CHAPTER 8
CHAPTER 8
Some judges, who belong to Gadianton's secret band, try to get the people to arrest Nephi--Nephi gives another speech--Nephi says that a judge has just
been murdered by his brother. (23-20 BCE)
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Nephi gives another speech
1 And now it came to pass that when Nephi had said these words, behold,
there were men who were judges, who also belonged to the secret band of Gadianton, and they
were angry, and
they cried out against him, saying unto the people: Why do ye not seize upon this man and bring him forth, that
he may be condemned according to the crime which he has done?
2 Why seest thou this man, and hearest him revile against this people and against our law?
3 For behold, Nephi had spoken unto them concerning the corruptness of their law; yea, many
things did Nephi speak which cannot be written; and nothing did he speak which was contrary to the commandments
of God.
4 And those judges were angry with him because he spake plainly unto them concerning their
secret works of darkness; nevertheless, they durst not lay their own hands upon him, for they feared the
people lest they should cry out against them.
5 Therefore they did cry unto the people, saying: Why do you suffer this man to revile against
us? For behold he doth condemn all this people, even unto destruction; yea, and also that these our great
cities shall be taken from us, that we shall have no place in them.
6 And now we know that this is impossible, for behold, we are powerful, and our cities great,
therefore our enemies can have no power over us.
After Nephi's speech to the people of Zarahelma, some of the judges who belonged to Gadianton's secret band
tried to stir up anger against him.
7 And it came to pass that thus
they did stir up the people to anger
against Nephi, and raised contentions among them; for there were some who did cry out: Let this man alone,
for he is a good man, and those things which he saith will surely come to pass except we repent;
8 Yea, behold, all the judgments will come upon us which he has testified unto us; for we know
that he has testified aright unto us concerning our iniquities. And behold they are many, and he knoweth as
well all things which shall befall us as he knoweth of our iniquities;
9 Yea, and behold, if he had not been a prophet he could not have testified concerning those
things.
But some of the people came to Nephi's defense.
10 And it came to pass that those people who sought to destroy Nephi
were compelled because of their fear, that they did not lay their hands on him; therefore
he began again to
speak unto them, seeing that he had gained favor in the eyes of some, insomuch that the remainder of them
did fear.
11 Therefore he was constrained to speak more unto them saying: Behold, my brethren, have
ye not read that God gave power unto one man, even Moses, to smite upon the waters of the Red Sea, and
they parted hither and thither, insomuch that the Israelites, who were our fathers, came through upon
dry ground, and the waters closed upon the armies of the Egyptians and swallowed them up?
12 And now behold, if God gave unto this man such power, then why should ye dispute among
yourselves, and say that he hath given unto me no power whereby I may know concerning the judgments that
shall come upon you except ye repent?
So Nephi made another speech.
13 But, behold, ye not only deny my words, but ye also deny all the words which have been
spoken by our fathers, and also the words which were spoken by this man, Moses, who had such great power
given unto him, yea, the words which he hath spoken concerning the coming of the Messiah.
Here's what he said:
If you deny my words, you also deny the words of Moses.
14 Yea, did he not bear record that the Son of God should come? And
as he lifted up the brazen serpent in the wilderness, even so shall he be lifted up who should come.
Moses said the Son of God would come. [1]
15 And as many as should look upon that serpent should live, even so as many as should look upon
the Son of God with faith, having a contrite spirit, might live, even unto that life which is eternal.
And he made a brass serpent, so that whoever looked at the brass serpent wouldn't die after being bitten by the snakes that
God made to kill them. [1]
16 And now behold, Moses did not only testify of these things, but also all the holy prophets,
from his days even to the days of Abraham.
17 Yea, and behold, Abraham saw of his coming, and was filled with gladness and did
rejoice.
Abraham and the prophets also knew that the Son of God would come.
18 Yea, and behold I say unto you, that Abraham not only knew of these things, but there
were many before the days of Abraham who were called by the order of God; yea, even after the order of
his Son; and this that it should be shown unto the people, a great many thousand years before his coming,
that even redemption should come unto them.
Many people knew he was coming many thousands of years before he came.
19 And now I would that ye should know, that even since the days of Abraham there have been
many prophets that have testified these things; yea, behold, the prophet Zenos did testify boldly; for the
which he was slain.
Zenos said he was coming, and was killed for saying so. [3]
20 And behold, also Zenock, and also Ezias, and also Isaiah, and Jeremiah, (Jeremiah being
that same prophet who testified of the destruction of Jerusalem) and now we know that Jerusalem was
destroyed according to the words of Jeremiah. O then why not the Son of God come, according to his
prophecy?
Zenock, Ezias [4], Isaiah, and Jeremiah also knew.
21 And now will you dispute that Jerusalem was destroyed? Will ye say that the sons of
Zedekiah were not slain, all except it were Mulek? Yea, and do ye not behold that the seed of Zedekiah
are with us, and they were driven out of the land of Jerusalem? But behold, this is not all --
Will you deny that all of Zedekiah's sons were kiled, except for Mulek? [5]
So the seed of Zedekiah is now with us.
22 Our father Lehi was driven out of Jerusalem because
he testified of these things. Nephi also testified of these things, and also almost all of our fathers,
even down to this time; yea, they have testified of the coming of Christ, and have looked forward, and
have rejoiced in his day which is to come.
23 And behold, he is God, and he is with them, and he did manifest himself unto them, that
they were redeemed by him; and they gave unto him glory, because of that which is to come.
Lehi and Nephi said Christ was coming.
Lehi was driven out of Jerusalem for saying so. [6]
24 And now, seeing ye know these things and cannot deny them except ye shall lie, therefore
in this ye have sinned, for ye have rejected all these things, notwithstanding so many evidences which ye
have received; yea, even ye have received all things, both things in heaven, and all things which are in
the earth, as a witness that they are true.
All these things are true and yet you deny them.
25 But behold, ye have rejected the truth, and rebelled against your holy God; and even at
this time, instead of laying up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where nothing doth corrupt, and where
nothing can come which is unclean, ye are heaping up for yourselves wrath against the day of judgment.
You have rejected the truth and rebelled against God.
26 Yea, even at this time ye are ripening, because of your murders and your fornication and
wickedness, for everlasting destruction; yea, and except ye repent it will come unto you soon.
You're all a bunch of murderers and wicked fornicators.
God will destroy you unless you repent.
27 Yea, behold it is now even at your doors; yea, go ye in unto the judgment-seat, and
search; and behold, your judge is murdered, and he lieth in his blood; and he hath been murdered by his
brother, who seeketh to sit in the judgment-seat.
A judge is being murdered right at this moment while he sits on the judgment seat.
He's lying in his own blood, killed by his own brother.
28 And behold, they both belong to your secret band, whose author
is Gadianton and the evil
one who seeketh to destroy the souls of men.
Both of them belong to your secret band that was started by Gadianton and the devil himself.
Favorite Phrases:
And it came to pass: 8:1, 7, 10
Behold: 8:1, 3, 4, 5, 8(2),
9, 11, 12, 13, 16, 18,
19, 20, 21(2), 23, 25,
27(2), 28
Yea: 8:3, 5, 8, 9, 13,
14, 17, 18(2), 19, 21, 22,
24, 26(2), 27(2)
(8:14) And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man
be lifted up -- John 3:14
(8:25) But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt
-- Matthew 6:20
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The Annotated Book of Mormon
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Helaman
