"Hearken, O ye people of my
church!"
saith
the voice of him who dwells on high,
and
whose eyes are upon all men;
Yea, verily I say:
"Hearken ye people from afar,
and
ye that are upon the islands of the sea,
Listen together!
For verily the voice of the Lord is unto all
men,
and
there is none to escape,
and
there is no eye that shall not see,
neither
ear that shall not hear,
neither
heart that shall not be penetrated:
And
the rebellious shall be pierced with much sorrow,
for
their iniquities shall be spoken upon the house-tops,
and
their secret acts shall be revealed;
And the voice of warning shall be unto all
people,
by
the mouths of my disciples,
whom
I have chosen in these last days,
and
they shall go forth and none shall stay them,
for
I, the Lord, have commanded them!
Behold, this is mine authority,
and
the authority of my servants,
and
my preface unto the book of my commandments,
which
I have given them to publish unto you O inhabitants of the earth:
Wherefore fear and tremble, O ye people,
for what I the Lord have decreed in them
shall be fulfilled."
And verily, I say unto you, that:
"They who go forth,
bearing
these tidings unto the inhabitants of the earth,
to them is power given to seal
both
on earth and in heaven,
the
unbelieving and rebellious;
Yea, verily, to seal them up
unto
the day when the wrath of God shall be poured out
upon
the wicked without measure;
unto
the day when the Lord shall come
to
recompense unto every man according to his work,
and
measure to every man according to the measure
which
he has measured to his fellow man.
Wherefore the voice of the Lord is unto the
ends of the earth,
that
all that will hear may hear:
Prepare ye, prepare ye for that which is to
come!
for
the Lord is nigh;
and
the anger of the Lord is kindled,
and
his sword is bathed in heaven,
and
it shall fall upon the inhabitants of the earth;
and
the arm of the Lord shall be revealed;
and the day cometh,
that
they who will not hear the voice of the Lord,
neither
the voice of his servants,
neither
give heed to the words of the prophets, and apostles,
shall
be cut off from among the people:
for
they have strayed from mine ordinances,
and
have broken mine everlasting covenant;
they
seek not the Lord to establish his righteousness,
but
every man walketh in his own way,
and
after the image of his own god,
whose
image is in the likeness of the world,
and
whose substance is that of an idol,
which
waxeth old and shall perish in Babylon,
even
Babylon the great,
which
shall fall:
Wherefore, I the Lord,
knowing
the Calamity
which
should come upon the inhabitants of the earth,
called
upon my servant Joseph Smith, Jr.
and
spake unto him from heaven,
and
gave him commandments;
and
also gave commandments to others,
that
they should proclaim these things unto the world;
and all this that it might be fulfilled,
which
was written by the prophets:
The
weak things of the world shall come forth
and
break down the mighty and strong ones,
that
man should not counsel his fellow man,
neither
trust in the arm of flesh,
but
that every man might speak in the name of God, the Lord,
even
the Savior of the world;
that
faith also might increase in the earth;
that
mine everlasting covenant might be established;
that
the fulness of my gospel might be proclaimed
by
the weak and the simple,
unto
the ends of the world,
and
before kings and rulers.
Behold I am God and have spoken it:
These
commandments are of me,
and
were given unto my servants in their weakness,
after
the manner of their language,
that
they might come to understanding;
and
inasmuch as they erred,
it
might be made known:
and
inasmuch as they sought wisdom,
they
might be instructed;
and
inasmuch as they sinned,
they
might be chastened,
that
they might repent;
and
inasmuch as they were humble,
they
might be made strong,
and
blessed from on high,
and
receive knowledge from time to time:
And after having received the record of the
Nephites,
yea,
even my servant Joseph Smith, Jr.
might have power
to
translate
through
the mercy of God,
by
the power of God,
the
book of Mormon:
and
also, those to whom these commandments were given,
might have power
to
lay the foundation of this church,
and
to bring it forth
out
of obscurity,
and
out of darkness,
the
only true and living church
upon
the face of the whole earth,
with
which I the Lord am well pleased,
speaking
unto the church collectively and not individually;
for
I the Lord cannot look upon sin
with
the least degree of allowance:
nevertheless,
he that repents
and
does the commandments of the Lord,
shall
be forgiven,
and
he that repents not,
from
him shall be taken even the light which he has received,
for
my Spirit shall not always strive with man, saith the Lord of hosts.
And again, verily I say unto you,
O
inhabitants of the earth,
I the Lord am willing to make these things
known
unto
all flesh,
for
I am no respecter of persons,
and willeth that all men shall know
that
the day speedily cometh,
the
hour is not yet,
but
is nigh at hand,
when
peace shall be taken from the earth,
and
the devil shall have power
over
his own dominion;
and
also, the Lord shall have power
over
his saints,
and
shall reign in their midst,
and
shall come down in judgment upon Idumea, or the world.
Search these commandments,
for
they are true and faithful,
and
the prophecies and promises which are in them
shall
all be fulfilled.
What I the Lord have spoken, I have spoken,
and
I excuse not myself,
and though the heavens and the earth pass
away,
my
word shall not pass away,
but
shall all be fulfilled,
whether by mine own voice,
or
by the voice of my servants,
it is the same:
For behold, and lo,
the
Lord is God,
and
the Spirit beareth record,
and
the record is true,
and
the truth abideth forever and ever:
Amen.
