I will make him great in mine eyes

(Can I just say, I am loving the books of Nephi so much. I once heard someone surmise that it's not an accident that most of us end up reading 1st and 2nd Nephi a zillion times by the time we shuffle off this mortal coil. How many times have we read those books and not finished the Book of Mormon? And then started over later when we felt guilty and read them again? Lots. But I agree. It isn't an accident. These two books are crammed with the gist of everything we need to know to accept the truth of the book, the divinity of Joseph Smith's calling, the reality of the Atonement, the purpose of our mortal lives, and the plan of salvation. Lehi sums it up when he talks to Joseph in the last verse of this chapter:

25 And now, blessed art thou, Joseph. Behold, thou art little; wherefore hearken unto the words of thy brother, Nephi, and it shall be done unto thee even according to the words which I have spoken.

Seriously, those words apply to all of us. We're little. If we hearken to the words of Nephi, we can count on a peaceful, spiritual, life of service and brotherly love. ANYWAY, back to the regularly scheduled post.)


2 Nephi 3


Just to clarify: This is Lehi speaking to his little son Joseph, quoting Joseph of Egypt who is talking about Joseph Smith. Whew. This is one of the largest chunks of 'we never saw this' scripture that is in the Book of Mormon. It looks like there is a book of Joseph somewhere. How amazing must it be. This snippet alone is a wonderful testimony of the restoration and the calling of the Prophet Joseph Smith.

These first two books in the Book of Mormon often touch on the purpose of the book itself. Lehi and Nephi stress the point that the Book of Mormon is for their seed. It is for the convincing of their seed that Jesus is the Christ. It's also the way the Gentiles will be taught and the way that plain and precious truths are restored to us.

But this chapter has one of my favorite explanations of the purpose of the Book of Mormon.

12 Wherefore, the fruit of thy loins shall write; and the fruit of the loins of Judah shall write; and that which shall be which shall be written by the fruit of thy loins, and also that which shall be written by the fruit of the loins of Judah, shall grow together, unto the confounding of false doctrines and laying down of contentions, and establishing peace among the fruit of thy loins, and bringing them to the knowledge of their fathers in the latter days, and also to the knowledge of my covenants, saith the Lord.

So the Book of Mormon is a peacemaker in the latter days. I love that. It should 'grow together' with the Bible to clear up the false teachings and 'lay down the contentions'. It has everything in it that is needed for that. There isn't any saving doctrine that cannot be explained clearly and logically with the Book of Mormon and the Bible together.

But I also love the other purpose. It will bring them to the knowledge of their fathers and also teach them of the covenants the Lord has made with them. That is what brings me so much peace a lot of the time. I know what promises have been made to me and to us as a people. I know the Lord cannot break those promises. I'm grateful that the scriptures remind me and teach me about that.

The coolest thing about all of this though is in verse 18 (emphasis mine).

18 ... And I, behold, I will give unto him [Joseph Smith] that he shall write the writing of the fruit of thy loins, unto the fruit of thy loins.

The Book of Mormon is written by the seed of Joseph for the seed of Joseph. And when I think that, I think specifically Manasseh (and some Ephraim), or the Native North and South Americans. Sure, it's for everyone else, to teach us of all the things mentioned above, but the Book of Mormon specifically keeps a promise that the Lord made to Joseph, Lehi, and Nephi. What an amazing gift.