Book of Mormon Commentary - 2 Nephi 11

by Don R. Hender

Jacob ends his writings in this part of the small plates of Nephi while Nephi is still alive. And Nephi will next resume his record keeping upon the small plates by adding more of the words of Isaiah from the plated of brass to liken unto his people and also to all people, as the vision of Isaiah did view all things and they apply to all mankind. After these summary words of Jacob, Nephi will next add more of Isaiah's words from Isaiah 2 to Isaiah 14 as it applies to the Nephites and to all people concerning the visionary prophecies of God. Nephi includes these particular chapters to be placed in his small plates as they are going to be of particular interest to those of the latter days who will be reading the Book of Mormon. They relate directly to those who will be participants in the latter day work of the fulfilling of the covenants of God made to all of mankind, and particularly to those two primary groups or 'tribes' of the House of Israel who will be so involved, Ephraim and Manasseh. A foreshadowing of the contents of these chapters and their particular interests to those so associated with Judah and Ephraim, the covenant son of Joseph, is presented at the end or bottom of this introductory to Isaiah written by the hand of Nephi, 2 Nephi 11 (See end of chapter foreshadowing table).

Further as to why Nephi seems to have such an affinity for the words of Isaiah, one ought to consider that of the number of God's prophets who have seen the 'Vision of All', are to be counted and included beyond Mahonri Moriancumr, there is Isaiah and John the Beloved, Ether, Lehi and Nephi among others. When Nephi reads Isaiah, he finds Isaiah's writings easy for him to understand because Isaiah is speaking from that same vision of all that was received by Nephi. (See Vision of All) Isaiah does not review 'the visionary experience' itself, rather he writes, prophesies, preaches and teaches from that vision in his book of Isaiah. And much of Nephi's own writings is a doctrinal 'essay' concerning that which he had learned from that vision which under the guidance of his divine guide first centered about the central image of 'The Tree of Life'. And Nephi's own writings seem but to flow into those topics also related by Isaiah and by John the revelator, though Nephi is told not to write that portion which was reserved unto John to write.

Scriptural Text [& Editorial]	Commentary & Explanation	Footnotes ~ References ~ JST
CHAPTER 11 Jacob saw his Redeemer—The law of Moses typifies Christ and proves he shall come. [Between 559 and 545 B.C.]
1 AND now, ^aJacob spake many more things to my people at that time; nevertheless only these things have I caused to be ^bwritten, for the things which I have written sufficeth me^a. 2 And now I, Nephi, write ^amore of the words of ^bIsaiah, for my soul delighteth in his words. For I will liken his words unto my people, and I will send them forth unto all my children, for he verily ^csaw my ^dRedeemer, even as I have seen him. 3 And my brother, Jacob, also has ^aseen him as I have seen him; wherefore, I will send their words forth unto my children to prove unto them that my words are true. Wherefore, by the words of ^bthree, God hath said, I will establish my word^a. Nevertheless, God sendeth more ^cwitnesses, and he proveth all his words.	1^a the things which I have written sufficeth me Nephi and his younger brother Jacob lived and ministered unto the people together. Nephi was the administering King as well as God's Prophet to the Nephites. But Jacob also was a prophet in his own right. Nephi writes some of the teaching of Jacob in his record. This word of Jacob, Nephi would have heard and recorded first hand. It would not be until Nephi is dying that he passes on the small plates record to Jacob to continue to keep. Thus the time would come that Jacob could and would enter in his own words as the recordkeeper and Prophet of God. Until then, Nephi writes that which 'sufficeth' him of the teachings of Jacob which also testify of Christ, his gospel and of Christ's atonement. Much of what Nephi does record speaks of Christ and the Plan of Redemption which is the more sacred things of the Lord kept in the Small Plates of Nephi. 3^a by the words of three, God hath said, I will establish my word This seems to be Jacob's, Nephi's and Isaiah's witness to these things as Jacob picked up where Nephi had left off when he presented Isaiah 48 and 49 in 1 Nephi 20 and 21. Thus the witness of the scripture in the words of Isaiah were combined with the witnesses of Nephi and Jacob, as well as any others, to form the 3 or more witnesses to the people of Nephi spoken of by Nephi at this particular point.	1^a 2 Ne. 6:1-10 ^b 2 Ne. 31:1 2^a 2 Ne. 6:16-18 ^b 3 Ne. 23:1 ^c 2 Ne. 16:1; TG Jesus Christ, Appearances, Antemortal ^d TG Jesus Christ—Jehovah 3^a 2 Ne. 2:3-4; 2 Ne. 10:3; Jacob 7:5; TG God, Privilege of Seeing ^b 2 Ne. 27:12-14; Ether 5:3 (2-4); D&C 5:11, 15 ^c TG Book of Mormon; TG Witnesses Christ Is the BRANCH Christ is the foundation of that righteous Branch, he himself being The BRANCH. And all those who do follow after him in doing his work as saviors of men do further constitute the whole of that branch which has existed in Adam, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Israel, Christ's Apostles and disciples, the Latter-day Saints, even the righteous people of Nephi. This given meaning to D&C 113 and Isaiah chapter 11, as to whom it speaks of, from Christ to all those who are his people doing his work.
4 Behold, my soul delighteth in ^aproving unto my people the truth of the ^bcoming of Christ; for, for this end hath the ^claw of Moses been given; and all things which have been given of God from the beginning of the world, unto man, are the ^dtypifying of him^a. 5 And also my soul delighteth in the ^acovenants of the Lord which he hath made to our fathers; yea, my soul delighteth in his ^bgrace, and in his justice, and power, and mercy in the great and eternal plan of ^cdeliverance from death^a. 6 And my soul delighteth in proving unto my people that ^asave Christ should come all men must perish.	4^a all things which have been given of God from the beginning of the world, unto man, are the typifying of him [Jesus Christ] Either it has been given by him or it has been given concerning him. For the Father doth but witness unto the Son, whom he hath established to be our God of this Second Estate from the creation thereof to the end thereof in its fulfilling the purpose of its creation. And all things from the beginning with Adam to Abraham, even also all things pertaining to the Law of Moses, did so typify and witness of Jesus Christ and the related Plan of Redemption, even the very covenants of God unto man. 5^a the great and eternal plan of deliverance from death God's Plan of Salvation is the great and eternal plan. It was from before the foundation of the earth unto the end of overcoming death, but the temporal and spiritual that man might not only live again but that his might live forever in the presence of God.	4^a 2 Ne. 31:2 ^b Jacob 4:5; Jarom 1:11; Alma 25:16 (15-16); Ether 12:19 (18-19) ^c 2 Ne. 5:10 ^d TG Jesus Christ, Types of, in Anticipation TG Law of Moses 5^a TG Abrahamic Covenant; BD Abraham, Covenant of ^b TG Benevolence; TG Grace ^c TG Deliverance; TG Jesus Christ, Atonement through 6^a Mosiah 3:15
7 For if there be ^ano Christ there be no God; and if there be no God we are not, for there could have been no ^bcreation^a. But there is a God, and ^che is Christ, and he cometh in the fulness of his own time. 8 And now I write ^asome of the words of Isaiah, that whoso of my people shall see these words may lift up their hearts and rejoice for all men. Now these are the words, and ye may liken them unto you and unto all men^a.	7^a if there be no Christ there be no God: if there be no God we are not, for there could have been no creation The Plan of Redemption required that there be a Christ, one selected from among the spirit children of the Father. God the Father had already advanced to that state of exaltation beyond the second estate and would not, could not, return that was else eternal progress would not be. Therefore it required that one of the spirit children of the Father be selected to be our God. For only those pertaining to this second estate can minister unto it (D&C 130:5). Thus the Father selected and anointed His Firstborn Son in the spirit to be that Messiah. And he anointed him and gave unto him the fulness of the Father's power that by the hand and arm of the Son the creation of this second estate might be done. The Son, Jehovah, who is the same as Jesus Christ, is that Firstborn Son of the Father. It is he who is the God and 'Father' of Creation of Heaven and Earth. Through Him does the Father of Spirits effect the Plan of Salvation. And it is he who arts in the stead of the Father in all things whatsoever (Leviticus 16;32). He is the God, our God, our only God, the One True God of this Heaven and Earth of this Second Estate so established by the Father. And there is none else. Without such a Christ, a redeemer and creator, this is no God, we have no God of this estate and we are not for he hath created us in the image of the Gods, the Father and the Son. Without Him there is no creation, no redemption, no second estate, no heaven and earth, no Adam, no Eve, no beginning, no end, and we could not become even AS GOD IS. 8^a ye may liken them unto you and unto all men Concerning the words of Isaiah, Nephi does state that they may be likened unto 'you' and unto 'all men'. First as being of the House of Israel, particularly associated with the Kingdom of Israel, that is of Ephraim and his companions, it has a direct application to all of us who are members of the church and who are faithful followers of Jesus Christ. And secondly, though the record of Isaiah in the Bible was kept by the Jews from their Jewish perspective, the words and prophecies of Isaiah were also upon the brass plates which is the record of Joseph, Ephraim and the Kingdom of Israel. And as quoted and delivered here in 2 Nephi, they are to 'all men' including the gentiles of the world. They are universal and many of the writings of Isaiah are the very words of the Lord spoken through the prophet and written as spoken by the Lord in the first person.	7^a 2 Ne. 2:13-14 ^b Heb. 3:4 (3-4); TG Creation; TG God, Creator ^b TG Jesus Christ—Jehovah 8^a See the Latter-day Saint edition of the King James Version of the Bible for other notes and cross-references on these chapters from Isaiah

Foreshadowing the Significance of the Isaiah Chapters of the Book of Mormon The Lord has stated that he through his prophets has foretold events and he has done so that man cannot say that he did not know them before hand. Thus man would know that only God could have so known them to happen before they would actually occur. When one understands that Nephi is writing to us of today, both his people and those of us who are so associated with Israel in the Kingdom of God, we can successfully wade through the traditions of the Jews and those of Traditional Christianity. And we can made all the direct connections of Isaiah's writings and prohecies as they apply to us, our day and our time. And we can peal away the layers of such and such being interpreted as meaning such and such and being applied to such and such and directly apply these words to us, 'who we are', 'where we came from', 'what we are doing and about here and now', and 'where we are going in that great cause of preparing for the Second Coming and the events of the Millennial Day of the Lord'.
Scriptural Chapter	Particular Application	To Which Groups
2 Nephi 12 Isaiah 2	The Latter-day Temple is foretold, the gathering of Israel is foretold to occur in latter days, the Millennial Peace and Judgment is foretold. The advent of the Second Coming is foreshadowed.	Those of the Latter-day Restoration, particulary those associated with Ephraim-the members of the church.
2 Nephi 13 Isaiah 3	The fall of Judah is ran through, which the people of Lehi and the Mulekites would have been a part of. Thus the reasoning of the down fall of Judah and Jerusalem and their wickedness is of particular interest. Moreover, the daughter of 'Zion' are particularly also addressed as to their fate because of their 'worldliness'.
2 Nephi 14 Isaiah 4	Zion and her daughters continue to be addressed as Isaiah 4 is more of a part of the 'moreover' directed to the daughters of Zion in Isaiah 3. It would have been better for a new chapter to have began with Isaiah 3:16 through all of Isaiah 4 as the whole of that directive is to the the daughters of Zion.
2 Nephi 15 Isaiah 5	Israel is the Lord's vineyard which is scattered in ther apostate wicked state. In the latter days the Lord will lift an ensign, the restored gospel of Jesus Christ, to the world and Israel will be gathered again.
2 Nephi 16 Isaiah 6	This speaks of Isaiah and thus is of interest to all who look to Isaiah and his position as God's prophet. Isaiah prophesies that they Jews will reject Christ and his teachings.
Isaiah 7-9 is of particular interest to those who were and are in the association of the Kingdom of Israel, that is of Ephraim and his companions.
2 Nephi 17 Isaiah 7	This speaks of the historical events of the time of Israel's (Ephraim and his companions) rebellion and cause and effects of their scattering.
2 Nephi 18 Isaiah 8	This continues from the perspective of Isaiah to foretell and events of and causes of the scattering of the Kingdom of Israel.
2 Nephi 19 Isaiah 9	This also continues in respect to the scattering and captivity of the Kingdom of Israel but with the promise of a coming King, Chirst, who will remove their captivity. The 'captivities' spoken of are both those which are temporal and spiritual. Christ through the atonement will enable the removal of the captivity of sin and wickedness, which is the captivity of the devil and considered of a spiritual nature. But also the actual temporal captivity of scattered 'Israel' will also in the process of fulfilling the promises of the covenant be removed and Israel will be physically gathered again.
2 Nephi 20 Isaiah 10	Assyria was but a tool in the hand of the Lord which enabled the scattering of Israel. Assyria and its destruction is a type of the destruction of the worldly wicked at the Second Coming. Events of the Second Coming are such that few people will be left, only the righteous. Thus only a remnant of Jacob will return in that day, the latter day of the gathering and return of Israel.
2 Nephi 21 Isaiah 11	The 'rod out of the stem of Jesse' is Jesus Christ which verses 1-9 speaks about. Thus the mission of Jesus Christ is extended into the Restoration, Second Coming, Millennial Reign and Judgment. Verse 10 and after speak of the 'root of Jesse' or those who are the faithful 'heirs' of Christ in the latter days. They shall stand for an ensign of the people. The Gentiles will seek unto it and be or become associated with the tribe of Ephraim/Israel of the latter day work. The latter day work of the restoration in preparation for the Lord is reviewed or foreshadowed.
2 Nephi 22 Isaiah 12	In the Millennial Day all men will praise the Lord and He will dwell among them.
2 Nephi 23 Isaiah 13	While the world of artfully designed and contrived Jewish tradition and that of Christian Tradition sit and ponder whether the burden of Babylon in applicable to which Babylon and when, whether to Babylon of old or to a later Babylon, the fact that Nephi has so included it in his quoted chapters of Isaiah which are paticularly to those of the latter day, it is but a matter of application to the Babylon of the latter days which Isaiah 13 does speak to. And that Babylon, while possibly also an actual physically located Babylon, is the kingdom of wickedness ruled over by Lucifer and includes the wicked of the entire world.
2 Nephi 24 Isaiah 14	Israel will be gathered and enjoy the Millennial Rest. Lucifer, the head of 'Babylon', the wicked world, is further cast out and bound. A reflection back to Lucifer's cause of his judgment reflects back to when he was cast out of heaven. It then posts a foreshadowing veiw of Lucifer's fall from his wicked reign on the earth. In the Millennium, Lucifer will be bound for a 1000 years and have no effect upon the souls of the Millennium.
Thus the whole of this set of quoted Isaiah chapters by Nephi presents the events of the scattering of wicked Israel and Judah, the enabling of the coming and mission of Jesus Christ, which establishes the power to over come that wicked state of captivity and scattering, and it presents much of the events of the restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, it mission in fulfilling the covenants of God to man, the preparation for the Second Coming, the events about that Second Coming, and many particulars concerning the Millennial Day of the Lord. So this ought to be of interest and concern to all mankind as Nephi so states. And as it so happens in conjunction with those of us which have an affiliation with the Kingdom of Israel, that is Ephraim and his associates concerning the course of the scattering, the coming and mission of Christ, and our particular role to be played in it. And it ought to be of great interest and of great value unto us when viewed from the perspective of the vision of all and what Nephi has also spoken of. In particular, it answers the questions of 'Where did we come from? Who Are We? What are we doing Here? And where are we going? And it does so all in terms of our temporal history of being a part of the Kingdom of Israel, that is of Ephraim and his companions.

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