Joseph Smith

“ For behold, ye do love money, and your substances, and your fine apparel, and the adorning of your churches, more than ye love the poor and the needy, the sick and afflicted. O ye pollutions, ye hypocrites, ye teachers, which sell yourselves for that which will canker, why have ye polluted the holy church of God? ”

“ Now the city Teancum lay in the borders by the seashore; and it was also near the city Desolation. And it was because of the Nephites went up unto the Lamanites, that they began to be smitten: for were it not for that, the Lamanites could have no power over them. But behold, the judgments of God will overtake the wicked; and it is by the wicked, that the wicked are punished: for it is the wicked that stireth up the hearts of the children of men unto bloodshed. -- And it came to pass that the Lamanites did make preparation to come against the city Teancum. ”

“ But behold, Jesus Christ hath shewn you unto me, and I know your doings; and I know that ye do walk in the pride of your hearts; and there are none, save a few only, which do not lift themselves up in the pride of their hearts, unto the wearing of very fine apparel, unto envyings, and strifes, and malice, and persecutions, and all manner of iniquities; and your churches, yea, even every one, have become polluted because of the pride of your hearts. ”

“ Know ye that ye must come to the knowledge of your fathers, and repent of all of your sins and iniquities, and believe in Jesus Christ, that he is the Son of God, and that he was slain by the Jews, and by the power of the Father he hath risen again, whereby he hath gained the victory over the grave; and also in him is the sting of death swallowed up. And he bringeth to pass the resurrection of the dead, whereby man must be raised to stand before his judgment seat. ”

“ And behold, the Lamanites have hunted my people, the Nephites, down from city to city, and from place to place, even until they are no more; and great has been their fall; yea, great and marvellous is the destruction of my people, the Nephites. and behold, it is the hand of the Lord which hath done it. And behold also, the Lamanites are at war one with another; and the whole face of this land is one continual round of murder and bloodshed ”

“ Why do ye not think that greater is the value of an endless happiness, than that misery which never dies, because of the praise of the world? Why do ye adorn yourselves with that which hath no life, and yet suffer the hungry, and the needy, and the naked, and the sick, and the afflicted to pass by you, and notice them not? Yea, why do ye build up your secret abominations to get gain, and cause that widows should mourn before the Lord, and also orphans to mourn before the Lord ”

“ And he hath brought to pass the redemption of the world, whereby he that is found guiltless before him at the judgment day, hath it given unto them to dwell in the presence of God in his kingdom, to sing ceaseless praises with the choirs above, unto the Father, and unto the Son, and unto the Holy Ghost, which is one God, in a state of happiness which hath no end. ”

“ And if our plates had been sufficiently large, we should have written in Hebrew; but the Hebrew hath been altered by us also; and if we could have written in the Hebrew, behold, ye would have had none imperfection in our record. But the Lord knoweth the things which we have written, and also that none other people knoweth our language; and because that none other people knoweth our language, therefore he hath prepared means for the interpretation thereof. ”

“ But wo unto such, for they are in the gall of bitterness, and in the bonds of iniquity. Yea, it shall come in a day when there shall be churches built up that shall say, Come unto me, and for your money you shall be forgiven of your sins. O ye wicked and perverse, and stiffnecked people, why have ye built up churches unto yourselves to get gain? ”