The Plain Doctrine of Christ (2 Nephi 31)

These last few chapters of 2nd Nephi are some of my very favorites.  Last week year we talked about 2nd Nephi 30, in the which Nephi made a bunch of prophesies about our day, and what would happen to both Jew and Gentile.  In Chapter 31 it's as if Nephi puts down his prepared lesson and just speaks from his heart.

After spending days and days reading his favorite Isaiah scriptures to his people, and seeing their reaction...

... Nephi breaks it down to the plain Doctrine of Christ.  For his soul delighteth in plainness.  So let's talk about what Nephi really wants us to get out of all of his teachings.

First:  Baptism is essential to salvation

In order to enter into the Kingdom of God, a person must be baptized by an authorized Priesthood holder.  Exceptions to this commandment include children who have not reached the age of accountability (8 years old) and those who are disabled to the degree that they are also unaccountable.

I was baptized when I was 8 years old, sometime in November of 1974.  My dad was an inactive member of the church, and did not hold the proper Priesthood Authority, so he couldn't baptize me.  Some guy named Bro. Lowe happened to be in the font and already wet from baptizing his son, Mark, so he did the dunking.  In The Church we are baptized by immersion, so when my big toe stuck out of the water, I had to be baptized again.  There went the toe again.  Third time's the charm;  Bro. Lowe planted his foot on my foot, and was able to put me all the way under the water.  Whew! I was finally clean from all those sins I'd accumulated since my birthday on November 9th.  I don't remember how many there were, but I'm glad they're gone.

So, since we know that Jesus Christ was completely without sin, did he need to be baptized?  Is baptism just for cleansing our sins, or is there more to it than that?

                 Verse 7 

Christ was baptized not for His past mistakes, but as an act of obedience, and a covenant that He would always be obedient.

The Gift of the Holy Ghost is essential to salvation

After baptism, baptismees are confirmed a member of The Church, and are given the Gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands, also by one holding the proper Priesthood authority.  I have zero memory of my confirmation, but I'm sure it looked something like the photo above (except I'm a dude).

 

Where baptism cleanses us from sin, receiving the Gift of the Holy Ghost, or the baptism of fire, sanctifies us, and makes us (or has the potential to make us) holy.  And this "speaking with the tongue of angels" thing and this "shouting praises unto the Holy One of Israel" thing, I think that means that once we receive the Holy Ghost, and the witness of Christ and His Gospel that follows those who sincerely seek it, the Holy Ghost will testify to others when you testify of Him.  Anywayz, that's what I think.

Repentance is essential for salvation

I'm kinda going outta order here, but next in the chapter is Repentance.  To repent means to turn away from bad junk, and turn toward God.  Most definitely a person sincerely repenting must ask Heavenly Father for forgiveness, but even more important than that is what comes next.  Which leads me to...

Enduring to the End is essential for salvation

The word "enduring" conjures up images of marathons and summits of high mountains.  It seems to connote (one of my favorite words) hardship and suffering.  I like how President Monson puts it much better.  Enduring to the End to me is less about always choosing the right, no matter how hard the rain falls, and more about daily repentance, no matter how hard I fall.

And lastly (but really firstly)...

Faith in The Lord Jesus Christ is essential for salvation

So, there you have it, the Doctrine of Christ.  To sum it up in JB-ese...

• Have Faith in Jesus Christ
• Repent and follow Jesus Christ
• Covenant to be obedient to Jesus Christ through baptism and other ordinances
• If you fail, start over
• Rely alone on the merits of Jesus Christ; He is mighty to save

The End.  I'll see you next year time.


Peace be with you

The Mighty One of Jacob (2 Nephi 6)

Jesus Christ ordaining one of His apostles

In all of the sacred records kept by prophets of God, the authority to act in The Name of The Lord has been given by the laying on of hands by one who is, himself, authorized to do so.  Pictured above is Christ ordaining one of His original Twelve Apostles.  That authority is called The Priesthood.  The higher Priesthood was referred to in the New Testament as the Priesthood of Melchizedec. 

After the death of Lehi, Nephi became The Lord's prophet to the people of that land.  When Nephi's little brother Jacob became of age, Nephi ordained him to The Priesthood.  Jacob calls it "...ordained after the manner of His holy order..."  And so it is.

Jacob was given an assignment by Nephi to address the people.  Some of us might have experienced some anxiety if we were in his shoes. 

2 Nephi 6: 1-2

1.  The words of Jacob, the brother of Nephi, which he spake unto the people of Nephi:

2.  Behold, my beloved brethren, I, Jacob, having been called of God, and ordained after the manner of His holy order, and having been consecrated by my brother Nephi, unto whom ye look as a king or a protector, and on whom ye depend for safety, behold ye know that I have spoken unto you exceedingly many things.

 Jacob seems pretty confident though.

 Actually, Jacob does experience anxiety, but anxiety of a different sort.  Let's read a little more...

2 Nephi 6: 3

3.  Nevertheless, I speak unto you again; for I am desirous for the welfare of your souls.  Yea, mine anxiety is great for you; and ye yourselves know that it ever has been.  For I have exhorted you with all diligence; and I have taught you the words of my father; and I have spoken unto you concerning all things which are written, from the creation of the world.

What a wonderful, caring Priesthood Leader.  Sounds like one of those people who I'd like to hear speak, but would be afraid of running into at Walmart.  

"Have you done any good in the world today?"

Jacob reads the people some Isaiah verses, located in 2 Nephi 6: 6-7.  I will resist the engulfing temptation to expound on Isaiah and just talk about Jacob in this chapter.  There's plenty of Isaiah coming...(insert painting of The Scream here...)

Basically, the Isaiah verses Jacob refers to in this chapter talk again about the scattering and gathering of the house of Israel, a very common, and therefore important, theme in the writings of Isaiah and many other prophets.  Jacob also expounds on the prophecies regarding Christ's Atonement, the mercy given to them that believe in His Name, and the judgment exercised against those who fight against His people.  Things like:

• The Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, should manifest himself unto them in the flesh; and after He should manifest Himself they should scourge Him and crucify Him...
•  
• When they shall come to the knowledge of their Redeemer, they shall be gathered together again to the lands of their inheritance...
•  
• The Messiah will set himself again the second time to recover them; wherefore, He will manifest Himself unto them in power and great glory, unto the destruction of their enemies, when that day cometh when they shall believe in him...
• 
  
• For the Mighty God shall deliver His covenant people.  For thus saith The Lord: I will contend with them that contendeth with thee-

Exciting stuff.

Here's the ending

I like Jacob.  You can really tell, when the narrative of the BOM switches over from Nephi to Jacob, that it is a different speaker; related to the first, but different.  Like his brother, Jacob loves Isaiah.  The verses he quotes in this chapter seem to come from different parts of Isaiah.  I may be wrong.  http://www.lds.org isn't real helpful with searches like this.  The last verse found in 2 Nephi 6 is a quoting of Isaiah 60: 16.  I like to picture in my mind how Jacob felt about his Savior, the power of his testimony, and how he must have connected with this verse.  Here it is...

 2 Nephi 6: 18

And I will feed them that oppress thee, with their own flesh; and they shall be drunken with their own flesh; and they shall be drunken with their own blood as with sweet wine; and all flesh shall know that I the Lord am thy Savior and thy Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.

Peace be with you...

The heart of Grandpa Lehi (2 Nephi 4, part 1)

Before Lehi waxed old and died in verse 12 of 2nd Nephi 4, he continued to counsel and offer Priesthood Blessings to his family.  After speaking to Laman and Lemuel and Sam and Nephi and Zoram and the sons of Ishmael in chapter 1, Jacob in chapter 2, and Joseph in chapter 3, Lehi calls them all together again for one last effort.

2 Nephi 4: 3

3.  Wherefore, after my father had made an end of speaking concerning the prophecies of Joseph, he called the children of Laman, his sons, and his daughters, and said unto them:  Behold, my sons, and my daughters, who are the sons and the daughters of my first-born, I would that ye should give ear unto my words.

I can picture Lehi, old and gray, his grand kids sitting at his feet.  Lehi will die in 9 more verses, so he must be pretty frail at this time.  He feels a great need to reach out to the sons and daughters of his rebellious sons.  Can you feel his love for them?  Can you feel how he is now confident that his 2 sons will be lost, but doesn't want their kids to suffer because of the failures of their Dads?

2 Nephi 4: 5-7, & part of 9

5.  But behold, my sons and my daughters, I cannot go down to my grave save I should leave a blessing upon you; for behold, I know that if ye are brought up in the way ye should go ye will not depart from it.

6.  Wherefore, if ye are cursed, behold, I leave my blessing upon you, that the cursing may be taken from you and be answered upon the heads of your parents.

7.  Wherefore, because of my blessing The Lord God will not suffer that ye shall perish; wherefore, he will be merciful unto you and unto your seed forever.

9.  ... but in the end thy seed shall be blessed.

Lehi didn't call "Laman and his sons and daughters" together, just the kids.  Maybe he tried and he wouldn't come.  Maybe he knew Laman wouldn't come, and so didn't try.  Or, maybe he was afraid Laman's presence would impede the Spirit of The Lord being felt by the young ones.  And the blessing is interesting too...

"If ye are cursed, behold, I leave my blessing upon you, that the cursing may be taken from you..."

This cursing comes in chapter 5, after Lehi is dead and buried, but Lehi has been shown the future of his posterity.  He knows that some of his grandkids will hold to the gospel of Jesus Christ, and some will rebel against it.  He knows that there is actually a righteous purpose to this, which is to stir up the believers to remember their testimonies, and lean upon their God for strength in their adversity.  Lehi knows that, in about 1000 years from then, all the believers in his family line will be gone, either by war or apostasy.  This is a downer of a story.  Where's the good news.

Here it is...

2 Nephi 4: 7 (again)

7.  Wherefore, because of my blessing The Lord God will not suffer that ye shall perish; wherefore, he will be merciful unto you and unto your seed forever.

And how will this be accomplished?

Like this...

Let's set the way back machine and go back a chapter...


2 Nephi 3: 23-24

23.  Wherefore, because of this covenant thou art blessed; for thy seed shall not be destroyed, for they shall hearken unto the words of the book.

24.  And there shall rise up one mighty among them, who shall do much good, both in word and in deed, being an instrument in the hands of God, with exceeding faith, to work mighty wonders, and do that which is great in the sight of God, unto the bringing to pass much restoration unto the house of Israel, and unto the seed of thy brethren.

That is such a neat scripture to me, because it is prophecy being fulfilled right now, this very minute.

After Lehi spoke to Laman & Lemuel's kids, he counseled and blessed Sam and his posterity.  And then he died.

2 Nephi 4: 12

12.  And it came to pass after my father, Lehi, had spoken unto all his household, according to the feelings of his heart and the Spirit of The Lord which was in him, he waxed old.  And it came to pass that he died, and he was buried.

Goodbye, Lehi:  Husband, Father, Grandfather, Prophet of God.  Thanks for EVERYTHING!!!  I can picture you and your Eternal Companion wrapped in the arms of your Savior's love.

Peace be with you...

Fulfilling Joseph's Promise (2 Nephi 3)

We don't hear much about Lehi's son, Joseph.  He and Sam don't have books of their own in the BOM like their brother Jacob, but that doesn't mean they turned to the dark side or anything.  Chapter 3 in 2nd Nephi is Lehi's speech and blessing for Joseph, his youngest son.

This is actually Israel Blesses Ephraim with the Birthright, by Keith Larson, but I like the image for Lehi and Joseph and Jacob (actually, that means the man standing is Joseph, Israel's son).

Joseph was born during a tough time in Lehi's life.  He tells Joseph that he was born in the "wilderness of mine afflictions" and that he was born in "the days of my greatest sorrows."  It's probably safe to say that Joseph had as rough a time as Jacob did, probably rougher 'cause he was younger.

Can you see the little baby hanging on to his Mom?  I think this is probably Joseph. 

I know Lehi is a wise and wonderful creature, and is trying to give his son comfort, and promised blessings for the future, but if my Dad (if he were a prophet) said this to me, I think I'd freak out:

2 Nephi 3: 3

3.  And now, Joseph, my last-born, whom I have brought out of the wilderness of mine afflictions, may The Lord bless thee forever, for thy seed shall not utterly be destroyed.

"Wait, what did you say?!!"