Nephi Expounds Doctrine of Christ

Event 33

Reference: 2 Ne. 31:1-21; 32:1-9; 33:1-15

AND now I, Nephi, make an end of my prophesying untoyou, my beloved brethren. And I cannot write but a fewthings, which I know must surely come to pass; neither canI write but a few of the words of my brother Jacob. 2Wherefore, the things which I have written sufficeth me,save it be a few words which I must speak concerning thedoctrine of Christ; wherefore, I shall speak unto youplainly, according to the plainness of my prophesying. 3 Formy soul delighteth in plainness; for after this manner doththe Lord God work among the children of men. For theLord God giveth light unto the understanding; for hespeaketh unto men according to their language, unto theirunderstanding.NephiSee Isaiah 29Land of Nephi560 to 546 B.C.4 Wherefore, I would that ye should remember that I havespoken unto you concerning that prophet which the Lordshowed unto me, that should baptize the Lamb of God,which should take away the sins of the world. 5 And now, ifthe Lamb of God, he being holy, should have need to bebaptized by water, to fulfil all righteousness, O then, howmuch more need have we, being unholy, to be baptized,yea, even by water! 6 And now, I would ask of you, mybeloved brethren, wherein the Lamb of God did fulfil allrighteousness in being baptized by water? 7 Know ye notthat he was holy? But notwithstanding he being holy, heshoweth unto the children of men that, according to theflesh he humbleth himself before the Father, and witnessethunto the Father that he would be obedient unto him inkeeping his commandments. 8 Wherefore, after he wasbaptized with water the Holy Ghost descended upon him inthe form of a dove. 9 And again, it showeth unto thechildren of men the straitness of the path, and thenarrowness of the gate, by which they should enter, hehaving set the example before them. 10 And he said unto thechildren of men:Follow thou me.The Son of GodWherefore, my beloved brethren, can we follow Jesus savewe shall be willing to keep the commandments of theFather? 11 And the Father said:Nephi Repent ye, repent ye, and be baptized in the name of my BelovedSon.The FatherSee Isaiah 29Land of Nephi560 to 546 B.C.12 And also, the voice of the Son came unto me, saying:NephiHe that is baptized in my name, to him will the Father give theHoly Ghost, like unto me; wherefore, follow me, and do the thingswhich ye have seen me do.The Son of God13 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, I know that if ye shallfollow the Son, with full purpose of heart, acting nohypocrisy and no deception before God, but with realintent, repenting of your sins, witnessing unto the Fatherthat ye are willing to take upon you the name of Christ, bybaptism—yea, by following your Lord and your Saviordown into the water, according to his word, behold, thenshall ye receive the Holy Ghost; yea, then cometh thebaptism of fire and of the Holy Ghost; and then can yespeak with the tongue of angels, and shout praises unto theHoly One of Israel. 14 But, behold, my beloved brethren,thus came the voice of the Son unto me, saying:NephiAfter ye have repented of your sins, and witnessed unto the Fatherthat ye are willing to keep my commandments, by the baptism ofwater, and have received the baptism of fire and of the Holy Ghost,and can speak with a new tongue, yea, even with the tongue ofangels, and after this should deny me, it would have been betterfor you that ye had not known me.The Son of God15 And I heard a voice from the Father, saying:NephiYea, the words of my Beloved are true and faithful. He thatendureth to the end, the same shall be saved.The Father16 And now, my beloved brethren, I know by this thatunless a man shall endure to the end, in following theexample of the Son of the living God, he cannot be saved.17 Wherefore, do the things which I have told you I haveseen that your Lord and your Redeemer should do; for, forthis cause have they been shown unto me, that ye mightknow the gate by which ye should enter. For the gate bywhich ye should enter is repentance and baptism by water;and then cometh a remission of your sins by fire and by theHoly Ghost. 18 And then are ye in this strait and narrowpath which leads to eternal life; yea, ye have entered in bythe gate; ye have done according to the commandments ofthe Father and the Son; and ye have received the HolyGhost, which witnesses of the Father and the Son, unto thefulfilling of the promise which he hath made, that if yeentered in by the way ye should receive.Nephi 19 And now, my beloved brethren, after ye have gotten intothis strait and narrow path, I would ask if all is done?Behold, I say unto you, Nay; for ye have not come thus farsave it were by the word of Christ with unshaken faith inhim, relying wholly upon the merits of him who is mightyto save. 20 Wherefore, ye must press forward with asteadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope,and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shallpress forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endureto the end, behold, thus saith the Father:NephiSee Isaiah 29Land of Nephi560 to 546 B.C.Ye shall have eternal life.The Father21 And now, behold, my beloved brethren, this is the way;and there is none other way nor name given under heavenwhereby man can be saved in the kingdom of God. Andnow, behold, this is the doctrine of Christ, and the only andtrue doctrine of the Father, and of the Son, and of the HolyGhost, which is one God, without end. Amen.Nephi1 AND now, behold, my beloved brethren, I suppose that yeponder somewhat in your hearts concerning that which yeshould do after ye have entered in by the way. But, behold,why do ye ponder these things in your hearts? 2 Do ye notremember that I said unto you that after ye had received theHoly Ghost ye could speak with the tongue of angels? Andnow, how could ye speak with the tongue of angels save itwere by the Holy Ghost? 3 Angels speak by the power ofthe Holy Ghost; wherefore, they speak the words of Christ.Wherefore, I said unto you, feast upon the words of Christ;for behold, the words of Christ will tell you all things whatye should do. 4 Wherefore, now after I have spoken thesewords, if ye cannot understand them it will be because yeask not, neither do ye knock; wherefore, ye are not broughtinto the light, but must perish in the dark.5 For behold, again I say unto you that if ye will enter in bythe way, and receive the Holy Ghost, it will show unto youall things what ye should do. 6 Behold, this is the doctrineof Christ, and there will be no more doctrine given untilafter he shall manifest himself unto you in the flesh. Andwhen he shall manifest himself unto you in the flesh, thethings which he shall say unto you shall ye observe to do. 7And now I, Nephi, cannot say more; the Spirit stoppethmine utterance, and I am left to mourn because of theunbelief, and the wickedness, and the ignorance, and the stiffneckedness of men; for they will not search knowledge,nor understand great knowledge, when it is given unto themin plainness, even as plain as word can be.NephiSee Isaiah 29Land of Nephi560 to 546 B.C.8 And now, my beloved brethren, I perceive that ye ponderstill in your hearts; and it grieveth me that I must speakconcerning this thing. For if ye would hearken unto theSpirit which teacheth a man to pray, ye would know that yemust pray; for the evil spirit teacheth not a man to pray, butteacheth him that he must not pray. 9 But behold, I say untoyou that ye must pray always, and not faint; that ye mustnot perform any thing unto the Lord save in the first placeye shall pray unto the Father in the name of Christ, that hewill consecrate thy performance unto thee, that thyperformance may be for the welfare of thy soul.1 AND now I, Nephi, cannot write all the things which weretaught among my people; neither am I mighty in writing,like unto speaking; for when a man speaketh by the powerof the Holy Ghost the power of the Holy Ghost carrieth itunto the hearts of the children of men. 2 But behold, thereare many that harden their hearts against the Holy Spirit,that it hath no place in them; wherefore, they cast manythings away which are written and esteem them as things ofnaught. 3 But I, Nephi, have written what I have written,and I esteem it as of great worth, and especially unto mypeople. For I pray continually for them by day, and mineeyes water my pillow by night, because of them; and I cryunto my God in faith, and I know that he will hear my cry.4 And I know that the Lord God will consecrate my prayersfor the gain of my people. And the words which I havewritten in weakness will be made strong unto them; for itpersuadeth them to do good; it maketh known unto them oftheir fathers; and it speaketh of Jesus, and persuadeth themto believe in him, and to endure to the end, which is lifeeternal. 5 And it speaketh harshly against sin, according tothe plainness of the truth; wherefore, no man will be angryat the words which I have written save he shall be of thespirit of the devil. 6 I glory in plainness; I glory in truth; Iglory in my Jesus, for he hath redeemed my soul from hell.7 I have charity for my people, and great faith in Christ thatI shall meet many souls spotless at his judgment-seat. 8 Ihave charity for the Jew—I say Jew, because I mean themfrom whence I came. 9 I also have charity for the Gentiles.But behold, for none of these can I hope except they shall be reconciled unto Christ, and enter into the narrow gate,and walk in the strait path which leads to life, and continuein the path until the end of the day of probation.NephiSee Isaiah 29Land of Nephi560 to 546 B.C.10 And now, my beloved brethren, and also Jew, and all yeends of the earth, hearken unto these words and believe inChrist; and if ye believe not in these words believe inChrist. And if ye shall believe in Christ ye will believe inthese words, for they are the words of Christ, and he hathgiven them unto me; and they teach all men that theyshould do good. 11 And if they are not the words of Christ,judge ye—for Christ will show unto you, with power andgreat glory, that they are his words, at the last day; and youand I shall stand face to face before his bar; and ye shallknow that I have been commanded of him to write thesethings, notwithstanding my weakness. 12 And I pray theFather in the name of Christ that many of us, if not all, maybe saved in his kingdom at that great and last day.13 And now, my beloved brethren, all those who are of thehouse of Israel, and all ye ends of the earth, I speak untoyou as the voice of one crying from the dust: Farewell untilthat great day shall come. 14 And you that will not partakeof the goodness of God, and respect the words of the Jews,and also my words, and the words which shall proceed forthout of the mouth of the Lamb of God, behold, I bid you aneverlasting farewell, for these words shall condemn you atthe last day. 15 For what I seal on earth, shall be broughtagainst you at the judgment bar; for thus hath the Lordcommanded me, and I must obey. Amen.