2 Nephi 33: 4

2 Nephi 33: 4:

"And I know that the Lord God will consecrate my prayers for the gain of my people. And the words which I have written in weakness will be made strong unto them; for it persuadeth them to do good; it maketh known unto them of their fathers; and it speaketh of Jesus, and persuadeth them to believe in him, and to endure to the end, which is life eternal."

Nephi makes a practical application and provides us with an example of his teaching of "consecration." He knows the Lord God will "consecrate" his "prayers for the gain of [Nephi's] people." Notice that the benefit of that consecration is not for the welfare of Nephi's soul, but the welfare of others. Once again Nephi follows his teaching, and then elevates the purpose from "the welfare of [his own] soul" to the welfare of others. (2 Nephi 32: 9.) His concerns are selfless, sacrificial and intercessory. He has become a man of charity and full of love for others. These whom he calls his "beloved brethren" and his "people" are, in fact, those who will destroy and supplant his own descendants. Although a "mixture" of his seed will be there, these people for whom he is consecrating his petitions to God are the Lamanite victors over his posterity. If you have read Beloved Enos you will see the elements of redemption playing out in Nephi's words similar to how they play out in Enos' words. Charity is the end result of this consecrated life.

Nephi's words were "written in weakness" but he knows the Lord God will make them "strong unto them." Who is "them?" How does the Lord God make "words strong" to someone? What power communicates the strength of Nephi's words?

What does Nephi mean by "it persuadeth them to do good?" Why is persuading to do good part of the way to recognize words from God?

What does Nephi mean "it maketh known unto them of their fathers?"  Which "fathers?" Does the reference to "their fathers" help you identify who "them" is referring to?

Why do words which will become strong always focus upon "Jesus, and persuade to believe in Him?" Can words which speak of something else, or other programs, initiatives, organizations and events ever "become strong?" Must the message focus upon Christ before it is possible for it to "become strong?"

Why must you "endure to the end, which is eternal life?" What end?  We've asked that before, but not answered it. How long must the enduring last, if it is to result in "eternal life?" Will it be a great deal after this life before you have learned enough to be saved? Will you need to endure then, as now, for eternal life to be yours?

What else were you going to do after this life? Planning to play a harp and sit on a cloud somewhere with Captain Stormfield? Or were you planning to be engaged in a good cause, enduring to the end of all time and all eternity, worlds without end? 

We encounter so much doctrine in Nephi's writing. It is almost impossible to understand this writer-prophet without some effort to learn the doctrine ourselves. Perhaps we de-emphasize doctrine at the peril of losing the very message Nephi wrote.