THE BOOK OF HELAMAN
CHAPTER 12
Men are unstable and foolish and quick to do evilThe Lord chastens his peopleThe nothingness of men compared with the power of GodIn the day of judgment men shall gain everlasting life or everlasting damnation. [About 7 B.C.]
AND thus we can behold how false, and also the unsteadiness of the hearts of the children of men; yea, we can see that the Lord in his great infinite goodness doth bless and aprosper those who put their btrust in him.
Yea, and we may see at the very atime when he doth bprosper his people, yea, in the increase of their fields, their flocks and their herds, and in gold, and in silver, and in all manner of cprecious things of every kind and art; sparing their lives, and delivering them out of the hands of their enemies; softening the hearts of their enemies that they should not declare wars against them; yea, and in fine, doing all things for the welfare and happiness of his people; yea, then is the time that they do dharden their hearts, and do eforget the Lord their God, and do ftrample under their feet the Holy Oneyea, and this because of their ease, and their exceedingly great prosperity.
And thus we see that except the Lord doth achasten his people with many afflictions, yea, except he doth visit them with bdeath and with terror, and with famine and with all manner of pestilence, they will not cremember him.
O how afoolish, and how vain, and how evil, and devilish, and how bquick to do iniquity, and how slow to do good, are the children of men; yea, how quick to hearken unto the words of the evil one, and to set their chearts upon the vain things of the world!
Yea, how quick to be lifted up in apride; yea, how quick to bboast, and do all manner of that which is iniquity; and how slow are they to remember the Lord their God, and to give ear unto his counsels, yea, how slow to cwalk in wisdoms paths!
Behold, they do not desire that the Lord their God, who hath acreated them, should brule and reign over them; notwithstanding his great goodness and his mercy towards them, they do set at cnaught his counsels, and they will not that he should be their guide.
O how great is the anothingness of the children of men; yea, even they are bless than the dust of the earth.
For behold, the dust of the earth moveth hither and thither, to the dividing asunder, at the command of our great and everlasting God.
Yea, behold at his avoice do the hills and the mountains tremble and bquake.
And by the apower of his voice they are broken up, and become smooth, yea, even like unto a valley.
Yea, by the power of his voice doth the awhole earth shake;
Yea, by the power of his voice, do the foundations rock, even to the very center.
Yea, and if he say unto the earthMoveit is moved.
Yea, if he say unto the aearthThou shalt bgo back, that it clengthen out the day for many hoursit is done;
And thus, according to his word the aearth goeth back, and it appeareth unto man that the bsun standeth still; yea, and behold, this is so; for surely it is the earth that moveth and not the sun.
And behold, also, if he say unto the awaters of the great deepbBe thou dried upit is done.
Behold, if he say unto this mountainBe thou raised up, and acome over and fall upon that city, that it be buried upbehold it is done.
And behold, if a man ahide up a treasure in the earth, and the Lord shall sayLet it be baccursed, because of the iniquity of him who hath hid it upbehold, it shall be accursed.
And if the Lord shall sayBe thou accursed, that no man shall find thee from this time henceforth and foreverbehold, no man getteth it henceforth and forever.
And behold, if the Lord shall say unto a manBecause of thine iniquities, thou shalt be accursed aforeverit shall be done.
And if the Lord shall sayBecause of thine iniquities thou shalt be acut off from my presencehe will cause that it shall be so.
And wo unto him to whom he shall say this, for it shall be unto him that will do iniquity, and he cannot be asaved; therefore, for this cause, that men might be saved, hath repentance been declared.
Therefore, blessed are they who will repent and hearken unto the voice of the Lord their God; for these are they that shall be saved.
And may God grant, in his great fulness, that men might be brought unto repentance and good works, that they might be restored unto grace for agrace, according to their works.
And I would that all men might be saved. But we read that in the agreat and last day there are some who shall be cast out, yea, who shall be cast off from the bpresence of the Lord;
Yea, who shall be consigned to a state of endless misery, fulfilling the words which say: They that have done good shall have aeverlasting life; and they that have done evil shall have everlasting bdamnation. And thus it is. Amen.
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