| 8:1 And now it came to pass that when Nephi had
said these words, behold, there were men who were judges,
who also belonged to the secret band of Gadianton, and
they were angry, and they cried out against him, saying
unto the people: Why do ye not seize upon this man and
bring him forth, that he may be condemned according to
the crime which he has done? |
|
| 8:2 Why seest thou this man, and hearest him revile
against this people and against our law? |
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| 8:3 For behold, Nephi had spoken unto them
concerning the corruptness of their law; yea, many things
did Nephi speak which cannot be written; and nothing did
he speak which was contrary to the commandments of God. |
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| 8:4 And those judges were angry with him because he
spake plainly unto them concerning their secret works of
darkness; nevertheless, they durst not lay their own
hands upon him, for they feared the people lest they
should cry out against them. |
|
| 8:5 Therefore they did cry unto the people, saying:
Why do you suffer this man to revile against us? For
behold he doth condemn all this people, even unto
destruction; yea, and also that these our great cities
shall be taken from us, that we shall have no place in
them. |
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| 8:6 And now we know that this is impossible, for
behold, we are powerful, and our cities great, therefore
our enemies can have no power over us. |
|
| 8:7 And it came to pass that thus they did stir up
the people to anger against Nephi, and raised contentions
among them; for there were some who did cry out: Let this
man alone, for he is a good man, and those things which
he saith will surely come to pass except we repent; |
|
| 8:8 Yea, behold, all the judgments will come upon
us which he has testified unto us; for we know that he
has testified aright unto us concerning our iniquities.
And behold they are many, and he knoweth as well all
things which shall befall us as he knoweth of our
iniquities; |
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| 8:9 Yea, and behold, if he had not been a prophet
he could not have testified concerning those things. |
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| 8:10 And it came to pass that those people who
sought to destroy Nephi were compelled because of their
fear, that they did not lay their hands on him; therefore
he began again to speak unto them, seeing that he had
gained favor in the eyes of some, insomuch that the
remainder of them did fear. |
|
| 8:11 Therefore he was constrained to speak more unto
them saying: Behold, my brethren, have ye not read that
God gave power unto one man, even Moses, to smite upon
the waters of the Red Sea, and they parted hither and
thither, insomuch that the Israelites, who were our
fathers, came through upon dry ground, and the waters
closed upon the armies of the Egyptians and swallowed
them up? |
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| 8:12 And now behold, if God gave unto this man such
power, then why should ye dispute among yourselves, and
say that he hath given unto me no power whereby I may
know concerning the judgments that shall come upon you
except ye repent? |
|
| 8:13 But, behold, ye not only deny my words, but ye
also deny all the words which have been spoken by our
fathers, and also the words which were spoken by this
man, Moses, who had such great power given unto him, yea,
the words which he hath spoken concerning the coming of
the Messiah. |
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| 8:14 Yea, did he not bear record that the Son of God
should come? 1And as he lifted up the brazen serpent in the
wilderness, even so shall he be lifted up who should
come. |
[1] John 3:14: And as Moses lifted up the serpent
in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted
up... |
| 8:15 And as many as should look upon that serpent
should live, even so as many as should look upon the Son
of God with faith, having a contrite spirit, might live,
even unto that life which is eternal. |
|
| 8:16 And now behold, Moses did not only testify of
these things, but also all the holy prophets, from his
days even to the days of Abraham. |
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| 8:17 Yea, and behold, Abraham saw of his coming, and
was filled with gladness and did rejoice. |
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| 8:18 Yea, and behold I say unto you, that Abraham
not only knew of these things, but there were many before
the days of Abraham who were called by the order of God;
yea, even after the order of his Son; and this that it
should be shown unto the people, a great many thousand
years before his coming, that even redemption should come
unto them. |
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| 8:19 And now I would that ye should know, that even
since the days of Abraham there have been many prophets
that have testified these things; yea, behold, the
prophet Zenos did testify boldly; for the which he was
slain. |
|
| 8:20 And behold, also Zenock, and also Ezias, and
also Isaiah, and Jeremiah, (Jeremiah being that same
prophet who testified of the destruction of Jerusalem)
and now we know that Jerusalem was destroyed according to
the words of Jeremiah. O then why not the Son of God
come, according to his prophecy? |
|
| 8:21 And now will you dispute that Jerusalem was
destroyed? Will ye say that the sons of Zedekiah were not
slain, all except it were Mulek? Yea, and do ye not
behold that the seed of Zedekiah are with us, and they
were driven out of the land of Jerusalem? But behold,
this is not all-- |
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| 8:22 Our father Lehi was driven out of Jerusalem
because he testified of these things. Nephi also
testified of these things, and also almost all of our
fathers, even down to this time; yea, they have testified
of the coming of Christ, and have
looked forward, and have rejoiced in his day which is to
come. |
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| 8:23 And behold, he is God, and he is with them, and
he did manifest himself unto them, that they were
redeemed by him; and they gave unto him glory, because of
that which is to come. |
|
| 8:24 And now, seeing ye know these things and cannot
deny them except ye shall lie, therefore in this ye have
sinned, for ye have rejected all these things,
notwithstanding so many evidences which ye have received;
yea, even ye have received all things, both things in
heaven, and all things which are in the earth, as a
witness that they are true. |
|
| 8:25 But behold, ye have rejected the truth, and
rebelled against your holy God; and even at this time,
instead of 1laying up for yourselves treasures in heaven,
where nothing doth corrupt, and where nothing can come
which is unclean, ye are 2heaping up for yourselves wrath against the day
of judgment. |
[1] Matthew 6:20: But lay up for yourselves
treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth
corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor
steal:
[2] Romans 2:5: ...treasurest up unto thyself
wrath against the day of...the righteous judgment of
God... |
| 8:26 Yea, even at this time ye are ripening, because
of your murders and your fornication and wickedness, for
everlasting destruction; yea, and except ye repent it
will come unto you soon. |
|
| 8:27 Yea, behold it is now even at your doors; yea,
go ye in unto the judgment-seat, and search; and behold,
your judge is murdered, and he lieth in his blood; and he
hath been murdered by his brother, who seeketh to sit in
the judgment-seat. |
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| 8:28 And behold, they both belong to your secret
band, whose author is Gadianton and the evil one who
seeketh to destroy the souls of men. |
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