Joseph Smith

“ And now if Christ had not come into the world, speaking of things to come, as though they had already come, there could have been no redemption. And if Christ had not risen from the dead, or have broken the bands of death, that the grave should have no victory, and that death should have no sting, there could have been no resurrection. But there is a resurrection, therefore the grave hath no victory, and the sting of death, is swallowed up in Christ: He is the light and the life of the world; yea, a light that is endless, that can never be darkened ”

“ My son, I would that ye should make a proclamation throughout all this land, among all this people, or the people of Zarahemla, and the people of Mosiah, which dwell in the land, that thereby they may be gathered together: for on the morrow, I shall proclaim unto this my people, out of mine own mouth, that thou art a king, and a ruler over this people, which the Lord our God hath given us. And moreover, I shall give this people a name, that thereby they may be distinguised above all the people which the Lord God hath brought out of the land of Jerusalem ”

“ And lo, he cometh unto his own, that salvation might come unto the children of men, even through faith on his name; and even after all this, they shall consider him a man, and say that he hath a Devil, and shall scourge him, and shall crucify him. And he shall rise the third day from the dead; and behold, he standeth to judge the world. And behold, all these things are done, that a righteous judgment might come upon the children of men. For behold, and also his blood atoneth for the sins of those who have fallen by the transgression of them, or who have ignorantly sinned. ”

“ I say, that this is the man that receiveth salvation, through the atonement which was prepared from the foundation of the world, for all mankind, which ever was ever since the fall of Adam, or which is or which ever shall be, even unto the end of the world; and this is the means whereby salvation cometh. And there is none other salvation, save this which hath been spoken of; neither is there any conditions whereby man can be saved, except the conditions which I have told you. Believe in God; believe that he is, and that he created all things, both in Heaven and in Earth ”

“ And now, it came to pass on the morrow, that king Limhi sent a proclamation among all his people, that thereby they might gather themselves together to the temple, to hear the words which he should speak unto them. And it came to pass that when they had gathered themselves together, that he spake unto them in this wise, saying, O ye, my people, lift up your heads and be comforted: for behold, the time is at hand, or is not far distant, when we shall no longer be in subjection to our enemies, notwithstanding our many strugglings, which have been in vain ”

“ As ye have kept my commandments, and also the commandments of my father, and have prospered and have been kept from falling into the hands of your enemies, even so if ye shall keep the commandments of my son, or the commandments of God, which shall be delivered unto you by him, ye shall prosper in the land, and your enemies shall have no power over you. But O my people, beware lest there shall arise contentions among you, and ye list to obey the evil spirit, which was spoken of by my father Mosiah. ”

“ Thus all mankind were lost; and behold, they would have been endlessly lost, were it not that God redeemed his people from their lost and fallen state. But remember, that he that persists in his own carnal nature, and goes on in the ways of sin and rebellion against God, he remaineth in his fallen state, and the devil hath power over him. Therefore he is as though there was no redemption made; being an enemy to God; and also is the devil an enemy to God. ”

“ Therefore, who wondereth that they are in bondage, and that they are smitten with sore afflictions? For behold, the Lord hath said, I will not succor my people in the day of their transgression; but I will hedge up their ways, that they prosper not, and their doing shall be as a stumbling block before them. And again, He saith, If my people shall sow filthiness, they shall reap the chaff thereof, in the whirlwind; and the effects thereof is poison, And again: He saith, If my people shall sow filthiness, they shall reap the east wind, which bringeth immediate destruction. ”

“ Now I declare unto you, that he to whom the kingdom doth rightly belong, hath declined, and will not take upon him the kingdom. And now if there should be another appointed to his stead, behold I fear there would rise contentions among you; and who knoweth but what my son, to whom the kingdom doth belong, should turn to be angry, and draw away a part of this people after him, which would cause wars and contentions among you; which would be the cause of shedding much blood, and perverting the way of the Lord; yea, and destroy the souls of much people. ”

“ Therefore I will be your king
the remainder of my days; nevertheless, let us appoint judges to judge this people according to our law, and we will newly arrange the affairs of this people; for we will appoint wise men to be judges, that will judge this people according to the commandments of God. Now it is better that a man be judged of God than of man, for the judgments of God are always just; therefore, if it were possible that ye could have just men to be your kings, which would establish the laws of God, and judge this people according to his commandments ”

“ Yea, even he commanded them that they should preach nothing save it were repentance and faith on the Lord, who hath redeemed his people. And he commanded them that there should be no contention one with another, but that they should look forward with one eye, having one faith and one baptism; having their hearts knit together in unity and in love, one towards another. ”

“ Thus God executeth vengeance upon those that destroy his people. O God, receive my soul. And now when Abinadi had said these words, he fell, having suffered death by fire; yea, having been put to death because he would not deny the commandments of God: having sealed the truth of his words by his death.
And now it came to pass that Alma, who had fled from the servants of king Noah, repented of his sins and iniquities, and went about privately among the people, and began to teach the words of Abinadi ”

“ And he told them that these things had not ought to be; but that the burdens should come upon all the people, that every man might bear his part. And he also unfolded unto them all the disadvantages they labored under, by having an unrighteous king to rule over them; yea, all his iniquities and abominations, and all the wars, and contentions, and blood-shed, and the stealing, and the plundering, and the committing of whoredoms, and all manner of iniquities, which cannot be enumerated; telling them that these things ought not to be; that they was expressly repugnant to the commandments of God. ”

“ And they all cried aloud with one voice saying, O have mercy, and apply the atoning blood of Christ, that we may receive forgiveness of our sins, and our hearts may be purified: for we believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who created Heaven and earth, and all things, who shall come down among the children of men. ”

“ Now there was a great number of women more than there was of men; therefore king Limhi commanded every man should impart to the support of the widows and their children, that they might not perish with hunger: and this they did, because of the greatness of their number that had been slain. Now the people of Limhi kept together in a body as much as it was possible, and secure their grain, and their flocks; and the king himself did not trust his person without the walls of the city, unless he took his guards with him, fearing that he might by some means fall into the hands of the Lamanites. ”

“ They shall stand as a bright testimony against this people, at the judgment day; whereof, they shall be judged, every man, according to his works, whether they be good, or whether they be evil; and if they be evil, they are consigned to an awful view of their own guilt and abominations, which doth cause them to shrink from the presence of the Lord, into a state of misery and endless torment, from whence they can no more return; therefore, they have drunk damnation to their own souls. ”

“ For behold, he judgeth, and his judgment is just, and the infant perisheth not, that dieth in his infancy; but men drinketh damnation to their own souls, except they humble themselves, and become as little children, and believeth that salvation was, and is, and is to come, in and through the atoning blood of Christ, the Lord Omnipotent: for the natural man is an enemy of God, and has been, from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever ”

“ And it is the faith which we have had on the things which our king hath spoken unto us, and hath brought us to this great knowledge, whereby we do rejoice with such exceeding great joy; and we are willing to enter into a covenant with our God, to do his will, and to be obedient to his commandments in all things, that he shall command us, all the remainder of our days, that we may not bring upon ourselves a never ending torment, as has been spoken by the Angel, that we may not drink out of the cup of the wrath of God.
And now, these are the words which king Benjamin desired of them ”

“ And now, if God, who hath created you, on whom you are dependant for your lives, and for all that ye have and are, doth grant unto you whatsoever ye ask that is right, in faith, believing that ye shall receive, O then, how had ye ought to impart of the substance that ye have, one to another? ”