Shawn Broderick

The Book of Mormon Challenge - Enos, Jarom, Omni, Words of Mormon

2011-04-06T09:31:00.000-04:00

Here is the chart for the books of Enos, Jarom, Omni, and the Words of Mormon. Each book has one chapter.

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Here are the Excel files with all the details:

Enos Analysis
Jarom Analysis
Omni Analysis
Words of Mormon Analysis

Here are files that have the highlighted PDF chapters:

Enos Highlighted Chapter
Jarom Highlighted Chapter
Omni Highlighted Chapter
Words of Mormon Highlighted Chapter

These books cover many years of history. There are also multiple authors among them. They also feature good testimonies of Christ. They are great!

A Thought from the Book of Jacob

2011-03-29T09:36:00.003-04:00

In my analysis post, I see that Jacob chapter 4 merits further investigation. (Again, not that the others don't, but the chart peaks my curiosity.)

Upon further investigation, I notice that Jacob 4 begins with one of my favorite sets of verses in the Book of Mormon. Here they are with comments:

1 Now behold, it came to pass that I, Jacob, having ministered much unto my people in word, (and I cannot write but a little of my words, because of the difficulty of engraving our words upon plates) and we know that the things which we write upon plates must remain;

Here we see that it is difficult for Jacob, and probably the other prophets in the Book of Mormon, to engrave their prophesies on plates. Because they knew that the engravings they made would stand for all time, they had to chose their words carefully and probably couldn't erase them if they made a mistake.

2 But whatsoever things we write upon anything save it be upon plates must perish and vanish away; but we can write a few words upon plates, which will give our children, and also our beloved brethren, a small degree of knowledge concerning us, or concerning their fathers—

Jacob and the other prophets knew that using other media at the time to record their prophesies would just disintegrate and become unreadable, so they used what they knew would last. I believe that this verse also reveals who the Book of Mormon was written to. To their children. I also believe that we are included in that category. They wanted us, the peoples of the latter-days to know about them, to have a small degree of knowledge concerning them. Think of all the peoples that have lived on the Americas that we don't know about their names, families, lives, or God's dealings with them. We are blessed to have these records in our hands. So, what was their purpose for all of the hard work, labor, and sacrifice to write down these passages? And how did they feel about it? Let's read on...

3 Now in this thing we do rejoice; and we labor diligently to engraven these words upon plates, hoping that our beloved brethren and our children will receive them with thankful hearts, and look upon them that they may learn with joy and not with sorrow, neither with contempt, concerning their first parents.

So, when I read this scripture for my personal scripture study one day, it really hit me. How do we receive the product of their words and scrifice? Do we receive them with thankful hearts? Do we look to them to learn about their testimonies of Christ with joy? Do we look on them with sorrow or contempt to read and learn about them? Now this latter question may seem to be extreme, but those were the words Jacob used. He hoped, and probably prayed, that we could have his words and receive them with thankful hearts. So, this is how I feel about daily scripture study. My goal is to always have a good attitude about the commandment and think of the new things that I can learn and opening up the conduit to feel of the Spirit that day. He will come when we do this because we read of truth about Christ and the prophets' testimonies of Him. So, what was their intent?

4 For, for this intent have we written these things, that they may know that we knew of Christ, and we had a hope of his glory many hundred years before his coming; and not only we ourselves had a hope of his glory, but also all the holy prophets which were before us.

They wanted us to know that they knew that Christ would come. Jacob knew that the words of all the prophets before him were about the fact that He would come. They had a hope of His glory. What does that mean? I think that, in part, it means that He would be the Savior and fulfill all the words He, as Jehovah, revealed to them--to live again after death, and to live with Heavenly Father again. That is what they felt. How much of a blessing it is for us to know it. So, have you read your scriptures yet today? : )

The Book of Mormon Challenge - Jacob

2011-03-15T10:29:00.003-04:00

Here is the chart for the book of Jacob:

(Click on image to enlarge. Click on Back button to return to post.)

Here is the Excel file with all the details:

Jacob Analysis

Here is the .zip file with all the highlighted PDF chapters:

Jacob Highlighted Chapters

Jacob is a wonderful book. He has some good practical sermons to the people. But more on that later.

Thoughts on 2nd Nephi Analysis

2011-03-11T10:33:00.002-05:00

The first thought that comes to mind how often the Jesus Christ is mentioned in the Isaiah chapters in 2nd Nephi. There seems to be a little slump there compared to the beginning and the end of the book. However, I want to remind you of Jesus's own commandment to the Nephites (and us) about the writings of Isaiah in 3 Nephi 23:1.

"And now, behold, I say unto you, that ye ought to search these things. Yea, a commandment I give unto you that ye search these things diligently; for great are the words of Isaiah."

This selection in the book of 2nd Nephi is not easy to read at times, but as I skimmed the chapter headings, I found that in 2nd Nephi, Isaiah prophesies a lot about the latter-days, which are our days, and the Millennium. They help us to be righteous and describe the fate of the wicked.

The end of the book of 2nd Nephi (i.e., chapters 25-33) is special, I believe, because of the number of times each member of the Godhead is mentioned, especially in chapters 31-33.

Chapter 31 is where Nephi testifies of the baptism of Christ and the reason He was baptized. He testifies of the need for keeping the commandments and if we do so, we'll obtain eternal life.

I believe chapter 32 is mainly about prayer. How are you doing with your prayers? With prayer we can obtain a knowledge of spiritual (and more) things. We receive our answers through scripture study and the Holy Ghost.

In chapter 33, Nephi testifies that his words are the words of Christ. It reminds me of people that say they've read the Book of Mormon and don't believe it. I'm not sure if they've truly read. I believe Nephi when he says that he (and the other prophets in the Book of Mormon) teach the words of Christ. They are His words.

I love the ending of Nephi's writings, which are also in chapter 33, "For what I seal on earth, shall be brought against you at the judgement bar; for thus hath the Lord commanded me, and I must obey. Amen." He says that his words will be brought before us at the judgment and that he must obey the commandments of God. So must we and if we do, we will rejoice when the words are brought before us.

The Book of Mormon Challenge - 2nd Nephi

2011-03-09T11:06:00.003-05:00

Here are the results for the analysis of the book of 2nd Nephi:

(Click on image to enlarge. Click on Back button to return to this post.)

Here is the Excel file with all the details:

2 Nephi Analysis

In order to save time on creating individual links to the highlighted PDF chapters for the book of 2nd Nephi, I have used the .zip format to archive each PDF into one file. In order to see the PDFs, just download the file and click on it. Whether on Mac or PC you should be able to just save the files in their own folder. Let me know if there are problems.

2 Nephi Higlighted Chapters

Have a great day!

Thoughts on 1st Nephi Analysis

2011-03-03T09:15:00.003-05:00

So, if you look at the chart of the number of times each member of the Godhead is mentioned (as a percentage per verse) you will notice that chapters 10, 11, 12, 13, and 14 particularly stand out. They have more times when Nephi mentions Heavenly Father and the Holy Ghost along with Jesus Christ. If we recall, the events portrayed in those chapters was a special vision that Nephi had where he saw his father's vision of the Tree of Life along with details of the future with the birth of Christ, the fate of his people, the last days, and every important event leading up to the second coming. (See 1 Nephi 6 for Nephi's description of how special these chapters (and all others) are that are in his book.)

So, by noting these special chapters, do we say that the others, like 1 Nephi 1-9, and 15-22 are not as special because they don't mention the members of the Godhead as much? I submit that they are as special. They might have a different focus or purpose, but I believe that when Mormon compiled the gold plates, he selected the accounts that were special for our day. Both authors of Helaman and Ether (which I believe are Mormon and Moroni, respectively) say that they couldn't include a hundredth part of the proceedings of the people, I believe temporally or spiritually. But they include something, all of it being their most precious accounts. Nephi and Jacob also mention this. I believe it is true for the whole book.

So how do we value it? The Nephites had a 1000-year history, and the Jaredites, even longer. The Book of Mormon is most precious. So, as I post more analyses, we need to keep these things in mind. Those are my thoughts for today. Thanks for reading!

The Book of Mormon Challenge - 1st Nephi

2011-03-02T09:49:00.012-05:00

I had finished the Book of Mormon Challenge a while ago, but haven't posted any results or thoughts about it. I did the challenge using PDF versions of each chapter of the Book of Mormon. I highlighted each time the name of the Savior appeared in the text and reflected on His role in that chapter.

Then I thought that a good extension would be to see how much Heavenly Father is mentioned and the Holy Ghost, the two remaining members of the Godhead. I feel that I must be careful in doing this because of the sacred nature of Their names. I hope that through this analysis, I have still maintained that.

First of all, I want to say that I know that the Book of Mormon is another testament of Jesus Christ. In this small way of seeing how He is mentioned and about whom testimonies are given, the Book of Mormon is so powerful. There are only a few chapters where He isn't mentioned, but some chapters mention Him 50-70 times. We will find out how this plays out.

The first book in the Book of Mormon is 1st Nephi. Each chapter has a percentage of verses where each member of the Godhead is mentioned. Notice that Jesus Christ is by far the center figure. This is true in all the chapters of the Book of Mormon.

(Click on image to enlarge. Click on Back button to return to this post.)

Here is the Excel file with all the details of how the above chart was created:

1 Nephi Analysis

1 Nephi highlighted PDFs:

1 Nephi 1
1 Nephi 2
1 Nephi 3
1 Nephi 4
1 Nephi 5
1 Nephi 6
1 Nephi 7
1 Nephi 8
1 Nephi 9
1 Nephi 10
1 Nephi 11
1 Nephi 12
1 Nephi 13
1 Nephi 14
1 Nephi 15
1 Nephi 16
1 Nephi 17
1 Nephi 18
1 Nephi 19
1 Nephi 20
1 Nephi 21
1 Nephi 22

A little break

2009-09-16T12:13:00.002-04:00

My family and I are taking on a challenge to read the Book of Mormon and mark every time we come across certain things like Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost, or other doctrines. So, to this blog, I will say goodbye for a while. Thanks for reading, friend!

2 Nephi 1:21-22

2009-09-14T08:27:00.002-04:00

"21 And now that my soul might have joy in you, and that my heart might leave this world with gladness because of you, that I might not be brought down with grief and sorrow to the grave, arise from the dust, my sons, and be ^amen, and be determined in ^bone mind and in one heart, united in all things, that ye may not come down into captivity;

"22 That ye may not be ^acursed with a sore cursing; and also, that ye may not incur the displeasure of a ^bjust God upon you, unto the destruction, yea, the eternal destruction of both soul and body."

I have heard the middle part of verse 21 quoted a number of times before. However, I didn't remember who said it and why. Lehi continues his discussion about life with his family. He is speaking to his sons, Laman and Lemuel. Lehi is about to die and he is worried about their disobedience. He says that in order that his soul might have joy for them, and that he might pass away with happiness with them, and not sorrow, he tells them to arise from the dust and be men. Arise from being idol with works of righteousness and to take on the challenge to follow the commandments and work hard to implement them in their lives. He challenges them to accomplish this by being of one heart and one mind, united in all things, so that they would not be held captive by the devil because they would be cut off from the presence of the Lord for not following the commandments.

Lehi feels that a sore cursing is imminent. This is not the first time he has mentioned it, I believe. He asks them to do things that would not incur the displeasure of a just God. God must be just with the wicked and the righteous. Lehi does not want his sons to receive the eternal destruction of both soul and body. This is a pretty heavy statement. Later we learn that Lehi blesses Laman and Lemuel's posterity so that the sin of the children and their posterity fall upon Laman and Lemuel (see 2 Nephi 4:6). With this in mind, it seems to be more realistic now and not so heavy.

I wonder if Lehi has felt these things all along or has just realized that this would happen recently, little by little. In any case, it is a testimony to us that we need to always follow the Lord.

2 Nephi 1:19-20

2009-09-11T11:51:00.002-04:00

"19 O my sons, that these things might not come upon you, but that ye might be a choice and a ^afavored people of the Lord. But behold, his will be done; for his ^bways are righteousness forever.

"20 And he hath said that: ^aInasmuch as ye shall keep my ^bcommandments ye shall ^cprosper in the land; but inasmuch as ye will not keep my commandments ye shall be cut off from my presence."

Lehi does not want his sons and their posterity to be cursed and led by the devil for generations. He wishes them to be a choice and favored people of the Lord. These desires mirror what he has thought for many years. He has even dreamed about it. It is a part of Lehi's dream.

We turn for a moment to 1 Nephi 8. Lehi has seen his dream and is about to share it with his family. He begins by saying that he is happy for Nephi and Sam and has reason to believe that they and their posterity will be saved. In verse 4 we read, "4 But behold, ^aLaman and Lemuel, I fear exceedingly because of you..." He does not think this is the case for Laman and Lemuel. Lehi then sees the tree with the precious fruit, walks along the path to it, and partakes of the fruit. He wants to share it with his family. They all come and eat, except Laman and Lemuel. He does not find them at first. In verse 17, we read:

"17 And it came to pass that I was desirous that Laman and Lemuel should come and partake of the fruit also; wherefore, I cast mine eyes towards the head of the river, that perhaps I might see them.

"18 And it came to pass that I saw them, but they would ^anot come unto me and partake of the fruit."

Laman and Lemuel are discussed at the end of the chapter. In verses 35-38, we read:

"35 And ^aLaman and Lemuel partook not of the fruit, said my father.

"36 And it came to pass after my father had spoken all the words of his dream or vision, which were many, he said unto us, because of these things which he saw in a vision, he exceedingly feared for Laman and Lemuel; yea, he feared lest they should be cast off from the presence of the Lord.

"37 And he did ^aexhort them then with all the feeling of a tender parent, that they would hearken to his words, that perhaps the Lord would be merciful to them, and not cast them off; yea, my father did preach unto them.

"38 And after he had preached unto them, and also prophesied unto them of many things, he bade them to keep the commandments of the Lord; and he did cease speaking unto them."

Lehi has spoken with Laman and Lemuel many times like this. Such exhortation and prophesies require and are much labor in the Spirit. If we know someone is not following the commandments, how much do we testify to them and exhort them to follow the commandments?

We know that the fruit of the tree is the gospel and the love of God. Laman and Lemuel did not want to be a part of that. This is what worries Lehi. Their behavior indicates that they are not converted and won't anytime soon. Lehi is about to die and is pleading desperately with them to follow the commandments and be a part of the gospel. Lehi is pulling the last card in his deck. The ace. The clincher. However, it is still up to Laman and Lemuel to follow.

In verse 20 (of 2 Nephi 1), Lehi again quotes the Lord. Inasmuch as you follow the commandments you will prosper. If you do not, you will be cut off from His presence. I wonder if we are like Laman and Lemuel, in that the Lord has to sometimes tell is straight out and several times. We have Stake Conference this week. What messages will we hear?

2 Nephi 1:17-18

2009-09-10T09:12:00.002-04:00

" 17 My heart hath been weighed down with sorrow from time to time, for I have feared, lest for the hardness of your hearts the Lord your God should come out in the fulness of his ^awrath upon you, that ye be ^bcut off and destroyed forever;

"18 Or, that a ^acursing should come upon you for the space of ^bmany generations; and ye are visited by sword, and by famine, and are hated, and are led according to the will and captivity of the ^cdevil."

Lehi continues his laments and worries about his two oldest sons. He states that from time to time his heart has been weighed down with sorrow. In the beginning of their journey to the promised land, Lehi preached to Laman and Lemuel. He even named geological features after them to help them to remember to be steadfast (see 1 Nephi 2:10 and on). He was really sad at their behavior on the ship across the ocean so much so that he was brought to bed rest (see 1 Nephi 18:17).

Lehi also noticed that they have been neglecting the commandments for such a long time and they didn't seem about to start. He knew that the judgments of God will come upon the unrepentant whether in this life or the next. Thus, he feared that the Lord would cut them off. Imagine that you had two wayward sons. I think that it would pain me beyond anything I could imagine to watch them be cut off from the presence of the Lord and destroyed. Then, to see their lives be cursed for many generations, visited by sword and famine, hated, and led according to the will and captivity of the devil. Thus, their example being the means whereby many live in this world without the knowledge of the gospel and then sent unprepared to meet their Maker (see Alma 48:23).

So, how does this apply to us? Let us follow the Lord and not be cut off from His influence by following the commandments.

2 Nephi 1:16

2009-09-09T09:31:00.002-04:00

"16 And I desire that ye should remember to observe the ^astatutes and the judgments of the Lord; behold, this hath been the anxiety of my soul from the beginning."

Lehi desires for Laman and Lemuel (and others whose actions have been questionable up to this point) that they observe the statutes and judgments of the Lord. A statute is a law decreed by God, or in other words, the commandments. He also wants them to observe the judgments of the Lord. What does that exactly mean? Is it saying the same as observing statutes or commandments? What do you think?

I find it interesting that Lehi states that he has been anxious about the behavior of his sons from the beginning. It seems then that Laman and Lemuel have always been a problem. Or, they started to be a problem when Lehi first told them that they were going to leave Jerusalem. It seems to me that it all depends on when "the beginning" was. However, the important point is that the current direction on the road to the Celestial Kingdom for those two is not in the right direction. Lehi is very worried about this. We shall see more in the upcoming verses.

2 Nephi 1:15

2009-09-03T09:15:00.002-04:00

"15 But behold, the Lord hath ^aredeemed my soul from hell; I have beheld his ^bglory, and I am encircled about eternally in the ^carms of his ^dlove."

As we continue with our scripture study, we come back into Nephi's record of Lehi's final discussion of the most important gospel topics with his entire family. I am inferring that they are the most important things because if you think about it, what would you say, and to whom would you speak, when you know that you are going to pass on from this life.

It is a blessing for Lehi for him to know, and as such testify, that the Lord has redeemed his soul. He has saved him from the depths of hell. It is a blessing for Lehi to have seen the glory of the Lord. It is possible that he has seen the glory of the Lord on a number of occasions. If we remember back to the first chapter of 1 Nephi, we have an account of a time, most likely the first, when he beheld His glory (1 Nephi 1:5-15):

"5 Wherefore it came to pass that my father, Lehi, as he went forth prayed unto the Lord, yea, even with all his ^aheart, in behalf of his people [the Jews at Jerusalem].

"6 And it came to pass as he prayed unto the Lord, there came a ^apillar of fire and dwelt upon a rock before him; and he saw and heard much; and because of the things which he saw and heard he did ^bquake and tremble exceedingly.

"7 And it came to pass that he returned to his own house at Jerusalem; and he cast himself upon his bed, being ^aovercome with the Spirit and the things which he had seen.

"8 And being thus overcome with the Spirit, he was carried away in a ^avision, even that he saw the ^bheavens open, and he thought he ^csaw God sitting upon his throne, surrounded with numberless concourses of angels in the attitude of singing and praising their God.

"9 And it came to pass that he saw One descending out of the midst of heaven, and he beheld that his ^aluster was above that of the sun at noon-day.

"10 And he also saw ^atwelve others following him, and their brightness did exceed that of the stars in the firmament.

"11 And they came down and went forth upon the face of the earth; and the first came and ^astood before my father, and gave unto him a ^bbook, and bade him that he should read.

"12 And it came to pass that as he read, he was filled with the ^aSpirit of the Lord.

"13 And he read, saying: Wo, wo, unto Jerusalem, for I have seen thine ^aabominations! Yea, and many things did my father read concerning ^bJerusalem—that it should be destroyed, and the inhabitants thereof; many should perish by the sword, and many should be ^ccarried away captive into Babylon.

"14 And it came to pass that when my father had read and seen many great and marvelous things, he did exclaim many things unto the Lord; such as: Great and marvelous are thy works, O Lord God Almighty! Thy throne is high in the heavens, and thy ^apower, and goodness, and mercy are over all the inhabitants of the earth; and, because thou art merciful, thou wilt not suffer those who ^bcome unto thee that they shall perish!

"15 And after this manner was the language of my father in the praising of his God; for his soul did rejoice, and his whole heart was filled, because of the things which he had seen, yea, which the Lord had shown unto him."

I am particularly touched by the last part of this verse. He is encircled eternally in the arms of His love. I know that we can have an inkling of what that is in this life. There have been many times in which I have been sad, hurt, or frustrated. I have prayed for such love, calmness, and peace and have received it.

2 Nephi 1:13-14

2009-09-02T08:34:00.002-04:00

"13 O that ye would awake; awake from a deep ^asleep, yea, even from the sleep of ^bhell, and shake off the awful ^cchains by which ye are bound, which are the chains which bind the children of men, that they are carried away captive down to the eternal ^dgulf of misery and woe.

"14 Awake! and arise from the dust, and hear the words of a trembling ^aparent, whose limbs ye must soon lay down in the cold and silent ^bgrave, from whence no traveler can ^creturn; a few more ^ddays and I go the ^eway of all the earth."

Lehi calls to his oldest sons, and probably the sons of Ishmael, too, for them to awaken out of their deep sleep of hell. What a great metaphor. I have seen people in my life who are "sleeping." It saddens me so much that they don't realize how they sound when they talk of their ideas or plans. You know in your heart that they are not seeking what they should and are blinded by things they really want, but you realize that they aren't going to work and you feel for them. Later, when what has happened happens and they are sad and in worse shape than they were before, it is like they are in a gulf of misery and woe. There are extreme versions of this which come to pass for the few truly wicked, but I think that this scripture can apply for those righteous who are deceived.

He uses another wonderful metaphor for the reality of being ensnared by the devil. He says that those people are bound by chains. A good cross reference to this is 2 Nephi 26:22, which says:

"22 And there are also secret ^acombinations, even as in times of old, according to the combinations of the ^bdevil, for he is the founder of all these things; yea, the founder of murder, and ^cworks of darkness; yea, and he leadeth them by the neck with a flaxen cord, until he bindeth them with his strong cords forever."

If you follow the temptations of the devil, he will first bind you with a flaxen cord, by having you do little things that seem to not be really bad or forbidden, but that are not good, too. You could break free of it when you choose and the bondage is not strong. But, when we "like" it we follow those temptations more and more, thus binding ourselves further until we are bound with strong cords and chains. We are bound by the consequences of our decisions. They may be temporal or spiritual, but most likely both.

Lehi then calls again to them to awake and hear the words of your trembling parent. Who in a few days will die. It reminds me of missionaries that leave their area. They make one more effort to try and convince those they have taught and loved to get baptized or come to church. In a few days they will be gone. Lehi loves his sons very much and has pleaded with them to follow the commandments and prosper.

We must think of ourselves first here. Could it be possible that we are bound and not know it? How does our family feel about our spirituality? It is likely that if they are following the commandments, they can be a good source of advice or perspective. What do our spiritual leaders say? Think about and read from General Conference talks. Are we following their counsel?

2 Nephi 1:11-12

2009-09-01T07:13:00.002-04:00

"11 Yea, he will bring ^aother nations unto them, and he will give unto them power, and he will take away from them the lands of their possessions, and he will cause them to be ^bscattered and smitten.

"12 Yea, as one generation passeth to another there shall be ^abloodsheds, and great visitations among them; wherefore, my sons, I would that ye would remember; yea, I would that ye would hearken unto my words."

We continue with Lehi and his prophesies concerning the land of the Americas. In verse 11, he is referring to his descendants and those that choose not to follow the commandments. He says that the Lord will bring other nations to this land and it is from the Lord their power will come. This has happened. Nations from Europe have come to colonize America. The natives were pushed out of their lands and possessions. Remember that this did not just happen in North America, but South America, too. They were scattered and smitten.

In verse 12 we see that Lehi prophesies wars and destruction for the Americas in his time and onward if the people do not repent. An interesting cross-reference given in this verse is Doctrine and Covenants 87:6. Really the entire section talks about the fact that the Civil War would take place. It counsels that the people should stand in holy places and be not moved. This is what we should do always, for more troubled times are still ahead, I believe.

2 Nephi 1:10

2009-08-31T09:44:00.002-04:00

"10 But behold, when the time cometh that they shall dwindle in ^aunbelief, after they have received so great blessings from the hand of the Lord—having a knowledge of the creation of the earth, and all men, knowing the great and marvelous works of the Lord from the creation of the world; having power given them to do all things by faith; having all the commandments from the beginning, and having been brought by his infinite goodness into this precious land of promise—behold, I say, if the day shall come that they will reject the Holy One of Israel, the true ^bMessiah, their Redeemer and their God, behold, the judgments of him that is ^cjust shall rest upon them."

I believe that Lehi is prophesying through this whole chapter. He continues prophesying about his seed and all those that inherit this land. So, that means us, too. In the beginning of verse 10, the comment that "when the time cometh that they shall dwindle in unbelief" struck me. It doesn't say if, it says when. This leads me to the question, did every people that came to the Americas eventually fall into a state of unbelief (in God)? Will every people, including the ones here now, fall into a state of unbelief? Well, we do know that there were many civilizations that have lived here and all of them have suffered the consequences of their unbelief. I believe that will be so in this time, too. We are given the same promises and the same prophesies of destruction are foretold to us, in the last days (from all scriptures), as they are for the groups that have lived here. We also know that the Lord has established His church and work and they won't be destroyed any more, as they had in the past. So, I am led to think that this promise applies to all, but will be fulfilled for those who do not follow the commandments.

So, it seems that serious consequences come for those who have a certain level of knowledge and testimony and then reject the Lord. I believe that relatively only a few of us have such knowledge. However, the saying still goes, if you follow the commandments you'll be blessed. If you don't you won't.

2 Nephi 1:9

2009-08-28T09:12:00.002-04:00

"9 Wherefore, I, Lehi, have obtained a ^apromise, that ^binasmuch as those whom the Lord God shall bring out of the land of Jerusalem shall keep his commandments, they shall ^cprosper upon the face of this land; and they shall be kept from all other nations, that they may possess this land unto themselves. And if it so be that they shall ^dkeep his commandments they shall be blessed upon the face of this land, and there shall be none to molest them, nor to take away the land of their ^einheritance; and they shall dwell safely forever."

This verse is a very insightful verse. Lehi obtains a promise from the Lord regarding his people and all others who will come to possess the land of the Americas. The promise is this: inasmuch as those who are led out of the land of Jerusalem to the Americas shall keep the commandment, they shall prosper. They shall be kept from all other nations, that being all other peoples in Europe, Africa, and Asia. They shall possess the land by themselves and live off the fruits thereof. The promise is reiterated, if they keep the commandments they shall be blessed in this land and there shall be none to molest them or take away their land. They shall live safely forever.

As we will see, this is a promise of the Lord and was fulfilled to the very letter. When the Nephites were good, they prospered and lived in peace with the Lamanites. When they let pride and disobedience come into their lives, which happened on frequent intervals, the Lamanites were stirred up to war against them. So, I am led to think about when the time came that other nations came over to the Americas, for example Pilgrims from England, had the descendants of Lehi fallen into a state of wickedness so that the promise of having nations come to molest them be fulfilled? I believe so. The indigenous people of the Americas were oppressed and pushed inland, mostly by England on the north and Spain and Portugal on the south. Nephi had foreseen this (see 1 Nephi 13, specifically verse 14). Some wonder why such bad things happened to the people when Columbus and others came to the Americas. Many people nowadays blame him for it. We see from scripture that they had broken their promise with the Lord. It seems, however, that there were good pockets, too. Think of the story of the first Thanksgiving. However, generally speaking we cannot judge what happened to them as many do. The Lord has His ways and purposes. Isaiah 55:8-9 says:

"8 ¶ For my ^athoughts are not ^byour thoughts, neither are your ^cways my ^dways, saith the Lord.

"9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ^aways ^bhigher than your ways, and my ^cthoughts than your thoughts."

Modern prophets have told us that the colonization of America was one of the Lord's stepping stones for the restoration of the gospel. People came to the Americas for religious freedom. They felt that the Church of England did not worship how they were supposed to, according to the scriptures (the New Testament, in particular). Such devotion to the Lord merited the time for the restoration to take place and a marvelous work and wonder wrought (see Isaiah 29:14).

Going back to the posterity of Lehi. The Lord says "Come unto me" 66 times in the scriptures. Those that do, and repent and keep the commandments will find Him, and prosper, no matter of what origin they might be.

2 Nephi 1:8

2009-08-27T09:39:00.004-04:00

"8 And behold, it is wisdom that this land should be ^akept as yet from the knowledge of other ^bnations; for behold, many nations would overrun the land, that there would be no place for an inheritance.

The verse of our post today mentions that in the wisdom of the Lord, He is keeping this land from the knowledge of other nations. Jesus briefly mentions that there are other lands with people who follow Him on them when he was preaching one day. In John 10:14-16 it says:

"14 I am the good ^ashepherd, and ^bknow my ^csheep, and am known of mine.

"15 As the Father knoweth me, even so ^aknow I the Father: and I lay down my ^blife for the sheep.

"16 And ^aother ^bsheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be ^cone fold, and one shepherd."

These sheep He mentions here are of the Americas and probably includes the isles of the sea, too. In 3 Nephi 15:11-24, Jesus explains to the Nephites about the above scripture from John and that the people to whom He spoke it at the time did not understand it. It might be that people who only believe in the Bible interpret it this way, too. Jesus explains:

"11 And now it came to pass that when Jesus had spoken these words, he ^asaid unto those twelve whom he had chosen:

"12 Ye are my ^adisciples; and ye are a ^blight unto this people, who are a remnant of the house of ^cJoseph.

"13 And behold, this is the ^aland of your inheritance; and the Father hath given it unto you.

"14 And not at any time hath the Father given me commandment that I should ^atell it unto your brethren at Jerusalem.

"15 Neither at any time hath the Father given me commandment that I should tell unto them concerning the ^aother tribes of the house of Israel, whom the Father hath led away out of the land.

"16 This much did the Father ^acommand me, that I should tell unto them:

"17 That other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one ^ashepherd.

"18 And now, because of ^astiffneckedness and ^bunbelief they ^cunderstood not my word; therefore I was commanded to say no more of the ^dFather concerning this thing unto them.

"19 But, verily, I say unto you that the Father hath commanded me, and I tell it unto you, that ye were ^aseparated from among them because of their iniquity; therefore it is because of their iniquity that they know not of you.

"20 And verily, I say unto you again that the other tribes hath the Father separated from them; and it is because of their iniquity that they know not of them.

"21 And verily I say unto you, that ye are they of whom I said: ^aOther sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one ^bshepherd.

"22 And they understood me not, for they supposed it had been the ^aGentiles; for they understood not that the Gentiles should be ^bconverted through their preaching.

"23 And they understood me not that I said they shall hear my voice; and they understood me not that the ^aGentiles should not at any time hear my voice—that I should not manifest myself unto them save it were by the ^bHoly Ghost.

"24 But behold, ye have both heard ^amy voice, and seen me; and ye are my sheep, and ye are numbered among those whom the Father hath ^bgiven me."

And so, because of the Book of Mormon, we can see why Jesus said what He said and no more. The nations of the world would overrun this land. One might say that they have given the land a run for its money even now, but I believe that this land is still holding up. It has truly blessed the world to save this land. Even now it produces many goods for the world's consumption. It is a huge blessing. However, we are not being too careful in some areas. I still feel that the crisis that we are going through is because people are "buying" things that they cannot afford and maxing out their credit cards. When you run up this debt personally and as a country, one day it will catch up to you. Well, I hope that we can continue on no matter what happens.

2 Nephi 1:6-7

2009-08-26T09:48:00.004-04:00

"6 Wherefore, I, Lehi, prophesy according to the workings of the Spirit which is in me, that there shall ^anone come into this land save they shall be brought by the hand of the Lord.

"7 Wherefore, this ^aland is consecrated unto him whom he shall bring. And if it so be that they shall serve him according to the commandments which he hath given, it shall be a land of ^bliberty unto them; wherefore, they shall never be brought down into captivity; if so, it shall be because of iniquity; for if iniquity shall abound ^ccursed shall be the land for their sakes, but unto the righteous it shall be blessed forever."

Verse 6 shows to me that this land of the Americas is truly a promised and protected land of the Lord. This verse states that there shall none come into this land save they shall be brought by the hand of the Lord. Who has come to this land? I'm sure that there are many who came to this land that we are not currently aware of. But, there are the Jaredites, Nephites, and Mulekites from the Book of Mormon. There are Olmecs, Incas, Mayans, and Aztecs. Then there were Vikings, British, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and several other European countries. Today there are some from all nations that come to this land. I still believe that the Lord's promise of none coming to this land save by His hand is true. I even thought about myself. I was born here in this land, in the United States, in the latter days. I believe that it was also by the hand of the Lord that I came here, too. I am thankful.

Verse 7 states the promise and the accountability of those that come to this land. Those who are brought here to this land by the hand of the Lord have it consecrated unto them, that is the land was set apart to be a sacred place for them. This is the promise that was given to them that makes it a sacred land. The people that live here shall serve the Lord by keeping His commandments that He has given them. If they do so, they shall have liberty. It shall be a land of liberty or freedom. They shall never be brought down into captivity. If they ever do, it shall be because of iniquity, or because they didn't heed the commandments, and for those people, the land shall be cursed with that captivity which could come in many forms. However, again, for those who are righteous, it shall be blessed forever. I believe that this promise can come to pass personally as well as collectively. The scriptures here point us and motivate us to be more righteous.

2 Nephi 1:3-5

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"3 And he also spake unto them concerning the land of promise, which they had obtained—how ^amerciful the Lord had been in ^bwarning us that we should flee out of the land of Jerusalem.

"4 For, behold, said he, I have ^aseen a ^bvision, in which I know that ^cJerusalem is ^ddestroyed; and had we remained in Jerusalem we should also have ^eperished.

"5 But, said he, notwithstanding our afflictions, we have obtained a ^aland of promise, a land which is ^bchoice above all other lands; a land which the Lord God hath ^ccovenanted with me should be a land for the inheritance of my seed. Yea, the Lord hath ^dcovenanted this land unto me, and to my children forever, and also all those who should be ^eled out of other countries by the hand of the Lord."

Nephi tells us more about what his father, Lehi, said to his family. In verse 3, we see that Lehi feels that the Lord was merciful to them because he warned them to leave Jerusalem and come to another land, a promised land for their inheritance, the Americas. I think that we can learn that the Lord is merciful to us and that we need to thank Him for all those mercies that He has granted unto us. They are many. We need to ponder and search for them, because many are not obvious to us. Think about if your children noticed some of the things that you have done for them and thanked you for it, you would be so happy!

In verse 4, Lehi shares with us that the Lord showed him a vision in which Jerusalem was destroyed, and had they remained in Jerusalem, they would have been destroyed. We know that the Babylonians had taken prisoners when they invaded. However, I think that it is important to note that Lehi says that they would have perished. What a mercy the Lord had given them.

He starts out verse 5 by saying that they have had some afflictions. I think that for anyone that has traveled for 8 years in a desert, a year or two on a beach, and perhaps another year or so on the ocean, there are bound to be many afflictions. This type of journey is a life-changing experience and will be a memory they will have to keep for the rest of their lives. But notwithstanding all of that, they now had a promised land. It is a choice land. That is this land is a choice land. The Lord covenanted with Lehi that it would be a land of inheritance for his family. It will be a promised land to him and his children and all those that will be led to it, like the Mulekites (see Omni 1:12 and on), and later on, the Europeans.

I wonder how Lehi felt about his covenant with the Lord and the promised land. I think that it would be similar to how I feel about the covenants that I have made with Him. One such covenant is the covenant made at baptism. When we are baptized we promise to keep the commandments and take upon ourselves the name of Christ. I know of many that have made the covenant and some do keep it, but then some do not. Let's learn our duty and keep the covenants that we have made to be more like Jesus Christ and follow Him.

2 Nephi 1:1-2

2009-08-24T09:24:00.002-04:00

"1 And now it came to pass that after I, Nephi, had made an end of teaching my brethren, our ^afather, Lehi, also spake many things unto them, and rehearsed unto them, how great things the Lord had done for them in bringing them out of the land of Jerusalem.

2 And he spake unto them concerning their ^arebellions upon the waters, and the mercies of God in sparing their lives, that they were not swallowed up in the sea."

We now begin the second book of Nephi. He continues right where he left off and says that after he had finished talking with his brothers and teaching them from his experiences and from the scriptures, Lehi began to speak with them. It seems that perhaps the conditions were right for him to testify of what was right and call them to repentance.

From verse 1, we see that Lehi's first teaching, mentioned in the chapter, is to remind his sons that the Lord had done great things for them: to bring them out of the land of Jerusalem so they wouldn't be killed, providing food and water for them in the wilderness, wives for families, and the list there could go on and on.

In verse 2, Lehi talks to them about their rebellions on the ship that they built for crossing the ocean to the Americas. They behaved themselves poorly. We are sure that the Lord was not pleased because they tied up Nephi and the Lord sent a great storm, which nearly drowned them. Lehi reminded them that the Lord was merciful in sparing them.

They should be grateful to the Lord for these many things that they were given. We, too, should be grateful to our Heavenly Father for the many things that we have from Him. We are blessed with many things for our survival. Think about the job you have and who truly allowed you to be blessed with that position. It provides money for food and clothes. I am grateful for the job that I have. I know that it is Him who blessed me with it.

1 Nephi 22:30-EoC

2009-08-21T09:21:00.002-04:00

"30 Wherefore, my brethren, I would that ye should consider that the things which have been written upon the ^aplates of brass are true; and they testify that a man must be obedient to the commandments of God.

"31 Wherefore, ye need not suppose that I and my father are the only ones that have testified, and also taught them. Wherefore, if ye shall be obedient to the ^acommandments, and endure to the end, ye shall be saved at the last day. And thus it is. Amen."

These are the last two verses of the book of 1 Nephi. They are classic Nephi in that they highlight his big theme: You must be obedient. It is really the best way to live life. You will prosper and be saved. I think that he is also speaking to us in addition to his brothers.

He says that we should consider the truthfulness of the things that are on the plates of brass. He states that the plates of brass testify that a man must be obedient to the commandments (see Mosiah 2:41 for a testimony from another, who was king/prophet). Nephi loves the plates of brass, especially the writings of Isaiah on those plates. In recent chapters we have just gotten a taste of Isaiah's writings, and how Nephi likes them.

In the last verse, Nephi says that we should not suppose that only he and his father were the only ones who have testified of and have taught these things. I wonder what he meant by that? Did he mean that there were many prophets from the brass plates that have testified? Did he mean that there were others from his family that have testified of the necessity of being obedient? Perhaps, Sam, Sariah, Jacob, Joseph, Nephi's sisters?

I want to add my testimony that if one is obedient to the commandments then he is happy and prospers. This doesn't mean that there are no trials, we all will have them, but we will know how to handle them and bear them with patience and happiness and seek to learn from them.

1 Nephi 22:27-29

2009-08-20T10:21:00.003-04:00

"27 And now behold, I, Nephi, say unto you that all these things must come ^aaccording to the flesh.

"28 But, behold, all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people shall dwell safely in the Holy One of Israel if it so be that they will ^arepent.

"29 And now I, Nephi, make an end; for I durst not speak further as yet concerning these things."

Nephi is straightforward (see 2 Nephi 31:2-3) here and simply says that all these things (that have been prophesied concerning the last days) must come to pass, temporally. He prophesies (promises) that all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people shall dwell safely in the Lord if they but just repent. What an important promise that we need to heed. Finally, Nephi says that this is all that he will say about these things. This is perhaps because he is at a point in time of the prophesies of the future that was forbidden to say (see 1 Nephi 14:28) or he might be at a point in which further revelations to his brothers would be "casting pearls before swine" (see Matthew 7:6).

1 Nephi 22:26

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"26 And because of the ^arighteousness of his people, ^bSatan has no power; wherefore, he cannot be loosed for the space of ^cmany years; for he hath no power over the hearts of the people, for they dwell in righteousness, and the Holy One of Israel ^dreigneth."

In the end of verse 25, we see that the righteous who are spared shall come unto the Good Shepherd and find pasture. This time is describing the Millennium, or a 1000 years of peace and freedom where Jesus will reign. In verse 26, we see one of the most important things that will occur in that time of pasture. Here is the entry from the Guide to the Scriptures about the Millennium (see also the entry on Second Coming of Jesus Christ):

The Millennium is:

"The thousand-year period of peace that will begin when Christ returns to reign personally on the earth (A of F 1: 10)."

Events of the Millennium:

"People will not lift up sword, neither learn war any more, Isa. 2: 4 (2 Ne. 12: 4; Micah 4: 3).
"Land that was desolate is become like the garden of Eden, Ezek. 36: 35.
"They lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years, Rev. 20: 4.
"Because of righteousness, Satan has no power, 1 Ne. 22: 26.
"I will dwell in righteousness on earth a thousand years, D&C 29: 11.
"When the thousand years are ended, I will spare the earth for a little season, D&C 29: 22.
"The great Millennium shall come, D&C 43: 30.
"Children of the righteous will grow up without sin, D&C 45: 58.
"Children shall grow up until they become old; men shall be changed in the twinkling of an eye, D&C 63: 51.
"In the beginning of the seventh thousand years, the Lord will sanctify the earth, D&C 77: 12.
"They [meaning those of the Second Resurrection, I believe] live not again until the thousand years are ended, D&C 88: 101.
"Satan shall be bound for a thousand years, D&C 88: 110.
"The Millennium is described, D&C 101: 23-34.
"For a thousand years the earth shall rest, Moses 7: 64."

The important thing in this verse to apply to our day, besides the knowledge that Satan will be bound or not able to do anything to the people because of their righteousness during the Millennium, is that he can be bound today, right now, if we choose not to heed his temptations. So, how can we avoid and not follow his temptations? King Benjamin has this advice to give (Mosiah 4:29-30):

"29 And finally, I cannot tell you all the things whereby ye may commit sin [i.e., give in to Satan's temptations]; for there are divers ways and means, even so many that I cannot number them.

"30 But this much I can tell you, that if ye do not ^awatch yourselves, and your ^bthoughts, and your ^cwords, and your deeds, and observe the commandments of God, and ^dcontinue in the faith of what ye have heard concerning the coming of our Lord, even unto the end of your lives, ye must perish. And now, O man, remember, and perish not."

We can bind Satan by being righteous today. That we may do so.

1 Nephi 22:25

2009-08-18T10:16:00.002-04:00

"25 And he ^agathereth his children from the four quarters of the earth; and he numbereth his ^bsheep, and they know him; and there shall be one fold and one shepherd; and he shall feed his sheep, and in him they shall find ^cpasture."

In the last days, the Lord will begin a marvelous work and wonder. This is the missionary work that is going forth at this time. As you read this message, the Lord is gathering his children from the four quarters of the earth. Just as a good shepherd, the Lord numbereth His sheep, us, and we know Him. I like the analogy of Jesus Christ as the Good Shepherd. A shepherd watches over his sheep and keeps track of every one. He is with them all the time. Thus, they know Him. They know His voice and come when called. If they stray too far, beyond the reach of his voice, He leaves the "ninety and nine" and goes and rescues the one (see Matthew 18:11-14). When He finds and comes back with the one, He rejoices because the one has returned.

In missionary work, we have to talk with everyone about the gospel because if they know Him, the message we share will resonate within them. They will want to return to the fold. All those who do this shall be part of that one fold with Him as the one Shepherd. Remember what we talked about what will happen to those that do not come and follow Him.

He shall feed them and in Him we shall find pasture, or, I believe, rest. He is the Bread of Life (see John 6:35). May we ever work hard to find those that are lost and bring them to the pasture of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

1 Nephi 22:24

2009-08-17T11:56:00.002-04:00

"24 And the time cometh speedily that the righteous must be led up as ^acalves of the stall, and the Holy One of Israel must reign in dominion, and might, and power, and great ^bglory."

I thought about this scripture for a while, especially the part that says that the righteous must be led up as calves of the stall. What does that mean? I tried to look up some things about raising cattle, but didn't find anything conclusive. So, the righteous must be led up and the Holy One of Israel must reign in dominion, might, power, and great glory. Plus, this must all happen speedily. Well, I think that we will learn more about this tomorrow, with the analogy of sheep.

1 Nephi 22:22-23

2009-08-13T13:04:00.002-04:00

"22 And the righteous need not fear, for they are those who shall not be confounded. But it is the kingdom of the devil, which shall be built up among the children of men, which kingdom is established among them which are in the flesh—

"23 For the time speedily shall come that all ^achurches which are built up to get gain, and all those who are built up to get power over the flesh, and those who are built up to become ^bpopular in the eyes of the world, and those who seek the lusts of the flesh and the things of the world, and to do all manner of iniquity; yea, in fine, all those who belong to the kingdom of the ^cdevil are they who need fear, and tremble, and ^dquake; they are those who must be brought low in the dust; they are those who must be ^econsumed as stubble; and this is according to the words of the prophet."

Here Nephi continues to explain some of the topics of the latter days, brought up by Isaiah, to his brothers. Still, I find it interesting that Laman and Lemuel are interested in the latter days. It is an time period far beyond their own. I suppose that they must have had a concern for their posterity or at least a little interest in the prophesies of the prophets. It is too bad that it didn't last or have a greater impact on them. I find it interesting because one might think that Laman and Lemuel would not be concerned because they were wicked and thought a lot about themselves and the treasures of the earth. Owing to those qualities, these verses we consider here are vital for them, because in the end people such as themselves will meet their fate immediately.

In verse 22, we see that Nephi stresses again that the righteous need not fear and they will be the ones that will not be confounded in the last days. This means that the wicked will be confounded by the devil and his church, as the next part of the verse states. In the end, it says that the kingdom of the devil is set up among those which are in the flesh. This could mean that it is set up by those who are living and not dead, resurrected, or still waiting to come down. It could also mean that the kingdom of the devil is set up among those who are in the flesh, or who live after the manner of the flesh.

In verse 23, we see that Nephi goes into more detail about these thoughts concerning the kingdom of the devil. Nephi begins by mentioning that the church of the devil has certain qualities. It consists, but probably is not limited to, all churches (or perhaps ways of thinking) who are built up to get gain, to get power over the flesh, and to become popular in the eyes of the world. He singles out those who see the lusts of the flesh, who seek the things of the world, who do all manner of iniquity, and who (thus) belong to the kingdom of the devil. These people and organizations must have several things happen to them. They need to fear, tremble, and quake. They need to be brought down low. They need to be consumed as stubble. These sayings must come to pass because these are according to the words of the prophet (Isaiah).

So, are we, who belong to the church, guilty of some of these things? I would imagine so. We are people. We are working on overcoming the "natural man" and becoming saints through the atonement (see Mosiah 3:19). But that is the thing, are we trying to figure out if our live are patterned the way they should be? If one reads these verses, we need to think, "Okay. Do I, or an organization I belong to, try to get gain, power over the flesh (in a negative way), and/or become popular in the eyes of the world (or even those around me). Do I seek the lusts of the flesh? Do I seek the things of the world (big house, expensive car, cool electronic gadgets perhaps)? Things that are way out of my budget (see Jacob 2:18-19)? Do I do all manner of iniquity?" Let's review our lives and repent of the things we need to. Let's change for the good and for the better, thus when we are faced with the decision and we know what we should do, let's have the courage to do it. If we do what it right, the righteous consequences shall come immediately or in the end and we will know that Heavenly Father is happy with us.

1 Nephi 22:20-21

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"20 And the Lord will surely ^aprepare a way for his people, unto the fulfilling of the words of Moses, which he spake, saying: A ^bprophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you. And it shall come to pass that all those who will not hear that prophet shall be ^ccut off from among the people.
"21 And now I, Nephi, declare unto you, that this ^aprophet of whom Moses spake was the Holy One of Israel; wherefore, he shall execute ^bjudgment in righteousness."

In these verses we see that Jesus Christ is the person who will be our guide. In verse 20, Nephi testifies that the words of Moses will come to pass. Moses said that the Lord will raise up a Prophet like him (Moses) and the people need to listen and heed the words of this Prophet. If the people did/do/will not heed the words of the Prophet they shall be cut off from among the people, which means, I believe, cut off from the righteous, spiritually speaking.

In verse 21, Nephi testifies that this Prophet is the Holy One of Israel, and that even though He has stated a commandment to listen and heed His words, Nephi testifies that he will execute judgement of the obedience of the people to His words in righteousness. Application: follow the words of the Savior and you won't be cut off. Also, He will judge righteously.

1 Nephi 22:18-19

2009-08-11T16:19:00.002-04:00

"18 Behold, my brethren, I say unto you, that these things must shortly come; yea, even blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke must come; and it must needs be upon the face of this earth; and it cometh unto men according to the flesh if it so be that they will harden their hearts against the Holy One of Israel.

"19 For behold, the righteous shall not perish; for the time surely must come that all they who fight against Zion shall be cut off."

We consider these two verses in our entry today (#200). We continue Nephi's discussion with his brothers about the latter days and what will happen to the wicked. What I found interesting was that Nephi says that these things must shortly come. Blood, fire, and vapor of smoke must come. It must be on the face of this earth. (Does this mean that other worlds would not have to have this happen?) It will come and be according to the manner of the flesh, if they harden their hearts against the Lord, the Holy One of Israel. I suppose that this is a sign of the justice of God.

Nephi continues on and reiterates the fact that the righteous shall not perish and that those who fight against them shall be cut off (probably from the presence of the Lord).

We will include this last entry from the Book of Mormon Institute manual for 1 Nephi 22 about the verses we've been talking about:

1 Nephi 22:17. The Ultimate Triumph of God’s Work

"I would like you to know that in these, the last days, the Lord has predicted that there shall be two simultaneous movements. One of these movements is the great tribulation that shall come upon the world. The wicked will destroy the wicked.
"The other great movement which will be going forward simultaneously is that there shall be a stone cut out of the mountain without hands, and it shall roll forth and eventually fill the whole earth. The Church to which you and I belong is that stone. It has been cut out of the mountain without hands, and your destiny and mine is to help roll it forth.
"Now do you suppose for one moment that the judgments of God are going to interfere with the progress of his work? He is consistent, isn’t he? Although he will pour out his tribulations upon the wicked, he nevertheless will carry forward his work, and his people, under divine protection, will roll forth that stone until eventually it fills the whole earth.
"And so, says the Book of Mormon: 'For the time soon cometh that the fulness of the wrath of God shall be poured out upon all the children of men; for he will not suffer that the wicked shall destroy the righteous.
"'Wherefore, he will preserve the righteous by his power, even if it so be that the fulness of this wrath must come, and the righteous be preserved, even unto the destruction of their enemies by fire. Wherefore, the righteous need not fear; for thus saith the prophet, they shall be saved, even if it so be as by fire.' (1 Nephi 22:16–17.)
"I believe that. In the midst of all these tribulations God will send fire from heaven, if necessary, to destroy our enemies while we carry forward our work and push that stone until it fills the whole earth!
"Your destiny is to do that very thing, and this is the kind of protection you will have. You do not need to fear about world conditions. You do not need to fear about anybody. Just serve the Lord and keep his commandments and build the Kingdom, and as you do so you will be protected in these last days” (Mark E. Petersen, in Conference Report, Oct. 1960, p. 82)."

1 Nephi 22:16-17

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"16 For the time soon cometh that the fulness of the ^awrath of God shall be poured out upon all the children of men; for he will not suffer that the wicked shall destroy the righteous.

"17 Wherefore, he will ^apreserve the ^brighteous by his power, even if it so be that the fulness of his wrath must come, and the righteous be preserved, even unto the destruction of their enemies by fire. Wherefore, the righteous need not fear; for thus saith the prophet, they shall be saved, even if it so be as by fire."

These two verses are comforting to me in that verse 16 states clearly that the Lord will not suffer that the wicked shall destroy the righteous. The wicked may try to do many things against the righteous, and they may succeed, but the Lord will not let the wicked end their eternal progression. The key, then, to this verse for us is would the Lord consider us righteous? Are we following the commandments as He would have us? If we feel we must repent of something, then we should. Don't fall into a trap and think that all is lost. I read once that righteousness is more of a direction. Are we headed out of bad areas and habits into good ones? Remember that repentance is a change. If we head out of bad areas and habits, and then go back into them, that is not a change in behavior. But don't give up!

In verse 17, we see that the Lord will do what it takes to preserve the righteous, even if it means destroying them by fire. The thing is that now I don't think that the righteous have too much persecution. We seem to be doing okay, but that might change. Apparently it will change because these verses are about the last days. We'll see. Finally, we have a comment at the end of 17 that makes me scared a little, but I know that in the end it will be okay. It is the part where the prophet (Isaiah) says that the righteous will be saved, even if it so be as by fire. I interpret this comment in a way that means that the wicked will be taken care of, for example, by fire. It might be that the righteous (who are in the world, but not of the world) will be taken with the wicked, but their souls will be saved and the wicked ones not.

So, to end on a good note, Jesus said, "These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have ^apeace. In the ^bworld ye shall have ^ctribulation: but be of good ^dcheer; I have ^eovercome the world" (John 16:33).

1 Nephi 22:15

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"15 For behold, saith the prophet, the time cometh speedily that Satan shall have no more power over the hearts of the children of men; for the day soon cometh that all the proud and they who do wickedly shall be as ^astubble; and the day cometh that they must be ^bburned."

In our last post, we talked about being on the Lord's side. In verse 15, we see another reason to follow the Lord and not Satan. Satan shall not have power in the end. He doesn't even hold up his followers anyway (see 2 Nephi 26:22, Alma 30:60, 3 Nephi 9:2), thus following him is never a good idea. Anyway, his power shall be taken away and all those that are proud and do wickedly shall be eliminated, well their wicked lives here on earth shall be and they shall be resurrected (see Alma 11:38-46) and be judged. This shall happen in the last days and this hasn't happened yet.

1 Nephi 22:14

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"14 And every ^anation which shall war against thee, O house of Israel, shall be turned one against another, and they shall ^bfall into the pit which they digged to ensnare the people of the Lord. And all that ^cfight against Zion shall be destroyed, and that great whore, who hath perverted the right ways of the Lord, yea, that great and abominable church, shall tumble to the ^ddust and great shall be the fall of it."

In this verse, we see that there is a prophesy that the church of the devil will fall. This verse says that they will be destroyed by falling to the dust, and great shall be their fall. They fight against Zion. The Lord will not, in this dispensation, allow the wicked to destroy the church. It is here forever. So, He allows the wicked to destroy themselves. Also, anyone that tries to fight the house of Israel will fall into the pit they dug to capture the people of the Lord. The events described in this scripture have not entirely come to pass. The church of the devil is still alive and strong. Thus, today's lesson is for us to be on the Lord's side.

1 Nephi 22:13

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"13 And the blood of that great and ^aabominable church, which is the whore of all the earth, shall turn upon their own heads; for they shall ^bwar among themselves, and the sword of their ^cown hands shall fall upon their own heads, and they shall be drunken with their own blood."

At the time of the gathering of Israel, or the time when they shall know that Jesus Christ is the Savior, there are a few things that shall happen to the wicked. The wicked are a part of the great and abominable church. I still think that I believe that when Nephi mentions "the great and abominable church" or " the whore of all the earth" that he is referring to the people that persecute the saints or any righteous person and don't follow Christ. They may be a part of any religion.

Verse 13 says that they will turn their blood upon their own heads. They shall war among themselves. They shall cut each other down with their own swords, and they shall be drunken with their own blood. I believe that this is self-explanatory. They shall destroy themselves. Many civilizations have done this because of their wickedness, because they allow Satan to get a hold of their hearts. They let his enticings flourish in them and they do not shun them and follow Christ. May we follow Christ and push out any thoughts of temptation, that we may not be a part of the great and abominable church, because they are doomed to fall and be destroyed.

1 Nephi 22:12

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"12 Wherefore, he will ^abring them again out of ^bcaptivity, and they shall be ^cgathered together to the lands of their ^dinheritance; and they shall be ^ebrought out of obscurity and out of ^fdarkness; and they shall know that the ^gLord is their ^hSavior and their Redeemer, the ⁱMighty One of Israel."

As we can see, this verse is packed with references, and a lot of discussion could take place. Feel free to click on the references to learn more about them. I'll just focus on a few things. The scattered descendants of the house of Israel shall be brought back together, out of captivity, and they shall inherit the lands of their inheritance (i.e., a promised land to them from the Lord). They shall be brought our of obscurity and darkness. I believe that this means that they shall be identified and shall know their fellow tribe members (i.e., tribes of Israel).

In the end of the verse, they shall know a great thing. They shall know that the Lord is their Savior and Redeemer, which means that He is the one to save them and redeem them from death and sin. This will happen if they accept Him and follow His commandments. They shall know that He is the Mighty One of Israel. This last reference sends you to the Topical Guide entry of "Jesus Christ - Jehovah." Jehovah denotes "Unchangeable One" or "the Eternal I AM" (see Bible Dictionary entry for "Jehovah").

We have now fished another small section from the Book of Mormon Institute manual. I include their thoughts on the part we've covered in the last couple of days:

1 Nephi 22:10–12. “Make Bare His Arm”
"Nephi speaks of God as making 'bare his arm in the eyes of the nations' (1 Nephi 22:10; see also v. 11). This phrase is borrowed from Isaiah (see Isaiah 52:10) and means that God will show his power unto men. Why does Nephi say God will do this? (see 1 Nephi 22:11). What four things will result from this? (see v. 12). The first two results are temporal, and the last two are spiritual, just as Nephi indicated earlier (see v. 3)."

1 Nephi 22:10-11

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"10 And I would, my brethren, that ye should know that all the kindreds of the earth cannot be blessed unless he shall make ^abare his arm in the eyes of the nations.

"11 Wherefore, the Lord God will proceed to make bare his arm in the eyes of all the ^anations, in bringing about his covenants and his gospel unto those who are of the house of Israel."

The last part of verses 8 and 9 says that the marvelous work that will be done will be of great worth unto all the house of Israel because it brings them to the knowledge of the covenants that the Lord made to their forefathers, which one part says that all the kindreds of the earth shall be blessed. Verse 10 says that this cannot happen unless the Lord makes bare his arm in the eyes of the nations. I wondered what this phrase meant. It is not a usual phrase. The word "bare" has a footnote to Isaiah 52:10, which says:

"10 The Lord hath made ^abare his holy ^barm in the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall ^csee the ^dsalvation of our God."

It seems that a result of the Lord making bare His holy arm in the eyes of all the nations is that they see the salvation of our God. So, I believe that a prerequisite to being blessed is that the people have to gain a testimony of the atonement. I think that this is discussed in the next few verses, which we will discuss over the next few days.

I believe that verse 11 is also a consequence (perhaps even more direct) of the Lord making bare His holy arm. And this consequence is to bring His covenants and His gospel to the house of Israel. This is the missionary work that we see today. Missionaries teach of faith, repentance, the atonement, baptism, and the Holy Ghost. These are just the beginning covenants. Missionaries hope to see their families and converts go to the temple where further covenants can be made. Then perhaps the phrase, "Make bare His holy arm," means to roll up your sleeves and get to work, which is what the Lord does and will do. I end by quoting the relevant scripture of what the work and the glory of Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ is (Moses 1:39):

"39 For behold, this is my ^awork and my ^bglory—to bring to pass the ^cimmortality and ^deternal ^elife of man."

1 Nephi 22:8-9

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"8 And after our seed is scattered the Lord God will proceed to do a ^amarvelous work among the ^bGentiles, which shall be of great ^cworth unto our seed; wherefore, it is likened unto their being nourished by the ^dGentiles and being carried in their arms and upon their shoulders.

9 And it shall also be of ^aworth unto the Gentiles; and not only unto the Gentiles but ^bunto all the ^chouse of Israel, unto the making known of the ^dcovenants of the Father of heaven unto Abraham, saying: In thy ^eseed shall all the kindreds of the earth be ^fblessed."

In these verses, we have Nephi continuing to explain the recent citation from Isaiah about the house of Israel and their future. In previous verses, we have found out that the house of Israel shall be scattered. At some point after, the Lord will proceed to do a "marvelous work [and a wonder]" among all the children of men. Because we now live in the time when this prophesy is being fulfilled, we can see that the Gentiles (at least us in the U.S.) have begun missionary work. We have started to preach the gospel and teach the world about Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost. We are teaching them about the Book of Mormon, modern-day prophets, the fact that the Church of Jesus Christ is restored again, and that there are blessings found therein that, as stated in verse 9, the covenants made to Abraham a long time ago shall be fulfilled.

The verses also say that this work shall be of great worth unto the seed of Lehi from the Book of Mormon and to the Gentiles. We can see that this is true due to the growth of the church in Latin America and the Pacific Islands. Of course, in the U.S. there has been tremendous growth in the church and missionary work performed. I say missionary work done because a lot of missionaries in foreign countries were from the U.S., but that is slowly changing.

We have to make all aware of the good news that Jesus Christ did what He did for all mankind and that He is ready to accept those that repent and follow Him. We end with a section of verses (Doctrine and Covenants 18:11-16):

"10 Remember the ^aworth of ^bsouls is great in the sight of God;

"11 For, behold, the Lord your ^aRedeemer suffered ^bdeath in the flesh; wherefore he ^csuffered the ^dpain of all men, that all men might repent and ^ecome unto him.

"12 And he hath ^arisen again from the dead, that he might bring all men unto him, on conditions of ^brepentance.

"13 And how great is his ^ajoy in the ^bsoul that ^crepenteth!

"14 Wherefore, you are called to ^acry repentance unto this people.

"15 And if it so be that you should labor all your days in crying repentance unto this people, and bring, save it be one ^asoul unto me, how great shall be your joy with him in the kingdom of my Father!

"16 And now, if your joy will be great with one soul that you have brought unto me into the ^akingdom of my Father, how great will be your ^bjoy if you should bring many ^csouls unto me!"

1 Nephi 22:6-7

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"6 Nevertheless, after they shall be ^anursed by the ^bGentiles, and the Lord has lifted up his hand upon the Gentiles and set them up for a standard, and their ^cchildren have been carried in their arms, and their daughters have been carried upon their shoulders, behold these things of which are spoken are temporal; for thus are the covenants of the Lord with our fathers; and it meaneth us in the days to come, and also all our brethren who are of the house of Israel.

"7 And it meaneth that the time cometh that after all the house of Israel have been scattered and confounded, that the Lord God will raise up a mighty nation among the ^aGentiles, yea, even upon the face of this land; and by them shall our seed be ^bscattered."

We begin today's talk about the descendants of the house of Israel. The Book of Mormon Institute Manual has some comments on the this verse and the past few, too:

(v. 3-4)

"In 1 Nephi 22:3–4 Nephi speaks of the scattering of Israel among the nations of the earth. Sometimes the scattering of the people led to their being lost to history, such as with the ten tribes after the fall of the northern kingdom. Sometimes groups of Israelites were led away but maintained their identity as a group. Lehi’s family is a good example of that aspect of the
scattering.

"Another way the scattering took place was for the people literally to be scattered among the nations of the world. The dispersion of the Jews after the fall of Jerusalem is an example of this kind of widespread scattering. This fact is supported by the following scriptural references: Deuteronomy 28:64, 30:1–3, Isaiah 11:11–12, Jeremiah 3:18, 31:8, Ezekiel 11:17–20, 36:19–24, Daniel 9:7, Hosea 8:8, Amos 9:9, 2 Nephi 10:20–22, 3 Nephi 16:4–5, 20:13, Ether 13:11, D&C 33:6, Moses 7:62."

(v. 4)

"According to a quotation by Reynolds and Sjodahl, 'Sir Isaac Newton observes that to the
Hebrews the continents of Asia and Africa were "the earth," because they had access to them by land, while the parts of the earth to which they sailed over the sea were "the isles of the sea."' (Commentary on the Book of Mormon, 1:214.)

"Thus, Nephi not only refers to the isles of the sea as the location of other remnants of the house of Israel, but he also indicates that he and his people were then living upon an 'isle of the sea' when he quite clearly is referring to the great land mass known as the American continent. (2 Nephi 10:20–21.)" (Ludlow, Companion to Your Study of the Book of Mormon, p. 121).

(v. 5-6)

"According to Nephi, the scattering and gathering of Israel are temporal matters (see 1 Nephi 22:6). In 1 Nephi 22:5–6, who was being scattered and gathered? Only the Jews? Read 1 Nephi 22:6 for Nephi’s answer."

And, thus, we are back to verse 6. From verse 5, we might think that the Jews were the only ones that were being scattered, but in verse 6, Nephi states that after the Gentiles shall help them, then they shall be scattered. He says, "it meaneth us in the days to come, and also all our brethren who are of the house of Israel." Indeed Lehi's posterity were the native inhabitants of the Americas in which the Spanish and Portuguese (and others) came over from Europe and conquered, scattered, and fought with in wars.

Verse 7 states that after this scattering has happened the Lord shall raise up a mighty nation among the Gentiles that will be upon this land of the Americas, and it shall scatter Lehi's seed, too. We have seen a mighty nation rise up (the United States) and scatter the Native Americans (descendants of Lehi) and perhaps others, too. This has been prophesied.

1 Nephi 22:5

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"5 And since they have been led away, these things have been prophesied concerning them, and also concerning all those who shall hereafter be scattered and be confounded, because of the Holy One of Israel; for against him will they ^aharden their hearts; wherefore, they shall be scattered among all nations and shall be ^bhated of all men."

This is a somber verse. When I read it, it struck a familiar chord with me. Hadn't we discussed this before? Well, we have. It was back three chapters in 1 Nephi 19. But more on that later.

In the beginning of verse 5, we see that Nephi testifies of the scattering of Israel, that there were prophesies made concerning them. He testifies that they shall be scattered even more and even confounded. These consequences will be dealt to them because they harden their hearts against the Holy One of Israel, or Jesus Christ. As a result they shall be scattered among all nations and hated of all men. This seems like a harsh thing, but remember that those who are righteous shall prosper and those who are not shall not. They chose to not follow Christ. Later, Nephi shares more about their fate (2 Nephi 25:16):

"16 And after they have been ^ascattered, and the Lord God hath scourged them by other nations for the space of many generations, yea, even down from generation to generation until they shall be persuaded to ^bbelieve in Christ, the Son of God, and the atonement, which is infinite for all mankind—and when that day shall come that they shall believe in Christ, and worship the Father in his name, with pure hearts and ^cclean hands, and look not forward any more for ^danother

Messiah, then, at that time, the day will come that it must needs be expedient that they should believe these things."

Here is more on their promise (2 Nephi 10:7):

"7 But behold, thus saith the ^aLord God: ^bWhen the day cometh that they shall believe in me, that I am Christ, then have I covenanted with their fathers that they shall be ^crestored in the flesh, upon the earth, unto the ^dlands of their inheritance."

Also, remember that the promises are still individual. Those who accept Christ in that group of people shall prosper and be saved. I believe that they might not have to wait until the above promises are fulfilled. Nephi details this in the following selection of scripture about a great and marvelous work to take place in the latter-days (2 Nephi 30:1-8):

"1 And now behold, my beloved brethren, I would speak unto you; for I, Nephi, would not suffer that ye should suppose that ye are more righteous than the Gentiles shall be. For behold, except ye shall keep the commandments of God ye shall all likewise ^aperish; and because of the words which have been spoken ye need not suppose that the Gentiles are utterly destroyed.

"2 For behold, I say unto you that as many of the Gentiles as will repent are the ^acovenant people of the Lord; and as many of the ^bJews as will not repent shall be ^ccast off; for the Lord ^dcovenanteth with none save it be with them that ^erepent and believe in his Son, who is the Holy One of Israel.

"3 And now, I would prophesy somewhat more concerning the Jews and the Gentiles. For after the book of which I have spoken shall come forth, and be written unto the Gentiles, and sealed up again unto the Lord, there shall be many which shall ^abelieve the words which are written; and ^bthey shall carry them forth unto the ^cremnant of our seed.

"4 And then shall the remnant of our seed know concerning us, how that we came out from Jerusalem, and that they are descendants of the Jews.

"5 And the gospel of Jesus Christ shall be declared among ^athem; wherefore, ^bthey shall be restored unto the ^cknowledge of their fathers, and also to the knowledge of Jesus Christ, which was had among their fathers.

"6 And then shall they rejoice; for they shall ^aknow that it is a blessing unto them from the hand of God; and their ^bscales of darkness shall begin to fall from their eyes; and many generations shall not pass away among them, save they shall be a pure and a ^cdelightsome people.

"7 And it shall come to pass that the ^aJews which are scattered also shall ^bbegin to believe in Christ; and they shall begin to gather in upon the face of the land; and as many as shall believe in Christ shall also become a delightsome people.

"8 And it shall come to pass that the Lord God shall commence his work among all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people, to bring about the ^arestoration of his people upon the earth."

In verse 2 of this selection lies the individual promise to the Jews (and Gentiles). What a marvelous, merciful plan. I am eternally grateful for the love of Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ for all that they have done and will do.

1 Nephi 22:3-4

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"3 Wherefore, the things of which I have read are things pertaining to things both ^atemporal and spiritual; for it appears that the house of Israel, sooner or later, will be ^bscattered upon all the face of the earth, and also ^camong all nations.

"4 And behold, there are many who are already lost from the knowledge of those who are at Jerusalem. Yea, the more part of all the ^atribes have been ^bled away; and they are ^cscattered to and fro upon the ^disles of the sea; and whither they are none of us knoweth, save that we know that they have been led away."

We see that Nephi answers Laman and Lemuel's question (see v. 1) saying that the things from the selection of Isaiah's words pertained to things temporal and spiritual. He goes on to say that in order for the prophesies to come to pass about a gathering and such, the house of Israel must be scattered among all nations. In the next verse, he says that there are already many that have been led away and scattered upon the isles of the sea and because of this they have lost their knowledge of those who are at Jerusalem. I'm thinking that this is a good thing in light of something Nephi said near the end of his life (2 Nephi 25:6):

"6 But behold, I, Nephi, have not taught my children after the manner of the Jews; but behold, I, of myself, have dwelt at Jerusalem, wherefore I know concerning the regions round about; and I have made mention unto my children concerning the judgments of God, which ^ahath come to pass among the Jews, unto my children, according to all that which Isaiah hath spoken, and I do not write them."

This verse reiterates Isaiah's prophesy concerning the house of Israel and the Jews being a part of that, being scattered among all nations because of their wickedness.

1 Nephi 22:1-2

2009-07-21T10:25:00.003-04:00

We have just finished a bit on Nephi teaching his brothers the words of Isaiah. He loves Isaiah and applies them to his life and the life of his family. I was impressed that his brothers listened to him, reading something that was not totally comprehensible and trying to understand it.

So, in verse 1, after Nephi has finished reading the selections of Isaiah to them, they asked what those things meant. Should they be interpreted as just spiritual events and not temporal?

Nephi answers this question in an interesting way. He begins his answer in verse 2, by testifying to his brothers of the process of revelation from the Lord to His prophets. He says:

"Behold they were ^amanifest unto the prophet by the voice of the ^bSpirit; for by the Spirit are all things made known unto the ^cprophets, which shall come upon the children of men according to the flesh."

There may have been several reasons he did this, but I think that he wanted to instruct and testify to them that this is the Lord's method. This is what happened, how, and why we left Jerusalem, came across the desert, built a ship, sailed to the Americas, and settled here. They were commandments from the Lord. Now, in addition to instruction, the Lord shows his prophets all things that will happen to mankind. Nephi did have such a vision.

I know that the prophets and apostles today are inspired by Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. We must heed their counsel and also receive a confirmation of their revelation.

1 Nephi 21:24-EoC

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Today we consider verses 24, 25, and 26 of chapter 21:

"24 For shall the prey be taken from the mighty, or the ^alawful captives delivered?

"25 But thus saith the Lord, even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, and the prey of the terrible shall be delivered; for I will contend with him that contendeth with thee, and I will save thy children.

"26 And I will ^afeed them that oppress thee with their own flesh; they shall be drunken with their own blood as with sweet wine; and all flesh shall ^bknow that I, the Lord, am thy ^cSavior and thy Redeemer, the ^dMighty One of Jacob."

For verse 24, I believe that the Old Testament Institute manual has a great explanation:

"The 'prey' mentioned in Isaiah 49:24 is the house of Israel in her scattered condition. She is 'prey' or 'captive' because she has been unable throughout the centuries to return to her promised home or to claim her gospel blessings. Until recently many gentile countries would not permit Jewish residents to emigrate, and many still do not permit the gospel to be preached freely in their borders..."

So, verse 24 poses the question: Shall the prey be taken from the mighty? Shall the lawful captives be delivered? Shall Israel be allowed to gather?

Verse 25 answers that question. It seems to reflect a promise made to someone or some people. Thus, verses 25 and 26 state that it will happen. More from the Institute manual:

"...All of that will change, for 'even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, and the prey of the terrible shall be delivered' (v. 25). When Jacob quoted this verse in the Book of Mormon, he added these significant words: 'For the Mighty God shall deliver his covenant people' (2 Nephi 6:17), and thus, 'all flesh shall know that I the Lord am thy Savior and thy Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob' (v. 18). First the Lord predicts it, then He brings it to pass; only a 'mighty one' could perform such a task. Nephi made it very clear that all who seek to thwart the Lord in bringing this great thing to pass shall be destroyed, for 'they shall fall into the pit which they digged to ensnare the people of the Lord' (1 Nephi 22:14)."

The Institute manual says that Nephi makes it clear in verse 14 of chapter 22 (which is probably for the sake of his brothers' understanding), but I think that Isaiah makes is clear, too. He says that the Lord will contend with those that contend with the gathering of the house of Israel. He continues in the last verse to say that He will feed them that oppress the gathering with their own flesh and they shall be drunken with their own blood and they shall know that He is the Lord and that you can't fight Him and win. This is also the lesson that we can learn from all this.

1 Nephi 21:22-23

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We consider these two verses today:

"22 Thus saith the Lord God: Behold, I will lift up mine hand to the ^aGentiles, and set up my ^bstandard to the people; and they shall bring thy sons in their ^carms, and thy daughters shall be carried upon their shoulders.

"23 And ^akings shall be thy ^bnursing fathers, and their queens thy nursing mothers; they shall bow down to thee with their face towards the earth, and lick up the dust of thy feet; and thou shalt know that I am the Lord; for they shall not be ashamed that ^cwait for me."

In the last days, the Lord will set up His standard among the Gentiles. This has happened. He prepared this land of the Americas for the Gentiles, or mostly non-Jews from Europe, as a place for them to practice freedom of religion. This is how He has lifted His hand to the Gentiles. Then the Lord established His church, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This is the standard that is spoken of in verse 22. When He speaks of the Gentiles bringing sons in arms, daughters upon shoulders, kings being nursing fathers, and queens nursing mothers it means that we will help raise the house of Israel and nurture them in the gospel. I'm not sure what the licking of the dust of the feet means, but it seems that the house of Israel will know that He is the Lord and it will be well with those who wait for Him.

The Old Testament Institute manual has a lot on this subject and it is very interesting. They mention specific instances from history that are direct fulfillments of this prophesy. That is the neat part. It states:

"(17-9) Isaiah 49:22–26. How Will the Gentiles Be Nursing Fathers and Mothers to Israel?

"Isaiah 49:22–26 speaks of the day when God’s promises will be fulfilled and of how it will be done. The 'how' is made clear in verses 22 and 23. God will set up His 'standard,' the gospel, or the new and everlasting covenant (see D&C 66:2), 'and they [the Gentiles] shall bring thy [the house of Israel’s] sons in their arms and thy daughters shall be carried on their shoulders. And kings shall be thy nursing fathers and their queens thy nursing mothers.' (Isaiah 49:22–23.)
This prophecy has, as Nephi said, both a temporal and spiritual fulfillment (see 1 Nephi 22:3).

"The 'when' of the prophecy is now. Converts from throughout the world have joined the Church and then have gone throughout the world seeking to reclaim the house of Israel and bring them back to the Lord. President Spencer W. Kimball saw a partial fulfillment of these verses in the Church’s modern missionary efforts, specifically with the descendants of Lehi:

"'This day of the Lamanite brings opportunity. Millions farm the steep hillsides of Andean ranges and market their produce with llamas and horses and burros. They must have the emancipating gospel. Millions serve in menial labor, eke out bare subsistence from soil and toil. They must hear the compelling truths of the gospel. Millions are tied to reservations, deprived, untrained, and less than they could be. They must have the enlightening gospel. It will break their fetters, stir their ambition, increase their vision, and open new worlds of opportunity to them. Their captivity will be at an end—captivity from misconceptions, illiteracy, superstition, fear. . . .

"'The brighter day has dawned. The scattering has been accomplished; the gathering is in process. May the Lord bless us all as we become nursing fathers and mothers (see Isa. 49:23 and 1 Nephi 21:23) unto our Lamanite brethren and hasten the fulfillment of the great promises made to them.' (In Conference Report, Oct. 1965, p. 72.)

"But there is another side as well. Following the end of World War I, Great Britain was given the mandate over Palestine and began to facilitate the ingathering of the Jews scattered throughout the earth. Other gentile nations, such as the United States, also rallied to assist.

"President Joseph Fielding Smith spoke of the role Great Britain played in the establishment of the nation of Israel:

"'From the time of the destruction of Jerusalem by Titus until the year 1917, Jerusalem was trodden down of the Gentiles. After General Allenby, at the head of the British forces, captured Palestine, that country became free from the tyranny and oppression of the Turkish empire, and after peace was declared, England sent to Palestine Dr. Herbert Samuel, a Jew, to be governor of
the land, and that is the first time in all those years that a Jew has ruled in Palestine. . . .

"'We see today a miracle being performed before our eyes. Following the war, which we are pleased to call the first world war, the British Premier issued a proclamation to the Jews telling them they could gather and they could have in Palestine a Jewish Home, or state. They began to gather in great numbers. At the beginning of [the 20th] century things in Palestine were in a deplorable condition. They were using wooden plows, water wheel irrigation; they had infested wells and streams. They carried water in skins as of old. Sanitation was deplorable.

"'The British government changed all of this, when they obtained the mandate. You see, the mandate of Palestine was given to Great Britain. That nation and other nations spent millions of pounds in rehabilitating that land. The Sea of Galilee is now a great reservoir, and the flood waters from the various streams are being diverted into it.

"'Canals have been built for irrigation, and the Jordan has been changed from its natural channel into channels or into canals on each side of the original stream. These irrigate some seven million acres, which could not be under cultivation otherwise. Hydro-electric stations have been built on these streams.' (Doctrines of Salvation, 3:259–60.)

"In 1947 the United Nations voted to partition Palestine and create a Jewish state in the land for the first time in nearly two thousand years. Thus, the Gentiles participated in the fulfillment of this prophecy, although there may yet be future fulfillment."

1 Nephi 21:21

2009-07-16T10:49:00.002-04:00

We consider this passage for today:

"21 Then shalt thou say in thine heart: Who hath begotten me these, seeing I have lost my children, and am ^adesolate, a captive, and removing to and fro? And who hath brought up these? Behold, I was left alone; these, where have they been?"

I believe that the house of Israel is talking about those that have been gathered in during the last days (our day). Apparently some will not be able to have children or know about their posterity. To know a little more about this point, we look at the two scriptures found in the footnote, 21a:

1. From Isaiah 54:1, we have:

"1 ^aSing, O ^bbarren, thou that didst not bear; break forth into singing, and cry aloud, thou that didst not travail with child: for more are the children of the desolate than the children of the married wife, saith the Lord."

Here the important point is that those who do not know or have posterity will in the end have more than those who are married and do have posterity. It is an interesting promise because one might think the other way around. But this shows that the Lord knows His people and blesses them.

2. From Galatians 4:27, we have:

"27 For it is written, ^aRejoice, thou ^bbarren that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: for the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband."

This verse reiterates that through the covenant with the house of Israel made with God, this will come to pass and that those that could not or do not know their posterity will have more and those who do in the end.

We now turn to a small part from the Institute manual on this verse:

"Thus the reaction voiced in verse 21 is quite real [because of the overpopulation at the gathering]: 'Who hath begotten me these . . . ; where had they been?' In other words, where in the world did all these people (Israelites) come from?"

There will be so many gathered that those who have been in this thing forever will wonder at where the lost have been.

I think that we should work our hardest at gathering in the house of Israel in order to make this prophesy come true, and that comes with hard missionary work. It is hard, and good missionary work is not convenient and easy. We need to take leaps of faith, because there are many who don't become converted because we haven't asked them to commit to follow Jesus Christ. We may get turned down, and it seems almost necessary that we get turned down a number of times before someone says yes. And that person that does is the key. They are the ones that make it all worthwhile. Statistics show, I believe, that such a question usually does not negatively affect a friendship. It can only make it better! I am including myself in the call as much as anyone else. : )

1 Nephi 21:19-20

2009-07-14T10:30:00.003-04:00

We shall consider the following text for today:

"19 For thy waste and thy desolate places, and the land of thy destruction, shall even now be too narrow by reason of the inhabitants; and they that swallowed thee up shall be far away.

"20 The children whom thou shalt have, after thou hast lost the first, shall ^aagain in thine ears say: The place is too strait for me; give place to me that I may dwell."

We are discussing a little more about the gathering of Israel. I like the description in the Institute manual with respect to these two verses:

"So many people will come, both to Zion and the Old Jerusalem, that they will complain that the land is 'too strait [narrow] for me: give place to me that I may dwell' (Isaiah 49:20). This overcrowding has occurred wherever the modern gathering has taken place. The Church has a difficult time keeping up with needs for chapels and leadership because of its many converts. Modern Israel has received so many ingatherers that the land is literally 'too narrow by reason of the inhabitants' (v. 19)."

There are a lot of constraints for the Church because of the gathering of Israel. In addition to the ones mentioned above, the recent economical recession has put a strain on church building. It is interesting, because in my stake they are building a new stake center. Many construction companies tried to outbid each other for it. Times are hard here for construction companies. We got a great deal from a company that says they usually don't do such small jobs. (That made me wonder what their regular jobs were like if a stake center is small.)

In another related subject to the verse, one of the fruits of a Patriarchal Blessing if you are a member of the church is the knowledge of what tribe if Israel, or part of the house of Israel, you are from. They are truly being gathered in in these days. I have heard that there are some of the tribes that have only a few people identified from them at this time, and they know each other and have their contact information. How great is that!

The saints gather at churches in their neighborhoods. Some are overflowing in capacity and some are not. But, there are prophesies about certain areas of the world that seem, to me, very consistent about the gathering of Israel. There is a prophesy about the southeast United States that says there will be more that a million members of the church here. The last statistic that I heard was that we have about half of that right now, maybe a little less. We need to gather Israel, and identify them and give them the opportunity to receive the blessings of the church.

1 Nephi 21:18

2009-07-13T10:05:00.002-04:00

We consider this verse today:

"18 Lift up thine eyes round about and behold; all these ^agather themselves together, and they shall come to thee. And as I live, saith the Lord, thou shalt surely clothe thee with them all, as with an ornament, and bind them on even as a bride."

I believe here that the Lord is still speaking to the house of Israel, but it appears to be Zion too. Lift up your eyes and behold the gathering, the gathering of Israel in the last days. They shall be clothed like a bride. There are several references to this found in the scriptures. The Old Testament Institute Manual explains this well, under the chapter of Isaiah 49 (Which I don't know why I didn't look here before! : )

"(17-8) Isaiah 49:18–21. Israel’s Latter-day Gathering Shall Be Rapid and Sustained

"In Isaiah 49:18–21, the latter-day gathering of Israel is spoken of. In the same way that a new bride adorns herself for her wedding day, so will the Zion of the latter days spiritually adorn those who come to her for blessings. This imagery of Christ as the Bridegroom and His covenant people as His bride is seen elsewhere in the scriptures (see Isaiah 54:5; Jeremiah 3:14; Matthew 25:1–13; Revelation 19:7; D&C 33:17; 133:10, 19). And just as a bride puts on her finest clothing in preparation for the marriage, so will Israel clothe herself in righteousness in preparation for her coming 'marriage' (see Revelation 19:8, where the 'clothing' of the bride is described)."

1 Nephi 21:17

2009-07-09T10:34:00.002-04:00

Here is the Isaiah text that we shall consider for today:

"17 Thy children shall make haste against thy destroyers; and they that made thee ^awaste shall go forth of thee."

He is quoting the Lord, most likely speaking to the house of Israel, who states that the children of the house of Israel shall make haste against their destroyers. Plus, those that have made the house of Israel waste shall go forth of (or from) them.

I think that this verse is saying that the house of Israel should be patient in their afflictions and that the Lord has a plan for those that afflict them. He lets us suffer at times (either if we've been righteous or wicked) to help us know that life has trials to make us (hopefully, if we learn) better. With this He reiterates to us that He is a just God. Those who seek to make us suffer will receive their reward. Sometimes it happens in this life and sometimes it happens in the life to come.

1 Nephi 21:14-16

2009-07-08T09:18:00.002-04:00

Today we consider these three verses:

"14 But, behold, Zion hath said: The Lord hath forsaken me, and my Lord hath forgotten me—but he will show that he hath not.

"15 For can a ^awoman forget her sucking child, that she should not have ^bcompassion on the son of her womb? Yea, they may ^cforget, yet will I not forget thee, O house of Israel.

"16 Behold, I have graven thee upon the ^apalms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me."

I really like these verses. Mostly verse 16 because it was one of the first verses that I understood from Isaiah. I remember that it was one of the times that I read it as a youth that it made a connection with me.

It is interesting that Zion says, in verse 14, that the Lord hath forsaken them and hath forgotten them. Zion is the pure in heart, a people that have all things common among them. They are in a temporal and spiritual setting where they depend on God to help them be in that state where they give all for the common good. Well, it seems that they feel (or will feel) this way. However, the Lord responds that He will show them that He has not forgotten them, and it is in a miraculous way.

In verse 15, we are given the analogy of the fact that a woman cannot forget her little child, her little baby that depends on her so much to how the Lord feels about His people. He also states that the people may forget the Lord, but the Lord will never forget them, and this is why:

In verse 16, we can see the reason...the Lord states that He has engraven them upon the palms of His hands. When Christ was resurrected He received a perfect body, but the wounds that were the result of His crucifixion were left as that reminder. When He comes again in all His glory, the Jews who crucified Him will see the marks and know that it was the Savior whom they crucified. Jesus remembers us. Let us always remember Him in order to have His help and assistance in our lives. So we can have our walls continually before Him and, if it be right, He will clear the way for us. If not, He won't. Let's follow Him instead of trying to forge on without Him.

1 Nephi 21:13

2009-07-07T10:49:00.002-04:00

We consider this verse for today:

"13 ^aSing, O heavens; and be joyful, O earth; for the feet of those who are in the east shall be established; and ^bbreak forth into singing, O mountains; for they shall be smitten no more; for the Lord hath comforted his people, and will have mercy upon his ^cafflicted."

"Sing, O heavens," I believe, means that there will be a time that the angels should rejoice and "be joyful, O earth," is when the people (or the earth itself) should rejoice, too. (At the end of the verse is the reason, in case you were wondering.) "Break forth into singing, O mountains," and the promise that they shall be smitten no more refers to the time when the earth will be renewed at the Second Coming. This is good, because in Genesis 3:17-18, the ground is cursed. I believe that this prophesy is telling about the time the curse will be lifted. The end of the verse tells the reason to rejoice. The Lord comforted His people (see Alma 7:11-12) and has mercy on those that are afflicted for His sake (see Matthew 5:44).

1 Nephi 21:12

2009-07-06T10:20:00.002-04:00

We will think about this verse for today:

"12 And then, O house of Israel, behold, ^athese shall come from far; and lo, these from the north and from the west; and these from the land of Sinim."

When the Lord makes all His mountains a way and exalt His highways (from verse 11), then people will come from far. I believe the "these" in verse 12 are scattered tribes of Israel. They will come from the north, the west, and the land of Sinim. If we take Sinim to be a land in the direction other than the north and west, then it must mean from the east or south. Some have taken this to mean China or Australia. Their argument links can be found in the Wikipedia entry for Sinim. However, I do not endorse their ideas, only the logic in the fact that Sinim could be opposite north and west.

1 Nephi 21:9-11

2009-07-01T09:17:00.002-04:00

We have the following as a passage to consider for today:

"9 That thou mayest say to the ^aprisoners: Go forth; to them that sit in ^bdarkness: Show yourselves. They shall feed in the ways, and their ^cpastures shall be in all high places.

"10 They shall not hunger nor thirst, neither shall the heat nor the sun smite them; for he that hath mercy on them shall lead them, even by the springs of water shall he guide them.

"11 And I will make all my mountains a way, and my ^ahighways shall be exalted."

Last time we talked about the Lord giving his servant as a (fulfillment of a) covenant to restore the gospel to the descendants of the house of Israel at the time of Isaiah. The servant will do this, in part, by saying to the prisoners who sit in darkness (those that are without the gospel), show yourselves. Feed in (partake of) the ways (of righteousness). By doing so, their pastures shall be in high places. Like sheep that feed in the pastures, so shall we, if we are righteous and follow the prophet, feed in high pastures, ones close to God.

Verse 10 says what will happen. We shall not hunger nor thirst (for spiritual truth), neither shall the heat nor the sun smite us. We shall have power to keep growing spiritually. He that has mercy shall lead by springs of water we shall be guided (kind of like feeding in high pastures). This verse reminded me a lot of the conversation Jesus had with the woman at the well (see John 4:5 and on).

Verse 11 states that He will make all his mountains a way and His highways shall be exalted. We have been taught that the Lord has used mountains as sacred places, e.g., Mount Sinai and the mountain(s) Nephi was sent to for building his ship and his vision there. The highways of the Lord (that shall be exalted in this verse) is something that I'm not as familiar with, as far as what has been taught before. So I looked at the footnote and one helpful verse comes from Isaiah 62:10, which says:

"10 ¶ Go through, go through the gates; ^aprepare ye the way of the people; cast up, cast up the ^bhighway; gather out the stones; lift up a ^cstandard for the people."

We have been taught that the gate of the Lord is baptism. So, I believe that the highway that shall be exalted is the one on the Lord's side of the gate. I think that the people that are on it are the ones that Lehi says are on the path that leads to the tree of life. We read in 1 Nephi 8 about those who stay on and are faithful partakers of the fruit of the tree of life. Let us be among those, and we will be exalted with the highways.

1 Nephi 21:8

2009-06-30T10:34:00.002-04:00

We consider the following text:

"8 Thus saith the Lord: In an acceptable time have I heard thee, O isles of the sea, and in a day of salvation have I helped thee; and I will preserve thee, and give thee ^amy servant for a covenant of the people, to establish the earth, to cause to inherit the desolate heritages;"

The beginning of this verse talks about the declaration of the Lord to the isles of the sea, which say that He has heard them (their prayers I assuming). He has helped them in the day they needed to be saved (from what exactly I'm not sure, could be literally saved from famine, drought, or their enemies or could be spiritual, like salvation to heaven). He makes a promise that he will preserve His people. I believe, as was with the case of the Nephites, that they were brought to the "isles of the sea," or the Americas in the case of the Nephites, to preserve them. What a glorious blessing.

Next, He promises that, in another manifestation of help and preservation, is the gift of His servant as a covenant with the people, to establish the earth and to, essentially, restore all the truths that were lost. In retrospect, the servant of the Lord that fits this descriptions was Joseph Smith. Through him, the truth of the gospel was restored. Through the Book of Mormon and missionary work, the descendants of the house of Israel on the isles of the sea are now receiving the gospel and are being helped and preserved just as the Lord promised their ancestors through Isaiah in his days. A few good scriptures about "my servant" come from that footnote: 2 Nephi 3:6-15, 3 Nephi 21:8-11, and Mormon 8:16, 25.

1 Nephi 21:7

2009-06-29T08:10:00.002-04:00

Here is the text which we will consider:

"7 Thus saith the Lord, the Redeemer of Israel, his Holy One, to him whom man despiseth, to him whom the nations abhorreth, to servant of rulers: Kings shall see and arise, princes also shall worship, because of the Lord that is faithful."

Isaiah conveys the will of the Lord to whom men despise, trod on, whom the nations abhor, to the servant. He says that in a future time, kings shall see them and arise. The prices shall worship them, all because of the Lord who is faithful. He is committed to those who suffer the ridicule of men. When they are criticized so, they are in pain. Jesus paid the price for all the sins of the world in addition to all the pains, sufferings, and sorrows that people have felt, feel, and will feel, if they come unto Him. This is good to remember for the future.

1 Nephi 21:6

2009-06-26T14:24:00.002-04:00

Here is the text we will consider for today:

"6 And he said: It is a light thing that thou shouldst be my servant to raise up the ^atribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel. I will also give thee for a ^blight to the ^cGentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the ends of the earth."

I wonder, yet again, if this verse is from the Lord to Isaiah, and that Isaiah is quoting to the people of the house of Israel the word of the Lord in a sermon. The Lord says that it is a "light thing" that Isaiah is His servant to raise the tribes of Jacob. At first I thought that this meant "light" as in "easy." However, surely it would not be easy. I heard once that Isaiah has written as he did in order to preserve himself. I believe that at one time he was in captivity and anyone writing the word of God would be punished. Isaiah wrote as he did so as to avoid punishment. It is said that he who has the Spirit would be able to understand his words.

As pertaining to the light thing, the next phrase sheds light on it. : ) Isaiah would also be a light unto the Gentiles, that he may be the means of helping save them, by testifying of Christ. We have institute classes on Isaiah. We study his words. Referring back to the post of yesterday, we can see that Isaiah is not only influential in preaching the word to the remnants of the tribes of Jacob, but unto the Gentiles, too. This is one of the purposes of the Book of Mormon, which contains many of Isaiah's words from the brass plates (and the Bible):

"Wherefore, it is an abridgment of the record of the people of Nephi, and also of the Lamanites—Written to the Lamanites, who are a remnant of the house of Israel; and also to Jew and Gentile..."

Title Page of the Book of Mormon

1 Nephi 21:5

2009-06-25T10:43:00.002-04:00

The text for this entry:

"5 And now, saith the Lord—that ^aformed me from the womb that I should be his servant, to bring Jacob again to him—though Israel be not gathered, yet shall I be glorious in the eyes of the Lord, and my God shall be my ^bstrength."

Here is an instance where I believe that Isaiah is preaching. He says that he is one that has been called since the beginning of his mortal experience to be a servant of the Lord. He has mentioned this before, but here he is more specific. He says that he is called to bring Jacob again to Him. And he is doing this as he speaks. Even though the house of Israel, the descendants of Jacob, are not together for him to speak to, he says that he shall be glorious in the eyes of the Lord and that God shall be his strength.

A very neat thought hit me as I was typing the above paragraph. Isaiah was called to bring the Jacob's descendants back to the Lord. The Lord is his strength. It turns out that a part of Jacob's descendants are the people in the Book of Mormon and on the isles of the sea. Jesus Christ visited those people in the Book of Mormon and the isles of the sea. First, Nephi teaches the words of Isaiah to his people in 1 Nephi 19:23, 2 Nephi 6:4-5, and 2 Nephi chapters 12-24 (with others here and there). This is one way a remnant of the house of Israel received the teachings of Isaiah. These scriptures, I believe, were read by many people, because of the writings of some later prophets in the Small Plates. They said that they know of no other revelation save what has been written. Thus, their contributions were small.

Jesus taught that the people should search the words of Isaiah by commandment, for their worth is great (3 Nephi 23:1). A commandment for them, a branch of the house of Israel to read the words of Isaiah to help fulfill Isaiah's calling. Jesus even quotes to the Nephites Isaiah 54 (in 3 Nephi 22). Finally, in 3 Nephi 16:1, Jesus tell the Nephites that there are other sheep, who are also most likely of the house of Israel, that are not in Jerusalem that he must see and teach.

1 Nephi 21:3-4

2009-06-24T11:21:00.003-04:00

The text for this entry:

"3 And said unto me: Thou art my ^aservant, O Israel, in whom I will be glorified.

"4 Then I said, I have labored in ^avain, I have spent my strength for naught and in vain; surely my judgment is with the Lord, and my work with my God."

The Lord is speaking to Isaiah, I believe, and referring to the house of Israel that they are servants of the Lord, and that through them, He will be glorified. I was thinking about who the Lord was speaking to in this chapter and it could even be the house of Israel or Israel himself, previously Jacob (see Leviticus 25:55 and Isaiah 41:8). I am thinking this because of subsequent verses, starting with verse 4. The subject says, I have labored in vain, I have spent my strength for naught and in vain. Well, I wonder how many of us have done this. Perhaps all of us have. It is interesting, but one does not usually realize they are spending their strength on things that are in vain. However, some are prompted by the Holy Ghost and stop. Some are prompted but do not stop. Some just don't know any better. Everything we do faces judgement of the Lord, and so those who don't start in the first place (by listening to promptings that say you shouldn't start) will be rewarded. If you start and follow the promptings to stop, ignore the promptings and don't stop, or are ignorant there needs to be repentance of that thing. It is better to stop than not to. But I want to finish by saying that these are my current feelings at the moment and the Lord has said (in Isaiah 55:8-9):

"8 ¶ For my ^athoughts are not ^byour thoughts, neither are your ^cways my ^dways, saith the Lord.

"9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ^aways ^bhigher than your ways, and my ^cthoughts than your thoughts."

1 Nephi 21:2

2009-06-23T14:18:00.002-04:00

In verse 2, we read:

"2 And he hath made my mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of his hand hath he hid me, and made me a polished shaft; in his quiver hath he hid me;"

I believe that Isaiah is referring to himself in this verse. He spoke some in the end of verse 1 about being called when he was still in his mother's womb. He is now talking about his conversion. The Lord has made his mouth like a sharp sword. I believe that the Lord has inspired Isaiah, so that his words testify of the people's wickedness. In 1 Nephi 16:2, I believe that Nephi has had this experience when he was preaching to his brothers:

"2 And it came to pass that I said unto them that I knew that I had spoken ^ahard things against the wicked, according to the truth; and the righteous have I justified, and testified that they should be lifted up at the last day; wherefore, the ^bguilty taketh the ^ctruth to be hard, for it ^dcutteth them to the very center."

Isaiah continues and says that in the shadow of His hand hath He hid me. I'm not entirely sure what that means, but we can see that if the Lord was hiding Isaiah, then we can think about what was it from. Why did Isaiah use the image of the shadow of the hand of the Lord?

Additionally, Isaiah says that he was made as a polished shaft. Polishing is shining up and making smooth. I think that Isaiah was refined. I believe that he speaks more of this later on.

Finally, Isaiah refers to hiding, but this time in the Lord's quiver, which is in His container of arrows. I think that this means that Isaiah is a tool that the Lord has for accomplishing His designs for good. If I remember right, I believe that there were many wars in the time of Isaiah and he was used by the kings to get advice and receive the will of the Lord. I think that sometimes they followed the Lord's words and sometimes not. Later, when Jesus visited the Nephites, and Nephi himself agreed, He told them that Isaiah's words were most valuable. He told them to search his words. He protects Isaiah and uses him, too.

1 Nephi 21:1

2009-06-22T09:09:00.002-04:00

We come to another chapter in Isaiah. This time Nephi continues to quote from the same portion of Isaiah's teachings and prophesies. 1 Nephi 20 was a quote from Isaiah 48. Now we come to 1 Nephi 21, which is a quote of Isaiah 49. In this post, we consider verse 1:

"1 ^aAnd again: Hearken, O ye house of Israel, all ye that are broken off and are driven out because of the wickedness of the pastors of my people; yea, all ye that are broken off, that are scattered abroad, who are of my people, O house of Israel. Listen, O ^bisles, unto me, and hearken ye people from ^cfar; the Lord hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name."

Isaiah is calling attention to the house of Israel again. Because of various reasons, some good, some not so good, I believe that the house of Israel had been scattered at that time. Nephi explains this in the next chapter some. Here is a quote (from the footnote 1b above):

"4 And behold, there are many who are already lost from the knowledge of those who are at Jerusalem. Yea, the more part of all the ^atribes have been ^bled away; and they are ^cscattered to and fro upon the ^disles of the sea; and whither they are none of us knoweth, save that we know that they have been led away."

Isaiah calls to them to listen to his words, which are the words of the Lord. Nephi and his family have been led away to another land, the land of the Americas. They (and we) need to listen to his words. Isaiah also mentions that he was called as a prophet when his mother was pregnant with him. Imagine being told that you son will be the prophet one day. It reminds me of when the angel came to declare the plan of Heavenly Father to the earthly parents of Jesus Christ and John the Baptist.

1 Nephi 20:21-EoC

2009-06-19T10:02:00.002-04:00

Today we finish the chapter considering these last two verses:

"21 And they ^athirsted not; he led them through the deserts; he caused the waters to flow out of the ^brock for them; he clave the rock also and the waters gushed out.

22 And notwithstanding he hath done all this, and greater also, there is no ^apeace, saith the Lord, unto the wicked."

Isaiah is recounting some of the events of the house of Israel during their sojourn of 40 years in the wilderness. It seems that Nephi really takes this story to heart. Isaiah says that as the house of Israel traveled in the wilderness, they did not thirst. They had water provided miraculously for them. Moses took his staff and struck it against rocks and waters came forth. He did this on occasion (see Exodus 17:6 and Numbers 20:11).

The last verse states that even though the Lord did this, and even greater things for them, they were still wicked and did not receive the peace of God with them. The reference to the word peace in this scripture refers the reader, studier, researcher to Romans 3:17, which says,

"17 And the way of ^apeace have they not known:"

Let us remember what Heavenly Father does for us everyday and what Jesus Christ did for us two thousand years ago so that we can know the peace of God.

1 Nephi 20:20

2009-06-18T10:19:00.002-04:00

Here is the text that we will consider for today's post:

"20 ^aGo ye forth of Babylon, flee ye from the ^bChaldeans, with a voice of singing declare ye, tell this, utter to the end of the earth; say ye: The Lord hath redeemed his ^cservant Jacob."

The verse begins with an instruction from the Lord to go out of Babylon. Again we see that Babylon is a metaphor for the world. He does not want the house of Israel to be a part of it. A great cross-reference to this is found in Doctrine and Covenants 133:5, which simply says,

"5 Go ye out from ^aBabylon. Be ye ^bclean that bear the vessels of the Lord."

He next commands them to specifically flee from the Chaldeans. We remember that Chaldea was on the south side of Babylon, in a prime spot for their influence. The reference there suggests that we look at the Topical Guide entry on Israel, Bondage of, in Other Lands.

We can see that Isaiah is directly quoting the Lord because he repeats the Lord's directions to him, too. This is what He tells Isaiah to say to all the earth, that the Lord hath redeemed His servant Jacob. Jacob's name was changed to Israel and we are descendants of him, whether by blood or adoption. What the Lord told Isaiah at that moment is the essential message of the gospel, the good news, that we are redeemed of Him if we repent and follow the commandments. We, too, must tell it to all the world because they do not know or do not fully understand that statement. The Book of Mormon and the New Testament help in that.

1 Nephi 20:19

2009-06-17T11:03:00.002-04:00

We examine the text and possible meanings for verse 19:

"19 Thy ^aseed also had been as the sand; the offspring of thy bowels like the gravel thereof; his name should not have been cut off nor destroyed from before me."

Here we continue with a description of the blessing that the house of Israel would have received had they been faithful at the time Isaiah delivered this sermon. A very significant blessing is described here and with the footnote, we can find the origin of the blessing. It says that they would have also been part of the promise that their posterity would be as the sand of the sea.

This part of the Abrahamic Covenant is found in Genesis 22:17, which says:

"17 That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy ^aseed as the stars of the heaven, and as the ^bsand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the ^cgate of his enemies;"

I had a thought that was very interesting to me. If Abraham was promised that his posterity would be numberless, and we are partakers of the covenant and adopted into the house of Israel by obtaining the two priesthoods (and I believe baptism and the everlasting covenant of marriage, too), then we shall also have numberless posterity and be bound together in a never ending chain.

In the last part of the verse, I believe Isaiah is saying that the Lord is saying that His name should never have been destroyed, or forgotten, by them from before Him. Let us always remember the Lord and the great things He has done for us and for our fathers.

1 Nephi 20:18

2009-06-16T11:25:00.002-04:00

Here is the text to verse 18:

"18 O that thou hadst hearkened to my ^acommandments—then had thy ^bpeace been as a river, and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea."

I am thinking that the Lord is talking through Isaiah to the house of Israel. The Lord is lamenting their collective choices in that the majority of them chose not to follow the commandments. He also tells us what would have happened had they followed the commandments. He said that their peace would have been as a river and their righteousness as the waves of the sea. I would say that most rivers are peaceful. They slowly, calmly flow downward toward their final destination. The waves of the sea were compared to their possible righteousness. Waves are always coming back to the shore. We need to follow the commandments in order to have more peace in our lives and be consistently repenting and coming back to the path of righteousness as the waves to the shore.

1 Nephi 20:17

2009-06-15T08:14:00.003-04:00

Here is verse 17:

"17 And thus saith the Lord, thy ^aRedeemer, the Holy One of Israel; I have sent him, the Lord thy God who teacheth thee to profit, who ^bleadeth thee by the way thou shouldst go, hath done it."

I am only guessing here, but I am inclined to believe that Isaiah is again testifying of his call to preach to the house of Israel. He is sent by the Lord God who teaches to profit. The very same one who leads us by the way we should go. Do we follow? If so, why? If not, why not? (These are rhetorical questions.)

1 Nephi 20:16

2009-06-12T11:02:00.002-04:00

Verse 16 reads:

"16 Come ye near unto me; I have not spoken in ^asecret; from the beginning, from the time that it was declared have I spoken; and the Lord God, and his ^bSpirit, hath sent me."

Isaiah calls to the people to come near. He testifies that he has not done his preaching in secret. He further testifies that the Lord and the Holy Ghost have sent him. It is important for the people to know that the servant of the Lord to testify that he has come in the name of the Lord. The people can then pray about him as the prophet and the teachings that were given to know for themselves whether he is or not. This is what we invite and exhort all to do.

1 Nephi 20:15

2009-06-11T14:51:00.003-04:00

Here is the text to verse 15:

"15 Also, saith the Lord; I the Lord, yea, I have spoken; yea, I have called ^ahim to declare, I have brought him, and he shall make his way prosperous."

In this verse, I'm not sure who "him" is that the Lord has called. It is possible that it is Isaiah testifying to the people that he is a prophet. It could be others. There are a lot of people that the Lord has called to declare and were brought and made their ways prosperous.

But this is what I wanted to say: the Lord calls men (and women) to testify of Him. He calls men to be prophets and speak for Him to the entire world. (The Lord tells them what to say anyway.) I like the scripture in Amos 3:7, which says:

"7 Surely the Lord God will do nothing, ^abut he ^brevealeth his ^csecret unto his servants the ^dprophets."

This is very important in our times. We need a prophet. We need to heed the prophet. We have a prophet that lives and guides us. What has he said? Here is a link to the latest General Conference that tells us:

http://lds.org/conference/sessions/display/0,5239,23-1-1032,00.html

The prophet's name is Thomas S. Monson. This is true.

1 Nephi 20:14

2009-06-10T09:24:00.002-04:00

The text to verse 14:

"14 All ye, assemble yourselves, and hear; who among them hath declared these things unto them? The Lord hath loved him; yea, and he will ^afulfil his word which he hath declared by them; and he will do his pleasure on ^bBabylon, and his arm shall come upon the Chaldeans."

Here, I believe that Isaiah breaks from quoting the word of the Lord and calls again to the house of Israel. He promises that the Lord will fulfill His the promises He made to their fathers long ago. The second part of this verse says that He will do His pleasure on Babylon. His arm shall come upon the Chaldeans. The Bible Dictionary has a couple of good entries on Babylon and Chaldea. I'm not sure if, when this verse was given, that Babylon and Chaldea should be happy about the plans of the Lord or not. I remember that there were times when they were really bad, but perhaps there were times when they weren't. Perhaps the upcoming verses can help us understand more.

1 Nephi 20:12-13

2009-06-09T10:29:00.002-04:00

For this entry today, we will think about verses 12 and 13:

"12 Hearken unto me, O Jacob, and Israel my called, for I am he; I am the ^afirst, and I am also the last.

"13 Mine hand hath also ^alaid the foundation of the earth, and my right hand hath spanned the heavens. I ^bcall unto them and they stand up together."

In verse 12, the Lord is calling to the house of Israel. He is inviting them (and us), just as he did in the New Testament, to listen and follow Him. I believe that this is what is meant by the word "hearken." Then in the rest of 12 and in verse 13, He tells them (and us) who He is. He is the first and the last. He is the first, because He was the firstborn of Heavenly Father. There could be several reasons why He is the last. I believe one is that the last goes with the first and shows that He is an eternal god. He is also the last to have a say in our plea to the Father during the judgment day.

In verse 13, we see that He has created the earth and the heavens. He also has control over them, i.e., when He calls, they stand up together.

I believe that He deemed it necessary to state His works to the house of Israel as a way for them to learn and understand that they are under the watch and care of an all-powerful being. Many times in the future, we will see Him referred to as the Lord of Hosts. He truly is a Lord of hosts of angels at His command. May we remember who the Lord is and hearken to Him as He has invited us to do on so many occasions.

1 Nephi 20:9-11

2009-06-08T11:04:00.002-04:00

For today's entry, we will look at these three verses:

"9 Nevertheless, for my ^aname’s sake will I defer mine anger, and for my praise will I refrain from thee, that I cut thee not off.

"10 For, behold, I have refined thee, I have chosen thee in the furnace of ^aaffliction.

"11 For mine own sake, yea, for mine own sake will I do this, for I will not suffer my ^aname to be polluted, and I will ^bnot give my glory unto another."

In verse 9, I believe that Isaiah is preaching to the people and quoting what the Lord had said to him. He says that for His name's sake will he defer his anger and not cut off the house of Israel from His influence. I looked up the word sake in order to know more about what the Lord might have meant by His name's sake. It said, "for the purpose of; in the interest of; in order to achieve or preserve." Another possible take could be, "out of consideration for or in order to help someone." After thinking more on it, I believe that the Lord is using sake for preservation. In order to preserve His name as one who is good and merciful, he doesn't cut them off. However, God is a god of justice and I don't know how long He will wait until he cuts them off.

In verse 10, we see that the Lord has worked hard with the house of Israel and has done so for a long time. He mentions that He has refined them. He mentions that He has chosen them out of the furnace of affliction. They were saved from bondage during the time of Moses. I think this is what He was referring to. This is what the footnote points to. That was a huge thing that the Lord did for them. I believe that He was merciful to them and answered their prayers to be delivered. But what did they do since? Well, when they were at Sinai, they made a golden calf and worshiped it. They wandered for 40 years until they received their promised land. I'm sure that there were good people among them, too. It seems now, that in the times of Isaiah, the Lord is calling them to repentance again.

In verse 11, we see that the Lord will not suffer His name to be polluted, nor will He give His glory to another. I believe that these things have been and are eternally so. Those who have their agency and choose to pollute the name of the Lord will receive the consequences. Let's apply this to our lives and love the Lord our God with all our heart, might, mind, and strength.

1 Nephi 20:7-8

2009-06-05T10:02:00.003-04:00

Here is what we have in verse 7 and 8, which we will consider today:

"7 They are created now, and not from the beginning, even before the day when thou heardest them not they were declared unto thee, lest thou shouldst say—Behold I knew them.

"8 Yea, and thou heardest not; yea, thou knewest not; yea, from that time thine ear was not opened; for I knew that thou wouldst deal very treacherously, and wast called a ^atransgressor from the womb."

In verse 7, we can see that it seems that there were things declared to the house of Israel before they fully understood what they were hearing. The Lord says that He did this lest they should say, "Behold, I knew them." This last phrase and the first phrase are still mysteries to me.

In verse 8, we see that they did not heed or hear the declarations of the Lord. He says that He knew that they would not heed or hear, and deal with things very treacherously. Even from when they were born, they were transgressors, which I believe means that they did not heed the teachings of the Lord.

At some point, we hope that they can repent and listen to the teachings of Isaiah. We shall see what happens.

1 Nephi 20:5-6

2009-06-04T11:50:00.003-04:00

In verse 5, we find that Isaiah is speaking of God and of the house of Israel. From the footnote, 5a, I believe that Isaiah is saying that God is all-knowing and can tell that you, house of Israel, are worshiping idols. In the next verse, I believe the Lord is saying to the house of Israel that He has shown them new things, perhaps even some of His mysteries and they have not proclaimed them. The footnote, 6a, refers to 1 Corinthians 9:16, where Paul is saying that woe is unto him if he doesn't preach the gospel! So, as an application to our day, we can see that there is a great necessity to not worship idols, which can even be material things and sports (moderation is okay, but make sure it is just that and not more), and preach the gospel. Make sure you pray for missionary experience and open your mouth when you are prompted to share the gospel. I need to work on these things as much as anyone else, but I feel that it is important to keep it in the front of our minds.

1 Nephi 20:3-4

2009-05-30T10:34:00.002-04:00

In verse 3, we have that Isaiah has declared these former things (I believe these things are about the wickedness of the house of Israel) from the beginning. He says that he did it because he knew that the house of Israel had necks of iron sinew (stiffnecked in Nephi's terms) and their brows were brass (meaning they were hard-headed). How does this apply to today? I think that we are forewarned about falling into temptation from our leaders in the hope that we won't. It is hard to resist it and not do as the evil one entices. We can resist!! Seek help from the scriptures and good company.

1 Nephi 20:1-2

2009-05-29T08:05:00.002-04:00

1 Nephi, chapter 20 is the first time we see Nephi quoting from Isaiah. This chapter is from Isaiah, chapter 48. Remember that Nephi quotes him because he wants to more fully persuade us to believe in the Lord our Redeemer (see 1 Nephi 19:23). I hope to keep that overall purpose in mind as we review the verses that Nephi quotes from Isaiah. We also need to keep in mind that in order to understand Isaiah's teachings and prophesies, we need to know the history and context of the places Isaiah was. I don't know what they are. I remember that Isaiah was called upon a number of times to help kings know how to fight their wars. Some obeyed and some did not. Because the focus is about the Savior, Isaiah has many prophesies of Him. So, this is perhaps the main focus that I will take. Another connection that I've drawn was that not only did the Savior say that the prophesies of Isaiah were great (see 3 Nephi 23:1), but I think that Nephi thought they were, too. They were relatively new scripture for his day. Isaiah lived about 750 B.C. and Nephi left Jerusalem in 600 B.C. This is only a 150 year difference. It would be like how we feel about the Doctrine and Covenants. We feel that this is great scripture. We understand the words because we are familiar with the context of the Doctrine and Covenants. Nephi was familiar with the context of Isaiah. He was taught somewhat in all the learning of his father (see 1 Nephi 1:1). He knew of the culture of the Jews in Jerusalem, but did not pass it on to his family (see 2 Nephi 25:1-2).

"1 Now I, Nephi, do speak somewhat concerning the words which I have written, which have been spoken by the mouth of Isaiah. For behold, Isaiah spake many things which were ^ahard for many of my people to understand; for they know not concerning the manner of prophesying among the Jews.

"2 For I, Nephi, have not taught them many things concerning the manner of the Jews; for their ^aworks were works of darkness, and their doings were doings of abominations."

Thus, I believe that we will see many prophesies from Isaiah calling them to repentance. Now on to the chapter heading quote. Th chapter headings help us to understand the gist of the chapter. The chapter heading reads the same in both chapters (1 Nephi 20 and Isaiah 48):

The Lord reveals his purposes to Israel—They have been chosen in the furnace of affliction and are to go forth from Babylon

In the first couple of verses, we see that the people of the house of Jacob (remember the comparison to the bough of branches growing over the well which means that they are a large group of people) or Israel are being baptized (perhaps figuratively as well as literally) and thus promising to the Lord that they would be righteous, but it is not truthful or done righteously. Verse 2 states that they call themselves part of the holy city (Jerusalem?), but they do not stay themselves on the God of Israel, the Lord of Hosts. I take this as meaning that they do not build their foundation on the rock like the wise man. They do not do the daily things that they are supposed to do to follow the Savior. So, this is a perfect time for the Lord to have the prophet call them to repentance.

1 Nephi 19:23-EoC

2009-05-28T08:07:00.003-04:00

In verse 23, Nephi says that he read many things unto his brethren and people out of the books of Moses. In our Bible, those books are Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers. I'm thinking that they were very similar. His intention was to more fully persuade them to believe in the Lord their Redeemer, so he read from Isaiah. Nephi takes it upon himself to quote extensively from the writings of Isaiah. We will see this in future chapters, starting with chapter 20. I believe that he wants us to be more fully persuaded to believe in the Lord our Redeemer. Do we have this intent in mind when we read Nephi's selections from Isaiah? He also states that it is for our profit and learning.

In verse 24, Nephi states that his people are a branch of the house of Israel and that they are broken off. Footnote 24b points us to Genesis 49:22-26 which says that Joseph is a fruitful bough by a well whose branches run over the wall. His final plea is to liken these words unto ourselves.

In the Book of Mormon Institute Manual, we are given some questions that help us liken the scriptures unto ourselves, thinking about the previous stories Nephi has shared:

What scriptural source did Nephi use to teach his brothers concerning “the Lord their Redeemer”? (1 Nephi 19:23). What prophets’ writings were found in that source? What did Nephi urge his readers to do with the scriptures he was citing? The wise reader learns from the lessons of the past. Nephi said he read the scriptures to his people and did “liken all scriptures unto us” (v. 23). How does one liken the scriptures unto himself for his “profit and learning”? (v. 23). The following questions indicate possible ways this can be done: What significance does this particular event or principle have for me today? For example, What does the rebellion of Laman and Lemuel teach me? What can I learn about faithfulness from Nephi’s obedience? If I were in this particular situation or faced with this challenge or question, how would I react? What flaws or strengths would I find in my own character? Am I like Lehi’s family in the wilderness, or am I like Nephi? Do I complain when things get difficult, or do I trust in God no matter what the circumstances? What do I learn about God and his dealings with his children from this event? Why does God put his children through the trials of the “wilderness”? Why did he send Lehi and his family to a whole new land? Why did God not just have them go to some isolated place until Jerusalem was destroyed? As I study the lives of men and women in the scriptures, what do I learn about the things that please or displease God? Why was this particular concept, principle, or event included in the scriptures?

1 Nephi 19:22

2009-05-27T14:41:00.003-04:00

In verse 22, Nephi shares that he read many things to his brethren from the plates of brass. He does this because he wants them to know the dealings of the Lord in other lands among the people of old. The phrase "that they might know concerning the doings of the Lord" stands out. I believe that Nephi wants his brethren to get to know their Savior and to know that His work and glory is to bring to pass the eternal life of man (Moses 1:39).

My other point is to bring up the possible attachment that Laman and Lemuel had gotten to the plates of brass. But, judging by their wickedness, I'm not too sure how much this could be true. Later on, like a few hundred years later, this becomes one of the reasons there is strife between the Nephites and Lamanites. One recording is found in Mosaiah 10:16-17:

"16 And again, they [Nephi's brethren] were wroth with him [Nephi] because he departed into the wilderness as the Lord had commanded him [which will eventually happen], and took the ^arecords which were engraven on the plates of brass, for they said that he ^brobbed them."

Here is where I think that Nephi's brethren had some attachment to the plates. Today's verse leads me to think so. The next verse shows from hindsight what Laman and Lemuel did about it:

"17 And thus they have taught their children that they should hate them, and that they should murder them, and that they should rob and plunder them, and do all they could to destroy them; therefore they have an eternal hatred towards the children of Nephi."

There was eventually a thousand year strife between these two people, the Lamanites eventually killing off the Nephites that wouldn't join them in about A.D. 400. Did they want the plates so bad for their monetary value? I'm not inclined to think so because they could get precious metals. But in the end, I'm still not sure because they were wicked and did not have a disposition to follow the word of God, then why read it? What do you think?

1 Nephi 19:21

2009-05-21T13:33:00.002-04:00

In verse 21, Nephi illustrates a necessary duality. He talks about prophets of old and how they were shown the future, Nephi's people, and how they came across the sea to the Americas. It was necessary that they knew about it and that they prophesy about it. Perhaps one reason might be so that those who read their words might receive a testimony of their calling as prophet and thus believe and follow their teachings. The other side of the coin is that it was necessary that Nephi had their words and read them and knew them. This is perhaps so that they can know what words to follow, what direction to follow.

I wanted to illustrate one other part in the Book of Mormon where this takes place. In 3 Nephi 19, Jesus is visiting the people and comments on their great faith. They had seen many marvelous works. So, what does Jesus do next. He teaches them about the future. It is interesting that He does this because I'm not exactly sure how it pertains to the people specifically at that time. Maybe they had a question about it.

Here are the next few chapter synopses that will show us a little about what He taught them about the future:

Chapter 20: Jesus provides bread and wine miraculously and again administers the sacrament unto them—The remnant of Jacob shall come to the knowledge of the Lord their God and shall inherit the Americas—Jesus is the prophet like unto Moses, and the Nephites are children of the prophets—Others of the Lord’s people shall be gathered to Jerusalem.

Chapter 21: Israel shall be gathered when the Book of Mormon comes forth—The Gentiles shall be established as a free people in America—They shall be saved if they believe and obey; otherwise they shall be cut off and destroyed—Israel shall build the New Jerusalem, and the lost tribes shall return.

Chapter 22: In the last days, Zion and her stakes shall be established, and Israel shall be gathered in mercy and tenderness—They shall triumph—Compare Isaiah 54.

Chapter 23: Jesus approves the words of Isaiah—He commands the people to search the prophets—The words of Samuel the Lamanite concerning the resurrection are added to their records.

Chapter 24: The Lord’s messenger shall prepare the way for the Second Coming—Christ shall sit in judgment—Israel is commanded to pay tithes and offerings—A book of remembrance is kept—Compare Malachi 3.

Chapter 25: At the Second Coming the proud and wicked shall be burned as stubble—Elijah shall return before that great and dreadful day—Compare Malachi 4.

Finally, in chapter 26, Jesus expounds all things unto the people. What an amazing thing. What we have touched on in the chapter descriptions is in the process of happening or has not happened yet. We need to study these words and those of Isaiah, too, and we will know more about what will happen when Jesus comes again, which the prophets say is close.

1 Nephi 19:20

2009-05-20T09:31:00.003-04:00

In verse 20, Nephi tells us about his gratitude to the Lord for teaching him, through the Holy Ghost, about the need to leave Jerusalem and their spirituality level.

He says that he has had many workings in the Spirit. I don't doubt that he did work to know the truthfulness of the words of his father. But the very nature of being under the influence of the Spirit to behold the things of God consumes in a sense one's physical strength, so much so that they need a period of recovery. The footnotes to verse 20 give us some examples.

My example is that of the first prophet of this dispensation, Joseph Smith. When he was 14, Joseph Smith saw Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. It was a great experience. He prayed to know which church was true. As an answer to his prayer, They came and said to join none at the time. He would be the instrument through which they would restore the true church of Christ, the very same that existed when He walked the earth.

Here is a portion of Joseph Smith's words from his account in the Pearl of Great Price:

"20 He again forbade me to join with any of them; and many other things did he say unto me, which I cannot write at this time. When I came to myself again, I found myself ^alying on my back, looking up into heaven. When the light had departed, I had no strength; but soon recovering in some degree, I went home. And as I leaned up to the fireplace, ^bmother inquired what the matter was. I replied, 'Never mind, all is well—I am well enough off.' I then said to my mother, 'I have learned for myself that Presbyterianism is not true.'"

Later on in Joseph's life, he grew accustomed to this type of experience. He gained a strength to handle such intensely spiritual experiences. I remember that when he and Sidney Rigdon both received section 76 of the Doctrine and Covenants Sidney was like Joseph used to be. Here is a portion of the account of the experience as recorded by Philo Dibble:

"Joseph sat firmly and calmly all the time in the midst of a magnificent glory, but Sidney sat limp and pale, apparently as limber as a rag, observing which, Joseph remarked, smilingly, 'Sidney is not used to it as I am.'" (Juvenile Instructor, May 1892, pp. 303–4.)

In the end of verse 20, Nephi acknowledges the mercy of the Lord in sparing his life. He says that the Lord had preserved him from destruction by leading him out of Jerusalem.

1 Nephi 19:19

2009-05-11T09:09:00.002-04:00

In verse 19, Nephi extends his promise that not only shall his people be saved if they remember the Lord their Redeemer, but he also makes this promise to all the house of Israel. It can also be thought of a testimony to all, that if they do accept Jesus Christ as their redeemer, and follow Him, they will be saved. This will be a short entry today, but my testimony of Jesus Christ is that He will save us, if we follow the commandments. We must do our part, then He will make up the difference. I know that this is true because He cannot lie. He has promised peace and comfort if we come to Him and pray for it. I have felt it. He has said through his prophets that we shall be saved after all we can do. For example, in 2 Nephi 25:23, we read:

"23 For we labor diligently to write, to ^apersuade our children, and also our brethren, to believe in Christ, and to be reconciled to God; for we know that it is by ^bgrace that we are saved, after all we can ^cdo."

I know this is true.

1 Nephi 19:17-18

2009-05-07T07:09:00.003-04:00

In verse 17, Zenos continues his prophesies. It states that all shall see the salvation of the Lord, and every nation, kindred, and tongue shall be blessed. What does this mean? I'm not sure right now, but I wonder if it has something to do with the fact that the Lord shall appear to all nations at the time of His death. He appeared to the Nephites, the people in Jerusalem, and those on the isles of the sea. It could also refer to the last days when Jesus comes again.

Then Nephi takes a step back and tells us that he has written these things for his people, that he might persuade them to remember the Lord their Redeemer. It is interesting that he chose to refer to Jesus Christ as our Redeemer. He truly is. It seems that Nephi wants his people to know that they need Jesus Christ to be saved.

I know that they do, and that we do, too. Nephi will touch on this fact more times in the rest of the chapter and throughout his next book.

1 Nephi 19:16

2009-05-06T10:05:00.002-04:00

In verse 16, Nephi continues to quote some prophesies of Zenos. Zenos prophesies that the many people of the house of Israel that are scattered on the isles of the sea will be gathered, even all the house of Israel from the four quarters of the earth. I think that the key thing for this verse is found in the beginning. It says that He, Jesus Christ, will remember the isles of the sea. He knows that He has directed certain groups to split off from the Old World and go among other isolated parts of the world and inherit them as promised, and blessed, lands. The Nephites were among those peoples. They inherited a part of the Americas. The Americas are blessed lands. We shall discuss this more in a few chapters (see 2 Nephi 1:5 and on).

1 Nephi 19:13-15

2009-05-05T10:05:00.002-04:00

In verse 13, Nephi continues to quote the ancient prophet Zenos. Zenos talked a little about what would happen on the isles of the sea with respect to the death of Jesus Christ. Now he speaks of those who were in Jerusalem at the same time. The people that were in Jerusalem at the time of the death of Jesus were the ones that allowed and wanted it to happen. More particularly the Jews. Zenos prophesies that they shall be scourged by all people. This shall happen because they turned their hearts aside from being receptive. They rejected the signs and wonders that were given in the heavens and by Jesus Christ. They rejected His power and glory. When they turned their hearts aside and would not believe, they despised Holy One of Israel. Their consequence for doing this is that they shall wander while they are in the flesh. They shall perish. They shall become a hiss and a byword. I looked up hiss and byword in the dictionary. For hiss, there were a couple of definitions that alluded to disapproval. I'm thinking that this is what was meant. The Jews would be disapproved by nations. Byword means a person or thing that is a notorious example or embodiment of something. It could be good or bad. The next phrase clarifies. Zenos says that they shall be hated among all nations. The Jew were notorious for being the people that everyone shunned and hated. However, after all this that will happen, Zenos testifies that if they start to listen and no more turn aside their hearts against the Holy One if Israel, then He will remember the covenants that He made with their fathers, Abraham, Issac, and Jacob. In other words, they can be saved and be a part of all that was promised in the Abrahamic Covenant. What a marvelous promise. What a testimony of the power of the Atonement.

1 Nephi 19:12

2009-05-04T11:06:00.002-04:00

In verse 12, Nephi is still quoting Zenos and his prophesies. Zenos says that when Christ dies, all these things that the prophets have said must come to pass. This verse focuses on the earth and what the earth will do when Christ dies. He says that the rocks of the earth must rent because of the groanings therein. He also says that there shall be many of the kings of the isles of the sea shall know, by the Spirit, what is going on. He says that they will exclaim, "The God of nature suffers."

What is the application to our day? All things that the prophets have said must come to pass. The prophets of old testified of Christ and His mission. He came and fulfilled the prophesies. What do the prophets of today tell us we need to do? Here is a link to the latest from them. Their prophesies will also be fulfilled.

The earth is a living creation of Jehovah, who is Jesus Christ. He created the earth and all things that in the earth are. The earth was created for our benefit and to sustain us in this life. We must take care of it.

1 Nephi 19:11

2009-05-01T10:32:00.003-04:00

In this verse, Nephi continues to tell us of the prophesies of Zenos. He says that Zenos said that during the time of His death, or just shortly thereafter, Jesus, the Lord God, shall visit all of the house of Israel. Some with His voice because of their righteousness and they shall have great joy and salvation. The others He will visit "with the ^cthunderings and the lightnings of his power, by tempest, by fire, and by ^dsmoke, and ^evapor of ^fdarkness, and by the opening of the ^gearth, and by ^hmountains which shall be carried up."

The Book of Mormon shows that this prophesy was fulfilled. Although we have the record of just a portion of the house of Israel upon the isles of the sea, we can see that the Nephites were a wicked people when Christ died and they were visited with all these destructions (see 3 Nephi 8:5 and on). There may have been other righteous peoples on the isles of the sea (see Alma 63:5 and on) that also heard the voice of Jesus Christ, and this land was one of them, after the destruction took place (see 3 Nephi 9:1 and on).

1 Nephi 19:10

2009-04-30T09:02:00.003-04:00

In verse 10, we find that Nephi is talking about the life of Jesus Christ nearly 600 years before it happened. A great thing about this verse is that he mentions stories from, what we can assume, the brass plates. As a testimony of who He is and what He has done, Nephi begins by saying that Jesus is the God of our fathers. He led the Israelites out of Egypt and kept them alive as they wandered in the wilderness. He is the same God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He will come down to the earth live among men and yield himself, according to the words of the angel. I'm assuming that Nephi is referring to the vision he had hosted by an angel (see 1 Nephi 11:32). So, he will give (gave) himself to the traitors and be judged of the people. A prophet named Zenock prophesied that he would be lifted up, and Neum (most likely the Nehum from the Old Testament) said that he was going to be crucified. Zenos, another prophet said that Jesus was then going to be buried in a sepulchre. He also prophesied that there will be three days of darkness on the isles of the sea when Christ dies, which will be given as a sign of His death. A sign more especially for the house of Isreal. This is interesting the "more especially...", because it could mean that there were others on the isles of the sea that might not have been of the house of Israel, who saw the sign. However, we know that the Nephites and Lamanites were of the house of Israel and those that did not die, saw the sign of the three days of darkness (see 3 Nephi 8:20-23).

We can see that Jesus Christ did come to do many things and one was to fulfill all that He caused to be written about His life on earth by the ancient prophets (e.g., Matthew 1:21-23).

So, what about these prophets? In the past, I have thought about these references to scriptures that we do not have. Here is a good entry for Lost Books in the Bible Dictionary that explains some of this. We can also find a little more from the entries of Zenock, Zenos, and Neum from the Index of the Book of Mormon. Here is another interesting article about these men among others.

1 Nephi 19:8-9

2009-04-29T10:12:00.003-04:00

In verse 8, Nephi states that Jesus Christ will come to the earth 600 years after Lehi left Jerusalem. In the next verse, Nephi tell a little about His life. Nephi had seen a vision of the life of Jesus Christ in 1 Nephi, chapter 11. The more particular connections to this verse were in 1 Nephi 11:32-33. Nephi says that because of the world's iniquity they shall judge Him to be a thing of naught. I think that this is as true now as it was when Jesus came. Nephi testifies that they will scourge Him and He will suffer it, or allow it or endure it. They will smite Him and He will suffer it. This suffering and non-retaliation is because of His loving kindness and long-suffering towards the children of men. He truly does love us. He loved those who were His enemies and His friends. He could have retaliated as He did in the temple that one time. But, He loved and loves all men so much that he died for them. He had to let them do it, in order for His sacrifice to be complete. Now, we can return and live with Them in heaven again.

1 Nephi 19:7

2009-04-28T09:07:00.005-04:00

In verse 7, Nephi is just coming off from talking about the sacred nature of the Small Plates and the weakness he has in writing and errors. He states that there exist some things that some men, which includes women, esteem of great worth. It is of a great worth unto body and soul. These same things are set at naught by others, trampling them under their feet. It is sad, but true, the statement that Nephi makes about the very God of Israel men do trample under their feet. He clarifies this by saying that men do this when they set at naught His counsels. It is interesting that Nephi uses the word counsels. I believe that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, in addition to giving commandments, counsel us. They do so through the Holy Ghost. It may even be through one of our spiritual leaders who is inspired by the Holy Ghost. We could be counseled by our spouse, parents, bishop, stake president, the prophet and apostles, and ultimately Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. What do we do when we hear and understand their counsel? We are faced with a choice to follow it or not. Either choice will produce consequences. If we put our faith in the inspired counsel and apply it and follow it, we will receive the blessings that are the consequence. If we do not, we forfeit the blessings and the potential progression (whether spiritual or temporal) that would have come. Three scriptures come to mind:

Doctrine and Covenants 130:20-21:

"20 There is a ^alaw, irrevocably decreed in ^bheaven before the foundations of this world, upon which all ^cblessings are predicated—

"21 And when we obtain any ^ablessing from God, it is by ^bobedience to that law upon which it is predicated."

I think this means if we obey a commandment we will receive a blessing. This is a binding contract with the Lord from before the very beginning. It is true.

Alma 12:10:

"10 And therefore, he that will ^aharden his heart, the same receiveth the ^blesser portion of the word; and he that will ^cnot harden his heart, to him is ^dgiven the greater portion of the word, until it is given unto him to know the mysteries of God until he know them in full."

This shows the consequences of those who follow the Lord's counsel and those who do not. Those who do are added upon and added upon until they know all. If they don't they will receive a lesser portion.

Doctrine and Covenants 98:12 (see also Isaiah 20:10, 13; 2 Nephi 28:30; Doctrine and Covenants 128:21):

"12 For he will ^agive unto the faithful line upon line, precept upon precept; and I will ^btry you and prove you herewith."

This shows that our progression is little by little according to our obedience to the laws of God. This is how he tries us and proves us.

I may have mentioned this before, but I think about the New Covenant of the Book of Mormon (see Doctrine and Covenants 84:57). Are we trampling under our feet this sacred work? Do we set it at naught as Nephi has said. The Book of Mormon is the very sacred record that Nephi was writing on and about, too.

1 Nephi 19:5-6

2009-04-27T09:24:00.002-04:00

Nephi is talking about how the Lord had commanded him to make two sets of plates, or records of his life and ministry. What we have come to term as the Large Plates of Nephi are a history of the more particular events of Nephi's life, like the wars and contentions of his people. The Small Plates of Nephi were written at a later time and had the express purpose for recording spiritual matters, like prophesies and ministries. In verse 5, Nephi states that he will talk more about the making of the Small Plates later. He says that he continues with his more spiritual account to record more sacred things that they may be kept for the knowledge of his people.

In verse 6, we read that he does not write anything upon the Small Plates but those things that he considered sacred. Then he talks about making mistakes. He says up front here that there might be errors in the writing. He says that they are errors because his is but a man and all men make mistakes when writing, even as those prophets of old who came before them. The cross-references are interesting to this statement. I must say that if one finds fault with the book, then they have great cause to repent. The first verse is found in Mormon 8:17:

"17 And if there be ^afaults they be the faults of a man. But behold, we know no fault; nevertheless God knoweth all things; therefore, he that ^bcondemneth, let him be aware lest he shall be in danger of hell fire."

This verse was written by Moroni, the son of Mormon, who wrote the abridgement of the Plates of Nephi, which is the Book of Mormon, Another Testament of Jesus Christ. He states that if you condemn the book and the faults therein, you shall be in danger of hell fire.

Let's look at one more verse. It is found in Ether 12:23-28:

"23 And I said unto him: Lord, the Gentiles will ^amock at these things, because of our ^bweakness in writing; for Lord thou hast made us ^cmighty in word by faith, but thou hast not made us mighty in writing; for thou hast made all this people that they could speak much, because of the Holy Ghost which thou hast given them;

"24 And thou hast made us that we could write but little, because of the ^aawkwardness of our hands. Behold, thou hast not made us mighty in ^bwriting like unto the brother of Jared, for thou madest him that the things which he ^cwrote were mighty even as thou art, unto the overpowering of man to read them.

"25 Thou hast also made our words powerful and great, even that we ^acannot write them; wherefore, when we write we behold our ^bweakness, and stumble because of the placing of our words; and I fear lest the Gentiles shall ^cmock at our words.

"26 And when I had said this, the Lord spake unto me, saying: ^aFools ^bmock, but they shall mourn; and my grace is sufficient for the meek, that they shall take no advantage of your weakness;

"27 And if men come unto me I will show unto them their ^aweakness. I ^bgive unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my ^cgrace is sufficient for all men that ^dhumble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make ^eweak things become strong unto them.

"28 Behold, I will show unto the Gentiles their weakness, and I will show unto them that ^afaith, hope and charity bringeth unto me—the fountain of all ^brighteousness."

Again, Moroni is worried about the people who may mock the weakness in writing of the prophets in the Book of Mormon. The Lord comforts him by saying that fools mock and they shall morn, my grace is sufficient, no one shall take advantage of your weakness. He promises Moroni that even though there may be some weakness found in the writing, no one will take advantage of it. He also told Moroni that fools mock and they shall morn. I think that if one is a fool they mock. I also believe the converse, those who mock are fools. No one should make fun of or mock other's actions. I'm told that I'm too sensitive, but even if people are joking, it has an effect on the person that was made fun of. Sometimes people say they don't mean it, but I'm not sure that takes away the initial awkwardness or hurt caused by the initial comment. Let us try a little more to think before we speak. I will try, too.

1 Nephi 19:4

2009-04-24T09:58:00.003-04:00

In verse 4, Nephi talks a little more about the Large Plates. He says that that account contains a greater account of the wars, contentions, and destructions of his people. This is quite a jump from our story. Up to this point, pretty much all we know about the family is that they have arrived to the promised land and have tilled the ground. He lets us in on the fact that there was/will be many wars, contentions, and destructions to be had. For me it is kind of sad that Laman and Lemuel did not repent and work to destroy Nephi. In 1 Nephi 2:24, we read, "24 And if it so be that they rebel against me, they shall be a ^ascourge unto thy seed, to ^bstir them up in the ways of remembrance." So, it seems that they will rebel and scourge the seed of Nephi. Let us continue with the story and find out how that takes place.

In the rest of the verse, Nephi states that he has instructed his people what they should do with the records that he is making and that they should hand them down from generation to generation, from one prophet to another, until there are further commandments from the Lord. It is amazing that the Lord protects the plates and this happens from generation to generation for just over a thousand years. Until Mormon abridges the records, gives them to his son Moroni, who buries them in the earth in New York. When in 1823, Moroni appears to a young man named Joseph Smith and tells him of the plates (see Joseph Smith--History 1:29).

1 Nephi 19:2-3

2009-04-23T08:11:00.002-04:00

In about 588 B.C. Nephi was commanded to make a record of his life. These are the Large Plates of Nephi. In verse 2, he states that when he was commanded to make the Large Plates, he did not know about the future commandment to make the Small Plates, in about 569 B.C. So, he recorded a more particular account of everything that had transpired up to this point on those plates. Things like the record of his father, the genealogy of his fathers, and their proceedings in the wilderness. Then he makes a distinction or contrast between the Large Plates and the Small Plates, as he currently writes this on the Small Plates, which is that the Small Plates would contain the more plain and precious parts of their ministries and prophesies. They were to be kept for the instruction of the people. Jacob reiterates this commandment and desire in Jacob 4:1-6 or so.

I believe that many times people wonder what was contained in the record of these events on the Large Plates of Nephi. We do not have them. But I distinctly remember in Institute one time that our teacher put forth the argument that the content that we have now from the Small Plates is of greater worth to our souls that what was contained on the Large Plates. I believe these verses are one of the reasons why. On these plates, we have more plain and precious parts of the ministries and prophesies of the people of Nephi. Nephi delves into them deeper and deeper as he gets older and as we proceed through the rest of 1 Nephi and through 2 Nephi. It is amazing.

1 Nephi 19:1

2009-04-22T12:28:00.003-04:00

Nephi is now in the promised land. The time is somewhere between 588 B.C. and 570 B.C. and will be until 2 Nephi 5. It is interesting that this is the time when he is commanded by the Lord to make a record of his life. The next time he mentions a specific year was when he was commanded by the Lord to make another record, one of his spiritual life.

So, in verse 1, we read that Nephi was commanded by the Lord to make a record of his people on plates of ore. Nephi shares with us that he engraved (1) the record of his father, (2) their journeyings in the wilderness, (3) the prophesies of his father, and (4) many of Nephi's own prophesies.

I thought a moment about the record that Lehi kept. He was probably commanded by the Lord to make a record, quite possibly at the time he was called to be a prophet. Like Nephi, Lehi probably wrote a lot of the important spiritual events up to that time in hindsight. But, who knows for sure. However, Nephi copied it down on his plate. We'll get more into this, but Nephi will share that his Large and Small Plates are for the prophets to hand them down from generation to generation. This would end up being Jacob's posterity for the rest of the Small Plates. But I wondered what happened to the actual record of Lehi. Nephi had made a copy of it and put it in his Large Plates (which were eventually translated by Joseph Smith taking up 116 pages of paper and such translation was stolen and/or lost while in the care of Martin Harris). I thought about this and I wonder if Lehi had given his copy of the record to Laman and Lemuel's posterity in hopes that it might convince them of the truth and to bring them to repentance. We can see Lehi's desire for such change in 2 Nephi 1:10-27 or thereabouts. But, who knows. : )

1 Nephi 18:23-EoC

2009-04-21T09:02:00.004-04:00

In verse 23, we find our family sailing toward the promised land. After many days, they did arrive there. They went forth upon the land and pitched their tents and they called it the promised land. At the end of this verse, we can see that Nephi, and whoever else constitutes "we," were still drawing parallels to the Israelites and their journeyings in the wilderness to their own travels in the wilderness and the ocean. It is good to apply the scriptures to the present day.

Once they were there, they began to till the earth and plant seeds that they had brought from Jerusalem. Nephi shares that their crops grew abundantly and that they were blessed. This sentence shows his gratitude to the Lord for the things He had done for them at that time.

Nephi has also shared with us that they had found many useful things on this promised land. They had found (in verse 25) "that there were ^abeasts in the forests of every kind, both the cow and the ox, and the ass and the horse, and the goat and the wild goat, and all manner of wild animals, which were for the use of men. And we did find all manner of ^bore, both of ^cgold, and of silver, and of copper." They found these animals on explorations of their land.

They had landed on the promised land in about 589 B.C. Thus, it had been about 11 years since they left Jerusalem.

One of the curious animals named in the last verse of this chapter is horses. It has been contested that there were no horses in America at the time of the Book of Mormon. This comes from the idea that when the Spanish brought horses to the indigenous peoples of the Americas in the 16th and 17th centuries, they had never seen them before. The article "Evolution of Horses" from Wikipedia shows that about 50 years after Book of Mormon was translated to English, horse fossils and other remains were being discovered in the Americas.

Here is another excerpt from the Book of Mormon Institute Manual:

1 Nephi 18:24–25. Horses Before Columbus’s Time

“If Joseph Smith had been writing the Book of Mormon instead of translating it from ancient records, he would have been very foolish to have included references to horses on the American continent in Book of Mormon times. (1 Nephi 18:25; Enos [1:]21.) In 1830, nearly all the historians and scholars were convinced there had been no horses on the American continent before the coming of Columbus. After the Book of Mormon was published, however, archaeological discoveries were made that clearly indicate that horses were in the Americas before Columbus arrived. In the asphalt deposits of Rancho LaBrea in southern California, numerous fossil remains of horses have been found that antedate Book of Mormon times. Although these discoveries do not absolutely prove horses were in the Americas in the time period covered by the Book of Mormon (about 2600 B.C. to A.D. 421), they do prove horses were there before the coming of Columbus” (Daniel H. Ludlow, A Companion to Your Study of the Book of Mormon, p. 117).

1 Nephi 18:20-22

2009-04-20T09:17:00.003-04:00

In verse 20 , Nephi reiterates that his brethren were in such a state that there was only one thing that could get their attention and help them do what was right. And that thing was the power of God. He sent a storm in the ocean, which probably meant lots of waves, thunder, and lightening threatening to swallow them up in the sea. And when they realized that their very existence was at stake, then they tried following the pleadings of everyone else and untie Nephi.

When they did so, Nephi took the compass and it began to work. He then prayed to God and presumably plead with Him to calm the storm, because after he prayed the winds ceased, the storm ceased, and there was a great calm. Then Nephi guided the ship towards the promised land.

I want to think about the great calm that Nephi describes. It stands out to me because, if you think about it, the storm had been raging for four days, and then when things stopped you could sense the calm more so than usual. Sometimes it is like that with life for me. If you watch too much TV or radio, then when you turn it off, you notice the calm. Or, if you can't turn off the interruptions of life, you long for the calm and seek it. This is a good thing because in the calm you can perceive the Spirit and receive instructions from the Lord about your life, just as Nephi did in order to guide the boat to the promised land.

1 Nephi 18:17-19

2009-04-17T09:20:00.002-04:00

So, we come back to our story where Nephi is sharing with us the attempts of his family to free him. In verse 17, we learn that Lehi had tried to talk with Laman, Lemuel, and the sons of Ishmael many times to convince them to let Nephi go. Nephi says that they did breathe out many threatenings against those who spoke on behalf of Nephi. At that point, Lehi and Saraiah, who have now become elderly, had been so worried about their children doing things just like this for so many years, that it made them sick. They were so sick that they had become bed-ridden. Thus, because of their grief and the iniquity of Laman and Lemuel and the sons of Ishmael, they nearly perished. The language here is interesting. In verse 18, Nephi writes the scene as thus:

"...yea, their ^agrey hairs were about to be brought down to lie low in the dust; yea, even they were near to be cast with sorrow into a watery grave."

It is so sad! Nephi further mentions that Jacob and Joseph, the two youngest sons of Lehi and Sariah, who were born in the wilderness, were so sad to see that their mother was so sorrowful and afflicted. Nephi shares that they were at this time still very young and needed much nourishment.

Here's the clincher, and Nephi waits to share these efforts from his family last, i.e., the efforts of his wife and children. I believe that this is the only time that he speaks of them in these plates. He says that not even his wife's tears and prayers, along with those of his children, could not soften the hearts of their brethren to loose Nephi's bands and let him free.

How could they be so hard? Well, in the past we've seen that only one being has been able to convince Laman and Lemuel to do what is right. It is interesting that He has helped them do what is right up to this point, because His plan for them is to get the whole family to the Americas, in order to prepare a place for many of His children to dwell with agency to choose right from wrong. Next time we shall discuss this more.

1 Nephi 18:16

2009-04-16T09:06:00.002-04:00

Well, Nephi has been tied up on a boat for four days. What would you do if your brothers tied you up for four days? Possibly outside in a terrible storm? My first thoughts would be plans of getting them back somehow. I want to say that I would be like Nephi in verse 16. He says that he did look to his God all the day long. He did not murmur against Him because of his afflictions. This is incredible. We have our own set of afflictions. Do we murmur to God because of them? Or do we look to Him for help, guidance, and strength through them? Let's think about that until next time. I know that we can get help. This is because Jesus Christ has paid already for our pains and sins. Here is another scripture from Alma that conveys this message (Alma 7:11-12):

"11 And he shall go forth, suffering pains and ^aafflictions and ^btemptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will ^ctake upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people.

"12 And he will take upon him ^adeath, that he may ^bloose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to ^csuccor his people according to their infirmities."

(Try searching more about these topics in the footnote links!)

1 Nephi 18:13-15

2009-04-15T09:07:00.002-04:00

Laman and Lemuel have just tied up their brother Nephi and in verse 13, they attempted to steer the ship towards the promised land. But, to no surprise, they did not know where to steer the ship, because the Liahona was not working. This will help tell you how hard-headed they were, because when Nephi was tied up, there arose a storm that threatened to drown them all into the sea. They were frightened for their lives, but they did not untie Nephi. This situation persisted for three days. For three days they were driven back upon the waters.

On the fourth day, the storm got even bigger.

Nephi shares that for the space of four days they had been driven back and nearly drowned, that it was then that Laman and Lemuel began to see that it was the judgments of God that were upon them, and that they must repent or perish. Well, when they realized that their lives were at stake, then they would rather untie Nephi than die. They loosened the bands around Nephi's wrists and ankles. They had swollen exceedingly, Nephi says, and great was the soreness.

Even though we have an outside perspective on how Laman and Lemuel's decisions affect their situations and we say, duh, after one day you two should have know that your actions caused this. I can tell you that when you have fallen into a snare by the evil one, you might not realize it. The carnal mind can be appeased so much that you don't realize what you're thinking. Even if the people on the outside looking in can easily see that you have been drawn in, you will think they do not know what they're talking about and you shun them. I have seen people in these situations. They are so stuck that you cannot get through to them. You just have to pray that something will happen to wake them out of it, that they can realize what they're doing.

Fortunately, Laman and Lemuel did realize what they were doing, but not due to the pleadings of others, which we'll talk about in the next few days.

1 Nephi 18:12

2009-04-14T09:09:00.003-04:00

We come back into the story of our family crossing the ocean to the Americas. Nephi's brothers and the sons of Ishmael do not like being told what to do. Especially because their behavior was wicked and they are in a state of aversion to truth and correction. In verse 12, they tie Nephi up. Nephi makes two good connections here in the second part of the verse. He says that the Liahona which had been prepared by the Lord ceased to work. He is showing us that when they were not righteous, they did not have direction from the Lord with the compass. And since Nephi says that it was prepared by the Lord, then when it ceased to work, it was a manifestation that the Lord did not approve of their actions. Laman and Lemuel have seen the power of God already manifest in their lives. They have seen the commandments of God fulfilled, e.g. getting the brass plates, angels, Laban delivered to their hands, getting Ishmael and his family to come with them, wives to marry, being shocked by Nephi using the power of God, and the list goes on. They should know by now that when the Liahona ceases to work, then the power can be manifest. Why would they tempt Him again?

Last night in family scripture study, we read more about the Liahona when Alma passed it down to his son Helaman, a tradition that has happened from generation to generation since Nephi, about 520 years later. In Alma 37:38, Alma begins his connection from Lehi's family following the Liahona to get to the promised land to us following Christ to get to heaven. His comment in verses 41-42 is the connection to what just happened on the boat that I wanted to mention:

"41 Nevertheless, because those miracles were worked by small means it did show unto them marvelous works. They were slothful, and forgot to exercise their faith and diligence and then those marvelous works ceased, and they did not progress in their journey;

"42 Therefore, they tarried in the wilderness, or did not travel a direct course, and were afflicted with hunger and thirst, because of their transgressions."

From these verses, it seems that there were some times that the Liahona did not work for them during their travels in the wilderness. This connects to the boat situation, because I believe that this is the first time that Nephi mentions the Liahona ceasing to work for them because of their wickedness, even though in the beginning when they found it he said that the spindles worked according to their faith and diligence. I find that it is interesting that Mormon, the abridger of Nephi's recordings on the small plates or possibly Nephi himself, only shared the account of the broken bow as one of the trials in the wilderness. It is likely then, that the other trials and activities did not have much importance for our day. They could have, but I find it interesting that this is what we have. Let us study them and draw conclusions for our lives with the aid of the Spirit.

1 Nephi 18:10-11

2009-04-13T09:20:00.003-04:00

Because of the rude dancing and singing in the boat, Nephi says in verse 10 that he began to fear the punishments of the Lord because of their wickedness. He knew that the Lord had done much for his family. I don't think that the Lord would let His work be for naught. If there were people that were wicked, one might think that the Lord could consider them expendable and call them home. This is what I thought at first. Nephi was thinking something a little more extreme. He says that he was worried because they were over a very large ocean and he thought that the Lord would smite them and leave them to be swallowed up in the depths of the sea. Nephi even says that this would be on account of "our" iniquity. I wonder why Nephi includes himself in this. Surely he was not doing the same as his brothers. Perhaps this is his way of being humble and acknowledging that no one is perfect. Maybe he takes responsibility for their behavior because he had not at that moment taken liberty of admonishing his brothers. Then he says that he did speak unto them with soberness. They, of course, did not like that and promised that they would not have Nephi to be their ruler.

Then, they tie him up with strong cords. They treat him with much harshness. It is important to know that the Lord allowed this to happen so that he can show forth His power and fulfill His words that He said concerning the wicked. I think that this is what happens to anyone that is righteous and is persecuted for His name's sake (see Exodus 23:7, Psalms 37:8-13, Alma 14:11, and Matthew 5:44).

1 Nephi 18:9

2009-04-10T08:56:00.004-04:00

In verse 9, Nephi tells us that after being driven forth by the wind for many days, the sons of Ishmael, Nephi's brethren, and their wives began to make themselves merry. They also began to speak with much rudeness. They even forgot the power that had brought them to this point and that was carrying them across the sea. He emphasizes again that they were exceedingly rude.

I want to apply this scripture to our lives. I am fearful of how many times we forget the Lord and participate in conversations or activities that would be considered exceedingly rude. A modern application to this scripture is participating in events that promote rude singing and dancing. We must take care which concerts we attend and which dancing establishments we attend. It is not too popular here to do discos and such as it is in other countries, but there are concerts that tour the U.S. that we should not go to. Let us seek whole some entertainment and places to sing and dance. The great thing about our homes is that we can make them any kind of place we wish. Let's make good singing and dancing there.

Here is an excerpt from the Institute manual for the Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ.

"1 Nephi 18:5–10. Proper Dancing and Singing

"Some people may conclude from 1 Nephi 18:5–10 that the Lord does not approve of dancing or singing. Nephi says twice in verse 9 that his brethren and their wives fell into error when their dancing and singing led them 'to speak with much rudeness.' The word rude refers to being harsh, vulgar, or coarse. The Lord has stated that he approves of proper dancing and singing (see Psalm 149:1–4, D&C 136:28). Note from these scriptures that dancing and singing are ways of praising the Lord. However, Satan can use music as a means of corruption and loss of the Spirit. That is why Church leaders caution us about the kinds of music we listen and respond to."

1 Nephi 18:5-8

2009-04-09T08:24:00.002-04:00

Well, the time to go down to the ship and set sail for the promised land has come. Of course, they have to prepare many things before they actually get going. In verse 6, it describes some of the things they had prepared for. They packed much fruit, meat, honey, provisions that the Lord commanded them, loading, seeds, and all things according to their age. They all went along with their wives and children. Verse 7 shares with us that Lehi and Saraiah even had two more sons in the wilderness. Jacob was the older and Joseph was the younger. After they packed all their provisions, they were put forth on the sea and made their way to the promised land.

As I think about this section of the chapter, I am amazed at the distance they've traveled to get to this point. They spent eight years traveling in the wilderness. Now, they have to go further and travel the last part of their journey by sea. Sea travel on a boat through the Pacific Ocean is not a cake walk. I foresee some troubles ahead for our family. (I've also read this part many times, too.) However, let us see how each of the members of the family react to their trials another time. I think that this account of the life of Nephi really helps those that feel that they are fraught with trials. Nephi certainly has his fair share. How does he react each time?

1 Nephi 18:4

2009-04-07T09:04:00.003-04:00

In verse 4, we read that Nephi and his brothers finally finished the boat that would take them on their long journey across the ocean. At this time, I'm not sure if Laman and Lemuel knew how long this would take and what trials they would face along the way. I say this because the verse notes that Laman and Lemuel again humbled themselves before the Lord. However, as we will see later on, this does not last. As we read the story of Lehi's family's journey through the wilderness, we want Laman and Lemuel to be humble and repentant. But, alas, they are never truly repentant. To truly be repentant, one must make the change from doing evil to doing good, and not hold on to their favorite sins. Some are able to suppress these for periods of time, but when something happens like they are tempted or too much time passes, they slip up and fall again. For Laman and Lemuel, when "the goin' gets tough," they rebel and don't make the "tough get goin'." The father of Lamoni, in the Book of Mormon, puts it this way (Alma 22:18):

"18 O God, Aaron hath told me that there is a God; and if there is a God, and if thou art God, wilt thou make thyself known unto me, and I will give away all my sins to know thee, and that I may be raised from the dead, and be saved at the last day...(emphasis added)"

Here we see that the father of Lamoni is willing to give away all his sins and his desire to sin, to know God. This is repentance.

Here is a talk that discusses the whole idea in more detail and has been adopted by our stake as a core document:

The Meaning of Repentance by Theodore M. Burton

1 Nephi 18:3

2009-04-06T10:18:00.003-04:00

Nephi testifies to us, in verse 3, that he had gone up to the mountain oft and prayed to receive instructions from the Lord. He says that he was shown great things from the Lord. How to build a boat of curious workmanship not after the manner of men, I would consider one of those things. However, I would think that Nephi was gaining more insight into the mysteries of God.

I want to finish this post with a general thought from Conference. We need to go up to the mountain of the Lord's house oft to pray and be shown great things from the Lord. We were counseled that if we lived close to a temple, that we should go often and regularly. I know that if we do this, we will be blessed with understanding of the mysteries of God, if we seek them.

1 Nephi 18:1-2

2009-04-02T08:13:00.003-04:00

We find our family on the shores of the great sea called Irreantum, which in our day is probably some ocean like the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean. Nephi is commanded to build a ship that will take his family to the promised land, somewhere in the Americas. Nephi has just found that his brothers are now willing to work and help him build the ship. He says that they went to work timbers of curious workmanship after the manner that the Lord showed him from time to time.

The next verse is interesting in that Nephi says that he did not build the ship after the manner of men and that he built it after the manner which the Lord showed him. First, this means that men at 600 B.C. had ways of building ships. I wonder what they were like? Well, here is an article from Wikipedia that showed how some of the ships of the day were built:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trireme

I think that this is a contrast showing how the ways of the Lord are far superior than that ways of man. I know that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ have ways that are far superior to ours. Let us follow Their directives.