Mountain of the Lord (2 Nephi 12)

My friend Frank Bojdo visiting the Salt Lake LDS Temple from North Carolina last Summer.

Lots of people visit the SLC Temple and Temple Square every year.  I got this following info from  Wikipedia.

Tourism

Attracting 3 million to 5 million visitors a year, Temple Square is the most popular tourist attraction in Utah, bringing in more visitors than the Grand Canyon or Yellowstone National Park. By comparison, Utah's five National Parks —Zion, Bryce Canyon, Capitol Reef, Canyonlands, and Arches— had a combined total of 5.3 million visitors in 2005.^[5]

Pop Quiz:  Why do they come?

A.  'Cause they wanna.

B.  'Cause it's pretty.

C.  'Cause they're architecturally interested.

D.  'Cause there's nothing else to do in Utah.

E.  Religious reasons

F.  Led here by the Spirit of The Lord

G.  Other stuff.

Answer?  Yup.

What did Isaiah have to say about it?

2 Nephi 12: 1-3

1.  The word that Isaiah, the son of Amoz, saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem:

2.  And it shall come to pass in the last days, when the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills, and all nations shall flow unto it.

3.  And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of The Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of His ways, and we will walk in His paths; for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of The Lord from Jerusalem.

Screenshot from link below

I learned as a youth, and saw in the video Mountain of The Lord, that the word Utah means "tops of the mountains".  I thought that was pretty cool.  Trouble is, it doesn't...

It isn't really known when this myth started, but I don't believe it was meant to mislead.  Myths are often just taken as truth, and were difficult to check on in the days before the internet.  The word Utah comes from the word Ute, an American Indian tribe located in the Colorado, Utah and Arizona area.  Ute came from the Spanish word Yuta, which I guess means "meat eaters".  The Ute's name for themselves was noochee, which, as is so often the case, means The People.  Are you disappointed?

So, I guess Isaiah didn't know what he was talking about.  

Oh, I wouldn't say that...

2.  And it shall come to pass in the last days, when the mountain of The Lord's house shall be established in the tops of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills, and all nations shall flow unto it.

I'd say that description fits. 

Anyways,

2 Nephi 12: 5-6

5.  O house of Jacob, come ye and let us walk in the light of The Lord; yea, come, for ye have all gone astray, every one to his wicked ways.

The scattering of Israel is always a big topic with Isaiah.

6.  Therefore, O Lord, thou has forsaken thy people, the house of Jacob, because they be replenished from the east, and hearken unto soothsayers like the Philistines, and they please themselves in the children of strangers.

"They be replenished from the east":  Had babies with gentiles.  "Please themselves in the children of strangers":  Had babies with gentiles.

The promise is that the day of The Lord will come to everyone, everywhere, and all of these issues will be righted.

This is a painting of Jonah getting chucked off of the ship that is headed to Tarshish, right before the whale eats him.  Too bad he didn't speak whale.

Anyways,

I'll close this boring post with this Tarshish thing.  Most of the rest of chapter 12 talks about how the day of The Lord will happen everywhere.  I've just always thought this next verse was interesting.

2 Nephi 12: 16

16.  And upon all the ships of the sea, and upon all the ships of Tarshish, and upon all pleasant pictures.

Taken alone, it ain't really that interesting, but if you look at the footnote, it's kinda cool.  Apparently the original Greek has this verse as:

16.  And upon all the ships of the sea, and upon all pleasant pictures.

The original Hebrew has this verse as:

16.  And upon all the ships of tarshish, and upon all pleasant pictures.

This verse as quoted in the Book of Mormon, which was taken from the Brass Plates that Nephi took from Laben back in 1 Nephi 4, contained both phrases.  Don't you think that's interesting.  No?  Well, I do.  Either Joseph Smith really did some good research, or he was a true prophet of God.  Joseph Smith had only 3 years of formal education.  I believe he could not have written the BOM on his own, without the gift and power of God, but that is not why I believe that Joseph Smith was a prophet.  I believe Joseph Smith was a prophet because I asked Heavenly Father whether he was or not, and whether the Book of Mormon is true or not, and The Lord told me that he was and it is through the Holy Ghost in answer to that prayer. 

Anyways, see you next time when Isaiah talks about bald and stinky women.

Peace be with you...