Book of Mormon Commentary - 3 Nephi 22

by Don R. Hender


Scriptural Text [& Editorial]
Commentary & Explanation
Footnotes ~ References ~ JST
             CHAPTER 22

In the last days, Zion and her stakes shall be established, and Israel shall be gathered in mercy and tenderness—They shall triumph—
Compare Isaiah 54. [A.D. 34]

1 AND then shall that which is written come to pass: Sing, O abarren, thou that didst not bear; break forth into bsinging, and cry aloud, thou that didst not travail with child; for more are the children of the cdesolate than the children of the married wife, saith the Lord.
2 Enlarge the place of thy tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of thy habitations; spare not, lengthen thy cords and strengthen thy astakes;
3 For thou shalt break forth on the right hand and on the left, and thy seed shall ainherit the bGentilesa and make the desolate cities to be inhabited.

Isaiah 54
  1 Sing, O barren, thou that didst not bear; break forth into singing, and cry aloud, thou that didst not travail with child: for more are the children of the desolate than the children of the married wife, saith the LORD.
  2 Enlarge the place of thy tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of thine habitations: spare not, lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy stakes;
  3 For thou shalt break forth on the right hand and on the left; and thy seed shall inherit the Gentiles, and make the desolate cities to be inhabited.

 3a thy seed shall inherit the Gentiles Through the scattering of Israel has the blood of Israel been srpinkles among the Gentiles. And in the latter-days the gospel has been restored through they who are considered to be Gentiles though they be descendants of Joseph, even Ephraim. And the Lord will inherit the Gentiles as being the House of Israel, even the seed of the promise of the covenant of the fathers.  1a Isa. 54:1 (1-17)
   b TG Singing
   c Isa. 49:21
 2a TG Stakes
 3a Obad. 1:19 (19-21)
   b TG Gentiles

4 Fear not, for thou shalt not be ashamed; neither be thou confounded, for thou shalt not be put to ashame; for thou shalt forget the bshame of thy youth, and shalt not remember the creproach of thy youth, and shalt not remember the reproach of thy widowhood any more.
5 For thy maker, thy ahusband, the Lord of Hosts is his name; and thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israela—the God of the whole earth shall he be called.
6 For the Lord hath called thee aas a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit, and a wife of youth, when thou wast refused, saith thy God.

Isaiah 54
  4 Fear not; for thou shalt not be ashamed: neither be thou confounded; for thou shalt not be put to shame: for thou shalt forget the shame of thy youth, and shalt not remember the reproach of thy widowhood any more.
  5 For thy Maker is thine husband; the LORD of hosts is his name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall he be called.
  6 For the LORD hath called thee as a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit, and a wife of youth, when thou wast refused, saith thy God.

 5a thy maker, thy husband, the Lord of Host is his name; and thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel While God the Father of Spirits is He who is the Father of us all, that is our spirits, it is Jehovah, the same as Jesus Christ, who created all things pertaining to this second estate, this temporal existance. He formed and made the heavens and the earth and all things in them are including temporal and physical man, that natural and temporal housing into which He did infuse our spirits into the human being we know as man of this estate. He is that Father of creation, the 'MAKER' and therefore father of man, not the spirit which is in man, but that living housing our body in which the spirit does exist. He is the Father of our body in a creation, in the maker of it. And it answers pertaining to mortal man which came first, the chicken or the egg, for Adam was formed out of the dust of the earth and the Lord breathed into what he had formed the breath of life and did place his spirit in that created body.  4a Joel 2:26-27; 2 Ne. 6:13 (7, 13)
   b TG Shame
   c TG Reproach
 5a Hosea 3:5 (4-5)
 6a Isa. 62:4

7 For a small moment have I aforsaken thee, but with great mercies will I gather thee.
8 In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment, but with everlasting akindness will I have bmercy on thee, saith the Lord thy Redeemer.
9 For this, the awaters of Noah unto me, for as I have sworn that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth, so have I sworn that I would not be wroth with thee.
10 For the amountains shall depart and the hills be removed, but my bkindness shall not cdepart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee.

Isaiah 54
  7 For a small moment have I forsaken thee; but with great mercies will I gather thee.
  8 In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment; but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the LORD thy Redeemer.
  9 For this is as the waters of Noah unto me: for as I have sworn that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth; so have I sworn that I would not be wroth with thee, nor rebuke thee.
  10 For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the LORD that hath mercy on thee.

   7a Jer. 46:27 (2-28); 3 Ne. 20:13 (11-13)
   8a TG Kindness
     b TG God, Mercy of
   9a Isa. 54:9
     b Gen. 8:21; Matt. 24:37 (36-38); Alma 10:22;
       TG Earth, Cleansing of
 10a Isa. 40:4-5; TG Earth, Renewal of
     b TG Israel, Blessing of
     c Ps. 94:14; D&C 35:25

11 O thou afflicted, tossed with tempest, and not comforted! Behold, I will lay thy astones with fair colors, and lay thy foundations with sapphires.
12 And I will make thy windows of agates, and thy gates of carbuncles, and all thy borders of pleasant stones.
13 And aall thy children shall be taught of the Lord; and great shall be the bpeace of thy children.

Isaiah 54

  11 ¶ O thou afflicted, tossed with tempest, and not comforted, behold, I will lay thy stones with fair colours, and lay thy foundations with sapphires.
  12 And I will make thy windows of agates, and thy gates of carbuncles, and all thy borders of pleasant stones.
  13 And all thy children shall be taught of the LORD; and great shall be the peace of thy children.

 11a Rev. 21:19 (18-21); TG Rock
 13a Isa. 60:21; Jer. 31:34 (33-34)
     b 1 Ne. 22:17 (15-22); 2 Ne. 30:10; Moses 7:61

14 In arighteousness shalt thou be established; thou shalt be far from oppression for thou shalt not fear, and from terror for it shall not come near thee.
15 Behold, they shall surely gather together aagainst thee, not by me; whosoever shall gather together against thee shall fall for thy sake.
16 Behold, I have created the smith that bloweth the coals in the fire, and that bringeth forth an instrument for his worka; and I have created the waster to destroy.

Isaiah 54
  14 In righteousness shalt thou be established: thou shalt be far from oppression; for thou shalt not fear: and from terror; for it shall not come near thee.
  15 Behold, they shall surely gather together, but not by me: whosoever shall gather together against thee shall fall for thy sake.
  16 Behold, I have created the smith that bloweth the coals in the fire, and that bringeth forth an instrument for his work; and I have created the waster to destroy.

 16a I have created the smith that bloweth the coals in the fire, and that bringeth forth an instrument for his work Now the word 'smith' here refers to he who would be a worker of metal, and the fire is that fire in which the metal is tempered and molden. Is it of little coincidence that the prophet of the latter days name was 'Smith'? It is the English which does so refer to such as a 'blacksmith' or 'smith' and this is the origin of the name of the prophet. His full name being Joseph Smith or he who is of Joseph of Egypt the 'smith' that worketh an instrument for his work from plates that were metal, yea, even the Book of Mormon. Coincidence? Or planned and designed foreknowledge of all things?  14a TG Righteousness
 15a 1 Ne. 22:14

17 No weapon that is formed against thee shall prospera; and every tongue that shall revile against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the aservants of the Lordb, and their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord.

Isaiah 54
  17 ¶ No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD.

 17a No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper In a day and age when the fear of man runs rampant in the hearts of men, either for the sake of pride and face to that of even physical endangerment. it is particularly reasuring that the Lord had stated that 'No Weapon' that is formed, that is designed as either a mental or physical attack, will prosper against the servants of the Lord. All is in the hands of God and those who serve him need not fear man, nor the things which men contrive against them.
 17b this is the heritage of the servants of the Lord In the eternal perspective, noting will prevail agaist the servants of God. They will 'prevail in the Lord'. They are His Jerusalem, they who prevail with God, even Israel. They are His 'Israel' who are established forever in the peace of the Lord, even the city of peace, that Jerusalem, that New Jerusalem which is God's Kingdom come forever, that Zion, that Holy Celestial City of Heaven.
 17a TG Servant


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