Who are the Gentiles, and who are the Remnant spoken of in the Book of Mormon?
Title Page:
"Written to the Lamanites, who are a remnant of the house of Israel; and also to Jew and Gentile—Written by way of commandment, and also by the spirit of prophecy and of revelation—Written and sealed up, and hid up unto the Lord, that they might not be destroyed—To come forth by the gift and power of God unto the interpretation thereof—Sealed by the hand of Moroni, and hid up unto the Lord, to come forth in due time by way of the Gentile—The interpretation thereof by the gift of God."
This leads me to conclude that the Mormons are the Gentiles, and the Lamanites are the remnant of the house of Israel.
The Prophet Joseph also pointed out in the Kirtland Temple dedication we "are identified
with the Gentiles" during this time of "the last days or times of the Gentiles."
And now a scathing rebuke:
"32 Wo be unto the Gentiles...."
11 Yea, they have all gone out of the way; they have become corrupted.
12 Because of pride, and because of false teachers, and false doctrine, their churches have become corrupted, and their churches are lifted up; because of pride they are puffed up.
13 They rob the poor
because of their fine sanctuaries; they rob the poor because of their
fine clothing; and they persecute the meek and the poor in heart,
because in their pride they are puffed up.
14 They wear stiff necks and high heads; yea, and because of pride, and wickedness, and abominations, and whoredoms, they have all gone astray save it be a few, who are the humble followers of Christ; nevertheless, they are led, that in many instances they do err because they are taught by the precepts of men.
15 O the wise, and the learned, and the rich, that are puffed up in the pride of their hearts, and all those who preach false doctrines, and all those who commit whoredoms, and pervert the right way of the Lord, wo, wo, wo be unto them, saith the Lord God Almighty, for they shall be thrust down to hell!
16 Wo unto them that turn aside the just for a thing of naught and revile
against that which is good, and say that it is of no worth! For the day
shall come that the Lord God will speedily visit the inhabitants of the
earth; and in that day that they are fully ripe in iniquity they shall perish.
17 But behold, if the inhabitants of the earth shall repent of their wickedness and abominations they shall not be destroyed, saith the Lord of Hosts.
18 But behold, that great and abominable church, the whore of all the earth, must tumble to the earth, and great must be the fall thereof.
19 For the kingdom of the devil must shake, and they which belong to it must needs be stirred up unto repentance, or the devil will grasp them with his everlasting chains, and they be stirred up to anger, and perish;
20 For behold, at that day shall he rage in the hearts of the children of men, and stir them up to anger against that which is good.
21 And others will he pacify, and lull them away into carnal security, that they will say: All is well in Zion; yea, Zion prospereth, all is well—and thus the devil cheateth their souls, and leadeth them away carefully down to hell.
22 And behold, others he flattereth away, and telleth them there is no hell;
and he saith unto them: I am no devil, for there is none—and thus he
whispereth in their ears, until he grasps them with his awful chains, from whence there is no deliverance.
23 Yea,
they are grasped with death, and hell; and death, and hell, and the
devil, and all that have been seized therewith must stand before the
throne of God, and be judged according to their works, from whence they must go into the place prepared for them, even a lake of fire and brimstone, which is endless torment.
24 Therefore, wo be unto him that is at ease in Zion!
25 Wo be unto him that crieth: All is well!
26 Yea, wo be unto him that hearkeneth unto the precepts of men, and denieth the power of God, and the gift of the Holy Ghost!
27 Yea, wo be unto him that saith: We have received, and we need no more!
28 And in fine, wo unto all those who tremble, and are angry because of the truth of God! For behold, he that is built upon the rock receiveth it with gladness; and he that is built upon a sandy foundation trembleth lest he shall fall.
29 Wo be unto him that shall say: We have received the word of God, and we need no more of the word of God, for we have enough.
30 For behold, thus saith the Lord God: I will give unto the children of men line upon line, precept
upon precept, here a little and there a little; and blessed are those
who hearken unto my precepts, and lend an ear unto my counsel, for they
shall learn wisdom; for unto him that receiveth I will give more; and from them that shall say, We have enough, from them shall be taken away even that which they have.
31 Cursed is he that putteth his trust in man, or maketh flesh his arm, or shall hearken unto the precepts of men, save their precepts shall be given by the power of the Holy Ghost.
32 Wo
be unto the Gentiles, saith the Lord God of Hosts! For notwithstanding I
shall lengthen out mine arm unto them from day to day, they will deny
me; nevertheless, I will be merciful unto them, saith the Lord God, if
they will repent and come unto me; for mine arm is lengthened out all the day long, saith the Lord God of Hosts.
"Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest."