1 And now I, Nephi, proceed to give an account upon these plates of my proceedings, and my reign and ministry; wherefore, to proceed with mine account, I must speak somewhat of the things of my father, and also of my brethren.
2 For behold, it came to pass after my father had made an end of speaking the words of his dream, and also of exhorting them to all diligence, he spake unto them concerning the Jews—
3 That after they should be destroyed, even that great city Jerusalem, and many be carried away captive into Babylon, according to the own due time of the Lord, they should return again, yea, even be brought back out of captivity; and after they should be brought back out of captivity they should possess again the land of their inheritance.
I have not been backward about searching both ancient and modern prophecy that I might learn something about the events of the last dispensation, and understand the signs of the times in which we live. I have seen prophecy after prophecy fulfilled, not only among the people of the Latter-day Saints, but among the nations of the earth, that were uttered years and years before they came to pass; and there are prophecies contained in the Book of Mormon which remain to be fulfilled, and I am looking with joyful anticipation to the day of their fulfillment. The prophecies are of great interest to the Saints and to the world. As an instance, I will give you the substance of a prophecy contained in the Book of Mormon. About six hundred years before Christ, a Prophet was raised up in Jerusalem, by the name of Lehi, and another one by the name of Nephi; and the Lord commanded them to leave Jerusalem and go to a land he would give to them,
and he brought them forth by his miraculous power upon this American continent. Before they arrived here, however, Nephi had a vision, and saw all the great events from his day down to the
winding-up scene of all things.
Among other things, he saw the Jews would be carried away shortly after the departure of himself and his father's family into Babylon, and he saw they would be afflicted for a length of time, and then be restored to Jerusalem.
After their return, he saw the Messiah would make his appearance, and they would crucify him,
and then they would be dispersed among all nations.
He saw that the Gospel would be preached among all nations and kingdoms, first to the Jews, and then to the Gentiles.
He saw that after the Gospel should be preached by the Twelve Apostles of the Lamb to the Jews and to the Gentiles, there would arise a great and abominable church,
the most corrupt of all churches upon the face of all the earth, and that that great and abominable church should have power given unto them over the Saints of the Lamb to destroy them, &c., and that they should corrupt the Jewish Scriptures which should issue from the mouth of the Twelve Apostles of the Lamb, and take away from them many parts that were plain, and precious, and easy to the understanding of all men; and by reason of this great stumblingblock,
the Scriptures being in such a state, there should be many among the nations of the Gentiles in the latter times that should exceedingly stumble and build up numerous churches after the forms of different doctrines,
and they should deny miracles and the power of God, saying, “They are done away.”
After seeing all these things on the Eastern continent, he saw the promised land to which he and his father's family were about to be led; and he beheld his descendants in their various generations, and he saw wars, &c., among them; he saw that Jesus, after his resurrection, made his appearance bodily among them:
this took place on the promised land, which we call
America. He saw the Israelites on this land become righteous, and he saw three generations pass away in righteousness;
then the more part of them fell into wickedness and were destroyed, and the records kept among them contained the fulness of the Gospel and many prophecies and visions that were great and precious. He saw that a remnant of the nation should dwindle more and more in unbelief, and have wars and contentions among themselves, and become a degraded people, and be scattered upon all the face of this continent.
Then he saw in the latter days the nations and kingdoms of the Gentiles who should discover this land,
and send forth their emigrants and form a great nation of Gentiles upon this continent; and he saw that they should have power to free themselves from every nation under heaven.
Then he saw that by the power of God the records of his people should come forth;
and he saw that a Church of the Saints should arise, and that it should spread itself upon all the face of the earth, among all the nations and kingdoms of the Gentiles; and he saw also that the great and abominable church that was among all the nations of the Gentiles, having dominion among all peoples and tongues, should gather together in multitudes among the nations of the earth and fight against the Lamb of God and against the Saints of the Most High and his covenant people,
and he says—“I beheld the power of the Lamb, that it descended upon the Saints of the Most High that were scattered among all the nations of the Gentiles, and they were armed with righteousness and the power of God in great glory. And then he said, I saw the mother of abominations begin to have wars and rumors of war among all the nations and kingdoms of the Gentiles; and the Lord spake unto him, saying,
Behold, the work of God is upon the mother of harlots, &c.”
This vision continued down to the end of time. But what I wish to call your attention to at this time is one event which has been in a measure literally fulfilled. It is an event that no man, unless he were a Prophet inspired by the Most High God, could have had a heart big enough to prophesy of with the least expectation of its fulfillment; and that is, the Church of the Lamb of God that was to be raised up after the coming forth of these records of the ancient Israelites should be among all nations and kingdoms of the Gentiles.
This was uttered and printed before the Church of Latter-day Saints was in existence. How could a young man, inexperienced as Joseph Smith was, have had all this foreknowledge of future events, unless he was inspired of God? How did he know that any Church believing in the Book of Mormon would arise? He was then in the act of translating these records; the Church had not yet an existence; and he was young, inexperienced, and ignorant as regards the education and wisdom of this world. How did he know that, after his manuscript was published, a church called the Church of the Lamb would arise and be built upon the fulness of the Gospel contained in the book? How did he know that, if it did arise, it would have one year's existence? What wisdom, education, or power could have given him this foreknowledge independent of the power of God? How could he know, if a church should arise, that it would have any influence beyond his own neighborhood? How did he know it would extend through the State of New York, where it was first raised? How could he know that it would extend over the United States, and much more, that it would go to all nations and kingdoms of the Gentiles?
And how did he know that the dominions of this Church among all the nations and kingdoms of the Gentiles should be small,
because of the wickedness of the great “mother of abominations?”
How did he know that the “mother of harlots”
among these Gentiles would gather together in great multitudes among all the nations and kingdoms of the earth to fight against the Saints of the Lamb of God?
Common sense tells us that this would be taking a stretch far beyond what any false prophet dare take, with any hope of fulfillment.
To prophesy that a church would arise and have place in all the nations and kingdoms of the Gentiles, and then to prophesy that the “mother of harlots” would gather together vast multitudes among all these nations and fight against the Saints,
is taking a step far beyond what an impostor would undertake, if he were disposed to successfully impose upon mankind. How far has this been fulfilled? Only in part; so far, however, as to give us no possibility of doubting that the balance will be fulfilled, every jot and tittle. It is true, the Saints of the Lamb of God are not among all the nations and kingdoms of the Gentiles yet; but there are very many of the nations and kingdoms of the Gentiles where this little Church that was organized in 1830 actually has a dominion and place.
If we go anywhere throughout the nation of the Gentiles called the United States, we shall find in almost every State and Territory the Church of the Saints of the Lamb of God, that the world call “Mormons,” “fanatics,” “impostors,” &c. If we go into Canada, we find them there. If we go across the great ocean to the island of Great Britain, we find them there numbering seven or eight hundred churches organized, and some four thousand Elders and Priests ordained to preach the Gospel contained in the
Book of Mormon, as well as in the Bible.
The Saints in that country are scattered throughout England, Wales, Scotland, and Ireland. Tens of thousands of them have shipped for America, and tens of thousands still remain. Then cross the sea into that inhospitable country called Norway, and there we find many churches of the Saints. Then return a little south into Denmark, where thousands more will be found. Then go to the northeast of Denmark into Sweden, and we still find Latter-day Saints. Then go into Germany, and we find them scattered, more or less, throughout that confederation. I do not know that there is any Branch of the Saints in Prussia; neither do I know that they extend through all the German States; but we find them in several. Next, go into Switzerland and Italy, and we find them there. Then go to France, and we find a few there. Then go upon some of the islands of the sea, and a few thousands are found rejoicing in this Church. In Asia and Africa a few will be found. They are not among all the nations and kingdoms of the Gentiles, but they are scattered here and there among them; and their dominions are really small, because of the wickedness of the great and abominable church.
There may be many nations of Asia where the feet of Latter-day Saints have not trod. I do not know that any of the Elders of this Church have gone to Japan. If we go into the South Sea Islands, the Friendly Islands, the Society Islands, and the Sandwich Islands, we find Latter-day Saints on almost all of them.
Go into the various governments and kingdoms of South America, and we find the Latter-day Saints scarce. I don't know but there may be now and then an Elder that has found his way there; but suffice it to say that
the dominions of the Saints in South America are very small. But we must look for the day when this prophecy shall be fulfilled, that the dominions of the Latter-day Saints shall be upon all the face of the earth among all the nations and kingdoms of the Gentiles: and has there not been enough already fulfilled to show that the man that uttered that before the rise of this Church was indeed truly a Prophet of the Most High God?
Personal Reminiscences and Testimony Concerning the Prophet Joseph and the Church, Etc.
A Sermon by Elder Orson Pratt, Delivered in the Tabernacle, Great Salt Lake City, July 10, 1859.
Reported By: G. D. Watt.
4 Yea, even six hundred years from the time that my father left Jerusalem, a prophet would the Lord God raise up among the Jews—even a Messiah, or, in other words, a Savior of the world.
Heavenly Father knew the grave dangers we would face on our journey through life, but He remains resolute in His desire to have each and every one of His children return home. Therefore, He gave us time—time to work out our mistakes, time to overcome our sins, time to prepare for reunion. “There was a space granted unto man in which he might repent; therefore this life became a probationary state; a time to prepare to meet God” (Alma 12:24).
But Heavenly Father knew that even if we exerted every ounce of energy, we could not make it home without divine help. Therefore, He promised, “We will provide a savior for you!” (see 1 Ne. 10:4; 1 Ne. 13:40; Moses 1:6; 2 Ne. 25:23).
In fulfillment of this promise, Jesus Christ came during the meridian of time, the Only Begotten Son of God, the Eternal Father, in the flesh. He walked the paths and byways of mortality so He could “know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities” (Alma 7:12; see also Alma 7:11; Ether 12:27; D&C 20:22; D&C 62:1). There is not one vexation, anxiety, or suffering unfamiliar to Him. Though He is without sin yet knows He each and every one of our griefs that He might be able to help us (see Isa. 53:3–6).
Christ bridged the gulf between the mortal and immortal. The grave no longer holds its captives; justice can be satisfied through mercy; the wondrous Atonement, infinite and eternal in scope, is in place (see Alma 34:8–10, 14–16). Christ is the resurrected Lord, our Savior and Redeemer. Therefore, do not wait any longer (see Alma 13:27; Alma 34:33–35).
Have faith in Christ, trust Him, come unto Him, follow Him (see 3 Ne. 27:13–16; Moro. 10:32–33). Make a mental list of those things you know you ought not to be doing. Stop doing today at least one such thing, and replace it with what you ought to do. Pray to Heavenly Father for forgiveness and for the strength to complete this journey. As you overcome one obstacle and move on to another, I promise that step by step the way will unfold before you until, as the wearied traveler, you are back where you belong.
