Hearken, O ye elders of my church, and give ^aear to my word, and learn of me what I will concerning you, and also concerning ^bthis land unto which I have sent you.

 2 For verily I say unto you, blessed is he that ^akeepeth my commandments, whether in life or in ^bdeath; and he that is ^cfaithful in ^dtribulation, the ^ereward of the same is greater in the kingdom of heaven.

 3 Ye cannot behold with your natural ^aeyes, for the present time, the design of your God concerning those things which shall come hereafter, and the ^bglory which shall follow after much tribulation.

 4 For after much ^atribulation come the ^bblessings. Wherefore the day cometh that ye shall be ^ccrowned with much ^dglory; the hour is not yet, but is nigh at hand.

 5 Remember this, which I tell you before, that you may ^alay it to heart, and receive that which is to follow.

 6 Behold, verily I say unto you, for this cause I have sent you—that you might be obedient, and that your hearts might be ^aprepared to ^bbear ^ctestimony of the things which are to come;

 7 And also that you might be honored in laying the foundation, and in bearing record of the land upon which the ^aZion of God shall stand;

 8 And also that a feast of fat things might be prepared for the ^apoor; yea, a feast of fat things, of wine on the ^blees well refined, that the earth may know that the mouths of the prophets shall not fail;

 9 Yea, a supper of the house of the Lord, well prepared, unto which all ^anations shall be invited.

 10 First, the rich and the learned, the wise and the noble;

 11 And after that cometh the day of my power; then shall the ^apoor, the lame, and the blind, and the deaf, come in unto the ^bmarriage of the Lamb, and partake of the ^csupper of the Lord, prepared for the great day to come.

 12 Behold, I, the Lord, have spoken it.

 13 And that the ^atestimony might go forth from Zion, yea, from the mouth of the city of the heritage of God—

 14 Yea, for this cause I have sent you hither, and have selected my servant ^aEdward Partridge, and have appointed unto him his mission in this land.

 15 But if he repent not of his sins, which are ^aunbelief and blindness of ^bheart, let him take heed lest he ^cfall.

 16 Behold his mission is given unto him, and it shall not be given again.

 17 And whoso standeth in this mission is appointed to be a ^ajudge in Israel, like as it was in ancient days, to ^bdivide the lands of the heritage of God unto his ^cchildren;

 18 And to judge his people by the testimony of the just, and by the assistance of his ^acounselors, according to the laws of the kingdom which are given by the ^bprophets of God.

 19 For verily I say unto you, my law shall be kept on this land.

 20 Let no man think he is ^aruler; but let God rule him that judgeth, according to the counsel of his own ^bwill, or, in other words, him that counseleth or sitteth upon the judgment seat.

 21 Let no man break the ^alaws of the land, for he that keepeth the laws of God hath no need to break the laws of the land.

 22 Wherefore, be ^asubject to the powers that be, ^buntil he reigns whose right it is to reign, and subdues all enemies under his feet.

 23 Behold, the ^alaws which ye have received from my hand are the laws of the church, and in this light ye shall hold them forth. Behold, here is wisdom.

 24 And now, as I spake concerning my servant Edward Partridge, this land is the land of his ^aresidence, and those whom he has appointed for his counselors; and also the land of the residence of him whom I have appointed to keep my ^bstorehouse;

 25 Wherefore, let them bring their families to this land, as they shall ^acounsel between themselves and me.

 26 For behold, it is not meet that I should command in all things; for he that is ^acompelled in all things, the same is a ^bslothful and not a wise servant; wherefore he receiveth no reward.

 27 Verily I say, men should be ^aanxiously engaged in a good cause, and do many things of their own free will, and bring to pass much righteousness;

 28 For the power is in them, wherein they are ^aagents unto themselves. And inasmuch as men do good they shall in nowise lose their ^breward.

 29 But he that ^adoeth not anything until he is commanded, and receiveth a commandment with ^bdoubtful heart, and keepeth it with slothfulness, the same is ^cdamned.

 30 Who am I that ^amade man, saith the Lord, that will hold him ^bguiltless that obeys not my commandments?