Ether 3
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 a 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.
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.
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.
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?
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.
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.
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.
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.
16 Behold, 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
