| 7:1 And now it came to pass after some years had
passed away, there came a man among the people of Nephi,
whose name was Sherem. |
|
| 7:2 And it came to pass that he began to preach
among the people, and to declare unto them that there
should be no Christ. And he preached many things which were
flattering unto the people; and this he did that he might
overthrow the doctrine of Christ. |
|
| 7:3 And he labored diligently that he might lead
away the hearts of the people, insomuch that he did lead
away many hearts; and he knowing that I, Jacob, had faith
in Christ who should come, he sought much opportunity
that he might come unto me. |
|
| 7:4 And he was learned, that he had a perfect
knowledge of the language of the people; wherefore, he
could use much flattery, and much power of speech,
according to the power of the devil. |
|
| 7:5 And he had hope to shake me from the faith,
notwithstanding the many revelation and the many things
which I had seen concerning these things; for I truly had
seen angels, and they had ministered unto me. And also, I
had heard the voice of the Lord speaking unto me in very
word, from time to time; wherefore, I could not be
shaken. |
|
| 7:6 And it came to pass that he came unto me, and
on this wise did he speak unto me, saying: Brother Jacob,
I have sought much opportunity that I might speak unto
you; for I have heard and also know that thou goest about
much, preaching that which ye call the gospel, or the
doctrine of Christ. |
|
| 7:7 And ye have led away much of this people that
they 1pervert the right way of God, and keep not the law of Moses which is the right way; and convert the law of
Moses into the worship of a being which ye say shall come
many hundred years hence. And now behold, I, Sherem,
declare unto you that this is blasphemy; for no man
knoweth of such things; for he cannot tell of things to
come. And after this manner did Sherem contend against
me. |
[1] Acts 13:10 ...wilt thou
not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord? |
| 7:8 But behold, the Lord God poured in his Spirit
into my soul, insomuch that I did confound him in all his
words. |
|
| 7:9 And I said unto him: Deniest thou the Christ who shall come? And he said: If there should be
a Christ, I would not deny him; but I know that there is
no Christ, neither has been, nor ever will be. |
|
| 7:10 And I said unto him: Believest thou the
scriptures? And he said, Yea. |
|
| 7:11 And I said unto him: Then ye do not understand
them; for they truly testify of Christ. Behold, I say unto you that none of the
prophets have written, nor prophesied, save they have
spoken concerning this Christ. |
|
| 7:12 And this is not all--it has been made manifest
unto me, for I have heard and seen; and it also has been
made manifest unto me by the power of the Holy Ghost;
wherefore, I know if there should be no atonement made
all mankind must be lost. |
|
| 7:13 And it came to pass that he said unto me: Show
me a sign by this power of the Holy Ghost, in the which
ye know so much. |
|
| 7:14 And I said unto him: What am I that I should
tempt God to show unto thee a sign in the thing which
thou knowest to be true? Yet thou wilt deny it, because
thou art of the devil. Nevertheless,
not my will be done; but if God shall smite thee, let
that be a sign unto thee that he has power, both in
heaven and in earth; and also, that Christ shall come. And thy will, O Lord, be done, and
not mine. |
|
| 7:15 And it came to pass that when I, Jacob, had
spoken these words, the power of the Lord came upon him,
insomuch that he fell to the earth. And it came to pass
that he was nourished for the space of many days. |
|
| 7:16 And it came to pass that he said unto the
people: Gather together on the morrow, for I shall die;
wherefore, I desire to speak unto the people before I
shall die. |
|
| 7:17 And it came to pass that on the morrow the
multitude were gathered together; and he spake plainly
unto them and denied the things which he had taught them,
and confessed the Christ, and the power
of the Holy Ghost, and the ministering of angels. |
|
| 7:18 And he spake plainly unto them, that he had
been deceived by the power of the devil. And he spake of hell, and of eternity,
and of eternal punishment. |
|
| 7:19 And he said: I fear lest I have committed the 1unpardonable
sin, for I have lied unto God; for I denied the Christ, and said that I believed the scriptures; and
they truly testify of him. And because I have thus lied
unto God I greatly fear lest my case shall be awful; but
I confess unto God. |
[1] The
'Unpardonable Sin' is a topic that has long occupied
Christian scholars over the centuries. Whatever it might
be, it is clear that it is a distinctly New Testament
concept. Matthew 12:31-32:
Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy
shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against
the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men. And
whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it
shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the
Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this
world, neither in the world to come.
|
| 7:20 And it came to pass that when he had said these
words he could say no more, and he gave up the ghost. |
|
| 7:21 And when the multitude had witnessed that he
spake these things as he was about to give up the ghost,
they were astonished exceedingly; insomuch that the power
of God came down upon them, and they were overcome that
they fell to the earth. |
|
| 7:22 Now, this thing was pleasing unto me, Jacob,
for I had requested it of my Father who was in heaven;
for he had heard my cry and answered my prayer. |
|
| 7:23 And it came to pass that peace and the love of
God was restored again among the people; and they
searched the scriptures, and hearkened no more to the
words of this wicked man. |
|
| 7:24 And it came to pass that many means were
devised to reclaim and restore the Lamanites to the
knowledge of the truth; but it all was vain, for they
delighted in wars and bloodshed, and they had an eternal
hatred against us, their brethren. And they sought by the
power of their arms to destroy us continually. |
|
| 7:25 Wherefore, the people of Nephi did fortify
against them with their arms, and with all their might,
trusting in the God and rock of their salvation;
wherefore, they became as yet, conquerors of their
enemies. |
|
| 7:26 And it came to pass that I, Jacob, began to be
old; and the record of this people being kept on the
other plates of Nephi, wherefore, I conclude this record,
declaring that I have written according to the best of my
knowledge, by saying that the time passed away with us,
and also our lives passed away like as it were unto us a
dream, we being a lonesome and a solemn people,
wanderers, cast out from Jerusalem, born in tribulation,
in a wilderness, and hated of our brethren, which caused
wars and contentions; wherefore, we did mourn out our
days. |
|
| 7:27 And I, Jacob, saw that I must soon go down to
my grave; wherefore, I said unto my son Enos: Take these
plates. And I told him the things which my brother Nephi
had commanded me, and he promised obedience unto the
commands. And I make an end of my writing upon these
plates, which writing has been small; and to the reader I
bid farewell, hoping that many of my brethren may read my
words. Brethren, 1adieu. |
Topic: Anachronistic
Words [1] ‘Adieu’
is French, a language which would not exist for many
centuries to come. 
|
