The Sealed Book from the Mormon Plates

Acts of the Three Nephites

CHAPTER 13

1 Therefore, Alma also commanded that the priests whom he had ordained should work with their own hands for their sustenance, except the evangelists, establishing themselves among them one day of each week, besides the Sabbath, in which they were to meet to teach the people and worship the Lord their God; and should they also meet as often possible.

 

2 And then, so that the words of Mosiah may serve as a reference to my people in the fulness of times, the book of Mosiah makes it clear that Alma began the Order of Enoch again among the people of the Church of Christ in his day, when he commanded that his members should share their goods, each according to your possessions; he who had abundantly, should share more abundantly in reason of him who had little; and whoever had nothing, to him would be given. And so, according to their free will and because of their good feelings, they should share their goods with needy priests, yea, and with every needy and naked soul.

 

3 And this, he told them, by order of God1; because he received revelation from Him, and so they walked right before God by listening to their prophet, helping one another, both materially and spiritually, according to their needs.

(1) RLDS Mosiah 9:63 / RLDS Mosiah 18:29

 

4 And it came to pass after some time that Alma and his people were driven into the wilderness, as my people in the fulness of times shall also be driven into the wilderness - where God the Father shall prove the quality of their faith in these words, for the purpose of transforming, purifying, and preparing them for the attainment of their inheritance with Me, Jesus Christ.

 

5 But after eight days run away in the wilderness they came to a very beautiful and pleasant land, a land of pure waters, which had been prepared beforehand to receive them, and as soon as they had arrived in this land and pitched their tents, and they began immediately to cultivate the soil and to build buildings; in being an industrious and hard working people.

 

6 And being a free people, he established himself among them, that they would not have for leader or minister, men who were not God-fearing; but that they should walk in His ways, and keep his commandments.

 

7 To the people of the Church, Alma taught that each one should love one's neighbor as oneself, so that there would be no intrigues between them. And so Alma, being the High Priest of my sacred Order1, became the founder of the Church among them, appointing authorities to preach and teach the people of the Church, so that there would not be among the candidates for evangelizers, those who were not authorized by God to teach, being that all members, men and women, were appointed to speak in congregational meetings, with the purpose of priests preparing them for ministerial work in the preaching of the gospel.

(1) RLDS Mosiah 11:17 / LDS Mosiah 23:16

 

8 And so as iron sharpens iron1, so my people become more and more qualified in the art of teaching and skilled in the handling of the words, in order to offer the offers of his lips2 as sacrifices to God in the preaching of this Gospel to the world, because all are partakers of the body of the Church, by whose sacrifice offered with words and songs of praise are more pleasing to Me than a bull on the altar3.

(1) Proverbs 27:17 | (2) Hosea 14:2 | (3) Psalms 69:30-31

 

9 And it came to pass that no one was given authority to preach or teach, except by the call of God, through Alma. He therefore consecrated all the priests and all the evangelizers; and no one was consecrated unless he was righteous, who watched over his people and edified them with things pertaining to the righteousness and the good feelings of the Gospel of Christ.

 

10 And it came to pass that they began to prosper much in this new land; where they multiplied and prospered greatly. Nevertheless, the Lord deems it convenient, from time to time to prove his people; yea, he proves his patience and his faith after making them prosper abundantly. But he who trusts in him shall be lifted up at the last day.

 

11 And so it was with the people of Alma as to the time when they became captives of the Lamanites and of Amulon, until the day when the people of the church ceased to cry out with their voices, but "opened their hearts" before the altar of God, invoking him in their feelings and acknowledging that no one could save them except the Lord their God; yea, the God of Abraham of Isaac and of Jacob.

 

12 And it came to pass after God had made them free and showed them his great power; that it was possible for them to return to the land of Zarahemla and Abundance, as it shall be with my people in the fulness of times, when at last they shall return to the land of their inheritance after having passed through the wilderness and take possession of a far country that I will prepare for them beforehand through my chosen ones in the last days, and if it were not for the sake of my chosen ones1, none of them would be saved to preserve them from the sudden destruction that will come upon all in their homeland. And just as it happened to Alma and his people while they were in the wilderness, they will be cleansed from the condition of their hearts, the day they learn to invoke me with a broken heart and a contrite feeling.

(1) Matthew 24:20 Inspired Version of JS

 

13 And behold, God did not give you a spirit of bondage, but of adoption, that you may be of good courage to rise to a spiritual condition that is above the feelings which enslave men in this captive state proposed by Satan, and walk in the certainty that you are a child of God, who has been placed in your hearts through the feeling of filiation given by the laying on of hands, the Gift of the Holy Spirit, in which you can call in your heart the "Father of our spirits1" in a way that He actually listens and answers your prayer, extending his powerful hand to help you.

(1) Romans 8:12-15; Galatians 4:6-9

 

14 For verily, verily, I say unto you these last words concerning the book of Mosiah, as regards my people when this record is revealed unto them, that the feelings derived from a broken heart before my Father are the greatest power that is in the world; for only a sincere heart, moved by a contrite feeling, is able to move the hand of Him who rules the whole universe.

 

15 Yea, verily I say unto you, that it is in the pure and lofty sentiments proceeding from the gifts of God that all wisdom from the heavens is hidden; because they contain within themselves the possibility of sensitizing the feelings of the one who is All-Seeing and, through sincerity and truthfulness of urgency, moves heaven and earth to the aid of that son who truly knows how to speak with the Father.

 

16 However, the Father will do nothing for his children on earth, for how much as there is a possibility of them doing something for themselves. Remember therefore these words of mine, which again come to you through this record, to observe carefully the birds of the heaven, for they do not reap nor store in barns, but the Father who is in heaven feeds them, day after day.

 

17 On the other hand, if you look closely at the birds of the heaven, as you are required in this parable, you will see that though they do not reap nor store in barns their grains; they have to leave of their nests every day looking for food in order to get them by their own efforts. In this, therefore, is manifested the Divine wisdom of which I have spoken, in which birds, as well as the children of men, obtains the promise that the Father will nourish them, for He will never let anything be lacking for His sons, for how much they believe in themselves.

 

18 This, then, is an act of faith, and serves all matters under heaven, because faith precedes action, being dead in itself if it does not produce some attitude. This is the foundation of the wisdom and the lofty sentiments that move the people of the covenant to excellent works, because it has this promise of my own voice, that the Father will be with his people, to protect and to assist them, when then there is nothing else you can do for yourself, Amen.

 

19 Just as it was said to my disciples, I tell this generation about which I prophesy at this moment that the mysteries of God1 are given in these words of mine, for this the words of this book reveals that the essence of the gifts from my Father are the pure feelings that lodge in your hearts.

(1) Matthew 13:8-16 –Inspired Version of JS

 

20 Therefore, guard your hearts from the evil feelings which proceed from the devil, which suddenly are played like poisoned darts of all sorts of lasciviousness, wrath and anger; and which penetrate your hearts and inflame even the saints of God with the evil feelings coming from him, the evil being, with the purpose of obstructing the work of the Father in bringing salvation to the sons on earth.