23
I beheld the earth, and, lo, it was without form, and void; and the heavens, and they had no light.
24
I beheld the mountains, and, lo, they trembled, and all the hills moved lightly.
25
I beheld, and, lo, there was no man, and all the birds of the heavens were fled.
26
I beheld, and, lo, the fruitful place was a wilderness, and all the cities thereof were broken down at the presence of the Lord, and by his fierce anger.
4
The first was like a lion, and had eagle’s wings: I beheld
till the wings thereof were plucked, and it was lifted up from the
earth, and made stand upon the feet as a man, and a man’s heart was
given to it.
• • •
6
After this I beheld,
and lo another, like a leopard, which had upon the back of it four
wings of a fowl; the beast had also four heads; and dominion was given
to it.
• • •
9
¶ I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire.
• • •
11
I beheld then because of the voice of the great words which the horn spake: I beheld even till the beast was slain, and his body destroyed, and given to the burning flame.
• • •
21
I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them;
7
And it came to pass that as I followed him I beheld myself that I was in a dark and dreary waste.
• • •
9
And it came to pass after I had prayed unto the Lord I beheld a large and spacious field.
10
And it came to pass that I beheld a tree, whose fruit was desirable to make one happy.
11
And it came to pass that I did go forth and partake of the fruit thereof; and I beheld that it was most sweet, above all that I ever before tasted. Yea, and I beheld that the fruit thereof was white, to exceed all the whiteness that I had ever seen.
• • •
13
And as I cast my eyes round about, that perhaps I might discover my family also, I beheld a river of water; and it ran along, and it was near the tree of which I was partaking the fruit.
14
And I looked to behold from whence it came; and I saw the head thereof a little way off; and at the head thereof I beheld your mother Sariah, and Sam, and Nephi; and they stood as if they knew not whither they should go.
• • •
19
And I beheld a rod of iron, and it extended along the bank of the river, and led to the tree by which I stood.
20
And I also beheld a strait and narrow path, which came along by the rod of iron, even to the tree by which I stood; and it also led by the head of the fountain, unto a large and spacious field, as if it had been a world.
• • •
24
And it came to pass that I beheld
others pressing forward, and they came forth and caught hold of the end
of the rod of iron; and they did press forward through the mist of
darkness, clinging to the rod of iron, even until they did come forth
and partake of the fruit of the tree.
9
And it came to pass after I had seen the tree, I said unto the Spirit: I behold thou hast shown unto me the tree which is precious above all.
• • •
11
And I said unto him: To know the interpretation thereof—for I spake unto him as a man speaketh; for I beheld that he was in the form of a man; yet nevertheless, I knew that it was the Spirit of the Lord; and he spake unto me as a man speaketh with another.
• • •
13
And it came to pass that I looked and beheld the great city of Jerusalem, and also other cities. And I beheld the city of Nazareth; and in the city of Nazareth I beheld a virgin, and she was exceedingly fair and white.
• • •
19
And it came to pass that I beheld
that she was carried away in the Spirit; and after she had been carried
away in the Spirit for the space of a time the angel spake unto me,
saying: Look!
• • •
24
And after he had said these words, he said unto me: Look! And I looked, and I beheld the Son of God going forth among the children of men; and I saw many fall down at his feet and worship him.
25
And it came to pass that I beheld
that the rod of iron, which my father had seen, was the word of God,
which led to the fountain of living waters, or to the tree of life;
which waters are a representation of the love of God; and I also beheld that the tree of life was a representation of the love of God.
• • •
27
And I looked and beheld the Redeemer of the world, of whom my father had spoken; and I also beheld
the prophet who should prepare the way before him. And the Lamb of God
went forth and was baptized of him; and after he was baptized, I beheld the heavens open, and the Holy Ghost come down out of heaven and abide upon him in the form of a dove.
28
And I beheld that he
went forth ministering unto the people, in power and great glory; and
the multitudes were gathered together to hear him; and I beheld that they cast him out from among them.
29
And I also beheld twelve others following him. And it came to pass that they were carried away in the Spirit from before my face, and I saw them not.
30
And it came to pass that the angel spake unto me again, saying: Look! And I looked, and I beheld the heavens open again, and I saw angels descending upon the children of men; and they did minister unto them.
31
And he spake unto me again, saying: Look! And I looked, and I beheld the Lamb of God going forth among the children of men. And I beheld
multitudes of people who were sick, and who were afflicted with all
manner of diseases, and with devils and unclean spirits; and the angel
spake and showed all these things unto me. And they were healed by the
power of the Lamb of God; and the devils and the unclean spirits were
cast out.
• • •
35
And the multitude of the earth was gathered together; and I beheld
that they were in a large and spacious building, like unto the building
which my father saw. And the angel of the Lord spake unto me again,
saying: Behold the world and the wisdom thereof; yea, behold the house of Israel hath gathered together to fight against the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
1
And it came to pass that the angel said unto me: Look, and behold thy seed, and also the seed of thy brethren. And I looked and beheld the land of promise; and I beheld multitudes of people, yea, even as it were in number as many as the sand of the sea.
2
And it came to pass that I beheld multitudes gathered together to battle, one against the other; and I beheld wars, and rumors of wars, and great slaughters with the sword among my people.
3
And it came to pass that I beheld many generations pass away, after the manner of wars and contentions in the land; and I beheld many cities, yea, even that I did not number them.
• • •
19
And while the angel spake these words, I beheld
and saw that the seed of my brethren did contend against my seed,
according to the word of the angel; and because of the pride of my seed,
and the temptations of the devil, I beheld that the seed of my brethren did overpower the people of my seed.
20
And it came to pass that I beheld,
and saw the people of the seed of my brethren that they had overcome my
seed; and they went forth in multitudes upon the face of the land.
• • •
23
And it came to pass that I beheld,
after they had dwindled in unbelief they became a dark, and loathsome,
and a filthy people, full of idleness and all manner of abominations.
2
And the angel said unto me: What beholdest thou? And I said: I behold many nations and kingdoms.
• • •
6
And it came to pass that I beheld this great and abominable church; and I saw the devil that he was the founder of it.
• • •
12
And I looked and beheld a man among the Gentiles, who was separated from the seed of my brethren by the many waters; and I beheld
the Spirit of God, that it came down and wrought upon the man; and he
went forth upon the many waters, even unto the seed of my brethren, who
were in the promised land.
13
And it came to pass that I beheld the Spirit of God, that it wrought upon other Gentiles; and they went forth out of captivity, upon the many waters.
14
And it came to pass that I beheld many multitudes of the Gentiles upon the land of promise; and I beheld the wrath of God, that it was upon the seed of my brethren; and they were scattered before the Gentiles and were smitten.
15
And I beheld the Spirit of the Lord, that it was upon the Gentiles, and they did prosper and obtain the land for their inheritance; and I beheld that they were white, and exceedingly fair and beautiful, like unto my people before they were slain.
16
And it came to pass that I, Nephi, beheld
that the Gentiles who had gone forth out of captivity did humble
themselves before the Lord; and the power of the Lord was with them.
17
And I beheld that their mother Gentiles were gathered together upon the waters, and upon the land also, to battle against them.
18
And I beheld that
the power of God was with them, and also that the wrath of God was upon
all those that were gathered together against them to battle.
19
And I, Nephi, beheld that the Gentiles that had gone out of captivity were delivered by the power of God out of the hands of all other nations.
20
And it came to pass that I, Nephi, beheld that they did prosper in the land; and I beheld a book, and it was carried forth among them.
• • •
23
And he said: Behold it proceedeth out of the mouth of a Jew. And I, Nephi, beheld it; and he said unto me: The book that thou beholdest
is a record of the Jews, which contains the covenants of the Lord,
which he hath made unto the house of Israel; and it also containeth many
of the prophecies of the holy prophets; and it is a record like unto
the engravings which are upon the plates of brass, save there are not so
many; nevertheless, they contain the covenants of the Lord, which he
hath made unto the house of Israel; wherefore, they are of great worth
unto the Gentiles.
• • •
38
And it came to pass that I beheld
the remnant of the seed of my brethren, and also the book of the Lamb
of God, which had proceeded forth from the mouth of the Jew, that it
came forth from the Gentiles unto the remnant of the seed of my
brethren.
39
And after it had come forth unto them I beheld
other books, which came forth by the power of the Lamb, from the
Gentiles unto them, unto the convincing of the Gentiles and the remnant
of the seed of my brethren, and also the Jews who were scattered upon
all the face of the earth, that the records of the prophets and of the
twelve apostles of the Lamb are true.
12
And it came to pass that I beheld
the church of the Lamb of God, and its numbers were few, because of the
wickedness and abominations of the whore who sat upon many waters;
nevertheless, I beheld
that the church of the Lamb, who were the saints of God, were also upon
all the face of the earth; and their dominions upon the face of the
earth were small, because of the wickedness of the great whore whom I saw.
13
And it came to pass that I beheld
that the great mother of abominations did gather together multitudes
upon the face of all the earth, among all the nations of the Gentiles,
to fight against the Lamb of God.
14
And it came to pass that I, Nephi, beheld
the power of the Lamb of God, that it descended upon the saints of the
church of the Lamb, and upon the covenant people of the Lord, who were
scattered upon all the face of the earth; and they were armed with
righteousness and with the power of God in great glory.
15
And it came to pass that I beheld
that the wrath of God was poured out upon that great and abominable
church, insomuch that there were wars and rumors of wars among all the
nations and kindreds of the earth.
3
And it came to pass that I turned and went up on the mount; and as I stood upon the mount, I beheld the heavens open, and I was clothed upon with glory;
• • •
5
And it came to pass that I beheld in the valley of Shum, and lo, a great people which dwelt in tents, which were the people of Shum.
6
And again the Lord said unto me: Look; and I looked towards the north, and I beheld the people of Canaan, which dwelt in tents.
• • •
9
And it came to pass that the Lord said unto me: Look; and I looked, and I beheld
the land of Sharon, and the land of Enoch, and the land of Omner, and
the land of Heni, and the land of Shem, and the land of Haner, and the
land of Hanannihah, and all the inhabitants thereof;
24
However, it was nevertheless a fact that I had beheld a vision. I have thought since, that I
felt much like Paul, when he made his defense before King Agrippa, and
related the account of the vision he had when he saw a light, and heard a
voice; but still there were but few who believed him; some said he was
dishonest, others said he was mad; and he was ridiculed and reviled.
But all this did not destroy the reality of his vision. He had seen a
vision, he knew he had, and all the persecution under heaven could not
make it otherwise; and though they should persecute him unto death, yet
he knew, and would know to his latest breath, that he had both seen a
light and heard a voice speaking unto him, and all the world could not
make him think or believe otherwise.
• • •
46
By this time, so deep were the impressions made on my mind, that sleep had fled from my eyes, and I lay overwhelmed in astonishment at what I had both seen and heard. But what was my surprise when again I beheld
the same messenger at my bedside, and heard him rehearse or repeat over
again to me the same things as before; and added a caution to me,
telling me that Satan would try to tempt me (in consequence of the
indigent circumstances of my father’s family), to get the plates for the
purpose of getting rich. This he forbade me, saying that I
must have no other object in view in getting the plates but to glorify
God, and must not be influenced by any other motive than that of
building his kingdom; otherwise I could not get them.
• • •
52
Having removed the earth, I obtained a lever, which I got fixed under the edge of the stone, and with a little exertion raised it up. I looked in, and there indeed did I behold
the plates, the Urim and Thummim, and the breastplate, as stated by the
messenger. The box in which they lay was formed by laying stones
together in some kind of cement. In the bottom of the box were laid two
stones crossways of the box, and on these stones lay the plates and the
other things with them.
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