| 228 Joseph Smith in prayer dedicated "the Book of Commandments and Revelations" to the service of Almighty God, after which he received a. commandment concerning John
10. And now the year of my redeemed is come, and they shall mention the loving kindness of their Lord, and all that he has bestowed upon them, according to his goodness, and according to his loving kindness, for ever and ever. In all their afflictions he was afflicted. And the angel of his presence saved them; and in his love, and in his pity, he redeemed them, and bare them, and carried them all the days of old; yea, and Enoch also, and they who were with him; the prophets who were before him, and Noah also, and they who were before him, and Moses also, and they who were before him, and from Moses to Elijah, and from Elijah to John, who were with Christ in his resurrection, and the holy apostles, with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, shall be in the presence of the Lamb. And the graves of the saints shall be opened, and they shall come forth and stand on the right hand of the Lamb, when he shall stand upon Mount Zion, and upon the holy city, the New Jerusalem, and they shall sing the song of the Lamb day and night forever and ever.
11. And for this cause, that men might be made partakers of the glories which were to be revealed, the Lord sent forth the fullness of his gospel, his everlasting covenant, reasoning in plainness and simplicity, to prepare the weak for those things which are coming on the earth; and for the Lord's errand in the day when the weak should confound the wise and the little one become a strong nation, and two should put their tens of thousands to flight; and by the weak things of the earth, the Lord should thresh the nations by the power of his Spirit. And for this cause these commandments were given; they were commanded to be kept from the world in the day that they were given, but now are to go forth unto all flesh. And this according to the mind and will of the Lord, who ruleth over all flesh; and unto him that repenteth and sanctifieth himself before the Lord, shall be given eternal life. And upon them that hearken not to the voice of the Lord, shall be fulfilled that which was written by the Prophet Moses, that they should be cut off from among the people.
12. And also that which was written by the Prophet Malachi: For behold, the day cometh that shall burn as an oven, and all the proud yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the Lord of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch. Wherefore this shall be the answer of the Lord unto them: In that day when I came unto my own, no man among you received me, and you were driven out. When I called again, there was none of you to answer, yet my arm was not shortened at all, that I could not redeem, neither my power to deliver. Behold, at my rebuke I dry up the sea. I make the rivers a wilderness; their fish stinketh, and dieth for thirst. I clothe the heavens with blackness, and make sackcloth their covering. And this shall ye have of my hand, ye shall lay down in sorrow.
13. Behold, and lo, there are none to deliver you, for ye obeyed not my voice when I called to you out of the heavens, ye believed not my servants; and when they were sent unto you ye received them not; wherefore, they sealed up the testimony and bound up the law, and ye were delivered over unto darkness; these shall go away into outer darkness where there is weeping, and wailing, and gnashing of teeth. Behold, the Lord your God hath spoken it. Amen.
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