THE BOOK OF OUG

1And not many days after the sign, I was in the temple with a great many of the high priests of the Nem and there was a great multitude of people gathered about the temple when a voice was heard out of heaven. Not as the sound of a trump, but it was a voice which did penetrate the very soul and all the people recognized the voice at once. For the voice spoke not to the ears, but to the heart and filled the hearer with unspeakable joy.

2Now, the people began to marvel and ponder the voice for it pierced the hearer even to the very center and caused both limb and joint to tremble. Yet, the heart was filled with exceedingly great joy, wherefore, they did marvel because It did weaken the frame but strengthen the soul.

3Now, this is the way with spiritual things. The physical body has capacity to withstand temporal things, and yet fail in the face of the spiritual. Verily, the Spirit speaks but the flesh is weak. Therefore, the people marveled that such joy could come though the body could not withstand it. But as for me, I did not marvel because I have often trembled when the Spirit speaks. Therefore, I did know that the voice was the voice of deity, for we felt it profoundly but understood not the words of the voice.

4And again the voice spoke and the people did marvel much for the effect the voice had on them was sweet, but they understood not the voice. And the people did altogether lift up their eyes unto the heavens and did reach to the heavens with their hands. Yea, and they did altogether beg for understanding.

5Now, as the people did steadfastly ask for understanding with all diligence and not doubting that they would indeed receive answer to their petition, when the voice was heard the third time, they

6Rejoice all you people of the Lord! Rejoice all you who have kept the statutes of God! Break forth you heavens for the King cometh even to judge His people and He has found some who seek His face! They shall verily see Him as He is and He shall establish them among the blessed!

7Then another voice was heard, saying:

8Behold my Beloved Son, of whom the prophets spoke and angels testify. In Him have I glorified My name. Hear ye Him.

9This voice they did clearly understand and many did fall upon the earth when they heard it, for they never supposed that they would ever hear the voice of the Father. Yea, against all expectations they had heard the voice of God, and they knew without doubt that their Father in Heaven is real and that which the prophets had spoken concerning Him was true. Thus, some thought that having revealed this much to them, that He was about to show all things to them and they fell down to the earth.

10And many also did look up to the heavens from whence came the two voices and behold, they saw a man descending out of Heaven. The robe of the man was white, or perhaps not white, for it shone with a brightness that is exceedingly bright, wherefore, the color of it cannot be understood. This man came and stood upon the approach before the temple on the side which faced toward the rising of the sun. And the whole congregation stood with their eyes fixed upon him.

12Behold, I am Jesus Christ, whom My servants, the prophets, taught you should come. I was born among My own and My own received Me not. And I did drink the bitter cup which the Father gave Me to drink, and have extended and begun the finishing of the Father’s work by taking upon Me not only the light and life of the world but also the sins of all living. In this I have conjoined with the will of the Father in all things even from the beginning, worlds without end.

13Arise and come forth unto Me, that ye may prove My words. Yea, come and thrust your hands into My side from which flowed that which preserves the life of the body. Yea, come feel the prints of the nails in My hands and feet, wherewith man bethought to restrain the work of their God. All this that ye may know that I am the God of Israel and the God of the whole earth, and was slain for the sins of the World.

14Then all the people came forward and did as He told them. He extended His hands to them and they took His hands in theirs and they knew that this truly was a real and tangible Man. And they also knew, each one of them by their own experience and not by any other man's words, that this was the Man of whom the scriptures bear record. And when all the people had all gone forth one by one to embrace the Lord, a sound such as has never before been heard rose up from the temple. For the voice of the people joined with the voices of angels, singing Hosanna! This is the Lord our God, most holy and most high! And they all bowed themselves to the earth before Jesus and ceased not to sing praises before Him.

15And the Lord spoke to the multitude, saying:

16Oug! Come forth!

18Behold thy brethren are well and shall return unto thee by and by. Wherefore, be of good cheer and despair not, for, because of their righteousness in declaring My word unto the people of the City of Josh, and the City of Gad, and of Kishkumen, I preserved them when I caused fire to utterly consume them. Yea, so great was their faith in Me that they did walk through the fires and were consumed not. But their hearts are exceedingly heavy, wherefore, prepare a place for them.

19I have called My servant Nephi, the son of Nephi who did sojourn with thee, to be one of the Twelve unto whom I have given authority, Yea, even the first among them. Yea, and eleven others have I chosen among the people of the Land Southward. I did the same among My own and so shall I do among you. Therefore, My servant Oug, I give unto thee authority to baptize in My name and to teach all to receive the Holy Ghost. Yea, I set thee apart as High Priest unto your people, a presiding high priest. Wherefore, I give unto thee authority to choose twelve other righteous men from among thy councils. And I shall give them authority to work under thy direction to govern the Church. And they shall teach all this people and those who believe on their words shall they baptize with water. Wherefore, if they believe and are baptized in My name, them shall I baptize with Fire and with the Holy Ghost.

20Blessed art thou if thou believest and art baptized in My name after thou hast seen Me and know that I am, but more blessed are they who shall hear thy words and believe in Me because of thy testifying. Yea, blessed are they who shall hear thy words and humble themselves in baptism for they shall be visited with Fire and with the Holy Ghost and shall enter onto the Way. Howbeit, because they shall find Me and see My face because of faith, they shall have received a remission of their sins.

21Wherefore, Oug, I give unto thee power and authority over the Church in this region, to organize and to govern it. And it shall not be as difficult for thee to do this as for other peoples upon the face of this land to whom I must go so that they also might see My face and believe in Me. Yea, the fulfilling of the Law of Moses will be no great change for thee, for the Nem have always listened to My prophets and have followed Me even without seeing Me.

22But that there not arise disputations among you, after that thou hast organized My Church here in Mentina and in the land round about and when thou shalt have taught all the people My words - and they desire to be baptized, this is the manner in which thou shalt do it:

23Behold, thou whom My servant has anointed, shalt take hold of them and lead them into the water and stand in the water with them, and when thou art down in the water thou shalt call them by name and say:

24Having been commanded and set apart by Jesus Christ I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.

25Yea, for behold I say unto thee, Because of the covenant wherewith I have received the fullness of the Father, I am in the Father and the Father is in Me. And it is by the power of the Holy Ghost that the covenant was made. Therefore are we one, I in the Father and the Father in Me.

26And this thou shalt have for doctrine. For all that I teach thee shall testify of the Father and lead thee to the Father. Wherefore, whoso believeth in Me believeth in the Father also. Wherefore, the Holy Ghost, by whom We are one, shall enter into the heart of the believer and shall baptize even with Fire.

27Verily I say unto you, Ye must be baptized by water and this by immersion. For even so did I to fulfill righteousness and to become an ensample unto you. This is the covenant of the body, the beginning of the testament, even the door that opens onto the strait and narrow path which leads unto life eternal. Wherefore, whoso believeth and is baptized by water shall begin upon the road that gives onto the Way.

28Now, after that thou hast baptized them, thou shalt lay thine hands upon them and bless them and sharply exhort them to receive the Holy Ghost. And if they offer unto Me a sacrifice mete for repentance, even a contrite and humble spirit, My Father will bestow upon them the Gift of the Holy Ghost. Wherefore, the baptism of water is their declaration of the covenant and the baptism of Fire is My Father’s declaration that they shall endure to the finishing of the work and become even as He is.

29Behold, this is My doctrine, and I shall show other doctrine to those who come unto Me. Yea, whoso cometh unto Me shall speak with the tongues of angels for they shall see and converse with angels and shall speak to them as one man speaks to another. Yea, this is My doctrine and there shall be no other doctrine of baptism given except to those with whom, in My own time, I do make my abode.

30Thou shalt not alter the manner in which thou prayest, for the Nem have listened to the prophets I have raised up unto you. Therefore, continue to let thy prayers ascend unto the Father, pleading for the poor and the lonely and unfortunate in My name, and I will hear thy prayers by the power of the Holy Ghost. Yea, even by that power I shall answer thee and bless thee. Yea, pray always to the Father and give thanks unto Him and make thy entreaties directly unto Him in My name. Wherefore if thou dost this, thou shalt receive according to the promise He made with thy fathers.

31For who may abide the day of My visitation? Yea, ask and thou shalt receive. Come unto Me and I will come near unto thee and I will rebuke the devourer for thy sake. Yea, I have promised thee that if thou dost become mine, even as I am the Father’s, we shall make Our abode with thee. But who can abide Our presence? And who can withstand Our glory? For I am the refiner's Fire and the fuller's soap. Let there be soil in the ore, even a little, and I shall burn it up. Therefore, who may stand?

32Let all the Nem purify themselves, for I will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver. Yea, purify yourself that there be less dross in the ore. And so that there be no disputation amongst you, this is the manner in which you shall purge wickedness from you:

33You shall succor the widow and judge the fatherless. You shall have always all things in common even as you have done up to this time. In this I am well pleased. Do not as the Nephites have done, for their pride causes them to puff themselves up whenever I do prosper them. Yea, they do think they own the land and they set great store in the accumulation of things. This inclination has ever been the stumbling block of My children the Nephites. Wherefore, you do rightly and begin in a greater state of purity than they.

34Now, prayer and fasting doth purify and magnify the soul. But pray not and fast not in vain, with repetitions, but in the secret places ought you to purify your bodies in fasting and your spirits in prayer.

35Verily I say unto you, The children of Ammon began to do a thing that is pleasing unto Me. They purified themselves with much fasting and with prayer, and with their loving succor which they so abundantly give away one to another. Yea, in this I am very well pleased, for they do not ask of Me but that they have not first purged their bodies and prepared their spirits, subduing self in good acts.

36Yea, when they fast they do not only purge their bodies by the lack of food or drink, but they fully purge themselves, even every pore. And this is a similitude of My suffering. For when I did atone for the sins and hurts of all the world, yea, when I drank of the bitter cup, blood did flow out from every pore.

37Wherefore, it is pleasing unto Me that the Ammonites, of their own, have undertaken to cleanse the body in this fashion. For even as I was immersed in the bitter gall of earthly impurity and corruption, I was cleansed of it while in the body. And if you choose also to purify yourselves after the manner of the Ammonites, you are justified and you shall the more fully obtain the unspeakable Gift of the Holy Ghost. Yea, and even I shall be with you and strengthen you, and even I shall send angels to minister unto you.

38Verily, verily I say unto you, When I took upon me all things, I did suffer. Yea, so great was My grief that I shall not describe it to you. For I know your hearts and I would not that you should know the full extent of My suffering lest you despair. For I know the tenderness of your hearts.

39It is enough to say that I suffered and bled as it were great drops of sweat from every pore and My flesh was exceedingly weak. But when My suffering was full and I feared that My body could not withstand it, My Father did send unto Me an angel to minister unto Me. Even so shall He do unto you if you should undertake to purify yourselves after the similitude of My suffering, yea, after the fashion of the Ammonites. I shall send you angels to minister unto you that you may also overcome the flesh.

40Now, this ordinance is given unto you and blessed are you who do observe it. Nevertheless, it is not an ordinance unto salvation, except for those unto whom I shall command specifically. Therefore, it is not expedient that all should participate. Wherefore, compel no one in the fashion in which they purify themselves before Me. Exhort always that whoso cometh unto Me shall offer the mete sacrifice, even a contrite spirit, and a teachable spirit, and a humble spirit, and a meek spirit, and I shall accept their offering. This you must do, for of it cometh salvation and if My people build upon this foundation, they shall reach for and attain to that eternal life which I enjoy with My Father which is in Heaven. Wherefore, purify yourselves by study and by much prayer and fasting. And if you wish to purify yourselves after the similitude of My suffering, it is well and I will sanctify it. But remember, compel not, for it is more difficult than is needful for all.

41Now when Jesus had said these things He called me unto Him, saying:

42Oug, My servant, choose thou out of My high priests a council of twelve and I shall give them authority over all the councils of My Church among the Nem of Mentina. I go now unto thy brethren upon the plains, but on the morrow I shall return. And thou shalt cause that all the people shall gather in this place tomorrow, for I have received a commandment of My Father that I should teach them. Wherefore, organize yourselves that all who will come unto Me might receive the word.

43And having concluded these sayings, a cloud came and a commotion, and it overshadowed the gathered crowd so that they could not see Jesus and when it had ceased to overshadow them, Jesus was departed from their presence.