2 Nephi 11-19

ISAIAH

Isaiah often uses one particular type of imagery with which the modern reader is not familiar. I will call this “abundance (or peace) imagery” and “chaos imagery.” Because prosperity and peace are part of the promises of the Abrahamic covenant, Isaiah often uses exaggerated images of peace and abundance when he describes the conditions that come form keeping the covenant. Similarly, he paints a picture of conditions that are absurdly bad when describing the conditions that come from breaking your covenants.

Kerry Muhlestein, Learning to Love Isaiah, pg. 6

If we want to better understand Isiah, we must become increasingly comfortable with ambiguous meanings that do not always have one-to- one correspondences. We must be able to juggle in our minds several fulfillments of a single description.

I think we do a disservice to ourselves and our faith community when we label a particular fulfillment as the fulfillment. That prevents us from seeing some of the other powerful ways it can and should be applied. I also believe it is not faithful to Isaiah’s genius or intent. If we are going to allow Isaiah to speak with the intent he carefully crafted his writings to convey, then we need to allow for and seek out multiple meanings.

Kerry Muhlestein, Learning to Love Isaiah, pg. 8

WHY DOES NEPHI SEARCH ISAIAH

Given Nephi’s apparently ready access to visionary revelation with its manifest advantages, why does he continue to pore over the ancient texts?

As Grant Hardy frames the question, “Why is he so fascinated with ancient prophecies, especially since by his own account he had direct access to God through revelations?”

What is it that the scripture offers him that vision apparently cannot?

And does the value that Nephi places on text teach us something about its persistent value, even in a consumer landscape overrun with audiovisual content?

Nephi may give us a clue to the value of text when he returns to the theme of his joy in God’s word in 2 Nephi 11. Here, he focuses on the delights of textual scripture alone as he introduces his long quotation of Isaiah spanning chapters 12 through 24: “And now I, Nephi, write more of the words of Isaiah, for my soul delighteth in his words” (2 Nephi 11:2). Before launching into Isaiah’s oracles of judgment and comfort, Nephi expands on the four-fold pleasure he finds in them:

● “My soul delighteth in proving unto my people the truth of the coming of Christ” (v 4) ● “My soul delighteth in the covenants of the Lord which he hath made to our fathers” (v 5)

● “My soul delighteth in his grace, and in his justice, and power, and mercy in the great and eternal plan of deliverance from death” (v 5)

● “My soul delighteth in proving unto my people that save Christ should come all men must perish” (v 6)

2nd Nephi 11-19: Scripture and Vision: Revelation in Audiovisual or Textual Form, Rosalynde F. Welch https://mi.byu.edu/news-blog-section/2nd-nephi-11-19-scripture-and-vision-revelation-in-audiovisual-or-textual-form

ISAIAH IN THE BOOK OF MORMON BY CHAPTER

12—Begins a series of chapters that focus on what we might call the pride cycle, which is probably more accurately labeled the covenant-corruption cycle. In this chapter the Lord pleads with His people to walk in His light instead of turning to foreign gods and relying on their own powers.

13—The Lord will remove all that Israel has relied on. They will be left with nothing. This will lead to oppression and misery. Israel will continue to rely on men instead of God. Israel has oppressed the poor.

14—In the days of turmoil, many women will ask for one man to use his name only as they continue to care for themselves. Eventually, the Lord will make a remnant of Israel beautiful and fruitful.

15—Uses an allegory, that of a vineyard. It is designed to illustrate what happens to God’s people when He withdraws His protection from them because they have broken the covenant. 16—Isaiah’s call as a prophet through a sod or heavenly council.

17—Isaiah’s warning to King Ahaz. Ahaz does not want to listen so Isaiah gives him a sign. 18—Begins with information from the Emmanuel prophecy. God will be a sanctuary to those who turn to Him and an obstacle to those who do not.

19—Outlines the damage that will occur because of the Assyrian invasion and the relief that will eventually come. The relief will come only after a horrible and humbling process.

2 NEPHI 15: 5-6

God does not actively destroy the vineyard; instead, He stops protecting it. The hedge and wall that protected it are taken away which allows the natural consequence of animals treading through and eating it. The vineyard is laid waste because it is neglected, and waste comes upon it naturally. With no one to dig or prune, to weed or cultivate, the natural weeds and thorns grow up and choke out the vines. God had promised that when Israel kept the covenant, He would send rain. In this case, the rain would not come, for they were not keeping the covenant. In fact, all the images of destruction presented in this verse are really representative of God withdrawing His covenantal blessings. Without those blessings the natural destructive nature of the fallen world overcomes the vineyard.

Kerry Muhlestien, PhD. Learning to Love Isaiah, pg. 42

2 NEPHI 13:12

The question we must ask ourselves is, “what leaders do we follow?” Do we follow cultural leaders coming form Hollywood or Music City or social leaders coming form Washington or London, or intellectual leaders shouting down from their ivory towers? Whose opinions and ideas do we value so much that we allow them to shape how we think? If we do in fact follow these leaders, they are certainly leading us away from the way God would have us think, and we have fallen into the same trap our ancestors fell into. Almost surely, we do in some ways, follow leaders that are causing us to err, and we must appropriately check ourselves.

Kerry Muhlestien, PhD. Learning to Love Isaiah, pg. 31

2 NEPHI 15: 18-19

Ironically, Israel is intentionally sinning and loving their sins while at the same time they feel that God will somehow still uphold His end of the covenant to protect and bless them. Israel must have somehow been so taken in by the wiles and carnal mindset of the world that they felt that they were justified in their sins and were thus not fearing God. Israel had somehow rationalized their way into thinking that their sinful and worldly values and actions were in keeping with God’s will and that they would be blessed by him.

Kerry Muhlestien, PhD. Learning to Love Isaiah, pg. 45

2 NEPHI 15: 20-23

In our day, some forms of this include tolerance as a virtue to the point where we condemn those who condemn sin. We are so often taken in the by what the world says is right that we sometimes feel we are doing God a service if we try to show Church members that what the prophets are saying is wrong. We try to avoid hurting the feelings of those who do wrong to the extent that we accuse people of being hateful rather than loving if they plainly call sin a sin.There are myriad ways we fulfill the description given in this verse.

Kerry Muhlestien, PhD. Learning to Love Isaiah, pg. 45

THE STATE OF CULTURE, 2024

This is more than just the hot trend of 2024. It can last forever— because it’s based on body chemistry, not fashion or aesthetics. Our brain rewards these brief bursts of distraction. The neurochemical dopamine is released, and this makes us feel good—so we want to repeat the stimulus.

Here’s where the science gets really ugly. The more addicts rely on these stimuli, the less pleasure they receive. At a certain point, this cycle creates anhedonia—the complete absence of enjoyment in an experience supposedly pursued for pleasure.

That seems like a paradox.

How can pursuing pleasure lead to less pleasure? But that’s how our brains are wired (perhaps as a protective mechanism). At a certain point, addicts still pursue the stimulus, but more to avoid the pain of dopamine deprivation.

What happens when this same experience is delivered to everybody, via their phones? The results are devastating, as expert Dr. Len Lantz explains. “Even people who thought they were immune to addictive behavior, get destroyed by the cycle.”

https://www.honest-broker.com/p/the-state-of-the-culture-2024 

2 Nephi 6 - 10

Jacob’s Two-Day Sermon Overview

First day (6-9): Jacob interprets Isaiah’s prophecy about the restoration of Israel, transitions from salvation history to the plan of salvation—including death and hell, resurrection and redemption, and physical and spiritual death.

Second day (10): Jacob shifts back to salvation history, with prophecies about the destiny of Israelites and Gentiles in the latter days, particularly in the New World. The two modes of salvation through Christ (9:5; 10:3-6) and the idea of restoration (9.2, 12-13, 26; 10.2, 7), and Jacob combines the perspectives of salvation when he concludes his sermon at 10.20-25. Isaiah prophesied around 740–700 BC.  Grant Hardy, The Annotated Book of Mormon.

2nd Nephi

“All of 2nd Nephi is for a mature spirit who is seeking to understand a deeper connection with our Savior as our Redeemer. Chapter 9 is one of the best messages we have on the Atonement of Jesus Christ in all of scripture.” Lynn Hilton Wilson - Book of Mormon Central. https://archive.bookofmormoncentral.org/content/book-mormon-matters-john-w-welch-and-lynne-hilton-wilson-1-nephi-6-10-jan-15-21

Nephi and Jacob

And so, after the death of Lehi, Nephi writes very little, noting that thirty years had gone by since the family had left Jerusalem (5.28), and then just six verses later, forty years (5.34). He seems to have reached a spiritual impasse during which, so far as we know, God was no longer speaking to him. Nevertheless, after some indeterminate amount of time, his younger brother Jacob, born in the wilderness and now an adult, shows him the way forward. Jacob, who himself had seen visions and angels (6.8–9; 10.3), preaches a sermon explaining how individuals can find peace even in times of distress, and he urges his listeners to “cheer up your hearts” and “reconcile yourselves to the will of God” (10.23–24). Significantly, he sees beyond current conflicts and refers to descendants of his older, estranged brothers as “our children” (10.2; cf. vv. 18–19). Unlike Laman and Lemuel, who were incapable of heeding a younger brother, Nephi listens to Jacob and follows his lead, even adopting his characteristic reference to “my beloved brethren” (used thirteen times by Jacob in chs. 6–10, and then sixteen more times by Nephi, but only starting at 26.1).  Grant Hardy. The Annotated Book of Mormon (p. 82). 

The Connection Between Nephi and Alma

How did Alma obtain knowledge of Christ? He heard the preaching of Abinadi, an itinerant prophet martyred by the wicked Noah. And Alma “did write all the words which Abinadi had spoken” (Mosiah 17:4). Where did Abinadi, who appears suddenly in the narrative with no background or introduction, get his knowledge? In chapters 13 and 14 of Mosiah, we see him reading the words of Moses and of Isaiah to Noah’s court, finding in them clear foreshadowing of a “God [who should] himself . . . come down among the children of men, and . . . redeem his people” (18:1). Where did Abinadi obtain those scriptures? He was a member of Zeniff’s colony, which was an offshoot of the major Nephite settlement, and apparently, they took copies of the Nephite records with them when they departed Zarahemla and resettled Lehi–Nephi. 

And those Nephite records? As we already learned early in the Book of Mormon, Nephi and his brothers absconded with Laban’s brass plates, which contained the writings of Moses, Isaiah, and several other Hebrew prophets. So we have a clear line of transmission from prophetic utterance, to brass plates, to Nephi’s small plates, to Zeniff’s copy, to Abinadi’s gloss, to Alma’s transcription. And that is only half the story. From Alma, we learn that those teachings become a part of his written record. When he and his band of exiles arrive back in the major colony of Zarahemla, King Mosiah reads to the assembled people “the account of Alma and his brethren” (25:6). King Mosiah, as guardian of the large plates, presumably incorporates the record into his own record. Those plates are subsequently abridged by Mormon, the late fourth–century Nephite editor. In every instance, the scriptures provide doctrine, inspiration, or guidance for a group or individual far removed from the last audience who consumed them. Givens, Terryl. 2nd Nephi (The Book of Mormon: Brief Theological Introductions). The Neal A Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship. Kindle Edition. 

The Connection Between Jacob and Abinadi

Abinadi is Jacob’s unquestionable doctrinal heir. Faced with Noah’s priests who seem, as will be seen, to have inherited (and likely distorted) only Nephi’s covenantal focus, Abinadi criticizes them by setting forth the soteriology that they apparently overlooked through their focus on a strictly covenantal theology. Moreover, Abinadi’s discourse borders on being a commentary on 2 Nephi 9 (as well as on 2 Nephi 2), revealing his familiarity with Jacob’s teachings. And Abinadi—through his influence on Alma—seems thereby to have launched a two-centuries-long Nephite focus on soteriology. Abinadi thus appears in Mosiah as the double heir of Jacob, as much doctrinally or theologically as narratively or historically.

Spencer, Joseph. "An Other Testament: On Typology."  https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1007&context=mi

“Recall the new star that announced the birth at Bethlehem? It was in its precise orbit long before it so shone. We are likewise placed in human orbits to illuminate. Divine correlation functions not only in the cosmos but on this planet, too. After all, the Book of Mormon plates were not buried in Belgium, only to have Joseph Smith born centuries later in distant Bombay.”

Elder Neal A. Maxwell. “Encircled in the Arms of His Love.” October 2002.

But we do not find Christ by learning how others found him. Only when we make the scriptures speak to us, finding our place in God’s story, does the past Atoner for sin or future Redeemer of Israel become our present Hope and Healer. Givens, Terryl. 2nd Nephi (The Book of Mormon: Brief Theological Introductions). The Neal A Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship. Kindle Edition. 

9:2: Jacob expands on Isaiah’s witness in three ways: (1) he looks past the return of Jews to Jerusalem under Zerubbabel, Ezra, and Nehemiah in the 6th–5th c. BC to a much later period when they will be restored to the true church and fold of God; (2) he notes that Israel will be gathered back to multiple lands of their inheritance, so the Jews will return to Jerusalem, but the descendants of Lehi will also receive their promised land in the Americas, and other unspecified branches of Israel will claim their regional inheritances as well; and (3) he regards Isaiah’s prophecies of deliverance as having application not only to the political fates of nations but also in the eternal salvation of individuals—which is the main subject of this chapter. Grant Hardy, The Annotated Book of Mormon.

Christ’s “infinite atonement” brings us from “this first death unto life,” where our eternal condition becomes a simple extenuation of the life we chose amidst all the options: “they who are righteous shall be righteous still, and they who are filthy shall be filthy still” (2 Ne. 9:15–16). It could hardly be clearer: the atonement—by overcoming death and preserving agency—allows us to persist eternally as those beings we have chosen to be. Givens, Terryl. 2nd Nephi (The Book of Mormon: Brief Theological Introductions.) The Neal A Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship. Kindle Edition.

Note: 

The book mentioned in class - Write It Down, Make It Happen: Knowing What You Want And Getting It--written by Henriette Anne Klauser. 

2 Nephi 3-5

COVENANTS MADE TO JOSPEH OF EGYPT AND HIS DESCENDANTS

He would give them the western hemisphere to be a land of inheritance for the descendants of Joseph, and they would build a holy city, the New Jerusalem. (2 Ne.1:5, 3 Ne. 13:12-12, Ether 13:6-8)

Prophets of both Joseph’s and Judah’s posterity would write, and in the latter days the writing of these two would come together to combat false doctrine and bring the posterity of

Joseph to a knowledge of their forefathers and God’s covenants.

Book of Mormon Reference Companion, pg 469

God would be merciful to Joseph’s descendants so they would not perish, but be preserved forever.

He would raise up a righteous branch from Joseph’s posterity that would be broken off from the rest of the house of Israel.

The Messiah would be manifest to Joseph’s posterity in the latter days to bring them out of darkness to light, and from captivity to freedom.

He would raise up a choice seer of Joseph’s lineage. This seer would be like Jospeh and would also be named Joseph, as would his father. This prophet would bring God’s work to Joseph’s posterity and bring them to a knowledge of the covenants God made with their father, convince them also of the truth of God’s word which had already gone forth among them and bring them to salvation.

UNDERSTANDING THE LAMANITE MARK

Clifford P. Jones, Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship 56 (2023): 171-258

https://journal.interpreterfoundation.org/understanding-the-lamanite-mark/#:~:text=The%20Lamanites%20were%20easier%20to,(Alma%203%3A6).

 “The first rebellion was against Nephi and his teachings, for which Nephi’s brethren were cursed (cut off from the presence of the Lord). The second rebellion was directly against the Lord himself. For this rebellion, they were cursed with a sore curse (or sore cursing) — a cursed thing that Nephi calls a skin of blackness. This cursing on their skins made them loathsome to Nephi’s people, subject to repentance.

These two rebellions and cursings didn’t take place simultaneously. When Nephi’s brethren rebelled against him and his teachings, he and his followers fled to the land of Nephi. Later, his brethren rebelled again, this time against the Lord himself and his laws, and received the sore cursing, or skin of blackness. This order of events identifies the approximate time when the Lord gave Nephi a revelation that isn’t mentioned in Nephi’s small-plate account but is quoted later by Mormon. In this revelation, the Lord says, ‘Behold, the Lamanites have I [already] cursed; and I will [later] set a mark upon them, that they and their seed may be separated from thee and thy seed from this time henceforth and forever except they repent of their wickedness and turn to me, that I may have mercy upon them” (Alma 3:14). It would appear that Nephi received this revelation sometime after his brethren were already cursed for rebelling against him, but before their rebellion against the Lord, for which they were later cursed with a sore curse, or skin of blackness. In this revelation, the Lord calls this skin of blackness ‘a mark’ that will separate the Lamanites from the Nephites until the Lamanites repent of their wickedness.”

“From at least the 1600s through the 1900s, some Christians, eventually including some members and leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, taught that the mark set upon Cain was dark skin color imposed by God and that it was linked with a curse. It is now clear that these teachings were wrong. The Hebrew wording of Genesis 4:15 mentions neither a dark skin nor a curse. The wording is specific to Cain with no indication that it might apply in any way to his seed.

An essay on the official website of the Church now counters the idea that God curses anyone by changing their skin color. ‘The Church disavows the theories advanced in the past that black skin is a sign of divine disfavor or curse ... or that blacks or people of any race or ethnicity are inferior in any way to anyone else.’ This suggests that no scripture, including Genesis 4:15 and any Book of Mormon passage, describes any curse from God that altered anyone’s skin color. There is simply no legitimate connection between the Book of Mormon’s cursed Lamanite mark and the protective token that the Lord gave to Cain.”

“Leviticus 19:28 says, ‘Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you: I am the Lord.’ This statute prohibits two different ‘unholy' practices (Leviticus 19:2). The first was a pagan practice of cutting gashes in one’s own body to mourn for the dead. The second practice, described with the English word mark, isn’t about mourning for the dead. It involves cutting permanent, sacrilegious marks (ancient tattoos) into the skin. The Hebrew word translated here as marks (qaaqa) is used only this once in the Old Testament. This passage forbids any incision, imprintment, or tattoo that honors pagan gods. Bearing such a mark violated the law of Moses, so the mark itself was a curse — a cursed thing cut into the skin in violation of God’s law. As such, it fits the description of the Lamanite mark in Alma 3:4–19.”

“[The Lord] inviteth them all to come unto him and partake of his goodness. And he denieth none that come unto him, black and white, bond and free, male and female; and he remembereth the heathen. And all are alike unto God, both Jew and Gentile' (2 Nephi 26:33).

Most modern readers initially assume that the words black and white in this passage refer to natural skin color. Our present culture suggests that this reading could be essential to Nephi’s teaching that all people everywhere are alike unto God. This passage is often cited, very appropriately, to emphasize the wrongness of racial prejudice. But these ancient words teach this essential message about God’s perfect love from outside the modern social construct of race. The historical evidence indicates that these words were written, and should be read, from the cultural perspective of ancient Israel. This passage never mentions skin. Similar passages in the Bible use the word black to symbolically designate mournful, afflicted people and use the word white to symbolically designate the pure and joyful. These ancient meanings certainly don’t pop into the minds of modern readers, but they fit perfectly in this ancient passage.”

“If it can be said, as Mormon says, that it was God who 'set a mark upon’ the Amlicites when the red on their foreheads was obviously self-imposed, it stands to reason that God could also have 'set a mark upon’ the Lamanites in the same self-imposed manner. Indeed, Mormon tells us that the Amlicites marked themselves ‘after the manner of the Lamanites’ (Alma 3:4). Then, after talking at length about the Lamanite curse and mark, Mormon returns to the Amlicites mark, telling us that they ‘also had a mark set upon them’ (Alma 3:13). The Early Modern English meaning of the word also, like the term after the manner of the Lamanites, indicates that, in Mormon’s eyes, even though the self-imposed Amlicite mark was red and the Lamanite mark was black, the Amlicite mark was similar to or ‘in the very manner of’ the Lamanite mark. Color was clearly not the attribute that made the two marks similar, so it would appear that they were similar because both were adopted in the manner associated with the curse.”

NEPHI’S PSALM

The psalms were composed anciently to express the full range of emotions of a life lived in faith before God from lament to trust to praise. They reveal truth about God and humanity.

Circumstance—the situation devoid of thought or feeling                                                                  Thoughts—the story we tell ourselves about the circumstance                                                                   Feelings—the emotions that are generated by our thoughts

RACE AND THE PRIESTHOOD 

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/gospel-topics/race-and-the-priesthood?lang=eng

2 Nephi 1 - 2

Arbitrary break between 1 Nephi and 2 Nephi - in the middle of a family gathering. The beginning scene is momentous. Chapters 1-4 are presented as Lehi’s last words before his death, reminiscent of Moses’s final admonitions to Israel at the end of Deuteronomy as they prepared to enter the promised land. 2 Nephi sets the conditions for their continued existence in the promised land. 1 Nephi was focused on physical deliverance, 2 Nephi is focused on spiritual deliverance. It is also significant that this book recounts the origin of the division between Nephites and Lamanites, the two related groups whose mutual antagonism drives most of the history related in the Book of Mormon. Grant Hardy, The Annotated Book of Mormon.

2 Nephi 1:1-4 “For Lehi and his people, the destruction of Jerusalem changed everything. Jerusalem was the center of the Jewish universe. “No people ever placed greater importance upon their land than did the Jews,” notes Jon Levenson. And the temple was the center of Jerusalem. That temple was, in the words of one Jewish scholar, the “fulcrum of the universe,” “the prime place of communication between transcendent and mundane reality,” the inner chamber of which was “the throne room of God” himself, “the place where a mere mortal . . . can make contact with the realm of overpowering holiness, where he can hear the language of angels and respond to it.”

The rupture would have been profoundly felt, emotionally and psychologically. Indeed, Nephi’s brother Jacob confirms the resulting pathos: “our lives passed away like as it were unto us a dream, we being a lonesome and solemn people, wanderers, cast out from Jerusalem, . . . in a wilderness” (Jacob 7:26).

Givens, Terryl. 2nd Nephi (The Book of Mormon: Brief Theological Introductions). The Neal A Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship. Kindle Edition. 

2 Nephi 1:7-9  “The choice to come unto Christ is not a matter of physical location,” President Russell M. Nelson taught, “It is a matter of individual commitment.”

People can be “brought to the knowledge of the Lord” without leaving their homelands. True, in the early days of the Church, conversion often meant emigration as well. But now the gathering takes place in each nation. The Lord has decreed the establishment of Zion in each realm where He has given His Saints their birth and nationality. Scripture foretells that the people “shall be gathered home to the lands of their inheritance, and shall be established in all their lands of promise.” “Every nation is the gathering place for its own people.” The place of gathering for Brazilian Saints is in Brazil; the place of gathering for Nigerian Saints is in Nigeria; the place of gathering for Korean Saints is in Korea; and so forth. Zion is “the pure in heart.” Zion is wherever righteous Saints are. Publications, communications, and congregations are now such that nearly all members have access to the doctrines, keys, ordinances, and blessings of the gospel, regardless of their location.

So while the Book of Mormon teaches that what is now called the American continent was a “land of promise” to Lehi’s seed, and that later events on this land of promise would play a central role in the restoration of the gospel, the ideals and blessings of Zion are universal, and apply to men and women in all lands or countries who covenant to serve the Lord and do his will. This includes remembering the Lord and his goodness, respecting the land and all of His creation, keeping holy things pure and protected, obeying all of His commandments, loving Him with all one’s heart, might, mind, and strength (Deuteronomy 6:5) and one’s neighbor as oneself (Leviticus 19:18). https://knowhy.bookofmormoncentral.org/knowhy/where-is-the-land-of-promise

Overall, 2 Nephi tells a story that is well suited to the difficulties of middle age, to those who struggle with life’s disappointments when previous assumptions about God and religion appear to be discredited. It offers a model for responding to adult discontent and frustrations, especially when faith seems difficult, and it illustrates a type of intricate detailed engagement with scripture that is rare in the Latter-day Saint tradition. If 1 Nephi appeals to adolescent sensibilities, 2 Nephi is, to paraphrase Virginia Woolf’s assessment of Middlemarch, scripture written for grown-ups. Grant Hardy, The Annotated Book of Mormon.

Consecration  In Webster’s 1828 dictionary (a dictionary that reflects American usage of Joseph Smith’s time), the first definition is the one that comes from the Latin root of the word: “to make or declare something sacred.

2 Nephi 2:11-15 Definitions of opposition: antagonistic, adversarial, or difficult situations. Can also reflect the act of placing something in a position relative to another thing. Not inherently troubling or difficult —not necessarily a negative or positive meaning. 

“Growth, flourishing, and human joy all require the vibrancy of a free soul choosing among numerous options. This is the meaning of the so–oft misquoted scripture “it must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things” (verse 11). Opposition here means not adversity but contrasts, alternatives in the nature of opposites, that are the very basis of all value. 

A near contemporary of Joseph Smith, the poet and mystic William Blake, made a similar point: “Without contraries is no progression.”Joseph Smith himself expressed this principal in similar language: “by proving contrarreties [sic], truth is made manifest.” To “prove,” in nineteenth–century usage, is to ascertain or evaluate the truth or value of something by means of comparison or experiment. In other words, no value emerges in a vacuum; meaning can only appear, truth can only reveal itself, by virtue of our experience of contrary aspects of reality.”

Givens, Terryl. 2nd Nephi (The Book of Mormon: Brief Theological Introductions). The Neal A Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship. Kindle Edition. 

"In the field of astronomy, planetary bodies are considered “in opposition” when they are aligned. At the moment of opposition, the angle between them is approximately 180 degrees. For example, when the earth is situated directly between the sun and moon, it is considered in opposition. A full moon appears because its entire surface reflects the sun’s light. Incidentally, this is the best time to observe planets. “During opposition the planet appears at its largest and brightest, and it is above the horizon for much of the night. For stargazers and astrophotographers, it is an ideal time to view and photograph the superior planets.” 

Eric Dahlin, “It Must Needs Be.” https://byustudies.byu.edu/article/it-must-needs-be/?utm_source=BYU+Studies&utm_campaign=4d8095c574-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2019_10_04_03_05_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_e4342d96b2-4d8095c574-73888905

2 Nephi 2:15-25 "Here was a doctrine of the “fall” to radically distinguish the Church of Jesus Christ from the teachings of other Christian churches. This doctrine, the understanding that Eve and Adam’s transgression was a foreordained sacrifice in obedience to a higher law, is the only—or certainly the only conspicuous—Book of Mormon teaching that is emphatically at odds with the Bible as interpreted by millions of readers for millennia."

Givens, Terryl. 2nd Nephi (The Book of Mormon: Brief Theological Introductions). The Neal A Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship. Kindle Edition.

1 Nephi 16-22

1 NEPHI

“Several themes recur regularly in 1 Nephi, including prophecy, revelation, covenants, miraculous signs, obedience to commandments, and deliverance from danger. At a time of political and spiritual turmoil, when the status of God’s covenant with Israel was in question, Nephi sought greater understanding concerning the Lord’s faithfulness in keeping his promises, particularly with regard to the scattered remnants of his chosen people.

What began as a family drama would expand into a story with repercussions of the future history of the entire world, a development that would follow a path outlined by earlier prophets. The greatest disjunction in the Christian Bible is the divide between the Old and New Testaments, a difficulty that has challenged preachers and theologians for two millennia. In the Book of Mormon, however, beginning with 1 Nephi, the themes and concerns of the Hebrew Bible are thoroughly infused with Christian perspectives, through prophecy and revelation many centuries before the birth of Christ and the composition of the Christian canon. In particular, Nephi attempts to demonstrate that the God of the Old Testament salvation history is the same God who offers the plan of salvation that would one day characterize the New Testament. He further explains his prescient fusion of Judaism and Christianity as a restoration of the ‘plain and precious parts of the gospel’ that would be lost in the early Christian era.”

The Annotated Book of Mormon, Grant Hardy, pg 9-10

1 NEPHI

CHAPTERS 16-18: The account of the journey resumes with marriages, the discovery of the compass-like Liahona, and suffering in the wilderness. After eight years they reach a coastal campsite they call Bountiful, where they build a ship and sail to their designated promised land in the New World. Chapter 17 includes a speech of Nephi to his brothers recounting the Exodus and conquest of Canaan.

CHAPTER 19: Nephi again comments on his writing and editing then cites several prophecies from the Brass Plates that he believes validate his and his father’s revelations, particularly concerning a coming messiah and the eventual restoration of God’s covenant with Israel, including the ‘broken off’ remnants such as the Lehites.

CHAPTERS 20-21: Nephi reads Isaiah 48-49 to his brothers inviting them to compare their family’s situation to the words of the prophet.

CHAPTER 22: Nephi provides an interpretation in which he merges the just-cited words of Isaiah and Zenos with his own revelations. The book of 1 Nephi ends abruptly apparently in the middle of a family discussion. Second Nephi will pick up the story with Lehi speaking just a few moment afterword.

The books of 1-2 Nephi cover events from 600-546 BCE

THE STORY WE TELL OURSELVES

Circumstance—a fact or condition connected with or relevant to an event Response—our thoughts or the story we tell about the circumstance 

Feelings—our response dictates our feeling

Actions—what we do because of the story we tell ourselves and the feelings that develop

Results—how our lives are affected by our actions

THE BROKEN BOW

“Although this story may seem rather unremarkable, it may actually be loaded with symbolic importance. In the ancient Near East, kingly status, military power, and the right to rule were all symbolized by the bow. Thus ‘to break the bow’ was a common idiom which meant to bring an enemy or ruler into submission. The broken bow appropriately brought their travel party into submission to the Lord. Nephi’s ability to create a new bow then shadows his future kingship and symbolizes that he was Lehi’s rightful prophetic successor.”

https://knowhy.bookofmormoncentral.org/knowhy/why-did-nephi-include-the-story-of-the-broken-bow

WHINING

“Please accept one of Elder Holland’s maxims: No misfortune is so bad that whining about it won’t make is worse!”

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, “Tongue of Angels,” 2007

THE SPIRIT OF THE GOSPEL IS OPTIMISTIC

“I love what Elder Orson F. Whitney once said: ‘The spirit of the gospel is optimistic; it trusts in God and looks on the bright side of things. The opposite or pessimistic spirit drags men down and away from God, looks on the dark side, murmurs, complains, and is slow to yield obedience.’ We should honor the Savior’s declaration to ‘be of good cheer.’ (Indeed, it seems to me we may be more guilty of breaking that commandment than almost any other!) Speak hopefully. Speak encouragingly, including about yourself. Try not to complain and moan incessantly. As someone once said, ‘Even in the golden age of civilization someone undoubtedly grumbled that everything looked too yellow.’”

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, “Tongue of Angels,” 2007

GROWTH

“Micheal Beckwith taught me a model which is really interesting. It’s called Kensho vs. Satori. When you are living a life moving towards a particular purpose there are two very important things to understand. Life helps us grow and correct and evolve through Kensho, which is growth by pain or Satori, which is growth by insight. Every now and then you will have a Satori moment, a sudden awakening, a eureka moment, an insight that helps you move forward. But for most people that isn’t really going to be easy. Most of us grow through Kensho. Kensho is growth from pain.

So when you see life as Satori moments, sudden awakenings, and Kensho, growth through pain fear dissolves because you know that even when something bad happens to you, it is simply a friendly universe giving you a lesson or fine tuning and tweaking your direction so you can get to your propose even faster.”


 Vishen Lakhian, Transcendence Documentary

FIVE REASONS NEPHI QUOTES ISAIAH

1. That they might know concerning the doings of the Lord in other lands, among people of old

2. That he might more fully persuade them to believe in the Lord their Redeemer

3. That it might be for their profit and learning

4. That they might understand that they are a remnant of the house of Israel, a branch who has been broken off

5. That they may have hope like their brethren from whom they have been broken off


ISAIAH

“Chapter 48 focuses on God’s desire and ability to deliver His people. He uses a number of devices to highlight the covenant aspects of this salvation. He pleads with His people and humbles them if necessary, to get them to take advantage of the salvation and deliverance He promises.

Chapter 49 similarly focuses on deliverance and the covenant people. However, there is a shift. God focuses on the servant aspects of being His covenant people. Salvation will come to them, but only as they act as good servants of God and as they take advantage of the blessings offered to them by God’s servants. Though they have been humbled, God’s people/servants can and surely will find deliverance. Nothing can prevent that. Understanding this covenant-and-salvation-centered theme helps us make more sense of every other chapter in the chiasmus.”

Kerry Muhlestein, Learning to Love Isaiah


PROMISES TO THE RIGHTEOUS IN 1 NEPHI 22

he will not suffer that the wicked shall destroy the righteous

he will preserve the righteous by his power, even if it so be that the fullness of his wrath must come and the righteous be preserved, even unto the destruction of their enemies by fire

the righteous shall not perish

the righteous need not fear, for they are those who shall not be confounded the righteous must be led up as calves of the stall, and the Holy One of Israel must reign in dominion and might, and power and great glory

because of the righteousness of his people, Satan has no power; wherefore, he cannot be loosed for the space of many years

RIGHTEOUS

“But, behold, all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people shall dwell safely in the Holy One of Israel if it so be that they will repent.”

1 Nephi 22:28