Updated Pearl of Great Price

A selection from the revelations, translations, and narrations of Joseph Smith.

First prophet, seer, and revelatory to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

Divided into chapters and verses with references, in 1902, by James E. Talmage.

Salt Lake City, Utah.

The Deseret News.

1913

Modern English edition (US spelling, 2021-22).

### The Book of Moses

#### Chapter 1

Visions of Moses
As Revealed to Joseph, the Seer, in 1830.

1The words of God, which he spoke to Moses when Moses had caught up in a very high mountain. 2He saw God face to face, and he talked with him, and the glory of God was upon Moses; therefore, Moses could endure his presence.

3God said to Moses: "I am the Lord God Almighty, and Endless is my name; for I am without beginning of days or end of years; is not this endless? 4You are my son; therefore, look, and I will show you the workmanship of my hands; but not all, for my works and my words are without end, for they never cease. 5Therefore, no man can behold all my works, except he behold all my glory; and no man can behold all my glory, and afterward remain in the flesh on the earth. 6I have a work for you, Moses, my son; and you are in the similitude of my Only Begotten; and my Only Begotten is and will be the Savior, for he is full of grace and truth. But there is no God beside me, and all things are present with me, for I know them all. 7Now this one thing I show you, Moses, my son, for you are in the world, and now I will show it to you."

8Moses looked, and beheld the world upon which he was created. Moses beheld the world and its ends, and all the children of men which are, and which were created; of the same, he greatly marveled and wondered. 9The presence of God withdrew from Moses, that his glory was not upon Moses; and Moses was alone. As he was alone, he fell to the earth. 10It was for the space of many hours before Moses again received his natural strength like man. So he said to himself: "Now, for this cause I know that man is nothing, which thing I had never supposed. 11But now my eyes have beheld God; but not my natural, but my spiritual eyes, for my natural eyes could not have beheld; for I should have withered and died in his presence; but his glory was upon me; and I beheld his face, for I was transfigured before him."

12When Moses had said these words, Satan came tempting him, saying: "Moses, son of man, worship me." 13Moses looked upon Satan and said: "Who are you?" For I am a son of God, in the similitude of his Only Begotten; and where is your glory, that I should worship you? 14For I could not look upon God, except his glory should come upon me, and I was transfigured before him. But I can look upon you in the natural man. Is it not so, surely? 15Blessed be the name of my God, for his Spirit has not altogether withdrawn from me, or else where is your glory, for it is darkness to me? And I can judge between you and God; for God said to me: Worship God, for him only will you serve. 16Go away, Satan; do not deceive me; for God said to me: You are after the similitude of my Only Begotten. 17He also gave me commandments when he called me out of the burning bush, saying: Call upon God in the name of my Only Begotten, and worship me. 18Again Moses said: "I will not cease to call upon God, I have other things to inquire of him: for his glory has been upon me. Therefore I can judge between him and you. Depart from here, Satan."

19Now, when Moses had said these words, Satan cried with a loud voice, ranted upon the earth, and commanded, saying: "I am the Only Begotten, worship me." 20Moses began to fear exceedingly; and as he began to fear, he saw the bitterness of hell. But calling upon God, he received strength, and he commanded, saying: "Depart from me, Satan, for this one God only will I worship, which is the God of glory." 21Now Satan began to tremble, and the earth shook. Moses received strength, and called upon God, saying: "In the name of the Only Begotten, depart from here, Satan." 22Satan cried with a loud voice, with weeping, wailing, and grinding of teeth; and he departed from the presence of Moses, that he did not behold him.

23Now of this thing Moses bore record; but it is not had among the children of men because of wickedness. 24When Satan had departed from the presence of Moses, that Moses lifted up his eyes to heaven, being filled with the Holy Spirit, which bears record of the Father and the Son; 25calling upon the name of God, he beheld his glory again, for it was upon him. He heard a voice, saying: "Blessed are you, Moses, for I, the Almighty, have chosen you, and you will be made stronger than many waters; for they will obey your command as if you were God. 26I will be with you until the end of your days; for you will deliver my people from bondage, even Israel my chosen."

27As the voice was still speaking, Moses cast his eyes and beheld all of the earth; and there was not a particle of it which he did not behold, discerning it by the spirit of God. 28He also beheld its inhabitants, and there was not a soul he did not behold; he discerned them by the Spirit of God; their numbers were great, even numberless as the sand upon the seashore. 29He beheld many lands; and each land was called earth, and there were inhabitants on its face.

30Moses called upon God, saying: "Please tell me why these things are so, and by what you made them?" 31The glory of the Lord was upon Moses, so that Moses stood in the presence of God, and talked with him face to face. The Lord God said to Moses: I have made these things for my purpose. So here is wisdom, and it remains in me. 32By the word of my power, I have created them, which is my Only Begotten Son, who is full of grace and truth. 33I have created worlds without number; I also created them for my purpose; my Only Begotten by the Son I created them. 34The first man of all men I have called Adam, which is many. 35But only an account of this earth, and its inhabitants, I give to you. For many worlds have passed away by the word of my power. Many now stand, and they are innumerable to man; but all things are numbered to me, for they are mine, and I know them.

36Moses said to the Lord: God, be merciful to your servant, and tell me concerning this earth, and its inhabitants, and also the heavens, and then your servant will be content. 37The Lord God said to Moses: There are many heavens, and they cannot be numbered to man; but they are numbered to me, for they are mine. 38As one earth will pass away, and its heavens, another one will come, and there is no end to my works, neither to my words.

39For this is my work and my glory to pass man's immortality and eternal life. 40Now, Moses, my son, I will speak to you concerning this earth upon which you stand; and you will write the things which I will speak. 41In a day when the children of men will esteem my words as nothing and take many of them from the book you will write, I will raise another like you. So they will be had again among the children of men -- among as many as will believe. 42These words were spoken to Moses on the mount, the name of which will not be known among the children of men. Now they have spoken to you. Therefore, do not show them to anyone except those that believe. Even so. Amen.

#### Chapter 2

1The Lord said to Moses: I reveal to you concerning this heaven, and this earth; write the words I speak. I am the Beginning and the End, the Almighty God; by my Only Begotten I created these things; in the beginning, I created the heaven, and the earth upon which you stand. 2The earth was without form, and void; and I caused darkness to come up upon the face of the deep; and my Spirit moved upon the face of the water; for I am God. 3I, God, said: "Let there be light"; and there was light. 4I, God, saw the light; and that light was good. I, God, divided the light from the darkness. 5I, God, called the light Day; and the darkness, I called Night; I did this by the word of my power, and it was done as I spoke; and the evening and the morning were the first day.

6Again, I, God, said: "Let there be a firmament in the midst of the water, and let it divide the waters from the waters"; and it was so. 7I, God, made the firmament and divided the waters under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament, and it was so. 8I, God, called the firmament Heaven; and the evening and the morning were the second day.

9I, God, said: "Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together to one place, and let there be dry land"; and it was so. 10I, God, called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters, I called the Sea; and I, God, saw that all things I had made were good. 11I, God, said: "Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, the fruit tree yielding fruit, after its kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed should be in itself upon the earth", and it was so. 12The earth brought forth grass, every herb yielding seed after its kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed should be in itself, after its kind; and I, God, saw that all things which I had made were good; 13and the evening and the morning were the third day.

14I, God, said: "Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven, to divide the day from the night, and let them be for signs, seasons, days, and years; 15and let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth"; and it was so. 16I, God, made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night, the greater light was the sun, and the lesser light was the moon; and the stars were also made according to my word. 17I, God, set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth, 18and the sun to rule over the day, and the moon to rule over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness; and I, God, saw that all things which I had made were good; 19and the evening and the morning were the fourth day.

20I, God, said: "Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that has life, and fowl which may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven." 21I, God, created great whales, and every living creature that moves, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after its kind; and I, God, saw that all things which I had created were good. 22I, God, blessed them, saying: "Be fruitful, increase, and fill the waters in the sea; and let fowl multiply in the earth"; 23and the evening and the morning were the fifth day.

24I, God, said: "Let the earth bring forth the living creature after its kind, cattle, creeping things, and beasts of the earth after their kind", and it was so; 25and I, God, made the beasts of the earth after their kind, cattle after their kind, and everything which creeps upon the earth after its kind; and I, God, saw that all these things were good. 26I, God, said to my Only Begotten, which was with me from the beginning: "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness"; and it was so. I, God, said: "Let them have dominion over the fishes of the sea, over the fowl of the air, over the cattle, over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth."

27I, God, created man in my image, in the image of my Only Begotten, I created him; male and female, I created them. 28I, God, blessed them, and said to them: "Be fruitful, increase, replenish the earth, subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moves upon the earth." 29I, God, said to man: "I have given you every herb-bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree in the which will be the fruit of a tree yielding seed; it will be your food. 30To every beast of the earth, to every fowl of the air, and to everything that creeps upon the earth, in which I grant life, there shall be given every clean herb for food"; and it was so, even as I spoke. 31I, God, saw everything I had made, and all things I had made were very good; and the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

#### Chapter 3

1Thus the heaven and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. 2On the seventh day I, God, ended my work, and all things which I had made; and I rested on the seventh day from all my work, and all things which I had made were finished, and I, God, saw that they were good; 3and I, God, blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it; because that in it I had rested from all my work which I, God, had created and made.

4Now I say to you, that these are the generations of the heaven and the earth, when they were created, in the day that I, the Lord God, made the heaven and the earth, 5and every plant of the field before it was in the earth, and every herb of the field before it grew. For I, the Lord God, created all things, of which I have spoken, spiritually, before they were naturally upon the face of the earth. For I, the Lord God, had not caused it to rain upon the face of the earth. I, the Lord God, had created all the children of men; and not yet a man to till the ground; for I created them in heaven; and flesh was not yet upon the earth, neither in the water, nor in the air; 6but I, the Lord God, spoke, and there went up a mist from the earth, and watered the whole face of the ground. 7I, the Lord God, formed man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul, the first flesh upon the earth, the first man also; nevertheless, all things were before created; but they were created spiritually and made according to my word.

8I, the Lord God, planted a garden eastward in Eden, and there I put the man whom I had formed. 9Out of the ground I, the Lord God, made to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight of man; and man could behold it. It also became a living soul. It was spiritual in the day that I created it; for it remains in the sphere in which I, God, created it, even all things I prepared for the use of man; man saw that it was good for food. I, the Lord God, also planted the tree of life in the middle of the garden and the tree of knowledge of good and evil. 10I, the Lord God, caused a river to go out of Eden to water the garden; and from there it was parted, and became into four heads. 11I, the Lord God, called the name of the first Pison, which compasses the whole land of Havilah, where I, the Lord God, created much gold; 12and the gold of that land was good, and the bdellium and onyx stone were there. 13The name of the second river was Gihon, which compasses the whole land of Ethiopia. 14The name of the third river was Hiddekel; which goes toward the east of Assyria. The fourth river was the Euphrates.

15I, the Lord God, took the man and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and keep it. 16I, the Lord God, commanded the man, saying: "Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat, 17but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you will not eat of it, but you may choose for yourself, for it is given to you; but, remember that I forbid it, for in the day you eat of it, you will surely die." 18I, the Lord God, said to my Only Begotten, that it was not good that the man should be alone; therefore, I will make a companion for him. 19Out of the ground I, the Lord God, formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and commanded that they should come to Adam, to see what he would call them; and they were also living souls; for I, God, breathed into them the breath of life, and commanded that whatever Adam called every living creature, that should be its name. 20Adam gave names to all cattle, the fowl of the air, and every beast of the field; but there was no companion for him as for Adam.

21I, the Lord God, caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam; and he slept, and I took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh in its place; 22the rib which I, the Lord God, had taken from man, I made a woman, and brought her to the man. 23Adam said: "This I know now is bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh; she will be called Woman, because she was taken out of man." 24Therefore, a man will leave his father and his mother and cleave to his wife; they will be one flesh. 25The man and his wife were both naked, and were not ashamed.

#### Chapter 4

1I, the Lord God, said to Moses: Satan, whom you have commanded in the name of my Only Begotten, is the same which was from the beginning, and he came before me, saying, "Here I am, send me, I will be your son, and I will redeem all mankind, that one soul will not be lost, and surely I will do it; therefore give me your honor." 2But my Beloved Son, which was my Beloved and Chosen from the beginning, said to me, "Father, you will be done, and the glory be yours forever." 3Therefore, because Satan rebelled against me, and sought to destroy the agency of man, which I, the Lord God, had given him, and also, that I should give him my power; by the power of my Only Begotten, I caused that he should be cast down; 4he became Satan, the devil, the father of all lies, to deceive and to blind men, and to lead them captive at his will, as many as would not listen to my voice. 5Now the snake was more subtle than any beast of the field I, the Lord God, had made. 6Satan put it into the heart of the snake (for he had drawn away many after him). He also sought to beguile Eve, for he did not know the mind of God. Therefore he sought to destroy the world. 7He said to the woman: "Has God said, 'You shall not eat of every tree of the garden'?" (He spoke by the mouth of the snake.) 8The woman said to the snake: "We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden; 9but of the fruit of the tree which you behold in the middle of the garden, God has said, 'You will not eat of it, neither will you touch it, lest you die'." 10The snake said to the woman: "You will not surely die; 11for God knows that in the day you eat of it, then your eyes will be opened, and you will be as gods, knowing good and evil." 12When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it became pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make her wise, she took of its fruit, and ate it, and also gave to her husband with her, and he ate it. 13Their eyes were opened, and they knew that they were naked. They sewed fig leaves together and made themselves aprons.

14They heard the voice of the Lord God, as they were walking in the garden, in the cool of the day; and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. 15I, the Lord God, called to Adam, and said: "Where are you going?" 16He said: "I heard your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked, and I hid myself."

17I, the Lord God, said to Adam: "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you that you should not eat?" 18The man said: "The woman you gave me, and command that she should remain with me, she gave me of the fruit of the tree and I ate it."

19I, the Lord God, said to the woman: "What have you done?" The woman said: "The snake deceived me, and I ate."

20I, the Lord God, said to the snake: "Because you have done this, you will be cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon your belly, you will go, and you will eat dust all the days of your life; 21I will put enmity between you and the woman, between your seed and her seed; and he will bruise your head, and you will bruise his heel."

22I, the Lord God, said to the woman: "I will greatly increase your sorrow and your conception. In sorrow, you will bring forth children, and your desire will be to your husband, and he will rule over you."

23I, the Lord God, said to Adam: "Because you have listened to the voice of your wife, and have eaten of the fruit of the tree of which I commanded you, saying 'You will not eat of it', the ground will be cursed for your sake; in sorrow, you will eat of it all the days of your life. 24It will bring forth thorns and thistles to you, and you will eat the herb of the field. 25By the sweat of your face, you will eat bread, until you return to the ground -- for you will surely die -- for you were taken out of it: for you were dust, and you will return to dust."

26Adam called his wife's name Eve, because she was the mother of all living; thus I, the Lord God, have called the first of all women, which are many. 27To Adam, and his wife, I, the Lord God, made coats of skins, and clothed them.

28I, the Lord God, said to my Only Begotten: "The man has become as one of us knowing good and evil; and now lest he put forth his hand and also partake of the tree of life, and eat and live forever", 29therefore I, the Lord God, will send him forth from the Garden of Eden, to till the ground from where he was taken; 30for as I, the Lord God, live, even so, my words cannot return void, for as they go forth out of my mouth, they must be fulfilled. 31So I drove out the man, and I placed at the east of the Garden of Eden, cherubim and a flaming sword, which turned every way to keep the way of the tree of life.

32(These are the words I spoke to my servant Moses, and they are true even as I will; and I have spoken them to you. See you show them to no man, until I command you, except to those that believe. Amen.)

#### Chapter 5

1After I, the Lord God, had driven them out, Adam began to till the earth, and to have dominion over all the beasts of the field, and to eat his bread by the sweat of his brow, as I had commanded him. Eve, his wife, also labored with him. 2Adam knew his wife, and she bare to him sons and daughters, and they began to increase on the earth. 3From that time forth, the sons and daughters of Adam began to divide two by two in the land, till the land, and tend flocks, and they also begat sons and daughters.

4Adam and Eve called upon the name of the Lord, and they heard the voice of the Lord from the way toward the Garden of Eden, speaking to them, and they did not see him; for they were shut out from his presence. 5He gave them commandments, that they should worship the Lord their God, and offer the first-born of their flocks, for an offering to the Lord. Adam was obedient to the commandments of the Lord.
6After many days, an angel of the Lord appeared to Adam, saying: "Why do you offer sacrifices to the Lord?" Adam said to him: "I do not know, but the Lord commanded me." 7Then the angel said: "This thing is a similitude of the sacrifice of the Only Begotten of the Father, which is full of grace and truth. 8Therefore, you will do all that you do in the name of the Son, and you will repent and always call upon God in the name of the Son."

9In that day the Holy Spirit fell upon Adam, which bears record of the Father and the Son, saying: "I am the Only Begotten of the Father from this day forth, that as you have fallen, you may be redeemed, and all mankind, even as many as will."

10In that day, Adam blessed God and was filled, and began to prophesy concerning all the families of the earth, saying: "Blessed be the name of God, for because of my transgression my eyes are opened, and in this life, I will have joy, and again in the flesh I will see God."

11His wife, Eve, heard all these things and was glad, saying: "If it were not for our transgression, we never should have had seed, and never should have known good and evil, and the joy of our redemption, and the eternal life which God gives to all the obedient."

12Adam and Eve blessed the name of God, and they made all things known to their sons and their daughters. 13Satan came among them, saying: "I am also a son of God"; and he commanded them, saying: "Do not believe it"; and they did not believe it, and they loved Satan more than God. And men began from that time forth to be carnal, sensual, and devilish.

14The Lord God called upon men by the Holy Spirit everywhere and commanded them that they should repent; 15and as many as believed in the Son, and repented of their sins, should be saved; and as many as did not believe and did not repent, should be damned; and the words went forth out of the mouth of God in a firm decree; therefore they must be fulfilled.

16Adam and Eve did not cease to call upon God. Adam knew Eve, and she conceived and bare Cain, and said: "I have gotten a man from the Lord; therefore, he must accept his words." But Cain did not listen, saying: "Who is the Lord that I should know him?" 17She again conceived, and bare his brother Abel. Abel listened to the voice of the Lord. Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. 18Cain loved Satan more than God. Satan commanded him, saying: "Make an offering to the Lord."

19In the process of time, Cain brought the fruit of the ground an offering to the Lord. 20Abel also brought the first-born of his flock and its fat. The Lord had respect to Abel, and his offering; 21but to Cain, and his offering, he did not have respect. Now Satan knew this, and it pleased him. Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell. 22The Lord said to Cain: "Why are you wroth? Why is your countenance fallen? 23If you do well, you will be accepted. Sin lies at the door if you do not do well, and Satan desires to have you. Except you will listen to my commandments, I will deliver you up, and it will be to you according to his desire. You will rule over him; 24for from now on, you will be the father of his lies; you will be called Perdition; for you were also before the world. 25It will be said in time to come -- That these abominations were had from Cain; for he rejected the greater counsel which was had from God; and this is a cursing which I will put upon you, except you repent." 26Cain was wroth, and did not listen anymore to the voice of the Lord, neither to Abel, his brother, who walked in holiness before the Lord. 27Adam and his wife mourned before the Lord, because of Cain and his brothers. 28Cain took one of his brothers' daughters to wife, and they loved Satan more than God. 29Satan said to Cain: "Swear to me by your throat, and if you tell it, you will die; and swear your brothers by their heads, and by the living God, that they do not tell it; for if they tell it, they will surely die; and that your father may not know this; and this day I will deliver your brother Abel into your hands." 30Satan swore to Cain that he would do according to his commands. All these things were done in secret. 31Cain said: "Truly I am Mahan, the master of this great secret, that I may murder and get gain." Wherefore Cain was called Master Mahan, and he gloried in his wickedness.

32Cain went into the field, and Cain talked with Abel, his brother. While they were in the field, Cain rose up against Abel, and slew him. 33Cain gloried in what he had done, saying: "I am free; surely the flocks of my brother fall into my hands."

34The Lord said to Cain: "Where is Abel, your brother?" He said: "I do not know. Am I my brother's keeper?" 35The Lord said: "What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood cries to me from the ground. 36Now, you will be cursed from the earth that opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand. 37When you till the ground, it will not yield to you its strength. You shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth."

38Cain said to the Lord: "Satan tempted me because of my brother's flocks. I was also wroth; for you accepted his offering and not mine; my punishment is greater than I can bear. 39You have driven me out this day from the face of the Lord, and I will be hidden from your face; and I will be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth; and whoever finds me will slay me, because of my iniquities, for these things are not hidden from the Lord." 40I, the Lord, said to him: "Whoever slays you, vengeance shall be taken on him seven times." I, the Lord, set a mark upon Cain, lest any finding him should kill him.

41Cain was shut out from the presence of the Lord, and with his wife and many of his brothers dwelt in the land of Nod, on the east of Eden. 42Cain knew his wife, and she conceived and bare Enoch, and he also had many sons and daughters. He built a city, and he called the name of the city after his son, Enoch. 43To Enoch was born Irad, and other sons and daughters. Irad begat Mahujael, and other sons and daughters. Mahujael begat Methusael, and other sons and daughters. Methusael begat Lamech. 44Lamech took himself two wives; the name of one being Adah, and the other Zillah.

45Adah bare Jabal; he was the father of such as dwell in tents, and they were keepers of cattle; and his brother's name was Jubal, who was the father of all such as handle the harp and organ. 46Zillah also bare Tubal-Cain, an instructor of every artificer in brass and iron. The sister of Tubal-Cain was called Naamah. 47Lamech said to his wives, Adah and Zillah: "Hear my voice, you wives of Lamech, listen to my speech; for I have slain a man to my wounding, and a young man to my hurt. 48If Cain will be avenged seven times, truly Lamech seventy-seven times"; 49for Lamech having entered into a covenant with Satan, after the manner of Cain, where he became Master Mahan, master of that great secret which was administered to Cain by Satan; and Irad, the son of Enoch, having known their secret, began to reveal it to the sons of Adam; 50therefore Lamech, being angry, slew him, not like Cain, his brother Abel, for the sake of getting gain. Still, he slew him for the oath's sake. 51For, from the days of Cain, there was a secret combination. Their works were in the dark, and they knew every man his brother. 52Therefore the Lord cursed Lamech, and his house, and all them that had covenanted with Satan; for they did not keep the commandments of God, and it displeased God, and he did not minister to them. Their works were abominations, and began to spread among all the sons of men. It was among the sons of men. 53Among the daughters of men, these things were not spoken, because that Lamech had spoken the secret to his wives, and they rebelled against him, and declared these things abroad, and did not have compassion; 54therefore Lamech was despised, cast out, and did not come among the sons of men, lest he should die. 55Thus, the works of darkness began to prevail among all the sons of men. 56God cursed the earth with a sore curse, and was angry with the wicked, with all the sons of men whom he had made; 57for they would not listen to his voice, nor believe on his Only Begotten Son, even him whom he declared should come in the meridian of time, who was prepared from before the foundation of the world. 58Thus the Gospel began to be preached, from the beginning, being declared by holy angels sent forth from the presence of God, and by his voice, and by the gift of the Holy Spirit. 59Thus all things were confirmed to Adam, by a holy ordinance, and the Gospel preached, and a decree sent forth, that it should be in the world, until the end thereof; and thus it was. Amen.

#### Chapter 6

1 Adam listened to the voice of God, and called upon his sons to repent.

2 Adam knew his wife again, and she bare a son, and he called his name Seth. Adam glorified the name of God; for he said: "God has appointed me another seed, instead of Abel, whom Cain slew."

3 God revealed himself to Seth, and he did not rebel, but offered an acceptable sacrifice, like his brother Abel. To him also was born a son, and he called his name Enos.

4 Then these men began to call upon the name of the Lord, and the Lord blessed them.

5 A book of remembrance was kept, in the which was recorded, in the language of Adam, for it was given to as many as called upon God to write by the spirit of inspiration.

6 By them, their children were taught to read and write, having a pure language.

7 Now this same Priesthood, which was in the beginning, will be the end of the world.

8 Now this prophecy Adam spoke, as the Holy Spirit moved upon him, and a genealogy was kept of the children of God. This was the book of the generations of Adam, saying: In the day that God created man, in the likeness of God he made him; 9 in the image of his own body, male and female, he created them, and blessed them, and called their name Adam, in the day when they were created and became living souls in the land upon the footstool of God.

10 Adam lived one hundred thirty years, begat a son in his likeness, after his image, and called his name Seth. 11 The days of Adam, after he had begotten Seth, were eight hundred years, and he begat many children. 12 All the days that Adam lived were nine hundred thirty years, and he died.

13 Seth lived one hundred five years, begat Enos, prophesied in all his days, and taught his son Enos in the ways of God; therefore, Enos also prophesied. 14 Seth lived, after he begat Enos, eight hundred seven years, and had many children.

15 The children of men were numerous upon all the face of the land. In those days, Satan had great dominion among men and raged in their hearts; from that time came wars and bloodshed; a man's hand was against his brother in administering death because of secret works seeking power.

16 All the days of Seth were nine hundred twelve years, and he died.

17 Enos lived ninety years, and begat Cainan. Enos and the residue of the people of God came out from the land, which was called Shulon, and dwelt in a land of promise, which he called after his son, whom he had named Cainan.

18 Enos lived, after he begat Cainan, eight hundred fifteen years, and had many children. All the days of Enos were nine hundred five years, and he died.

19 Cainan lived seventy years, and begat Mahalaleel. Cainan lived after he begat Mahalaleel eight hundred forty years, and had children. All the days of Cainan were nine hundred ten years, and he died.

20 Mahalaleel lived sixty-five years, and begat Jared. Mahalaleel lived, after he begat Jared, eight hundred thirty years, and had children. All the days of Mahalaleel were eight hundred ninety-five years, and he died.

21 Jared lived one hundred sixty-two years, and begat Enoch. Jared lived, after he begat Enoch, eight hundred years, and had children. And Jared taught Enoch in all the ways of God.

22 This is the genealogy of the sons of Adam, who was the son of God, with whom God, himself, conversed.

23 They were preachers of righteousness, and spoke and prophesied, and called upon all men, everywhere, to repent. Faith was taught to the children of men.

24 All the days of Jared were nine hundred sixty-two years, and he died.

25 Enoch lived sixty-five years, and begat Methuselah.

26 Enoch journeyed in the land, among the people. As he traveled, the Spirit of God descended out of heaven, and abode upon him.

27 He heard a voice from heaven, saying: Enoch, my son, prophesy to this people, and say to them -- Repent, for thus said the Lord: I am angry with this people, and my fierce anger is kindled against them; for their hearts have waxed hard, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes cannot see afar off; 28 and for these many generations, ever since the day that I created them, they have gone astray, and have denied me, and have sought their counsels in the dark; and they have devised murder in their abominations, and have not kept the commandments, which I gave to their father, Adam.

29 Therefore, they have foresworn themselves, and, by their oaths, they have brought upon themselves death; and I have prepared hell for them, if they do not repent; 30 and this is a decree, which I have sent forth at the beginning of the world, from my mouth, from its foundation, and by the mouths of my servants, your fathers, I have decreed it, even as it shall be sent forth in the world, to its ends.

31 When Enoch had heard these words, he bowed himself to the earth, before the Lord, and spoke before the Lord, saying: "Why is it that I have found favor in your sight, and am but a lad, and all the people hate me; for I am slow of speech; therefore am I your servant?"

32 The Lord said to Enoch: "Go forth and do as I have commanded you, and no man shall pierce you. Open your mouth, and it will be filled, and I will give you utterance, for all flesh is in my hands, and I will do as seems me good."

33 Say to this people: "Choose this day, to serve the Lord God who made you. 34 My Spirit is upon you. Therefore I will justify all your words; and the mountains will flee before you, and the rivers shall turn from their course; and you shall abide in me, and I in you; therefore, walk with me."

35 The Lord said to Enoch: "Anoint your eyes with clay, and wash them, and you will see." He did so.

36 He beheld the spirits that God had created; and he also beheld things which were not visible to the natural eye; and from that time came the saying abroad in the land: "A seer has the Lord raised up to his people."

37 Enoch went forth in the land, among the people, standing upon the hills and the high places, and cried with a loud voice, testifying against their works. All men were offended because of him.

38 They came forth to hear him, upon the high places, saying to the tent-keepers: "Tarry here and keep the tents, while we go yonder to behold the seer, for he prophesies, and there is a strange thing in the land; a wild man has come among us."

39 They heard him, no man laid hands on him; for fear came on all them that heard him; for he walked with God.

40 There came a man to him, whose name was Mahijah, and said to him: "Please tell us who you are, and where do you come from?"

41 He said to them: I came out from the land of Cainan, the land of my fathers, a land of righteousness to this day. My father taught me in all the ways of God.

42 As I journeyed from the land of Cainan, by the sea east, I beheld a vision; and I saw the heavens, and the Lord spoke with me, and gave me a commandment; therefore, for this cause, to keep the commandment, I speak forth these words.

43 Enoch continued his speech, saying: "The Lord who spoke with me, the same is the God of heaven, and he is my God, and your God, you are my brothers, and why do you counsel yourselves, and deny the God of heaven?"

44 He made the heavens; the earth is his footstool; and its foundation is his. Behold, he laid it, a host of men he has brought in upon its face.

45 Death has come upon our fathers, but we know them, and cannot deny, even the first of all we know, Adam.

46 For a book of remembrance we have written among us, according to the pattern given by the finger of God; and it is given in our language.

47 As Enoch spoke forth the words of God, the people trembled, and could not stand in his presence.

48 He said to them: "Because that Adam fell, we are; and by his fall came death; and we are made partakers of misery and woe."

49 Satan has come among the children of men, and tempts them to worship him. Men have become carnal, sensual, and devilish, and are shut out from the presence of God.

50 But God has made known to our fathers that all men must repent.

51 He called upon our father Adam by his voice, saying: "I am God; I made the world, and men before they were in the flesh."

52 He also said to him: "If you will turn to me, and listen to my voice, and believe, and repent of all your transgressions, and be baptized in water, in the name of my Only Begotten Son, who is full of grace and truth, which is Jesus Christ, the only name which shall be given under heaven, whereby salvation shall come to the children of men, you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, asking all things in his name, and whatever you will ask, it will be given to you."

53 Our father Adam said to the Lord: "Why is it that men must repent and be baptized in water?" The Lord said to Adam: "I have forgiven you your transgression in the Garden of Eden."

54 Hence came the saying abroad among the people, that the Son of God has atoned for original guilt, wherein the parents' sins cannot be answered upon the heads of the children, for they are whole from the foundation of the world.

55 The Lord said to Adam: Since your children are conceived in sin, when they begin to grow up, sin conceives in their hearts, and they taste the bitter, that they may know to value the good.

56 It is given to them to know good from evil; therefore, they are agents to themselves, and I have given you another law and commandment.

57 Therefore teach it to your children, that all men, everywhere, must repent, or they can not inherit the kingdom of God, for no unclean thing can dwell there, or dwell in his presence; for, in the language of Adam, Man of Holiness is his name, and the name of his Only Begotten is the Son of Man, even Jesus Christ, a righteous Judge, who shall come in the meridian of time.

58 Therefore I give you a commandment, to teach these things freely to your children, saying: 59 That because of transgression comes the fall, which brings death, and since you were born into the world by water, and blood, and the spirit, which I have made, and so became of dust a living soul, even so, you must be born again into the kingdom of heaven, water, and the Spirit, and be cleansed by blood, even the blood of my Only Begotten; that you might be sanctified from all sin, and enjoy the words of eternal life in this world, and eternal life in the world to come, even immortal glory; 60 for by the water you keep the commandment; by the Spirit you are justified, and by the blood you are sanctified; 61 therefore it is given to abide in you; the record of heaven; the Comforter; the peaceable things of immortal glory; the truth of all things; that which quickens all things, which makes alive all things; that which knows all things, and has all power according to wisdom, mercy, truth, justice, and judgment.

62 Now, I say to you: This is the plan of salvation to all men, through the blood of my Only Begotten, who shall come in the meridian of time.

63 All things have their likeness. All things are created and made to bear record of me, both things which are temporal, and spiritual things; things which are in the heavens above, and things which are on the earth, and things which are in the earth, and things which are under the earth, both above and beneath: all things bear record of me.

64 When the Lord had spoken with Adam, our father, that Adam cried to the Lord. He was caught away by the Spirit of the Lord, carried down into the water, laid under the water, and brought forth out of the water.

65 Thus he was baptized, and the Spirit of God descended upon him, and thus he was born of the Spirit, and became quickened in the inner man.

66 He heard a voice out of heaven, saying: You are baptized with fire, and with the Holy Spirit. This is the record of the Father, and the Son, from this time on.

67 You are after the order of him without beginning of days or end of years, from all eternity to all eternity.

68 You are one in me, a son of God; and thus may all become my sons. Amen.

#### Chapter 7

1 Enoch continued his speech, saying: Our father Adam taught these things, and many have believed and become the sons of God, and many have not believed, and have perished in their sins, and are looking forth with fear, in torment, for the fiery indignation of the wrath of God to be poured out upon them.

2 From that time forth, Enoch began to prophesy, saying to the people, that: As I was journeying, and stood upon the place Mahujah, and cried to the Lord, there came a voice out of heaven, saying, Turn, and get upon the mount Simeon.

3 I turned and went up on the mount. As I stood upon the mount, I beheld the heavens open, and I was clothed upon with glory; 4 I saw the Lord; and he stood before my face, and he talked with me, even as a man talks with one another, face to face. He said to me: Look, and I will show you the world for the space of many generations.

5 I beheld in the valley of Shum, and lo, a great people dwelt in tents, which were the people of Shum.

6 Again the Lord said to me: "Look"; and I looked towards the north, and I beheld the people of Canaan, which dwelt in tents.

7 The Lord said to me: "Prophesy"; and I prophesied, saying: The people of Canaan, which are numerous, will go forth in battle array against the people of Shum, and will slay them that they will utterly be destroyed; and the people of Canaan will divide themselves in the land, and the land will be barren and unfruitful, and no other people will dwell there but the people of Canaan; 8 for the Lord will curse the land with much heat, and its barrenness will go forth forever; and there was a blackness came upon all the children of Canaan, that they were despised among all people.

9 The Lord said to me: "Look"; and I looked, and I beheld the land of Sharon, the land of Enoch, the land of Omner, the land of Heni, the land of Shem, the land of Haner, the land of Hanannihah, and all its inhabitants; 10 the Lord said to me: "Go to this people, and say to them, Repent, lest I come out and smite them with a curse, and they die."

11 He gave me a commandment that I should baptize in the name of the Father, and of the Son, which is full of grace and truth, and of the Holy Spirit, which bears record of the Father and the Son.

12 Enoch continued to call upon all the people, except for the people of Canaan, to repent; 13 the faith of Enoch was so great that he led the people of God, and their enemies came to battle against them. He spoke the word of the Lord, and the earth trembled, and the mountains fled, even according to his command; and the rivers of water were turned out of their course; and the roar of the lions was heard out of the wilderness; and all nations feared greatly, so powerful was the word of Enoch, and so great was the power of the language which God had given him.

14 There also came up a land out of the depth of the sea, and so great was the fear of the enemies of the people of God, that they fled and stood afar off and went upon the land which came up out of the depth of the sea.

15 The giants of the land, also, stood afar off; and there went forth a curse upon all people that fought against God; 16 and from that time forth, there were wars and bloodshed among them; but the Lord came and dwelt with his people, and they dwelt in righteousness.

17 The fear of the Lord was upon all nations, so great was the glory of the Lord, which was upon his people. The Lord blessed the land, and they were blessed upon the mountains, and upon the high places, and flourished.

18 The Lord called his people Zion because they were of one heart and one mind, dwelt in righteousness, and there was no poverty among them.

19 Enoch continued his preaching in righteousness to the people of God. In his days, that he built a city called the City of Holiness, even Zion.

20 Enoch talked with the Lord; he said to the Lord: "Surely Zion shall dwell in safety forever." But the Lord said to Enoch: "I have blessed Zion, but I have cursed the residue of the people."

21 The Lord showed Enoch all the inhabitants of the earth; and he beheld, and Zion was taken up into heaven in the process of time. The Lord said to Enoch: "Behold my abode forever."

22 Enoch also beheld the residue of the people, which were the sons of Adam. They were a mixture of all the seed of Adam except for the seed of Cain, which were black and did not have a place among them.

23 After that Zion was taken up into heaven, Enoch beheld, and all the nations of the earth were before him; 24 and there came generation upon generation; and Enoch was high and lifted up, even in the bosom of the Father, and the Son of Man; and behold, the power of Satan was upon all the face of the earth.

25 He saw angels descending out of heaven; he heard a loud voice saying: "Wo, wo be to the inhabitants of the earth."

26 He beheld Satan; and he had a great chain in his hand, and it veiled the whole face of the earth with darkness; and he looked up and laughed, and his angels rejoiced.

27 Enoch beheld angels descending out of heaven, bearing testimony of the Father and Son; and the Holy Spirit fell on many, and the powers of heaven caught them up into Zion.

28 The God of heaven looked upon the residue of the people, and he wept. Enoch bore record of it, saying: "How is it that the heavens weep, and shed forth their tears as the rain upon the mountains?"

29 Enoch said to the Lord: "How is it that you can weep, seeing you are holy, and from all eternity to all eternity? 30 If it were possible that man could number the particles of the earth, millions of earths like this, it would not be a beginning to the number of your creations; and your curtains are stretched out still; and you are there, and your bosom is there; and also you are merciful and kind forever; 31 and you have taken Zion to your bosom, from all your creations, from all eternity to all eternity; and nothing but peace, justice, and truth is the habitation of your throne; and mercy shall go before your face and have no end; how is it you can weep?"

32 The Lord said to Enoch: Behold, these are your brothers; they are the workmanship of my own hands, and I gave them their knowledge, in the day I created them; and in the Garden of Eden, I gave to man his agency; 33 and to your brothers, I have said, and also given commandment, that they should love one another, and that they should choose me, their Father; but behold, they are without affection, and they hate their blood; 34 and the fire of my anger is kindled against them; and in my hot displeasure, I will send in the floods upon them, for my fierce anger is kindled against them.

35 Behold, I am God; Man of Holiness is my name; Man of Counsel is my name; and Endless and Eternal is also my name.

36 Wherefore, I can stretch forth my hands and hold all the creations which I have made. My eye can also pierce them, and there has not been so great wickedness among your brethren among all the workmanship of my hands.

37 But their sins shall be upon the heads of their fathers; Satan shall be their father, and misery shall be their doom; and the whole heavens shall weep over them, even all the workmanship of my hands; wherefore should the heavens not weep, seeing these shall suffer?

38 But these which your eyes are upon shall perish in the floods; and behold, I will shut them up; I have prepared a prison for them.

39 That which I have chosen has pled before my face. Therefore, he suffers for their sins; since they will repent in the day that my Chosen shall return to me, and until that day they shall be in torment; 40 wherefore, for this shall the heavens weep, and all the workmanship of my hands.

41 The Lord spoke to Enoch, and told Enoch all the doings of the children of men; therefore Enoch knew, and looked upon their wickedness, and their misery, and wept and stretched forth his arms, and his heart swelled wide as eternity; and his bowels yearned; and all eternity shook.

42 Enoch also saw Noah, and his family; that the posterity of all the sons of Noah should be saved with a temporal salvation; 43 wherefore Enoch saw that Noah built an ark; and that the Lord smiled upon it, and held it in his hand; but upon the residue of the wicked the floods came and swallowed them up.

44 As Enoch saw this, he had bitterness of soul, and wept over his brothers, and said to the heavens: I will refuse to be comforted; but the Lord said to Enoch: "Lift up your heart, and be glad; and look."

45 Enoch looked; and from Noah, he beheld all the families of the earth; and he cried to the Lord, saying: "When shall the day of the Lord come? When shall the blood of the Righteous be shed, that all they that mourn may be sanctified and have eternal life?"

46 The Lord said: "It shall be in the meridian of time, in the days of wickedness and vengeance."

47 Behold, Enoch saw the day of the coming of the Son of Man, even in the flesh. His soul rejoiced, saying: "The Righteous is lifted up, and the Lamb is slain from the foundation of the world; and through faith, I am in the bosom of the Father, and behold, Zion is with me."

48 Enoch looked upon the earth. He heard a voice from the bowels thereof, saying: Wo, wo is me, the mother of men; I am pained, I am weary, because of the wickedness of my children. When shall I rest, and be cleansed from the filthiness which is gone forth out of me? When will my Creator sanctify me, that I may rest, and righteousness for a season abide upon my face?

49 When Enoch heard the earth mourn, he wept, and cried to the Lord, saying: Lord, will you not have compassion upon the earth? Will you not bless the children of Noah?

50 Enoch continued his cry to the Lord, saying: Lord, I ask you in the name of your Only Begotten, even Jesus Christ, that you will have mercy upon Noah and his seed, that the floods might never more cover the earth.

51 The Lord could not withhold; and he covenanted with Enoch, and swore to him with an oath, that he would stay the floods; that he would call upon the children of Noah; 52 and he sent forth an unalterable decree, that a remnant of his seed should always be found among all nations, while the earth should stand; 53 and the Lord said: Blessed is he through whose seed Messiah shall come; for he said -- I am Messiah, the King of Zion, the Rock of Heaven, which is broad as eternity; whoever comes in at the gate and climbs up by me shall never fall; wherefore, blessed are they of whom I have spoken, for they shall come forth with songs of everlasting joy.

54 Enoch cried to the Lord, saying: "When the Son of Man comes in the flesh, shall the earth rest? Would you please show me these things?"

55 The Lord said to Enoch: "Look," and he looked and beheld the Son of Man lifted up on the cross, after the manner of men; 56 and he heard a loud voice; and the heavens were veiled; and all the creations of God mourned; and the earth groaned; and the rocks were rent; and the saints arose, and were crowned at the right hand of the Son of Man, with crowns of glory; 57 and as many of the spirits as were in prison came forth, and stood on the right hand of God; and the remainder were reserved in chains of darkness until the judgment of the great day.

58 Again, Enoch wept and cried to the Lord, saying: "When shall the earth rest?"

59 Enoch beheld the Son of Man ascend up to the Father; and he called to the Lord, saying: "Will you not come again upon the earth? Forasmuch as you are God, and I know you. You have sworn to me, and commanded me that I should ask in the name of your Only Begotten; you have made me, and given me a right to your throne, and not of myself, but through your grace; wherefore, I ask you if you will not come again on the earth."

60 The Lord said to Enoch: As I live, even so, I will come in the last days, in the days of wickedness and vengeance, to fulfill the oath which I have made to you concerning the children of Noah; 61 and the day shall come that the earth shall rest, but before that day the heavens shall be darkened, and a veil of darkness shall cover the earth; and the heavens shall shake, and also the earth; and great tribulations shall be among the children of men, but I will preserve my people; 62 and I will send down righteousness out of heaven; and I will send forth truth out of the earth, to bear testimony of my Only Begotten; his resurrection from the dead; and also the resurrection of all men; and righteousness and truth I will cause to sweep the earth as with a flood, to gather out my elect from the four quarters of the earth, to a place which I shall prepare, a Holy City, that my people may gird up their loins, and be looking forth for the time of my coming; for there shall be my tabernacle, and it shall be called Zion, a New Jerusalem.

63 The Lord said to Enoch: Then you and all your city shall meet them there, and we will receive them into our bosom, and they shall see us; and we will fall upon their necks, and they shall fall upon our necks, and we will kiss each other; 64 and there shall be my abode, and it shall be Zion, which shall come forth out of all the creations I have made; for the space of a thousand years, the earth shall rest.

65 Enoch saw the day of the coming of the Son of Man, in the last days, to dwell on the earth in righteousness for the space of a thousand years; 66 but before that day, he saw great tribulations among the wicked; and he also saw the sea, that it was troubled, and men's hearts failing them, looking forth with fear for the judgments of the Almighty God, which should come upon the wicked.

67 The Lord showed Enoch all things, even to the end of the world. He saw the day of the righteous, the hour of their redemption, and received a fulness of joy; 68 and all the days of Zion, in the days of Enoch, were three hundred sixty-five years.

69 And Enoch and all his people walked with God, and he dwelt in the midst of Zion; and Zion was not, for God received it up into his bosom; and from there went forth the saying, Zion is Fled.

#### Chapter 8

1 All the days of Enoch were four hundred thirty years.

2 Methuselah, the son of Enoch, was not taken, that the covenants of the Lord might be fulfilled, which he made to Enoch; for he truly covenanted with Enoch that Noah should be of the fruit of his loins.

3 Methuselah prophesied that from his loins should spring all the kingdoms of the earth (through Noah), and he took glory to himself.

4 A great famine came into the land, and the Lord cursed the earth with a sore curse, and many inhabitants died.

5 Methuselah lived one hundred eighty-seven years, and begat Lamech. 6 Methuselah lived, after he begat Lamech, seven hundred eighty-two years, and had sons and daughters. 7 All the days of Methuselah were nine hundred sixty-nine years, and he died.

8 Lamech lived one hundred eighty-two years, and had a son. 9 He called his name Noah, saying: "This son will comfort us concerning our work and toil of our hands, because of the ground which the Lord has cursed."

10 Lamech lived, after he begat Noah, five hundred ninety-five years, and had sons and daughters. 11 All the days of Lamech were seven hundred seventy-seven years, and he died.

12 Noah was four hundred fifty years old, and begat Japheth. Forty-two years later, he begat Shem of her, who was the mother of Japheth, and when he was five hundred years old, he begat Ham.

13 Noah and his sons listened to the Lord, gave heed, they were called the sons of God.

14 When these men began to increase on the face of the earth, and daughters were born to them, the sons of men saw that those daughters were fair, and they took them wives, as they chose.

15 The Lord said to Noah: "The daughters of your sons have sold themselves; for my anger is kindled against the sons of men, for they will not listen to my voice."

16 Noah prophesied, and taught the things of God, as it was in the beginning.

17 The Lord said to Noah: "My Spirit will not always strive with man, for he will know that all flesh will die; yet his days will be a hundred twenty years; and if men do not repent, I will send in the floods upon them."

18 In those days, giants were on the earth, and they sought Noah to take away his life; but the Lord was with Noah, and the power of the Lord was upon him.

19 The Lord ordained Noah after his order, and commanded him to go forth and declare his Gospel to the children of men, as it was given to Enoch.

20 Noah called upon the children of men that they should repent, but they did not listen to his words. 21 Also, after that, they had heard him, they came up before him, saying: We are the sons of God; have we not taken to ourselves the daughters of men? Are we not eating, drinking, marrying, and giving in marriage? Our wives bear children, and the same are mighty men, which are like to men of old, men of great renown. They did not listen to the words of Noah.

22 God saw that the wickedness of men had become great on the earth; and every man was lifted up in the imagination of the thoughts of his heart, being only evil continually.

23 Noah continued his preaching to the people, saying: "Listen and give heed to my words; 24 believe and repent of your sins and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, even as our fathers, and you will receive the Holy Spirit, that you may have all things made manifest; and if you do not do this, the floods will come in upon you"; but they did not listen.

25 It repented Noah, and his heart was pained that the Lord had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at heart.

26 The Lord said: "I will destroy man whom I have created, from the face of the earth, both man and beast, and the creeping things, and the fowls of the air; for it repented Noah that I have created them, and that I have made them; and he has called upon me; for they have sought his life."

27 Thus, Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord; for Noah was a perfect man in his generation; and he walked with God, as did his three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

28 The earth was corrupt before God, and it was filled with violence.

29 God looked upon the earth, and it was corrupt, for all flesh had corrupted its way upon the earth.

30 God said to Noah: "The end of all flesh has come before me, for the earth is filled with violence, and I will destroy all flesh from off the earth."

### The Book of Abraham

Translated from the Papyrus, by Joseph Smith.
A translation of some ancient records, that have fallen into our hands, from the catacombs of Egypt; the writings of Abraham while he was in Egypt, called the Book of Abraham, written by his own hand, upon papyrus.

#### Chapter 1

1 In the land of the Chaldeans, at the residence of my father, I, Abraham, saw that I needed to obtain another place of residence; 2 and, finding there was greater happiness and peace and rest for me, I sought for the blessings of the fathers, and the right whereunto I should be ordained to administer the same; having been myself a follower of righteousness, desiring also to be one who possessed great knowledge, and to be a greater follower of righteousness, and to possess a greater knowledge, and to be a father of many nations, a prince of peace, and desiring to receive instructions, and to keep the commandments of God, I became a rightful heir, a High Priest, holding the right belonging to the fathers.

3 It was conferred upon me from the fathers; it came down from the fathers, from the beginning of time, or before the foundation of the earth, down to the present time, the right of the firstborn, or the first man, who is Adam, or first father, through the fathers to me.

4 I sought my appointment to the Priesthood according to the appointment of God to the fathers concerning the seed.

5 My fathers having turned from their righteousness, and from the holy commandments which the Lord their God had given to them, to the worshiping of the gods of the heathen, utterly refused to listen to my voice; 6 for their hearts were set to do evil, and were wholly turned to the god of Elkenah, the god of Libnah, the god of Mahmackrah, the god of Korash, and the god of Pharaoh, king of Egypt; 7 therefore, they turned their hearts to the sacrifice of the heathen in offering up their children to these dumb idols, and did not listen to my voice, but endeavored to take away my life by the hand of the priest of Elkenah. The priest of Elkenah was also the priest of Pharaoh.

8 Now, at this time, it was the custom of the priest of Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, to offer up upon the altar built in the land of Chaldea, for the offering to these strange gods, men, women, and children.

9 The priest made an offering to the god of Pharaoh and the god of Shagreel, even after the manner of the Egyptians. Now the god of Shagreel was the sun.

10 Even the thank-offering of a child did the priest of Pharaoh offer upon the altar which stood by the hill called Potiphar's Hill, at the head of the plain of Olishem.

11 Now, this priest had offered upon this altar three virgins at one time, who were the daughters of Onitah, one of the royal descent directly from the loins of Ham. These virgins were offered up because of their virtue; they would not bow down to worship gods of wood or stone. Therefore, they were killed upon this altar, and it was done after the manner of the Egyptians.

12 The priests laid violence upon me, that they might also slay me, as they did those virgins upon this altar; and that you may know this altar, I will refer you to the representation at the beginning of this record.

13 It was made after the form of a framework of a bed, such as was had among the Chaldeans. It stood before the gods of Elkenah, Libnah, Mahmackrah, Korash, and a god like that of Pharaoh, king of Egypt.

14 That you may have an understanding of these gods, I have given you the fashion of them in the figures at the beginning, which manner of figures is called by the Chaldeans Rahleenos, which signifies hieroglyphics.

15 As they lifted up their hands upon me, that they might offer me up and take away my life, I lifted up my voice of the Lord my God. The Lord listened and heard, and he filled me with the vision of the Almighty, and the angel of his presence stood by me, and immediately unloosed my bands.

16 His voice was to me: Abraham, Abraham, my name is Jehovah, and I have heard you, and have come down to deliver you, and to take you away from your father's house, and from all your kinsfolk, into a strange land which you do not know of; 17 because they have turned their hearts away from me, to worship the god of Elkenah, the god of Libnah, the god of Mahmackrah, the god of Korash, and the god of Pharaoh, king of Egypt; therefore I have come down to visit them, and to destroy him who has lifted up his hand against you, Abraham, my son, to take away your life.

18 I will lead you by my hand, and I will take you, to put upon you my name, even the Priesthood of your father, and my power shall be over you.

19 As it was with Noah, so it will be with you; but through your ministry, my name will be known in the earth forever, for I am your God.

20 Potiphar's Hill was in the land of Ur, of Chaldea. The Lord broke down the altar of Elkenah, and the gods of the land, and utterly destroyed them, and smote the priest that he died; and there was great mourning in Chaldea and the court of Pharaoh; which Pharaoh signifies king by royal blood.

21 Now, this king of Egypt was a descendant from the loins of Ham, and was a partaker of the blood of the Canaanites by birth.

22 From this descent sprang all the Egyptians, and thus the blood of the Canaanites was preserved in the land.

23 The land of Egypt being first discovered by a woman, who was the daughter of Ham, and the daughter of Egyptus, which in the Chaldean signifies Egypt, which signifies that which is forbidden; 24 when this woman discovered the land was under water, who afterward settled her sons in it; and thus, from Ham, sprang that race which preserved the curse in the land.

25 Now, the first government of Egypt was established by Pharaoh, the eldest son of Egyptus, the daughter of Ham, and it was after the manner of the government of Ham, which was patriarchal.

26 Pharaoh, being a righteous man, established his kingdom and judged his people wisely and justly all his days, seeking earnestly to imitate that order established by the fathers in the first generations, in the days of the first patriarchal reign, even in the reign of Adam, and also of Noah, his father, who blessed him with the blessings of the earth, and with the blessings of wisdom, but cursed him as pertaining to the Priesthood.

27 Now, Pharaoh being of that lineage by which he could not have the right of Priesthood, notwithstanding the Pharaohs would fain claim it from Noah, through Ham, therefore my father was led away by their idolatry.

28 Still, I will endeavor to delineate the chronology running back from myself to the beginning of the creation, for the records have come into my hands, which I hold to this present time.

29 Now, after the priest of Elkenah was smitten that he died, there came a fulfillment of those things which were said to me concerning the land of Chaldea, that there should be a famine in the land.

30 Accordingly, a famine prevailed throughout all the land of Chaldea. My father was sorely tormented because of the famine. He repented of the evil which he had determined against me, to take away my life.

31 But the records of the fathers, even the patriarchs, concerning the right of Priesthood, the Lord my God preserved in my own hands; therefore a knowledge of the beginning of the creation, and also of the planets, and the stars, as they were made known to the fathers, I have kept even to this day. I will endeavor to write some of these things upon this record to benefit the posterity that shall come after me.

#### Chapter 2

1 Now the Lord God caused the famine to grow sore in the land of Ur, insomuch that Haran, my brother, died; but Terah, my father, yet lived in the land of Ur, of the Chaldees.

2 I, Abraham, took Sarai to wife, and Nahor, my brother, took Milcah, the daughter of Haran, to wife.

3 Now the Lord had said to me: "Abraham, get out of your country, and from your kindred, and from your father's house, to a land that I will show you."

4 Therefore I left the land of Ur, of the Chaldees, to go into the land of Canaan; and I took my nephew Lot, and his wife, and my wife Sarai; and my father also followed after me, to the land which we called Haran.

5 The famine abated; and my father tarried in Haran and dwelt there, as there were many flocks in Haran; and my father turned again to his idolatry. Therefore he continued in Haran.

6 But I, Abraham, and Lot, my nephew, prayed to the Lord, and the Lord appeared to me, and said to me: Arise, and take Lot with you; for I have purposed to take you away out of Haran, and to make of you a minister to bear my name in a strange land which I will give to your seed after you for an everlasting possession, when they listen to my voice.

7 For I am the Lord your God; I dwell in heaven; the earth is my footstool; I stretch my hand over the sea, and it obeys my voice; I cause the wind and the fire to be my chariot; I say to the mountains, "Depart from here", and behold, they are taken away by a whirlwind, in an instant, suddenly.

8 My name is Jehovah, and I know the end from the beginning; therefore, my hand will be over you.

9 I will make of you a great nation. I will bless you above measure, and make your name great among all nations. You will be a blessing to your seed after you, that in their hands they shall bear this ministry and Priesthood to all nations; 10 and I will bless them through your name; for as many as receive this Gospel will be called after your name, and will be accounted your seed, and will rise up and bless you, as their father; 11 and I will bless them that bless you, and curse them that curse you; and in you (that is, in your Priesthood) and in your seed (that is, your Priesthood), for I give to you a promise that this right will continue in you, and in your seed of the body after you will all the families of the earth be blessed, even with the blessings of the Gospel, which are the blessings of salvation, even of life eternal.

12 Now, after the Lord had withdrawn from speaking to me, and withdrawn his face from me, I said in my heart: "Your servant has sought you earnestly; now I have found you; 13 you sent your angel to deliver me from the gods of Elkenah, and I will do well to listen to your voice, therefore let your servant rise up and depart in peace."

14 So I, Abraham, departed as the Lord had said to me, and Lot with me; and I, Abraham, was sixty-two years old when I departed out of Haran.

15 I took Sarai, whom I took to wife when I was in Ur, in Chaldea, and Lot, my nephew, and all our substance that we had gathered, and the souls that we had won in Haran, and came forth in the way to the land of Canaan, and dwelt in tents as we came on our way; 16 therefore, eternity was our covering and our rock and our salvation, as we journeyed from Haran by way of Jershon, to come to the land of Canaan.

17 Now I, Abraham, built an altar in the land of Jershon, and made an offering to the Lord, and prayed that the famine might be turned away from my father's house, that they might not perish.

18 Then we passed from Jershon through the land to the place of Sechem; it was situated in the plains of Moreh, and we had already come into the borders of the land of the Canaanites. I offered sacrifice there in the plains of Moreh. I called on the Lord devoutly, because we had already come into the land of this idolatrous nation.

19 The Lord appeared to me to answer my prayers, and said to me: "To your seed, I will give this land."

20 I, Abraham, arose from the place of the altar I had built to the Lord, removed from there to a mountain on the east of Bethel, and pitched my tent there, Bethel on the west, and Hai on the east. There I built another altar to the Lord, and called again upon the name of the Lord.

21 I, Abraham, journeyed, going on still towards the south; there was a famine in the land; and I, Abraham, concluded to go down into Egypt, to sojourn there, for the famine became very grievous.

22 When I had come near to enter into Egypt, the Lord said to me: Sarai, your wife, is a very fair woman to look upon; 23 therefore, when the Egyptians shall see her, they will say "She is his wife"; and they will kill you, but they will save her alive; therefore see that you do on this wise: 24 Let her say to the Egyptians, she is your sister, and your soul will live.

25 I, Abraham, told Sarai, my wife, all that the Lord had said to me: Therefore, please say to them you are my sister, that it may be well with me for your sake, and my soul will live because of you.

#### Chapter 3

1 I, Abraham, had the Urim and Thummim, which the Lord my God had given me, in Ur of the Chaldees; 2 and I saw that the stars were very great, and that one of them was nearest to the throne of God; and there were many great ones which were near to it; 3 and the Lord said to me: "These are the governing ones; and the name of the great one is Kolob, because it is near to me, for I am the Lord your God: I have set this one to govern all those which belong to the same order as that upon which you stand."

4 The Lord said to me, by the Urim and Thummim, that Kolob was after the manner of the Lord, according to its times and seasons in its revolutions; that one revolution was a day to the Lord, after his manner of reckoning, it being one thousand years according to the time appointed to that on which you stand. This is the reckoning of the Lord's time, according to the reckoning of Kolob.

5 The Lord said to me: The planet which is the lesser light, lesser than that which is to rule the day, even the night, is above or greater than that upon which you stand in point of reckoning, for it moves in order more slowly; this is in order because it stands above the earth upon which you stand. Therefore, the reckoning of its time is not so many as its number of days, months, and years.

6 The Lord said to me: Now, Abraham, these two facts exist, your eyes see it; it is given to you to know the times of reckoning, and the set time of the earth upon which you stand, and the set time of the greater light which is set to rule the day, and the set time of the lesser light which is set to rule the night.

7 Now the set time of the lesser light is longer as to its reckoning than the reckoning of the time of the earth upon which you stand.

8 Where these two facts exist, there shall be another fact above them, that is, there shall be another planet whose reckoning of time shall be longer still; 9 thus there will be the reckoning of the time of one planet above another, until you come nigh to Kolob, which Kolob is after the reckoning of the Lord's time; which Kolob is set nigh to the throne of God, to govern all those planets which belong to the same order as that upon which you stand.

10 It is given to you to know the set time of all the stars set to give light, until you come near to the throne of God.

11 Thus I, Abraham, talked with the Lord, face to face, as one man talks with another; and he told me of the works his hands had made; 12 and he said to me: My son, my son (and his hand was stretched out), I will show you all these. He put his hand upon my eyes, and I saw those things his hands had made, which were many; and they increased before my eyes, and I could not see its end.

13 He said to me: "This is Shinehah, which is the sun." He said to me: "Kokob, which is a star." He said to me: "Olea, which is the moon." He said to me: "Kokaubeam, which signifies stars, or all the great lights, which were in the firmament of heaven."

14 It was in the nighttime when the Lord spoke these words to me: "I will increase you, and your seed after you, like these; and if you can count the number of sands, that will be the number of your seeds."

15 The Lord said to me: Abraham, I show these things to you before you go into Egypt, that you may declare all these words.

16 If two things exist and one above the other, there shall be greater things above them; therefore, Kolob is the greatest of all the Kokaubeam you have seen because it is nearest to me.

17 Now, if there be two things, one above the other, and the moon be above the earth, then it may be that a planet or a star may exist above it. There is nothing that the Lord your God shall take in his heart to do but what he will do it.

18 Although he made the greater star; as, also, if there be two spirits, and one shall be more intelligent than the other, yet these two spirits, although one is more intelligent than the other, have no beginning; they existed before, they will have no end, they will exist afterward, for they are eternal.

19 The Lord said to me: These two facts do exist, that there are two spirits, one being more intelligent than the other; there will be another more intelligent than them; I am the Lord your God, I am wiser than them all.

20 The Lord your God sent his angel to deliver you from the hands of the priest of Elkenah.

21 I dwell in the midst of them all; therefore, I have now come down to you to declare the works my hands have made, where my wisdom excels them all, for I rule in the heavens above. In the earth beneath, in all wisdom and prudence, over all the intelligence your eyes have seen from the beginning; I came down in the beginning in all the intelligence you have seen.

22 Now the Lord had shown to me, Abraham, the intelligence that were organized before the world was; and among all these, there were many of the noble and great ones; 23 and God saw that these souls were good, and he stood in the midst of them, and he said: "I will make these my rulers"; for he stood among those that were spirits, and he saw that they were good; and he said to me: "Abraham, you are one of them; you were chosen before you were born."

24 There one stood among them that was like God. He said to those who were with him: "We will go down, for there is space there, and we will take of these materials, and we will make an earth whereon these may dwell; 25 and we will prove them herewith, to see if they will do all things whatsoever the Lord their God will command them; 26 and those who keep their first estate shall be added upon. Those who do not keep their first estate shall not have glory in the same kingdom as those who keep their first estate. They who keep their second estate shall have glory added upon their heads forever and ever."

27 The Lord said: "Whom shall I send?" One answered like the Son of Man: "Here I am, send me." Another answered and said: "Here I am, send me." The Lord said: "I will send the first."

28 The second was angry, and did not keep his first estate; and, that day, many followed after him.

#### Chapter 4

1 Then the Lord said: "Let us go down." They went down at the beginning, and the Gods organized and formed the heavens and the earth.

2 The earth, after it was formed, was empty and desolate, because they had not formed anything but the earth. Darkness reigned upon the face of the deep, and the Spirit of the Gods was brooding upon the face of the waters.

3 The Gods said: "Let there be light"; and there was light.

4 The Gods comprehended the light, for it was bright; and they divided the light, or caused it to be divided, from the darkness.

5 The Gods called the light Day, and the darkness they called Night. From the evening until morning they called night; and from the morning until the evening they called day; this was the first, or the beginning, of that which they called day and night.

6 The Gods also said: "Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and it shall divide the waters from the waters."

7 The Gods ordered the expanse to divide the waters under the expanse from the waters above the expanse; and it was so, even as they ordered.

8 The Gods called the expanse Heaven. From evening until morning, they called night; from morning until evening, they called day; this was the second time they called night and day.

9 The Gods ordered, saying: "Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together to one place, and let the earth come up dry"; and it was so as they ordered; 10 the Gods called the dry land, Earth; and the gathering together of the waters, they called Great Waters; and the Gods saw that they were obeyed.

11 The Gods said: "Let us prepare the earth to bring forth grass; the herb yielding seed; the fruit tree yielding fruit, after its kind, whose seed in itself yields its own likeness upon the earth"; and it was so, even as they ordered.

12 The Gods organized the earth to bring forth grass from its seed, and the herb to bring forth herb from its seed, yielding seed after its kind; and the earth to bring forth the tree from its seed, yielding fruit, whose seed could bring forth the same in itself, after his kind; and the Gods saw that they were obeyed.

13 They numbered the days; from evening until morning, they called night; from morning until evening, they called day; and it was the third time.

14 The Gods organized the lights in the expanse of the heaven, and caused them to divide the day from the night; and organized them to be for signs, seasons, days, and years; 15 and organized them to be for lights in the expanse of the heaven to give light upon the earth; and it was so.

16 The Gods organized the two great lights, the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night; with the lesser light they also set the stars; 17 and the Gods set them in the expanse of the heavens, give light upon the earth, rule over the day and the night, and cause to divide the light from the darkness.

18 The Gods watched those things which they had ordered until they obeyed.

19 From evening until morning, they called night; from morning until evening, they called day; and it was the fourth time.

20 The Gods said: "Let us prepare the waters to bring forth abundantly the moving creatures that have life; and the fowl, that they may fly above the earth in the open expanse of heaven."

21 The Gods prepared the waters that they might bring forth great whales, and every living creature that moves, which the waters were to bring forth abundantly after their kind; and every winged fowl after their kind. And the Gods saw that they would be obeyed, and that their plan was good.

22 The Gods said: "We will bless them, cause them to be fruitful and increase, fill the waters in the seas or great waters; and cause the fowl to multiply in the earth."

23 From evening until morning, they called night; from morning until evening, they called day; and it was the fifth time.

24 The Gods prepared the earth to bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, creeping things, and beasts of the earth after their kind; and it was so, as they had said.

25 The Gods organized the earth to bring forth the beasts after their kind, and cattle after their kind, and everything that creeps upon the earth after its kind; and the Gods saw they would obey.

26 The Gods took counsel among themselves and said: "Let us go down and form man in our image, after our likeness; and we will give them dominion over the fish of the sea, over the fowl of the air, over the cattle, over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth."

27 So the Gods went down to organize man in their image, they form him in the image of the Gods, male and female they form them.

28 The Gods said: "We will bless them." The Gods said: "We will cause them to be fruitful and increase, and replenish the earth, and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moves upon the earth."

29 The Gods said: "We will give them every herb bearing seed that shall come upon the face of all the earth, and every tree which shall have fruit upon it; the fruit of the tree yielding seed to them we will give it; it shall be for their food.

30 To every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to everything that creeps upon the earth, we will give them life. Also, we will give them every green herb for food, and all these things will be thus organized."

31 The Gods said: "We will do everything that we have said, and organize them; and they shall be very obedient." From evening until morning, they called night; from morning until evening, they called day; and they numbered the sixth time.

#### Chapter 5

1 Thus we will finish the heavens and the earth, and all the hosts of them.

2 The Gods said among themselves: "On the seventh time we will end our work, which we have counseled; and we will rest on the seventh time from all our work which we have counseled."

3 The Gods concluded upon the seventh time, because that on the seventh time they would rest from all their works which the Gods suggested among themselves to form; and sanctified it. Thus were their decisions at the time that they counseled among themselves to form the heavens and the earth.

4 The Gods came down and formed these the generations of the heavens and the earth, when they were formed in the day that the Gods formed the earth and the heavens, 5 according to all that which they had said concerning every plant of the field before it was in the earth, and every herb of the field before it grew; for the Gods had not caused it to rain upon the earth when they counseled to do them, and had not formed a man to till the ground.

6 But there went up a mist from the earth, and watered the whole face of the ground.

7 The Gods formed man from the dust of the ground, took the man's spirit, put it into him; and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living soul.

8 The Gods planted a garden, eastward in Eden, and there they put the man, whose spirit they had put into the body they had formed.

9 Out of the ground, the Gods made to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food; the tree of life in the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

10 There was a river running out of Eden, to water the garden, and from there, it was parted and became into four heads.

11 The Gods took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden, to dress it and keep it.

12 The Gods commanded the man, saying: "Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat, 13 but of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, you will not eat of it; for in the time that you eat thereof, you will surely die." Now I, Abraham, saw that it was after the Lord's time, which was after the time of Kolob; for as yet, the Gods had not appointed to Adam his reckoning.

14 The Gods said: Let us make a help meet for the man, for it is not good that the man should be alone. Therefore, we will form a helper suitable for him.

15 The Gods caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam; and he slept, and they took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in its place; 16 and of the rib which the Gods had taken from man, they formed a woman, and brought her to the man.

17 Adam said: "This was bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh; now she will be called Woman, because she was taken out of man"; 18 therefore a man will leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave to his wife, and they shall be one flesh.

19 The man and his wife were both naked, and were not ashamed.

20 Out of the ground the Gods formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air, and brought them to Adam to see what he would call them. Whatever Adam called every living creature, that should be its name.

21 Adam gave names to all cattle, the fowl of the air, and every beast of the field; and for Adam, a helper was found suitable for him.

### Joseph Smith: Matthew

An Extract from a Translation of the Bible.

Being the Gospel of Matthew, from chapter 23 verse 39 to chapter 24 verse 51.

1 For I say to you, that you will not see me from now on and know that I am he of whom it is written by the prophets, until you shall say: Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, in the clouds of heaven, and all the holy angels with him. Then his disciples understood that he should come again on the earth. After that, he was glorified and crowned on the right hand of God.

2 Jesus went out, and departed from the temple. His disciples came to him, to hear him, saying: Master, show us concerning the temple's buildings, as you have said -- They will be thrown down, and left to you desolate.

3 Jesus said to them: Do you not see all these things, and do you not understand them? Verily I say to you, there will not be left here, upon this temple, one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.

4 Jesus left them, and went upon the Mount of Olives. And as he sat upon the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying: Tell us when these things shall be which you have said concerning the destruction of the temple, and the Jews; and what is the sign of your coming, and the end of the world, or the destruction of the wicked, which is the end of the world?

5 Jesus answered, and said to them: Take heed that no man deceive you; 6 for many will come in my name, saying -- I am Christ, and will deceive many; 7 then they will deliver you up to be afflicted, and will kill you, and you will be hated of all nations, for my name's sake; 8 and then many will be offended, and will betray one another, and will hate one another; 9 and many false prophets will arise, and will deceive many; 10 and because iniquity will abound, the love of many will breathe; 11 but he that remains steadfast and is not overcome, the same will be saved.

12 Therefore, when you will see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, concerning the destruction of Jerusalem, then you will stand in the holy place; whoever reads let him understand.

13 Then let those who are in Judea flee into the mountains; 14 let him who is on the housetop flee, and not return to take anything out of his house; 15 neither let him who is in the field return back to take his clothes; 16 and wo to them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days; 17 therefore, pray the Lord that your flight not be in the winter, neither on the Sabbath day; 18 for then, in those days, will be great tribulation on the Jews, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, such as was not before sent upon Israel, of God, since the beginning of their kingdom until this time; nor ever will be sent again upon Israel.

19 All things which have befallen them are only the beginning of the sorrows which will come upon them.

20 Except those days should be shortened, none of their flesh be saved; but according to the covenant, those days shall be shortened for the elect's sake.

21 These things I have spoken to you concerning the Jews; and again, after the tribulation of those days which will come upon Jerusalem, if any man shall say to you, "Lo, here is Christ, or there", do not believe him; 22 for in those days there will also arise false Christs, and false prophets, and will show great signs and wonders, to the extent that, if possible, they will deceive the very elect, who are the elect according to the covenant.

23 I speak these things to you for the elect's sake; and you will also hear of wars, and rumors of wars; see that you not be troubled, for all I have told you must come to pass; but the end is not yet.

24 I have told you before; 25 therefore, if they will say to you: "He is in the desert"; do not go forth: "He is in the secret chambers"; do not believe it; 26 for as the light of the morning comes out of the east, and shines to the west, and covers the whole earth, so will also the coming of the Son of Man be.

27 I will now show you a parable. Wherever the carcass is, the eagles will be gathered together; my elect will also be gathered from the four quarters of the earth.

28 They will hear of wars, and rumors of wars.

29 I speak for my elect's sake; for nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes, in diverse places.

30 Again, because iniquity will abound, the love of men will breathe; but he that will not be overcome, the same will be saved.

31 Again, this Gospel of the Kingdom will be preached in all the world, for a witness to all nations, and then the end will come, or the destruction of the wicked; 32 and again the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, will be fulfilled.

33 Immediately after the tribulation of those days, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give her light. The stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of heaven will be shaken.

34 Verily, I say to you, this generation, in which these things shall be shown forth, will not pass away until all I have told you will be fulfilled.

35 Although, the days will come, heaven and earth will pass away; yet my words will not pass away, but all will be fulfilled.

36 As I said before, after the tribulation of those days, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken, then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn; and they will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory; 37 and whoever treasures up my word, will not be deceived, for the Son of Man will come. He will send his angels before him with the great sound of a trumpet. They will gather together the remainder of his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

38 Now learn a parable of the fig-tree when its branches are yet tender, and it begins to put forth leaves, you know that summer is nigh at hand; 39 so likewise, my elect, when they will see all these things, they will know that he is near, even at the doors; 40 but of that day, and hour, no one knows; not the angels of God in heaven, but my Father only.

41 But as it was in the days of Noah, so it will also be at the coming of the Son of Man; 42 for it will be with them, as it was in the days which were before the flood; for until the day that Noah entered into the ark they were eating, drinking, marrying, and giving in marriage; 43 and did not know until the flood came, and took them all away; so the coming of the Son of Man will also be.

44 Then will be fulfilled that which is written, that in the last days, two will be in the field, the one will be taken, and the other will remain; 45 two shall be grinding at the mill, the one will be taken, and the other will leave; 46 and what I say to one, I say to all men; watch, therefore, for you do not know at what hour your Lord will come.

47 But know this, if the good man of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to have been broken up, but would have been ready.

48 Therefore, be ready, for in such an hour as you do not think, the Son of Man is coming.

49 Who, then, is a faithful and wise servant whose lord has made ruler over his household, giving them food in due season?

50 Blessed is that servant whom his lord, when he comes, shall find so doing; and verily I say to you, he shall make him ruler over all his goods.

51 But if that evil servant shall say in his heart: My lord delays his coming, 52 and will begin to smite his fellow-servants, and to eat and drink with the drunken, 53 the lord of that servant will come in a day when he does not look for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of, 54 and will cut him asunder and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites; there will be weeping and grinding of teeth.

55 Thus, the end of the wicked will come, according to the prophecy of Moses, saying: "They will be cut off from among the people; but the end of the earth is not yet, but by and by."

### Joseph Smith: History

Extracts from the History of Joseph Smith.

1 Owing to the many reports which have been put in circulation by evil-disposed and designing persons, about the rise and progress of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, all of which have been designed by its authors to militate against its character as a Church and its progress in the world -- I have been induced to write this history, to disabuse the public mind, and put all inquirers after truth in possession of the facts, as they have transpired, in relation both to myself and the Church, so far as I have such facts in my possession.

2 In this history, I will present the various events about this Church, in truth and righteousness, as they have transpired, or as they presently exist, being now the eighth year since the organization of the said Church.

3 I was born on December 23rd, 1805, in Sharon, Windsor county, Vermont. My father, Joseph Smith Senior, left Vermont, and moved to Palmyra, Wayne county, New York, when I was in my tenth year, or thereabouts. About four years after my father arrived in Palmyra, he moved into Manchester in Ontario with his family.

4 His family consisted of eleven people: my father, Joseph Smith; my mother, Lucy Smith (née Mack, daughter of Solomon Mack); my brothers, Alvin (who died November 19th, 1823, in the 27th year of his age), Hyrum, myself, Samuel Harrison, William, Don Carlos; and my sisters, Sophronia, Catherine, and Lucy.

5 Sometime in the second year after we moved to Manchester, we lived an unusual excitement on the subject of religion. It began with the Methodists, but soon became general among all the sects in that region of the country. Indeed, the whole district of the country seemed affected by it. Great multitudes united themselves to the different religious parties, which created no small stir and division among the people, some crying, "Lo, here!" and others, "Lo, there!" Some were contending for the Methodist faith, some for the Presbyterian, and some for the Baptist.

6 For, despite the great love which the converts to these different faiths expressed at the time of their conversion, and the great zeal manifested by the respective clergy, who were active in getting up and promoting this extraordinary scene of religious feeling, to have everybody converted, as they were pleased to call it, let them join what sect they pleased; yet when the converts began to file off, some to one party and some to another, it was seen that the seemingly good feelings of both the priests and the converts were more pretended than real; for a scene of great confusion and bad feeling ensued; priest contending against priest, and convert against convert; so that all their good feelings one for another, if they ever had any, were entirely lost in a strife of words and a contest about opinions.

7 I was in my fifteenth year at this time. My father's family was proselyted to the Presbyterian faith. Four joined that church: my mother, Lucy; my brothers Hyrum and Samuel Harrison; and my sister Sophronia.

8 During this great excitement, my mind was called up to serious reflection and great uneasiness. However, though my feelings were deep and often poignant, I kept myself aloof from all these parties. However, I attended their several meetings as often as occasion would permit. In the process of time, my mind became somewhat partial to the Methodist sect, and I felt some desire to be united with them; but so great were the confusion and strife among the different denominations, that it was impossible for a person young as I was, and so unacquainted with men and things, to come to any certain conclusion who was right and who was wrong.

9 At times, my mind was greatly excited. The cry and tumult were so great and incessant. The Presbyterians were most decided against the Baptists and Methodists, and used all the powers of both reason and sophistry to prove their errors, or, at least, to make the people think they were in error. On the other hand, the Baptists and Methodists, in their turn, were equally zealous in endeavoring to establish their tenets and disprove all others.

10 During this war of words and tumult of opinions, I often asked myself: What is to be done? Who of all these parties are right; or are they all wrong together? If any of them is right, what is it, and how do I know?

11 While I was laboring under the extreme difficulties caused by the contests of these parties of religionists, I was one day reading the Epistle of James, first chapter and fifth verse, which reads: *But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.* (WEB)

12 Never did any passage of scripture come with more power to man's heart than this did at this time to mine. It seemed to enter with great force into every feeling of my heart. I reflected on it again and again, knowing that if any person needed wisdom from God, I did; for I did not know how to act, and unless I could get more wisdom than I then had, I would never know; for the teachers of religion of the different sects understood the same passages of scripture so differently as to destroy all confidence in settling the question by an appeal to the Bible.

13 At length, I concluded that I must either remain in darkness and confusion, or else I must do as James directs, that is, ask of God. At length, I came to the determination to "ask of God," concluding that if he gave wisdom to them that lacked wisdom, and would give liberally, and not upbraid, I might venture.

14 So, following this, my determination to ask God, I retired to the woods to attempt. It was the morning of a beautiful, clear day, early in the spring of 1820. It was the first time in my life that I had made such an attempt, for amidst all my anxieties, I had never attempted to pray vocally.

15 After I had retired to the place I had previously designed to go, having looked around me and found myself alone, I knelt down. I began to offer up the desires of my heart to God. I had scarcely done so, when immediately I was seized upon by some power that entirely overcame me and had such an astonishing influence over me to bind my tongue so that I could not speak. Thick darkness gathered around me, and it seemed to me for a time as if I were doomed to sudden destruction.

16 But, exerting all my powers to call upon God to deliver me out of the power of this enemy which had seized upon me, and at the very moment when I was ready to sink into despair and abandon myself to destruction -- not to an imaginary ruin, but to the power of some actual being from the unseen world, who had such marvelous power as I had never before felt in any being -- just at this moment of great alarm, I saw a pillar of light exactly over my head, above the brightness of the sun, which descended gradually until it fell upon me.

17 It no sooner appeared than I found myself delivered from the enemy which held me bound. When the light rested upon me, I saw two personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description, standing above me in the air. One of them spoke to me, calling me by name, and said, pointing to the other: This is My Beloved Son. Hear him!

18 My objective in inquiring about the Lord was to know which of the sects was right, that I might know which to join. No sooner, therefore, did I get possession of myself, to be able to speak, than I asked the personages who stood above me in the light, which of all the sects was right (for at this time it had never entered into my heart that all were wrong) and which I should join.

19 I was answered that I must join none of them, for they were all wrong; and the personage who addressed me said that all their creeds were an abomination in his sight; that those professors were all corrupt; that: "they draw near to me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me, they teach for doctrines the commandments of men, having a form of godliness, but they deny the power thereof."

20 He again forbade me to join any of them; and he told me many other things I could not write at this time. When I came to myself again, I found myself lying on my back, looking up into heaven. When the light had departed, I had no strength; but soon recovering to some degree, I went home. And as I leaned up to the fireplace, mother inquired what the matter was. I replied, "Never mind, all is well, I am well enough off." I then told my mother, "I have learned for myself that Presbyterianism is not true." At a very early period of my life, it seems as though the adversary was aware that I was destined to prove a disturber and an annoyer of his kingdom; else, why should the powers of darkness combine against me? Why the opposition and persecution that arose against me, almost in my infancy?

21 Some few days after I had this vision, I happened to be in company with one of the Methodist preachers, who was very active in the before-mentioned religious excitement; and, conversing with him on the subject of religion, I took occasion to give him an account of the vision which I had had. I was greatly surprised at his behavior; he treated my communication not only lightly, but with great contempt, saying it was all of the devil, that there were no such things as visions or revelations in these days; that all such things had ceased with the apostles, and that there would never be any more of them.

22 However, I soon found that my telling the story had excited a great deal of prejudice against me among professors of religion, and was the cause of great persecution, which continued to increase; and though I was an obscure boy, fourteen years of age, and my circumstances in life such as to make a boy of no consequence in the world. Yet, men of high standing would take notice sufficient to excite the public mind against me, and create a bitter persecution; and this was common among all the sects -- all united to persecute me.

23 It caused me serious reflection then, and often has since, how very strange it was that an obscure boy, fourteen years of age, and one, too, who was doomed to the necessity of obtaining a scanty maintenance by his daily labor, should be thought a character of sufficient importance to attract the attention of the great ones of the most popular sects of the day, and in a manner to create in them a spirit of the most bitter persecution and reviling. But strange or not, so it was, and it was often the cause of great sorrow to myself.

24 However, it was a fact that I had beheld a vision. I have thought since, that I felt much like Paul, when he made his defense before King Agrippa, and related the account of the vision he had when he saw a light, and heard a voice; but still there were but few who believed him; some said he was dishonest, others said he was mad; and he was ridiculed and reviled. But all this did not destroy the reality of his vision. He had seen a vision, he knew he had, and all the persecution under heaven could not make it otherwise; and though they should persecute him to death, yet he knew, and would know to his latest breath, that he had both seen a light and heard a voice speaking to him. All the world could not make him think or believe otherwise.

25 So it was with me. I had seen a light, and in the midst of that light I saw two personages, and they spoke to me in reality; and though I was hated and persecuted for saying that I had seen a vision, yet it was true; and while they were persecuting me, reviling me, and speaking all manner of evil against me falsely for so saying, I was led to say in my heart: Why persecute me for telling the truth? I have seen a vision; and who am I that I can withstand God, or why does the world think to make me deny what I have seen? For I had seen a vision; I knew it, and I knew that God knew it, and I could not deny it, neither dared I do it; at least I knew that I would offend God by so doing and come under condemnation.

26 Now I had got my mind satisfied so far as the sectarian world was concerned; it was not my duty to join with any of them, but to continue as I was until further directed. I had found the testimony of James to be true that a man who lacked wisdom might ask of God, obtain, and not be upbraided.

27 I continued to pursue my common vocations until September 21st, 1823, all the time suffering severe persecution at the hands of all classes of men, both religious and irreligious, because I continued to affirm that I had seen a vision.

28 During the space of time which intervened between the time I had the vision and the year 1823 -- having been forbidden to join any of the religious sects of the day, and being of very tender years, and persecuted by those who ought to have been my friends and to have treated me kindly, and if they supposed me to be deluded to have endeavored properly and affectionately to have reclaimed me -- I was left to all kinds of temptations; and, mingling with all kinds of society, I frequently fell into many foolish errors, and displayed the weakness of youth, and the quirks of human nature; which, I am sorry to say, led me into diverse temptations, offensive in the sight of God. In making this confession, no one need suppose me guilty of any great or malignant sins. A disposition to commit such was never in my nature. But I was guilty of fun, sometimes associated with jovial company, and so on, not consistent with that character which ought to be maintained by one who was called of God as I had been. But this will not seem very strange to anyone who recollects my youth, and is acquainted with my native cheery temperament.

29 In consequence of these things, I often felt condemned for my weakness and imperfections; when, on the evening of September 21st, after I had retired to my bed for the night, I betook myself to prayer and supplication to Almighty God for forgiveness of all my sins and follies, and also for a manifestation to me, that I might know of my state and standing before him; for I had full confidence in obtaining a divine manifestation, as I previously had one.

30 While I was in the act of calling upon God, I discovered a light appearing in my room, which continued to increase until the room was lighter than at noon, when immediately a personage appeared at my bedside, standing in the air, for his feet did not touch the floor.

31 He had on a loose robe of most exquisite whiteness. It was a whiteness beyond anything earthly I had ever seen; nor do I believe that any earthly thing could be made to appear so exceedingly white and brilliant. His hands were naked, and his arms also, a little above the wrist; his feet were also naked, as were his legs, a little above the ankles. His head and neck were also bare. I could discover that he had no other clothing on but this robe, as it was open, so that I could see into his bosom.

32 Not only was his robe exceedingly white, but his whole person was glorious beyond description, and his countenance truly like lightning. The room was exceedingly light, but not so very bright as immediately around his person. When I first looked upon him, I was afraid; but the fear soon left me.

33 He called me by name, and said to me that he was a messenger sent from the presence of God to me, and that his name was Moroni; that God had a work for me to do; and that my name should be had for good and evil among all nations, kindreds, and languages, or that it should be both good and evil spoken of among all people.

34 He said a book was deposited, written upon gold plates, giving an account of the former inhabitants of this continent, and the source from where they sprang. He also said that the fullness of the everlasting Gospel was contained in it, as delivered by the Savior to the ancient inhabitants; 35 also, that there were two stones in silver bows -- and these stones, fastened to a breastplate, constituted what is called the Urim and Thummim -- deposited with the plates; and the possession and use of these stones were what constituted "seers" in ancient or former times; and that God had prepared them for translating the book.

36 After telling me these things, he began quoting the prophecies of the Old Testament. He first quoted part of the third chapter of Malachi; and the fourth or last chapter of the same prophecy, though with a little variation from the way it reads in our Bibles. Instead of quoting the first verse as it reads in our books, he quoted it thus:

37 *"For behold, the day comes, burning like a furnace, when all the proud and all who work wickedness will be stubble. The day that comes will burn them up," says Yahweh of Armies, "so that it will leave them neither root nor branch.* (WEB)

38 And again, he quoted the fifth verse thus: *Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and terrible day of Yahweh comes.* (WEB)

39 He also quoted the next verse differently: *He will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children and the hearts of the children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the earth with a curse."* (WEB)

40 In addition to these, he quoted the eleventh chapter of Isaiah, saying that it was about to be fulfilled. He also quoted the third chapter of Acts, the twenty-second and twenty-third verses, precisely as they stand in our New Testament. He said that that prophet was Christ; but the day had not yet come when "they who would not hear his voice should be cut off from among the people," but soon would come.

41 He also quoted the second chapter of Joel, from the twenty-eighth verse to the last. He also said that this still needed to be fulfilled, but was soon to be. And he further stated that the fulness of the Gentiles was soon to come in. He quoted many other scripture passages, and offered many explanations that cannot be mentioned here.

42 Again, he told me, that when I got those plates of which he had spoken -- for the time that they should be obtained was not yet fulfilled -- I should not show them to any person; neither the breastplate with the Urim and Thummim; only to those to whom I should be commanded to show them; if I did, I should be destroyed. While he was conversing with me about the plates, the vision was opened to my mind that I could see where the plates were deposited. It was so clear and distinctly that I knew the place again when I visited it.

43 After this communication, I saw the light in the room begin to gather immediately around the person of him who had been speaking to me, and it continued to do so until the room was again left dark, except just around him; when, instantly I saw, as it were, a conduit open right up into heaven, and he ascended till he entirely disappeared, and the room was left as it had been before this heavenly light had made its appearance.

44 I lay musing on the singularity of the scene, and marveling greatly at what had been told to me by this extraordinary messenger; when, in the midst of my meditation, I suddenly discovered that my room was again beginning to get lighted. In an instant, as it were, the same heavenly messenger was again by my bedside.

45 He began, and again related the same things which he had done at his first visit, without any variation; which having done, he informed me of great judgments which were coming upon the earth, with great desolations by famine, sword, and pestilence; and that these grievous judgments would come on the earth in this generation. Having related these things, he again ascended as he had done before.

46 By this time, so deep were the impressions made on my mind, that sleep had fled from my eyes, and I lay overwhelmed in astonishment at what I had both seen and heard. But what was my surprise when again I beheld the same messenger at my bedside, and heard him rehearse or repeat over again to me the same things as before; and added a caution to me, telling me that Satan would try to tempt me (in consequence of the indigent circumstances of my father's family), to get the plates for the purpose of getting rich. He forbade me, saying that I must have no other object in getting the plates but to glorify God and not be influenced by any other motive than building his kingdom; otherwise, I could not get them.

47 After this third visit, he again ascended into heaven as before, and I was again left to ponder on the strangeness of what I had just experienced; when almost immediately after the heavenly messenger had ascended from me for the third time, the rooster crowed, and I found that day was approaching, so that our interviews must have occupied the whole of that night.

48 I shortly after arose from my bed. As usual, I went to the necessary labors of the day, but I found my strength so exhausted as to render me entirely unable in attempting to work as at other times. My father, who was laboring along with me, discovered something wrong with me, and told me to go home. I started with the intention of going to the house; but, in attempting to cross the fence out of the field where we were, my strength entirely failed me, and I fell helpless on the ground, and for a time was quite unconscious of anything.

49 The first thing I can recollect was a voice speaking to me, calling me by name. I looked up, and beheld the same messenger standing over my head, surrounded by light as before. He again related to me all that he had related to me the previous night. He commanded me to go to my father and tell him of the vision and commandments I had received.

50 I obeyed; I returned to my father in the field, and rehearsed the whole matter to him. He replied that it was of God, and told me to go and do as commanded by the messenger. I left the field and went to the place where the messenger had told me the plates were deposited; owing to the distinctness of the vision I had had concerning it, I knew the place the instant I arrived there.

51 Convenient to Manchester, Ontario county, New York, stands a hill of considerable size, and the most elevated of any in the neighborhood. On the west side of this hill, not far from the top, under a stone of considerable size, lay the plates, deposited in a stone box. This stone was thick and rounding in the middle on the upper side, and thinner toward the edges, so that the middle part of it was visible above the ground. Still, the edge all around was covered with earth.

52 Having removed the earth, I obtained a lever, which I got fixed under the edge of the stone and raised it up with a little exertion. I looked in, and there indeed did I behold the plates, the Urim and Thummim, and the breastplate, as stated by the messenger. The box in which they lay was formed by laying stones together in some cement. In the bottom of the box were laid two stones crossways of the box, and on these stones lay the plates and the other things with them.

53 I attempted to take them out, but was forbidden by the messenger. I was again informed that the time for bringing them forth had not yet arrived, nor would it, until four years from that time. Still, he told me that I should come to that place precisely in one year from that time, that he would meet with me, and that I should continue to do so until the time should come for obtaining the plates.

54 Accordingly, as I had been commanded, I went at the end of each year. At each time, I found the same messenger there. I received instruction and intelligence from him at each of our interviews, respecting what the Lord would do and how and in what manner his kingdom would be conducted in the last days.

55 As my father's worldly circumstances were very limited, we were forced to labour with our hands, hiring out by day's work and otherwise, as we could get the opportunity. Sometimes we were at home, and sometimes abroad, and by continuous labor were enabled to get a comfortable maintenance.

56 In 1823, my father's family met with a great affliction by the death of my eldest brother, Alvin. In October 1825, I hired an old gentleman named Josiah Stoal, who lived in Chenango county, New York. He had heard something of a silver mine having been opened by the Spaniards in Harmony, Susquehanna county, Pennsylvania; and had been digging, previous to my hiring to him, in order, if possible, to discover the mine. After I went to live with him, he took me, with the rest of his hands, to dig for the silver mine, at which I continued to work for nearly a month, without success in our undertaking. Finally, I prevailed with the old gentleman to cease digging after it. Hence arose the very prevalent story of my having been a money-digger.

57 During the time I was thus employed, I was put to board with a Mr. Isaac Hale, of that place; it was there I first saw my wife (his daughter), Emma Hale. On January 18th, 1827, we were married, while I was yet employed in the service of Mr. Stoal.

58 Owing to my continuing to assert that I had seen a vision, persecution followed me, and my wife's father's family opposed our marriage. Therefore, I was under the necessity of taking her elsewhere; so we went and were married at the house of Squire Tarbill, in South Bainbridge, Chenango county, New York. Immediately after my marriage, I left Mr. Stoal's, went to my father's, and farmed with him that season.

59 At length, the time arrived for obtaining the plates, the Urim and Thummim, and the breastplate. On September 22nd, 1827, having gone as usual at the end of another year to the place where they were deposited, the same heavenly messenger delivered them up to me with this charge: that I should be responsible for them; that if I should let them go carelessly, or through any neglect of mine, I should be cut off; but that if I would use all my endeavors to preserve them, until he, the messenger, should call for them, they should be protected.

60 I soon found out why I had received such strict charges to keep them safe and why the messenger had said that he would call for them when I had done what was required at my hand. No sooner was it known that I had them, than the most strenuous exertions were used to get them from me. Every stratagem that could be invented was resorted to for that purpose. The persecution became more bitter and severe than before, and multitudes were continually alert to get them from me if possible. But by the wisdom of God, they remained safe in my hands, until I had accomplished by them what was required at my hand. According to arrangements, the messenger called for them, I delivered them up to him; and he has them in his charge until this day, May 2nd, 1838.

61 However, the excitement still continued, and rumor with her thousand tongues was all the time employed in circulating falsehoods about my father's family, and myself. If I were to relate a thousandth part of them, it would fill up volumes. However, the persecution became so intolerable that I needed to leave Manchester and go with my wife to Susquehanna county, Pennsylvania. While preparing to start -- being very poor, and the persecution so heavy upon us that there was no probability that we would ever be otherwise -- in our afflictions, we found a friend in a gentleman by the name of Martin Harris. He came to us and gave me fifty dollars to assist us on our journey. Mr. Harris was a resident of Palmyra township, Wayne county, in New York, and a farmer of respectability.

62 By this timely aid, I reached my destination in Pennsylvania; immediately after my arrival there, I began copying the characters off the plates. I copied a considerable number of them. Using the Urim and Thummim, I translated some of them, which I did between between arriving at my wife's father's house in December and the following February.

63 Sometime in February, Mr. Martin Harris came to our place, got the characters I had drawn off the plates, and started with them to New York. For what took place relative to him and the characters, I refer to his own account of the circumstances, as he related them to me after his return, which was as follows:

64 "I went to the city of New York, and presented the characters which had been translated, with its translation, to Professor Charles Anthon, a gentleman celebrated for his literary attainments. Professor Anthon stated that the translation was more correct than any he had before seen translated from the Egyptian. I then showed him those that still needed to be translated. He said they were Egyptian, Chaldaic, Assyriac, and Arabic, saying they were true characters. He gave me a certificate, certifying to the people of Palmyra that they were true characters. The translation of such of them as had been translated was also correct. I took the certificate, put it into my pocket, and left the house, when Mr. Anthon called me back, and asked me how the young man found out that there were gold plates in the place where he found them. I answered that an angel of God had revealed it to him.

65 "He said, 'Let me see that certificate.' I accordingly took it out of my pocket. I gave it to him, when he took it and tore it to pieces, saying that there was no such thing now as ministering of angels, and that if I brought the plates to him, he would translate them. I informed him that part of the plates were sealed and forbidden to bring them. He replied, 'I cannot read a sealed book.' I left him and went to Dr. Mitchell, who sanctioned what Professor Anthon had said respecting both the characters and the translation."

66 On April 5th, 1829, Oliver Cowdery came to my house, until which time I had never seen him. He stated to me that having been teaching school in the neighborhood where my father resided. Being one of those sent to the school, my father went to board for a season at his house. While there the family related to him the circumstances of my having received the plates. Accordingly, he had come to make inquiries of me.

67 Two days after Mr. Cowdery's arrival (April 7th), I began to translate the Book of Mormon, and he began to write for me.

68 We continued the work of translation, when, in the ensuing month (May 1829), we on a certain day went into the woods to pray and inquire of the Lord respecting baptism for the remission of sins, that we found mentioned in the translation of the plates. While we were thus employed, praying and calling upon the Lord, a messenger from heaven descended in a cloud of light, and having laid his hands upon us, he ordained us, saying:

69 Upon you my fellow servants, in the name of Messiah, I confer the Priesthood of Aaron, which holds the keys of the ministering of angels, and of the gospel of repentance, and of baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; and this shall never be taken again from the earth until the sons of Levi do offer an offering again to the Lord in righteousness.

70 He said this Aaronic Priesthood did not have the power of laying on hands for the gift of the Holy Spirit, but that this should be conferred on us hereafter. He commanded us to go and be baptized, and gave us directions that I should baptize Oliver Cowdery, and that afterward, he should baptize me.

71 Accordingly, we went and were baptized. I baptized him first, and then he baptized me, after which I laid my hands upon his head and ordained him to the Aaronic Priesthood. Then he laid his hands on me and ordained me to the same Priesthood -- for so we were commanded.

72 The messenger who visited us on this occasion and conferred this Priesthood upon us, said that his name was John, the same that is called John the Baptist in the New Testament, and that he acted under the direction of Peter, James and John, who held the keys of the Priesthood of Melchizedek, which Priesthood, he said, would in due time be conferred on us, and that I should be called the first Elder of the Church, and Oliver Cowdery the second. On May 15th, 1829, we were ordained under the hand of this messenger and baptized.

73 Immediately on our coming up out of the water after being baptized, we experienced great and glorious blessings from our Heavenly Father. I baptized Oliver Cowdery no sooner than the Holy Spirit fell upon him. He stood up and prophesied many things that should shortly come to pass. And again, so soon as he had baptized me, I also had the spirit of prophecy, when, standing up, I prophesied concerning the rise of this Church, and many other things connected with the Church, and this generation of the children of men. We were filled with the Holy Spirit, and rejoiced in the God of our salvation.

74 Our minds being now enlightened, we began to have the scriptures laid open to our understandings, and the true meaning and intention of their more mysterious passages revealed to us in a manner which we never could attain to previously, nor ever before had thought of. In the meantime, we were forced to keep secret the circumstances of having received the Priesthood and our having been baptized, owing to a spirit of persecution that had already manifested itself in the neighborhood.

75 We had been threatened with being mobbed, from time to time, and this, too, by professors of religion. And their intentions of mobbing us were only counteracted by the influence of my wife's father's family (under Divine providence), who had become very friendly to me, and who were opposed to mobs, and were willing that I should be allowed to continue the work of translation without interruption; and therefore offered and promised us protection from all unlawful proceedings, as far as in them lay.

### Articles of Faith

The Articles of Faith of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

1 We believe in God, the Eternal Father, and in his Son, Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Spirit.

2 We believe that men will be punished for their sins, and not for Adam's transgression.

3 We believe that through the atonement of Christ, all mankind may be saved, by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel.

4 We believe that the first principles and ordinances of the Gospel are: First, faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; Second, repentance; Third, baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; Fourth, laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Spirit.

5 We believe that a man must be called by God, by prophecy, and by the laying on of hands, by those in authority, to preach the Gospel and administer in the ordinances thereof.

6 We believe in the same organization that existed in the Primitive Church, namely: apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers, evangelists, and so on.

7 We believe in the gift of languages, prophecy, revelation, visions, healing, interpretation of languages, and so on.

8 We believe the Bible to be the word of God, as far as it is translated correctly; we also believe the Book of Mormon to be the word of God.

9 We believe all that God has revealed, all that he now reveals, and we believe that he will reveal many great and important things about the Kingdom of God.

10 We believe in the literal gathering of Israel and in the restoration of the Ten Tribes; that Zion (the new Jerusalem) will be built upon the American continent; that Christ will reign personally upon the earth; and that the earth will be renewed and receive its paradisiacal glory.

11 We claim the privilege of worshiping Almighty God according to the dictates of our conscience, and allow all men the same privilege, let them worship how, where, or what they may.

12 We believe in being subject to kings, presidents, rulers, and magistrates, in obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law.

13 We believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and doing good to all men; indeed, we may say that we follow the admonition of Paul. We believe all things, we hope all things, we have endured many things, and we hope to be able to endure all things. We seek after these things if there is anything virtuous, lovely, good report, or praiseworthy.

Joseph Smith.