CHAPTER 3
CHAPTER 3
Jared's brother makes 16 stones out of molten rock and then asks the Lord to touch them with his finger--The Lord
touches the stones with his finger--Jared's brother sees the finger of the Lord--The Lord shows the rest of himself to
Jared's brother--The Lord identifies himself as Jesus Christ, the Father and the Son--Jesus tells the Jared's brother
to write things in a language that cannot be read--Jesus gives him two magic stones that will allow someone to
read what he wrote--Jesus tells Jared's brother to seal up what he wrote along with the two stones.
(ca. 2200 BCE)
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Jared's brother sees Jesus's finger
3:1-28
1 And it came to pass that
the brother of Jared, (now the number of the vessels which had been prepared was
eight) went forth unto the mount, which they called the mount Shelem, because of its
exceeding height, and did molten out of rock sixteen small stones; and they were white and clear,
even as transparent glass; and he did carry them in his hands upon
the top of the mount, and cried again unto the Lord, saying:
2 O Lord, thou hast said that we must be encompassed about by the floods. Now behold, O Lord, and do not be
angry with thy servant because of his weakness before thee; for we know that thou art holy and dwellest in the heavens, and
that we are unworthy before thee; because of the fall our natures have become evil continually; nevertheless, O Lord, thou
hast given us a commandment that we must call upon thee, that from thee we may receive according to our
desires.
3 Behold, O Lord, thou hast smitten us because of our iniquity, and hast driven us forth, and for these many
years we have been in the wilderness; nevertheless, thou hast been merciful unto us. O Lord, look upon me in pity, and turn
away thine anger from this thy people, and suffer not that they shall go forth across this raging deep in darkness; but behold
these things which I have molten out of the rock.
Jared's brother made sixteen small stones (two for each of the eight barges), as clear as glass, out of molten rock.
Then he went to the top of the mountain and cried to the Lord, saying:
4 And I know, O Lord, that thou hast all power, and can do whatsoever thou wilt for the benefit of man;
therefore touch these stones, O Lord, with thy finger, and prepare them that they may shine forth in darkness; and they
shall shine forth unto us in the vessels which we have prepared, that we may have light while we shall cross the sea.
5 Behold, O Lord, thou canst do this. We know that thou art able to show forth great power, which looks small
unto the understanding of men.
Touch these stones, Lord, with your finger to make them into lights to light up the inside of the barges.
6 And it came to pass that when the brother of Jared had said these words,
behold, the Lord stretched forth
his hand and touched the stones one by one with his finger. And the veil was
taken from off the eyes of the brother of
Jared, and he saw the finger of the Lord; and it was as the finger of a man, like unto flesh and blood; and the brother
of Jared fell down before the Lord, for he was struck with fear.
The Lord did as Jared's brother requested.
And Jared brother saw the finger of the Lord.
And he fell down in fear.
7 And the Lord saw that the brother of Jared had fallen to the earth; and the Lord said unto him: Arise,
why hast thou fallen?
8 And he saith unto the Lord: I saw the finger of the Lord,
and I feared lest he should smite me; for I
knew not that the Lord had flesh and blood.
9 And the Lord said unto him: Because of thy faith thou hast seen that I shall take upon me flesh and
blood; and never has man come before me with such exceeding faith as thou hast;
for were it not so ye could not have
seen my finger. Sawest thou more than this?
Then the Lord said to Jared's brother,
Get up. What are you afraid of?
Jared's brother said,
I was afraid you'd smite him for looking at your finger.
The Lord said,
I let I you see my finger because you had so much faith, more than anyone I've ever seen before.
You didn't see anything else, did you?
10 And he answered: Nay; Lord, show thyself unto me.
11 And the Lord said unto him: Believest thou the words which I shall speak?
12 And he answered: Yea, Lord, I know that thou speakest the truth, for thou art a God of truth, and
canst not lie.
Jared's brother said,
No Lord, but I want to see more.
Show yourself to me.
13 And when he had said these words, behold, the Lord
showed himself unto him, and said: Because
thou knowest these things ye are redeemed from the fall; therefore ye are brought back into my presence; therefore I
show myself unto you.
So the Lord showed himself to Jared's brother, and said,
14 Behold, I am he who was prepared from the foundation
of the world to redeem my people. Behold, I am
Jesus Christ. I am the Father and the Son. In me shall all mankind have life, and that eternally, even they who shall
believe on my name; and they shall become my sons and my daughters.
I'm Jesus Christ.
I'm the Father and the Son.
15 And never have I showed myself unto man whom I have created, for never has man believed
in me as thou hast. Seest thou that ye are created after
mine own image? Yea, even all men were created in the beginning after mine own image.
I've never shown myself to anyone else, because no one ever believed in me as much as you do.
16Behold, this body, which ye now behold, is the body of my spirit; and man have I created after the body
of my spirit; and even as I appear unto thee to be in the spirit will I appear unto my people in the flesh.
17 And now, as I, Moroni, said I could not make a full account of these things which are written therefore
it sufficeth me to say that Jesus showed himself unto this man in the spirit, even after the manner and in the likeness
of the same body even as he showed himself unto the Nephites.
18 And he ministered unto him even as he ministered unto the Nephites; and all this, that this man might
know that he was God, because of the many great works which the Lord had showed unto him.
But this is just my spirit body.
Later I'll appear in the flesh.
19 And because of the knowledge of this man he could not be kept from beholding within the veil; and
he saw the finger of Jesus, which, when he saw, he fell with fear; for he knew that it was the finger of the Lord;
and he had faith no longer, for he knew, nothing doubting.
20 Wherefore, having this perfect knowledge of God, he could not be kept from within the veil; therefore
he saw Jesus; and he did minister unto him.
After Jared's brother saw the finger of Jesus, he lost his faith, since he now knew and no longer doubted.
(Those who have faith also have doubt.)
21 And it came to pass that the Lord said unto the brother of Jared: Behold, thou shalt not suffer these
things which ye have seen and heard to go forth unto the world, until the time cometh that I shall glorify my name in the
flesh; wherefore, ye shall treasure up the things which ye have seen and heard, and show it to no man.
Jesus said to him,
Don't tell anyone what you've seen and heard.
22 And behold, when ye shall come unto me, ye shall write them
and shall seal them up, that no one can interpret them; for ye shall write them in a language that they
cannot be read.
When you write these things, write them in a language that no one can read or understand.
23 And behold, these two stones will I give unto thee, and ye shall seal them up also with the things which
ye shall write.
I'll give you two magic stones
24 For behold, the language which ye shall write I have confounded; wherefore I will cause in my own due
time that these stones shall magnify to the eyes of men these things which ye shall write.
that will magnify the eyes of men so that they can read whatever you write.
25 And when the Lord had said these words, he showed unto the brother of Jared all the inhabitants of the
earth which had been, and also all that would be; and he withheld them not from his sight, even unto the ends of the
earth.
26 For he had said unto him in times before, that if he would believe in him that he could show unto him
all things -- it should be shown unto him; therefore the Lord could not withhold anything from him, for he knew that the
Lord could show him all things.
Then Jesus showed Jared's brother every human that has lived or ever will live.
27 And the Lord said unto him: Write these things and seal them up; and I will show them in mine own due time
unto the children of men.
28 And it came to pass that the Lord commanded him that
he should seal up the two stones which he had received, and show them not, until the Lord should show them unto
the children of men.
Jesus said to him,
Write these things down and seal them up with the two magic stones.
Don't show it to anyone.
I'll show it to everyone later.
