The Sealed Book from the Mormon Plates

WORDS OF MORONI

11-20

 

11 Nevertheless I was commanded by the Lord to separate into three sets the whole record contained in the plates of Mormon in order to be revealed in three periods of times.

 

12 The first set is a preparatory appendix of the second, and the second of the third. The first serves to constitute an alliance between God and the Gentiles through repentance, and constitutes an open record, to be given in preparation for the people to understand the greater things when they will be revealed.

 

13 And if they do not harden their hearts when the second part comes, they will not only know the mysteries of God through the first part, but will receive more, a little here, another little there, line upon line; precept upon precept, until they know the
mysteries of God through the revelation of the second part, to the understanding of all things concerning his church in the last days1.

(1) RLDS Alma 9:15-18 / LDS Alma 12:9-10

 

14 But the reverse will come to those who possess the first part of the records compiled by my father, Mormon, in the last days, yea in the days of the Gentiles, but who will not be willing to meditate upon it in their hearts, so little will avail themselves of the gift superimposed on a promise transcribed by me, Moroni, and which corresponds to the first two parts of my father's writings, since I have registered "these my words as an exhortation," before even sealing 'these records,' corresponding to more than one sealed record, because at no time did I say 'this record' when I mentioned that I would be sealing 'these records1.'

(1) Moroni 10:2 - RLDS and LDS

 

15 "And I exhort you again, if God deems it prudent for you to read these records, if you have only the desire to understand the truth about them and from your heart meditate on their words, then I exhort you to ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if you ask with a sincere heart and with a true intention to know, having faith in Christ, then he will manifest to you the truth of them by the power of the Holy Spirit, for through the Holy Spirit you may know the truth of all things1."

(1) RLDS Moroni 10:4-5 / LDS Moroni 10:4

 

16 And it shall come to pass with those who harden their hearts to this second part, when it shall be revealed unto the children of men, that even the knowledge of the first part will be taken away from them and they will remain attached to the precepts
of men1; they will honor the Lord with their lips but they will be far from his ways2; they will be convinced of their faith in the first part previously revealed of these records saying, we have enough, and we are not ready for more scriptures. From this
will be taken even what little of the knowledge they have until they have nothing left but their traditions3.

(1) RLDS Alma 9:17-21 / LDS Alma 12:10-11 | (2) RLDS 2Nephi 11:143-146 / LDS 2Nephi 27:21-25 | (3) RLDS 2 Nephi 12:30-38 / LDS 2Nephi 28:24-30

 

17 In turn, this set corresponding to the second part which I, Moroni, foretold in a double prophecy revealed to me from Jesus Christ, whose context exposes both the emergence of this book sealed of Mormon that must be revealed before the coming of
our Lord in the sight of his disciples in the last days, as well as the record of the seven seals that my father, Mormon, foresaw in this record, that our Lord alone is worthy to open the rest of the seals which he contains in the sealed set of these plates of Mormon, through the events which were foretold upon the nations of the earth1 after their coming upon Zion in the New Jerusalem and the seven events which will henceforth unfold with the children of men, all foretold in these records, which by it Jesus Christ will be revealed to those who will have the faith of the brother of Jared2, before the coming of Heavenly Zion and the Tent of God be established forever among the sons of man and the Kingdom of our Lord subdue all nations under his terms.

(1) RLDS D&C 98:5a / LDS D&C 101:23; D&C 77:6; Revelation 5:5 | (2) RLDS Ether 1:101 / LDS Ether 4:7

 

18 For it was revealed to me in this mixed vision that I obtained from these final events, that before the Lord came to unveil the fullness of his mysteries, that the revelations which the Lord had made to be written by his servant John, should be manifested in the eyes of all the people before his coming. And that these revelations, transcribed by my father, Mormon, in these sealed records, should serve as a
reminder to the covenant children that the work of the Father truly began over all the inhabited land. It is at this time that the Lord calls his people to repentance a second time and invites them to come to him in order to believe in his gospel1.

(1) RLDS 2 Nephi 12:42 / LDS 2 Nephi 29:1

 

19 It is at this time that the word that the Lord revealed to me, Moroni, is fulfilled, when he said: "Behold, when you tear this veil of unbelief that leads you to remain in your terrible state of iniquity and hardness of heart and blindness of mind, the great and marvelous things which were concealed from you before the foundation of the world will be revealed to you - yea when the revelations which I have made to be written by my servant John were manifested before the eyes of my people before my
coming, then shall ye know that the great and the wonderful work of the Father truly began on the whole face of the Earth1, so that all men may for the last time repent, even to the ends of the earth if they so desire, and come to me, Jesus Christ, and believe my gospel, before I come to my temple2 and delineate the boundaries of my kingdom, where there will be those who are loyal to me, and no one will be allowed to cross their borders.”

(1) RLDS Ether 1:111-114 / LDS Ether 4:15 -17 | (2) RLDS D&C 38:5b; D&C 42:10c; D&C 65: 1d / LDS D&C 38:22; D&C 42:35-36; D&C 65:5

 

20 On this day alone in Zion there will be protection, and in the New Jerusalem a refuge for the fellow citizens of the saints. Also in those days when the things I selected are revealed, about which I wrote that they should not be touched until such time as God judged it prudent to reveal these things in the future, then in that moment when they are brought to light by the one who is to read the words contained therein, it will occur just as in the previous days of times, that this other man of whom I have written, that he will have the privilege of showing these plates to those who will help bring this work to light. Initially they will be shown to three by the power of God, who will know with certainty that these things are true. And through the mouths of these three witnesses these things will be firmly established1. And no one else will see, except a few, according to the Holy Spirit, and they shall testify together with the power of God, also by his word, first uttered by the mouth of the ancient prophets, of whom the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit will testify against the fallen and ruined world in the last days2.

(1) RLDS Ether 2:1-3 / LDS Ether 5:1-4 | (2) RLDS Ether 2:3 / LDS Ether 5:4