#6_14 BOM
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1 Nephi 16–22
1.
Usually when Lehi’s family makes a stop, they invent a name for the place; the only
exception is when they stop “in the place which was [already] called Nahom” (1 Nephi
16:34; cf. 1 Nephi 2:8; 16:6, 13; 17:5). Watch
this short video
(about 1 min long). Why
has Nahom become famous for students of the Book of Mormon?
There's geological
evidence of Nahom before Lehi’s time which is also geological evidence that the
BOM is true
2.
In 1 Nephi 16:10, Lehi finds what we traditionally call the Liahona. Note that Lehi does
not call it that; we get the name from Alma 37:38. How do Lehi and Nephi describe the
Liahona, and how do they say it works? (16:10, 26–30)
Lehi described it as a round
ball of curious workmanship that was made of brass. There were 2 spindles and one
pointed which way they should go. The Liahona only worked when they showed
good faith and diligence and they didn't complain.
3.
Lehi’s family arrive in the land which they called Bountiful in 1 Nephi 17:5. How long
does Nephi say they had been living (lit. “sojourn[ing]”) in the wilderness prior to
arriving in Bountiful? (17:4)
They were journeying for 8 years in the wilderness
In 1 Nephi 17:8, the Lord commanded Nephi to build a ship. Jerusalem is a land-locked city and
we do not know if Lehi or his family ever visited the Mediterranean coast. Ancient Israelites
were not known as a sea-faring people. When they did sail, it was on the land-locked Sea of
Galilee. Boats designed for the sea of Galilee were much smaller than those designed for an open
ocean or vast sea (e.g., Mediterranean) directly connected to the ocean. In the immediate vicinity
of Israel, the people most renowned for their seafaring were the Phoenicians. Even in Israelite
port cities, such as Joppa (from where Jonah embarked on his sea voyage to Tarshish), most
mariners appear to have been non-Israelites (again as seen in the story of Jonah). Thus, we
should recognize the Lord’s command for Nephi to build a ship for what it is: a remarkable
command for which Nephi has no prior experience upon which to rely.
An almost overlookable verbal tense change between verses 8 and 9 shows that the Lord knew
what He was asking Nephi. In v.8, the Lord says, “Thou shalt construct a ship, after the manner
which
I shall show thee
.” Then, in v.9, Nephi asks where he can find the base materials needed
“to construct the ship after the manner which
though hast shown unto me
.” Note the difference!
Those two verses indicate that between the Lord commanding Nephi and Nephi’s response, the
Lord had shown Nephi the type of ship he was to build. There are Old Testament precedents for
the Lord revealing the plans by which a prophet was build a structure the Lord designed.
Exodus 25–31 detail the instructions the Lord gave to Moses regarding the construction of the
Tabernacle, its associated structures and implements, and the robes of the priests. At a couple
points in those chapters, the Lord told Moses, “Make them after their pattern, which
was shewed
thee
in the mount” (25:40). Again, “thou shalt rear up the tabernacle according to the fashion
thereof which
was shewed thee
in the mount” (26:30; see also 27:8). The Hebrew word for
“pattern” in 25:40 indicates something akin to a blueprint or a small-scale model of the desired
Tabernacle. Though not as explicit, the Lord’s instructions for Noah to build an ark in Genesis
6:14–16 are suggestive of something like Moses’s experience. We have similar records of the
Lord providing Joseph Smith with visions of what the Kirtland and Nauvoo temples were to look
like
prior to
the beginning of their construction.
Back to Nephi in 1 Nephi 17. Nephi’s unfamiliarity with things nautical, which his brothers
would have known, may explain (at least in part) Nephi’s brothers’ response. They could not
understand how the Lord could help them against Laban. Neither could they understand their
father’s vision and prophecy. Why should we expect them now to believe that their brother, for
whom there is no record that he had any experience in shipbuilding, could build a boat?
4.
In the face of his brothers’ opposition, what Old Testament stories did Nephi rehears to
his brothers as evidence that the Lord could instruct him on how to build a ship?
(17:23–43)
He tells the story of the children of Israel being freed from the Egyptians
by the faithful work of Moses. He mentions the great work of Moses parting the sea,
and how the Egyptians were drowned in it. He also talks about how the Lord
provided for Moses and his people while in the wilderness when they were righteous.
5.
After recounting much of Israel’s history, Nephi sets his brothers within that history. How
does Nephi compare Laman and Lemuel to the Israelites/Jews within the history his
recounted? (17:44–46)
They like the Israelites were sent to wander in the wilderness,
and Nephi tells his brothers that they must soften their hearts and remember the
miraculous works of God they've seen or they will also be lost like the Isrealites
became when they were unfaithful
By this point in the Book of Mormon, the story of Lehi’s family’s sea voyage in ch.18 is yet
another literary vignette of the constant struggles between faithful obedience and rebellion. The
same characters fulfill the same roles. It seems that no matter how much the Lord does for them,
some people will struggle to keep Him at the forefront of their thoughts. This does not let them
off the hook. But we will soon see, in 2 Nephi 1–4, that neither did it give Lehi or Nephi any
reason to stop trying and hoping for their change, or even from blessing and promising them part
in the Savior’s saving grace.
While the Lehites’ wilderness wanderings are reminiscent of historical Israel’s wilderness
wanderings, the Lehites’ sea voyage not only reechoes the wilderness wanderings, but also
recalls the sputtering obedience and success of the conquest of the Promised Land. By the time
the Lehites’ voyage is over, they are in the Promised Land. Similarly, the biblical book of Joshua
details complications and vacillations between obedience and disobedience as Israel sought to
obtain their Promised Land. Even after “obtaining” it, the book of Judges details the lack of unity
between the various tribes of Israel and continued disobedience in the land. The same exists with
the Lehites in their Promised Land. Thus, we can see obvious parallels between ancient Israel
and the Lehite remnant.
6.
Remember that Nephi-the-narrator here in 1 Nephi is not Nephi-the-teenager in the desert
or even young-adult-Nephi newly arrived in the promised land. He is old-king-Nephi
writing retrospectively decades later. In 1 Nephi 19, this older Nephi takes a break from
the story to reflect on Christ, drawing upon prophecies from an angel and three prophets
from the brass plates, Zenock, Neum, and Zenos. Unlike his teenage self, who did not
understand “the condescension of God,” this mature Nephi now fully understands that
Jehovah, “the God of our fathers, . . . yea, the God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and the God
of Jacob, [will yield] himself . . . as a
_____man_____
[one word].” (1 Ne 19:10)
I want you to finish reading 1 Nephi 19–22, though we will not discuss the Isaiah chapters
(chs.20–21) or Nephi’s interpretation of them (ch.22) until next class period. Nevertheless, a few
observations may help you better navigate this material and provide a little prep for a deeper dive
next week. These three chapters (1 Nephi 20–22) parallel the chapters earlier where Nephi
quoted his vision and then explained it to his brothers. That is not a coincidence. Nephi sees his
big vision and the book of Isaiah as two complementary sources of information, which is why
Nephi quoted Isaiah back when he was talking to his brothers the first time (see 1 Nephi 15:20).
Nephi uses Isaiah to understand his vision, and he uses his vision to understand Isaiah.
In his introduction to the two Isaiah chapters (1 Nephi 19:22–24), Nephi identifies his family as
“a remnant of the house of Israel, a branch who have been broken off.” Nephi is here referring
back to Lehi’s explanation of their family’s role back in 1 Nephi 10:12–13, where the scattering
of Israel is metaphorically described as an olive tree whose branches (=remnants) are broken off
and replanted in new locations around the earth.
Nephi continues to speak to his family by saying, “Hear ye the words of the prophet, which were
written unto all the house of Israel, and liken them unto yourselves, that ye may have hope as
well as your brethren from whom ye have been broken off.” Nephi is pointing out that there is a
difference between what Isaiah 48–49 meant in its original context and what Isaiah 48–49
can
mean when
likened
to Nephi’s family. In other words, Isaiah 48–49 were not originally written to
or about Lehi’s family but, through a process of likening Isaiah 48–49, can still be relevant to
Lehi’s family. There are ways in which the story told in Isaiah 48–49 is
like
the story of Lehi’s
family, and Nephi will explain some of those similarities in 1 Nephi 22.
The concluding chapter of Nephi’s first book (1 Nephi 22) is a tour de force of careful, as well as
creative, scriptural interpretation. Look how many scriptural threads Nephi weaves together here:
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●
He uses phrases from Isaiah 49, the chapter he just quoted in full
●
He draws upon the prophecies of Zenos, which he had quoted back in 1 Nephi 19
●
He alludes to Isaiah 29, foreshadowing his more extensive engagement with that chapter
later in 2 Nephi
●
He quotes the classic Abrahamic covenant description from Genesis
●
He pulls in images from his big vision in 1 Nephi 11–14
●
He quotes from Isaiah 52:7–10, a super important scripture that will later serve as the
basis for sermons by Abinadi and the resurrected Christ
●
He quotes snippets from what sounds like our book of Malachi (that book was not written
yet, so perhaps both Nephi and Malachi are quoting from an earlier source)
●
He quotes and interprets a prophecy from Deuteronomy 18
Can you see how on fire Nephi is here?! Anyone who can take that many scriptures and integrate
them together into a single narrative using sophisticated “likening” while continuing to keep an
eye on the original context . . . well, Nephi is a genius. Or inspired. Or both. Take your pick.
Russell M. Nelson, “Revelation for the Church, Revelation for Our Lives”
One of the striking features of the Book of Mormon is how often God gives revelation, both to
this branch of Israel as a group as well as to individual covenant keepers. You observed that
multiple times in what we read today. In this talk, President Nelson teaches about how that same
revelatory dynamic blesses us as covenant Israel in modern times. This general conference was
President Nelson’s first as the newly called President of the Church.
Here is a tip for this talk: I find that I get certain things out of general conference addresses by
listening
to the talk so I can hear the speaker’s voice, intonation, and emotion.
Watching
a video
amplifies that. On the other hand, I get other things out of general conference addresses by
reading
them. I can sometimes understand more precisely when I’m seeing the words laid out,
and paragraphs and subheadings help me better grasp a talk’s organization. Given those
advantages in each method, I have also found that it can be helpful to me to
listen/watch
at the
same time I
read
, which combines several of these advantages. To do that, I set up two screens
on my computer so that the video plays on one side and I can scroll through the words on the
other. You’re not required to do anything particular for homework assignments, but I offer the
listen/read combo as a suggestion that you may find helpful.
7.
In his first general conference address as President of the Church, President Nelson said
that “one of the things the Spirit has repeatedly impressed upon my mind since my new
calling . . . is how willing the Lord is to” do what?
To reveal His mind and will.
8.
President Nelson cautioned that “in coming days, it will not be possible to survive
spiritually without” what?
the guiding, directing, comforting, and constant influence of
the Holy Ghost.
2 Nephi 1–5
The book of 2 Nephi opens with Lehi announcing, “I have seen a vision, in the which I know
that Jerusalem is destroyed” (2 Nephi 1:4). We do not want to gloss over that statement too
quickly without appreciating what this would have meant to these Israelites. Ever since David
made Jerusalem his capital centuries earlier, Jerusalem was central to the Judahite worldview. It
had survived countless sieges and served as a refuge for Israelites of every tribe after the fall of
the northern kingdom. The temple of Jehovah was there and, with it, Jehovah’s sustaining and
protecting presence. Jerusalem was the home of David and Solomon, Hezekiah and Josiah, Isaiah
and Jeremiah. The Jews saw Jerusalem as the physical representation of Jehovah’s promise to
give land to Abraham’s posterity (Genesis 12:7) and to give a perpetual throne to David’s lineage
(2 Samuel 7:16). To think of its destruction was, to some, unthinkable (as evidenced in 1 Nephi
1:18–19 and 2:13).
How, then, would Lehi’s generation have seen the loss of the holy city? Fellow Jews who were
contemporary with Lehi, but who had been carried off into exile in Babylon, recorded their
feelings in what is now Psalm 137:
By the rivers of Babylon,
there we sat down, yea, we wept,
when we remembered Zion.
We hanged our harps
upon the willows in the midst thereof.
For there they that carried us away captive
required of us a song,
and they that wasted us required of us mirth, saying,
“Sing us one of the songs of Zion!”
How shall we sing the L
ORD
’s song
in a strange land?
If I forget thee, O Jerusalem,
let my right hand forget her cunning.
If I do not remember thee,
let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth;
if I prefer not Jerusalem
above my chief joy.
Regarding Lehi’s announcement, Terryl Givens writes, “For Lehi and his people, the destruction
of Jerusalem changed everything
. . . .
God’s covenant was with Israel—but what was left of
Israel? . . . Moroni, with the hindsight of a thousand years, summarizes the project to which
Nephi—as author of this new, reformulated covenantal narrative—had to now turn. Moroni
introduces the Book of Mormon, which receives its thematic template from Nephi, in these
words: ‘to show unto the remnant of the House of Israel . . . the covenants of the Lord’ and
assure them that ‘
they are not cast off forever
—And also to the convincing of Jew and Gentile
that
J
ESUS
is the C
HRIST
’ (title page, emphasis added). These are the two tasks that Nephi launches
in his second book, and they are provoked by a crisis without precedent in the experience of the
Jewish people. He has to clarify and reaffirm to his people their place within covenantal history,
after the cataclysm of Jerusalem’s fall. And he must teach the full meaning of a covenant whose
plain and precious parts are no longer clearly visible in the Old or New Testaments. He has to
bring together the covenant’s ancient roots and its future fulfillment, centering and orienting that
covenant around the person of Jesus Christ” (
2nd Nephi
, 4, 6–7).
9.
Lehi announces that he has had a new vision; what did he learn has happened? Why
would this news have been so devastating for his family? (2 Ne 1:4)
Jerusalem was
destroyed and everyone in the city perished meaning they have to flee their home
In 2 Nephi 1:10, notice that Lehi refers to “the Holy One of Israel, the true Messiah, their
Redeemer and their God.” Lehi is stringing together titles both for Jehovah and for the mortal
messiah, conflating the two figures. We do not know if Lehi knew about this paired identity
before Nephi’s vision or if Lehi learned this from his own son, but Lehi is now himself clearly
identifying Jehovah as the Messiah who will come.
10.
In 2 Nephi 2, Lehi tells Jacob, “I know that thou art redeemed” because of your
righteousness. Just kidding!—that is false doctrine! Plus, it does not make sense in light
of what you already know about redemption which, by definition, means Jacob is trapped
in a situation he cannot get out of by himself. What Lehi really says is that Jacob is saved
because of
whose
righteousness? (2 Ne 2:3)
The Redeemer’s righteousness
11.
Lehi teaches that the Messiah “shall make intercession for all the children of men” (2 Ne
2:9). What does
intercession
mean? (If you’re not sure, you can just look it up in a
dictionary,
such as Webster's 1828 dictionary
.)
prayer or solicitation to one party in
favor of another
12.
Lehi taught Jacob that, to “bring about his eternal purposes” for humankind, after God
created our first parents and all other lifeforms, what did God have to allow to be (“it
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must needs be that. . .”)? What did the Lord God give humans to enable all this? (2 Ne
2:15–16)
God allowed opposition and temptations, which came with the gift of
agency and being able to choose for ourselves.
13.
Why were “the days of the children of men” prolonged? As such, what does Lehi say this
mortal state can be called? (2:21)
They were prolonged because God was giving them
more time to repent while in the flesh state. Lehi calls this state the state of
probation.
In 2 Nephi 3, Lehi speaks to his youngest son, Joseph, quoting the words of their ancestor
Joseph, who was one of the twelve sons of Jacob (the Joseph with the coat of many colors who
was sold by his brothers into Egypt). It can be confusing to track who is speaking in this chapter,
so keep in mind that the entire chapter is Lehi talking, but he often quotes Joseph of Egypt
(vv.6–21), and often in those Joseph of Egypt quotes, Joseph himself is quoting the Lord
(vv.7–13, 17–21). These prophecies of Joseph are not in the Bible, but they were apparently in
the brass plates.
14.
The Lord told Joseph of Egypt, “A choice seer will I raise up out of the fruit of thy loins.”
The details in these prophecies indicate that the Lord is talking about the work of Joseph
Smith Jr. In the latter days, the Lord will command Joseph Smith to “do a work” that
“shall be of great worth” to the remnant of Joseph’s descendants, “even to the bringing of
them to the knowledge of” what? (3:7; compare v.21.)
knowledge of the covenants
which he has made with thy fathers
In 2 Nephi 4, Lehi speaks to the children of Laman and Lemuel, as well as the sons of Ishmael.
15.
What blessing does Lehi leave on the children of Laman and Lemuel should they be
cursed? (4:6–9) Lehi blesses them so that their cursings will be taken from them and put
on their parents.
He also blesses them so they will not perish and God will show
mercy to them and their seed forever. He also blesses Laman and Lemuel’s children
with the same blessings.
2 Nephi 4:16–35 contains a poem composed by Nephi using a biblical genre called a psalm of
lament. However, because the Book of Mormon traditionally formats prose and poetry the same
way, early readers did not immediately recognize this passage was poetry. Then, in 1947,
Latter-day Saint scholar Sidney B. Sperry analyzed this passage and dubbed it “the psalm of
Nephi.” Further research has demonstrated that Nephi’s psalm follows the genre conventions of a
type of psalm from ancient Israel called an individual lament.
There are several ways of reformatting Nephi’s psalm to bring out the poetic structure. As one
example, I provide a modified presentation of the psalm as found in Brant Gardner,
Second
Witness: Analytical and Contextual Commentary on the Book of Mormon: Volume 2—Second
Nephi–Jacob
(Salt Lake City: Greg Kofford, 2007), 77–79. Gardner bolds certain concepts that
repeat throughout the psalm as a leitmotif, and he italicizes words that are parallel in related
lines. The headings below (“Introduction,” “Invocation,” etc.) are based on comparison with
psalms of lament in the Old Testament.
Introduction
And upon these I write the things of my soul,
and many of the scriptures which are engraven upon the plates of brass. For
Invocation
My soul
delighteth
in the scriptures, and
My heart
pondereth
them, and
[My heart/soul]
writeth
them for the learning and the profit of my children. Behold,
My soul
delighteth
in the things of the Lord; and
My heart
pondereth
continually upon the things which I have seen and heard.
Complaint
Nevertheless, notwithstanding
the great
goodness
of the Lord,
in showing me his
great
and marvelous works,
My heart
exclaimeth
:
O wretched man that I am! Yea,
My heart
sorroweth
because of my flesh;
My soul
grieveth
because of mine iniquities.
I am encompassed about,
because of the temptations and the sins which do so easily beset me.
And when I desire to rejoice,
My heart
groaneth
because of my sins;
Nevertheless, I know in whom I have trusted.
Confession of Trust
My God hath been my support;
[My God] hath
led me
through mine afflictions
in the
wilderness
; and
[My God] hath
preserved me
upon the waters of the
great deep
.
[My God] hath
filled me with his love,
even unto the consuming of my flesh.
[My God] hath
confounded mine enemies
,
unto the causing of them to quake before me. Behold,
[My God] hath heard my
cry by day
, and
[My God] hath given me knowledge by
visions in the night-time
. And
By
day
have I waxed bold in mighty prayer before him;
yea, my voice have I
sent up
on high;
and angels
came down
and ministered unto me.
And upon the wings of his Spirit
hath my
body
been carried away upon exceedingly high mountains.
And mine
eyes
have beheld great things, yea, even too great for man;
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Therefore I was bidden that I should not write them. O then,
If I have seen so great things,
If the Lord in his condescension unto the children of men hath visited men in
so much mercy,
Why should my heart
weep
and
[Why should] my soul
linger
in the valley of sorrow, and
[Why should] my flesh
waste away
, and
[Why should] my strength
slacken
,
because of mine afflictions? And
Why should I
yield
to sin,
because of my flesh? Yea,
Why should I
give way
to temptations,
[Why should] the evil one have place in my heart
to destroy my
peace
and afflict my soul?
Why am I
angry
[=Why should I be
angry
]
because of mine enemy?
Awake, my soul!
No longer droop in sin.
Rejoice
, O my heart, and
Give place no more for the enemy of my soul.
Do not anger again because of mine enemies.
Do not slacken my strength because of mine afflictions.
Rejoice
, O my heart, and
[I will]
cry
unto the Lord, and
Say
: O Lord,
I will
praise
thee forever; yea,
My soul will
rejoice
in thee, my God, and the rock of my salvation. O Lord,
Petition
Wilt thou
redeem
my soul?
Wilt thou
deliver
me out of the hands of mine enemies?
Wilt thou
make me that I may shake
at the appearance of sin?
May
the gates of hell be shut
continually before me,
because that my heart is broken and my spirit is contrite! O Lord,
Wilt thou not shut the gates of thy righteousness before me,
that I may walk in the path of the low valley,
that I may be
strict
in
the plain road
! O Lord,
Wilt thou
encircle
me around in the robe of thy righteousness! O Lord,
Wilt thou
make a way
for mine escape before mine enemies!
Wilt thou
make my path
straight before me!
Wilt thou
not place a stumbling block
in my way—but that
Thou wouldst
Clear my way
before me, and
Hedge not up my way, but
[
Hedge up
]
the ways
of mine enemy. O Lord,
Vow of Praise
I have
trusted
in thee, and
I will
trust
in thee forever.
I will not put my
trust
in the arm of flesh; for
I know that
cursed
is he
that
putteth his trust
in the arm of flesh. Yea,
[I know that]
cursed
is he
that
putteth his trust
in man or maketh flesh his arm. Yea,
I know that God will
give
liberally
to him that
asketh
. Yea,
[I know that] my God will
give
me,
if I
ask
not amiss; therefore
I will
lift up
my
voice
unto thee; yea,
I will
cry
unto thee, my God, the
rock
of my righteousness. Behold,
My
voice
shall forever
ascend
up unto thee,
My
rock
and Mine everlasting God.
Amen.
We call 2 Nephi 4:16–35 “Nephi’s psalm” because it reads like some of the lament psalms of the
Old Testament. It is easy to see why Nephi’s poetic writing would be associated with lament
psalms as we read of Nephi’s soul burdened by sorrow and sin.
16.
Watch
this short video
(about 1 min long). It summarizes research showing that these
kinds of psalms in the Old Testament are finely crafted hymns alluding to temple
worship, covenants, and the Atonement. Since Nephi patterned his psalm after them, that
suggests he is invoking those themes as well, even if words like “temple” or “covenant”
do not appear. “If read carefully, Nephi’s psalm, like those in the Old Testament,
illuminates the beauty, necessity, and blessings of making and keeping covenants with
God. Readers can relate to Nephi’s struggle with sin and gain hope that through the
Redeemer, there is safety for the soul.”
2 Nephi 5 opens with Nephi’s brother once again angry and desirous to kill Nephi. As with Lehi
in 1 Nephi 1, the Lord warns Nephi and instructs him to depart into the wilderness. This is the
birth of the geographical schism between the Nephites and Lamanites. So, like Israel before
them—which divided into the Northern and Southern kingdoms—the Lehite remnant likewise
divided. We are seeing the history of covenant Israel (all twelve tribes) played out on a smaller
scale with Lehi’s family (a remnant of house/tribe of Joseph; i.e., less than one-twelfth of Israel).
Whereas the Bible paints a large picture, the Book of Mormon is painting a much smaller
picture.
17.
After separating from the Lamanites and establishing themselves in their own land,
Nephi’s people did “build buildings” (2 Nephi 5:15) and were very “industrious” (5:17).
Although they “prospered” in many ways, what one thing does Nephi highlight they built
that was of great significance? (5:16)
They built a temple
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Some of the language in 2 Nephi 5 troubles people—rightly so. Nephi’s reference to the
Lamanites’ “curse” requires examination. We will talk about it in class but let us make four
initial observations here.
First, the word “curse” sounds strange to us today—it makes people think of a “mummy’s curse”
like in a movie—but in scriptural terms, a “curse” is just the opposite of a blessing. Every
blessing can be thought of as having a corresponding “curse,” even if it is just the lack of that
blessing. The 2020
Come, Follow Me
manual (
online here
) explains: “In Nephi’s day the curse of
the Lamanites was that they were ‘cut off from [the Lord’s] presence . . . because of their
iniquity’ (2 Nephi 5:20–21). This meant the Spirit of the Lord was withdrawn from their lives.
When Lamanites later embraced the gospel of Jesus Christ, ‘the curse of God did no more follow
them’ (Alma 23:18).”
18.
According to the 2020
Come, Follow Me
manual, what did it mean that the Lamanites,
when they were wicked, were “cursed”?
This meant the Spirit of the Lord was withdrawn from their lives. When Lamanites later
embraced the gospel of Jesus Christ, “the curse of God did no more follow them”
Second, more difficult is Nephi’s reference to the Lamanites’ “skin of blackness” (5:21).
The Book of Mormon also states that a mark of dark skin came upon the Lamanites after
the Nephites separated from them.
Did Nephi believe that God would deny anyone who comes to Him based on their race or color?
Nephi’s teaching that the Lord “denieth none that come unto him, black and
white, bond and free, male and female” (2 Nephi 26:33). the prophet Nephi
declares that God, our Eternal Father, seeks to save all of His children, without
regard to color or race:
Third, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ official position regarding all past
interpretations of associations between skin color, race, and divine favor or disfavor is one of
disavowal. For example, in the Gospel Topics Essay, “Race and the Priesthood” (
online here
),
the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (aka prophets, seers, and revelators)
approved the following statement:
Today, the Church disavows the theories advanced in the past that black skin is a sign of
divine disfavor or curse, or that it reflects unrighteous actions in a premortal life; that
mixed-race marriages are a sin; or that blacks or people of any other race or ethnicity are
inferior in any way to anyone else. Church leaders today unequivocally condemn all
racism, past and present, in any form.
Similarly, at an NAACP luncheon on January 20, 2020, Elder Gary E. Stevenson of the Quorum
of the Twelve Apostles said the following (summary of his comments
online here
):
Our position as a Church is clear. We do condemn all racism, past or present, in any form,
and we disavow any theory that black or dark skin is a sign of a curse. We are brothers
and sisters, and I consider you friends.
I could add dozens of quotes from modern prophets and apostles that decry racism as
anti-Christian.
20.
Regardless of any past statements by leaders or members, the official position of the
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is clear. The “Church
disavows
[one word]
the theories advanced in the past that black skin is a sign of
divine disfavor or curse
[four words].” Again, the official position of the LDS Church does “
condemn
[one
word] all racism, past or present, in any form, and we
disavow
[one word] any theory that
black or dark skin is a sign of
a curse
[two words].”
Fourth, our difficulties interpreting a few passages do not keep the Book of Mormon from
fulfilling its mission of helping people have faith in Jesus Christ and His restored gospel. The
following 12-minute video, “Jesus is Real: Calyann's Experience with the Book of Mormon”
(
online here
), demonstrates some important ideas to keep in mind.
Let us return to 2 Nephi 5. As we have seen, Nephi was commanded to make the large plates
soon after arriving in the New World (1 Nephi 19:1), but the command to make the small plates
did not come until thirty years had passed since leaving Jerusalem (2 Nephi 5:30). At 2 Nephi
5:28–30, he has now gotten to that point in his recounting of events. He describes making the
small plates—the text you are reading—and then says that “forty years had passed away” (2
Nephi 5:34). It seems that he has spent about ten years writing 1 Nephi 1 through 2 Nephi 5, and
we have now “caught up” with him in time. In fact, the end of 2 Nephi 5 is the last explicit time
marker in Nephi’s small-plates; he is now done telling us any history.
21.
Now that we have passed by the young Character Nephi and caught up with the old
Narrator Nephi, can you think of any specific ways in which this older Nephi’s mature
perspectives might have shaped the way he has been telling us the stories of his youth? In
other words, how would Nephi’s understanding of his own life story be different if he had
told it right after landing in the New World, as opposed to years living through the
conditions described in 2 Nephi 5?
He probably wouldn't have had such a "big picture" view of everything. There might've
been a lot more complaining because that's what teenagers do. He also probably forgot a
lot about how exactly he was feeling at certain times. He rarely holds out hopes for his
brothers - he would've sounded more merciful towards them when he was younger. He
doesn't understand a lot of theological concepts as a teen. He's just more mature and gives
us that point of view.
Terryl Givens, “More Plain and Precious Things,” in
2nd Nephi
, 62–68.
You’re not reading this entire chapter, so you can stop when you get to the top of p. 68.
22.
Ever since the time of St. Augustine (AD 354–430), most Christians have had a particular
way of understanding the Fall of Adam and Eve, but Lehi’s discourse in 2 Nephi 2
suggests that this traditional understanding is utterly wrong. How did Christianity tend to
understand Adam and Eve’s motivation and the impact of their decision? What does the
Book of Mormon teach instead? (pp.62–63)
They believe that Adam and Eve
disobeyed God because they were already corrupted. Their logic is that they
wouldn't have done an evil thing had they not already been evil themselves.
However the BOM teaches that Adam’s transgression is a blessing because we now
have children, we can experience joy, and we can choose for ourselves as we are no
longer stuck in a state of innocence.
23.
What is “the only conspicuous” doctrinal teaching of the Book of Mormon “that is
emphatically at odds with the Bible as interpreted by millions of readers for millennia”?
What group within the LDS Church “first recognized this reading” and difference?
(pp.63–64)
The women of the church
24.
One of Lehi’s most famous lines is, “It must needs be, that there is an opposition in all
things.” Many Book of Mormon readers quote this to make the point that we will always
face
adversity
, but Terryl Givens suggests that in context Lehi is actually saying that
there must be
contrasts
,
opposites
, for us to both experience and choose from. Why are
such contrasting options so important? (pp.65–66)
Without contraries there is no progression. Meaning can only appear ,truth can only reveal
itself.
25.
After Adam and Eve partook of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil,
“the L
ORD
God said, Behold the man is become as one of us” (Genesis 3:22). Numerous
theologians have interpreted God’s observation as irony or sarcasm, assuming God would
of course be upset at the idea of humans becoming more like Him. How do Lehi’s
teachings make sense of these words? (p.67)
His teachings make sense of the words as simple facts that by experiencing,
being immersed, and confronting good and evil can we exist as independent
agents acting for ourselves and not simply being acted upon.
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“Like a Broken Vessel” [video]
The Book of Mormon and modern prophets teach that the Fall of Adam and Eve was necessary.
Mortal life—with all its ups and downs, happiness and sorrow, joy and pain—is an experience
that helps us become like our heavenly parents. The range of contrasts we encounter here is
crucial for our development and thus part of God’s loving plan for us.
However, knowing that mortality is an essential part of our eternal journey does not change the
fact that it is often
hard
. We experience pain, trauma, sorrow, loss. These hard experiences may
be necessary in ways we do not yet understand, but they do beat us up. This is a huge part of why
God provided the Savior Jesus Christ: His Atonement will heal all the trauma we go through here
on earth, allowing us to get all the benefits of this educative experience while not being forever
scarred by it.
Some of that healing comes quickly, some comes later, and some will not be fully realized until
after this life. So until that day of perfect restoration comes, we have to trust God’s greater
perspective, do our best to live by faith, and charitably help others through their trials. One
burden that many people bear—one in four of us, at some point in our lives—is mental illness.
“We invite Church and community members alike,” the Church website states, “to increase their
compassion and support of those who are struggling and to take an active role in caring for their
own mental health.” Whether you need to better understand your own experience or need more
context for understanding others, this video is an introduction to this very significant mortal
challenge.
26.
In the Church’s video “Like a Broken Vessel,” Elder Jeffrey R. Holland and other
Latter-day Saints share their experiences with mental illness. What is an insight this video
gave you or reminded you of? How can you use that insight to better help yourself or
other people?
Its comforting knowing that there are other people out there who also struggle. That we
have prophets and apostles living today that can understand and receive revelation to
help us get through our trials. We also have Jesus who not only understands our pains
and afflictions but is someone that that can help us carry our pain. The savior loves each
of His Fathers children.