Empty box
Section 17 | Section 19
Section 18
1–5, Scriptures show how to build up the Church; 6–8, The world is ripening in iniquity; 9–16, The worth of souls is great; 17–25, To gain salvation, men must take upon themselves the name of Christ; 26–36, The calling and mission of the Twelve are revealed; 37–39, Oliver Cowdery and David Whitmer are to search out the Twelve; 40–47, To gain salvation, men must repent, be baptized, and keep the commandments.
1. Now, behold, because of the thing which you, my servant Oliver Cowdery, have desired to know of me, I give unto you these words:
1.
2. Behold, I have
manifested unto you, by my Spirit in many instances, that the
things which you have written are
true; wherefore you know that they are true.
2.
3. And if you know that they are true, behold, I give unto you a commandment, that you
rely upon the things which are
written;
3.
4. For in them are all things
written concerning the foundation of my church, my gospel, and my
rock.
4.
5. Wherefore, if you shall build up my
church, upon the foundation of my gospel and my
rock, the
gates of hell shall not prevail against you.
5.
6. Behold, the
world is
ripening in iniquity; and it must needs be that the children of men are stirred up unto repentance, both the
Gentiles and also the house of Israel.
6.
7. Wherefore, as thou hast been
baptized by the hands of my servant Joseph Smith, Jun., according to that which I have commanded him, he hath fulfilled the thing which I commanded him.
7.
8. And now, marvel not that I have
called him unto mine own purpose, which purpose is known in me; wherefore, if he shall be
diligent in keeping my commandments he shall be
blessed unto eternal life; and his name is
Joseph.
8.
9. And now, Oliver Cowdery, I speak unto you, and also unto David Whitmer, by the way of commandment; for, behold, I
command all men everywhere to repent, and I speak unto you, even as unto Paul mine
apostle, for you are called even with that same calling with which he was called.
9.
10. Remember the
worth of
souls is great in the sight of God;
10.
11. For, behold, the Lord your
Redeemer suffered
death in the flesh; wherefore he
suffered the
pain of all men, that all men might repent and
come unto him.
11.
12. And he hath
risen again from the dead, that he might bring all men unto him, on conditions of
repentance.
12.
13. And how great is his
joy in the
soul that
repenteth!
13.
14. Wherefore, you are called to
cry repentance unto this people.
14.
15. And if it so be that you should labor all your days in crying repentance unto this people, and bring, save it be one
soul unto me, how great shall be your joy with him in the kingdom of my Father!
15.
16. And now, if your joy will be great with one soul that you have brought unto me into the
kingdom of my Father, how great will be your
joy if you should bring many
souls unto me!
16.
17. Behold, you have my gospel before you, and my rock, and my
salvation.
17.
18.
Ask the Father in my
name in faith, believing that you shall receive, and you shall have the Holy Ghost, which manifesteth all things which are
expedient unto the children of men.
18.
19. And if you have not
faith,
hope, and
charity, you can do nothing.
19.
20.
Contend against no church, save it be the
church of the devil.
20.
21. Take upon you the
name of Christ, and
speak the truth in
soberness.
21.
22. And as many as repent and are
baptized in my name, which is Jesus Christ, and
endure to the end, the same shall be saved.
22.
23. Behold, Jesus Christ is the
name which is given of the Father, and there is none other name given whereby man can be
saved;
23.
24. Wherefore, all men must take upon them the
name which is given of the Father, for in that name shall they be called at the last day;
24.
25. Wherefore, if they
know not the
name by which they are called, they cannot have place in the
kingdom of my Father.
25.
26. And now, behold, there are others who are
called to declare my gospel, both unto
Gentile and unto Jew;
26.
27. Yea, even twelve; and the
Twelve shall be my disciples, and they shall take upon them my name; and the Twelve are they who shall desire to take upon them my
name with full purpose of heart.
27.
28. And if they desire to take upon them my name with full purpose of heart, they are called to go into all the
world to preach my
gospel unto
every creature.
28.
29. And they are they who are ordained of me to
baptize in my name, according to that which is written;
29.
30. And you have that which is written before you; wherefore, you must perform it
according to the words which are
written.
30.
31. And now I speak unto you, the
Twelve—Behold, my grace is sufficient for you; you must walk uprightly before me and sin not.
31.
32. And, behold, you are they who are ordained of me to
ordain priests and teachers; to declare my gospel,
according to the power of the Holy Ghost which is in you, and according to the
callings and gifts of God unto men;
32.
33. And I, Jesus Christ, your Lord and your God, have spoken it.
33.
34. These
words are not of men nor of man, but of me; wherefore, you shall testify they are of me and not of man;
34.
35. For it is my
voice which speaketh them unto you; for they are given by my Spirit unto you, and by my power you can read them one to another; and save it were by my power you could not have them;
35.
36. Wherefore, you can
testify that you have
heard my voice, and know my words.
36.
37. And now, behold, I give unto you, Oliver Cowdery, and also unto David Whitmer, that you shall search out the Twelve, who shall have the desires of which I have spoken;
37.
38. And by their
desires and their
works you shall know them.
38.
39. And when you have found them you shall show these things unto them.
39.
40. And you shall fall down and
worship the Father in my
name.
40.
41. And you must preach unto the world, saying: You must
repent and be baptized, in the name of Jesus Christ;
41.
42. For all men must repent and be baptized, and not only men, but women, and
children who have arrived at the years of
accountability.
42.
43. And now, after that you have received this, you must keep my
commandments in all things;
43.
44. And by your hands I will work a
marvelous work among the children of men, unto the
convincing of many of their sins, that they may come unto repentance, and that they may come unto the kingdom of my Father.
44.
45. Wherefore, the blessings which I give unto you are
above all things.
45.
46. And after that you have received this, if you
keep not my commandments you cannot be saved in the kingdom of my Father.
46.
47. Behold, I, Jesus Christ, your Lord and your God, and your
Redeemer, by the
power of my Spirit have spoken it. Amen.
47.
You have an error in your SQL syntax; check the manual that corresponds to your MariaDB server version for the right syntax to use near 'FROM books WHERE vars='TG' LIMIT 1' at line 1