Week 6 - Looking Back

The great divide took place not many days after Lehi’s death. The hardened hearts of Laman & Lemuel once again plotted to kill Nephi. Their excuse? He wanted to be their boss. The real reason? He was a gigantic reminder to them of how much they were at odds with their father’s teachings and what was written. After being warned by the Lord, Nephi and those who followed him made their way to a safer place. Once they got there, they became a very industrious people. Not surprisingly, the Lamanites became a very idle people. It needs to be understood that the curse that came upon the Lamanites was that they were cut off (by their own choices) from the Lord (5:20). The dark skin that came upon them was a sign of that curse – a way to keep them from being enticing to the Nephites by making them easily recognized. While the Nephites lived their lives “after the manner of happiness” (v. 27), the Lamanites filled their days with mischief and subtlety (v. 24). How easy it is to see the difference in the lives of these two groups and how they’re tied to the choices they made. And so it is with us today.

Much can be learned from Jacob in chapter 6:

In verses 1- 3 there are five reasons given as to why Jacob was qualified to teach. 1) He was called of God; 2) He held the priesthood; 3) He was set apart by the prophet Nephi; 4) He cared deeply about his people; 5) He had already put a great deal of effort into teaching the gospel.

In verse 3, it is clearly stated what is necessary for us to effectively teach the gospel: 1) personal testimony; 2) teachings of the living prophets; 3) the scriptures.

Jacob’s sermon (found in chapters 6 thru 10) covered a period of two days. We only have a part of the proceedings of those days. During that time, he read to them from the words of Isaiah – and like his brother, Nephi -- found ways to “liken” the scriptures unto his people. The “likening” was powerful enough to reach down thru the centuries to us today. What a strength and comfort Isaiah’s words (Isaiah 51 and 2 Nephi 8) must have been to the early Saints as they struggled to build Zion as they were being delivered from their enemies. In Chapter 9, Jacob takes Isaiah’s words to a whole new level as he taught and testified of the Lord’s power to deliver us from our greatest enemies – death and hell.

Hopefully, from your “O and Wo” exercise in chapter 9, you were able to see even more clearly the need for and the reach of the Savior’s atonement. Joseph Fielding Smith said, “The ninth chapter of II Nephi . . . should be carefully read by every person seeking salvation.” The Prophet Joseph Smith taught that one of the things necessary in order to “exercise faith in God unto life and salvation” is to have “a correct idea of [God’s] character, perfections, and attributes.” We can learn much about God from Jacob’s exclamatory statements that begin with “O” in 2 Nephi 9.

Let me back up for just a minute to a verse (7) in chapter 8: “Hearken unto me, ye that know righteousness, the people in whose heart I have written my law, …” I sure hope that that’s us He’s talking to. God’s “word” is in just about every home in Christendom, I dare say. It’s found in abundance spread out on the tables in the seminary room. The Bible, itself, is still the #1 selling book of all time. But what a difference it makes when His words are written on our hearts – yours and mine, individually! As powerful and clever as Satan is, he has no power over us when that is the case. (You might want to check out this link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_best-selling_books (Note also where the Book of Mormon is on that list. Pretty amazing!)

A little trivia from 2 Nephi 9:39 (Thanks, for pointing it out, Rachel!):

Spiritually

Minded

Is

Life

Eternal

SMILE!

A quote by Elder Neal A. Maxwell in reference to this beautiful verse - 2 Nephi 9:41:

“The self-assigned gatekeeper is Jesus Christ, who awaits us out of a deep divine desire to welcome us as much as to certify us; hence, ‘He employeth no servant there.’ If we acknowledge Him now, He will lovingly acknowledge and gladly admit us then!” (Notwithstanding My Weakness [1981], 124).

Another interesting tidbit from 2 Nephi 10:3 – this is the first time the word, “Christ”, is used in the Book of Mormon.

“Christ” (Greek) & “Messiah” (Hebrew) both mean Anointed One.

“Jesus” (Greek) & “Joshua” (Hebrew) both mean Savior.