The purpose of this thread is not to argue against any particular book out there that may claim to be the Sealed Portion, of which there are now several, but to simply share what prophecies I have discovered concerning this record through my studies.
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. 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 this record, as did the Nephites, as I will demonstrate later. Morini
used the interpreters to translate the record 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 dont know, 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 be held back
until until after Christ would be put to death 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. After His visit and the revealing
of the Sealed Portion the Nephites began their golden age, followed by the
dwindling in unbelief which led to their destruction.
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:
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]
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 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]
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 Book of Mormon speaks of other records coming forth in the last days,
including the sealed records, 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]
But he that believeth these things which I have
spoken, [Sealed Portion] him will I visit with the manifestations of my Spirit;
and he shall know and bear record. [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]
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:
From what I am able to understand regarding the prophecies surrounding the
coming forth of the Sealed Portion, it is not to come forth 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.
I believe 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]