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Moroni's
Last Words
Moroni 1, 10
"Now I, Moroni, after having made an end of abridging the
account of the people of Jared, I had supposed not to have written
more, but I have not as yet perished; and I make not myself known
to the Lamanites, lest they should destroy me. For behold, their
wars are exceeding fierce among themselves; and because of their
hatred, they put to death every Nephite that will not deny the
Christ. And I, Moroni, will not deny the Christ; wherefore, I
wander whithersoever I can, for the safety of mine own life.
"Wherefore I write a few more things, contrary to that which
I had supposed; for I had supposed not to have written any more;
but I write a few more things, that perhaps they may be of worth
unto my brethren, the Lamanites, in some future day, according
to the will of the Lord" (Moroni 1).
"Now I, Moroni, write somewhat as seemeth me good; and I
write unto my brethren the Lamanites, and I would that they should
know that more than four hundred and twenty years have passed
away since the sign was given of the coming of Christ. And I seal
up these records, after I have spoken a few words by way of exhortation
unto you.
"Behold, I would exhort you that when ye shall read these
things, if it be wisdom in God that ye should read them, that
ye would remember how merciful the Lord hath been unto the children
of men, from the creation of Adam, even down until the time that
ye shall receive these things, and ponder it in your hearts. And
when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye
would ask God, the eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these
things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart,
with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the
truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost; and by the
power of the Holy Ghost, ye may know the truth of all things.
"And whatsoever thing is good, is just and true; wherefore,
nothing that is good denieth the Christ, but acknowledgeth that
he is. And ye may know that he is, by the power of the Holy Ghost;
wherefore I would exhort you, that ye deny not the power of God;
for he worketh by power, according to the faith of the children
of men, the same to-day and to-morrow, and for ever.
"And again I exhort you, my brethren, that ye deny not
the gifts of God, for they are many; and they come from the same
God. And there are different ways that these gifts are administered;
but it is the same God who worketh all in all; and they are given
by the manifestations of the Spirit of God unto men, to profit
them.
"For behold, to one is given by the Spirit of God, that
he may teach the word of wisdom; and to another, that he may teach
the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; and to another exceeding
great faith; and to another, the gifts of healing by the same
Spirit. And again, to another, that he may work mighty miracles;
and again, to another, that he may prophesy concerning all things;
and again, to another, the beholding of angels and ministering
spirits; and again, to another, all kinds of tongues; and again,
to another, the interpretation of languages and of divers kinds
of tongues.
"And all these gifts come by the Spirit of Christ; and
they come unto every man severally, according as he will. And
I would exhort you, my beloved brethren, that ye remember that
every good gift cometh of Christ.
"And I would exhort you, my beloved brethren, that ye remember
that he is the same yesterday, to-day, and for ever, and that
all these gifts of which I have spoken, which are spiritual, never
will be done away, even as long as the world shall stand, only
according to the unbelief of the children of men.
"Wherefore, there must be faith; and if there must be faith,
there must also be hope; and if there must be hope, there must
also be charity; and except ye have charity, ye can in no wise
be saved in the kingdom of God; neither can ye be saved in the
kingdom of God, if ye have not faith; neither can ye if ye have
no hope; and if ye have no hope, ye must needs be in despair;
and despair cometh because of iniquity. And Christ truly said
unto our fathers, if ye have faith, ye can do all things which
are expedient unto me.
"And now I speak unto all the ends of the earth, that if
the day cometh that the power and gifts of God shall be done away
among you, it shall be because of unbelief. And wo be unto the
children of men, if this be the case; for there shall be none
that doeth good among you, no not one. For if there be one among
you that doeth good, he shall work by the power and gifts of God.
And wo unto them who shall do these things away and die, for they
die in their sins, and they can not be saved in the kingdom of
God; and I speak it according to the words of Christ, and I lie
not.
"And I exhort you to remember these things; for the time
speedily cometh that ye shall know that I lie not, for ye shall
see me at the bar of God, and the Lord God will say unto you,
did I not declare my words unto you, which were written by this
man, like as one crying from the dead? Yea, even as one speaking
out of the dust? I declare these things unto the fulfilling of
the prophecies.
"And behold, they shall proceed forth out of the mouth
of the everlasting God; and his word shall hiss forth from generation
to generation. And God shall shew unto you, that that which I
have written is true.
"And again I would exhort you, that ye would come unto
Christ, and lay hold upon every good gift and touch not the evil
gift, nor the unclean thing. And awake, and arise from the dust,
O Jerusalem; yea, and put on thy beautiful garments, O daughter
of Zion, and strengthen thy stakes, and enlarge thy borders for
ever, that thou mayest “no more be confounded, that the
“covenants of the eternal Father which he hath made unto
thee, O house of Israel, may be fulfilled.
"Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny
yourselves of all ungodliness, and if ye shall deny yourselves
of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and
strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace
ye may be perfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are
perfect in Christ, ye can in no wise deny the power of God. And
again, if ye, by the grace of God, are perfect in Christ, and
deny not his power, then are ye sanctified in Christ by the grace
of God, through the shedding of the blood of Christ, which is
in the covenant of the Father, unto the remission of your sins,
that ye become holy without spot.
"And now I bid unto all, farewell. I soon go to rest in
the paradise of God, until my spirit and body shall again reunite,
and I am brought forth triumphant through the air, to meet you
before the pleasing bar of the great Jehovah, the eternal Judge
of both quick and dead. Amen" (Moroni 10). |
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