The Sealed Book from the Mormon Plates

The Twelve Apostles of Moses and the Promissed Land

1 And God spake unto me, Moses, and said: Separate a man from each tribe; righteous men, and honorable men, and princes of his people, to send them into the land of Canaan. Therefore shall your ambassadors be appointed to keep watch over the land which I shall give to the children of Israel for an inheritance, and to make a report for the purpose of each of these princes represent their tribe before all the people, when they report in a general assembly between the nation of Israel all the good things that proceed from this place; for, behold, I am giving unto you for an inheritance a land flowing with milk and honey.

 

2 These are their names: Of the tribe of Reuben, Shammua, son of Zaccur; of Simeon, Shaphat the son of Hori; of Judah, Caleb the son of Jephunneh; of Issachar, Igal, the son of Joseph; of Ephraim, Hosea son of Nun; of Benjamin, Palti the son of Raphu; of Zebulun, Gaddiel the son of Sodi; of Joseph, by the tribe of Manasseh, Gaddi the son of Susi; of Dan, Ammiel the son of Gemalli; of Asher, Sethur the son of Michael; of Naphtali, Nahbi the son of Vophsi; of Gad, Geuel the son of Machi.

 

3 These are the men whom I, Moses, sent to spy out that land; and to Hosea the son of Nun, I, Moses, gave the name of Joshua.

 

4 It came to pass, that I, Moses, commanded that every one of them should observe the people that dwell in it; whether they were strong or weak; whether they were few or many. Whether their cities were fortified or not; whether the land was fertile or withered; if there were trees and beds of rivers.

 

5 So the twelve went up, and when they returned they brought with them a cluster of grapes, for it was the days of the firstfruits, where the grapes came forth. And, behold, these grapes were so great, that it was necessary, two men with a staff piercing the bunch to carry them.

 

6 And at the end of the forty days since they left, they stood before Moses and Aaron, and all the congregation of the children of Israel, and began to tell them what they saw, and to show them the fruits of the land.

 

7 And they said unto them: We have gone into the land which thou hast sent us; and truly flowed with milk and honey as the Lord said to his servant Moses. See, this is
its fruit. Behold, the people marveled at the quality and size of the grapes, and were filled with enthusiasm by the account of Caleb and Joshua.

 

8 But the ten other spies reported to them, saying: Behold, the people that dwell in the land are mighty, as we have heard of the Nephilim, who were the children of
Anak before the flood, and their cities are exceedingly fortified, and very great. Beyond these are the Amalekites that dwell in the land of the south; and the Hittites, and the Jebusites, and the Amorites that dwell in the mountain; and the Canaanites that dwell by the sea, and by the river Jordan.

 

9 And it came to pass that Caleb shut up the people, saying: Let us go up quickly, and take this land for an inheritance; because we will surely prevail against it and get the best that exists in all the regions around us.

 

10 But the rest of the men who watched over the land said: "Why, Caleb, do not be naive, for we can not go up against that people, for they are stronger than we are." Behold, there is nothing good for us in that place, for the land which we have passed through to spy is a land that consumes its inhabitants; and all the people that we see
in it are men of great stature; yea, we saw there giants, sons of Anak, as our ancestors told us, that they existed before the flood. But we testify that the descendants of the giants still exist; and we are like locusts in front of them.

 

11 And all the congregation arose, and lifted up their voice; and the people wept that night. And it came to pass, that all the children of Israel murmured against me, Moses, and against Aaron my brother; and all the congregation lifted up their voice and said: Tell us now, Moses, why does the Lord bring us to this land, that we may fall by the sword, and that our wives and children be preys of giants? —It would have been better if we had died in Egypt.

 

12 And it came to pass, that Joshua, the son of Nun, and Caleb, the son of Jephunneh, rent their clothes; and they spake unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying: The place whither we go to is a very good land. If we do not rebel against the Lord and not fear the people of the land, then the Lord will be with us. And, behold, just as He delivered us out of Egypt with an outstretched arm, so He will bring us into the land of giants, and He will give us for an inheritance a land that truly flows with milk and honey.

 

13 And it came to pass, when the congregation proceeded to gather stones to stone Joshua and Caleb; the Glory of the Lord appeared upon the congregation of the children of Israel, and the LORD said to Moses: How long will this people provoke me? And how long will they not believe me, in spite of all the signs I have made among them?

 

14 Therefore, the Lord said: At no time did I command you that the twelve men who had inspected the promised land should report the bad things of this land to the people of Israel, but that they should only report on the good things that are there.

 

15 Understanding, then, the key point to which the Lord intended to arrive in relation at the negative feelings of his servants, I, Moses, said: Behold, I am but a mortal man to argue with Almighty God; but if thou slay this people which thou broughtest out of Egypt as one man, then the rest of the nations that have heard of thy fame shall say: The God of the Hebrews could not set this people in the land which had sworn to them; therefore he slew them in the wilderness.

 

16 Now therefore, I beseech thee, God, let the strength of my Lord magnify himself before the people of all the earth. Therefore, forgive the iniquity of thy people, according to the greatness of Thy mercy, and as thou also hast forgiven this people from the land of Egypt up to here because of their grumbling and their evil feelings
that are impregnated in their hearts by reason of their parents who were bitter by generation after generation like slaves in Egypt, in such a way, that you can not uproot those feelings in a single moment, but patience is required with your people Israel.

 

17 And speaking to me, the Lord said: According to thy word, Moses, I have forgiven them. But I swear by Myself, that these, which thou hast declared to be impregnated with evil feelings, which shall fill the heart of this people with feelings malignant, shall not see the land which I swore to their fathers.

 

18 But my servant Caleb, because there was another spirit in him, that is, there was another kind of feeling in his heart, and he persevered in following me, keeping with him the faith which he obtained through the power that came from Me in Egypt; behold, I, the Lord, will bring him into the land where he went in to spy, and his seed shall possess it for an inheritance; from generation to generation.

 

19 And the LORD spake unto me, Moses, and Aaron, saying: I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel since they came out of Egypt, with their feelings of displeasure toward Me, the Lord. — How long shall I endure this evil congregation, which murmureth against Me in your feelings?

 

20 Behold, therefore, your carcases shall fall in this wilderness, as also all that were numbered of you according to all your number, from twenty years upward, which murmurest of you against me in sentiments; for they shall not go into the land, by which I lifted up my hand with an oath, save Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun for the goodness of their hearts.

 

21 Of the remainder, even to their children, whom I will preserve under the age of twenty, I am taking away the greater priesthood, leaving among the children of Israel only the lesser priesthood, as a preparatory path of greater things.

 

22 Behold, ye are not worthy of such greatness, because I have desired to obtain a people for my name; a property that I could call my own; a nation of Priests, but these did not qualify in the days of Moses.

 

23 Behold, to this end I will continue to work, and at the end of all, when in the fullness of time I shall come, then I will find upon the earth a people ready to receive me. Amen.