1
AND now I, Moroni, would write somewhat of the rites by which ye may become one, for behold they are many, but I will give them unto you to draw you together that ye might become as we are, for behold it is in this oneness that we are blessed and have the power to overcome all things.
2a
And as the brother of Jared did see the family of God go forth upon the earth, he did perceive that they had been one for generations of time before; for there attempts to unite in love had begun by oath and covenant with the Fathers before them in their Holy rites in their ages past;
2b
And they did perform these rites, believing in the God of their salvation for the purpose of drawing them together eternally. And because they were willing to do this by oath and covenant, going through the performance of union until the love of God did bind them together eternally, for they did subject the flesh to the will of the Fathers until they were one with the fathers who had gone ahead in the generations before them.
3
And their rites did work together in the uniting of their flesh to the will and purposes and oneness of the Fathers, and did infuse their flesh with light and holiness (Ra-shin) which cometh from the Spirit of the Fathers. For just as the water of life flows forth from the throne of God to water the whole earth, so is the infusion of light and truth carried through the fluids of life to leave a blessing in all they touch.
4
Verily, God is glorified therein, for He experiences His glory in His expending and aliveness. And we are glorified as we open up our eyes and mouth and heart to receive of that glory. And the Shulemna are those who are the messengers of light and have received in their flesh the name of God; and He has placed His name upon them and sent them forth to bear His name in their flesh unto all who will open their mouth to receive the path, or, being interpreted, power of God. For the path is only received by those who are willing to receive and be blessed and by this means come forth in that holiness which is the oneness of the Godhead.
5
And as the Holy Ones went forth upon the earth they did bless all that come under their influence for they were filled with the Ra-shin of the Fathers, and under their dominion the earth was a watered garden; but that evil one who did receive his dominion and power by covenant with Cain and his sons, did begin to replace Ra-shin with darkness and decay so there was no glory generated in their rites; only the ravishment of debauchery. And so they were commanded by God to cease and their Holy rites were lost unto them.
6
And as the sons of Cain went over into the land of Nod which was east of Eden and continued their rites of debauchery, the earth was no longer a watered garden for darkness did replace the light, the holiness of God being perverted into corruption, and hatred instead of love, each man hating she who had lain in his bosom and each woman hating he who had defiled her, for the love of all waxed cold and, thus, did Enoch see that the earth did groan under the wickedness which had gone forth upon her face. And Enoch groaned with her, and wept and refused to be comforted.
7a
And as the Holy Ones left the earth one by one because of the evil which had gone forth upon its face, the darkness prevailed upon the whole earth and Satan who is Zaiton, the father of all that which is opposite to the Ra-shin of God, did take possession of everything on the face of the earth, and claim it as his own, and put his seal upon it.
7b
And he had a great chain in his hand and he looked up and laughed, for all which the Fathers had created in the beginning and declared to be good was now defiled so that the Fathers would not own it anymore; and Zaiton's defilement and death filled the whole earth and there was no holy place, save where the Sons of God did remain in the Holy Order of God.
8a
And now I would not have you believe that these holy ordinances as you know them did begin all at once with the first fathers; for they were a holy and sanctified people as they went forth upon the earth; and they lived in a glorified place, and all their actions were holy, for it was the land of their creation.
8b
And as they went forth upon the land that they had created, they saw that it was good, for there was no defilement upon the face of the land which they had created, it being the footstool of the throne of God.
9
Therefore, all their works were a holy ordinance, and they need not have a temple or a holy ordinance to depict, as we do, the perfection of the Gods.
10
For behold, all the land was an holy temple, it being the abode of God; and all their performances were in holiness unto God for, behold, doth God need an holy ordinance to show himself how to be God? Behold I say unto you, nay, for ordinances are for the purpose of showing forth the power of God to those who are moving toward godliness.
11
Therefore when Adam and Eve, our first parents and the first of many, did beget children and the family of God did go forth upon the earth and the defilement of Zaiton did begin to creep into the children of God so that they knew not anymore the holiness of their fathers, the holy rites were instituted as an enactment depicting the way back to the godliness of the first parents.
12
And even the earth, groaning under the defilement which was beginning to go forth upon its face, could no longer respond with the glory it once knew and brought forth. Instead of a watered garden, thorns and thistles and all sorts of noxious weeds sprang forth to afflict and torment mankind.
13
Behold, it was then that temples were built wherein the sons of God could enter, closing out the defilement of the lone and dreary world from whence they came and enacting by an holy ordinance their straight and narrow path back to the perfection of the ancient order, and showing forth the holiness of the Fathers.
14
But behold, in process of time, even the temples and the holy rites were perverted and defiled due to the inroads of Cain and his descendants into the Holy Order of God; for the daughters of the sons of God did sell their birthright in mingling with and marrying the sons of men, and there was no place clean to practice their holy rites, therefore, God took them away. The holy men were all one by one taken away and the Holy Order, along with the holy rites, were lost to them.
15a
And the Ra-shin, which anointed the children of light, withdrew, leaving them to grope in the darkness of their fallen clay. How art thou fallen, O mortal ones? And when is the day of thy deliverance?
15b
Behold, when ye shall cease to run to and fro, worshiping that which ye can see and feel and touch, and begin to put your trust in the God who bought you back from the evil one, yea, when ye shall depart out of that darkness which ye call light, and yield your heart to that infusion of light which cometh to you from the sanctified ones, then will your soul rejoice and the fire of glory rekindle and refresh you from the death brought on you from your fathers.
16
Awake and arise, O Jerusalem. Put on the beautiful garments and return to the glory which was lost to thee. Awake! Sit down, O daughter of Zion, for thou hast drunk the cup of trembling wrung out, and thy king is in thee and thy soul is replenished from the God of thy salvation. Rejoice, O Tamar, for they who rejoiced not in thee have lost thee to another. For the law is written in the Ra-shin of Being and those who obey not the law receive not the blessing.