|
|
|
CHAPTER 13 Nephi sees in vision: the church of the devil set up among the Gentiles; the discovery and colonizing of America; the loss of many plain and precious parts of the Bible; the resultant state of the gentile apostasy; the restoration of the gospel, the coming forth of latter-day scripture, and the building up of Zion. [Between 600 and 592 B.C.] |
[About 592 B.C.] | |
1 AND it came to pass that the angel spake
unto me, saying: Look! And I looked and beheld many nations and kingdoms.
2 And the angel said unto me: What beholdest thou? And I said: I behold many anations and kingdoms. 3 And he said unto me: These are the nations and kingdoms of the Gentiles.
|
2a
TG
Kings, Earthly;
TG
Nations
|
|
Great and Abomimable Church of the DevilNow we ought not to shy away from just what the beginning of this Great and Abominable Church was. Indeed, it began with the apostasy of those early false Christians who evolved into the Great and Abomiable 'Universal Church' and its falsely developed creeds of men. Of which Jesus Christ himself spoke stating that 'their creeds were an abomination in his sight; that those professors were all corupt; that 'they draw near to me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me, they teach for doctrines the commandments of men, having a form of godliness, but they deny the power thereof.'" (JSH 1:19) Of the early church apostates, Bishop Eusebius spoke of such as 'those who through love of innovation have run into the greatest errors . . . proclaiming themselves discovers of knowledge falsely . . . have like fierce wolves unmercifully devastated the flock of Christ." (Eccesiastical History of the Church, Bishop Eusebius of Caesarea, Book 1, Chapter 1, Paragraph 2.)But through the evolusion of time, this is not just in reference to one single orgainization as many have evolved from the one and even parted from it to form other such based organization who are so founded upon Satan's opposition to the true doctrines and the true saints of Christ. Thus today it is any and all such institutions, nations, churches, organization, groups, establishments, societies, institutes, parties or factions legal or illegal which have as a center of their purpose to thwart, slay, yoke, bring down or bind down the saints of God into captivity in keeping them from coming unto Christ and receiving of His true gospel. At the initial time of the persecutions of the saints of the Church of Christ, it included the great pagen religious beliefs of the Roman Empire which had their religious corrupts in the hundreds of decades past. And they did so torture, bind, yoke and slay the saints of God. Eventually that same Roman or Pagan influence would be adopted into corruptions of the true doctrines and transform the church and preserve it as the 'Universal Church' known today and which most all 'reformists' clearly see as such. Today this captive binding of they who would be true saints of Christ is done under any number of structured entities. All of which are more centered upon the things of this world and the things of Satan than they are on the gospel and truth of Jesus Christ. Even such seemingly 'innocent' institutions as the ivory towers of higher education and scientific learning, when they are bent upon denying God in favor of the 'self-made wisdom and learning of men', do fit in this grouping of the Great and Abominable Church of the Devil. And there are many other such groups whose design is to thwart the work of God among men. Much of today's modern entertainment and music industries which seeks the riches of the world at the expense destorying faith and righteousness in Christ by promoting the pleasures and sins of the world. From the Roman Empire and even the halls of the corrupted Sanhedrin, to all the various paganizations, corruptions and polutions of the true word of God, which took the true early Church of Jesus Christ into apostasy and to every organization, denomination or group which fights against the restored true Chruch of Jesus Christ today; they all fit in their evil designs bent upon the destruction of the true church and the true saints of Christ and are to be considered to such extent as being used by the Devil and in confederation with the 'Great and Abominable Church'. |
||
4 And it came to pass that I saw among the nations of the
aGentiles the formation of a bgreat
churcha.
5 And the angel said unto me: Behold the formation of a achurch which is most abominable above all other churches, which bslayeth the saints of God, yea, and tortureth them and bindeth them down, and yoketh them with a cyoke of iron, and bringeth them down into captivity. 6 And it came to pass that I beheld this agreat and babominable church; and I saw the cdevil that he was the founder of it.
|
4a among the nations of the Gentiles the formation of a great church This 'church' is among the 'nations' of the gentiles. And as for the most part all the nations of the earth are considered as the nations of the Gentiles, then this great church of the devil which is being defined is to be found in all the nations of the earth in some form or another. It is not just one single identifyable entity, but it is more of an 'anti-ideology', that is it can take on any form and structure and its central purpose is the destruction of the truth of the Gospel of Christ and Christ's saints. And the motivation is those things which are of this world and of the devil. |
4a
TG
Gentiles b 1 Ne. 13:26, 34; 1 Ne. 14:10 (3, 9-17) 5a 2 Ne. 10:16 b Rev. 17:6 (3-6); Rev. 18:24; 1 Ne. 14:13 c Jer. 28:14 (10-14); TG Bondage, Spiritual 6a D&C 88:94 b TG Devil, Church of c 1 Ne. 22:23 (22-23); TG Devil
|
7 And I also saw agold, and silver, and silks, and
scarlets, and fine-twined blinen, and all manner of
precious clothing; and I saw many harlots.
8 And the angel spake unto me, saying: Behold the gold, and the silver, and the silks, and the scarlets, and the fine-twined linen, and the precious clothing, and the harlots, are the adesires of this great and abominable churcha. 9 And also for the apraise of the world do they bdestroy the saints of God, and bring them down into captivity.
|
8a Behold the gold, and the silver, and the silks, and the scarlets, and the fine-twined linen, and the precious clothing, and the harlots, are the desires of this great and abominable church. For the riches, lusts and the things of this world men will sell their souls to the devil and become his servants, serving him in attacking and destorying the Kingdom of God. |
7a
Morm. 8:37 (36-38) b Ether 10:24 8a Rev. 18:19 (10-24); Morm. 8:37 (36-41) 9a Morm. 8:38 b Rev. 13:7 (4-7)
|
10 And it came to pass that I looked and beheld many waters; and they divided the Gentiles from the seed of my brethren.
11 And it came to pass that the angel said unto me: Behold the wrath of God is upon the seed of thy brethrena.
|
11a Behold the wrath of God is upon the seed of thy brethern The the Spirit of God would rest upon such as Christopher Columbus and others in bring them to the Americas and that such would bring the 'wrath of God' upon the 'Lamanites', may seem inconsistant to some, especially when they consider all that the American Indian has suffered at the hands of the European Gentiles. But this was the plan and retribution of God upon the Lamanites, for they had received of the Gospel at the time of Christ and had also fallen into that gross state of wickedness and pagan worship which was to be found and practiced among them. And though the Europeans were no 'Saints of God', themselves being in their own state of 'captivity' in that Abominable Church of the Devil, the Lord did bring them to the Americas and did use them to fulfill his wrath upon the Lamanites. |
|
12 And I looked and beheld a man among the Gentiles, who was
separated from the seed of my brethren by the many waters; and I beheld the
Spirit of God, that it came down and awrought upon the man;
and he went forth upon the many waters, even unto the seed of my brethren,
who were in the promised land.
13 And it came to pass that I beheld the Spirit of God, that it wrought upon other Gentiles; and they went forth out of captivity, upon the many waters. 14 And it came to pass that I beheld many amultitudes of the Gentiles upon the bland of promise; and I beheld the wrath of God, that it was upon the seed of my brethren; and they were cscattered before the Gentiles and were smitten.
|
12a
TG
Guidance, Divine 14a 2 Ne. 1:11; Morm. 5:19-20 b TG Promised Lands c 1 Ne. 22:7; TG Israel, Scattering of
|
|
15 And I beheld the Spirit of the Lord, that it was upon the
Gentiles, and they did prosper and aobtain the
bland for their inheritance; and I beheld that they were
white, and exceedingly fair and cbeautiful, like unto my
people before they were dslain.
16 And it came to pass that I, Nephi, beheld that the Gentiles who had gone forth out of captivity did humble themselves before the Lord; and the power of the Lord was awith them. 17 And I beheld that their mother Gentiles were gathered together upon the waters, and upon the land also, to battle against them.
|
15a
Morm. 5:19 b 2 Ne. 10:19 c 2 Ne. 5:21; 4 Ne. 1:10; Morm. 9:6 d Morm. 6:19 (17-22) 16a D&C 101:80
|
|
18 And I beheld that the power of God was with them, and also that
the wrath of God was upon all those that were gathered together
aagainst them to battle.
19 And I, Nephi, beheld that the Gentiles that had gone out of captivity were adelivered by the power of God out of the hands of all other nations.
|
18a
1 Ne. 17:35 19a 2 Ne. 10:10-14; 3 Ne. 21:4; Ether 2:12
|
|
20 And it came to pass that I, Nephi, beheld that they did prosper in
the land; and I beheld a abook, and it was carried forth
among them.
21 And the angel said unto me: Knowest thou the meaning of the book? 22 And I said unto him: I know not.
|
20a
1 Ne. 13:41 (3-41);
1 Ne. 14:23
|
|
23 And he said: Behold it proceedeth out of the mouth of a Jew. And
I, Nephi, beheld it; and he said unto me: The abook that
thou beholdest is a brecord of the
cJewsa,
which contains the covenants of the Lord, which he hath made unto the house
of Israel; and it also containeth many of the prophecies of the holy
prophets; and it is a record like unto the engravings which are upon the
dplates of brass, save there are not so
manyb; nevertheless,
they contain the covenants of the Lord, which he hath made unto the house of
Israel; wherefore, they are of great worth unto the Gentiles.
|
23a a record of the Jews The
Bible we have today is very much a record preserved by the Jews from a very
Jewish perspective. And as in the day of Lehi in Jerusalem, the attitude
of the Jews was set against the prophets who spoke of and prophecied of the
comming of Jesus Christ, the Messiah of God, even the Son of God. It will be
interesting one day to compare the plates of brass record with the Bible, for
though they are 'like unto each other' in the Book of Mormon we have evidence
that such prophets who made not the Bible and were in the plates of brass did
speak of the coming of the Messiah, even Jesus Christ such as Zenos and Zenoch,
etc.
23b save there are not so many When it states that there are 'not so many' of the prophecies of the holy prophets in that one record as there are in the other record in reference to the brass plates and the Bible, it ought to be further clarified just which of the two records contain the more part of the prophecies of the prophets. One might suppose that since the Bible had the additional prophets beyond and past the days of Jeremiah, that the Bible had more prophets and thus more prophecies of the prophets. This would be a false presumption. For as chapter thirteen of 1 Nephi will continue to explained, many of the plain and most precious parts of the writings of those Biblical prophets will be taken away from that book. Many of these were even still a part of those records as late as the days of the apostles of the Lord. For example, it was Philip who did declare unto Nathanael, "We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph." (John 1:45) Now where in all of the Old Testament is it found today where Moses and the Prophets did prophesy of 'Jesus of Nazareth', that he would be of that city? And where in all the Old Testament is it found that Jesus was to be 'the son of Joseph'? It is not there. Many of they plain and precious prophecies concerning the coming forth of Jesus the Messiah that were once in the Old Testament have been removed and taken out. The very Jewish perspective has removed them. They were once there and many of them are in the brass plates which speak plainly of Jesus to come. Even as late as the days of the apostles many were still there. Perhaps even as late as the days of Bishop Eusebius and the great library at Caesarea, there were such records and versions of such still existant. But no longer as they have been removed. And thus when it states that 'there are not so many' upon the one record as there are on the other, we must understand that the brass plates contain the greater number of the prophecies of the holy prophets concerning the testimony of Jesus Christ an even the covenants of the Lord. |
23a
1 Ne. 13:38;
2 Ne. 29:6 (4-12) b TG Scriptures, Preservation of c 2 Ne. 3:12 d 1 Ne. 5:10-22; 1 Ne. 19:22
|
24 And the angel of the Lord said unto me: Thou hast beheld that the
abook proceeded forth from the mouth of a Jew; and when it
proceeded forth from the mouth of a Jew it contained the fulness of the
gospel of the Lord, of whom the twelve apostles bear record; and they bear
record according to the truth which is in the Lamb of God.
25 Wherefore, these things go forth from the aJews in purity unto the bGentiles, according to the truth which is in God. 26 And after they go forth by the ahand of the twelve apostles of the Lamb, from the Jews bunto the Gentiles, thou seest the formation of a cgreat and abominable dchurch, which is most abominable above all other churches; for behold, they have etaken away from the gospel of the Lamb many parts which are fplain and most preciousa; and also many covenants of the Lord have they taken awayb.
|
26a taken away from the gospel of the Lamb
many parts which are plain and most precious Though there are many
such things lost, mistranslated and taken away, I will but endeavor here to
give one precise example. One of the most important and most precious things to
understand of the gospel of Jesus Christ is the nature of and relationship between
God the Father and Jesus Christ the Son. The plain and precious truth of that
relationship has been taken away, though it is simple enough to be understood
intuitively. In the 'Greek translation of the early scriptures performed at
Alexandria, which housed such as Bishop Alexander and Athanasius his successor
student, a 'incorrect' translation was contrived to embed the pagan Greek
philosophical nature of God into the Hebrew/Jewish scriptures. The transliterated
translation of the Hebrew word "re'em" was purposefully innovated to be 'one-horned'
or 'Unicorn'. The true translation can be studied and found to actually be 'wild-ox',
which just happens to be the symbol of the tribe of Ephraim. 'We believe the Bible to
be the word of God as far as it is translated correctly.' That WAS NOT translated
correctly. It was postulated purposefully to embed the concept of God as the 'one horned
beast' of Greek Mythology so as to teach that God is but a combination of three expressions
combined but into 'one' entity, thus the 'one horned' Unicorn is a representation of
God, the God of the Trinity. And what was lost and hidden by that purposefully false
and incorrect translation has not been recovered from and Christ still remains hidden
from us in the totality of who he really is because of that philosophically imagined and
innovated false and incorrect translation today. First by leading the saints of God into
the false dogma of the 'Trinity' and second, that which is yet to be recovered from, that
Christ was legally the rightful heir of the covenant birthright of the firstborn, which
Jacob bestowed upon Ephraim, son of Joseph, in the stead of the unworthy Reuben (JST
Genesis 49 — See: Messiah ben David ~ Messian
ben Joseph).
26b many covenants of the Lord have they taken away Now since these 'covenants' are taken away, that is also by way of distortion and corruption and interpretation; they have become unknown unto mainstream Christianity. An example of one lost or taken away of which there is some evidence of it though it is not taught as such, it the ordinance of the baptism of the dead. That the church was practicing it is known as it is still record in 1 Corinthians 15:29 in an argument in defense of the resurrection. Another would be the endowment ordinance which today is only evident in its corrupted form as what is still held somewhat secret in the performances of the Masons. And then there must have been that of eternal marriage, but likely due to the pagan adoptions such as the nunnery and the monks and 'unmarried' priests, such extended enphasis on such a sacred covenant as eternal marriage has long been corrupted and lost by that adoption into Christianity to devalue and actually defame the institution of marriage between a man and a women as being so essentual to the Gospel Plan as the institudion of the family and eternal marriage are in God's design. To understand just how much it has crept in and changed the order of things as was once according to the actual teaching, one need only consider that by 'Jewish Law' a Rabbi not only had to be of a proper age to begin his ministry, but he also had to be married. In teaching that Christ was not married and that priests are not to be married, nor monks or nuns, the marriage laws have been removed and corrupted. |
24a
2 Ne. 29:3 25a 2 Ne. 29:4-6; D&C 3:16; TG Israel, Judah, People of b TG Gentiless 26a Luke 1:1-4; 1 Tim. 4:13 b Matt. 21:43 c 1 Ne. 13:4-6; 1 Ne. 14:10 (3, 9-17) d TG Apostasy, of the Early Christian Church e Morm. 8:33; Moses 1:41; TG False Doctrine; TG Scriptures Lost f 1 Ne. 14:21 (20-26); A of F 8
|
27 And all this have they done that they might pervert the right ways of the Lord, that they might blind the eyes and harden the
hearts of the children of men.
28 Wherefore, thou seest that after the book hath gone forth through the hands of the great and abominable church, that there are many plain and aprecious things taken away from the book, which is the book of the Lamb of God. 29 And after these plain and precious things were ataken away it goeth forth unto all the nations of the Gentiles; and after it goeth forth unto all the nations of the Gentiles, yea, even across the many waters which thou hast seen with the Gentiles which have gone forth out of captivity, thou seest—because of the many plain and precious things which have been taken out of the book, which were plain unto the understanding of the children of men, according to the plainness which is in the Lamb of God—because of these things which are taken away out of the gospel of the Lamb, an exceedingly great many do stumble, yea, insomuch that Satan hath great power over them.
|
28a
1 Ne. 14:23 29a 2 Pet. 3:16
|
|
30 Nevertheless, thou beholdest that the Gentiles who have gone forth
out of captivity, and have been lifted up by the power of God above all other
nations, upon the face of the land which is choice above all other
lands, which is the land that the Lord God hath covenanted with thy father
that his seed should have for the aland of their
inheritancea;
wherefore, thou seest that the Lord God will not suffer that the Gentiles
will utterly destroy the bmixture of thy
cseed, which are among thy brethren.
31 Neither will he suffer that the Gentiles shall adestroy the seed of thy brethren. 32 Neither will the Lord God suffer that the Gentiles shall forever remain in that awful state of blindness, which thou beholdest they are in, because of the plain and most precious parts of the gospel of the Lamb which have been kept back by that aabominable church, whose formation thou hast seen.
|
30a the land which is choice above all other lands, which is the land that the Lord God hath covenanted with thy father that his seed should have for the land of their inheritance The Lord had made great promises unto Lehi and though we are reading from Nephi's record, these promises to the seed of Lehi are preserved in Nephi's writings. Here we see that this promised land of Joseph (Ether 13:6-8) was also covenanted to be the land which Lehi's seed after him would posses for a land of inheritance as they were of Joseph also. This correclates with what Lehi states in 2 Nephi 3, that the Lord had said unto Lehi that he would so preserve his seed forever in this land (2 Nephi 3:16). |
30a
TG
Lands of Inheritance; TG Promised Lands b 2 Ne. 29:12-13; Alma 45:14 (10-14) c 2 Ne. 3:3 31a 2 Ne. 4:7; 2 Ne. 10:18-19; Jacob 3:6 (5-9); Hel. 15:12 (10-17); 3 Ne. 16:8 (4-13); Morm. 5:20-21 32a TG Devil, Church of
|
33 Wherefore saith the Lamb of God: I will be
amerciful unto the Gentiles, unto the visiting of the
remnant of the house of Israel in great judgment.
34 And it came to pass that the angel of the Lord spake unto me, saying: Behold, saith the Lamb of God, after I have avisited the bremnant of the house of Israel—and this remnant of whom I speak is the seed of thy father—wherefore, after I have visited them in judgment, and smitten them by the hand of the Gentiles, and after the Gentiles do cstumble exceedingly, because of the most plain and precious parts of the dgospel of the Lamb which have been kept back by that abominable church, which is the mother of harlots, saith the Lamb—I will be merciful unto the eGentiles in that day, insomuch that I will fbring forth unto them, in mine own power, much of my ggospela, which shall be plain and precious, saith the Lamb.
|
34a much of my gospel What has thus far been brought forth in the restoration is 'much' of the fulness of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Yet as the article of faith states, 'We believe all that he has revealed, all that he does now revealed, and we believe that he has yet to reveal many plain and important things pertaining unto the gospel'. Some of what is yet to be revealed is the 'lost' scriptures withheld such as the full record of the Jaredites with the vision of all in it, the brass plates, all the other unabridged records of the Nephites, other scriptures of other people and lands, such as the ordinance of the resurrection, a fuller knowledge and understanding pertaining unto the days and operation of the millennium and even all the rest of the knowledge and understanding as to the things of God. Yes, he is yet to reveal many important things pertaining unto the gospel. And what we do have today by comparison is but 'much', "a" fulness, but not yet all. |
33a
Isa. 42:1, 3-4 34a D&C 124:8; Abr. 1:17 b TG Israel, Joseph, People of c 1 Ne. 14:1-3; 2 Ne. 26:20 d TG Gospel e TG Millennium, Preparing a People for f TG Scriptures Lost g D&C 10:62; TG Restoration of the Gospel
|
35 For, behold, saith the Lamb: I will manifest myself unto thy
seed, that they shall write many things which I shall minister unto them,
which shall be plain and preciousa;
and after thy seed shall be destroyed, and
dwindle in unbelief, and also the seed of thy brethren, behold,
athese things shall be hid up, to come forth unto the
Gentilesa, by the gift and power of
the Lamb.
36 And in them shall be written my agospel, saith the Lamb, and my brock and my salvation. 37 And ablessed are they who shall seek to bring forth my bZion at that day, for they shall have the cgift and the dpower of the Holy Ghost; and if they eendure unto the end they shall be flifted up at the last day, and shall be saved in the everlasting gkingdom of the Lamb; and whoso shall hpublish peace, yea, tidings of great joy, how beautiful upon the mountains shall they bea.
|
35a thy seed, that they shall write many
things which I shall minister unto them, which shall be plain and precious
... these things shall be hid up, to come forth unto the Gentiles
The promise that the seed of Nephi would write and that such record would
come forth to the Gentiles is the same promise the Lord made to Lehi that
one of his seed would write, namely Mormon, and that such record would come
forth (2 Nephi 3:18). That Mormon, the
abridger and writer of the Book of Mormon was the descendant of Nephi who
was the son of Lehi makes it such that the Lord did promise such to both
Lehi and Nephi, Nephi being Lehi's line through whom the promises did remain.
37a how beautiful upon the mountains shall they be Here Nephi's reference to 'how beautiful upon the mountains shall they be', he speaks generally concerning all such as should bear witness and publish the peace of the everlasting kingdom of the Lamb of God. It is not just specific to the prophets formally, but unto all who do speak by that spirit of revelation and testimony as to the witness of Jesus Chirst. Thus when Abinadi stands before the wicked priests of Noah, we ought to keep this is mind. Those wicked priests will ask Abinadi what is meant by Isaiah as he speaks of those who are beautiful upon the mountains ( See Mosiah 12:20-24 & Isaiah 52:7-10). Later Abinadi will give them their answer that it is all who so publish the gospel to the world as this perspective ought to so be maintained, from the saints of God, to the Apostles and the Prophets and even Jesus Christ himself (Mosiah 15:10-19). This seems to correlate well with the perspective given Isaiah 11 and in D&C 113 as to who is included in the carrying forth of the restoration of the gospel to its fulfilment of the covenant blessings of the fathers in blessing the nations of the world by the seed of Abraham, even Ephraim. |
35a
1 Ne. 14:7;
1 Ne. 22:8; 2 Ne. 27:26 (6-26); 2 Ne. 29:1-7; TG Book of Mormon 36a 3 Ne. 27:21 b 3 Ne. 11:39 (38-39); TG Rock 37a Jacob 5:75 (70-76); D&C 21:9; TG Mission of Israel; TG Mission of Latter-day Saints b TG Zion c TG Holy Ghost, Gift of d Luke 24:49; 1 Ne. 14:14; D&C 38:38 (32-38) e 3 Ne. 27:16; TG Endure; TG Perseverance; TG Steadfastness f James 4:10 g TG Kingdom of God in Heaven h Isa. 52:7-10; Mark 13:10; 3 Ne. 20:30
|
38 And it came to pass that I beheld the remnant of the seed of my
brethren, and also the abook of the Lamb of God, which had
proceeded forth from the mouth of the Jew, that it came forth from the
Gentiles bunto the remnant of the seed of my brethren.
39 And after it had come forth unto them I beheld aother bbooks, which came forth by the power of the Lamb, from the Gentiles unto them, unto the cconvincing of the Gentiles and the remnant of the seed of my brethren, and also the Jews who were scattered upon all the face of the earth, that the records of the prophets and of the twelve apostles of the Lamb are dtrue.
|
38a
1 Ne. 13:23;
2 Ne. 29:6 (4-6) b Morm. 5:15; Morm. 7:8-9 39a D&C 9:2 b TG Scriptures to Come Forth c Ezek. 37:17 (15-20); 1 Ne. 14:2 (1-5) d 1 Ne. 14:30
|
|
40 And the angel spake unto me, saying: These alast
records, which thou hast seen among the Gentiles, shall
bestablish the truth of the cfirst, which
are of the dtwelve apostles of the Lamb, and shall make
known the plain and precious things which have been taken away from
thema; and
shall make known to all kindreds, tongues, and people, that the Lamb of God
is the Son of the Eternal Father, and the eSavior of the
world; and that all men must come unto him, or they cannot be saved.
41 And they must come according to the words which shall be established by the mouth of the Lamb; and the words of the Lamb shall be made known in the records of thy seed, as well as in the arecords of the twelve apostles of the Lamb; wherefore they both shall be established in bone; for there is cone God and one dShepherd over all the earth.
|
40a the plain and precious things which have been taken away from them Now many things have been taken away out of the scriptures per the editing and compiling of the scriptures. And the 'copying' of them according to the preferred interpretation and translations of man. Even in the days of Jesus it was made clear that certain versions of the written records were more correct and upright than others. Consider which rendition the Saducees would give in comparison to the Pharasees. The Saducees did not believe in the literal resurrection, that man would raised up from the dead to once again take upon himself this tabernacle of flesh and bone to be so housed forever more. Like many of the traditional Christians of today, they did not believe in the resurrection. Nor did they believe that the Messiah was or would be the literal Son of God. And they made it blasphemy for any to so claim to be, for they believed it not according to their own wisdom and interpretation and version of the Bible. It would seem that the apostles and Christ had access to a more upright version than that which has survived to day, for various scriptures are not found which they qouted and others are so changes as to not disclose the full truth of the matters of God. Thus one is left to consider that when the various versions of the scriptures were determined, what was acceptable and what was not to the 'wisdom of man', that such versions as held by such as the Sadudcees prevailed over the more upright and correct versions. Thus part by the Jews and part by the particular selection by the 'Gentiles' who were but scattered Israel despersed amid the nations of the earth, they did so select versions which were not as correct and as accurate as what there was available to those who would have been more inspired to so select. |
40a
2 Ne. 26:17 (16-17);
2 Ne. 27:6-26 2 Ne. 29:12; TG Book of Mormon b TG Scriptures, Value of c See the title page of the Book of Mormon TG Bible d 1 Ne. 11:29; 1 Ne. 12:9 e Moses 1:6 41a 1 Ne. 13:20-28 b Ezek. 37:17 c Deut. 6:4; 2 Ne. 31:21 d TG Jesus Christ, Good Shepherd
|
42 And the time cometh that he shall manifest himself unto all
nations, both unto the aJews and also unto the Gentiles;
and after he has manifested himself unto the Jews and also unto the Gentiles, then he shall manifest himself unto the Gentiles and
also unto the Jews, and the blast shall be first, and the
cfirst shall be last.
|
|
42a
D&C 18:6, 26;
D&C 19:27; D&C 21:12; D&C 90:9 (8-9); D&C 107:33; D&C 112:4 b Jacob 5:63; Ether 13:12 c Luke 13:30; 1 Ne. 10:14; 1 Ne. 15:13-20; D&C 14:10
|
Current Book | Previous Chapter | Next Chapter | Commentary Page | Home Page |