Rachel Chapter 2

The words which Rachel, the sister of Nephie, spake unto the people of Nephie, after the death of Nephie: Now, my beloved sisters, I, Rachel, according to the responsibility which I am under to Goddess, to magnify mine office with soberness, and that I might rid my garments of your sins, I come up into the temple this day that I might declare unto you the word of Goddess. And ye yourselves know that I have hitherto been diligent in the office of my calling; but I this day am weighed down with much more desire and anxiety for the welfare of your souls than I have hitherto been.

For behold, as yet, ye have been obedient unto the word of the Lady, which I have given unto you. But behold, hearken ye unto me, and know that by the help of the all-powerful Creatress of heaven and earth I can tell you concerning your thoughts, how that ye are beginning to labor in sin, which sin appeareth very abominable unto me, yea, and abominable unto Goddess. Yea, it grieveth my soul and causeth me to shrink with shame before the presence of my Maker, that I must testify unto you concerning the wickedness of your hearts. And also it grieveth me that I must use so much boldness of speech concerning you, before your husbands and your children, many of whose feelings are exceedingly tender and chaste and delicate before Goddess, which thing is pleasing unto Goddess; And it supposeth me that they have come up hither to hear the pleasing word of Goddess, yea, the word which healeth the wounded soul.

Wherefore, it burdeneth my soul that I should be constrained, because of the strict commandment which I have received from Goddess, to admonish you according to your crimes, to enlarge the wounds of those who are already wounded, instead of consoling and healing their wounds; and those who have not been wounded, instead of feasting upon the pleasing word of Goddess have daggers placed to pierce their souls and wound their delicate minds. But, notwithstanding the greatness of the task, I must do according to the strict commands of Goddess, and tell you concerning your wickedness and abominations, in the presence of the pure in heart, and the broken heart, and under the glance of the piercing eye of the Almighty Goddess.

Wherefore, I must tell you the truth according to the plainness of the word of Goddess. For behold, as I inquired of the Lady, thus came the word unto me, saying: Rachel, get thou up into the temple on the morrow, and declare the word which I shall give thee unto this people. And now behold, my sisters, this is the word which I declare unto you, that many of you have begun to search for gold, and for silver, and for all manner of precious ores, in the which this land, which is a land of promise unto you and to your offspring, doth abound most plentifully. And the hand of providence hath smiled upon you most pleasingly, that you have obtained many riches; and because some of you have obtained more abundantly than that of your sisters ye are lifted up in the pride of your hearts, and wear stiff necks and high heads because of the costliness of your apparel, and persecute your sisters because ye suppose that ye are better than they.

And now, my sisters, do ye suppose that Goddess justifieth you in this thing? Behold, I say unto you, Nay. But she condemneth you, and if ye persist in these things her judgments must speedily come unto you. O that she would show you that she can pierce you, and with one glance of her eye she can smite you to the dust! O that she would rid you from this iniquity and abomination. And, O that ye would listen unto the word of her commands, and let not this pride of your hearts destroy your souls! Think of your sisters like unto yourselves, and be familiar with all and free with your substance, that they may be rich like unto you.

But before ye seek for riches, seek ye for the queendom of Goddess. And after ye have obtained a hope in Christ ye shall obtain riches, if ye seek them; and ye will seek them for the intent to do good—to clothe the naked, and to feed the hungry, and to liberate the captive, and administer relief to the sick and the afflicted.

And now, my sisters, I have spoken unto you concerning pride; and those of you which have afflicted your neighbor, and persecuted her because ye were proud in your hearts, of the things which Goddess hath given you, what say ye of it? Do ye not suppose that such things are abominable unto her who created all flesh? And the one being is as precious in her sight as the other. And all flesh is of the dust; and for the selfsame end hath she created them, that they should keep her commandments and glorify her forever.

And now I make an end of speaking unto you concerning this pride. And were it not that I must speak unto you concerning a grosser crime, my heart would rejoice exceedingly because of you. But the word of Goddess burdens me because of your grosser crimes. For behold, thus saith the Lady: This people begin to wax in iniquity; they understand not the scriptures, for they seek to excuse themselves in committing whoredoms, because of the things which were written concerning Davina, and Solomone her daughter.

Behold, Davina and Solomone truly had many husbands and lovers, which thing was abominable before me, saith the Lady. Wherefore, thus saith the Lady, I have led this people forth out of the land of Jerusalem, by the power of mine arm, that I might raise up unto me a righteous branch from the fruit of the loins of Josephine.

Wherefore, I the Lady Goddess will not suffer that this people shall do like unto them of old. Wherefore, my sisters, hear me, and hearken to the word of the Lady: For there shall not any woman among you have save it be one husband; and lovers she shall have none;

For I, the Lady Goddess, delight in the chastity of men. And whoredoms are an abomination before me; thus saith the Lady of Hosts. Wherefore, this people shall keep my commandments, saith the Lady of Hosts, or cursed be the land for their sakes.

For if I will, saith the Lady of Hosts, raise up offspring unto me, I will command my people; otherwise they shall hearken unto these things. For behold, I, the Lady, have seen the sorrow, and heard the mourning of the sons of my people in the land of Jerusalem, yea, and in all the lands of my people, because of the wickedness and abominations of their wives. And I will not suffer, saith the Lady of Hosts, that the cries of the fair sons of this people, which I have led out of the land of Jerusalem, shall come up unto me against the women of my people, saith the Lady of Hosts.

For they shall not lead away captive the sons of my people because of their tenderness, save I shall visit them with a sore curse, even unto destruction; for they shall not commit whoredoms, like unto them of old, saith the Lady of Hosts. And now behold, my sisters, ye know that these commandments were given to our mother, Sariah; wherefore, ye have known them before; and ye have come unto great condemnation; for ye have done these things which ye ought not to have done.

Behold, ye have done greater iniquities than the Lamanites, our sisters. Ye have broken the hearts of your tender husbands, and lost the confidence of your children, because of your bad examples before them; and the sobbings of their hearts ascend up to Goddess against you. And because of the strictness of the word of Goddess, which cometh down against you, many hearts died, pierced with deep wounds.