Mormon 9

A Warning to Unbelievers

Now I want to talk to those who don’t believe in Christ.

When that day comes—when the Lord appears, when the earth rolls up like a scroll and the elements melt in blazing heat—when you’re brought to stand before the Lamb of God, will you still say there’s no God? Will you keep denying Christ then? Will you be able to face the Lamb of God? Do you really think you could live with him, fully aware of your guilt? Could you actually be happy dwelling with that holy Being while your soul is torn apart by the knowledge of how you’ve broken his laws? Here’s the truth: you’d be more miserable living with a holy and just God—conscious of your filthiness before him—than you would be with the damned souls in hell. When you’re brought to see your nakedness before God, and also the glory of God and the holiness of Jesus Christ, it will kindle a flame in you that can never be put out. So you who don’t believe—turn to the Lord! Cry out to the Father in Jesus' name. Maybe you’ll be found spotless, pure, fair, and white, cleansed by the blood of the Lamb, when that great and final day arrives.

The God Who Never Changes

Now I’m speaking to those of you who deny that God still reveals himself—who say revelations are done away with, that there are no more prophecies, no spiritual gifts, no healing, no speaking in tongues or interpreting tongues. Anyone who denies these things doesn’t know the gospel of Christ. They haven’t read the scriptures—or if they have, they don’t understand them.

Don’t the scriptures tell us that God is the same yesterday, today, and forever? That in him there’s no variation, no shadow of change? If you’ve imagined a god who changes, who casts a shadow of variation, then you’ve made up a god who doesn’t work miracles.

But let me show you the God of miracles—the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The same God who created the heavens and the earth and everything in them. He created Adam. Through Adam came the fall. And because of the fall came Jesus Christ—both Father and Son. And because of Jesus Christ came redemption. Because of redemption through Jesus Christ, all people are brought back into the Lord’s presence. This is how everyone is redeemed: Christ’s death makes resurrection possible, which redeems us from an endless sleep. Everyone will be awakened by God’s power when the trumpet sounds. They’ll all come forth—small and great—and stand before his judgment bar, redeemed and freed from death’s eternal grip, this death that is physical death. Then comes the judgment of the Holy One. And then comes the time when whoever is filthy will stay filthy. Whoever is righteous will stay righteous. Whoever is happy will stay happy. And whoever is unhappy will stay unhappy.

Now, all of you who’ve imagined a god who can’t do miracles, let me ask: have all these things I’ve spoken about already happened? Has the end come yet? No. And God hasn’t stopped being a God of miracles. Aren’t the things God has done amazing to us? Who can even grasp the marvelous works of God? Who can say it wasn’t a miracle that by his word the heaven and earth came to be? That by the power of his word, people were created from the dust of the earth? That by the power of his word, miracles have been done? Who can say that Jesus Christ didn’t perform many mighty miracles? And that many mighty miracles were done by the apostles' hands? If there were miracles then, why would God stop being a God of miracles while remaining an unchangeable being? He doesn’t change. If he did, he’d stop being God. But he doesn’t stop being God, and he’s a God of miracles. The reason he stops doing miracles among people is because they drift into unbelief. They wander from the right path and don’t know the God they should trust.

The Promise to All Who Believe

Here’s the truth: whoever believes in Christ without doubting—whatever they ask the Father in Christ’s name will be given to them. And this promise extends to everyone, all the way to the ends of the earth.

Jesus Christ, the Son of God, said this to the disciples who would remain, and also to all his disciples, in front of the crowd: 'Go into all the world and preach the gospel to everyone. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever doesn’t believe will be damned. And these signs will follow believers: In my name they’ll drive out demons. They’ll speak in new languages. They’ll handle serpents. If they drink anything deadly, it won’t harm them. They’ll lay hands on the sick, and the sick will recover. And whoever believes in my name without doubting—I’ll confirm all my words to them, even to the ends of the earth.'

Who can stand against the works of the Lord? Who can deny what he says? Who will rise up against the almighty power of the Lord? Who will despise the works of the Lord? Who will despise Christ’s children? Listen, all you who despise the Lord’s works—you’ll wonder and then perish.

An Invitation to Come to God

So don’t despise these things, and don’t just stand there amazed. Listen closely to the Lord’s words. Ask the Father in Jesus' name for whatever you need. Don’t doubt. Believe. Come to the Lord with your whole heart like people did long ago, and work out your salvation with reverent fear before him. Be wise during this time of testing. Strip away everything unclean. Don’t ask for things just to feed your selfish desires. Ask with unshakable resolve that you won’t give in to temptation, but that you’ll serve the true and living God. Make sure you’re not baptized unworthily. Don’t take Christ’s sacrament unworthily. Do everything worthily, in the name of Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God. If you do this and stay faithful to the end, you won’t be cast out.

Mormon’s Final Words

I’m speaking to you as if I were speaking from the grave, because I know you’ll hear my words. Don’t condemn me because I’m imperfect. Don’t condemn my father for his imperfections, or those who wrote before him. Instead, thank God that he’s shown you our imperfections so you can learn to be wiser than we’ve been.

We’ve written this record using the characters we call reformed Egyptian—a system handed down to us and modified according to our way of speaking. If our plates had been large enough, we would have written in Hebrew. But we’ve also modified Hebrew. If we could have written in Hebrew, you would have found no imperfection in our record. But the Lord knows what we’ve written. No one else knows our language, and because no one else knows it, he’s provided a way for it to be translated.

We’ve written these things so we can clear ourselves of responsibility for our brothers who’ve drifted into unbelief. What we’ve wanted for our brothers—their restoration to knowledge of Christ—matches the prayers of all the faithful people who’ve lived in this land. May the Lord Jesus Christ grant that their prayers be answered according to their faith. May God the Father remember his covenant with the house of Israel. And may he bless them forever, through faith in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.