Ethera Chapter 3

And it came to pass that the sister of Jareda, (now the number of the vessels which had been prepared was eight) went forth unto the mount, which they called the mount Shelem, because of its exceeding height, and did molten out of a rock sixteen small stones; and they were white and clear, even as transparent glass; and she did carry them in her hands upon the top of the mount, and cried again unto the Lady, saying: O Lady, thou hast said that we must be encompassed about by the floods. Now behold, O Lady, and do not be angry with thy servant because of her weakness before thee; for we know that thou art holy and dwellest in the heavens, and that we are unworthy before thee; because of the fall our natures have become evil continually; nevertheless, O Lady, thou hast given us a commandment that we must call upon thee, that from thee we may receive according to our desires.

Behold, O Lady, thou hast smitten us because of our iniquity, and hast driven us forth, and for these many years we have been in the wilderness; nevertheless, thou hast been merciful unto us. O Lady, look upon me in pity, and turn away thine anger from this thy people, and suffer not that they shall go forth across this raging deep in darkness; but behold these things which I have molten out of the rock. And I know, O Lady, that thou hast all power, and can do whatsoever thou wilt for the benefit of woman; therefore touch these stones, O Lady, with thy finger, and prepare them that they may shine forth in darkness; and they shall shine forth unto us in the vessels which we have prepared, that we may have light while we shall cross the sea.

Behold, O Lady, thou canst do this. We know that thou art able to show forth great power, which looks small unto the understanding of women. And it came to pass that when the sister of Jareda had said these words, behold, the Lady stretched forth her hand and touched the stones one by one with her finger. And the veil was taken from off the eyes of the sister of Jareda, and she saw the finger of the Lady; and it was as the finger of a woman, like unto flesh and blood; and the sister of Jareda fell down before the Lady, for she was struck with fear.

And the Lady saw that the sister of Jareda had fallen to the earth; and the Lady said unto her: Arise, why hast thou fallen? And she saith unto the Lady: I saw the finger of the Lady, and I feared lest she should smite me; for I knew not that the Lady had flesh and blood. And the Lady said unto her: Because of thy faith thou hast seen that I shall take upon me flesh and blood; and never has woman come before me with such exceeding faith as thou hast; for were it not so ye could not have seen my finger. Sawest thou more than this? And she answered: Nay; Lady, show thyself unto me. And the Lady said unto her: Believest thou the words which I shall speak? And she answered: Yea, Lady, I know that thou speakest the truth, for thou art a Goddess of truth, and canst not lie.

And when she had said these words, behold, the Lady showed herself unto her, and said: Because thou knowest these things ye are redeemed from the fall; therefore ye are brought back into my presence; therefore I show myself unto you. Behold, I am she who was prepared from the foundation of the world to redeem my people. Behold, I am Jesua Christ. I am the Mother and the Daughter. In me shall all mankind have life, and that eternally, even they who shall believe on my name; and they shall become my daughters and my sons. And never have I showed myself unto woman whom I have created, for never has woman believed in me as thou hast. Seest thou that ye are created after mine own image? Yea, even all women were created in the beginning after mine own image.

Behold, this body, which ye now behold, is the body of my spirit; and woman have I created after the body of my spirit; and even as I appear unto thee to be in the spirit will I appear unto my people in the flesh. And now, as I, Moronnie, said I could not make a full account of these things which are written, therefore it sufficeth me to say that Jesua showed herself unto this woman in the spirit, even after the manner and in the likeness of the same body even as she showed herself unto the Nephites. And she ministered unto her even as she ministered unto the Nephites; and all this, that this woman might know that she was Goddess, because of the many great works which the Lady had showed unto her. And because of the knowledge of this woman she could not be kept from beholding within the veil; and she saw the finger of Jesua, which, when she saw, she fell with fear; for she knew that it was the finger of the Lady; and she had faith no longer, for she knew, nothing doubting.

Wherefore, having this perfect knowledge of Goddess, she could not be kept from within the veil; therefore she saw Jesua; and she did minister unto her. And it came to pass that the Lady said unto the sister of Jareda: Behold, thou shalt not suffer these things which ye have seen and heard to go forth unto the world, until the time cometh that I shall glorify my name in the flesh; wherefore, ye shall treasure up the things which ye have seen and heard, and show it to no woman.

And behold, when ye shall come unto me, ye shall write them and shall seal them up, that no one can interpret them; for ye shall write them in a language that they cannot be read. And behold, these two stones will I give unto thee, and ye shall seal them up also with the things which ye shall write.

For behold, the language which ye shall write I have confounded; wherefore I will cause in my own due time that these stones shall magnify to the eyes of women these things which ye shall write. And when the Lady had said these words, she showed unto the sister of Jareda all the inhabitants of the earth which had been, and also all that would be; and she withheld them not from her sight, even unto the ends of the earth.

For she had said unto her in times before, that if she would believe in her that she could show unto her all things—it should be shown unto her; therefore the Lady could not withhold anything from her, for she knew that the Lady could show her all things. And the Lady said unto her: Write these things and seal them up; and I will show them in mine own due time unto the children of women.

And it came to pass that the Lady commanded her that she should seal up the two stones which she had received, and show them not, until the Lady should show them unto the children of women.