Episode 12: The sign of Sherem

Jacob 6-7

Finally, I bid you farewell! (Until the next chapter)

6 ¹ I told you I’d prophesy, and this is my prophecy: that the things Zenos said about Israel, which he likened to an olive tree, will come true. ^8-10 If you reject these words you’ll go into the lake of fire and brimstone, which is endless torment. ¹³ Finally, I bid you farewell until I see your again by the pleasing bar of God, the bar that strikes the wicked with awful dread and fear. Amen.

The sign of Sherem

7 ¹ There once was a man whose name was Sherem. He said that there’d be no Christ. ⁴ He was learned, had perfect knowledge, and was a good speaker, according to the power of the devil. ⁵ He tried to shake my faith, but I’d seen angels and had heard God’s voice, so I couldn’t be shaken.

⁶ This is what he said to me: ⁷ “Brother Jacob, it’s blasphemy for you to say that someone will come many hundred years from now, when you know that no one could know that such a thing is true.”

⁹ I said to him, “Do you deny that Christ will come?”

“If he came, I wouldn’t deny it,” he said. “But there is no Christ. There never was and there never will be.”

¹⁰ So I said, “Do you believe the scriptures?

He said, “Yes.”

¹¹ “Then you don’t understand them,” I said, “because they and all the prophets testify of him. ¹² Plus, it’s been shown to me by the power of the Holy Ghost. So I know it’s true.”

¹³ “Okay,” he said, “then show me a sign by the power of the Holy Ghost.”

¹⁴ I said, “No, I won’t tempt God by asking for a sign. You don’t believe because you are of the devil. But maybe if God killed you, that would be a sign for you.”

¹⁵ After I spoke these words, he fell down. ¹⁶ Then he said to the people, “I’m going to die tomorrow. I’d like to speak to before I do.”

¹⁷ So the next day the people gathered, and he spoke plainly to them, denying the things he had taught, confessing Christ and the power of the Holy Ghost. ¹⁸ He said he was deceived by the devil. ¹⁹ Then he said, “I fear that I have committed the unpardonable sin, for I have lied to God and denied Christ.” ²⁰ After saying these things, he died.

²² Now this pleased me, because I had asked God to kill him.

²³ After that, there was peace, and all the people loved God. They searched the scriptures and rejected the words of this wicked man.

²⁴ We encouraged the Lamanites to accept the truth, but they hated us and delighted in wars and bloodshed. ²⁵ So we fortified ourselves against them.

^26-27 I was getting old and was ready to die. So I gave my plates to my son, Enos.

I’m finished with these plates now. Adieu.