2 Nephi 9

“I’ve read these of words of Isaiah,” Jacob said to the Nephites, “to show you the covenants God has made with the descendants of Israel. God has spoken to the Jews through his prophets since the time of Adam and Eve, from generation to generation, until the time comes that his people are restored by the true church of God. At that time, they will be gathered home to the lands of their inheritance. We know that God will appear in Jerusalem, our former home; that he will suffer under the hands of men and die, so that all men will become subject to him. Since the fall of Adam and Eve, men have become cut off from God, and subject to death. To fulfill his merciful plan there needs to be a power of resurrection after death. Unless amends are somehow made for this fall, our deaths will be permanent and our spirits will be forever subject to the devil. Without resurrection, our spirits will become like the devil’s, filled with misery, lies, murder, and secret works of darkness.

“But the goodness of our God,” Jacob continued, “has prepared a way for our escape from the grasp of this monster of death and hell that I shall also call the death of our bodies and also the death of our spirits. The death of Jesus Christ in Jerusalem, of which we are foretold, will make death temporary only. His death and resurrection will yield up and restore the captive spirits of hell, as well as their bodies, where they will become immortal and face the judgment of God.

“At that time, we will have full knowledge of guilt, dirtiness, and nakedness, as well as of our goodness and purity. Having passed from death into immortality, people will appear in judgment before Jesus Christ. As surely as Jesus Christ lives, and as God has spoken, those who have been righteous will remain righteous, and those who have been filthy will remain filthy. The filthy are the people of the devil, and they will go with him into everlasting fire and torment without end. Because this is God’s justice, and these were his words, the law must be fulfilled.

“Those who are righteous, who have believed in Jesus Christ, who have endured the troubles of the world, and who have despised the shame of it, will inherit the kingdom of God which was prepared for them. Their joy will be full forever. This is the great mercy of our God, Jesus Christ, for he will deliver his saints from the devil and hell. He will come into the world with a willingness to suffer all the pains of all the descendants of Adam and Eve, if only they will listen to his words. His commandment is that men must repent, have faith in him, and be baptized in his name or they cannot be saved. Those that will not repent, believe in him, and be baptized in his name must be damned, for this is the word of God. This is God’s law.

“However, people who have not heard God’s law will not be condemned, but will be redeemed by Jesus Christ’s mercy. Only those who have heard and rejected or ignored this law will be condemned. For them, there is only delivery to the devil, death, hell, and the eternal torment of fire. Those men who think of themselves as educated and wise in the ways of the world, and who listen to their own thinking minds instead of listening to the word of God, will perish. In such cases all of the knowledge, education, and worldly wisdom is foolishness and will not benefit them beyond their mortal lives. Learning and knowledge are only good when people also heed the laws of God.

“The rich are cursed, because they despise the poor and persecute the humble. Because they worship their treasures, their treasure is their God. But their treasure will also perish with them. Those who will not listen and will not see are cursed, and they will perish. Those with unclean hearts are cursed, and they will perish. Those who lie, who murder, and who fornicate are also cursed, for they will perish and be sent to hell. Those who worship false idols are cursed, because the devil takes particular delight in them. Those who die in their sins are cursed, for they will return to God to see his face with their sins intact.

“Beloved brothers, remember the dangers in opposing God and yielding to the enticements of the devil. Always remember that to be carnally minded is to die, while being spiritually minded is to find eternal life. I have not said any of these things against you personally, but have only spoken the words of God. The words of God are harsh to those who sin, but the righteous will not fear them for they love the truth and cannot be shaken. The path I describe is straight and narrow, and at the end of that path is a gate, whose gatekeeper is Jesus Christ. Remember to be careful, because God cannot be deceived. He will open that gate to anyone who knocks, but those who come to him inflated with their knowledge or wealth, he despises. Unless they put aside their foolishness, they may not pass; and the happiness of life eternal which is prepared for the saints who believe in God, will remain hidden from them forever.

“I’ve done all that I can to help save you. You must help yourselves, now. I can only hope that you will turn away from sin and not have to concede your depravity before God when your time of judgment comes. If you were holy, there would be no need to be clear with you about the dangers of sin. But as a teacher, I must teach you about the consequences of being unholy in the eye God.

“As you can see, I detest sin and take delight in holiness, by praising the name of God. If you thirst, you too can come with me to the waters of God’s mercy and drink, for free. Likewise, there is no need to spend money on things of no value, or to work for that which cannot satisfy. Come feast with me on that which will not perish or be corrupted. Remember the words of God and pray to him by day, and give thanks by night.

“God’s promises to us are great, and because of his greatness he has promised that our descendants will not perish, but will, in future generations, become a strong branch among the descendants of Israel. I could say more, but that is enough for now.”