Now it came to pass that Alma began to deliver the word of God unto the people, first in the land of Zarahemla, and from thencre throughout all the land.
And tThese are the words which he spaoke to the people in the Cchurch which was established in the city of Zarahemla, according to his own record, saying:
I, Alma, having been consecrated by my father, Alma, to be a Hhigh Ppriest over the Cchurch of God, he having power and authority from God to do these things, behold, I say unto you, that he began to establish a Cchurch in the land which was in the borders of Nephi; yea, the land which was called the land of Mormon; yea, and he did baptized his brethren in the waters of Mormon.
And behold, I say unto you, they were delivered out of the hands of the people of king Noah, by the mercy and power of God.
And behold, after that, they were brought into bondage by the hands of the Lamanites, in the wilderness; yea, I say unto you, they were in captivity, and again the Lord did delivered them out of bondage by the power of his word; and we were brought into this land, and here we began to establish the Cchurch of God throughout this land, also well.
And now behold, I say unto you, mMy brethren, you that belong to this Cchurch, have you sufficiently retained in remembrance the captivity of your fathers? Yea, and hHave you sufficiently retained in remembrance his mercy and long-suffering towards them? And mMoreover, have yeou sufficiently retained in remembrance that he haths delivered their souls from hell?
Behold, hHe changed their hearts; yea, he awakened them out of a deep sleep, and they awoke unto God. Behold, tThey were in the midst of darkness; nevertheless, their souls were illuminated by the light of the everlasting word; yea, they were encircled about by the bands of death, and the chains of hell, and an everlasting destruction did awaited them.
And now I ask of you, my brethren, were they destroyed? Behold, I say unto you, nayo, they were not.
And again I ask, wasere the bands of death broken, and the chains of hell which encircled them about, were they loosed? I say unto you, yea, they were loosed, and their souls did expanded, and they did siang of redeeming love. And I say unto you, that they are saved.
And now I ask of you on what conditions are they saved? Yea, wWhat grounds had they to hope for salvation? What is the cause of their being loosed from the bands of death? Yea, and also, the chains of hell?
Behold, I can tell you: —did not my father Alma believe in the words which wasere delivered by the mouth of Abinadi? And wWas he not a holy prophet? Did he not speak the words of God, and my father Alma believe them?
And according to his faith there was a mighty change wrought in his heart. Behold I say unto you, that this is all true.—
And behold, hHe preached the word unto your fathers, and a mighty change was also wrought in their hearts;, and they humbled themselves, and put their trust in the true and living God. And behold, tThey were faithful until the end; therefore they were saved.
And now behold, I ask of you, my brethren of the Cchurch, have yeou spiritually been born of God? Have yeou received his image in your countenances? Have yeou experienced this mighty change in your hearts?
Do yeou exercise faith in the redemption of him who created you? Do you look forward with an eye of faith, and view this mortal body raised in immortality, and this corruption raised in incorruption, to stand before God, to be judged according to the deeds which hathve been done in the mortal body?
I say unto you, can you imagine to yourselves that yeou hear the voice of the Lord, saying unto you, in that day,: Come unto me yeou blessed, for behold, your works have been the works of righteousness upon the face of the earth?
Or do yeou imagine to yourselves that yeou can lie unto the Lord in that day, and say, —Lord, Oour works have been righteous works upon the face of the earth, —and that he will save you?
Or otherwise, can yeou imagine yourselves brought before the tribunal of God, with your souls filled with guilt and remorse;, having a remembrance of all your guilt; yea, a perfect remembrance of all your wickedness; yea, a remembrance that yeou have set at defiance the commandments of God?
I say unto you, can yeou look up to God at that day with a pure heart and clean hands? I say unto you, can you look up, having the image of God engravend upon your countenances?
I say unto you, can yeou think of being saved when you have yielded yourselves to become subjects to the Ddevil?
I say unto you, yeou will know at that day, that yeou cannot be saved:; for there can no man can be saved except his garments are washed white; yea, his garments must be purified until they are cleansed from all stain, through the blood of him of whom it haths been spoken by our fathers, whicho should come to redeem his people from their sins.
And now I ask of you, my brethren, how will any of you feel, if yeou shall stand before the bar of God, having your garments stained with blood, and all manner of filthiness? Behold, wWhat will these things testify against you?
Behold, wWill they not testify that yeou are murderers, yea, and also that yeou are guilty of all manner of wickedness?
Behold, mMy brethren, do yeou suppose that such an one can have a place to sit down in the Kkingdom of God, with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob, and also all the holy prophets, whose garments are cleansed, and are spotless, pure and white?
I say unto you, nay,o; except yeou make our cCreator a liar from the beginning, or suppose that he is a liar from the beginning; or also, yeou cannot suppose that such an one can have place in the kingdom of heaven,; but they shall be cast out, for they are the children of the kingdom of the Ddevil.
And now behold, I say unto you, mMy brethren, if yeou have experienced a change of heart, and if yeou have felt to sing the song of redeeming love, I would ask, can yeou feel so now?
Have yeou walked, keeping yourselves blameless before God? Could yeou say, if yeou were called to die at this time, within yourselves, that yeou have been sufficiently humble? That your garments have been cleansed and made white, through the blood of Christ, whicho will come to redeem his people from their sins?
Behold, aAre yeou stripped of pride? I say unto you, if yeou are not, yeou are not prepared to meet God. BehYold, yeu must prepare quickly,; for the kingdom of Hheaven is soon at hand, and such an one haths not eternal life.
Behold, I say, is there one among you who is not stripped of envy? I say unto you, that such an one is not prepared,; and I would that he should prepare quickly, for the hour is close at hand, and he knoweths not when the time shall come:; for such an one is not found guiltless.
And again I say unto you, is there one among you that doth makes a mock of his brother, or that heapeths upon him persecutions?
Woe unto such an one, for he is not prepared, and the time is at hand that he must repent, or he cannot be saved;!
yea, even wWoe unto all yeou workers of iniquity; repent, repent, for the Lord God haths spoken it.!
Behold, hHe sendeths an invitation unto all men;, for the arms of mercy isare extended towards them, and he saith,ys: Repent, and I will receive you;.
yea, hHe saith,ys: Come unto me and yeou shall partake of the fruit of the tree of life; yea, yeou shall eat and drink of the bread and the waters of life freely;
yea, cCome unto me and bring forth works of righteousness, and yeou shall not be hewn down and cast into the fire:—
fFor behold, the time is at hand that whosoever bringeths forth not good fruit, or whosoever doeths not the works of righteousness, the same hathve cause to wail and mourn.
O yeou workers of iniquity; yeou that are puffed up in the vain things of the world;, yeou that have professed to have known the ways of righteousness; nevertheless ye have gone astray, as sheep having no shepherd, notwithstanding a shepherd haths called after you, and artis still calling after you, but yeou will not hearken unto his voice.!
Behold, I say unto you, that the good shepherd doth calls you; yea, and in his own name he doth calls you, which is the name of Christ; and if yeou will not hearken unto the voice of the good shepherd, to the name by which yeou are called, behold, yeou are not the sheep of the good shepherd.
And now iIf yeou are not the sheep of the good shepherd, of what fold are ye? Behold,u? I say unto you, that the Ddevil is your shepherd, and yeou are of his fold; and now who can deny this? Behold, I say unto you, whosoever denieths this, is a liar and a child of the Ddevil;.
fFor I say unto you, that whatsoever is good, comeths from God, and whatsoever is evil, comeths from the Ddevil;.
tTherefore, if a man bringeths forth good works, he hearkeneths unto the voice of the good shepherd, and he doth follows him; but whosoever bringeths forth evil works, the same becomeths a child of the Ddevil:, for he hearkeneths unto his voice, and doth follows him.
And wWhosoever doeths this must receive his wages of him; therefore, for his wages he receiveths death, as to things pertaining unto righteousness, being dead unto all good works.—
And now mMy brethren, I would that yeou should hear me, for I speak in the energy of my soul; for behold, I have spoken unto you plain,ly that yeou cannot err, or have spoken according to the commandments of God.
For I am called to speak after this manner, according to the holy order of God, which is in Christ Jesus; yea, I am commanded to stand and testify unto this people the things which have been spoken by our fathers, concerning the things which isare to come.
And tThis is not all. Do yeou not suppose that I know not of these things myself? Behold, I testify unto you, that I do know that these things whereof I have spoken, are true. And hHow do yeou suppose that I know of their surety?
Behold, I say unto you, they are made known unto me by the hHoly sSpirit of God. Behold, I have fasted and prayed many days, that I might know these things of myself. And now I do know of myself that they are true; for the Lord God haths made them manifest unto me by his hHoly sSpirit; and this is the spirit of revelation which is in me.
And mMoreover, I say unto you, that as it has thus been revealed unto me, that the words which have been spoken by our fathers, are true, even so according to the spirit of prophecy, which is in me, which is also by the manifestation of the sSpirit of God,.
I say unto you, that I know of myself that whatsoever I shall say unto you, concerning that which is to come, is true; and I say unto you, that I know that Jesus Christ shall come; yea, the Son of, the oOnly bBegotten of the Father, full of grace, and mercy, and truth. And behold, iIt is he that comeths to take away the sins of the world; yea, the sins of every man whicho steadfastly believeths on his name.
And now I say unto you, that this is the order after which I am called; yea, to preach unto my beloved brethren; yea, and every one that dwelleths in the land; yea, to preach unto all, both old and young, both bond and free; yea, I say unto you, the aged, and also the middle aged, and the rising generation; yea, to cry unto them that they must repent and be born again;.
yea, tThus saithys the sSpirit,: Repent, all yeou ends of the earth, for the Kkingdom of Hheaven is soon at hand; yea, the Son of God comeths in his glory, in his might, majesty, power, and dominion. Yea, mMy beloved brethren, I say unto you, that the sSpirit saith, Beholdys: tThe glory of the King of all the earth; and also the King of Hheaven shall very soon shine forth among all the children of men;.
and aAlso the sSpirit saithys unto me, yea, crieths unto me with a mighty voice, saying,: Go forth and say unto this people, r—Repent, for except yeou repent yeou can in no wise inherit the Kkingdom of Hheaven.
And again I say unto you, the sSpirit saith, Behold,ys: tThe axe is laid at the root of the tree; therefore every tree that bringeths not forth good fruit, shall be hewn down and cast into the fire; yea, a fire which cannot be consumed;, even an unquenchable fire. Behold, and rRemember, the hHoly oOne haths spoken it.
And now mMy beloved brethren, I say unto you, can yeou withstand these sayings; yea, can yeou lay aside these things, and trample the hHoly oOne under your feet; yea, can yeou be puffed up in the pride of your hearts; yea, will yeou still persist in the wearing of costly apparel, and setting your hearts upon the vain things of the world, upon your riches;?
yea, wWill yeou persist in supposing that yeou are better one than another; yea, will yeou persist in the persecutions of your brethren, who humble themselves, and do walk after the holy order of God, wherewith they have been brought into this Cchurch, having been sanctified by the hHoly sSpirit;, and they do bring forth works which isare meet for repentance;—
yea, and wWill you persist in turning your backs upon the poor, and the needy, and in withholding your substance from them?
And fFinally, all yeou that will persist in your wickedness, I say unto you, that these are they whicho shall be hewn down and cast into the fire, except they speedily repent.
And now I say unto you, all you that are desirous to follow the voice of the good shepherd, come ye out from the wicked, and be ye separate, and touch not their unclean things; and behold, their names shall be blotted out, that the names of the wicked shall not be numbered among the names of the righteous, that the word of God may be fulfilled, which saith,ys: The names of the wicked shall not be mingled with the names of my people.;
For the names of the righteous shall be written in the Bbook of Llife;, and unto them will I grant an inheritance at my right hand. And now mMy brethren, what have yeou to say against this? I say unto you, if yeou speak against it, it matters not, for the word of God must be fulfilled.
For what shepherd is there among you having many sheep, dothes not watch over them, that the wolves enter not and devour his flock? And behold, iIf a wolf enter his flock, dothes he not drive him out? Yea, aAnd at the last, if he can, he will destroy him.
And now I say unto you, that the good shepherd doth calls after you; and if you will hearken unto his voice, he will bring you into his fold, and yeou are his sheep; and he commandeths you that yeou suffer no ravenous wolf to enter among you, that yeou may not be destroyed.
And now I, Alma, do command you in the language of him who haths commanded me, that yeou observe to do the words which I have spoken unto you.
I speak by way of command unto you that belong to the church; and unto those whicho do not belong to the church, I speak by way of invitation, saying,: Come and be baptized unto repentance, that yeou also may be partakers of the fruit of the tree of life.