The Sealed Book from the Mormon Plates

Acts of the Three Nephites

CHAPTER 8

1 The Nephite people, taken then, by their highest sentiments, banished from their midst all resentment that came from the evil one, beginning with sorrow and rancor, then anguish and fear, anger, covetousness and lasciviousness, and many others derived from satan, and whenever an adverse feeling to the heavenly gifts was identified, a record was made of it for the purpose of being worked out at church meetings in general, for the purpose of being replaced by those noble sentiments derived from the bigger Gift, coming from the name of our God, one at a time, until the strife between brethren ceased to exist, and there were no more quarrels among the Nephite people.

 

2 And, behold, the multitude of those who believed in the words of the disciples of Christ increased, and were baptized into a symbol of a spiritual rebirth, that is, as if buried in the waters of baptism, they abandoned the old sentiments of the evil one, who easily entangled them, in order to be reborn into a new life, clothed with the fullness of the good feelings that are in the name of Christ, which they took upon themselves and were greatly benefited by the gift of the Holy Spirit that was given to them by the laying on of the hands of the twelve; being all of them committed to the gospel of Jesus Christ in order to learn to develop in their fullness in the perfect body that is in communion with the gifts of God, becoming a people united in feelings and understanding as having one heart.

 

3 For how much was created the most just order, never seen before among brethren, we began to live as an organized church among all the surrounding lands, and my father, Nephi, took upon himself the leadership of the church; having for committee to Laconeus1 who had been the supreme judge and governor of the people of Nephi, but who had appointed his son in his place2, the one who was later murdered in the judge's chair3, for the purpose of serving God more fully in his ministry, and that symbolically came to represent the right arm of Nephi and, Gidgidoni4, who was one of the supreme judges of the people, as his left arm, to which the people had great esteem and consideration5. In his place, among the twelve, my father called and ordained to the high priesthood my younger brother, Amos, establishing among us the most sublime and elevated condition that exists in the everlasting gospel, the supreme order of the Church of Christ erected under the foundation of apostles and prophets, which existed before the foundation of the world; with the premise of erecting among this people, the ancient "Order of Enoch", whose foundations among the people of the church of Christ on earth, if done successfully, become the foundations of Zion.

(1) RLDS 3Nephi 2:20-22 / LDS 3Nephi 3:15-17 | (2) RLDS 3Nephi 3:21 / LDS 3Nephi 6:19 | (3) RLDS 3Nephi 3:36 / LDS 3Nephi 7:1 | (4) RLDS 3Nephi 2:24 / LDS 3Nephi 3:19 | (5) RLDS 3Nephi 3:6-7 / LDS 3Nephi 6:5-6

 

4 We have always understood that the day would come when we would have to implement this greater law, which was given to Enoch, and later revealed to our ancestors when Moses in the desert clearly taught this same law to the covenant people¹, when he said: that every man Consecrate yourself and your son and his brother, that God may bestow on him a blessing on this day2. "But behold there was a dispute between the people, because of their possessions and the gold they had already destined for the Calf of Aaron, for this calf with all its gold was to be thrown out at the command of Moses, but for attachment to this condition corrupted of ambition in their hearts, that same day, were shown to Moses that they were more zealous for the worldly riches than to the sacred covenants established between them and their God.”

(1) RLDS D&C 83:4a / LDS D&C 84:23 | (2) Exodus 32:29

 

5 It was for this reason that the next day Moses said to the people "you have committed a great sin"; and now I will go up to the Lord and I make atonement for your sin. And Moses interceded with the Lord for the people, saying: O Lord, let not Thy burning anger be risen against this people because of this great sin; for they have made of the spoil which they brought out of Egypt, yea, the gold, in gods for themselves. But now you, O Lord, forgive the sin of this people, if not, exclude me, pray thee, from thy book which thou hast written. And the LORD said unto Moses: “Whosoever shall sin against Me, the same shall I erase out of My book.” So now go; lead the people to the place where I told you; behold, My angel shall go before thee; but on the day that I visit, I will visit their sin upon them. And the Lord struck down the people because they worshiped his gold and the golden calf which Aaron made1.
(1) Exodus 32:30-32

 

6 And it came to pass in the thirty and sixth year, when all the peoples round about the land were converted, both Nephites and Lamanites, that we started to have all things in common, not existing neither rich nor poor, nor slaves nor free. But they were all partakers of the greater Gift in their hearts, living in communion the fullness of the feelings, united in such a way, that they consecrated all that they possessed for the sake of a greater good — charity.

 

7 How was this possible? How was it possible that the people lived these precepts without any grumbling or murmuring in relation to their goods being administered by the high council of the church?

 

8 For all things to take place in order and harmony among all the brethren, the following principles were established among us to be strictly observed by those who wished to live within this Order.

 

9 It was first necessary to have the desire to be a partaker of this heavenly society, recognizing God as the only Lord over all things, being He a righteous ruler over our properties, whether they were our material resources, our talents, or even our time.

 

10 Within this principle, it was imperative to recognize that not all brothers would be willing to live under such circumstances. Then the high priests of the sacred order of Melchizedek were established among us, that the law of consecration among the members of the Church of Christ would be sent to the people, not as a commandment, but only as a principle accompanied with promise, the will of God to all those who feel fit for the call, without there being coercion on the part of the leadership of the church, or resentment toward him who is called to this proceeding, but who rejects him according to the precepts of his heart, due to the designs and the adapted promise of each family's ability to understand or not fully understand the law given us by Christ in order to eliminate the existing inequalities between our brothers and sisters, handing over from our earthly possessions to become stewards of the Lord in regard to his kingdom here on this earth.

 

11 Therefore, it became necessary to write a record of those who have the desire in their hearts to fulfill this law, and after, to be individually analyzed in relation to the spiritual state and faith of each one to the promises of God and the building of Zion; and all situations concerning the life of each aspirant to join the Order and of his family and of his subsistence, and in common agreement with the applicant, if he stipulate under the consent of his wife and children, his stewardship with the high council.