Book of Mormon Commentary - 2 Nephi 10

by Don R. Hender

   Jacob continues his teachings as the head of the church, testifying as an additional witness to what he himself has been shown, like unto Nephi, of the Lord, and his witness to the words of Nephi and Isaiah, as has been taught to the people and now also confirmed by Jacob as a third witness.

Scriptural Text [& Editorial] Commentary & Explanation Footnotes ~ References ~ JST

             CHAPTER 10
Jews shall crucify their God—They shall be scattered until they begin to believe in him—America shall be a land of liberty where no king shall rule—Be reconciled to God and gain salvation through his grace. [Between 559 and 545 B.C.]

1 AND now I, Jacob, speak unto you again, my beloved brethren, concerning this righteous ^abranch of which I have spoken.
2 For behold, the ^apromises which we have obtained are promises unto us according to the flesh; wherefore, as it has been shown unto me that many of our children shall perish in the flesh because of ^bunbelief, nevertheless, God will be merciful unto many; and our children shall be ^crestored, that they may come to that which will give them the true knowledge of their Redeemer^a.

2^a God will be merciful unto many; and our children shall be restored, that they may come to that which will give them the true knowledge of their Redeemer Not only the future children who live during the time of the restoration, but also the dead of their children shall be restored by the work of the gospel in the spirit world to the preaching of the gospel to them there that their hearts might be turned to their fathers to whom these promises are were made, and that they might look to their children who live during the time of the restoration to be the 'nursing kings and queens' of the temple by whom the vicariously receive the blessings and ordinances of salvation, that they might while in the spirit be judged according to men in the fless. There by are the children redeemed who have died. And thus Jacob speaks of not only the restoration of their future living children who live during the age of restoration, but he also speaks of those who have died and will be provided their opportunity and blessings by the missionary work in the spirit world and by the temple work in their behalf during the great day of the Lord. 1^a 1 Ne. 15:12-20; 2 Ne. 3:5; Jacob 5:45 (43-45);
     Alma 46:24-25
2^a 1 Ne. 22:8-12; 3 Ne. 5:23 (21-26);
     3 Ne. 21:7 (4-29)5; TG Promise
   ^b TG Doubt
   ^c TG Restoration of the Gospel

3 Wherefore, as I said unto you, it must needs be expedient that Christ—for in the last night the ^aangel spake unto me that this should be his name—should ^bcome among the ^cJews, among those who are the more wicked part of the world^a; and they shall ^dcrucify him—for thus it behooveth our God, and there is none other nation on earth that would ^ecrucify their ^fGod^b.
4 For should the mighty ^amiracles be wrought among other nations they would repent, and know that he be their God.
5 But because of ^apriestcrafts and iniquities, they at Jerusalem will ^bstiffen their necks against him^a, that he be ^ccrucified.
6 Wherefore, because of their iniquities, destructions, famines, ^apestilences, and bloodshed shall come upon them; and they who shall not be destroyed shall be ^bscattered among all nations.

3^a those who are the more wicked part of the world For whatever reason, the 'Jews' are singled out as 'those who are the more wicked part of the world'. While this is a 'collective' messure and not an individual measure of the Jewish people, it seems significant that for the most part the 'Jews' did descend from Judah. It was the Pharisees and Saducees of the Sarim, Elders or leaders of the Jews and such 'High Priests' at their head which did plan and execute the plot against Jesus to have him tried and crucified. Therefore the Levite priests are not free from this burden either. For 'because of priestcrafts and iniquities', that is those who practice their religion for the benefit of money as well as the unrighteous, 'they are Jerusalem stiffened against him to have him crucified'. These are they who practice their professions whether the 'judges' or 'priests' to get gain and not to serve the people. This is the same group which was behind the threat to Lehi's life, who placed Jeremiah in prison and who were so powerful in their influence of the people that the King could do nothing aginst them. Judah was the prototype as it was he who engineered the threat against his brother Joseph that he might obtain the leadership of his father's house. Thus Joseph of Egypt was in this a type of how the leaders of the Jews would contrive to murder the Messiah, it was Judah confederate with Levi.
3^b there is none other nation on earth that would crucity their God Power and the seeking of riches does corrupt a people. That the nation of the Jews was so corrupt and filled with self pride of position attainment, that it would intentionally kill the Son of God to so position one's self seems to resort back to that 'secret of Satan' 'revealed' unto Cain, that he might murder and get gain. Herod saught the death of the Christ Child and murdered countless enfants that he might retain his earthly kingdom. The High Priests and the Elders or Princes of the Jews did the same, that they might not loose their position before the people. Corrupt judges of religion, the Sanhedrin based upon the enforcement of the Law of Moses but done to get gain and for their own love of their 'high' positions in the eyes of the people.
5^a because of priestcrafts and iniquities, they at Jerusalem will stiffen their necks against him Here is a clear statement that because of 'priestcrafts' and wickedness the Jews did crucify the Lord. Now 'priestcrafts' is that practice of religion to get personal gain. Thus not only the Levi priests are at blame. In fact it is the various religious factions of the Jews who had risen to popularity and the 'support' of the people that stood at the head of that order which did crucify the Lord. The Pharisees and Saducees of the Sanhedrin. They who had made of the temple and house of the Lord the means of financial gain and also the operation of the elders or judges of Israel in the name of the Law of Moses as they would exercise such upon the people to their expense, supporting the more wealthy at the expense of the poor among them.. 3^a 2 Ne. 2:4; 2 Ne. 11:3; 2 Ne. 25:19;
     Jacob 7:5; Moro. 7:22
   ^b TG Jesus Christ, Prophecies about
   ^c TG Israel, Judah, People of
   ^d Luke 18:31; 1 Ne. 11:33; Mosiah 3:9-10
   ^e Matt. 27:22; Luke 22:2; Luke 23:23 (20-24)
   ^f 1 Ne. 19:10 (7, 10); 2 Ne. 26:12
4^a TG Miracles
5^a Matt. 27:20 (11-26); Luke 22:2; John 11:47-53;
      TG Apostasy of Isreal; TG Priestcraft
   ^b TG Stiffneckedness
   ^c TG Jesus Christ, Crucifixion of
6^a TG Plague
   ^b 1 Ne. 19:14 (13-14); 2 Ne. 25:15;
     TG Israel, Bondage of in Other Lands

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.
8 And it shall come to pass that they shall be ^agathered in from their long dispersion, from the ^bisles of the sea, and from the four parts of the earth; and the nations of the Gentiles shall be great in the eyes of me, saith God, in ^ccarrying them forth to the lands of their inheritance.
9 ^aYea, the kings of the Gentiles shall be nursing fathers^a unto them, and their queens shall become nursing mothers^a^bpromises of the Lord are great unto the Gentiles, for he hath spoken it, and who can dispute?

9^a the Gentiles shall be nursing fathers ... their queens shall become nursing nothers Now this is a very curious concept seeing that the fulness of the gospel is to be restored unto the Gentiles upon a land which shall have no Kings. How then do the 'kings' and 'queens' of the Gentiles become nursing fathers and mothers unto the Jews and all the house of Israel? Has there been an error in Jacob's teachings? NO! Jacob does not speak of the kings and queens of this temporal world who do minister salvation unto the world. The 'Kings and Queens' of this administration are those of the covenant endowed of the temple of God. This is the very import of the administration of the blessing of the gospel to all the world who ever have lived, that through the vicarious work performed in the temples of God are the 'Kings and Queens', 'Priest and Priestesses' of God become the nursing fathers and mothers unto all the world in fulfillment of the Covenant of Abraham which is the same as the very Covenant of God from before the foundation of the world. And this is the import of the temples which was above all else, least the Lord curse the earth and the earth be utterly wasted at his coming. For it in only by this nursing administration of the temple endowment vicarious performed that the fulfillment of the hearts of the father being taught in the spirit world may be turned to the children who so perform their work in their behalf that the whole earth may be saved. And thus according to that stated in the Doctrine and Covenants, do we who provide the vicarious ordinances become 'saviors' unto those for whom we have done the work. 7^a TG Jesus Christ, Lord
   ^b 2 Ne. 9:2 (1-2); 2 Ne. 25:16-17
   ^c Gen. 49:10; TG Isreal, Restoration of
   ^d TG Lands of Inheritance
8^a TG Israel, Gathering of
   ^b Isa. 51:5; 1 Ne. 22:4; 2 Ne. 29:7; D&C 133:8
   ^c Isa. 11:14; 1 Ne. 21:22; 1 Ne. 22:8
9^a Isa. 49:22-23; 2 Ne. 6:6
   ^b 1 Ne. 22:8 (1-9); Alma 9:24; D&C 3:20

10 But behold, this land, said God, shall be a land of thine inheritance^a, and the ^aGentiles shall be blessed upon the land.
11 And this land shall be a land of ^aliberty unto the Gentiles, and there shall be no ^bkings upon the land, who shall raise up unto the Gentiles.
12 And I will fortify this land ^aagainst all other nations.
13 And he that ^afighteth against Zion shall ^bperish, saith God.
14 For he that raiseth up a ^aking against me shall perish, for I, the Lord, the ^bking of heaven, will be their king, and I will be a ^clight unto them forever, that hear my words.

10^a this land, said God, shall be a land of thine inheritance It is significant that Jacob is speaking to those who are of the House of Joseph. For it was to be from times even before Joseph that this land which is choice above all other lands and which is the very land upon which Adam first dwelt, be a land unto the House of Joseph (Ether 13:2-8). And it was upon this land that the New Jerusalem should be built up unto the remnant of the house and seed of Joseph. And this that the promised seed of Joseph would not perish but should be built up upon this land, a land of their inheritance; that they shall be a holy city unto the Lord. And that the Lord, the very king of heaven would come down and be their King, yea even the very King of Zion, the King of the House of Joseph, he also being the rightful and legal heir of the covenant which was preserved through Joseph and did remain even in that Christ himself was of the house of Joseph (See Messiah ben David ~ Messiah ben Joseph). And where that inheritance in the land of Israel was too narrow for them to occupy, in this great land they might fill the borders thereof unto the fulfilling of the covenant blessings of the fathers through the workings of Ephraim to the inhabitants of the earth, every nation, kindred, tongue and people. 10^a 2 Ne. 6:12; 3 Ne. 16:6 (4-7)
11^a TG Liberty
     ^b 2 Ne. 1:7; Mosiah 29:32
12^a 1 Ne. 13:19
13^a 1 Ne. 22:14, 19
     ^b Isa. 60:12
14^a TG Kings, Earthly
     ^b Josh. 2:11; Ps. 44:4; Matt. 2:2; Alma 5:50;
       D&C 20:17; D&C 38:21-22; D&C 128:22-23;
       Moses 7:53
     ^c TG Jesus Christ, Light of the World

15 Wherefore, for this cause, that my ^acovenants may be fulfilled^a which I have made unto the children of men, that I will do unto them while they are in the flesh, I must needs destroy the ^bsecret works of ^cdarkness, and of murders, and of abominations.
16 Wherefore, he that ^afighteth against ^bZion, both Jew and Gentile, both bond and free, both male and female, ^cshall perish; for ^dthey are they who are the ^ewhore of all the earth; for ^fthey who are ^gnot for me are ^hagainst me, saith our God.
17 For I will ^afulfil my ^apromises which I have made unto the children of men^a, that I will do unto them while they are in the flesh—

15^a TG Abrahamic Covenant
       BD Abraham, Covenant of; TG Covenants
     ^b Lev. 19:26; Hel. 3:23; Hel. 7:25 (4-5, 21,25);
       TG Secret Combinations
     ^c TG Darkness, Spiritual
16^a TG Protection, Divine
     ^b TG Zion
     ^c Isa. 41:11-12
     ^d 1 Ne. 13:5
     ^e TG Devil, Church of; TG Whoredom
     ^f 1 Ne. 14:10
     ^g 1 Ne. 22:13-23; 2 Ne. 6:15; 2 Ne. 28:15-32;
       3 Ne. 16:8-15; Ether 2:9 (8-11)
     ^h Matt. 12:30
17^a 1 Kings 8:56; D&C 1:38; D&C 101:64
     ^b TG Promise

18 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, thus saith our God: I will afflict thy seed by the hand of the Gentiles; nevertheless, I will ^asoften the hearts of the ^bGentiles, that they shall be like unto a father to them; wherefore, the Gentiles shall be ^cblessed and ^dnumbered among the house of Israel.
19 Wherefore, I will ^aconsecrate this land unto thy seed, and them who shall be numbered among thy seed, forever, for the land of their inheritance; for it is a choice land, saith God unto me, above all other lands, wherefore I will have all men that dwell thereon that they shall worship me, saith God.

18^a 1 Ne. 13:31; 2 Ne. 4:7; Jacob 3:6 (5-9);
       Hel. 15:12 (10-17); Morm. 5:20-21
     ^b Matt. 8:11-12; Matt. 12:21;
       Luke 13:29 (28-30); Acts 10:45;
       D&C 45:9 (7-30)
     ^c Eph. 3:6 (1-7); 2 Ne. 33:9; 3 Ne. 21:14
     ^d Gal. 3:7, 29; 1 Ne. 14:2; 3 Ne. 16:13;
       3 Ne. 21:6,22,25; 3 Ne. 30:2; Abr. 2:10 (9-11)
19^a 1 Ne. 13:15

20 And now, my beloved brethren, seeing that our merciful God has given us so great knowledge concerning these things, let us remember him, and lay aside our sins, and not hang down our heads, for we are not cast off; nevertheless, we have been ^adriven out of the land of our inheritance; but we have been led to a ^bbetter land, for the Lord has made the sea our ^cpath, and we are upon an ^disle of the sea^a.
21 But great are the promises of the Lord unto them who are upon the ^aisles of the sea; wherefore as it says isles, there must needs be more than this, and they are inhabited also by our brethren.
22 For behold, the Lord God has ^aled away from time to time from the house of Israel, according to his will and pleasure. And now behold, the Lord remembereth all them who have been broken off, wherefore he remembereth us also.

20^a we are upon an isle of the sea While this is in part how the 'Jews' did view and speak of the rest of the world othere than that centeral land of their own, for indeed from their perspective the 'isles of the sea' did break away from whence they where in the days of Peleg. But it will also be found when the 'learning of the theories of men' are set aright, that the lands of the Americas did consists of many great bodies of water after the flood as the waters did 'recede' from off of the land over time and as such event would allow, from the great Amazon Sea to the Sea of the Great Basin, and great glacier lakes of the American northwest; there were many such great bodies of water which had been cauht up upon the land and would not drain until such times as the land plates did collide in the meridian of time at the death of Jesus Christ.
And who can dispute that South America ought to properly be scripturally considered to be but an 'isle of the sea' when in Isaiah 20:6 it does there also so state Africa to be but an 'isle', in also being so surrounded by the ocean seas all surrounding it. 20^a 1 Ne. 1:20 (18-20); 1 Ne. 2:2 (1-4)
     ^b 1 Ne. 2:20; TG Promised Lands
     ^c Ps. 8:8; 1 Ne. 18:8 (5-23)
     ^d Isa. 11:11-12; Isa. 42:4; Isa. 51:5;
       Ezek. 26:15 (3,6-7,15); Ezek. 39:6; 2 Ne. 8:5
21^a Isa. 49:1; 1 Ne. 19:16; 1 Ne. 21:1; 1 Ne. 22:4
22^a 1 Ne. 22:4-5; 2 Ne. 1:6;
       TG Israel, Scattering of
       TG Israel, Ten Lost Tribes of

23 Therefore, ^acheer up your hearts, and remember that ye are ^bfree to ^cact for yourselves—to ^dchoose the way of everlasting death or the way of eternal life.
24 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, ^areconcile yourselves to the ^bwill of God, and not to the will of the devil and the flesh; and remember, after ye are reconciled unto God, that it is only in and through the ^cgrace of God that ye are ^dsaved.
25 Wherefore, may God ^araise you from death by the power of the resurrection, and also from everlasting death by the power of the ^batonement, that ye may be received into the ^ceternal kingdom of God, that ye may praise him through grace divine. Amen.

23^a TG Cheerfulness
     ^b TG Agency
     ^c 2 Ne. 2:16
     ^d Deut. 30:19 (15-16, 19-20)
24^a TG Reconciliation
     ^b TG God, Will of
     ^c TG Grace
     ^d TG Salvation; TG Salvation, Plan of
25^a TG Death, Power over; TG Resurrection
     ^b TG Jesus Christ, Atonement through
     ^c TG Eternity

T H E    W A Y Christ is the way, the truth and the life. (John 14:6) That 'WAY' or 'PATH' is simple. 'Love the LORD thy God, walk in his ways, keep his commandments, statutes, and judgments, that thou may live and multiply' THAT IS 'Love the LORD thy God, obey his voice, cleave unto him: he is thy life—the length of thy days.' (Deuteronomy 30:16 & 20) This is the WAY of Eternal Life.

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Scriptural Text [& Editorial]	Commentary & Explanation	Footnotes ~ References ~ JST
CHAPTER 10 Jews shall crucify their God—They shall be scattered until they begin to believe in him—America shall be a land of liberty where no king shall rule—Be reconciled to God and gain salvation through his grace. [Between 559 and 545 B.C.]
1 AND now I, Jacob, speak unto you again, my beloved brethren, concerning this righteous ^abranch of which I have spoken. 2 For behold, the ^apromises which we have obtained are promises unto us according to the flesh; wherefore, as it has been shown unto me that many of our children shall perish in the flesh because of ^bunbelief, nevertheless, God will be merciful unto many; and our children shall be ^crestored, that they may come to that which will give them the true knowledge of their Redeemer^a.	2^a God will be merciful unto many; and our children shall be restored, that they may come to that which will give them the true knowledge of their Redeemer Not only the future children who live during the time of the restoration, but also the dead of their children shall be restored by the work of the gospel in the spirit world to the preaching of the gospel to them there that their hearts might be turned to their fathers to whom these promises are were made, and that they might look to their children who live during the time of the restoration to be the 'nursing kings and queens' of the temple by whom the vicariously receive the blessings and ordinances of salvation, that they might while in the spirit be judged according to men in the fless. There by are the children redeemed who have died. And thus Jacob speaks of not only the restoration of their future living children who live during the age of restoration, but he also speaks of those who have died and will be provided their opportunity and blessings by the missionary work in the spirit world and by the temple work in their behalf during the great day of the Lord.	1^a 1 Ne. 15:12-20; 2 Ne. 3:5; Jacob 5:45 (43-45); Alma 46:24-25 2^a 1 Ne. 22:8-12; 3 Ne. 5:23 (21-26); 3 Ne. 21:7 (4-29)5; TG Promise ^b TG Doubt ^c TG Restoration of the Gospel
3 Wherefore, as I said unto you, it must needs be expedient that Christ—for in the last night the ^aangel spake unto me that this should be his name—should ^bcome among the ^cJews, among those who are the more wicked part of the world^a; and they shall ^dcrucify him—for thus it behooveth our God, and there is none other nation on earth that would ^ecrucify their ^fGod^b. 4 For should the mighty ^amiracles be wrought among other nations they would repent, and know that he be their God. 5 But because of ^apriestcrafts and iniquities, they at Jerusalem will ^bstiffen their necks against him^a, that he be ^ccrucified. 6 Wherefore, because of their iniquities, destructions, famines, ^apestilences, and bloodshed shall come upon them; and they who shall not be destroyed shall be ^bscattered among all nations.	3^a those who are the more wicked part of the world For whatever reason, the 'Jews' are singled out as 'those who are the more wicked part of the world'. While this is a 'collective' messure and not an individual measure of the Jewish people, it seems significant that for the most part the 'Jews' did descend from Judah. It was the Pharisees and Saducees of the Sarim, Elders or leaders of the Jews and such 'High Priests' at their head which did plan and execute the plot against Jesus to have him tried and crucified. Therefore the Levite priests are not free from this burden either. For 'because of priestcrafts and iniquities', that is those who practice their religion for the benefit of money as well as the unrighteous, 'they are Jerusalem stiffened against him to have him crucified'. These are they who practice their professions whether the 'judges' or 'priests' to get gain and not to serve the people. This is the same group which was behind the threat to Lehi's life, who placed Jeremiah in prison and who were so powerful in their influence of the people that the King could do nothing aginst them. Judah was the prototype as it was he who engineered the threat against his brother Joseph that he might obtain the leadership of his father's house. Thus Joseph of Egypt was in this a type of how the leaders of the Jews would contrive to murder the Messiah, it was Judah confederate with Levi. 3^b there is none other nation on earth that would crucity their God Power and the seeking of riches does corrupt a people. That the nation of the Jews was so corrupt and filled with self pride of position attainment, that it would intentionally kill the Son of God to so position one's self seems to resort back to that 'secret of Satan' 'revealed' unto Cain, that he might murder and get gain. Herod saught the death of the Christ Child and murdered countless enfants that he might retain his earthly kingdom. The High Priests and the Elders or Princes of the Jews did the same, that they might not loose their position before the people. Corrupt judges of religion, the Sanhedrin based upon the enforcement of the Law of Moses but done to get gain and for their own love of their 'high' positions in the eyes of the people. 5^a because of priestcrafts and iniquities, they at Jerusalem will stiffen their necks against him Here is a clear statement that because of 'priestcrafts' and wickedness the Jews did crucify the Lord. Now 'priestcrafts' is that practice of religion to get personal gain. Thus not only the Levi priests are at blame. In fact it is the various religious factions of the Jews who had risen to popularity and the 'support' of the people that stood at the head of that order which did crucify the Lord. The Pharisees and Saducees of the Sanhedrin. They who had made of the temple and house of the Lord the means of financial gain and also the operation of the elders or judges of Israel in the name of the Law of Moses as they would exercise such upon the people to their expense, supporting the more wealthy at the expense of the poor among them..	3^a 2 Ne. 2:4; 2 Ne. 11:3; 2 Ne. 25:19; Jacob 7:5; Moro. 7:22 ^b TG Jesus Christ, Prophecies about ^c TG Israel, Judah, People of ^d Luke 18:31; 1 Ne. 11:33; Mosiah 3:9-10 ^e Matt. 27:22; Luke 22:2; Luke 23:23 (20-24) ^f 1 Ne. 19:10 (7, 10); 2 Ne. 26:12 4^a TG Miracles 5^a Matt. 27:20 (11-26); Luke 22:2; John 11:47-53; TG Apostasy of Isreal; TG Priestcraft ^b TG Stiffneckedness ^c TG Jesus Christ, Crucifixion of 6^a TG Plague ^b 1 Ne. 19:14 (13-14); 2 Ne. 25:15; TG Israel, Bondage of in Other Lands
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. 8 And it shall come to pass that they shall be ^agathered in from their long dispersion, from the ^bisles of the sea, and from the four parts of the earth; and the nations of the Gentiles shall be great in the eyes of me, saith God, in ^ccarrying them forth to the lands of their inheritance. 9 ^aYea, the kings of the Gentiles shall be nursing fathers^a unto them, and their queens shall become nursing mothers^a^bpromises of the Lord are great unto the Gentiles, for he hath spoken it, and who can dispute?	9^a the Gentiles shall be nursing fathers ... their queens shall become nursing nothers Now this is a very curious concept seeing that the fulness of the gospel is to be restored unto the Gentiles upon a land which shall have no Kings. How then do the 'kings' and 'queens' of the Gentiles become nursing fathers and mothers unto the Jews and all the house of Israel? Has there been an error in Jacob's teachings? NO! Jacob does not speak of the kings and queens of this temporal world who do minister salvation unto the world. The 'Kings and Queens' of this administration are those of the covenant endowed of the temple of God. This is the very import of the administration of the blessing of the gospel to all the world who ever have lived, that through the vicarious work performed in the temples of God are the 'Kings and Queens', 'Priest and Priestesses' of God become the nursing fathers and mothers unto all the world in fulfillment of the Covenant of Abraham which is the same as the very Covenant of God from before the foundation of the world. And this is the import of the temples which was above all else, least the Lord curse the earth and the earth be utterly wasted at his coming. For it in only by this nursing administration of the temple endowment vicarious performed that the fulfillment of the hearts of the father being taught in the spirit world may be turned to the children who so perform their work in their behalf that the whole earth may be saved. And thus according to that stated in the Doctrine and Covenants, do we who provide the vicarious ordinances become 'saviors' unto those for whom we have done the work.	7^a TG Jesus Christ, Lord ^b 2 Ne. 9:2 (1-2); 2 Ne. 25:16-17 ^c Gen. 49:10; TG Isreal, Restoration of ^d TG Lands of Inheritance 8^a TG Israel, Gathering of ^b Isa. 51:5; 1 Ne. 22:4; 2 Ne. 29:7; D&C 133:8 ^c Isa. 11:14; 1 Ne. 21:22; 1 Ne. 22:8 9^a Isa. 49:22-23; 2 Ne. 6:6 ^b 1 Ne. 22:8 (1-9); Alma 9:24; D&C 3:20
10 But behold, this land, said God, shall be a land of thine inheritance^a, and the ^aGentiles shall be blessed upon the land. 11 And this land shall be a land of ^aliberty unto the Gentiles, and there shall be no ^bkings upon the land, who shall raise up unto the Gentiles. 12 And I will fortify this land ^aagainst all other nations. 13 And he that ^afighteth against Zion shall ^bperish, saith God. 14 For he that raiseth up a ^aking against me shall perish, for I, the Lord, the ^bking of heaven, will be their king, and I will be a ^clight unto them forever, that hear my words.	10^a this land, said God, shall be a land of thine inheritance It is significant that Jacob is speaking to those who are of the House of Joseph. For it was to be from times even before Joseph that this land which is choice above all other lands and which is the very land upon which Adam first dwelt, be a land unto the House of Joseph (Ether 13:2-8). And it was upon this land that the New Jerusalem should be built up unto the remnant of the house and seed of Joseph. And this that the promised seed of Joseph would not perish but should be built up upon this land, a land of their inheritance; that they shall be a holy city unto the Lord. And that the Lord, the very king of heaven would come down and be their King, yea even the very King of Zion, the King of the House of Joseph, he also being the rightful and legal heir of the covenant which was preserved through Joseph and did remain even in that Christ himself was of the house of Joseph (See Messiah ben David ~ Messiah ben Joseph). And where that inheritance in the land of Israel was too narrow for them to occupy, in this great land they might fill the borders thereof unto the fulfilling of the covenant blessings of the fathers through the workings of Ephraim to the inhabitants of the earth, every nation, kindred, tongue and people.	10^a 2 Ne. 6:12; 3 Ne. 16:6 (4-7) 11^a TG Liberty ^b 2 Ne. 1:7; Mosiah 29:32 12^a 1 Ne. 13:19 13^a 1 Ne. 22:14, 19 ^b Isa. 60:12 14^a TG Kings, Earthly ^b Josh. 2:11; Ps. 44:4; Matt. 2:2; Alma 5:50; D&C 20:17; D&C 38:21-22; D&C 128:22-23; Moses 7:53 ^c TG Jesus Christ, Light of the World
15 Wherefore, for this cause, that my ^acovenants may be fulfilled^a which I have made unto the children of men, that I will do unto them while they are in the flesh, I must needs destroy the ^bsecret works of ^cdarkness, and of murders, and of abominations. 16 Wherefore, he that ^afighteth against ^bZion, both Jew and Gentile, both bond and free, both male and female, ^cshall perish; for ^dthey are they who are the ^ewhore of all the earth; for ^fthey who are ^gnot for me are ^hagainst me, saith our God. 17 For I will ^afulfil my ^apromises which I have made unto the children of men^a, that I will do unto them while they are in the flesh—		15^a TG Abrahamic Covenant BD Abraham, Covenant of; TG Covenants ^b Lev. 19:26; Hel. 3:23; Hel. 7:25 (4-5, 21,25); TG Secret Combinations ^c TG Darkness, Spiritual 16^a TG Protection, Divine ^b TG Zion ^c Isa. 41:11-12 ^d 1 Ne. 13:5 ^e TG Devil, Church of; TG Whoredom ^f 1 Ne. 14:10 ^g 1 Ne. 22:13-23; 2 Ne. 6:15; 2 Ne. 28:15-32; 3 Ne. 16:8-15; Ether 2:9 (8-11) ^h Matt. 12:30 17^a 1 Kings 8:56; D&C 1:38; D&C 101:64 ^b TG Promise
18 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, thus saith our God: I will afflict thy seed by the hand of the Gentiles; nevertheless, I will ^asoften the hearts of the ^bGentiles, that they shall be like unto a father to them; wherefore, the Gentiles shall be ^cblessed and ^dnumbered among the house of Israel. 19 Wherefore, I will ^aconsecrate this land unto thy seed, and them who shall be numbered among thy seed, forever, for the land of their inheritance; for it is a choice land, saith God unto me, above all other lands, wherefore I will have all men that dwell thereon that they shall worship me, saith God.		18^a 1 Ne. 13:31; 2 Ne. 4:7; Jacob 3:6 (5-9); Hel. 15:12 (10-17); Morm. 5:20-21 ^b Matt. 8:11-12; Matt. 12:21; Luke 13:29 (28-30); Acts 10:45; D&C 45:9 (7-30) ^c Eph. 3:6 (1-7); 2 Ne. 33:9; 3 Ne. 21:14 ^d Gal. 3:7, 29; 1 Ne. 14:2; 3 Ne. 16:13; 3 Ne. 21:6,22,25; 3 Ne. 30:2; Abr. 2:10 (9-11) 19^a 1 Ne. 13:15
20 And now, my beloved brethren, seeing that our merciful God has given us so great knowledge concerning these things, let us remember him, and lay aside our sins, and not hang down our heads, for we are not cast off; nevertheless, we have been ^adriven out of the land of our inheritance; but we have been led to a ^bbetter land, for the Lord has made the sea our ^cpath, and we are upon an ^disle of the sea^a. 21 But great are the promises of the Lord unto them who are upon the ^aisles of the sea; wherefore as it says isles, there must needs be more than this, and they are inhabited also by our brethren. 22 For behold, the Lord God has ^aled away from time to time from the house of Israel, according to his will and pleasure. And now behold, the Lord remembereth all them who have been broken off, wherefore he remembereth us also.	20^a we are upon an isle of the sea While this is in part how the 'Jews' did view and speak of the rest of the world othere than that centeral land of their own, for indeed from their perspective the 'isles of the sea' did break away from whence they where in the days of Peleg. But it will also be found when the 'learning of the theories of men' are set aright, that the lands of the Americas did consists of many great bodies of water after the flood as the waters did 'recede' from off of the land over time and as such event would allow, from the great Amazon Sea to the Sea of the Great Basin, and great glacier lakes of the American northwest; there were many such great bodies of water which had been cauht up upon the land and would not drain until such times as the land plates did collide in the meridian of time at the death of Jesus Christ. And who can dispute that South America ought to properly be scripturally considered to be but an 'isle of the sea' when in Isaiah 20:6 it does there also so state Africa to be but an 'isle', in also being so surrounded by the ocean seas all surrounding it.	20^a 1 Ne. 1:20 (18-20); 1 Ne. 2:2 (1-4) ^b 1 Ne. 2:20; TG Promised Lands ^c Ps. 8:8; 1 Ne. 18:8 (5-23) ^d Isa. 11:11-12; Isa. 42:4; Isa. 51:5; Ezek. 26:15 (3,6-7,15); Ezek. 39:6; 2 Ne. 8:5 21^a Isa. 49:1; 1 Ne. 19:16; 1 Ne. 21:1; 1 Ne. 22:4 22^a 1 Ne. 22:4-5; 2 Ne. 1:6; TG Israel, Scattering of TG Israel, Ten Lost Tribes of
23 Therefore, ^acheer up your hearts, and remember that ye are ^bfree to ^cact for yourselves—to ^dchoose the way of everlasting death or the way of eternal life. 24 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, ^areconcile yourselves to the ^bwill of God, and not to the will of the devil and the flesh; and remember, after ye are reconciled unto God, that it is only in and through the ^cgrace of God that ye are ^dsaved. 25 Wherefore, may God ^araise you from death by the power of the resurrection, and also from everlasting death by the power of the ^batonement, that ye may be received into the ^ceternal kingdom of God, that ye may praise him through grace divine. Amen.		23^a TG Cheerfulness ^b TG Agency ^c 2 Ne. 2:16 ^d Deut. 30:19 (15-16, 19-20) 24^a TG Reconciliation ^b TG God, Will of ^c TG Grace ^d TG Salvation; TG Salvation, Plan of 25^a TG Death, Power over; TG Resurrection ^b TG Jesus Christ, Atonement through ^c TG Eternity T H E W A Y Christ is the way, the truth and the life. (John 14:6) That 'WAY' or 'PATH' is simple. 'Love the LORD thy God, walk in his ways, keep his commandments, statutes, and judgments, that thou may live and multiply' THAT IS 'Love the LORD thy God, obey his voice, cleave unto him: he is thy life—the length of thy days.' (Deuteronomy 30:16 & 20) This is the WAY of Eternal Life.