Sealed Portion?
Has someone
claimed to have translated the Sealed Portion?
See also Reliability of the
RLDS Doctrine & Covenants
There are several books out there that claim to be the Sealed Portion. The purpose of this article is not to argue against any particular book, but to simply share the prophecies concerning this record so that you may be better informed. It is my personal testimony that the Sealed Portion has not yet come forth, and my witness is not only given me by the Spirit of God, but also by the truth of what the Scriptures say concerning its coming forth.
Prophecy regarding the Sealed Portion
Interpreters used to
“translate” unknown languages:
According to the Book of Mormon, the interpreters were used so that they could
“translate” and read ancient languages unknown to them. “
Now
Ammon said unto him, I can assuredly tell thee, O king, of a man that can
“translate” the records: for he has wherewith that he can look, and translate all
records that are of ancient date: and it is a gift from God. And the things
are called interpreters ” [Mos
5:72-73]
The word “interpreter” in this case simply denotes a terminology used to
describe a device which interpreted languages for them. There are people whose
job it is to labor as living interpreters between people who do not speak the
same language. Notice that the device is what interpreted the language and not
the person using them, and that is why they are called, interpreters.
We also find the interpreters mentioned again in conjunction with the Sealed
Portion. “ And behold, these two stones
will I give unto thee, and ye shall seal them up also, with the things which
ye shall write. For behold, the language which ye shall write, I have confounded;
wherefore I will cause in mine own due time that these stones shall magnify to
the eyes of men, these things which ye shall write .” [Eth 1:88-89]
The Lord gave the brother of Jared two stones, which were given expressly for
the purpose of allowing someone in the future to translate his record, which
is in a written language. Future generations would need the interpreter
because the language that the brother of Jared would write in was a language
that had been confounded at the tower.
Moroni had these written records, as did the Nephites, as I will demonstrate
later, and he used the interpreters to translate them, and to make a copy of
it on the gold plates, which he also sealed up with the interpreters,
according to the commandment of God, who prophesied that they would come forth
to the Gentiles at the appointed time.
Furthermore, the Book of Mormon says: “
And the Lord said unto him,
Write these things and seal them up, and I will shew
them in mine own due time unto the children of men. And it came to pass that
the Lord commanded him that he should seal up the two stones which he had
received, and shew them not, until the Lord should shew them unto the children of men. And the Lord commanded
the Brother of Jared to go down out of the mount from the presence of the
Lord, and write the things which he had seen; and they were forbidden to come
unto the children of men, until after he should be lifted up upon the cross
” [Eth 1:92-94]
The brother of Jared wrote his experiences on something, whether plates, or
tablets, we don’t know, but it was written, and he was also commanded to seal
up the two stones along with the record, allowing a future generation to
translate the record. It is also interesting to note that the Lord said this
record would not come forth until after Christ would be put to death on the
cross.
The
Nephites received the Sealed Portion:
As the book of Ether previously testified, the sealed record could not be
shown until Christ was lifted up on the cross.
“ And for this cause did King Benjamin keep them, [the Sealed Portion and
the interpreters] that they should not come unto the world until after Christ
should shew himself unto his people
."
[Eth 1:95]
Here we see that King Benjamin kept the record and the interpreters so that they
would not come forth until Christ would show himself unto the Nephites.
“ And after Christ truly had shewed
himself unto his people, he commanded that they should be made manifest
.” [Eth
1:95-96]
Christ revealed the Sealed Portion to the Nephites when He visited them. This
is part of what Nephi (in 3 Nephi) was forbidden to write, that only
one-hundredth of the things Christ taught could be recorded. It may be
interesting to note that the Nephites continued to mine copper, and use money,
etc., during the golden age of peace and righteousness in the Book of Mormon,
which immediately following the destruction of the wicked, the visitation of
Christ, and the reading of the Sealed Portion to the Nephites, which ushered
in the Golden Age of the Nephites. According to one of the books that claim to
be the Sealed Portion currently, Copper and Money are the actual physical
incarnation, or body of the fallen angels and to use them will corrupt you.
Evidently, Christ must have missed that part when he was teaching out of the
Sealed Portion to the Nephites.
“ And now, after that
, [having the Sealed Portion revealed to them] they [the
Nephites] have
all dwindled in unbelief, and there is none, save it be the Lamanites, and
they have rejected the gospel of Christ; therefore I am commanded that I
should hide them [the Sealed Portion and
the Interpreters] up
again in the earth .” [Eth 1:97]
The
Timing of the Coming Forth of the Sealed Portion in the Last Days:
It
will not come forth in a time of wickedness and abominations…
“ Wherefore, because of the things which are sealed
up, the things which are sealed, shall not be delivered in the day of the
wickedness and abominations of the people .” [2 Ne 11:127] Are we in a day of wickedness and abominations?
You be the judge.
“ For the Lord said unto me, They shall not go forth
unto the Gentiles until the day that they shall repent of their iniquity, and
become clean before the Lord ” [Eth 1:100]
When
it comes forth the work of the Father has commenced…
“ When ye shall receive this record, ye may know
that the work of the Father has commenced upon all the face of the land.
” [Eth 1:114]
What is the work of the Father? The Book of Mormon tells us that it is the fulfilling
of all His covenants and the gathering of all the tribes of
“ Then at that day, the work of the Father shall
commence, in preparing the way for the fulfilling of his covenants which he
hath made to his people, who are of the house of Israel
.” [1 Ne 3:237]
“ And then shall the power of heaven come down
among them; and I also will be in the midst, and then shall the work of the
Father commence, at that day even when this gospel shall be preached among the
remnant of this people. Verily, I say unto you, At that day shall the work of
the Father commence among all the dispersed of my people; yea, even the tribes
which have been lost, which the Father hath led away out of Jerusalem. Yea,
the work shall commence among all the dispersed of my people, with the Father,
to prepare the way whereby they may come unto me, that they may call on the
Father in my name; Yea, and then shall the work commence, with the Father,
among all nations, in preparing the way whereby his people may be gathered
home to the land of their inheritance .” [3 Ne 10:4-7]
“ Therefore, repent all ye ends of the earth, and
come unto me, and believe in my gospel, and be baptized in my name; for he
that believeth, and is baptized, shall be saved; but he that believeth not,
shall be damned; and signs shall follow them that believe in my name.
” [Eth 1:115]
The
Manner of the Coming Forth of the Sealed Portion in the Last Days:
It
shall be in harmony with the scriptures given before it...
The Book of Mormon speaks of other records coming forth
in the last days, including the sealed record, and it says: “
I beheld
other books which came forth by the power of the Lamb. And the angel spake unto me, saying, These last records which thou hast
seen among the Gentiles shall establish the truth of the first ” [Nephi 3:191, 192]
Those
who believe in it will be visited with manifestations of the Spirit…
“ But he that believeth these things which I have
spoken, him will I visit with the manifestations of my Spirit; and he shall
know and bear record .”
The
writings will overpower the man who reads them…
[Eth 1:105] “ Behold, thou hast not made us
mighty in writing like unto the Brother of Jared, for thou madest
him that the things which he wrote, were mighty even as thou art, unto the
overpowering of man to read them .” [Eth 5:25]
It
shall be shown by the power of God to 3 witnesses…
“ And now I, Moroni, have written the words which were
commanded me, according to my memory; and I have told you the things which I
have sealed up; therefore touch them not, in order that ye may translate; for
that thing is forbidden you, except by and by it shall be wisdom in God. … and unto three shall they be shewn
by the power of God: wherefore they shall know of a surety that these things
are true. And in the mouth of three witnesses shall these things be
established; and the testimony of three, and this work, in the which shall be shewn forth the power of God, and also his word, of which
the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost beareth
record; and all this shall stand as a testimony against the world, at the last
day
.” [Eth
2:1-3]
Overview:
The Sealed Portion is to come forth, not in a time of wickedness and
abominations, but when the Gentiles repent, in conjunction with the conversion
of Manasseh and the gathering of the lost tribes of Israel, when power comes
down out of heaven [endowment] and it will be brought forth by power, along
with the plates and the original interpreters, and be shown to three witnesses
by the power of God in such a way that we may know of a surety that these
things are true.
All will be accomplished as God has said it would…
God has told us that “ the works, and the designs,
and the purposes of God, cannot be frustrated, neither can they come to
naught, for God doth not walk in crooked paths
.” [Sec
2:1a] In other words, what God has planned, or decided, or set in motion,
cannot be stopped or prevented by any work of man. “
Remember, remember, that it is
not the work of God that is frustrated, but the work of men
.” [Sec
2:2a] And God has also said: “ For, as I, the Lord God, liveth, even so my words cannot return void, for, as they
go forth out of my mouth, they must be fulfilled
.” [Gen
3:30]
Conclusion:
“ Behold, I give unto you a commandment, that you
rely upon the things which are written. ” [Sec 16:1c]
*** Do you have questions about the reliability of our
Scriptures? Are you considering following after someone claiming to have
brought forth the Sealed Portion? This book is for you: Click
Here
For Additional Information please contact me at hopeofzion@hotmail.com