The Sealed Book from the Mormon Plates

Acts of the Three Nephites

CHAPTER 7

1 But behold, Zion, the city whose foundation proceedeth from heaven and expected, by all the prophets that lived before us, shall not come until the words of this book fulfill the prophecies of Isaiah, when then these seals are opened and these words are revealed to the sons of men and by the remnant of Jacob, the Lord God will show in union with the seed of the promise and to every one who will be called by His name in the fullness of times.

 

2 And thus prophesied Isaiah concerning these days and the chosen seed, through the covenant made with their ancestors: "Behold, the former things already fulfilled, and, behold, now I am announcing unto you new things; and before they occur, I reveal them to you. From the east I will bring his offspring, and in the west I will gather him. I'll tell the north: Deliver them! And to the south: 'Do not hold'; bring my children from afar, and my daughters from the ends of the earth, even every one that is called by my name, and gather in Zion, in the New Jerusalem. And, behold, I will bring forth from them a people who are blind, though they have eyes, and who are deaf, though they have ears, and I will drive them away, because they refuse to see salvation from Me, the Lord, while I gather all the nations into one place.”

 

3 Who among them can announce this and reveal to us the ancient things written in this book? — May he present his witnesses to prove that he is right; so that my people will hear them and say: 'This is true1’.

(1) Isaiah 43:5-9

 

4 Therefore, it must be fulfilled in this, that Isaiah's words concerning him who, with stuttering lips and by another tongue, will speak to this people1, just as it was prophesied by Joseph in Egypt concerning him whom the Lord would call to write these words, but that he will not be able to speak to these people because of his dialect, but that the Lord would summon to minister with him, a spokesman from the loins of Joseph, according to the promises made to our ancestors in relation to the chosen seed in the last days2.

(1) Isaiah 28:11 | (2) RLDS 2Nephi 2: 32-37 / LDS 2Nephi 3:17-18

 

5 In these days there will be a transformation of the peoples among whom there will be a pure tongue, for each man and woman will invoke the name of the Lord in their hearts¹, so that the love is the feeling shared by both parties; whether it be between two persons or two groups, or even between different cities, for wherever your people are gathered, there will be the same feelings among brothers. (1) Zephaniah 3:9

 

6 This project, coming from God, requires first that the people possess the citizenship of Zion in their hearts and this will be the means by which the people of God will show themselves apt and worthy to live in Zion, having a broken heart and a contrite spirit before the Lord.

 

7 Yea, unless the people united in your feelings begin to build the principles governing Zion in your own hearts, they can never erect a physically structured Zion on earth. This will be impossible unless engraved the laws governing this heavenly home in yourself, and after building yourselves with the spirit, that is, with the pure sentiments that rule Zion, then each of the men and women of God, should extend this same principle, into his own home and so forth through the society of the Church of Christ in general, until all the citizens of Zion are living harmoniously and according to the high standards of the Kingdom of God on earth, just as it is done in the heavens, so that He may come1.

(1) RLDS D&C 65: 1c-1f / LDS D&C 65: 5-6

 

8 As soon as this becomes a reality, then the spiritual temple, whose living stones, carved and fitting by the words of this book, will be grouped and unified in only one purpose; and only this way will be possible, with unity among all, to build a physical temple in the land, where the Lord will be among his own, as in the days of Enoch and as it came to pass between us, the Nephite people.

 

9 But these will not be the days when the city of Enoch will come adorned from heaven, like the Heavenly Jerusalem, promised to come down upon the earth, in which the Lord, after gathering His people in Zion and in His stakes in the last days and having prepared the heart of His people to be ready in all things, then after these things coexist in their elect, He shall come and dwell with His people for a thousand years1.

(1) RLDS D&C 28:2b-2g / LDS D&C 29:8-11

 

10 Before, however, obey these words and keep the commandments of Christ in your hearts, and teach one another, esteeming each one his neighbor as a brother of blood, while are under these commandments, and subject to the authorities of men; for verily I say unto you, when the Lord cometh into his temple, he shall reveal unto you new commandments1.

(1) RLDS D&C 38:5a-6a / LDS D&C 38:21-27

 

11 But as regards this record, whereby the people of the Lord will be ruled in the last days, until He comes to his temple and find a clean people to reveal to them new and great truths1, behold, we the three Nephites, we will leave written in this record a model, so that the people of the covenant in the last days may have a basis of our society, when among them, this will be revealed.

(1) RLDS 2Nephi 12:80; Ether 1:101 / 2Nephi 30:3; Ether 4:7

 

12 In turn, this people must live in consecration, there being no poor among them, through the covenant of God that will be established among the people, when then, these words will be revealed, for whose promise will never be allowed to be violated, being a people united in purpose and having a pure heart, which will foreshadow the true citizenship of Zion when Christ comes to His temple in the last days1.

(1) RLDS D&C 42: 8b, 10c / LDS D&C 42: 30, 36