1  HEARKEN, [ Pay attention. ] O ye Gentiles, and hear the words of Jesus Christ, the son of the living God, which he hath commanded me [ Mormon ] that I should speak concerning you, for, behold he commandeth me that I should write, saying:

2 Turn, [ Change or alter your coarse ] all ye Gentiles, [ Mormon brings us back to a summation of what he feels that the Savior has tried to teach as he visited the Nephites. Mormon has felt the effect upon himself as he has abridged the writing of 3 Nephi. As such he pleads for all to change their destructive ways, that in so doing they might be numbered with God in the last day. ] from your wicked ways; and repent of your evil doings, of your lyings and deceivings, [ Lie: A falsehood uttered for the purpose of deception; an intentional violation of truth. 2) False doctrine. 3) An idolatrous picture of God, or a false god. How does lying and deceiving take us away from Christ? If our intent in life is to deceive then we are in theory working for Satan. Christ is the source of truth and Satan is just the opposite. ] and of your whoredoms, [ Lewdness; fornication; practice of unlawful commerce with the other sex. It is applied to either sex, and to any kind of illicit commerce. 2) In Scripture, idolatry; the desertion of the worship of the true God, for the worship of idols. How does committing whoredoms take us away from Christ? From the sexual side it is a contradiction to the laws upon which God has build the plan of happiness, which includes eternal family relations. Sexual sins allow the hearts and intimacy reserved for sacred experiences to be shared outside of their proper bounds. Children come sometimes as well and they are born outside of the proper family relationship. As far as the worshiping of idols GOd has been pretty firm that we are not to worship anyone but him. ] and of your secret abominations, [ Extreme hatred; detestation: 2. The object of detestation, a common signification in scripture: 3. Hence, defilement, pollution, in a physical sense, or evil doctrines and practices, which are moral defilements, idols and idolatry, are called abominations. How does being a part of secret abominations take us away from Christ? When we engage in practices that promote evil doctrine or practices then we are not only taking ourself away from God but others as well. ] and your idolatries, [ The worship of idols, images, or any thing made by hands, or which is not God: 2. Excessive attachment or veneration for any thing, or that which borders on adoration. How does idolatry take us away from Christ? ] and of your murders, [ The act of unlawfully killing a human being with premeditated malice, by a person of sound mind. How does murder take us away from Christ? ] , and your priestcrafts, [ The stratagems and frauds of priests; fraud or imposition in religious concerns; management of selfish and ambitious priests to gain wealth and power, or to impose on the credulity of others. How does priestcrafts take us away from Christ? ] , and your envyings, [ To feel uneasiness, mortification or discontent, at the sight of superior excellence, reputation or happiness enjoyed by another; to repine at another's prosperity; to fret or grieve one's self at the real or supposed superiority of another, and to hate him on that account: 2. To grudge; to withhold maliciously. How does envy take us away from Christ? ] , and your strifes, [ Exertion or contention for superiority; contest of emulation, either by intellectual or physical efforts. strife may be carried on between students or between mechanics: 2. Contention in anger or enmity; contest; struggle for victory; quarrel or war: 3. Opposition; contrariety; contrast. How does strife take us away from Christ? ] , and from all your wickedness and abominations, and come unto me, [ This is the ultimate goal, if we do not do this we cannot be saved. So this is the plea of Mormon. ] and be baptized in my name, that ye may receive a remission of your sins, [ That this will end up being the result of your willingness to be baptized, to covenant to live the law of obedience. ] and be filled with the Holy Ghost, [ The result of being obedient, thereby living close enough to the spirit to have the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost. ] that ye may be numbered with my people [ So part of the gathering is to get those who many not be of the house of Israel to repent and follow God so that they may receive all of the blessing of those who are under a covenant with God. ] who are of the house of Israel.