Ether — Chapter 12
1 Ether lived when Coriantumr was king over the land.
2 Ether was a prophet of the Lord. He prophesied to the people while Coriantumr was king. Nothing could stop him because the Spirit of God was so strong in him.
3 He prophesied from morning until night, telling the people to believe in God and to repent so they would not be destroyed. He told them faith made everything happen.ut that in the Bible,
4 [He told them] that whoever believed in God could hope for a better world after this life — the place where God lives. This hope comes from faith, and helps people be strong and do many good things, and to give God glory.
5 Ether told the people many wonderful things, but they would not believe in them because they could not see them.
6 Now I, Moroni, want to say something about these things. I want you to know that faith is believing in things you hope for but cannot see. Don’t argue because you have not seen these things, because you will not know they are true until after your faith has been tested.
7 Christ showed himself to our ancestors after he rose from the dead only after they had faith in him. Some of our ancestors really did have faith in him. He did not show himself to the rest of the world because the world did not have faith in him.
8 He has shown himself to the world because of people’s faith, and brought glory to the Father’s name, and made a way for others to get this heavenly gift–so they could hope for the things they have not seen.
9 You can have this hope and gift if only you will have faith.
10 It was by faith that those long ago were called to God’s priesthood.
11 The Law of Moses was given by faith. But God planned a better way than that by giving us his Son, and that came by faith.
12 If people do not have faith, God cannot do miracles among them. Jesus showed himself to people only after they had faith.
13 The faith of Alma and Amulek made the prison walls fall down.
14 The faith of Nephi and Lehi made such a change in the Lamanites that they were baptized with fire and the Holy Ghost.
15 The faith of Ammon and his brothers caused that great miracle to happen among the Lamanites.
16 Yes, everyone who has done miracles, before and after Christ came, has done so by faith.
17 It was by faith that the three disciples were promised they would not die. They did not have this promise until after they had faith.
18 No one has done any miracles until after they had faith, so first they believed in the Son of God.
19 There were many people who had such strong faith that they were able to see the things they had first only believed in, even before Christ came.
20 In this record we have seen that one of these people was Jared’s brother. His faith in God was so great that God could not keep him from seeing his finger.
21 And after Jared’s brother saw the Lord’s finger, the Lord could not keep Jared’s brother from seeing all hidden things.
22 It is by faith that my ancestors were promised by God that the Gentiles would give these things to their brothers and sisters. This is why Jesus Christ has commanded me to make this record.
23 I said to him: “Lord, the Gentiles will make fun of these things, because we do not write very well. Lord, you have let us speak great words because of our faith, but you have not let us write well. All our people could speak well because of the Holy Ghost you gave them.
24 “But it is very hard for our hands to write very much. You did not give us power to write like Jared’s brother. The things he writes are as strong as you are — so strong that people can hardly read them.
25 “You have made our words so strong that we cannot write them. When we write them, we see how weak our words are, and how badly we write. This is why I am afraid the Gentiles will make fun of what we write.”
26 When I said this, the Lord said to me: “Fools will make fun of this, but they will be sorry. Humble people will not make fun of your weakness.
27 “If people come to me, I will show them their weakness. I give people weakness so they can be humble. My grace will take care of all those who humble themselves before me. If people humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then I will make weak things become strong to them.
28 “I will show the Gentiles their weakness. I will show them that faith, hope and charity will bring them to me — the fountain of all righteousness.”
29 These words made me feel better, and I said: “O Lord, may your will be done, because I know you work for people as they have faith in you.
30 “Jared’s brother told the mountain Zerin, ‘Go away,’ and it went away. If he had not had faith, it would not have moved. This is how I know that people use your power if they have faith.
31 “This was how you showed yourself to your disciples. After they had faith in you, and spoke in your name, you showed yourself to them with great power.
32 “And I remember that you have prepared a place in your Father’s house for people to hope for. People have to hope, or they cannot come to the place you have prepared for them.
33 “And I also remember that you said you loved the world so much that you gave your life for it, so you could live again and prepare a place for people.
34 “I know that the love you have for people is charity. So if people do not have charity, they cannot come to the place you have prepared for them in your Father’s house.
35 “This is how I know what you mean when you said that if the Gentiles do not have charity, and if they make fun of our weakness, you will punish them, and take away the things they have been given, and give those things to people who already have many things.”
36 Then I prayed to the Lord to help the Gentiles have charity.
37 Then the Lord said to me: “It will not matter for you if they do not have charity, because you have been faithful, and your sins are forgiven. You will be made strong — so strong that you will sit down in the place I have prepared for you in my Father’s house, because you have seen your weakness.”
38 Now I, Moroni, say goodbye to the Gentiles, and goodbye to my brothers and sisters whom I love, until we meet before Christ to be judged, where all people will know that I am not guilty for your sins.
39 Then you will know that I have seen Jesus, and that he has talked with me face to face about these things in my own language, just as a man would.
40 I have written only a few of these things because I do not write very well.
41 And now I tell you to look for this Jesus, about whom the prophets and apostles have written, that the power of God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost (who is a witness of God and Christ), may be with you and in you forever. Amen.
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