The Sealed Book from the Mormon Plates

Acts of the Three Nephites

CHAPTER 2

1 In prayer, touching the twelve disciples with the finger, Jesus gave each of us the promise of what we desired in our hearts, and with the exception of the three of us, all others wished to have an end in the ministry to which they were called and that after having lived the age that man is allowed to live, that they might soon go to Christ in his Kingdom. Nevertheless, the Lord blessed them because they desired this in their hearts; and after praying and sharing the bread and wine among the twelve, as Jesus taught, that this sharing ceremony of the bread and wine prefigures an ordinance of the Greater Priesthood that existed from the beginning of time at different times on earth; whenever the high priesthood of the son of God is active among the children of men, beginning with prophets and apostles of the church of the Lamb1 in remembrance of the agreement made between the members of this high council with the Father; and the Son; and the Holy Spirit, even before the foundation of the world2, concerning the great sacrifice proposed in the heavens, which was effected by our Lord Jesus Christ, for the benefit of all men who repent and exercise faith in Him.

(1) Seald Book of Moses 9:1; RLDS Genesis 14:17-18 - Inspired Version of JS | (2) RLDS Alma 9:68-10:3 / LDS Alma 13:5-11

 

2 Then, Jesus rose and girded his loins with a drying cloth, took the water which he had commanded Timothy to bring in a jar of half measure, and poured into the basin that I, Jonah, brought by reason of his request; and one by one he washed the feet of the twelve, consecrating them1 and ordaining them as high priests2 of the sacred order of Melchizedek in order to organize the Church, starting with city of Abundance, until filling the whole earth. Then warned us that when we shall consecrate and ordain
other high priests to help us in the things concerning the church, that we must do it in the same way that he did to us.

(1) RLDS Alma 3:3 / Alma LDS 5:3 | (2) Sealed Book of Moses 9:4; RLDS 85:3b; 45- 46b / LDS D&C 88:128; 138-141; John 13:3-7

 

3 And turning unto the three of us, he said unto us: Do not worry about that which ye desired in your hearts; behold, I know your thoughts; and you wished that which John my beloved, that hath followed me in my ministry, desired me.

 

4 Therefore, you are more blessed, for you will never taste the bitterness of death; but you shall live from generation to generation to see all the works of the Father among the children of men, till all things be fulfilled according to the will of the Father, when I will come in my glory with the powers of heaven among my people in Earth.

 

5 You, therefore, will never suffer the pains of death; but when I come in my glory, you will be transformed in the twinkling of an eye, from your mortality to immortality; and then shall ye be blessed in the kingdom of my Father; for how much you will not suffer the pains of death while ye abide in the flesh; except for the sins of the world; and all this I will do by virtue of what you have asked of me, because you have desired to bring the souls of men to me as long as the world exists.

 

6 Behold, for this reason you will have complete joy and sit in the kingdom of my Father; Yea, your joy will be complete, just as the joy that the Father has given me is complete; and you will be like “I AM” in your hearts, because “I AM” as the Father; and the Father and I are interconnected by our feelings, just as you also will be bound to my name; and after he had uttered these words, Jesus laid his hands on us and departed.

 

7 And behold, the heavens were opened before us, and we were translated into heaven, and we have seen and heard unspeakable things, which it was forbidden for us to speak to the people of our day; nor was it given power to describe the things which we have seen and heard in that generation; and whether we were in the body or out of the body, we can not say; because we do not know what actually occurred to us except that we had been transfigured, as if we had been changed from that body of flesh to an immortal state in that instant, so that we could contemplate the things of God.

 

8 And, behold, as we return, we resume our ministry on earth; yet we did not reveal the things which we saw and heard to men in the flesh, because of the command given to us in heaven, but we were ordered to do this record1 — that we go out by the face of the earth and minister among all the people, bringing to the church all who believed in our preaching; baptizing people who believed in our words, and all who were baptized received the Holy Spirit in confirmation of our ministry.

(1) RLDS 3Nephi 13:29- 30 / LDS 3Nephi 28:18

 

9 And, behold, we shall be among the Gentiles and the Gentiles shall not know us. We will also be among the Jews and the Jews will not know us. And it shall come to pass, when the Lord shall deem expedient in his wisdom, then we three we will minister among all the scattered tribes of Israel, to gather together the remnant of the house of Jacob from all the nations, tribes, and tongues; and among them we will bring many souls to Jesus, that their desire may be satisfied; and also by virtue of the convincing power of God who is with us.

 

10 Yea, even among the Gentiles a great and marvelous work will be performed before the day of judgment, and then all the scriptures that relate the wonderful works of God, according to the words of Christ, will be revealed to the children of men, when then, Jesus comes over among his people in the fullness of times1.

(1) RLDS 3Nephi 13:45 / LDS 3Nephi 28:33

 

11 And woe unto them that will not hearken unto the words of Jesus, and to them which he hath chosen for to send before his coming; because those who do not receive the words of the books of those whom he will send to the Gentiles in the last days, do not receive it, and with this they will never obtain for themselves the words of the book that Jesus will reveal in the final part of the fulness of times. Therefore, Jesus will not receive them on the last hour1. (1) RLDS 3Nephi 13:46-47 / LDS 3Nephi 28:34