which have the genealogy of our forefathers, even from the beginning--
Alma 37:4 4 Behold, it has been prophesied by our fathers, that they should be kept and handed down from one generation to another, and be kept and preserved by the hand of the Lord until they should go forth unto every nation, kindred, tongue, and people, that they shall know of the mysteries contained thereon.
Alma 37:5 5 And now behold, if they are kept they must retain their brightness; yea, and they will retain their brightness; yea, and also shall all the plates which do contain that which is holy writ.
Alma 37:6 6 Now ye may suppose that this is foolishness in me; but behold I say unto you, that by small and simple things are great things brought to pa.s.s; and small means in many instances doth confound the wise.
Alma 37:7 7 And the Lord G.o.d doth work by means to bring about his great and eternal purposes; and by very small means the Lord doth confound the wise and bringeth about the salvation of many souls.
Alma 37:8 8 And now, it has. .h.i.therto been wisdom in G.o.d that these things should be preserved; for behold, they have enlarged the memory of this people, yea, and convinced many of the error of their ways, and brought them to the knowledge of their G.o.d unto the salvation of their souls.
Alma 37:9 9 Yea, I say unto you, were it not for these things that these records do contain, which are on these plates, Ammon and his brethren could not have convinced so many thousands of the Lamanites of the incorrect tradition of their fathers; yea, these records and their words brought them unto repentance; that is, they brought them to the knowledge of the Lord their G.o.d, and to rejoice in Jesus Christ their Redeemer.
Alma 37:10 10 And who knoweth but what they will be the means of bringing many thousands of them, yea, and also many thousands of our stiffnecked brethren, the Nephites, who are now hardening their hearts in sin and iniquities, to the knowledge of their Redeemer?
Alma 37:11 11 Now these mysteries are not yet fully made known unto me; therefore I shall forbear.
Alma 37:12 12 And it may suffice if I only say they are preserved for a wise purpose, which purpose is known unto G.o.d; for he doth counsel in wisdom over all his works, and his paths are straight, and his course is one eternal round.
Alma 37:13 13 O remember, remember, my son Helaman, how strict are the commandments of G.o.d. And he said: If ye will keep my commandments ye shall prosper in the land--but if ye keep not his commandments ye shall be cut off from his presence.
Alma 37:14 14 And now remember, my son, that G.o.d has entrusted you with these things, which are sacred, which he has kept sacred, and also which he will keep and preserve for a wise purpose in him, that he may show forth his power unto future generations.
Alma 37:15 15 And now behold, I tell you by the spirit of prophecy, that if ye transgress the commandments of G.o.d, behold, these things which are sacred shall be taken away from you by the power of G.o.d, and ye shall be delivered up unto Satan, that he may sift you as chaff before the wind.
Alma 37:16 16 But if ye keep the commandments of G.o.d, and do with these things which are sacred according to that which the Lord doth command you, (for you must appeal unto the Lord for all things whatsoever ye must do with them) behold, no power of earth or h.e.l.l can take them from you, for G.o.d is powerful to the fulfilling of all his words.
Alma 37:17 17 For he will fulfil all his promises which he shall make unto you, for he has fulfilled his promises which he has made unto our fathers.
Alma 37:18 18 For he promised unto them that he would preserve these things for a wise purpose in him, that he might show forth his power unto future generations.