Second Nephi — Chapter 26
1 My children and my dear brothers and sisters, Christ will show himself to you after he rises from the dead. The things he tells you to do will be the law you must obey.
2 I have seen many generations go by in which there will be many great wars and fights among my people.
3 After the Messiah comes, my people will see signs of his birth. They will also see signs of his death and resurrection. The wicked will die on that terrible day. They will die for throwing out the prophets, and stoning them, and killing them. The blood of the saints will have cried up to God against them.
4 The Lord of Hosts says: “All the proud and wicked will burn up like dead grass on that coming day.”
5 The Lord says: “The earth will bury those who kill the prophets and the saints. The mountains will cover them, and great winds will take them away. Buildings will fall on them and crush them to death.”
6 The Lord of Hosts says: “There will be thunder and lightning, and earthquakes, and all kinds of destruction, because the fire of God’s anger will be against them. They will be like dead grass, and the coming day will burn them up.”
7 O how my soul is pained and sad because of my people who will be killed! I, Nephi, have seen it, and it has almost destroyed me before the Lord. But I must say to God: “What you do is right.”
8 But the righteous who listen to the prophets, who don’t kill them, who look forward to Christ, looking for the signs which will be given, even when others persecute them — they are the ones who will not be destroyed.
9 The Son of God will come to them and heal them. They will have three generations of peace and righteousness (and many of the fourth generation will live in peace and righteousness).
10 After that, my people will be quickly destroyed. Even though my soul is pained, I have seen it, so I know it will happen. They will sell themselves for nothing, and they will be destroyed for their pride and foolishness. They will become slaves to the devil, and do evil things instead of good things, so they must go down to hell.
11 The Spirit of the Lord will not always work with people. And when the Spirit stops working with people, then destruction comes quickly. This makes my soul sad.
12 I said the Jews need to know that Jesus really is the Christ, but the Gentiles also need to know that Jesus is the Christ, the Eternal God.
13 He shows himself to all who believe in him by the power of the Holy Ghost–yes, to every nation, family, and people. He does great miracles among people and shows signs and wonders to them as they have faith.
14 But I will prophesy to you about the last days, when the Lord God will bring these things to people.
15 After my descendants and my brothers’ descendants become weak because they do not believe, and after the Gentiles punish them — yes, after the Lord God lets their enemies circle around them, and make war against them, and defeat them almost to destruction, the words which the righteous say will still be written, and the prayers of the faithful will be heard. Those who have become weak for not believing anymore will not be forgotten.
16 Those who will be destroyed will talk to them from out of the ground. Their voices will speak softly to [those who have become weak], and they will know the voices, because the Lord God will give [the one who translates] power to talk softly about them from out of the ground.
17 This is what the Lord says: “They will write down the things they do, and they will put them in a book. Those who do not believe anymore will not have the book, because they want to destroy the things of God.”
18 Yes, the Lord God says: “Their armies will be destroyed as quickly as dry grass blows away in the wind.
19 “Those who do not believe anymore will be punished by the Gentiles.”
20 But the Gentiles are very proud and make mistakes because of their pride. They build many churches, but they do not believe in God’s power and miracles. They teach what they think they know, and they teach what they want so they can get money and rule over the poor.
21 There are many churches which cause envy and fights and bad feelings.
22 There are also secret combinations, just as in olden times, and the devil is at the bottom of them. Yes, he is at the bottom of murder and evil doings. He leads them with a cord around the neck until he ties them up with his strong cords forever.
23 Dear brothers and sisters, I tell you that the Lord God does not work in darkness.
24 He does not do anything which is not for the good of the world, because he loves the world, even so much that he will lay down his own life to bring all people to him. He does not command anyone not to be saved.
25 Does he say to anyone: “Go away from me”? I tell you, No. He says: “Come to me, all people of the earth, buy milk and honey without money or price.”
26 Has he commanded any people to leave their churches? I tell you, No.
27 Has he commanded anyone not to be saved? I tell you, No. He has given salvation to all people for free, and he has commanded his people to tell everyone to repent.
28 Has the Lord commanded anyone not to know of his goodness? I tell you, No. Each and every person can know of it, and no one is kept away.
29 He commands that there will be no priestcraft. Priestcraft is what people teach to show how smart they are, so the world will praise them and give them money. They do not look to build up Zion.
30 The Lord has said not to do this, and the Lord God has commanded all people to have charity. Charity is love. If they do not have charity, they have nothing. If they have charity, they will not let any worker in Zion be destroyed.
31 Those who work in Zion will work for Zion, because if they work for money, they will be destroyed.
32 The Lord has commanded people not to murder, nor lie, nor steal, nor misuse his name, nor envy, nor hate, nor fight with each other, nor commit sexual sins. They are commanded not to do any of these things, because whoever does these things will be destroyed.
33 None of these sins comes from the Lord. He does only good among people, and people can understand the things he does. He asks all people to come to him and know of his goodness. He does not send anyone away who comes to him — black and white, slave and free, male and female. He remembers those who do not know him. Everyone is the same to God, both Jew and Gentile.
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