THE SECOND BOOK OF SAMUEL (THE LAMANITE)

1Now behold, I am old and I go the way of the world. And all the doings of my people I have written in books also. And they shall also come down unto you in the due time of the Lord. Be grateful, my children, for the blessing the Lord has seen fit to bestow upon you. Do not judge the Lord your God. Wait upon His pleasure and do His will in all things, and all will be as well with you as it has been for me and for all the Nem of Corianton. Pray for the day when your God shall open all the books before you and read from them in the high places and on the high days. For in that day shall there be peace finally in all the land of your grandfathers.

2Behold, I leave this earth and go to my grandfathers. And I am exceedingly blessed, for, I have walked with them upon the Way since the days of my youth. Wherefore, it shall not be much different when I walk with them continually upon the Way than when I did visit with them during the days of my mortality.

3But behold, I do leave this one last prophecy unto you my own descendents. For I was once called Samuel the Lamanite, a prophet called to preach repentance unto the wicked Nephites in my day. And the Holy Ghost has come upon me to preach once again against the wickedness that will prevail in the Church and kingdom in the day when the Lord shall bring again my writings from out of the dust. Yea, thus does the Lord constrain me to declare unto my own descendents in the last days:

4When all that has been foretold by the prophets of old, as also by prophets whom the Lord shall raise up among you, and the nations do conspire to enslave the saints and compel them to wickedness, out of the place of fastness shall hiss a voice from out of the dust. And that voice shall speak of my times and the times of my fathers, and of their doing. And this voice shall remind the people of their obligations unto the Lord. Yea, out of the holy place shall a light begin to shine and it will go forth against the will of many. Yet shall it touch the hearts of the righteous and call them to a remembrance of the things which they have covenanted with the Lord their God.

5For they shall have promised a thing to the Lord for generations, a thing which they are unwilling to do. Look well into the covenants you make with the Lord, you children of God! Know whereof you speak. For, every oath and covenant you make with Him will be accounted to you to the very lowest denomination. Yea, do not bow your heads and say, yes, but that you mean to do the thing wherewith you do bind yourselves. For, God will not be mocked!

6And a hiss and a memory shall issue out of the fast place, and books shall be opened. And prophets and apostles shall say:

7What is this book and what is this writing? For we cannot read such things? Who is there who can make a translation of them? For we have no knowledge of this writing. and there shall be seers among you. Wherefore, despise not the work of God, for He will bring to pass a mighty work out of the hands of the weakest and most praiseless of His children. But in their weakness shall they show forth great faith, and in their diligence shall they weaken the bulwark of pride and of wickedness. Look not to the wisdom of the wise nor to the might of the mighty in that day.

9For in that day, the wise old men shall look steadfastly upon the prophets, and upon the wisdom of other wise old men. And they shall esteem their words more praiseworthy than the gifts of the Holy Ghost. Yea, in that day shall a man become one with the saints but receive no gift of the Holy Ghost. And it shall be better for them than for they unto whom the Lord Himself speaks. Behold, the Church shall be out of order and the kingdom of God shall grow but shall not prosper in the gifts of the Spirit.

10If you are wise, you shall look in those days for the records and remembrances of your fathers and your grandfathers. Howbeit, in their words you will find an ensign. Behold, we have made an experiment upon the covenants made in the High Place. Yea, seeing what would befall the Nephites in the Land Southward, we did come out of Babylon and we did gather together to establish Zion. And, behold my children, we did enjoy peace even when the Land Southward did reel to and fro under the wickedness that the Gadiantons did cause to come among the people.

8In that day shall the Lord assemble His saints. Yea, He shall make up His jewels,

11And are your days so unlike ours? Are your governments filled with corruption and wickedness? Do your rulers buy their seats of power and authority? Does one nation rise up against another for gain’s sake? Do the rich persecute the poor, and does the rich man withhold his substance? Behold, I see your day and I know the conditions in which you labor. Yea, and I also see that many of my own descendents, even the most part, walk in confusion in the daylight, and in complete blindness do they their secret works at night.

12You who would call yourselves saints, listen to my words. I am a voice that whispers out of the dust. I lived in this land in a day when the people had all things in common. And behold, when all things were in commotion and the hearts of men had waxed cold, yea, and when the Lord did call His fury down out of heaven to destroy the wickedness from off the face of the earth, behold, we did see the sign and were filled with joy. Yea, when all others quailed in the smoke and darkness of destruction, we did raise up a song of praise and of thanksgiving.

13You live in such perilous times. Yet may you also look up with joy and with thanksgiving. In faith you may take up that covenant which your forefathers made and again establish Zion in the land.

14But, if you heed not the warning voice that the Lord shall provide for you out of the dust, behold I say unto you, You shall be caught up in the pride of your hearts, and you shall not be found guiltless in your days. And when the wrath of the Lord is kindled against you, how may you beseech the Lord to stay His mighty hand? Yea, what excuse can you make? Shall you say unto the Lord:

15Of a surety we did know of the records you raised up unto us Lord, but we did ignore them and the warning contained in them. But see, Lord, how we worship you now. Wherefore, forgive us and stay the destruction.

16Behold, the hour shall have passed wherein the Lord might have forgiven such folly. When His anger is kindled, He shall not treat with you. Nay, you shall not even be able to plead your case, for the hour shall have passed.

17But when the Lord shall bring these things from out of the earth, the light of truth contained in them shall inspire the pure in heart. And they shall build a refuge place in the tops of the mountains. Then shall the remnant of the Lord’s house build cities of refuge in the everlasting hills and they shall be a resort whereunto, if man will covenant to take up the sword no more against his neighbor, he may find peace and safety there.

18And a light shall shine forth from the place of fastness and shall begin to take hold of the hearts of men. And they shall seek again the Holy Ghost and the face of their Savior. Then shall that light begin to spread until it covers all the land. And the pride of the hearts of men shall be extinguished, and they shall succor one another and seek not the things of the world.

19And behold, in that day shall the gifts of the Spirit be had by many and miracles shall once again abound. Yea, there shall be disease and suffering, but the saints shall exercise faith again and they shall lay hands on the sufferer, and if they have faith to be healed, behold, they shall be healed. And if they have not faith to be healed but have covenanted, then shall they who have the healing gifts nurture them and succor them.

20And the dead who fall in the service of the Lord shall rise again to do His work. And the lame shall walk, who walk in the Lord. And children shall sing again in prophecy to the Lord. Yea, your young men shall see visions again and your young women shall dream dreams.

21Wherefore, who would not wish to obtain these blessings? For, I cannot help but to ask the question: Shall my descendents look and yet not see the signs of the times? Or shall they be so wicked that they too shall be caught up in the pride of their hearts? Even that being so, I believe that there shall be those who are not so caught up, or who, being caught up, will not see through the obscurity and into the light. For, I have been commanded to write these things and to give this prophecy. And I ask then, for what purpose?