Tag Archives: Nephi

Book of Mormon Notes – Page One…again.

We’ve started reading the Book of Mormon over as a family.

Book one, chapter one is one of my favorite sections.

For one, it begins with a man who witnesses a spiritual revival in his country, prays, receives a vision from God, receives a book from which he bears testifies of the Savior, and is rejected to the point that the people seek his life.

I wonder what it was like for Joseph as the restoration of the Church rolled on to go back to that opening scene. What a tender mercy–from the very chapter that gave us that phrase–for Joseph as well as for the rest of us. For not only does it serve as a pattern for what Joseph Smith was called to do, it is the invitation and expectation given to each of us.

It exemplifies the honest pursuit of truth. As Lehi heard from the prophets, he turned to the Lord in personal prayer and reflection to seek his own confirmation. Part of that process involved the scriptures (represented by the Book he received and like the Book of Mormon we invite investigators to read and ponder). As Lehi’s testimony of the divinity of the Savior grew, his natural inclination was to share it with others. By the end of the next chapter, that commitment to the Savior will require great sacrifice, taking his family and leaving his homeland and worldly possessions behind for a new world.  The story of Lehi also doesn’t skate around the sometimes drastic changes in life or lifestyle that come from following Jesus Christ.

That is an important legacy that ripples down through the generations of Lehi’s family and to our experiences today. And yet all of this is mentioned in Nephi’s narrative to catch us up to what he experienced. The whole first book of Nephi is easily one of my favorite not only because of the compelling narrative but the growth and challenges that they experienced as a family are so deep and full of insight.

 

The Lord Prepares the Way

George Albert Smith taught,

“The Lord has a way of accomplishing things that we are unable to do, and never asks us to do anything that he does not make the way possible. That is what he told us through Nephi. He will not require anything without preparing the way.

“’And it came to pass that I, Nephi, said unto my father: I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them.’ [1 Nephi 3:7.]

“If you have something that the Lord asks or expects you to do and you don’t know just how to proceed, do your best. Move in the direction that you ought to go; trust the Lord, give him a chance, and he will never fail you.”

(Teachings of Presidents of the Church: George Albert Smith, Chapter 17: The Strengthening Power of Faith)

Nephi

I can’t begin to describe how excited I have been this year to turn our attention to the Book of Mormon in Sunday School. It’s exciting to relive the perils of leaving Jerusalem, of returning for the plates and making the difficult journey across the Arabian peninsula with Lehi’s Family. There’s Lehi’s vision of the tree of life and Nephi’s struggles to help his brethren find enduring faith. After a crash course in shipbuilding and a tumultuous sea journey, the family lands in the new land. Nephi forges a record to keep and catches us up–giving us the first 19 chapters of Nephi. At the same time, we know it’s on the horizon, that it can’t stay away forever. It’s coming, just as sure as chapter 20 follows chapter 19. Nephi’s caught the record up so then what? What could possibly be the next logical thing to share? No, it can’t be. Oh but it is, the one, the only, great be the words of . . .

Isaiah.

I suspect for many readers, if reading the Book of Mormon has a honeymoon period, it ends with 1 Nephi 19:23: “I did read unto them many things which were written by the prophet Isaiah. . . ” I wanted to take a moment and validate some of those emotions that come with Isaiah but more importantly help push past those feelings and begin to decipher what makes Isaiah such a delight to Nephi.

It can be hard to understand.

There are two common reasons why Isaiah might as well be part of the sealed portion of the Book of Mormon:

  1. A vast majority of it is written in Hebrew poetry.
  2. There are a lot of historical references in Isaiah’s writing.

First of all, it’s important to understand that the common people didn’t have the ability to take notes and write down Isaiah’s message and study it at home. Isaiah and other biblical writers were faced with the challenge to help their listeners remember and recall their message. Enter the poetry. Isaiah’s message was first a verbal message. You might consider reading Isaiah out loud to help you catch the inflections and emotion behind Isaiah’s writing.

Second, it’s important to remember that Isaiah was first and foremost a prophet to the people who were living in his day. During Isaiah’s lifetime and ministry he saw the Northern Kingdom of Israel be conquered and carried away.He foresaw the eventual fall of Jerusalem (the very one that began the Book of Mormon) but he also saw that a remnant would return with the help of a servant of the Lord (among other things). Much of Isaiah’s writings deal with the judgement of God that were facing the children of Israel while earnestly looking forward to the promise that God would remember and restore his covenant with Israel of which the life and minstry of Jesus Christ play an essential role.  All of these historical events serve as types and shadows that have Latter-day implications.

But where do I start?

The answer to that question will be different for different people. Frankily, I wouldn’t want to deprive anyone of the satisfaction of coming to appreciate the words of Isaiah through the studying process. If ever there was a place to apply the Lord’s teaching, “Seek, and ye shall find” it’s Isaiah. The bottom line is that Isaiah doesn’t have to be a sealed book to you. May I suggest three questions to help you get started:

  • When a Book of Mormon author quotes Isaiah, what do they say before and after reciting the passage?
  • What is Nephi’s goal in reciting the words of Isaiah (1 Nephi 19:23)? How do the passages he quotes help him accomplish his goal?
  • What might the words of Isaiah have meant for Nephi and his decendents? What do those implications mean for us today?