Jacob's "Early Warning" Against Sin - Book of Jacob, Chapter Two (Jacob 2)

You can read the entire chapter at the following link: https://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/jacob/2?lang=eng     

This is truly a remarkable chapter. For the first time, Jacob addresses the Nephites as their primary spiritual leader—their prophet—following his brother Nephi’s death.

We can detect there is something different in how he approaches his responsibility as a servant called and ordained by the Lord to minister unto His people. He specifically refers to two responsibilities he holds: (1) to magnify his duty with soberness, and (2) to rid his garments of the people’s sins (verse 2). 

Both of these references show that he takes very seriously his new position as the Lord’s representative to this fledgling branch of Israel, and that he has no doubts about what is at stake. As Nephi said in the words he left in farewell, “you [meaning all the Nephite people] and I shall stand face to face before [Christ’s judgment] bar” (2 Nephi 33:11). In the previous chapter, Jacob has written that he and his brother Joseph are teaching their people at the temple to prepare for the last day when they all will come before Christ.

Why does Jacob choose to instruct his people at the temple? The obvious answer--that the temple is the place designated for worship because of the practical advantages of a having a single gathering place--may sometimes mask the primarily spiritual meaning that temples and meetinghouses should hold for us. In these buildings, sacred ordinances take place that can help reconcile those who receive the ordinances to Christ, through the process of faith in Christ’s power to save and sincere repentance. For example, most Christian congregations commemorate some form of the sacrament of the Last (or the Lord's) Supper, where bread and water, juice or wine are blessed and partaken of as a sign that worshippers remember Jesus, are willing to represent Him in their daily lives and to keep His commandments, and seek His Spirit (the Holy Ghost) to be with them.

Because of the real power of the ordinances and what they represent, having the Lord’s ordained servants speak from the sacred places where the ordinances take place carries special resonance. So that is where we pick up with Jacob here.

And we witness Jacob striving to live up to what a true leader of his flock should be. A warning voice for the people who also represents the Lord to them, knowing that what he says might not be very popular. The key passage in the chapter is in verse 11, where we learn that Jacob has sought to know what the Lord would have him say, and that the Lord responded to Jacob’s inquiry by telling him to “get thou up into the temple on the morrow, and declare the word which I shall give thee unto this people.” The wording of the verse indicates that perhaps the Lord didn’t tell Jacob exactly what He wanted him to say beforehand, but that He expected Jacob to act in faith by going to the temple to speak, and that what the Lord wanted Jacob to say would be revealed to him in the very moment he needed it.

And what is the message the Lord has Jacob share? It is that the Lord’s servants play a powerful role for His people as discerners of their thoughts, as inspired leaders who are capable of providing the people an “early warning” before the temptations they are pondering in their minds turn into actions they can’t take back. Here, we see that those who act as prophets and witnesses of the Lord function as a kind of radar system to ensure we are not forsaken. Certainly, each of us has access to our own early warnings from the promptings of the Holy Ghost, but sometimes we may miss the messages we are receiving—whether from distraction or inattention.

So the Lord, in His infinite genius, and more importantly, His infinite love for us, has built in a redundancy to make sure we are provided with as many chances as possible to recognize when we are inclining ourselves toward ruinous sin. If we can catch ourselves in the “thought” phase of sin, and repent at that point rather than at the “word” or “action” phase, we are in a much better position, and with practice and fixed determination, we can learn even to snuff out those thoughts as Jesus was able to when He encountered different forms of temptation.

Some of the most painfully honest and sensitive passages of scripture are found in this chapter. Jacob affirms that the people have “as yet” remained obedient to the word of the Lord, but tells them that the “all-powerful Creator of heaven and earth” has helped him know they are beginning to “labor in sin” in their thoughts (verses 4-5). He then laments that he must lay bare this “wickedness of your hearts” (verse 6) and enlarge the wounds of wives and children instead of sharing the “pleasing word of God, yea, the word which healeth the wounded soul” (verses 7-8). But Jacob is duty-bound to do what the Lord wills, and he knows it is the only way forward.

He then proceeds to call upon the people to lay aside the pride that comes with an attachment to material things for their own sake, and to forsake the “grosser crime” of giving license to their lustful temptations by using the examples of earlier kings of Israel (David and Solomon, in particular) to justify having more than one wife.

Jacob preaches with great directness in saying (from verses 18-19):

But before ye seek for riches, seek ye for the kingdom of God.

And after ye have obtained a hope in Christ ye shall obtain riches, if ye seek them; and ye will seek them for the intent to do good—to clothe the naked, and to feed the hungry, and to liberate the captive, and administer relief to the sick and the afflicted.

It is a marvelous principle that sets our priorities straight, and has special applicability to our day, a day that features material well-being unimaginable to the civilization Jacob was addressing in 545 B.C. They had no running water, electricity or modern conveniences. Only after we seek for some understanding of the Lord and his plan for us should we seek after riches, because only then will we be able to know how to use those riches and (with the Lord’s help) not let them corrupt us.

Then, turning to the more grievous matter of lust and unchastity, Jacob reveals that the Lord’s primary objective is to protect innocent women. In essence, he tells the men (in verses 31-35), “Whatever you are thinking, watch your step, because God saw the great sorrow of his daughters in Israel when they were subjected to the lustful desires of the men there, and he won’t stand for it in this covenant land. If you follow these temptations, you’ll bring a curse upon everyone. And as it is, can’t you see the consequences already? Your wives and children have suffered broken hearts, and their cries to heaven speak out against you.”

Nephi to Jacob: Change and Continuity in Succession - Book of Jacob, Chapter One (Jacob 1)

You can read the entire chapter at the following link: https://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/jacob/1?lang=eng   

As we come to the Book of Jacob, Nephi ends his record and hands over the responsibilities both of keeping the plates and continuing the record to his brother Jacob.

To refresh ourselves, Jacob and his younger brother Joseph were actually born after the narrative of the Book of Mormon began. Jacob was the “firstborn in the wilderness” (2 Nephi 2:2) of Lehi and Sariah during the family’s journey to escape Jerusalem and follow the Lord’s direction in finding their promised land.

Although Jacob doesn’t feature too prominently in Nephi’s account of the journey (presumably he was quite young throughout), we already know important things about him because Nephi featured Jacob’s words and experiences in the chapters (2 Nephi 6-11) that come some years after the family has settled in the Americas—just after Lehi’s imparts his final blessings and then dies.

I have wondered to myself, “Why did Nephi give Jacob and his words such a place of prominence in his own record, when he could have filled it exclusively with his own teachings and insights?” Well, first, it’s probably best for me (and us) to remember that the record Nephi was keeping was not really his, but rather the Lord’s, and that Nephi must have felt impressed that he needed to highlight Jacob’s message. By pivoting to this new person (Jacob), Nephi and the Lord introduced us to someone important who would later return as one of the narrators of the record.

But there was more to it. They also helped us realize early on that the branch of Israelite civilization Lehi and Nephi established in the Americas according to the existing covenant with the Lord was not meant to be an imposition by those two individuals on the people around them, but an invitation to involve all who sought to play a role and to receive the vision of salvation and promise that Lehi and Nephi articulated.

So, in some sense, in those earlier chapters Nephi was hinting at the idea of a succession in leadership. It is so important for a young community of faith to have confidence that the initial prime movers do not have the monopoly on heavenly guidance. Much like when Brigham Young stepped into the role of prophet after Joseph’s Smith death in the 1840s during the early days of what we now call the “latter-day dispensation,” Jacob represents that first passing of the torch during the Nephite dispensation. Much of this chapter features Jacob explaining how the succession unfolded. Jacob says that Nephi instructed him to keep the record on the small plates (from which this part of the book is drawn) by recording only the most precious preachings, revelations and prophecies (verses 2-4). Clearly, Jacob is inheriting the mantle of spiritual leadership over the followers of Nephi. The other plates are to contain more of the historical narrative.

Jacob shares two interesting tidbits on events more generally. First, he tells us that before Nephi died, he anointed a successor to carry on the temporal or kingly rule of the people (verses 9-12). Significantly, the spiritual and temporal roles that had been united in the person of Nephi are now being divided, with Jacob taking on the spiritual role, and someone else the temporal one. Second, Jacob relates to us the consolidation of identity that has taken place among the people. They had come to the Americas as one big family, but over the four decades since their arrival, the organizing principle of their identity came down to whether they were “friendly to Nephi” (verse 14)—in which case they are called Nephites—or whether they “seek to destroy” the Nephites (also verse 14)—in which case they are called Lamanites. This sets the stage for the epic clashes, missionary efforts, reconciliations, and ultimate outcomes that play out between these two peoples over the following 950 years.

There’s another reason Nephi introduced Jacob to us early on in his record. It is the law of witnesses. The book of Second Nephi is remarkable in that Nephi very methodically develops an unassailable case for the fact that Jesus Christ is our Savior and is at the center of a plan that can save each and every one of us. Nephi weaves in his own prophecies and step-by-step explanation of how the plan works, in his characteristic “plainness,” with accounts from (1) Isaiah, from beyond the grave through his writings; and (2) the very alive and vibrant Jacob, through his preachings. The common thread among all three is what Nephi says in 2 Nephi 11:2-3:

And now I, Nephi, write more of the words of Isaiah, 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 saw my Redeemer, even as I have seen him. And my brother, Jacob, also has seen 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.

The fact that each of the three had a personal vision of Jesus Christ is a powerful means of convincing fair-minded, open-hearted seekers of truth that He really is “Wonderful, Counselor, the mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.”

But there’s also something more. Jacob’s witness complements Nephi’s and makes it more powerful because the two brothers clearly have different personalities and styles of communication. Nephi likes to explain the steps toward salvation with a simple yet profound—almost mathematical—elegance and logic, while Jacob really focuses on the necessity of repentance. In that sense, Jacob’s passage in 2 Nephi 9 about the “consequences of sin” serves as a warm-up for his own record in the coming chapters of this book, where he very bluntly calls his people out on their iniquities—not to embarrass them, but to give them the dose of reality they need to change their pathway before it’s too late.

As Jacob says in this chapter, after observing that the Nephites are heading down lustful, greedy, prideful paths of wickedness, “I, Jacob, gave unto them these words as I taught them in the temple, having first obtained mine errand from the Lord” (verse 17). Jacob is able to carry out this errand, together with his younger brother Joseph, and tells us that “by laboring with our might their [the Nephites’] blood might not come upon our garments; otherwise their blood would come upon our garments, and we would not be found spotless at the last day” (verse 19).

The messages of Nephi and Jacob are not in conflict, but they emphasize various aspects of the plan of salvation differently. The genius of the Lord is to make sure that both their messages shine through, because the Lord knows that some readers will respond better to one than the other, and also that most readers will benefit from the way the two messages reinforce one another.

Nephi Seals His Testimony and Mission: To Serve (and Save) Man - Second Book of Nephi, Chapter Thirty-Three

You can read the entire chapter at the following link: https://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/2-ne/33?lang=eng.

  

Let us not lose sight of the significance of this chapter. To this point in our study of the Book of Mormon, all that we have known is what Nephi has written. Before entrusting his record to another (it will be his brother Jacob), he is summing up and sealing his record with his personal testimony that what he has shared is accurate and applicable in the lives of all who read it.

Nephi starts with a curiously humble assertion where he acknowledges the limitation of his own words to convert us, to change our hearts. First, he tells us that he is better at speaking than at writing, and explains that when a speaker has the power of the Holy Ghost with him, that power carries his words unto the hearts of the children of men. But even so, the hearer still needs to be receptive. If he “hardens his heart,” even the most sincerely shared and spirit-filled message of love and truth will not take hold. One of our Church’s apostles, David A. Bednar, has taught that the scripture here (verse 1) teaches that the Spirit carries a message unto but not necessarily into the heart without the receiver’s help.

Despite his limitations, Nephi knows that his writings are of great worth because they speak of Jesus, persuade the reader to believe in Him, and teach us to endure to the end, “which is life eternal” (verse 4). And Nephi’s confidence regarding his words’ ultimate effectiveness is bolstered by his many prayers and tears. “And I know that the Lord God will consecrate my prayers for the gain of my people” (verse 4).

Nephi also knows that his words speak “harshly against sin,” and may provoke those with the “spirit of the devil” (verse 5). But it is a sign of his charity, not his enmity, toward temporarily lost souls. Nephi has faith that by pricking the hearts of those who need to repent, and setting them on the Lord’s path of obedience, that he will meet many souls “spotless” at the judgment seat of Christ (verse 7).

He shares his serene confidence with us that his view of things will be proven right when we “stand face to face” before the Lord after this life (verse 11). He insists that even if we don’t believe Nephi’s words, we should believe in Christ, because if we can do that, somehow the Lord’s influence will work on us so that we recognize at some point down the road that Nephi’s words are in fact Christ’s own (verse 10).

In his final statements, Nephi’s love for plainness is clear. He wants us to know that we are accountable by stating without any equivocation that his message is for all (Jew and Gentile) and that those who will not “partake of the goodness of God” and respect the words of Christ will be condemned by those very words (verse 14). As much as Nephi loves all men and women, he has understood through revelation from the Lord and his own recognition of our freedom to choose that not all will be saved. But he is serious about making sure that as many as possible can be (verse 12). And that is an effort that is well for us to emulate.

Feasting on the Words of Christ and Praying Always: Principles for All Times - Second Book of Nephi, Chapter Thirty-Two (2 Nephi 32)

You can read the entire chapter at the following link: https://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/2-ne/32?lang=eng  

In the previous chapter, Nephi lays out a vision of the steps to take on the pathway leading us to the Lord. This chapter builds on the inspiring rhetoric Nephi uses of pressing forward with a “perfect brightness of hope” after we have received the initial ordinances of baptism and confirmation.

Nephi senses that his audience is interested in a more detailed explanation of the types of practices that will keep them on the pathway and help them feel close to God. Kind of a “how-to” guide to important steps.

Although Nephi wants to oblige the audience’s wishes, we detect an undercurrent of concern. In both verses 1 and 8, Nephi appears to be quizzical about why his audience (both the people from his day and we in ours) needs more specific guidance, remarking on how they “ponder in their hearts” the things he is sharing. Nephi seems to feel as though he has already told them everything they need. In noting this, Nephi seems to be communicating that he won’t be able to hold their (or our) hands the entire way. At some point, we will need to become self-reliant in the steps necessary for our happiness and salvation.

But, Nephi does bring himself to share two extremely important principles with us. It is important for us to recognize that these are the final points of admonition Nephi is making on the plates he created decades earlier for the purpose of transmitting sacred information across generations. Information that he knows will prove critical in bringing to pass the climactic events in God’s relationship with the world. So it stands to reason that we carefully and seriously reflect on these two principles.

The first principle is to feast on truth. Truth, as Nephi explains, is interchangeable with the “words of Christ.” The more we study these teachings, the more they will become a part of us. In the same way that our physical body will come to reflect what we eat, how we exercise, and when we rest, our thoughts-words-actions will surely reflect the ideas we take in and the heed we give to them. Nephi says that the words of Christ “will tell you all things what ye should do” (verse 3). He tells us that angels speak the words of Christ by the power of the Holy Ghost, and that we can speak with the tongue of angels as well once we have received the Holy Ghost. So Nephi, in laying out this principle for us, is showing that what we do can help us become something greater than we are now. We can be more like the angels who are God’s most trusted messengers.

The second principle is to pray always (verse 9). This is a concept that is simple to understand, but extremely challenging to put into practice. Praying “always” literally means that our faith and our capacity to accomplish the challenges before us will be stronger if we can remember all the time to call out in some way to the Lord—whether it be with our heart, our mind, or our voice. I know that when I follow this principle more closely, my level of concentration increases, and I find myself elevated in capacity and in the ability to perceive how the Lord is communicating with me in my thoughts. So I have learned why Nephi pleads with us to hearken unto the Spirit which teacheth a man to pray, and to reject the evil spirit which “teacheth him he must not pray” (verse 8).

There is another aspect of this second principle that is just as important as constancy. It is connecting the words of Christ that are for all of us to feast upon with an understanding of how we as individuals are supposed to act on those words. Constant prayer includes the process of asking the Lord or “knocking” at His door in order to know the specific application of truth to my life right here and right now. It is perhaps the most miraculous thing there is—that ages-old wisdom can be made totally relevant in our present circumstances through direct revelation. And then, once we have prayed to know what to do, prayer further fortifies us (as mentioned in the previous paragraph) to have the strength to follow through.

The Doctrine of Christ, Real Intent, and Enduring to the End - Second Book of Nephi, Chapter Thirty-One (2 Nephi 31)

You can read the entire chapter at the following link: https://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/2-ne/31?lang=eng

Nephi decides to make a summation here. He wants to make sense for the reader of everything he has previously shared—his own experiences and prophecies, the prophecies of his brother Jacob, and the words of Isaiah. It’s as if he knows that the reader is saying, “All of what you say is quite breathtaking, but what does it mean for me in my day where I live?” Nephi tells us that he “delighteth in plainness” (verse 3), which is another way of saying, “Let’s get down to what really matters.”

Little surprise that Nephi takes us directly to the life of Jesus Christ for what really matters. It’s a 2,500-year-old version of teaching via today’s well-known mantra “What would Jesus do?” Or, perhaps, more precisely, “What will Jesus do, and how can we follow his example?” Nephi simply calls these teachings “the doctrine of Christ” (verse 2).

In verses 4-9, Nephi is presumably drawing from the vision he received decades earlier just after his family left Jerusalem (see verses 27-33 of 1 Nephi 11). He relates the key aspects of the pattern that he knows Jesus will set for us during his time on earth more than 500 years later:

1. Being baptized by water in the Lord’s name
2. Receiving the Holy Ghost
3. Keeping His Father’s commandments

As Nephi says, it can be stated very plainly. And yet, Jesus is the only person on earth who was or ever will be able to do these three things without breaking any of the Father’s commandments. But even if we will not achieve the perfection Jesus achieved, by following Him we can have our sins taken away and speak with the “tongue of angels” (verse 13).

According to Nephi, via direct revelation from Christ (verse 12), a key ingredient in this process is called “real intent.” Real intent means that our motives are pure in our search for knowledge, or, in other words, that we will act in a manner that is consistent with the knowledge we are given, “acting no hypocrisy and no deception before God” (verse 13). In the last chapter of the Book of Mormon (Moroni 10), Moroni states that real intent is necessary in order for the Lord to answer our prayers regarding the truthfulness of the book. I believe that principle applies in most cases when we seek truth—the Lord will generally only reveal that truth to us once we have resolved to act in accordance with whatever His will is. Real intent turns our faith into action, which then solidifies our knowledge of divinely revealed principles of truth.

Again, according to Nephi via revelation coming from Christ, real intent is necessary for us to actually receive the Holy Ghost, which is sometimes referred to as the “baptism of fire” (verse 13). In the ordinance of confirmation in our Church, we are admonished to receive the Holy Ghost, but when this actually takes place is dependent on our faith and real intent. During the day of Pentecost, as related in Acts 2, the Holy Ghost came as with a great rushing of the wind and endowed the apostles with matchless power to convince others of the gospel of Christ. In like manner, the baptism of fire will help us in our transformation from weak but willing servants to people who have been mightily cleansed and who feel the Lord working through them. It is often accompanied by an actual feeling that can occur deep within us.

One of the reasons it is important for us to recognize our personal baptism of fire is that it strengthens us to be able to continue on in this world in a way that embodies faith, hope, charity and joy. We know that life is a series of highs and lows, and that it ultimately ends with the death of our bodies. The gift of the Holy Ghost, which is something that can only be received after entering onto the “strait and narrow path” after our baptism by one with real authority from God (verses 17-18), makes it possible for us to “endure to the end” with peace and love in our hearts. It is the answer that many search for in vain through one form of escapism or another.

To avoid deceptive and harmful paths, it is important for us to know that through the comfort and guidance of the Holy Ghost, external trials and challenges will not force us into fear, anger, and despair so long as we choose to withstand and overcome them. It is an awesome promise that hints at our divine heritage and destiny.

Nephi tells us that the Father Himself told him that the words Nephi heard from Christ are “true and faithful,” and that those who “endureth to the end” shall be saved (verse 15). Of course, greater responsibility comes with the greater power and knowledge we receive when we embark on the path of discipleship through baptism by water and fire.

After relating these amazing revelations that have come to him directly from the Father and the Son, Nephi gives the following admonition to his people, and to us (in verses 19-20):

And now, my beloved brethren, after ye have gotten into this strait and narrow path, I would ask if all is done? Behold, I say unto you, Nay; for ye have not come thus far save it were by the word of Christ with unshaken faith in him, relying wholly upon the merits of him who is mighty to save.

Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life.

Light and Truth Flood the Earth and Accelerate the Work - Second Chapter of Nephi, Verse Thirty (2 Nephi 30)

You can read the entire chapter at the following link: https://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/2-ne/30?lang=eng

This chapter helps us better understand how direct a role the Book of Mormon is playing in the process by which Jesus Christ is carrying out Heavenly Father’s great plan of salvation and redemption. As we learned in the previous chapter, it complements the Bible and its great truths, which of course center around the life, ministry, death, resurrection, and exaltation of our Lord and Savior.

Nephi unfolds to us the effects that truth can have on people across distance and time. There are the Jews who have miraculously maintained their identity as a people over thousands of years and despite bitter hardships and persecutions. There are the lost Israelites, including the people descended from the Nephites and Lamanites on the American continent. And there are the “Gentiles,” many of whom may have ancestral connections with Israel that have been forgotten through the generations. All of them can embrace the truth and enter into the covenant based on repentance and faith in Christ (verse 2).

Great promises attend those who accept the truth and enter into the Lord’s covenant. Verse 6 gives us a taste of some of the blessings these people will find. They shall rejoice. They shall have “scales of darkness” fall from their eyes. They shall begin a process of becoming a “pure and delightsome” people.

As these people allow the Lord to reshape them into something of great virtue and power, the Lord’s work accelerates. This is of course no coincidence, for clearly the Lord uses those who covenant with him to turn to their neighbors and share the benefit of their experience. It is a classic domino or snowball effect. Among those who pay attention, there is so much to discern.

Inspired judgment and restitution are already in evidence among us, as people abide by the principles of truth Lord has taught them either directly or through His authorized messengers. When repentant and humble men and women counsel together for a righteous purpose, there’s nothing like it. The Lord elevates their efforts so that they can help “judge the poor and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth” (verse 9).

As the Lord’s work progresses, aided by the spread of truth to the corners of the world, those who are open to accepting this truth, and thus transforming their lives for the better, become separate from those who close their hearts and minds. This great division has consequences, for just as Biblical stories (especially those in Genesis about the great flood and Sodom and Gomorrah) teach us that the Lord found it necessary at certain times in the past to destroy persistent wickedness in the world, we are taught that this will take place again (verse 10).

Sad as this destruction will be for those who have chosen evil over good, it will represent a deliverance and cleansing of the earth for those who have embraced the Lord’s healing power in their lives. And no longer will they face the opposition that has plagued them and sought to slow their acquisition of further knowledge and illumination.

The point at which this division will become complete is Christ’s Second Coming, when only those who have let light into their lives will be able to abide the refining presence of the Lord. 

Nephi weaves a passage from Isaiah 11 (verses 9-15) into his prophecy to show us the poetic contrast between our current struggles and the peace that will come between all the creatures of the world, and—perhaps most important—the willingness of those who remain on earth to receive truth from whatever source provides it, even if that source is (counterintuitively) a little child rather than a more fully experienced adult. Hence the phrase “and a little child shall lead them” in verse 12.

The images of truth and knowledge flooding the earth are awe-inspiring. From verses 15-17:

For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea…. The things of all nations shall be made known…unto the children of men. There is nothing which is secret save it shall be revealed; there is no work of darkness save it shall be made manifest in the light.

Finally, we learn from Nephi (in verse 18), as we also learn from the apostle John (in Revelation 20), that Satan “shall have power over the hearts of the children of men no more.” Or at least not “for a long time” before he returns for the climactic conflict between the forces of good and evil.

Nations as Witnesses - Second Book of Nephi, Chapter Twenty-Nine (2 Nephi 29)

You can read the entire chapter at the following link: https://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/2-ne/29?lang=eng

In this chapter, Nephi describes in even greater detail how the coming of the Book of Mormon will affect humanity and the course of God’s plan for it. And, by speaking in the first person on behalf of the Lord, the power of his words are magnified.

As many accept the Book of Mormon and come to know of its divine origins, the process begins whereby the Lord is setting “his hand again the second time to recover my people, which are of the house of Israel” (verse 1). God does not forget or act against the covenants he has made, and it is important for Nephi to be able to demonstrate this to his people so that they are better able to understand the greater purpose of their religion and civilization. Verse 2 tells us that the record of the Nephites will “hiss forth unto the ends of the earth” through those in the latter days who accept the Book of Mormon and spread its message abroad.

What should be a glorious opportunity to spread eternal truth to others—giving them access to joy, salvation, and sanctification—ends up being met with opposition. Nephi tells us that many in the latter days will reject the Book of Mormon because they already have the Bible. As mentioned in the previous chapter, those who are not open to the idea that God reveals His will through many sources ultimately hurt themselves the most. But, as we remember from how those in the great and spacious building from Lehi’s dream (described in verses 24-28 of 1 Nephi 8) helped turn some of the partakers of the fruit from the tree of life away from truth and goodness through their skeptical mocking, the closed-minded can infect others with their cynicism. The lesson for us is to beware of our own actions in this regard.

Nephi points out the hypocrisy that people have engaged in over generations by insisting on the Bible as the only possible source of God’s truth. History has shown that some of these people have treated those whose ancestors were responsible for the Bible—the Jews—as outcasts at best, and as targets of horrendous persecution and violence at worst.

And what thank they the Jews for the Bible which they receive from them?.... O ye Gentiles, have ye remembered the Jews, mine ancient covenant people? Nay; but ye have cursed them, and have hated them, and have not sought to recover them. (verses 4-5)

Nephi goes on to remind us that the Lord is the creator and ruler of all peoples on the earth, and that He is the ultimate judge of who and how many of his peoples should be privileged to bring forth records containing His words. And, by the evidence of the Book of Mormon together with the Bible (and probably other records that will come forth from other peoples in the future), the Lord has determined to prove His existence, His attributes, His plan for our salvation through Christ’s atonement, and—most important—His love for all mankind.

For behold, I shall speak unto the Jews and they shall write it; and I shall also speak unto the Nephites and they shall write it; and I shall also speak unto the other tribes of the house of Israel, which I have led away, and they shall write it; and I shall also speak unto all nations of the earth and they shall write it. (verse 12)

Nephi not only teaches the truth that God’s word is revealed through many different sources, but he also prophesies that the bringing together of the different records is a sign of the bringing together of the Lord’s covenant people. Why is it so wonderful that the records come together? Because that means the Lord and His servants on earth are gathering scattered people from Israel, reminding them of their divine potential and shared heritage, and helping them right their course back in His direction. Combined, the records have a power that they would not have on their own.

This prophecy closely mirrors something taught by the Old Testament prophet Ezekiel, whose ministry among the exiled Jews in Babylon began around 590 B.C. as Nephi and his family made their journey through the wilderness and to the Americas. In his account (verses 15-24 of Ezekiel 37), Ezekiel teaches that the Lord will command the families of Judah and Joseph (the sons of Jacob, also known as Israel, through whom the covenant promises flow) to each make a record on a “stick” (a wooden writing tablet). 

The stick of Judah (or the Jews) is the Bible, and the stick of Joseph is the Book of Mormon, as the Nephites come from Joseph’s ancestral line. 

Indeed, just as there is a principle that having more than one person as a witness for a specific evidentiary claim greatly validates that claim, the Lord—through Nephi—applies a similar principle to the idea of using more than one nation as a way to bolster the case for His existence and His faithfulness to the everlasting covenant He made with Abraham. 

Know ye not that the testimony of two nations is a witness unto you that I am God, that I remember one nation like unto another? Wherefore, I speak the same words unto one nation like unto another. And when the two nations shall run together the testimony of the two nations shall run together also. (verse 8)

Truth and Light to Banish Error and Darkness - Second Book of Nephi, Chapter Twenty-Eight (2 Nephi 28)

You can read the entire chapter here: https://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/2-ne/28?lang=eng

One of the purposes of the Book of Mormon is to put an end to contention. Verse 2 of this chapter tells us that the book’s writings shall be “of great worth unto the children of men.” Nephi foresees that a number of churches will claim, “Behold, I, I am the Lord’s,” and will take issue with one another. Verse 4 says that these churches will “teach with their learning, and deny the Holy Ghost.” This tracks with what Nephi wrote in the previous chapter, and what Jesus told Joseph Smith face-to-face during their first encounter in the grove in 1820, about men drawing near the Lord with their lips, but having their hearts far from Him. By the accuracy of its translation and its teaching of the pure doctrine of Christ, the Book of Mormon clarifies those teachings of the Bible that have been unclear and therefore subject to multiple interpretations. It does not replace the Bible, but actually complements and strengthens its message through the clarifications it provides.

But more than that, by its coming forth, the Book of Mormon teaches us that the Lord does not limit Himself to revealing his inspired words or scripture only to a certain group of people in a certain period of time. No, the Book of Mormon is part of a pattern where those who really “receive” the scripture already given to them and “lend an ear” to the Lord’s counsel are able to gain greater knowledge, wisdom and insight from the Lord. The idea that the heavens are closed is a fallacy. Those who claim that God’s work on earth is done, or that miracles don’t happen, or that we have enough scripture (verses 5-6, 29-30) reveal far more about their own willfulness or lack of faith than they do about God’s nature. The true principle is that the Lord wants to share his mysteries with us. As we seek and knock, he gives to us “line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little” (verse 30).  

And we learn only too well in this chapter why it is so important to seek out God’s truth, that we may avoid being deceived by the many ways evil tries to come upon us in the world. Darkness by definition is banished once light is thrown upon it. Nephi recognizes this, and does everything he can to expose the pernicious ways that the devil and the other spirits who follow him seek to weaken us and lead us toward misery. Nephi reckons that if we can understand how Satan operates, we’ll be better equipped to work with the Lord to prevent ourselves from falling into the many traps that are out there. Here are some of the traps he identifies for us, 2,500 years before C.S. Lewis wrote The Screwtape Letters:

1. Falling for the lie that life is consequence-free (“Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die; and it shall be well with us” – verse 7.).

Responding to our earthly desires is not wrong, but the earthly desires should never take precedence over the spiritual priority of our salvation and our ability to access the Holy Ghost.

2. A little sin is OK. God will understand and will excuse us (verse 8).

This sounds merciful, but it is a counterfeit of God’s true mercy. God may understand when we commit sin (after all, Jesus felt the pain of all sinners when he atoned for us), but He cannot excuse sin. He cannot save us unless we repent and make choices to follow him. And the idea that we can plan ahead of time to “sin a little” and then repent afterwards is completely deceptive nonsense. That is because we can choose our actions, but not the consequences. So if we sin, we lose the companionship of the Holy Ghost. How then can we have any degree of confidence that the choices we will make will be the right ones? Maybe, just maybe, we’ll have the sense of godly sorrow that leads us to seek divine forgiveness. And when that takes place, you’d better believe that the power of Christ’s atonement can work miracles and heal us. But it’s utter foolishness to take that chance in a calculating way before-the-fact. George Albert Smith, president of our Church from 1945 to 1951, provided this wise caution, “If you cross to the devil’s side of the line one inch, you are in the tempter’s power, and if he is successful, you will not be able to think or even reason properly, because you will have lost the spirit of the Lord.”

3. Getting stirred up to anger against things that are good (verse 20).

First things first. Christ has already won the victory over evil. It is done. That means if we choose evil over good, we are choosing the losing side. We are also choosing misery. But the devil wants to take as many down with him as possible, so he seeks to get us to act against our own interests through feelings of pride or envy or fear, manifesting itself in anger and rage against things and people that are good. Sometimes we need to be patient in response to a kind word of concern or correction from a family member or friend. Instead of reacting in a knee-jerk way, consider for a moment whether what this loved one has said has merit. Be honest. Often we need to be open to learn from others and to change some things in our lives. Those who are able to do this gain power over Satan, because their self-discipline is such that they’re less vulnerable to being baited into a self-defeating situation where they lose control of their emotions and actions.

4. Being lulled into “carnal security” with material possessions and comforts (verse 21).

This is the situation where being too focused on the comforts and cares of this world distracts from our eternal perspective. We lose our “edge.” We forget that there’s something beyond our senses that is a much more important reality, and we therefore lose our sense of urgency and our need to look out for others.

5. Being tricked into thinking “there is no hell” or devil (verse 22).

The truth that there is good and evil forces us to choose a side. It’s challenging work, because we must be vigilant to ward off temptation. If we no longer believe that truth, in most cases we’re not going to be willing to engage in the daily practices—sincere prayer, applying the scriptures to our lives and acting on spiritual impressions—so vital not to just staving off evil influences in our lives, but actually overcoming them. And if we don’t do these things, Nephi’s dire prophecy of our being brought into chains—ironically, by the very being whose existence we denied—will be fulfilled (verses 22-23).

Perhaps the most telling line in the chapter is this: “Wo unto all those who tremble, and are angry because of the truth of God! For behold, he that is built upon the rock receiveth it with gladness; and he that is built upon a sandy foundation trembleth lest he shall fall” (verse 28).

The Miracle of the Marvelous Work and Its Witnesses - Second Book of Nephi, Chapter Twenty-Seven (2 Nephi 27)

You can read the entire chapter at the following link: https://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/2-ne/27?lang=eng.

What are miracles? They are events that take place that we can’t explain. But does that mean that they are without explanation? No. One of the things that separates God from us is that He understands the workings of the universe intimately. To him, a miracle is not some way-out-of-left-field occurrence, but part of His plan, even if most or all of us mortals cannot yet comprehend it.

Sometimes we just need some help with the explanation—for the steps to be broken down for us. That is what we find in this chapter. The miracle is the coming forth of the Book of Mormon, amid the larger phenomenon of the restoration of God’s authority on earth and the gathering of the people of Israel. And an integral part of this coming forth is the establishment of witnesses.

So how does this miracle happen? Well, it starts with an inspired revelation through Isaiah. Nephi, who has the plates of brass available to him, draws from what appears to be an earlier (and probably more accurate) version of Isaiah 29. This prophecy refers to a book that contains divine revelation covering the earth’s lifespan from beginning to end. The book will come from those who have “slumbered in the dust” (we know that this refers to the Nephites after their eventual destruction around 400 A.D.) and part of the book will be “sealed,” or inaccessible.

Clearly, the Lord inspired Isaiah to write about this, and then inspired Nephi to transcribe it into his record, so that the Nephite prophets and record-keepers were clear about their duty and mission. Even if the people of their civilization were to be wiped out, the record would live on (eventually to be given new life as the Book of Mormon). So God makes sure everything is in place for the plates to be preserved and hidden.

As we know, the plates come forth to Joseph Smith in 1827. What is amazing here is that Joseph translates this chapter with the help of his scribe Oliver Cowdery in the early months of 1829, but many of the key events described therein had already taken place in 1828. Seeing confirmation that events he had experienced were the fulfillment of prophecy must have caused Joseph great wonder, and given him special confidence that his errand was truly the Lord’s.

Running through the chapter is the important theme that those who glory in their supposed power will be disabled when they act against the Lord’s purposes, and those whose natural abilities seem to be insignificant will find themselves magnified when working in line with the Lord. God declares to Nephi in verse 23 that He is a God of miracles. This never changes, but God will only show His power among men to the extent they have faith. Those who are preoccupied with their own strength without recognizing where it comes from are ultimately at a disadvantage to those who humbly acknowledge the Lord’s ability to intervene.

Some very powerful lines from the chapter rebuke those of us mortals who think that it’s somehow possible or even in their interest to ignore, outsmart, or hide things from the Lord. In 1820, nine years before Joseph translates this passage, the Father and Son appeared before him (in his first vision in Palmyra, New York). Joseph had desired to know which Christian church to join. The answer he received directly from the lips of the resurrected Savior (in verse 19 here) was that he should not join any of them, because they draw near the Lord with their lips, but “their hearts are far from me.” As Joseph translated this chapter, he must have been overcome with the memory of that earlier experience when he saw a very similar statement in verse 25 made to Nephi about 2,500 years earlier (which the Lord had perhaps shared with Isaiah even 150-200 years before Nephi).

The statement looks forward to Joseph’s day to say that as much as the people of that time draw near with their mouths and honor the Lord with their lips, but have removed their hearts from Him, and fear Him only according the “precepts of men,” the Lord will bring forth a “marvelous work and a wonder” that will overshadow anything that men concoct based on their own schemes and supposed wisdom. Verse 27 conveys the sense that Lord almost feels sorry for the pathetic delusions of people who think they can turn things “upside-down” by acting like they are superior to their Creator.

The reality is that any efforts they make to work against God’s designs—or his covenant people—are ultimately impotent. Isaiah does a good job of painting the verbal picture for us in verses 3-5. He likens the futility of working against God to people who dream of eating but wake up even hungrier than before, or who stagger through life like they are either sleepwalking or drunkenly incapacitated.

And, as mentioned before, Joseph Smith’s experience in the early months of 1828 shows us that this prophecy has concrete application and is not simply a poetic device. His experience played out as follows. Joseph’s first task, before engaging in full-on translation, was to copy some of the original characters found on the plates. Some of the plates, as foreseen in Isaiah’s and Nephi’s prophecies, were sealed. But there was an unsealed portion that would provide the source for the Book of Mormon. The characters on the unsealed plates were apparently some kind of mix of—according to Nephi (in verse 2 here)—“the learning of the Jews and the language of the Egyptians.” Nearly 1,000 years later (in verse 32 here), Moroni (the final Nephite custodian of the plates) writes that he and others keepers of the record through various generations used “characters which are called among us the reformed Egyptian, being handed down and altered by us, according to our manner of speech.”

A man named Martin Harris was Joseph’s main benefactor at the time, and he was considering taking out a mortgage on his property in order to finance Joseph’s translation work. Before making that financial commitment, however, the conventional wisdom is that Martin was interested in getting the opinion of some academic experts on the authenticity of the characters. Historical records indicate that Martin also had received instruction from the Lord to encourage Joseph to prepare these characters and their translation for expert scrutiny. See this account. 

So we have Joseph Smith, with a very limited grade-school-level education, engaging in a work of translation that would stretch the most highly-trained and -specialized minds of the day.

Once some initial copying was done on parchment, Martin headed off to (where else?) New York City to check Joseph’s work with the most celebrated scholars of the day in ancient languages. According to Martin’s account, a professor at Columbia (then a college and not a university), Charles Anthon, verified the characters and their translation by Joseph as authentic and correct and signed a certificate to that effect. When Anthon asked about the origins of the translation, and Martin told him that Joseph had received plates from an angel, Anthon asked for the certificate back and ripped it up. He then asked Martin to bring him the book that he might inspect it directly. Martin told him that the book was sealed, and Anthon said, “I cannot read a sealed book.” This experience, as related, tracks directly with verses 15-18.

A 1942 article in the Improvement Era (a Church periodical of that day) shows incredibly compelling evidence that the characters transcribed from the plates match demotic Egyptian characters that were in use during that period in history (as these characters have been photographed by non-Mormon scholars). For years, people assumed that the transcribed characters featured in the Improvement Era article were part of the actual transcriptions seen by Anthon, but recent handwriting analysis indicates that these characters were transcribed in 1829 by another scribe (John Whitmer) after Martin’s visit to Anthon. In either case, the side-by-side photographical evidence in the 1942 article is so compelling, I believe it could be sufficient by itself to convince many people of the authenticity of the Book of Mormon. (Below is an image of the Whitmer transcription, previously known as the Anthon transcript)

After having an even more esteemed scholar, Samuel Mitchill, verify Anthon’s initial conclusions about the authenticity of the characters and translation (see the account of Martin’s encounters with the scholars in verses 64-65 of Joseph Smith’s history), Martin returned to his home in upstate New York and arranged to both finance the translation and travel to northern Pennsylvania (where Joseph and his wife were living near her parents at the time) to act as Joseph’s scribe. (Anthon apparently disputed Martin Harris’ version of the facts, but in any event, Martin clearly came away from the encounter convinced that the translation work was worth pursuing.)

So this chapter clearly reinforces for Joseph, and for us, that the translation of the Book of Mormon and the restoration of divine authority through Joseph were both directed by Christ, and that Joseph is the man who receives the book, as referred to in verses 9 and 19, with Anthon as the “learned” referred to in verses 15-20.

We receive a number of further promises with great significance. The most important is that witnesses in addition to Joseph will be able to see the “book”—with “book” in this case meaning the gold plates used as the source for the Book of Mormon. Verse 12 tells us that three witnesses will behold the book by “the power of God.” The translation of this chapter inspired Joseph and those involved with helping him translate the plates to consider who these witnesses might be, and ultimately the angel (Moroni) who was the last Nephite custodian of the plates and who directed Joseph to find them is the one who presents the plates to Oliver Cowdery, Martin Harris, and David Whitmer in 1829. Their testimony of the experience lives on, as does the testimony of the eight witnesses who are the few others God allows to see the plates (verse 13) and to whom Joseph later showed them. None ever recanted his testimony.

There is, of course, more. Through a faithful few, the Lord pours out blessings that overflow so that they might touch the lives of many others and give these others (the deaf, the blind, the meek in verses 29-30) ample opportunity to embrace the cause of salvation and righteousness that the kingdom of God represents and see the “terrible one” (Satan and anyone who identifies with him) thwarted in his designs (verse 31). And God’s plan is clearly one of redemption, where those who have “erred in spirit shall come to understanding” (verse 35). Little by little, the field where the word of God is planted will become fruitful, and then its growth will be so great that it will be “esteemed as a forest” (verse 28). We are promised that even the sealed portion of the plates will one day be read from the housetops by the power of Christ, along with “all things” (verses 11, 21-22). I’m not sure we can properly comprehend how amazing it will be to be able to receive all things from the hand of the Lord. 

Truth Revealed Through History: The Holy Ghost Will Lead Us to Christ - Second Book of Nephi, Chapter Twenty-Six (2 Nephi 26)

You can read the entire chapter at the following link: https://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/2-ne/26?lang=eng.

In the previous chapter, Nephi explained the words of Isaiah and their application to the Jews who were scattered from the Holy Land after the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, based largely on the visions that Nephi himself has seen of future days.

Here, he turns squarely to address his own people, the Nephites, and to unfold to them—in great plainness (we are learning that Nephi is exceptionally clear and direct)—how their history will play out as he looks ahead about 550 years.

What Nephi sees is not a pretty picture. He tells his people that they will engage in many wars and contentions through the generations. If that isn’t enough to cause Nephi great pain, what seems to trouble him even more is that his descendants will not prove to be very different from the people who will reject Jesus’s claim to be the Messiah during his life in Galilee and Judea. Many prophets will come among the Nephites to proclaim the coming of Jesus, and specific signs will point to the key events of His birth, death, and resurrection (verse 3).

Nephi communicates to his people that instead of welcoming the good tidings, their following generations will cast out and even kill those among them who are—like he and his father—reminding them of what will take place and what that should mean regarding their actions. Even though Nephi conveys the coming events to us without flinching from his duty to inform, we can sense the great sadness that pervades what he tells. He must have wondered, “How is it possible that this can happen, after all my people went through to escape the destruction in Jerusalem 50 years ago? How can the memory of that story fade from their imaginations? They have been given every advantage of evading captivity, and then ultimately they choose to put themselves in bondage and peril anyway.”

And yet, Nephi has seen the nature of man to forget, in the example of his brothers Laman and Lemuel certainly, and probably even through his own struggles to remain righteous and those of his other family members. This gives Nephi perspective to understand why the people of Jerusalem could forget the powerful stories of their deliverance from Egypt from centuries before and even the sure and more recent prophecies of Isaiah.

He writes very specifically about his people’s future sufferings at the time of Christ’s death. Mountains will cover them. Whirlwinds will carry them away. Buildings will crush them and “grind them to powder” (verse 5). Nephi relates the pain and anguish he feels at seeing this scene, and how it “well nigh consumeth me before the presence of the Lord.” But, in the end, he says that he is forced to recognize that what will take place is exactly what his people deserve (verse 7). It must be especially hard for Nephi to think that even though he spells it out plainly for his people, nothing he can say or do will change the choices that many of them make to disregard the signs that point to Christ’s coming. Many of us in this day struggle with the principle of agency that is absolute for each person—thrilling at the improbable turnaround when someone makes it back to the light, but mourning when others turn away or refuse to turn back despite ample opportunity to embrace what is right and good.

The trials are necessary as a proving ground for the righteous who heed the prophets and are steadfast in looking for the signs of Christ’s coming, amid all the persecution they face. Nephi is blessed to see that Christ, the “Son of Righteousness” (verse 9), will appear among those who have persevered in faith. We know this will take place after his final ascension from the Holy Land. And beyond that, Jesus will heal those of the Nephites who survive the cataclysm accompanying his crucifixion, and He will bring peace to them. And this peace will be long-lasting, for more than three generations (which we know to be about 300 years). Perhaps Nephi’s warnings go some distance toward encouraging the righteous core of believers to hold on when other reasons for keeping up hope seem lost.

But even this positive development won’t last forever. And we need to pay close attention to the reason for this. Nephi shares with us just how critical it is for us to keep inviting the presence and influence of the Holy Ghost into our lives. There’s a tragic, cautionary lesson for us in the downfall of the Nephites after an unparalleled run of righteousness and prosperity. And Nephi boils it down to one root cause. His descendants will choose darkness over light, and as the Spirit “ceaseth to strive with man then cometh speedy destruction” (verses 10-11).

  

It is at this point, just when we feel that all hope is lost because the Lord’s own people have let Him down, that Nephi shares with us the genius of God and His plan. Nephi reminds us that the plan encompasses the Gentiles as well as the Jews. And though it will take him a few chapters to explain how the plan unfolds, somehow by pivoting to the Gentiles, the Lord shows His great love for all His children. For in swinging the door wide open to salvation to people who were not originally part of the covenant, he is preparing through them for the redemption of the Jews and of the Nephite/Lamanite people—and indeed for all of the people of Israel who will heed the shepherd’s call to gather.  

And it’s important to note for ourselves personally how He accomplishes this. Remember, Jesus Christ was physically present among the Jews in the Holy Land and their long-lost Nephite brethren in the Americas. He does not appear directly to the non-Israelite Gentile nations, or at least not at first, but it doesn’t matter when you’ve got the secret weapon of the Holy Ghost. The Holy Ghost is the most effective communicator of truth there is.

Again, we need to pay close attention here, because a huge lesson on faith is right in front of our faces. Most of us are the Gentiles. We do not have Jesus in person among us. And yet, if we believe in Jesus by the power of the Holy Ghost, we unlock the very same blessings that were available to the Jews and Nephites who had Jesus right in front of them. It says very plainly in verse 13 that as we do this, Christ will manifest himself “unto every nation, kindred, tongue, and people, working mighty miracles, signs, and wonders, among the children of men according to their faith.”

This is an amazing promise. One that we would do well to ponder, reflect upon, apply in every aspect of our lives, and share widely. As we seek the Holy Ghost and follow its promptings, Christ comes to us and works miracles in our lives. This may be the single-most important principle we can ever learn because it is like a treasure map leading us straight to salvation. It is both extremely practical and indicative of the profound saving and transformative power God is offering each of us. 

The overall significance of verses 12 and 13 should not be lost on us or overlooked. Indeed, the very last ancient custodian of the record that became the Book of Mormon, the prophet Moroni, recognized how critically important these verses are. Within the two short paragraphs he decides to write to provide an introductory note for the entire record (what we know as the title page to the Book of Mormon), Moroni paraphrases these verses to tell the world that a core purpose of the record is “to the convincing of the Jew and Gentile that Jesus is the Christ, the Eternal God, manifesting himself unto all nations.”

Following Moroni’s example, it is impossible for us to say too much about the principle we find here. It deserves repeated emphasis. By following the Spirit, we bring Christ into our lives in a very real way.

There is yet more to the chapter. Nephi tells of the record his people will leave behind, primed to come forth at a later time, and unfolds the saga of the Gentiles and their many imperfections in reference to what the Lord expects. The chapters’ additional passages are rich in instruction, but I will only point to one. Amid all the intrigue that Nephi shows will come to pass among the Gentiles, he reveals in verses 23-24 that the Lord is patiently and confidently at work to make sure that despite the evils among us, we will each have the glorious opportunity to choose eternal life:

For behold, my beloved brethren, I say unto you that the Lord God worketh not in darkness. He doeth not anything save it be for the benefit of the world; for he loveth the world, even that he layeth down his own life that he may draw all men unto him. Wherefore, he commandeth none that they shall not partake of his salvation.