4 Nephi 1
The Lord’s disciples, the twelve, with direction from the
Lord formed the church of Christ in “all lands round about”. Everyone that came did truly repent of their sins were baptized and received of the Holy
Ghost.
Everyone upon the land was converted and there was “no poor
among them” everything being common. All were made free and all were partakers
of the heavenly gift, having the Lord Jesus Christ amongst them.
To serve and help others, the disciples of Jesus performed
many works. All that was done was done in the name of Jesus Christ.
Many years passed away and cities were built and the people
multiplied exceedingly and they were a “light and delightsome people”. They
were married and blessed according to the promise of the Lord.
They did not live the lesser law, the Law of Moses, as they
sought to be full in Christ. They chose to live the higher law, the law that
the Lord established when he came and they walked up after the commandments the
Lord set forth. You need to live the higher law by coming to Jesus Christ and
having faith in him that you can and will know what he knows.
They met together often to pray together, to fast together,
to talk of Christ together and to hear the word of the Lord. They were led by
the Lord’s spirit when to pray, when to fast and when to talk of Christ. To
follow the teachings of the Lord, you need to meet together often with true
followers of Christ to pray together, to fast together, to talk of Christ
together and to hear the word of the Lord together. The spirit of the Lord will
be your guide when to pray, when to fast and when to talk of Christ.
There was no contention in the land for many years because
of the love of God. There was no envy, strife, whoredoms, lyings, murders and
lasciviousness; none of these things. The people did not segregate themselves,
they saw themselves as one and they were as one, children of the Lord, Jesus
Christ.
The first change happened 84 years after Christ came. A
small group revolted and separated themselves from the Church. They called
themselves by another name and no longer wanted to be one with the people of
the Lord’s Church.
Many more years passed by, even two hundred years. The
people had multiplied and were spread across all the face of the land. They had
become exceedingly rich because of their prosperity in following Christ.
Because of these riches, starting in the 201st year there were those
who began to see themselves better than others and so they were lifted up in
pride. They wore costly apparel, jewelry and had many nice things of the world.
From this point on they did not have “all things common among them” and they
were no longer as one.
You must strive to live the way the Lord would have you
live, having no poor among you and all things common. Seek not riches for in
doing so you will be led away from the Lord. Seek first the Kingdom of God and
God will take care of the rest thru your faith and good works.
Many churches began to be built so that the members of these
churches could have their wants and riches and still worship God. These
churches professed to know the Christ yet denied the more parts of the gospel.
They were no longer interested in having “no poor among them” and everything
common among them. These false precepts spread throughout all these churches
rapidly because of the power of which Satan had over them and this because
their hearts were set on riches and things of this world. They persecuted the
true followers of Christ who still followed the true church of Christ.
Because of their humility, belief in Christ and their
miracles the people did exercise power and authority over the three disciples
of Jesus. They put them in prisons, cast them into fire pits and threw them in
with lions and wild beast. The three were not harmed nor were they capable of
being harmed. They were not and still to this day are not bound by temporal
laws and things of the world. They truly were and are beyond this world and
they did not and still do not care for temporal things.
The Lord would have you learn from what has happened in the
past. That is why he has brought the Book of Mormon to you and everyone that
reads it. Learn and grow your understanding of things of the Lord and recognize
things that are not of the Lord. Turn from things not of the Lord and come to
him, be as he would have you be.
History repeats itself and this is because of pride. The
natural man thinks himself better than people who have lived before,
recognizing their flaws yet unable to be humble enough to recognize similar
flaws in himself. You have the tendencies of the natural man, after all you are
in the world, everyone has them. You need to be humble, see flaws of others as
flaws you could have and work with the Lord in faith to remove these flaws.
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