The Book of Mormon

Mormon 8:31

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~AD 400–421

1830 Edition

yea, it shall come in a day when there shall be great pollutions upon the face of the earth: there shall be murders, and robbing, and lying, and deceivings, and whoredoms, and all manner of abominations; when there shall be many which will say, Do this, or do that, and it mattereth not, for the Lord will uphold such at the last day. But wo unto such, for they are in the gall of bitterness, and in the bonds of iniquity.

Influences

James 4:15 (KJV)
For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.
Acts 8:23 (KJV)
For I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity.
Acts 8:23 (KJV)
For I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity.

Changes

yYea, it shall come in a day when there shall be great pollutions upon the face of the earth:; there shall be murders, and robbing, and lying, and deceivings, and whoredoms, and all manner of abominations; when there shall be many whicho will say, Do this, or do that, and it mattereth not, for the Lord will uphold such at the last day. But wo unto such, for they are in the gall of bitterness, and in the bonds of iniquity.

Simple English

It will come when there are many bad things on the earth. There will be murders and stealing and lying and cheating and sex sins and all kinds of bad things. Many people will say, 'Do this or do that. It doesn’t matter. The Lord will save people like us in the end.' But those people are in trouble. They are full of bitterness and sin.

Paraphrase

They’ll come when the earth is deeply corrupted—full of murder, robbery, lying, deception, sexual sin, and every kind of evil. When many people say, 'Do whatever you want—it doesn’t matter. The Lord will accept you in the end.' But those people are in terrible danger. They’re trapped in bitterness and bound by their sins.

Notes

8:31

"Curiously, of the five times the words 'gall of bitterness' are used in the Book of Mormon, four of them include the words 'bonds of iniquity.' It should be noted that all of these quotes are set in the same context as the quote from Acts 8:23." -Jerald and Sandra Tanner, Joseph Smith's Plagiarism of the Bible in the Book of Mormon, p. 23.

See also: Mosiah 27:29, Alma 36:18, Alma 41:11, Moroni 8:14.