Now what were the consequences of not praying, as they are recorded' in this book regarding the Nephite people? Let me tell you. In the very same chapter, and in the verse preceding where I read, Nephi says this:

Behold, this is the doctrine of Christ, and there will be no more doctrine given until after he shall manifest himself unto you in the flesh. When he shall manifest himself unto you in the flesh, the things which he shall say unto you ye shall observe to do. And now I, Nephi, cannot say more.

Why not? Because the people had refused to pray. Because they had hardened their hearts, even in his day. Therefore the Lord closed his mouth, and said, there shall be no more doctrine till Christ comes, so far as you are concerned, and I cannot say more, because the Lord won't permit it.

"The spirit stoppeth mine utterance, and I am left to mourn because of the unbelief and the ignorance and the stiffneckedness of men, for they will not search knowledge nor understand great knowledge when it is given unto them in plainness, even as plain as word can be." Now that applies in our day. We have members of the Church to whom this ought to be read. They are not here; they do not come to conference. But men who have hardened their hearts, men who will not pray, men who will not search knowledge, who are not acquainted with the revelations of God as they have been made known unto us in these books and given unto us in this dispensation, notwithstanding the fact that the knowledge which has been given unto us is plain and easily to be understood. They shut their hearts against it, and refuse to search and to find that which the Lord has declared, which is for their eternal salvation and the salvation of all the world. Naturally such people are in darkness. We cannot afford to do that.


Elder Joseph Fielding Smith, Conference Report, October 1919, Third Day—Morning Session 145