minister in the flesh; for the Spirit is the same, yesterday, to-day, and for ever. And the way is prepared fromthe fall of man, and salvation is free.

5. And men are instructed sufficiently, that they know good from evil. And the law is given unto men. And by the law, no flesh is justified; or, by the law, men are cut off. Yea, by the temporal law, they were cut off; and also, by the spiritual law they perish from that which is good, and become miserable for ever.

6. Wherefore, redemption cometh in and through the Holy Messiah; for he is full of grace and truth.

7. Behold he offereth himself a sacrifice for sin, to answer the ends of the law, unto all those who have a broken heart and a contrite spirit; and unto none else can the ends of the law be answered.

8. Wherefore, how great the importance to make these things known unto the' inhabitants of the earth, that they may know that there is no flesh that can dwell in the presence of God, save it be through the merits, and mercy, and grace of the Holy Messiah, who layeth down his life according to the flesh, and taketh it again by the power of the Spirit, that he may bring to pass the resurrection of the dead, being the first that should rise.

9. Wherefore he is the first fruits unto God, inasmuch as he shall make intercession for all the children of men; and they that believe in him shall be saved.

10. And because of the intercession for all, all men come unto God; wherefore, they stand in the presence of him, to be judged of him according to the truth and holiness which is in him. Wherefore, the ends of the law which the Holy One hath given, unto the inflicting of the punishment which is affixed, which punishment that is affixed is in opposition to that of the happiness which is affixed, to answer the ends of the atonement;

11. For it must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things. If not so, my first-born in the wilderness, righteousness could not be brought to pass; neither wickedness; neither holiness nor misery; neither good nor bad. Wherefore, all things must needs be a compound in one; wherefore, if it should be one body, it must needs remain as

b, 11. Nep. 9: 4, 6, 7.

Alma 11: 42-45. 12: 12, 16, 24, 27, 31, 36. 42: 6-9. Hela. 14: 16. c, II. Nep. 9: 8-15, 26. Mos. 16: 4-10. Alma 11: 40-45. 12: 16-18, 32, 36, 37. 40: 13, 14, 26. 42: 6-11, 14. Hela. 14: 15-18. d, 11. Nep. 9: 4, 6-19, 22. Mos. 13: 35. 15: 8, 9, 20-27. 16: 7-11: Alma 5: 15. 7: 12. 11: 41-45. 12: 12-18, 24, 25. 22: 14. 33: 22. 40 ch. 41: 2-5. 42: 23. Hela. 14 15-17, 25. III. Nep. 23: 9-13. Mor. 6: 21. 7:6. 9: 13. Moro. 7: 41. 10: 34. e, ver. 10. Mos. 15: 8. Moro. 7:27, 28. f, 11. Nep. 9: 7, 21, 22, 25, 26. 10: 25. Jacob 4: 11, 12. Mos. 3: 11, 15—19. 4: 2, 6, 7. 13: 28. 18: 2. Alma 5: 27. 13:5, 11. 21:9. 22:14. 24 13. 30: 17. 33: 22. 34: 8-16, 36. 36: 17. 42:15, 23. Hela. 14: 15, 16. III. Nep. 11: 11. 27: 19. Mor. 9:13. Moro. 7.: 41.

26: 5.

14: 12. 25: 16.

8:20. 10: 33. 9, vers. 15, 16.

dead, having no life neither death, nor corruption nor incorruption, happiness nor misery, neither sense nor insensibility.

12. Wherefore, it must needs have been created for a thing of naught; wherefore there would have been no purpose in the end of its creation. Wherefore, this thing must needs destroy the wisdom of God, and his eternal purposes; and also, the power, and the mercy, and the justice of God.

13. And if ye shall say there is no law, ye shall also say there is no sin. If ye shall say there is no sin, ye shall also say there is no righteousness. And if there be no righteousness, there be no happiness. And if there be no righteousness nor happiness, there be no punishment nor misery. And if these things are not, there is no God. And if there is no God, we are not, neither the earth; for there could have been no creation of things, neither to act nor to be acted upon; wherefore, all things must have vanished away.

14. And now, my sons, I speak unto you these things, for your profit and learning; for there is a God, and he hath created all things, both the heavens and the earth, and all things that in them is; both things to act, and things to be acted upon.

15. And to bring about his eternal purposes in the end of man, after he had created our first parents, and the beasts of the field and the fowls of the air, and in fine, all things which are created, it must needs be that there was an opposition; even the forbidden fruit in opposition to the tree of life; the one being sweet and the other bitter;

16. Wherefore, the Lord God gave unto man that he should act for himself. Wherefore man could not act for himself, save it should be that he was enticed by the one or the other.

17. And I, Lehi, according to the things which I have read, must needs suppose, that an angel of God, according to that which is written, had fallen from heaven; wherefore, he became a devil, having sought that which was evil before God.

18. And because he had fallen from heaven, and had become miserable for ever, he sought also the misery of all mankind. Wherefore, he said unto Eve, yea, even that old serpent, who is the devil, who is the father of all lies; wherefore he said, Partake of the forbidden fruit, and ye shall not die, but ye shall be as God, knowing good and evil.

19. And after Adam and Eve had partaken of the forbidden fruit, they were driven out of the garden of Eden, to till the earth.

20. And they have brought forth children; yea. even the family of all the earth.

h, ver. 11. i, II. Nev. 9: 8. Pearl of Great Price, p. 9.

21. And the days of the children of men were prolonged, according to the will of God, that they might repent while in the flesh; wherefore, their state became a state of probation, and their time was lengthened, according to the coinmandments which the Lord God gave unto the children of men. For he gave commandment that all men must repent; for he shewed unto all men that they were lost, because of the transgression of their parents.

22. And now, behold, if Adam had not transgressed, he would not have fallen; but he would have remained in the garden of Eden. And all things which were created, must have remained in the same state which they were, after they were created; and they must have remained for ever, and had no end.

23. And they would have had no children; wherefore, they would have remained in a state of innocence, having no joy, for they knew no misery; doing no good, for they knew no sin.

24. But behold, all things have been done in the wisdom of him who knoweth all things.

25. Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy.

26. And the Messiah cometh in the fulness of time, that he may redeem the children of men from the fall. And because that they are redeemed from the fall, they have become 'free for ever, knowing good from evil; to act for themselves, and not to be acted upon, save it be by the punishment of the law at the great and last day, according to the commandments which God hath given.

27. Wherefore, men are free according to the flesh; and all things are given them which are expedient unto man. And they are free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great mediation of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil; for he secketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself.

28. And now, my sons, I would that ye should look to the great Mediator, and hearken unto his great commandments; and be faithful unto his words, and choose eternal life, according to the will of his Holy Spirit;

29. And not choose eternal death, according to the will of the flesh and the evil which is therein, which giveth the spirit of the devil power to captivate, to bring you down to hell, that he may reign over you in his own kingdom.

30. I have spoken these few words unto you all, my sons, in the last days of my probation; and. I have chosen the good part, according to the words of the prophet. And I have none other object, save it be the everlasting welfare of your souls. Amen.

j, ver. 25. Pearl of Great Price, p. 10. k, ver. 23. 1, vers. 27-29. Alma 29 ch. 41: 7. 42: 27. Hela. 14: 30.

CHAPTER 3.

1. AND now I speak unto you, Joseph, "my last born. Thou wast born in the wilderness of mine afflictions; yea, in the days of my greatest sorrow, did thy mother bear thee.

2. And may the Lord consecrate also unto thee this land, which is a most precious land, for thine inheritance and the inheritance of thy seed with thy brethren, for thy security for ever, if it so be that ye shall keep the commandments of the Holy One of Israel.

3. And now, Joseph, my last born, whom I have brought out of the wilderness of mine afflictions, may the Lord bless thee for ever, for thy seed shall not utterly be destroyed.

4. For behold, thou art the fruit of my loins; and I am a ddescendant of Joseph, who was carried captive into Egypt. And great were the covenants of the Lord, which

he made unto Joseph;

5. Wherefore, Joseph truly saw our day. And he obtained a promise of the Lord, that out of the fruit of his loins, the Lord God would raise up a righteous branch unto the house of Israel; not the Messiah, but a branch which was to be broken off; nevertheless, to be remembered in the covenants of the Lord, that the Messiah should be made manifest unto them in the latter days, in the Spirit of power, unto the bringing of them out of darkness unto light; yea, out of hidden darkness and out of captivity unto

freedom.

6. For Joseph truly testified, saying: A "seer shall the Lord my God raise up, who shall be a choice seer unto the fruit of my loins.

7. Yea, Joseph truly said, Thus saith the Lord unto me: A choice seer will I raise up out of the fruit of thy loins; and he shall be esteemed highly among the fruit of thy loins. And unto him will I give commandment, that he shall do a work for the fruit of thy loins, his brethren, which shall be. of great worth unto them, even to the bringing of them to the knowledge of the covenants which I have made with thy fathers.

8. And I will give unto him a commandment, that he shall do none other work, save the work which I shall command him. And I will make him great in mine eyes; for he shall do my work.

9. And he shall be great like unto Moses, whom I have said I would raise up unto you, to deliver my people, O house of Israel.

10. And Moses will I raise up, to deliver thy people out of the land of Egypt.

a, 1. Nep. 18:7, 19.

c, I. Nep. 13: 30. Mos. 8: 13-18. Ether

b, 1. Nep. 2: 20. 18: 22, 23. d, 1. Nep. 5:14-16. Alma 10: 3. e, vers. 11, 14. 3:21-28. II. Nen. 21: 8 11. Mor. 8:16, 25,

E

11. But a seer will I raise up out of the fruit of thy loins; and unto him will I give power to bring forth my word unto the seed of thy loins; and not to the bringing forth my word only, saith the Lord, but to the convincing them of my word, which shall have already gone forth among them.

12. Wherefore, the fruit of thy loins shall write; and the fruit of the loins of Judah shall write; and that which shall be written by the fruit of thy loins, and also that which shall be written by the fruit of the loins of Judah, shall grow together, unto the confounding of false doctrines, and laying down of contentions, and establishing peace among the fruit of thy loins, and bringing them to the knowledge of their fathers in the latter days; and also to the knowledge of my covenants, saith the Lord.

13. And out of weakness he shall be made strong, in that day when my work shall commence among all my people, unto the restoring thee, O house of Israel, saith the Lord.

14. And thus prophesied Joseph, saying: Behold, that seer will the Lord bless; and they that seek to destroy him, shall be confounded; for this promise, which I have obtained of the Lord, of the fruit of my loins, shall be fulfilled. Behold, I am sure of the fulfilling of this promise.

15. And his name shall be called "after me: and it shall be after the name of his father. And he shall be like unto me; for the thing which the Lord shall bring forth by his hand, by the power of the Lord shall bring my people unto salvation;

16. Yea, thus prophesied Joseph, I am sure of this thing, even as I am sure of the promise of Moses; for the Lord hath said unto me, I will preserve thy seed for ever.

17. And the Lord hath said, I will raise up a Moses; and I will give power unto him in a rod; and I will give judgment unto him in writing. Yet I will not loose his tongue, that he shall speak much; for I will not make him mighty in speaking. But I will write unto him my law, by the finger of mine own hand; and I will make a spokesman for him.

18. And the Lord said unto me also, I will raise up unto the fruit of thy loins; and I will make for him a 'spokesman. And I, behold, I will give unto him, that he shall write the writing of the fruit of thy loins, unto the fruit of thy loins; and the spokesman of thy loins shall declare it.

19. And the words which he shall write, shall be the words which are expedient in my wisdom should go forth unto the fruit of thy loins. And it shall be as if the fruit of thy loins had cried unto them from the dust; for I know their faith.

f, Ezek. 37: 16-20. g, III. Nep. 5:23. Mor. 7: 5, 10. h, Joseph. i, II. Nep. 27: 6-26. Enos 1: 12-18. Alma 37: 1--20. III. Nep. 16: 10, 11. Mor. 7: 8-10. j, Doc. & Cov. 100: 9, 11.