Chapter 29
The coming forth of
the Book of Mormon is a sign that the Lord has commenced to gather Israel and
fulfill His covenants—Those who reject His latter-day revelations and gifts
will be cursed. About A.D. 34–35.
Mormon again breaks into the record to tell us the day will
come, in the Lord’s due time, when the Book of Mormon will be made available to
the Gentiles. “Therefore I write unto you, Gentiles, and also unto you, house
of Israel, when the work shall commence, that ye shall be about to prepare to return
to the land of your inheritance” (Mormon 3:17).
“While some aspects of that covenant have already been
fulfilled, the Book of Mormon teaches that this Abrahamic covenant will be
fulfilled only in these latter days!”[1]
When that day occurs, the world will know the covenant the
Lord made with Israel is being fulfilled. “And I will cause you to pass under
the rod [IE to be numbered as the flock], and I will bring you into the bond of
the covenant” (Ezekiel 20:27).
“And behold, they shall go unto the unbelieving of the Jews;
and for this intent shall they go—that they may be persuaded that Jesus is the
Christ, the Son of the living God; that the Father may bring about, through his
most Beloved, his great and eternal purpose, in restoring the Jews, or all the
house of Israel, to the land of their inheritance, which the Lord their God
hath given them, unto the fulfilling of his covenant…
“But behold, it shall come to pass that they shall be driven
and scattered by the Gentiles; and after they have been driven and scattered by
the Gentiles, behold, then will the Lord remember the covenant which he made
unto Abraham and unto all the house of Israel” (Mormon 5:14, 20).
“President Ezra Taft Benson has emphasized the obligations
resting upon those who have been given the Nephite scripture: ‘The Book of
Mormon is the instrument that God has designed to “sweep the earth as with a
flood, to gather out His elect unto the New Jerusalem.” (Moses 7:62.)’ In fact,
because of its central role in the work of gathering in the last days, the
Nephite prophets spoke of the Book of Mormon as one of the signs of the times
showing that gathering is underway.”[2]
Because the word will go forth, which had been spoken by the
prophets. The Lord will no delay His coming to the children of Israel. He will
also remember the covenants He made with His people.
And ye need not imagine in your hearts that the words which
have been spoken are vain, for behold, the Lord will remember his covenant
which he hath made unto his people of the house of Israel.
When the Book of Mormon comes forth, “ye need not any longer
spurn at the doings of the Lord” (3 Nephi 29:4). In that day, He will yield the sword of
justice. “And it shall come to pass, saith the Father, that the sword of my
justice shall hang over them at that day; and except they repent it shall fall
upon them, saith the Father, yea, even upon all the nations of the Gentiles” (3
Nephi 20:20).
“Ours is the responsibility to help fulfill the Abrahamic
covenant. Ours is the seed foreordained and prepared to bless all people of the
world. That is why priesthood duty includes missionary work. After some 4,000
years of anticipation and preparation, this is the appointed day when the
gospel is to be taken to the kindreds of the earth. This is the time of the
promised gathering of Israel. And we get to participate! Isn’t that exciting?
The Lord is counting on us and our sons—and He is profoundly grateful for our
daughters—who worthily serve as missionaries in this great time of the
gathering of Israel.
“The Book of Mormon is a tangible sign that the Lord has
commenced to gather His children of covenant Israel. This book, written for our
day, states as one of its purposes that ‘ye may know that the covenant which
the Father hath made with the children of Israel … is already beginning to be
fulfilled. … For behold, the Lord will remember his covenant which he hath made
unto his people of the house of Israel.’”[3]
[1] The
Gathering of Scattered Israel, President Russell M. Nelson, October 2006
General Conference.
[2] The
Gathering of Israel in the Book of Mormon: A Consistent Pattern, Robert L.
Millet, Maxwell Institute website.
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