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| Revelation given through Joseph Smith the Prophet, at Kirtland, Ohio, August 6, 1833. HC 1:403—406. This revelation came in consequence of the persectution upon the saints in Missouri. It is natural that the saints in Missouri, having suffered physically and also having lost property, should feel an inclination toward retaliation and revenge. Therefore the Lord gave this revelation. Although some news of the problems in Missouri had no doubt reached the Prophet in Kirtland (nine hundred miles away), the seriousness of the situation could have been known to him at this date only by revelation. | ||
4—8, The saints are to befriend the constitutional law of the land; 9—10, Honest, wise, and good men should be supported for secular offices; 11—15, Those who lay down their lives in the Lord's cause shall have eternal life; 16—18, Renounce war and proclaim peace; 19—22, The saints in Kirtland are reproved and commanded to repent; 23—32, The Lord reveals his laws governing the persecutions and afflictions imposed on his people; 33—38, War is justified only when the Lord commands it; 39—48, The saints are to forgive their enemies, who, if they repent, shall also escape the Lord's vengeance. | ||
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D&C 98:1 Verily I say unto you my friends, afear not, let
your hearts be comforted; yea, rejoice evermore, and in everything give
bthanks;
D&C 98:2 aWaiting patiently on the Lord, for your prayers have entered into the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth, and are recorded with this seal and testament—the Lord hath sworn and decreed that they shall be granted. D&C 98:3 Therefore, he giveth this promise unto you, with an immutable covenant that they shall be fulfilled; and all things wherewith you have been aafflicted shall work together for your bgood, and to my name's glory, saith the Lord.
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D&C 98:4 And now, verily I say unto you concerning the
alaws of the land, it is my will that my people should
observe to do all things whatsoever I command them.
D&C 98:5 And that alaw of the land which is bconstitutional, supporting that principle of freedom in maintaining rights and privileges, belongs to all mankind, and is justifiable before me. D&C 98:6 Therefore, I, the Lord, justify you, and your brethren of my church, in befriending that law which is the aconstitutional law of the land; D&C 98:7 And as pertaining to law of man, whatsoever is more or less than this, cometh of evil.
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D&C 98:8 I, the Lord God, make you afree, therefore ye are
free indeed; and the law also maketh you free.
D&C 98:9 Nevertheless, when the awicked brule the people mourn. D&C 98:10 Wherefore, ahonest men and wise men should be sought for diligently, and good men and wise men ye should observe to uphold; otherwise whatsoever is less than these cometh of evil.
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D&C 98:11 And I give unto you a commandment, that ye shall forsake all evil
and cleave unto all agood, that ye shall live by every
bword which proceedeth forth out of the mouth of God.
D&C 98:12 For he will agive unto the faithful line upon line, precept upon precept; and I will btry you and prove you herewith. D&C 98:13 And whoso alayeth down his life in my cause, for my name's sake, shall find it again, even life eternal.
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D&C 98:14 Therefore, be not aafraid of your enemies, for I
have decreed in my heart, saith the Lord, that I will
bprove you in all things, whether you will abide in my
covenant, ceven unto death, that you may be found worthy.
D&C 98:15 For if ye will not abide in my covenant ye are not worthy of me. D&C 98:16 Therefore, arenounce war and proclaim peace, and seek diligently to bturn the hearts of the children to their fathers, and the hearts of the fathers to the children; D&C 98:17 And again, the hearts of the aJews unto the prophets, and the prophets unto the Jews; lest I come and smite the whole earth with a curse, and all flesh be consumed before me.
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D&C 98:18 Let not your hearts be troubled; for in my Father's house are
amany mansions, and I have prepared a place for you; and
where my Father and I am, there ye shall be also.
D&C 98:19 Behold, I, the Lord, am not well apleased with many who are in the church at Kirtland; D&C 98:20 For they do not aforsake their sins, and their wicked ways, the pride of their hearts, and their covetousness, and all their detestable things, and observe the words of wisdom and eternal life which I have given them. D&C 98:21 Verily I say unto you, that I, the Lord, will achasten them and will do whatsoever I list, if they do not repent and observe all things whatsoever I have said unto them.
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D&C 98:22 And again I say unto you, if ye observe to ado
whatsoever I command you, I, the Lord, will turn away all
bwrath and indignation from you, and the
cgates of hell shall not prevail against you.
D&C 98:23 Now, I speak unto you concerning your families—if men will asmite you, or your families, once, and ye bbear it patiently and crevile not against them, neither seek drevenge, ye shall be erewarded. D&C 98:24 But if ye bear it not patiently, it shall be accounted unto you as being ameted out as a just measure unto you.
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D&C 98:25 And again, if your enemy shall smite you the second time, and you
revile not against your enemy, and bear it patiently, your reward shall be an
ahundredfold.
D&C 98:26 And again, if he shall smite you the third time, and ye bear it apatiently, your reward shall be doubled unto you four-fold; D&C 98:27 And these three atestimonies shall stand against your enemy if he repent not, and shall not be blotted out.
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D&C 98:28 And now, verily I say unto you, if that enemy shall escape my
vengeance, that he be not brought into judgment before me, then ye shall see
to it that ye awarn him in my name, that he come no more
upon you, neither upon your family, even your children's children unto the
third generation and fourth generation.
D&C 98:29 And then, if he shall come upon you or your children, or your children's children unto the third and fourth generation, I have delivered thine aenemy into thine hands; D&C 98:30 And then if thou wilt spare him, thou shalt be rewarded for thy arighteousness; and also they children and they children's children unto the third and fourth generation.
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D&C 98:31 Nevertheless, thine enemy is in thine hands; and if thou rewardest him according to his works thou art justified; if he has sought thy life, and thy life is endangered by him, thine enemy is in thine hands and thou art justified.
D&C 98:32 Behold, this is the law I gave unto my servant Nephia, and thy afathers, Joseph, and Jacob, and Isaac, and Abraham, and all mine ancient prophets and apostles. D&C 98:33 And again, this is the alaw that I gave unto mine ancients, that they should not go out unto battle against any nation, kindred, tongue, or people, save I, the Lord, commanded them.
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32a this is the law I gave unto my servant Nephi Though this 'law' likely first had it application in the action taken against Laban (1 Nephi 4:11-12), its more complete application would have been that which the Nephites would have used as they would have to contend with their brethern the Lamanites. And when one reads through this entire law which the Lord gives, it becomes quite evident why the Nephites where so ready to continually forgive the Lamanites after each offense if they would continue to repent each time after the offense. And it also becomes clear why the Lord did not support the Nephites if they would go up against the Lamanites to destory them without the qualifications of this law being in effect. | |
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D&C 98:34 And if any nation, tongue, or people should proclaim war against
them, they should first lift a standard of apeace unto that
people, nation, or tongue;
D&C 98:35 And if that people did not accept the offering of peace, neither the second nor the third time, they should bring these testimonies before the Lord; D&C 98:36 Then I, the Lord, would give unto them a commandment, and justify them in going out to battle against that nation, tongue, or people.
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D&C 98:37 And I, the Lord, would afight their battles, and
their children's battles and their children's children's, until they had
avenged themselves on all their enemies, to the third and fourth generation.
D&C 98:38 Behold, this is an aensample unto all people, saith the Lord your God, for justification before me.
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D&C 98:39 And again, verily I say unto you, if after thine
aenemy has come upon thee the first time, he repent and
come unto thee praying they forgiveness, thou shalt forgive him, and shalt
hold it no more as a testimony against thine enemy—
D&C 98:40 And so on unto the second and third time; and as oft as thine enemy repenteth of the trespass wherewith he has trespassed against thee, thou shalt aforgive him, until seventy times seven.
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D&C 98:41 And if he trespass against thee, and repent not the first time, nevertheless thou shalt forgive him.
D&C 98:42 And if he trespass against thee the second time, and repent not, nevertheless thou shalt forgive him. D&C 98:43 And he trespass against thee the third time, and repent not, thou shalt also forgive him. D&C 98:44 But if he trespass against thee the fourth time thou shalt not forgive him, but shalt bring these testimonies before the Lord; and they shall not be blotted out until he repent and areward thee four-fold in all things wherewith he has trespassed against thee.
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D&C 98:45 And if he do this, thou shalt forgive him with all thine heart; and
if he do not this, I, the Lord, will aavenge thee of thine
enemy an hundred-fold;
D&C 98:46 And upon his children, and upon his children's achildren of all them that bhate me, unto the cthird and fourth generation.
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D&C 98:47 But if the achildren shall repent, or the
children's children, and bturn to the Lord their God, with
all their hearts and with all their might, mind, and strength, and
crestore four-fold for all their trespasses wherewith they
have trespassed, or wherewith their fathers have trespassed, or their
father's fathers, then thine indignation shall be turned away;
D&C 98:48 And vengeance shall ano more come upon them, saith the Lord thy God, and their trespasses shall never be brought any more as a testimony before the Lord against them. Amen.
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