The book of wonders

that no one has clearly understood the manner of his calling at the first, and how great the promises were if he remained faithful to the last. But it is known to everyone how he fell away, through the temptations of the devil and the persecution of men. Let men see in what manner I worked with you: how I afflicted you and threatened not to raise you up before you had brought to light the hidden things done in darkness concerning *******. He thought that since all power was in his hands, he could conceal it from mankind by destroying it, and gain his honor by disgracing yours, when he joined with the multitude to do evil—to publish to the world that you were led by the devil. Thus he thought to gain his honor with men, and this honor I took from him.

"Now come to the 41st page, given in 1796: let men discern the depth of the words—

'Let the sons of men beware
That she be not denied;
More fatal now than Adam’s fall
It will happen to the man.'

"Here you say in your heart that ******* perfectly obeyed at first and did not deny you anything you required of him. Therefore, your inquiry is whether that 'fatal fall' compared to Adam now refers to him? To your inquiry, I shall answer:

"Know, in the first place, how great his calling was if he stood steadfast to the end; and how great my decrees were for Adam, if he had stood steadfast to obey my commands. But Adam was betrayed by the cunning of the serpent; and through his fall, the curse was pronounced upon the serpent. The promise was then made, in the fall, for ME to die for the transgression of man to cast out the devil who betrayed the woman (who appeared in the form of a serpent at first). Know that I have told you the time is at

hand when I am coming to redeem the fall and bring in the salvation of man. I have already told you, regarding the cunning of the devil, how he would work another way—as he worked in my Gospel—to bring the fall of man to be like the fall of the angels: to worship him for the great power he would tell them he was invested with, and what honor and power he would give to men if they would fall down and worship him. Therefore, the fall of Adam is not as dangerous to the human race as men now suppose.

"But I shall answer you regarding *******'s fall, since you say he obeyed in part and stood steadfast until your writings were sent out through him. His fall is from that honor he would have gained from God and man, had he stood steadfast to the end of your calling.

"And now discern in what manner he has acted where he stands on conditions.

Page 42.— 'For in the dark the light does shine;

Your eyes are dazzled here:
And will you shudder at the thought
To see the mystery clear?
Or will you, like the Jews of old,
Keep seals upon the tomb?
Or will you bribe the keepers here
So the truth may not be known?
Then surely to others I’ll appear;
In the highway I will go.'

"Here let men discern that he stood on conditions. And like the inquiry made of him, his conduct has been exactly the same; because, as you know, like the Jews of old, he kept back the seals seals: refers to Joanna's practice of "sealing" her followers or prophetic documents that were put in his hands. But now I ask you, what seals were put in his hands at that time for him to deliver up? For you know this was only the second letter I ordered you to send to him in 1796, after he had argued with you in ******’s house concerning the Marriage of