For Moses truly said unto the fathers, a prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you. And it shall come to pass, that every soul which will not hear that prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people.
Moroni explained that the prophet here spoken of was Jesus Christ; but the day when they who would not hear his voice should be cut off from among the people had not yet come, but it would soon come.
19.>b> The angel quoted from the twenty-eighth verse to the end of the second chapter of Joel; and said that it was soon to be fulfilled. It predicts the outpouring of God's Spirit upon all { 282} flesh; the signs in the heavens and the earth which are to precede the glorious coming of Messiah; and foretells the safety which shall be found in Mount Zion and Jerusalem in those troublous times.
20. The Warnings of Moroni.--After making these and other explanations the light within the room seemed to condense about the person of the angel and he departed. Shortly, however, he returned and repeated what he had said on his first appearance, and again withdrew. To Joseph's astonishment he appeared the third time and again repeated his message.
21. In his first appearance that eventful night the angel told Joseph that when he obtained the plates containing the record of the ancient inhabitants of America, together with the breast-plate and the Urim and Thummim--the full time for them to be given to him had not then arrived--he was to show them to no person except those to whom he would be commanded to show them. He was told that if he violated his commandment he would be destroyed. At his third appearing that same night the angel cautioned Joseph, saying that Satan would try to tempt him, in consequence of the poverty of his father's family, to obtain the plates for the purpose of getting rich. This he forbade him, saying that he must have no other object in view in getting the plates but to glorify God, and must be influenced by no other motive than that of building up his kingdom.
22. The Fourth Appearance of Moroni.--The whole night was consumed in these interviews with the angel. In the morning of the day following, Joseph went to his usual labors, but was so exhausted and faint that he found himself unable to pursue them. His father, who was laboring with him, observing that he was ailing, directed him to go home. In attempting to climb the fence out of the field where he was working, his strength entirely failed him and he fell unconscious to the ground. When he became conscious, the angel who had visited him the night before was standing by him calling his name. He { 283} repeated again the things of the night before, and commanded Joseph to go and tell his father of them. This he did, and his father testified that they were of God, and counseled his son to be obedient to the heavenly vision.