2 Nephi 28: 1-2:
Nephi, as any prophetic writer, says what "the Spirit hath constrained" him to say. This is the very definition of using the Lord's name with permission and not using His name in vain. (Exo. 20: 7.)
Nephi held power from God in the words he used. Therefore he could "know that they must surely come to pass" because he sealed them as he wrote them. (D&C 1: 38.) For any person holding the sealing authority (which is an indispensable part of the Patriarchal Priesthood discussed earlier), the authority requires an alignment between the prophet, the Lord and the Lord's will. (See, D&C 132: 45-49, in particular verse 48 which mentions "by my word and according to my law"--which required Joseph to align himself with the Lord before using that power.) Those who have this authority will not do anything contrary to the will of the Lord. (Helaman 10: 5.) It is because of this trust between the Lord and His messenger that the power is given to the man. Nephi was such a man. His book contained a seal upon it bearing the power of God.
Nephi knew. Knowledge came from Christ. Nephi knew Christ. (2 Ne.11: 3.)
Notice how Nephi refers to the "remnant" who are "our seed." Nephi refers to the remnant variously as:
-descendants of his father Lehi (1 Ne. 13: 34)
"And now, behold, my brethren, I have spoken unto you, according as the Spirit hath constrained me; wherefore, I know that they must surely come to pass. And the things which shall be written out of the book shall be of great worth unto the children of men, and especially unto our seed, which is a remnant of the house of Israel."
Nephi, as any prophetic writer, says what "the Spirit hath constrained" him to say. This is the very definition of using the Lord's name with permission and not using His name in vain. (Exo. 20: 7.)
Nephi held power from God in the words he used. Therefore he could "know that they must surely come to pass" because he sealed them as he wrote them. (D&C 1: 38.) For any person holding the sealing authority (which is an indispensable part of the Patriarchal Priesthood discussed earlier), the authority requires an alignment between the prophet, the Lord and the Lord's will. (See, D&C 132: 45-49, in particular verse 48 which mentions "by my word and according to my law"--which required Joseph to align himself with the Lord before using that power.) Those who have this authority will not do anything contrary to the will of the Lord. (Helaman 10: 5.) It is because of this trust between the Lord and His messenger that the power is given to the man. Nephi was such a man. His book contained a seal upon it bearing the power of God.
Nephi knew. Knowledge came from Christ. Nephi knew Christ. (2 Ne.11: 3.)
Notice how Nephi refers to the "remnant" who are "our seed." Nephi refers to the remnant variously as:
-descendants of his father Lehi (1 Ne. 13: 34)
-descendants of his brethren (1 Ne. 13: 38-39)
-his family's descendants or "our seed" (1 Ne. 15: 13-14)
-a mixture of Nephi's descendants who are among his brother's descendant's (1 Ne. 13: 30
Nephi's primary line of descendants would be destroyed, but that destruction would not include all. There would remain a mixture of blood that would include partial descent from Nephi. (1 Ne. 13: 30-31) The various bloodlines remained identified as Nephites, Jacobites, Josephites, Zoramites, Lamanites, Lemuelites and Ishmaelites. (Mormon 1: 8.) Although it would be impossible, without revelation, for us to determine which of these lines a person might belong to today, the Lord nevertheless revealed in 1828 that these various divisions remain identified to Him. (D&C 3: 16-19.) No doubt, in time, He will restore to the remnant descendants this knowledge of their sacred paternity and eternal identity.
Their blood may be mixed, but the remnant remains. Nephi may have referred to them more often as descendants of his "brethren," but they have within them some of his blood as well. In the day of redemption and restoration, the promises will all be fulfilled. The whole of the family of Lehi will be represented in the remnant.
Notice Nephi's prophecy is that "words which shall be written out of the book" rather than the book itself. This is, of course, exactly what we have. The actual book has been withheld. Only words from the book have been given us. But those words are intended to be of great worth to mankind, and in particular to the remnant.
This process is sacred, the promises are from the Lord. These words are given to us by Him, through a servant possessing authority to seal them up. We cannot prevent them from happening. We can, however, align ourselves with them and in turn be saved as well.
-his family's descendants or "our seed" (1 Ne. 15: 13-14)
-a mixture of Nephi's descendants who are among his brother's descendant's (1 Ne. 13: 30
Nephi's primary line of descendants would be destroyed, but that destruction would not include all. There would remain a mixture of blood that would include partial descent from Nephi. (1 Ne. 13: 30-31) The various bloodlines remained identified as Nephites, Jacobites, Josephites, Zoramites, Lamanites, Lemuelites and Ishmaelites. (Mormon 1: 8.) Although it would be impossible, without revelation, for us to determine which of these lines a person might belong to today, the Lord nevertheless revealed in 1828 that these various divisions remain identified to Him. (D&C 3: 16-19.) No doubt, in time, He will restore to the remnant descendants this knowledge of their sacred paternity and eternal identity.
Their blood may be mixed, but the remnant remains. Nephi may have referred to them more often as descendants of his "brethren," but they have within them some of his blood as well. In the day of redemption and restoration, the promises will all be fulfilled. The whole of the family of Lehi will be represented in the remnant.
Notice Nephi's prophecy is that "words which shall be written out of the book" rather than the book itself. This is, of course, exactly what we have. The actual book has been withheld. Only words from the book have been given us. But those words are intended to be of great worth to mankind, and in particular to the remnant.
This process is sacred, the promises are from the Lord. These words are given to us by Him, through a servant possessing authority to seal them up. We cannot prevent them from happening. We can, however, align ourselves with them and in turn be saved as well.
D&C 3 was given before the parts after the 116 lost pages were translated. Therefore, the way the Lord referred to each tribe individually could be a clue as to what was contained in the 116 pages. The Lord would've spoken to Joseph and Martin with language they would've been familiar with after translating only 116 pages, not with what we are familiar with today with the whole Book of Mormon.
ReplyDeleteTherefore, D&C 3 becomes a treasure trove for minute insights into that lost part of the record (you can see why parts of it might be important, and why the majority of it might be not as important as what we got instead)
What we got instead was the small plates of Nephi. When Nephi wrote this, the tribes had already become unified with Nephi as king, and with Laman as Lamanites (a designation at least that the Nephites summarize their enemy tribes as one name).
Could Joseph had read about customs and practices in the more secular record of the Book of Lehi of all the varying tribes of Lehi's descendants that would help him identify these aspects of each individual part of the remnant in his day? Is it significant that Oliver Cowdery never read the first 116 pages, although he was one of the first missionaries to the Lamanites? Was there information that would've helped Oliver succeed better? Could it be that Oliver never really was intended to be the one to reach the remnant anyway, and the Lord withheld the very tools he would've needed, and instead allowed him to fulfill a different mission in Ohio by finding Sidney Rigdon and his camp?
Truly, the Lord is in control of this process. Notice how Joseph would've had to have withheld what he knew somewhat from Oliver. Could this have been his redemption after caving in the Martin Harris? Could Martin Harris be so discredited that Oliver would've shied away from listening to Martin about the 116 pages? ... Interesting stuff we never hear about, which probably wasn't even recorded, but becomes evident through what we do have recorded...
The spirit of these things is affecting more than just Denver...see this article detailing remarks from Elder Marlin K. Jensen about Pioneer Day and the forgotten history of our mountain land Native Americans: Article Here
ReplyDeleteI think that a careful reading of D&C 3: 16-20 will reveal that at least some Nephites, Jacobites, Josephites, and Zoramites still remain intact in separate bodies where they have never lost the Gospel, for they receive the knowledge of a Savior through the testimony of their fathers, whereas the Lamanites, Lemuelites, and Ishmaelites receive a testimony of a Savior through the Book of Mormon.
ReplyDeleteThe Lord has always led away the righteous before He destroys a people.
D&C 86: 8-11
8 Therefore, thus saith the Lord unto you, with whom the priesthood hath continued through the lineage of your fathers—
9 For ye are lawful heirs, according to the flesh, and have been hid from the world with Christ in God—
10 Therefore your life and the priesthood have remained, and must needs remain through you and your lineage until the restoration of all things spoken by the mouths of all the holy prophets since the world began.
11 Therefore, blessed are ye if ye continue in my goodness, a light unto the Gentiles, and through this priesthood, a savior unto my people Israel. The Lord hath said it. Amen.
I've heard many times lately that the influx of illegal immigrants are considered the remnant and we need to accept them as it's part of the plan. They've been called the "lion" as in Mormon 5:24.
ReplyDeleteAny thoughts from Denver or others?