THE SECOND BOOK OF NEPHIAn account of the death of Lehi. Nephi's brethren rebel against him. The Lord warns Nephi to depart into the wilderness. His journeyings inthe wilderness, and so forth. [Note: this was the introduction to the second book of Nephi as a part of the scriptural translation, though it is placed upon the contents page of 2 Nephi, it is also placed here that it is not missed by one who just surveys the chapters only.] |
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CHAPTER 1Lehi prophesies of a land of liberty—His seed shall be scattered and smitten if they reject the Holy One of Israel—He exhorts his sons to put on the armor of righteousness. [Between 588 and 570 B.C.] |
Lehi prophesies that this land of promise is a choice land above all
others and a land of liberty unto those who follow Christ— Lehi's
seed will be scattered and smitten as they reject the Holy One of Israel
according to the promise (curse) of this land—Lehi exhorts his sons
to put on the armor of righteousness— He blesses Zorams seed with Nephi's seed. [Between 580 and 570 B.C.] |
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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. 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 ddestroyeda; and had we remained in Jerusalem we should also have eperished.
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4a Jerusalem is destroyed
According to the new time line of the Book of Mormon, King Zedekiah and
the city destoryed about 592 B.C. Book of Mormon time (600-8=592) and Lehi
and his group was either still in the Valley of Lemuel or beginning their
8 year journey in the wilderness to that first Bountiful where they did
construct their ship. Why has Lehi taken some 12 additional years before
substantiating that 'Jerusalem is destoryed'? There is one possible
explanation. While the city and temple had been destoryed, there still
remained at Jerusalem a remnant of people including the prophet Jeremiah.
After the destruction of the city Nebuchadnezzar left Gedaliah, the son of
Ahikam and grandson of Shaphan who was secretary of King Josiah (Jer. 26:24)
the new governor of 'Jerusalem' as a tributary of Babylon. Gedaliah was
therefore of that household which had supported Josiah's religious reforms
and the prophet Jeremiah. Jeremiah, who had been in prison was placed into
the care of Gedaliah by the Babylonians. Gedaliah is reported to have been
wise, gentle and modest. He began his rule from Mitspah a little north of
the city of Jerusalem and he zealously began to encourage the people to
cultivate the fields and vineyards. Many 'Jews' who had fled to the safety of
neighboring lands during the Babylonian seige of Jerusalem returned and were
warmly welcomed by Gedaliah. Jerusalem was actually on the mends so to speak.
Among the returning 'refugees' was one Ishmael, son of Nataniah a descendant of the royal house of which Zedekiah also descended from. Ishmael was an ambitious man who desired to be the new King of Jerusalem. He had found an ally in the King of Ammon who was not in favor of the 'new Babylonian tributary colony'. Ishmael rose against Gedaliah, killed him and those associated with Gedaliah. Ishmael took captive the people who were at Mitspah and fled toward Ammon. Ishmael was overtaken by a group of Gedaliah loyalists led by Johanan who routed Ishmael and rescued the prisoners. Ishmael then continued to flee with such of his remaining followers and escaped to the Ammonites. The little remnant of the Jews then fled to Egypt out of fear of some kind of Babylonian reprisal. Jeremiah who had prophesied against going to Egypt was forced to accompany that last Jewish remnant. Jeremiah is thought to have continued to attempt to turn the Jews in whose company he was until his eventual death in Egypt. Thus as to the final end of the Jews of Jerusalem, it did persist beyond the destruction of the city proper. And their final ends in Egypt, Ishmael end among the Ammonites and any other such end of any small remnant in the land may have taken the additional years to finally resolve themselves for Lehi not to have declared that 'Jerusalem is destroyed' until such a later date as he did which may have coincide more with the date of the death of Jeremiah the Jewish prophet to Jerusalem rather than the sacking of the city of Jerusalem. |
1a
TG
Patriarch 2a Isa. 65:2 (1-5); 1 Ne. 18:9-20; Alma 18:38 3a Gen. 19:16 b TG Warnings 4a 1 Ne. 17:14 b TG Vision c Jer. 26:18 (17-19); 1 Ne. 1:4-18; Hel. 8:20; TG Jerusalem d Jer. 44:2 e Alma 9:22
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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
Lorda.
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5a those who should be led out of other countries by the hand of the Lord The whole concept of this verse is that this land, this America, was a reserved land, and only those which the Lord should bring unto it out of other countries, would be so brought. In short when Lehi was brought here, there were no other peoples or countries upon the land. It had been swept clean by the destruction of the Jaredites. Perhaps there would be contemporaries, the Mulekites in Zarahemla, and even possibly others upon the land northward so unreported by the Book of Mormon, which only dealt primarily with the Nephites, but none others were there before in that land where Lehi and his colony had been placed. They were alone. |
5a
TG
Promised Lands b Ether 2:10 (7-12) c TG Vows d TG Covenants e Ezra 8:22
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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
Lorda.
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 givena, 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. 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.
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6a there shall none come into this land
save they shall be brought by the hand of the Lord This concept
of exclusive habitation upon the Americas is expressly connected to the
covenant upon the land, that the people who are brought to this land must
serve Christ, the God of the land, else they will be destroyed. The degenation
of the 'Lamanites' is only covered by the exception that they were only
schooled to a far less understanding by their parents. They come under that
exception so stated next.
7a if it so be that they shall serve him according to the commandments which he hath given Where there is no law given, there is no guilt. This principle is given by Paul in his New Testament teachings as well. Thus a people could live upon the land in ignorance of God without the immediate penalty until a time when the law and commandments of God were made plain unto them. This is the case in our own age of enlightenment, but still it rest upon them who have been so warned to warn their neighbor. The gospel is to roll forth. |
6a
2 Ne. 10:22 7a Mosiah 29:32; Alma 46:10-28, 34 b 2 Ne. 10:11; TG Liberty c Alma 45:16 (10-14, 16); Morm. 1:17; Ether 2:11 (8-12) 8a 3 Ne. 5:20 b TG Nations
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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.
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 faitha; 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.
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10a power given them to do all things by faith When one is left to themselves, all things are not possible as the weakness of man is not able to do beyond the means of the natural limits of this earthly creation. But with the aid and empowerment of Christ assisting man, all things are possible by that faith and by the corresponding empowerment given by the grace and mercy given man by Christ though the cause and purpose of the atonement. Thus man might walk by the course of faith and righteousness in Christ, his sins being remitted, allowing man to be lifted up to the higher realm of accomplishment as empowered by the powers of God. That is all things which God hath commanded that man shall do are possible in Christ as by such faith in him, He is able to empower man the means by which all things so commanded might be accomplished and done. |
9a
Jacob 1:5 b 2 Ne. 4:4; Alma 9:13 c Deut. 29:9; Deut. 30:9 d TG Obedience e TG Inheritance 10a TG Unbelief, Unbelievers b TG Jesus Christ, Messiah c TG Justice
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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.
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11a
1 Ne. 13:14 (12-20);
Morm. 5:19-20 b 1 Ne. 22:7 12a Morm. 1:11-19; Morm. 4:1-23; D&C 87:6 (1-6)
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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. 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.
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13a
TG
Sleep b TG Damnation c Isa. 58:6.. Alma 12:11 (9-11); TG Bondage, Spiritual d 1 Ne. 12:18; 1 Ne. 15:28-30; Alma 26:20 (19-20); Hel. 3:29 14a TG Family, Love within b TG Death c Job 10:21 d Gen. 47:29 (28-29); Jacob 1:9 e Josh. 23:14; 1 Kings 2:2 15a Alma 36:28; TG Jesus Christ, Atonement through b Ex. 24:16; Lev. 9:6, 23; Ether 12:6-18; TG Jesus Christ, Glory of c Isa. 59:16; Jacob 6:5; Alma 5:33; 3 Ne. 9:14 d Rom. 8:39; TG God, Love of
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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.
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.
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16a
Deut. 4:6 (5-8);
Ezek. 20:11; 2 Ne. 5:10-11 17a 1 Ne. 2:23; 2 Ne. 5:21-24; Alma 3:6-19; TG God, Indignation of b Gen. 6:13; 1 Ne. 17:31; Mosiah 12:8 3 Ne. 9:9 18a TG Curse b 1 Ne. 12:21 (20-23) c Rev. 12:9 (7-9); Moses 1:12; TG Devil
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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. 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.
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19a
Zech. 3:8;
TG
Peculiar People b Hosea 14:9 20a Jarom 1:9; Omni 1:6; Mosiah 1:7; Alma 9:13-14; Alma 36:30; Alma 37:13; 3 Ne. 5:22 b Lev. 26:3-14; Joel 2:25 (23-26); Amos 5:4-8; Mosiah 26:30; c Ps. 67:6; Prov. 22:4-5; Mosiah 2:24 (21-25) 21a 1 Sam. 4:9; 1 Kings 2:2 b Moses 7:18 22a TG Curse b D&C 3:4; TG Justice
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23 Awake, my sons; put on the armor of
arighteousness. Shake off the bchains
with which ye are bound, and come forth out of obscurity, and arise from the
dust.
24 Rebel no more against your brother, whose views have been aglorious, and who hath kept the commandments from the time that we left Jerusalem; and who hath been an instrument in the hands of God, in bringing us forth into the land of promise; for were it not for him, we must have perished with bhunger in the wilderness; nevertheless, ye sought to ctake away his life; yea, and he hath suffered much sorrow because of you.
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23a
TG
Righteousness b TG Bondage, Spiritual 23a 1 Ne. 18:3 b 1 Ne. 16:32 c 1 Ne. 16:37
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25 And I exceedingly fear and tremble because of you, lest he shall
suffer again; for behold, ye have aaccused him that he
sought power and bauthority over you; but I know that
he hath not sought for power nor authority over
youa, but he hath sought the
glory of God, and your own eternal welfare.
26 And ye have murmured because he hath been plain unto you. Ye say that he hath used asharpness; ye say that he hath been angry with you; but behold, his bsharpness was the sharpness of the power of the word of God, which was in him; and that which ye call anger was the truth, according to that which is in God, which he could not restrain, manifesting boldly concerning your iniquities. 27 And it must needs be that the apower of God must be with him, even unto his commanding you that ye must obey. But behold, it was not he, but it was the bSpirit of the Lord which was in him, which copened his mouth to utterance that he could not shut it.
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25a I know that he hath not sought for power nor authority over you Laman and Lemuel have taken their own contrived perspective, being envious, seeking after the position of power and authority in and of themselves. Of such are those who seek for power and position for the wrong reasons, and that is to rule in unrighteousness over the children of men. But Lehi's objective perspective is that Nephi does not seek for the power to rule, but to do the will and the mind of God in rigtheousness. Of such are made the true leaders of men for the good and benefit of man. They are they who will place the good and benefit of who they are 'charged' with to care for in the manner of being their servant to service them rather than to be a dyrant over them. |
25a
1 Ne. 15:8-11;
Mosiah 10:14 b Gen. 37:10 (9-11); 1 Ne. 2:22 26a Prov. 15:10; 1 Ne. 16:2 b W of M 1:17; Moro. 9:4; D&C 121:43 (41-43) 27a 1 Ne. 17:48 b D&C 121:43 c D&C 33:8
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28 And now my son, Laman, and also Lemuel and Sam, and also my
sons who are the sons of Ishmaela,
behold, if ye will hearken unto the voice of Nephi ye shall not perish. And
if ye will hearken unto him I leave unto you a ablessing,
yea, even my first blessing.
29 But if ye will not hearken unto him I take away my afirst blessing, yea, even my blessing, and it shall rest upon him.
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28a and also my sons who are the sons of Ishmael Erastus Snow did preserve unto us the knowledge that Joseph Smith taught that the two sons of Ishmael who had families when they joined themselves to Lehi's party had previously married the two elder daughters of Lehi. Thus the relationship of Lehi to the sons of Ishmael is that of being related as their father-in-law. Thus it is more than just a social courtesy which Lehi extends by refering to Ishmael's sons as being his sons as well. For they are his sons by marriage. And their children are also the grandchildren of Lehi. The only family group which is not related to Lehi would be that of Zoram who married the eldest daughter of Ishmael. |
28a
TG
Birthright 29a Gen. 49:3-4; D&C 68:17; Abr. 1:3
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Zoram's Blessing |
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30 And now Zoram, I speak unto you: Behold, thou art the
aservant of Laban; nevertheless, thou hast been brought out
of the land of Jerusalem, and I know that thou art a true
bfriend unto my son, Nephi, forever.
31 Wherefore, because thou hast been faithful thy seed shall be blessed awith his seed, that they dwell in prosperity long upon the face of this land; and nothing, save it shall be iniquity among them, shall harm or disturb their prosperity upon the face of this land forever. 32 Wherefore, if ye shall keep the commandments of the Lord, the Lord hath consecrated this land for the security of thy seed with the seed of my son.
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30a
1 Ne. 4:20, 35 b TG Friendship 31a 2 Ne. 5:6
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