# 2 Nephi 26

*Paraphrase*

### Christ Will Come to Nephi’s People

After Christ rises from the dead, he will show himself to you—my children, my beloved brothers and sisters. The words he speaks to you will be the law you must follow.

I’ve seen the future: many generations will come and go, and there will be terrible wars and fighting among my people. After the Messiah comes, there will be signs of his birth and of his death and resurrection. That day will be devastating for the wicked—they will be destroyed because they rejected the prophets and the faithful, stoning them and killing them. The blood of these murdered saints will cry out to God from the ground. So everyone who is proud and does evil—the day that comes will burn them up, says the Lord of Hosts. They’ll be like dry straw. Those who kill the prophets and the saints will be swallowed by the depths of the earth, says the Lord of Hosts. Mountains will cover them, whirlwinds will carry them away, and buildings will collapse on them—crushing them to pieces, grinding them to powder. They will face thunder, lightning, earthquakes, and every kind of destruction. The Lord’s anger will burn against them like fire, and they will be like straw—the day that comes will consume them, says the Lord of Hosts.

### Nephi’s Anguish and Hope

The pain—the anguish in my soul for my people who will die! I, Nephi, have seen it, and it nearly destroys me before the presence of the Lord. But I must cry out to my God: Your ways are just.

But the righteous—those who listen closely to the prophets’ words and don’t reject them, who look forward to Christ with steady faith even when they see the signs, despite all persecution—they are the ones who will not be destroyed. The Son of Righteousness will appear to them and heal them. They will have peace with him for three generations, and many of the fourth generation will live in righteousness.

But after these things pass, destruction will come quickly to my people. Despite the pain it causes me, I have seen it—I know it will happen. They will sell themselves for nothing. The reward for their pride and foolishness will be destruction. Because they give in to the devil and choose darkness over light, they must go down to hell. The Spirit of the Lord won’t strive with people forever. When the Spirit stops trying, destruction comes quickly. This breaks my heart.

### A Message for the Last Days

I’ve talked about convincing the Jews that Jesus is the very Christ. The Gentiles must also be convinced that Jesus is the Christ, the Eternal God. He reveals himself to all who believe in him, through the power of the Holy Spirit—to every nation, tribe, language, and people. He works mighty miracles, signs, and wonders among people according to their faith.

But now I’m going to tell you about the last days—about the time when the Lord God will bring these things to the world.

After my descendants and my brothers’ descendants have fallen into unbelief and been struck down by the Gentiles—after the Lord God has besieged them with armies, built siege ramps against them, and raised forts around them—after they’ve been brought down so low in the dust that they seem to be nothing—even then, the words of the righteous will be written down, and the prayers of the faithful will be heard. All those who have fallen into unbelief will not be forgotten. Those who are destroyed will speak from the ground. Their speech will be quiet, rising from the dust. Their voice will be like a whisper from the dead. The Lord God will give power so that they may whisper from the ground—their speech whispering out of the dust. This is what the Lord God says: They will write down what happens among them, and it will be written and sealed in a book. Those who have fallen into unbelief won’t have it—because they’re trying to destroy the things of God. So just as those who were destroyed met destruction quickly, the great army of their enemies will be like chaff blown away. This is what the Lord God says: It will happen in an instant, suddenly. Those who have fallen into unbelief will be struck down by the Gentiles.

### Pride and Priestcraft Among the Gentiles

The Gentiles are full of pride. They’ve stumbled because of what blocks their way—they’ve built many churches. Yet they deny God’s power and his miracles. They preach their own wisdom and their own learning so they can make money and exploit the poor.

Many churches have been built that cause jealousy, fighting, and hatred. There are also secret conspiracies, just like in ancient times—according to the devil’s pattern. He’s the founder of all these things. He’s the founder of murder and dark deeds. He leads them by the neck with a thin cord until he binds them with his strong ropes forever.

### God’s Invitation to All

My beloved brothers and sisters, I’m telling you: the Lord God doesn’t work in darkness.

He does nothing except for the good of the world. He loves the world so much that he gave his own life to draw all people to him. So he commands no one to stay away from his salvation. Does he cry out to anyone, “Get away from me”? No! He says, “Come to me, all you from every corner of the earth. Buy milk and honey without money and without price.” Has he commanded anyone to leave their houses of worship? No. Has he commanded anyone not to receive his salvation? No. He’s given it freely to all people, and he’s commanded his people to persuade everyone to repent. Has the Lord commanded anyone not to receive his goodness? No. All people have equal privilege, and none are forbidden.

He commands that there be no priestcraft. Priestcraft is when people preach and set themselves up as a light to the world so they can make money and win praise—but they don’t care about the welfare of Zion. The Lord has forbidden this. So the Lord God has commanded that all people should have charity—which is love. Without charity, they would be nothing. If they had charity, they wouldn’t let workers in Zion go hungry. Workers in Zion should work for Zion. If they work for money, they will be destroyed.

Again, the Lord God has commanded that people should not murder, should not lie, should not steal, should not misuse the Lord’s name, should not be jealous, should not be malicious, should not fight with each other, should not commit adultery. They should not do any of these things—because whoever does them will be destroyed. None of these evils come from the Lord. He does what is good among people. He does nothing unless it’s clear to people. He invites everyone to come to him and receive his goodness. He turns no one away—Black and white, enslaved and free, male and female. He remembers people of all nations. Everyone is equal before God—Jew and Gentile alike.

---

*Source: [The Book of Mormon](https://bookofmormon.com/paraphrase/2-nephi/26)*
