- 23Write what you’ve seen and heard, but don’t write those things that are forbidden. 24Write the things the people do in the future, just as what’s happened has been written. 25Because this people will be judged from the books that have been written and will be written, everyone will learn about their works through them. 26The Father keeps a record of everything. Therefore the world will be judged from the books that will be written. 27And you should understand you’ll be judges of this people, following the judgment I’ll provide to you, which will be just and true. Therefore what type of men should you be? Truly I say to you: Precisely as I Am. 28Now I will go to the Father. Truthfully I tell you: Anything you ask the Father in My name will be given to you. 29Therefore ask and you will receive; knock and it will be opened to you. Because those who ask receive; and those who knock, it will be opened to them. 30Now My joy is great, to the point of being completely filled with joy, because of you and this generation. Now even the Father rejoices, and the holy angels also, because of you and this generation, because none of them are lost. 31I want to clarify that I mean those of this generation who are currently alive. None of them are lost, and I have a fullness of joy in them. 32But I feel sadness for the fourth generation from you, because they will be led away captive by the accuser, just as the son of perdition was. They will sell Me for silver and gold and for things that moths destroy and thieves can break in and steal. And I’ll punish them at that time and let the violent experience violence.
- 33When Jesus had finished saying this, He advised His disciples: Enter through the narrow gate. Because the gate is narrow and the pathway tight leading to life, and very few find it. But the gate is wide and the way is easy leading to death, and a great number follow it until the night comes when no one can work.
- 28After Jesus said this, He spoke to His disciples one by one, asking them: What is it that you would ask from Me after I’ve gone to the Father? 2They all answered, except for three, saying: We would ask that once the ministry you’ve called us to comes to an end, and we’ve lived to a suitable age, that we can speedily go to join You in Your kingdom. 3He said to them: You’re blessed for asking this of Me. Therefore after you’re 72 years old, you’ll join Me in My kingdom, to rest there with Me. 4When He had spoken to them, He turned around to the three and asked them: What would you like Me to do for you when I’ve gone to the Father? 5They were afraid and unwilling to ask Him what it was they wanted. 6And He said to them: I know your thoughts. You want the same thing John My beloved — who was with Me in My ministry before I was lifted up by the Jews — asked from Me. 7Therefore you’re more blessed. You’ll never experience death, but you’ll live to observe everything the Father does for mankind, until all things are fulfilled according to the Father’s will, and I return in My glory with the Powers of heaven. 8You’ll never experience the pains of death. But when I come in My glory, you’ll be changed in the blink of an eye from mortality to immortality. Then you’ll be blessed in My Father’s kingdom. 9In addition, you won’t feel pain while you remain on earth as mortals, nor any sadness other than for the sins of the world. I’ll do all this because of what you’ve asked of Me since you’ve asked to bring souls to Me while the world lasts. 10You’ll have a full measure of joy because of this, and you’ll arrive in My Father’s kingdom. Your joy will be full, just like the Father has given Me fullness of joy. And you’ll be just like I am, and I am just like the Father, and the Father and I are united as one. 11And the Holy Ghost testifies of the Father and Me. And the Father gives the Holy Ghost to mankind because of Me.
- 12When Jesus had spoken these words, He touched each of them with His finger, all except for the three who were to remain; and then He left. 13The heavens opened, and the three were taken up to heaven and saw and heard unspeakable things. 14They were forbidden to reveal it, neither were they given power to explain the things they saw and heard. 15Whether they remained in their bodies or left their bodies, they couldn’t tell. But it seemed to them that they had been transfigured, and were changed from this body of flesh into an immortal state, so they could behold the things of God. 16Afterward, they ministered once more on the earth. Nevertheless, they didn’t teach about the things they had heard and seen because of the commandment given to them in heaven. 17Now whether they were mortal or immortal from the day of their transfiguration, I don’t know. 18But I do know this much based on the record that’s been given: they traveled throughout the land and ministered to all the people, bringing into the congregation those who believed their preaching, baptizing them; and those who were baptized received the Holy Ghost. 19Those who didn’t belong to the congregation threw them in prison. But prisons couldn’t hold them and were split apart. 20They were thrown into pits, but they struck the earth with God’s word, and by His power they were freed from these deep pits. No one was able to dig pits deep enough to hold them. 21They were thrown into a furnace three times and weren’t harmed. 22They were thrown into a den of wild animals twice, and they played with the animals like a child with a nursing lamb and weren’t harmed. 23So they traveled among all the Nephites and preached Christ’s gospel to everyone in the land, and the people were converted to the Lord and were united to Christ’s congregation. Therefore the people of that generation were blessed as Jesus foretold.
- 24Now I Mormon will conclude these things. 25I was about to write the names of those who were never to experience death, but the Lord forbids it. Therefore I won’t write them, because they’re hidden from the world. 26But I’ve seen them, and they’ve ministered to me. 27In the future, they’ll be among the Gentiles, and yet the Gentiles won’t know who they are. 28They’ll also be among the Jews, and yet the Jews won’t know who they are either. 29When the Lord in His wisdom determines it’s the right time, they’ll minister to the scattered tribes of Israel and to people of every nation, tribe, and language, and they’ll bring many souls to Jesus, as they requested, because of the persuading power of God that’s in them. 30They’re just like God’s angels. And if they pray to the Father in the name of Jesus, they can show themselves to anyone they think it advisable. 31Therefore they will do great and awe-inspiring things before the great day arrives when all people will certainly stand before Christ’s judgment seat. 32They will even do a great and awe-inspiring work among the Gentiles before that judgment day. 33And if you had all the scriptures that give an account of every one of Christ’s awe-inspiring works, then you would realize every one of Christ’s words have and will certainly take place. 34Woe to anyone who refuses to listen to Jesus’ words and the words of those He has chosen and sent to them. Anyone who doesn’t receive Jesus’ words and the words of those He sends, doesn’t accept Him, and therefore He won’t accept them on the last day. 35It would be better for them if they hadn’t been born. Do you think you can gain salvation after trampling God underfoot as you ignore the God you offend?
- 36Now as I spoke about those whom the Lord had chosen — the three who were caught up into the heavens — that I didn’t know whether they were changed from mortality to immortality — 37but since I wrote, I asked the Lord; and He’s informed me there had to be a change made to their bodies, otherwise, they would have died. 38Therefore to avoid their death, a change was made to their bodies so they wouldn’t suffer pain or sorrow, except for the sins of the world. 39Now this change wasn’t equivalent to the one that will take place on the last day, but a change was still made to them, so Satan couldn’t have any power over them, and he couldn’t tempt them. They were sanctified in the flesh and made holy so that earthly decline no longer affected them. 40They’ll remain in this state until the judgment day of Christ. Then at that time they’ll receive a greater change and be taken into the Father’s kingdom, never to leave, but to live with God eternally in the heavens.
- 29Now I tell you when the Lord in His wisdom decides it’s the right time for this record to be given to the Gentiles according to His word, then know the covenant the Father made with the children of Israel regarding them being restored to their lands of inheritance is already happening. 2You should realize the Lord’s prophecies by the holy prophets will all be fulfilled. There won’t be any reason for you to say the Lord is delaying His coming to the children of Israel; 3there won’t be any reason for you to imagine the prophecies are meaningless. Indeed, the Lord will remember the covenant He made for His people of the house of Israel. 4When you read this record, you should no longer ignore everything the Lord has done. His sword of justice is already in His right hand. Then, if you betray and ignore Him, His justice will quickly overtake you.
- 5Woe to those who treat the things the Lord does with contempt. Woe to those who deny Christ and His sacrifices for you. 6Woe to those who deny the Lord’s revelations and say: The Lord no longer inspires revelation, prophecy, gifts, tongues, healings, or the power of the Holy Ghost. 7Woe to those who claim Jesus Christ can’t perform miracles, seeking to get paid. Those claiming this will be like the son of perdition, for whom there’s no mercy, according to Christ’s words. 8Moreover, there will no longer be any reason to mock, despise, or ridicule the Jews or any remnant of the house of Israel. The Lord remembers His covenant to them, and He’ll vindicate what He has promised. 9Therefore there’s no reason for you to think you can turn the Lord’s right hand to the left, or that He isn’t able to execute judgment in order to fulfill the covenant He made to the house of Israel.
Chapter 13