Isaiah on Differences in Perception -- 2 Nephi 18

What Happens

"Christ will be as a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense—Seek the Lord, not peeping wizards—Turn to the law and to the testimony for guidance—Compare Isaiah 8."
2 Nephi 18 Chapter Heading

Commentary

In our last episode, we were reading some Isaiah that Nephi wanted to share with us, about fear and regrowth. In this chapter, we continue reading Isaiah.


As with the rest of these Isaiah chapters, it seems important to remember that they can be applied to us, in our day.  Nephi and Jacob and Joseph wouldn't be quoting these to the people, or sharing them with us, if there weren't something for us to learn.  So, to the extent that they are history, there are patterns there we can learn from, and sometimes prophecies are symbolic of or precursors to other prophecies and miracles.

The first thing that happens here is that God commands Isaiah to prophesy of something, and the sign of it is a child that he is commanded to have and to name in a certain way.  The name is Maher-shalal-hash-baz, which means (according to the footnotes) "To speed to the spoil, he hasteneth the prey."  The fact that Isaiah's whole life is full of signs is also mentioned in verse 18.  I have to say that Isaiah's wife was amazingly faithful to go along with this. :)

The name is interesting, and kind of seems like it is talking about a predator chasing its target.  It could be applicable to us because we are in a similar situation, where destruction is imminent if we don't repent, but maybe alternatively, or also, this is a huge tactic of Satan, to scare us and make us think that we should panic or give up when the real answer is *always* patience and faith--sticking with the Lord.

The next verses seem to be explaining how God is going to deliver the people even though the situation seems hopeless.  This is a precursor to our day as well, or to our lives in general.  Things can seem very hopeless at times, but they never are, because God is the one in charge--the author of the story.  The story of this world is not a tragedy, and neither are the stories of our lives.  As long as we keep working to make things better, all things will work together for good as well.  We just have to have patience and faith, and not give up.

Verse 6 and 7 are interesting here, talking about the waters of Shiloah that go softly, and the waters of the river, strong and many.  What I am getting from this part is the general message that if we aren't receptive to God's suggestions or his gospel when it is given to us gently, and we build a proverbial dam to keep it out, eventually we are going to suffer the consequences of that dam breaking, because God and the gospel are reality, and reality is going to build up and up until our illusions can't stand up to it anymore.  I think that verse 8-10 continue this theme, basically saying that no matter what anyone tries against God's people is destined to fail, because "God is with us."

Verses 11-13 remind us to listen to God and not to man.  I really like 12 and 13 with "neither fear ye their fear" and (referring to God) "let him be your fear, and let him be your dread."  If God is our fear and our dread, then really, how can things be bad?  He loves us better than any earthly parent ever could, and takes care of us every moment.  If he is all we have to worry about, then we're golden. :)


Verse 14 talks about God being a sanctuary, but also a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense.  To me, this seems like God is the same that he has always been--a rock and an anchor in the whirlwind around us.  However, that same solidity that is a sanctuary to us could also be something that we break ourselves on or are offended by, depending on our perspective at the time, and what we are trying to do.  If we work against God, it isn't him that will break.  But if we take shelter with him, then we will be fine.

Verse 17 reminds us to wait upon the Lord, which I think just means to have patience.  Sometimes it seems like the Lord is hiding, because I think we have to learn some independence and just who we are when we make decisions on our own... but the Lord is never far away, or out of earshot, and if we wait and look for him, and pray to him, he will always hear and will help us if we are working at doing his will.

Verse 19 is interesting, saying "should not a people seek unto their God for the living to hear from the dead?"  Along with verse 20 this seems a clear indication that God is the only way that we should attempt communication with ghosts/spirits/departed loved ones.

Verse 20 continues this thought, basically saying instead of trying to tell the future or figure things out through questionable means like fortunetellers, etc., we should look to God's law and the testimony of the scriptures.  That is what all of this is here for.

When we try to solve things other ways, we are going to be led astray, and be "hardly bestead" (distressed).  Our journey through this life is going to make us hungry and freaking out, rather than the satisfaction and calm that we could have with the Lord.  We'll be inclined to look on God as a stone of stumbling rather than a shelter, and when we look at the world we will see darkness rather than the light that we *could* have in our lives through God.  Those differences in perception make or break our lives.

3rd Nephi is similar to this because we have destruction, and then darkness, and then light and glory and Christ appears, and we continue that progression in the next chapter.  Tune in next time as we continue reading the Isaiah chapters that Nephi picked out for us.

Isaiah on Fear and Regrowth -- 2 Nephi 17

What Happens

"Ephraim and Syria wage war against Judah—Christ will be born of a virgin—Compare Isaiah 7."
2 Nephi 17 Chapter Heading

Commentary

In our last episode, we were reading some Isaiah that Nephi wanted to share with us, about hope in the midst of destruction. In this chapter, we continue reading prophecies of Isaiah.

Part of the reason this chapter is interesting is that Nephi shares it with us here, thus cluing us in that it must be applicable to more than some ancient wars. Isaiah tells the story of Ahaz, king of Judah, and neighboring countries that were ganging up against Jerusalem.  I love the fear imagery in verse 2: "And his heart was moved, and the heart of his people, as the trees of the wood are moved with the wind." Isaiah is commanded to go and see Ahaz and to tell him not to be fearful, because God says that what he fears won't happen (verse 8).

Interestingly, in verse 9 he says "If ye will not believe surely ye shall not be established."  Ahaz likely doubts because God says that some of the things Isaiah told him would happen 65 years in his future.  He then invites Ahaz to ask a sign of God to confirm the prophecy, which Ahaz declines, so God gives him a sign anyway, saying that a virgin will conceive--a prophecy of Christ. Isaiah adds prophecy about the future of the region, and seems to indicate that even though Ahaz' kingdom was going to be safe in the current situation, that something much more dire was on the way.

The remainder of the chapter describes how the land will be overthrown and laid waste by God's hand.  There will be few people left, small enough to enjoy luxuries that few could previously partake of, but not enough to tend or tame the land as it was before.  Everything will be left to go wild, and places that were formerly vineyards turned to pastures for the beasts that are left.  In a way this part is sad because we see how decimated the land is.  In other ways though, it has the taste of hope as the good people that remain still live and work and survive, albeit more simply, rebuilding their lives and society, hopefully in a better way.

For us today, I think there are some important lessons from this chapter, but the most important lesson is that we need to prepare for the coming of the Lord.  In our day, as in Isaiah's, there will be great fears and anxieties.  Like then, there is no reason to fear what the world will do--only what God will do.  And God asks us to believe his words and trust his grace.  If we will follow him and look forward to Christ's coming, then God will bring to pass the future that needs to happen, and that will get us where the world needs to go.  We can have confidence that the Lord will lead us and help us, and that even if there is destruction, there will be life afterward where we can renew and grow, and commune with God. 

This chapter in some ways reminds me of 3rd Nephi, and as we continue to the next chapter I think it becomes even more so.  Tune in next time as we continue reading the Isaiah chapters that Nephi picked out for us.

Isaiah on Hope in the Midst of Destruction -- 2 Nephi 16

What Happens

"Isaiah sees the Lord—Isaiah’s sins are forgiven—He is called to prophesy—He prophesies of the rejection by the Jews of Christ’s teachings—A remnant will return—Compare Isaiah 6."
2 Nephi 16 Chapter Heading


Commentary

In our last episode, we were reading some Isaiah that Nephi wanted to share with us, mostly about the parable of the vineyard, and its relation to real life at the Second Coming.  It involved a lot of corruption and destruction.  In this chapter, we continue reading Isaiah, and there are still some references to destruction, but there is definitely some hope interlaced in here as well.

At the beginning of this chapter, Isaiah is seeing the Lord.  He says that he is on a throne, and also sees seraphim praising God.  Some of the description (for instance, multiple wings) seems symbolic, but since I haven't seen what Isaiah saw, I just don't know.  The Bible dictionary says "probably fiery beings." :) At seeing God, Isaiah is concerned that he is unworthy, and (again, likely symbolically), one of the seraphim gives him a live coal, which cleanses his iniquity (verses 6-7).

Isaiah seems to gain some confidence at this point, which I think that we all do when we are clean, and confident in our relationship with God.  When God asks "Whom shall I send" in verse 8, Isaiah volunteers.  What the Lord asks Isaiah to do sounds almost cruel the way that it is worded here (verse 10), but luckily we also have this passage quoted in the New Testament (Matthew 13:14-15; Acts 28:25-27), which helps us clarify that God was asking Isaiah to help the people, but that even though he wanted to heal them, he knew they would choose otherwise.

Seeing the sad things that are going on with the earth, and knowing that despite his efforts, at least the majority of the people wouldn't listen to God, Isaiah asks "how long?" (verse 11). This could mean how long will the earth be this wicked, or how long until people will listen, or the earth is cleansed, but all of those things kind of spiral into one.  God's answer here is kind of bleak, talking about a time when the cities will be empty and the land desolate.

And yet, even when talking about all of this destruction and death and judgment, there is hope, as God explains "yet there shall be a tenth, and they shall return" (verse 13).  The Lord explains symbolically here that even though the tenth will go through this same time of ignorance and destruction, and look dead (like a tree without any leaves), they will still be alive, and potentially able to bloom and thrive after the harsh season.  It kind of reminded me of the idea of a forest fire, which burns, but in the burning provides nourishment to new trees, and also new life to the trees that survive... something seemingly bad actually being or becoming something good with a longer perspective, just as God promises us elsewhere that all things will work together for good (Romans 8:28), even though we can't always see how that is working right away.

I think this idea is similar to some of the things that we go through in life as well.  We have to weather harsh seasons and mists of darkness that might cause others to be lost, but as we read previously in Lehi's dream (1 Nephi 8:24), if we hold onto the rod of iron, which is the word of God, then we can get through those times and find that peace and joy and love that God offers us.

Tune in next time as we continue reading the Isaiah selections that Nephi chose for us, and perhaps see even more hope springing forth. :)

Isaiah on Corruption in the Vineyard of the Lord -- 2 Nephi 15

What Happens

"The Lord’s vineyard (Israel) will become desolate, and His people will be scattered—Woes will come upon them in their apostate and scattered state—The Lord will lift an ensign and gather Israel—Compare Isaiah 5."
2 Nephi 15 Chapter Heading


Commentary

In our last episode, we were reading some Isaiah that Nephi wanted to share with us, mostly about cleansing and protection.  In this chapter, we continue reading Isaiah.

This is a great chapter which starts out with a parable about a vineyard.  In a vineyard, presumably, the grapes have been cultivated and improved through the labor of the gardener, an example being the gardener planting it with his "choicest vine" in verse 2, but despite his effort, his grapes grow wild.

The beginning of this parable is very similar to the parable of the olive trees that we read about in Jacob 5. This parable takes a different turn though.  In verse 4, the Lord basically says that he did everything he could for his vineyard (us), and we still went wild, and so he explains that since the vineyard isn't fulfilling its purpose, that he will destroy it.

The stages of destruction are interesting because he deconstructs things that we can see were clearly intentional and protective.  He removes the hedge and the wall that he built as a protection (verse 5).  He mentions that it won't be pruned or digged (verse 6), indicating the extensive labor that he was putting into it previously.  He also mentions the clouds and that he will prevent them from raining on the field.  This seems kind of mean on the surface, but it is another indication of the extensive effort that the Lord was making.  He likely commanded the clouds to rain on his field in the first place, to help it to grow.  An earlier verse also mentions him clearing the stones from the field and building a watchtower (verse 2).

In verse 7, the symbolism of the parable is explained in terms of the people of the day, but of course, as with all scripture, it can be likened to us as well (1 Nephi 19:23).  God also helpfully explains what he was expecting (judgment) and what he saw instead (oppression), which helps us know what to improve.
To me, the admonition about joining houses (verse 8) seems to be the idea that the idea that one person or group controlling everything isn't the right way.  It reminds me of the movie It's a Wonderful Life.  When the big bank tried to take everything over and controlled all of the people's money, they felt oppressed and trapped, and it was important to the area that everyone have a way to be independent, make their own choices, and have a way to get their own space.  Apparently, God cares about that too, wanting us all to have a chance to make our own lives and choices free from that sort of burden.

There are a lot of description in here of the coming destruction and how bad it will be, presumably so that we can try to avoid contributing to it.  Helpfully, God also mentions specific sins to be avoided as well.  Drinking all day is one (verse 11), and the reason for it is interesting.  It's basically saying that a party lifestyle (here shown by the music and wine in verse 12) distracts us from attending to the Lord, and considering his works.

God mentions captivity and need, and tells us that the reason for these things is this idea of ignoring the Lord, which seems also to be the reason for the lack of knowledge mentioned in verse 13.  This in turn allows hell to enlarge herself... I think the idea here is that the less we hearken to God, the more space we give for evil to take us over.

God explains that he is going to right all of the wrongs detailed here, and allow his people to get what they need (verses 16-17), but he gives some strong warnings in order to help that to happen.

God cautions us against iniquity and sin, mentioning vanity specifically, which I think is interesting, and likely akin to pride, which gets in our way a lot.  Other specific sins are thinking of ourselves too highly, drinking, and taking bribes (verses 21-23).  Another interesting warning cautions us to not call evil good and good evil (verse 20).  This backwards way to look at the world I think is very prevalent in our society, where we often seem to condemn religion and embrace sin for various reasons.

There are several other warnings here about things that will happen as a result of not following the Lord (verse 24), but interestingly he mentions "an ensign to the nations" which seems like another consequence, or perhaps it is the cure.  The verses explain that this group will be tireless, implacable, and dangerous, and compares them to lions, from which no one can deliver the prey (verses 26-29).

The specific group could be referring to the Lord's kingdom, which is often referred to as an ensign, or it could also be referring to the remnant of Nephi's people, as mentioned in 3 Nephi 21:12: "And my people who are a remnant of Jacob shall be among the Gentiles, yea, in the midst of them as a lion among the beasts of the forest." It could also be both, in referring to the gathering of Israel and both of those groups merging together in some ways.  The church itself being a lion and using sharp arrows (verse 28) seems to imply more violence than I can imagine on a non-symbolic level, but then again, this is referring to the Day of the Lord (footnote to verse 30), meaning the lead up to the Second Coming or the Judgment Day, so what happens then could be super different from what we would expect now.

The chapter ends with kind of a gloomy outlook: "if they look unto the land, behold, darkness and sorrow" (verse 30), acknowledging the mood of these verses and probably of the whole earth at this time in history.  The cool thing about this is that we know it is a precursor to the appearance of Christ (similar to what happened with the thick darkness before Christ's appearance in 3rd Nephi).  Like the parable that we started the chapter with, the vineyard is laid waste, but there is something better in store.

Tune in next time as we continue reading the Isaiah verses that Nephi chose for us.

Isaiah on Cleansing and Protection -- 2 Nephi 14

What Happens

"Zion and her daughters will be redeemed and cleansed in the millennial day—Compare Isaiah 4."
2 Nephi 14 Chapter Heading


Commentary

In our last episode, we were reading some Isaiah that Nephi wanted to share with his posterity and with us, mostly about punishment and destruction.  In this chapter, we continue reading Isaiah.

The previous chapter was referring to the tragedy of the people (specifically the daughters of Zion), but in this chapter things definitely turn around.  Instead of destruction, we see hope.  The women are working to improve their lot, and perhaps build back up a broken people, and everyone that is escaped, or left after the destructions seem to have hope and goodness ahead of them.

Verse 4 seems to say that the destructions that we just read about have cleansed the people, seemingly by getting rid of the most wicked among us.  The chapter heading tells us that this is referring to the millennium, so presumably this is the transition from the "end of the world" destructions to a thousand years of awesome: "beautiful and glorious" (verse 2), everyone still alive is called "holy" (verse 3), and it refers back to the cloud by day and the fire by night which is the way that the Lord traveled with the children of Israel in the days of Moses.

One difference is that the cloud and fire here aren't just in one place.  Verse five says that they will be "upon every dwelling-place."  That could be symbolic of the Lord being with the people wherever they are, but I think this likely also refers to something literal because the end of the chapter talks about Zion being a defence, and mentions a tabernacle that provides shadow and protection from the elements, and which is a place of refuge, so at least the protection from the heat and rain would be a physical place.

This chapter is a nice refuge for us as well from the destructions of the previous chapter, and I think encourages us to be the holy people that will escape and be around to see the amazing aftermath.

Tune in next time as we read more of the Isaiah verses that Nephi chose for us.

Isaiah on Punishment and Pleading -- 2 Nephi 13

What Happens

"Judah and Jerusalem will be punished for their disobedience—The Lord pleads for and judges His people—The daughters of Zion are cursed and tormented for their worldliness—Compare Isaiah 3."
2 Nephi 13 Chapter Heading


Commentary

In our last episode, we were reading some Isaiah that Nephi wanted to share with his posterity and with us, mostly about the Second Coming.  In this chapter, we continue that reading.  Although a lot of this is likely about the Second Coming, Isaiah's prophecies are not always linear progressions.  The destruction here could be from the past and from the future, or even symbolically talking about the future by talking about the past.

In the beginning of this chapter the people are being punished for wickedness.  It gets sounding pretty bad, but one thing that I find really interesting is in verse 9 where it says "Wo unto their souls, for they have rewarded evil unto themselves!" ... This seems to be something that God is sad about, not just arbitrary lightning bolts from the sky, sent because God is really angry.  When we are punished, in so many ways, we are punishing ourselves.  Verses 10 and 11 tell us, basically, that our lives usually go wrong when we go wrong, and when we go right, our lives start getting back on track.

Now, of course, not all tragedy happens because of sin.  Sometimes righteous people are the victims of other people's sin, and sometimes there are just natural disasters and trials that happen in the world.  Part of the tragedy of sin I think is that God could make things better for us, no matter how bad things are, but when we aren't doing the right things then our spirits and attitudes won't let him in at all, and we can't be provided with the extra strength and endurance that he would offer us if we were willing to accept it.  When we don't, God has to watch the natural consequences of really, really bad choices even down through many generations.

In this case, thinking of the history of Jerusalem and of geographical Zion, God miraculously supports his people, helping them to triumph over their enemies, but when they go against him, they are still in the midst of those enemies, but now they aren't righteous enough to have God supporting them, so they suffer.

In verse 13 "The Lord standeth up to plead, and standeth to judge the people."  This is interesting to me, because in order to avert these disasters, God needs *us* to change.  Even during the flood, presumably if he was willing to mess with free agency he could have just snapped his fingers and made everyone behave... but because he values our freedom and won't force us to do anything, he had to start over instead.  No one was left in that society, save Noah, to stand up and be an example and teach anything but evil to future generations.  He works with us through faith and each other, and when there is no faith and no other good people to help us, that's when (as he did with so many prophets in the scriptures), he leads us away rather than allowing us to be killed.  Presumably, that is why the 12 tribes were led away and scattered... in order to preserve them.

The chapter continues its sadness at the punishment the people are going through, because they have done bad things, including beating his people to pieces and grinding the faces of the poor (verse 15) and haughtiness (verse 16), which sounds like many of the problems then (as now) may have been sparked by pride and inequality.

The city and the people have gotten to the point where there is just tragedy everywhere: "burning instead of beauty" (verse 24), and desolation (verse 26). Tune in next time to continue reading Nephi's selections from Isaiah and to see the hope, even after the devastation. :)

Isaiah on The Second Coming -- 2 Nephi 12

What Happens

"Isaiah sees the latter-day temple, gathering of Israel, and millennial judgment and peace—The proud and wicked will be brought low at the Second Coming—Compare Isaiah 2."
2 Nephi 12 Chapter Heading


Commentary

In our last episode, Nephi bore his testimony of Christ and urged us to remember that we need him in our lives.  In this chapter, he shares with us some of Isaiah's prophecies of the Second Coming to further illustrate our need for Christ.

I like the phrase "the mountain of the Lord's House."  Mountains are symbolic of temples and of being high and close to God.  In this case, verse two tells us that "all nations shall flow unto it," which expands the idea of purity and revelation and individual, face to face communication with God to everyone, in all nations.  That is a cool idea, since we too often think about religion and the gospel in an exclusive way, only open to people like us.  God makes it clear that there are people willing to be like him all over the place, which is pretty much the point of all of it. :)  What a great day that will be.  Verse three tells us that we will have the opportunity to learn of God and walk in his paths, which we already can do, but still the whole idea of gathering to God to do it makes it all better and more awesome somehow.

At the Second Coming God comes not just as a teacher, but as a ruler and a judge, which it talks about here as well.  That's appropriate and God's right, but I also think that it will be such a relief.  No matter where we live on the earth we see corruption and bias; injustice and inequality.  With God as not only our spiritual guide but our ruler we won't see any of that.  We'll certainly be rebuked and have to change our outlook and our behavior, as it mentions in verse 4, which definitely isn't always easy, but for the result of no more war, that seems more than fair.

I like how it makes clear that the house of Jacob has *all* gone astray.  This chapter doesn't talk about God coming back and raising one group up and condemning another.  It says that we need to all come and walk in the light of the Lord and stop worshipping the work of our own hands.  Probably some things that we can start doing now, in addition to the largest suggestion in the rest of the chapter which is to be humble.

The idea in verse 11 that "the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day" is an interesting one.  Does that mean no movie stars, no sports figures, no YouTube sensations, or just that we won't be addicted to those things like we are as a society now? :)

After this Isaiah talks more about humility, but he starts sounding like he isn't just talking about emotion, but actual calamity.  He talks about not just people that are lifted up being brought low, but trees, and mountains, and hills, and nations, towers, walls, ships, and even pictures.  Then, in verse 19, it says that the Lord will arise to "shake terribly the earth."  That totally sounds like a massive earthquake to me, but who knows.

The end of the chapter warns us against idols which will be utterly abolished, but it is also mentioned that people will throw them to the moles and the bats, likely just to get rid of them since idols don't sound like a good thing to be in possession of at the Second Coming... which really also begs the question, what exactly *are* our idols?  A good thing to think about.

Isaiah sums everything up by saying "Cease ye from man," basically advising us to stick with God and not turn to society's wisdom... or our own, or other people's.  Only God's.

Tune in next time as we continue to  read some Isaiah chapters that Nephi thought we should know about.

Nephi Pieces Things Together -- 2 Nephi 11

What Happens

"Jacob saw his Redeemer—The law of Moses typifies Christ and proves He will come."
2 Nephi 11 Chapter Heading


Commentary

In our last episode, Jacob was giving us some great advice about choosing life and reconciling ourselves to the will of God.

In this chapter, the narrative returns to Nephi, who was collecting and writing out these records for us, and who is now transitioning us from the sermon of Jacob to more prophecies of Isaiah.  Although he tells us that he is leaving a lot out, I really like that he specifically mentions that he and Jacob have seen their Redeemer, just as Isaiah did (verses 2 and 3).

Nephi wants his people (and us) to know some specific things.  One is the truth of the coming of Christ, including how the law of Moses and the entire gospel from the beginning of the world all point us to Christ, and the fact that we *need* him.  I think this is sometimes hard for us to grasp, but just imagine how difficult it must have been for people before Christ came... talking about a future event, and imagining that Christ would save them someday.

I really like this chapter partly for that reason.  I think it shows the all-encompassing nature of God's plan, and kind of how all time is before him.  People before Christ were saved by his atonement, as we are, after the actual event.  Because God promised it, it was a sure thing before it even happened, which I think is a good thing to remember about all of God's promises.  They are always sure, even when they are far away.  Just like the atonement, the happy ending that God promises us, if we trust in it, can help us to be happy now (Mormon 9:14).

Another thing that Nephi wants us to remember are the covenants that the Lord made to his ancestors (and ours, whether by blood or adoption).  Sometimes we take it for granted, but the idea that someday we will be granted immortality--that's huge.  Nephi mentions God's grace, justice, power, and mercy.  The way that all of those pieces of the gospel fit together IS the atonement.  Christ makes it possible for justice and mercy to coexist, through the grace and power of Christ.  The gift that he gives us is both free (because we could never accomplish it ourselves), and costly (because we still have to become perfect--Christ just gives us almost unlimited second chances).  Christ, as mediator, gives us that opportunity to keep working on changing and improving, until the perfect day (Proverbs 4:18; D&C 50:24).

To end, Nephi reaffirms the reality of God and Christ's atonement, and then tells us that he is going to share more of the writings of Isaiah, and he already told us why... because Isaiah knows these things too, and there is much to be learned from him. 

Tune in next time as we read some Isaiah that Nephi picked out for us.

Jacob's Sermon Ends -- 2 Nephi 10

What Happens

"Jacob explains that the Jews will crucify their God—They will be scattered until they begin to believe in Him—America will be a land of liberty where no king will rule—Reconcile yourselves to God and gain salvation through His grace."
2 Nephi 10 Chapter Heading


Commentary

In our last episode, Jacob was preaching to the people of Nephi, and teaching them about the Atonement and the Judgment.

At the very beginning of this chapter, Jacob says this: "it has been shown unto me that many of our children shall perish in the flesh because of unbelief, nevertheless, God will be merciful unto many; and our children shall be restored" (verse 2).  Reading that, it really strikes me how hard it must be to be a prophet, or to have that foreknowledge.

We've seen it already, with Lehi knowing that two of his sons would go astray and lead countless others to do the same.  Nephi seeing his people throughout history, including dwindling in unbelief for many generations, and here Jacob, probably having seen the same thing or something very similar.  And yet, he holds on to hope, which must seem tiny after witnessing so much.  He knows that some of them will find the truth again, and he hangs on to that, knowing that God will someday make everything alright, even if it can't be alright now.  That seems to be a strong lesson for all of us: hold on to the hope, no matter how small, and trust that God will cause light and truth to prevail, no matter how unlikely it can seem at times.

Risking a spoiler, but this is a re-read, not a first read after all:  It reminds me of Abinadi, who could have felt that it was pointless to preach to the evil priests of Noah, and who was then killed.  And yet, from that seemingly hopeless instruction in the gospel came Alma who changed everything.  Similarly, here, Jacob is looking forward to the portion of his posterity who will find the gospel again, and giving the people additional information about what is to come.

He explains that Christ will come, and that he will be crucified, and the people at Jerusalem scattered, but that someday they will be restored.  This is parallel to what he had just said about his own people, and then the two different prophecies converge, as he explains that those people will be restored to the lands of their inheritance, and that this land will be for the inheritance of Jacob's people, and also blessed to the Gentiles.

A significant statement in these verses is "he that fighteth against Zion shall perish" (verse 13, repeated more strongly in 16).  The idea here is that Zion will triumph, and that no one should get in God's way, but it seems even more strong because in context, Jacob is prophesying the future.

Another strong statement in verse 16 is "They who are not for me are against me, saith our God."  I think that is something that can be hard to hear, but just like so many other things in our lives, inaction and indecision are not neutral.  They are negative.  To move forward, we have to make decisions and actually do something.  If we aren't actively following God, then we are working against him, even if it is just by letting our spiritual batteries run out.  For instance, if we don't go to church, it is easier not to go the next week, and if we don't listen to the spirit, it is easier not to listen next time.  Our spirituality and our relationship with God require maintenance, and when we aren't taking action to do good, it is similar to not using our physical bodies.  Our spiritual muscles, like our physical muscles, can atrophy and shrink, eventually becoming unusable.  We have to work to grow closer to God, rather than just trying to sit on the fence or make up our minds over and over again every time we face a challenge, which results in negative progress.

As the chapter continues, God reaffirms that he will keep his promises to the house of Israel, and I think verse 20 is interesting in that context.  It was really important for these people to know that this new land was a land of promise for them, because the land they had *left* had been a land of promise as well.  That had to be part of what made leaving so hard in the first place, and why they might have felt "cast off" (verse 20).  If God led your ancestors to Jerusalem, then leaving Jerusalem probable felt like backsliding or at least losing something precious, but here God confirms that he remembers them (verse 22).

The last few verses are gold, and applicable to us as well.  Cheer up, remember that we can choose death or life, so let's choose life. :)  I like the phrase "reconcile yourselves to the will of God" (verse 24), which basically means to bring ourselves into harmony with God's teachings.  The choice here is between harmony with God and harmony with the devil and the flesh... again, no neutral ground.  And if we choose life, then we will be resurrected and received into the eternal kingdom of God.  An excellent ending, to life, to the chapter, and to the words of Jacob.

Tune in next time as we return to Nephi's narrative.

Jacob's Sermon: Fall, Atonement, Resurrection, and Judgment -- 2 Nephi 9

What Happens

"Jacob explains that the Jews will be gathered in all their lands of promise—The Atonement ransoms man from the Fall—The bodies of the dead will come forth from the grave, and their spirits from hell and from paradise—They will be judged—The Atonement saves from death, hell, the devil, and endless torment—The righteous are to be saved in the kingdom of God—Penalties for sins are set forth—The Holy One of Israel is the keeper of the gate."
2 Nephi 9 Chapter Heading


Commentary

In our last episode, Jacob was preaching to the people of Nephi, and was reading to them from Isaiah.  In this chapter, he tells us why he was reading from Isaiah, and continues his sermon.

The reason that he gives for reading from Isaiah is so that everyone will know the covenants that the Lord has made with the house of Israel (verse 1), and so that we can rejoice that we are part of that promise (verse 3).  (Incidentally, this applies to everyone who is willing to accept the gospel.  In Genesis 26:4 God tells Abraham "in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed." So, if we aren't already a part of the Abrahamic covenant, we can choose to be.)

Jacob goes into the Fall, the Atonement, and Resurrection, talking about how death came into the world, and how that problem was solved through the Atonement, and then in verses 8-12 he alternates between praising God for how cool all of this is, and explaining it a bit more. :)

I really like when he gets into some of the details of the resurrection, talking about how our new bodies will be immortal and that we will have a perfect knowledge (verse 13).  Immortality is awesome.  The idea of perfect knowledge is too, but God warns us that perfect knowledge can be a double-edged sword.  We could have a perfect knowledge of awesome things, or a perfect knowledge of awful things (like guilt in verse 14), and a large part of that has to do with our actions and our ability to repent.  I think this whole idea of perfect knowledge really helps us to understand why we would want to keep our minds clean.  You don't want back up storage of sewage to suddenly be always there in our minds, not to mention how it will feel to face God with anything like that between us.  Good reminder of how much we need repentance.

Verse 15 talks about the Judgment, and I like that it gives some detail about how it happens after the resurrection rather than instantly after death.  The whole idea of restoration is explained as well.  It's almost like working with clay and then firing it... we solidify into what we have become at that point, but until then, we are still being shaped.  It shows us the importance of repentance, change, and of being who we truly want to be, because when we get to that point, we are what we have chosen.  And I really can't imagine getting to that point and being something that we never wanted to be... how important to make good choices.  I love this part of verse 18: "their joy shall be full forever."  Eternal happiness sounds pretty awesome. :)

The verses after this get into praising God for his mercy and holiness, which is definitely awesome... I think the core of this might be in verse 20 where it talks about how God knows all things... which is how he could see the danger that we were going to be in if we tried to become like him, and why he set up his whole plan to save us in the first place.  Sometimes this can get over our heads, but the way I think of it is just like regular parents.  They have a child and they can see ahead and know that later in life the child is probably going to need some job skills and a way to earn money, and so starts investing so that they can send them to college.  The kid doesn't have to go, but the money is there because the parents were able to plan ahead for something they could see coming.  God's foreknowledge is much, much bigger and more detailed, and his plan is much more comprehensive.... but the idea is similar, and sometimes that helps me get my head around it. :)

Verses 21 and 22 are explaining the atonement, and I like the simplicity of it.  He suffered for all of us so that we could be resurrected.  Of course there is more complexity, and this chapter explains a lot of things about law, punishment, justice, and more.  One of my favorite parts is verses 28-29, talking about how frail we are and how easily we fall into Satan's traps.  "When [we] are learned [we] think [we] are wise," and we stop listening to God.  On the other hand, if we DO listen to God, then being learned is good.  ... And aren't most things like that?  Without God, it is all fail, but with him, everything is better.

We get a similar vibe in the next verses, talking about the rich, the deaf, the blind, and "the uncircumcised of heart."  The rich because of where their hearts are, and the deaf and the blind because they choose not to hear, and see.  I also think the heart image is amazing... we know that the natural man is an enemy to God, and we have to bridle our passions, and I think that is the idea here.  We have to edit our own hearts if we want to tell the story of who we truly want to be.  Just gushing out whatever we find there makes us essential three year olds, right?  Throwing tantrums and demanding our way.  Becoming circumcised of heart means letting go of that anger and pain that we feel from finding out that the world isn't there to cater to us, and instead embracing the gospel and helping others.  Finding out what a blessing it is to be other-focused rather than always focusing inwardly on our own needs and desires.

Verse 38 talks about the tragedy of dying in our sins and returning to God in that state.  Imagine being the way we are for eternity... all those things that we meant to do, or to change remaining undone.  We should probably step it up a little.  I like that Jacob seems to feel bad about all the negative stuff (verse 40), warning us of our sins and reminding us of the awfulness of it (verse 39), but it is clear that he is speaking the words of God, and that his whole goal (like God's) is to save us... to turn us to God, to get us to take action and learn to communicate with him and to seek his counsel.

Jacob says "Prepare your souls for that glorious day" speaking of the Judgment Day, which I also liked.  We don't usually think of the Judgment as a really positive time, probably because we are scared that we aren't doing enough... which is fair.  But Jacob with that one word I think causes us to imagine the other side of some of what he is saying.  He speaks of shrinking with fear and guilt on that day, but he also causes us to remember that it doesn't have to be that way.  It could be gloriously happy.  He makes us long for the words that he hints at in verse 48: "if ye were holy I would speak unto you of holiness" and we want to know those words, rather than being stuck facing these ones again.

And just at that moment when we are longing to escape from ourselves, Jacob gives us that invitation in verses 50 and 51, and reminds us that it isn't as hard as we are making it out to be.  We just have to go to God, accept his gifts... pray to and thank him, and allow our hearts to rejoice.  This is huge, because it reminds us that we keep getting in the way of our own happiness.  That is all that God wants for us, but we resist because we think that we know better, or we want to look cool, or whatever other reason... but if we could just let go of that pride and that self-focus that keeps tripping us up, we could be so much happier, and we could find our way through our obstacles, and even overcome our own weaknesses with God's help.

Jacob lets us rest here, but promises to tell us more tomorrow... and we're sort of glad, because that was a lot to process.  Tune in next time as Jacob's Sermon continues.

Jacob Teaching from Isaiah -- 2 Nephi 8

What Happens

"Jacob continues reading from Isaiah: In the last days, the Lord will comfort Zion and gather Israel—The redeemed will come to Zion amid great joy."
2 Nephi 8 Chapter Heading


Commentary

In our last episode, Jacob was preaching to the people of Nephi, and was reading to them from Isaiah.  This chapter continues that sermon.

The first few verses seem to be referring us back to God and perhaps our ancestors (the rock from whence we are hewn), and reassuring us that God will fulfil his promises.  And as the verses turn forward in time instead of looking back, some of those promises are amazing... gardens instead of deserts, and comfort and joy.  God will be our light and our salvation.

Verse 6 tells us that the "heavens shall vanish away like smoke" and that those that dwell on the earth will die, but that salvation and righteousness will still be around, even if the heavens and the earth are gone or changed.  A good reminder about what matters, and what lasts.

I really like "fear ye not the reproach of men, neither be ye afraid of their revilings" in verse 7.  Verse 12 adds that man isn't any more permanent than grass, but we are assured that God's righteousness and salvation are more permanent, and that he "hast feared continually every day" for us.  I'm not sure if God is ever actually "afraid," or if being afraid for us is just another way of saying that he loves us and cares about what we are faced with, but either way, the idea remains that God is actively involved in our lives, and he doesn't stop helping us ever, for even a day.

Verse 16 reminds us that God blesses us to speak his words and that he covers us in the shadow of his hand. ... He protects us, always.  Then Isaiah gets into talking about some things that will happen at the second coming, but his theme is still the same.  Even during the "desolation and destruction" (verse 19) spoken of, God will help us, and save us.  One metaphor here is drinking the cup of God's fury, which ... doesn't sound very appetizing.  He says that he has taken that cup out of the hands of his people, and that he will put it into the hands of those that afflict them, which is a good reminder that we likely want to work on being part of his people, rather than being on the afflicting side. :)

The last verse in this chapter (verse 25) has an interesting phrase in it: "shake thyself from the dust."  That seems to carry the idea of taking action... doing something with our lives.  The verse ends with slavery imagery, I think basically asking us to free ourselves... both from the bondage of sin, but perhaps also the trap of thinking that we can't change.  It is an interesting echo of something that Lehi said to his sons just a few chapters before: "arise from the dust, my sons, and be men."  Isaiah and Lehi, singing the same gospel. :)  Which just means that they were both in tune with God, and a reminder to us about what a good idea that is. :)

Tune in next time as Jacob teaches us more.

Jacob's Sermon Continues -- 2 Nephi 7

What Happens

"Jacob continues reading from Isaiah: Isaiah speaks messianically—The Messiah will have the tongue of the learned—He will give His back to the smiters—He will not be confounded."
2 Nephi 7 Chapter Heading


Commentary

In our last episode, Jacob was preaching to the people of Nephi, and was reading to them from Isaiah.  This chapter continues that sermon.  It is only 11 verses long, but it gets deep right away.

In the first verse God basically asks how he has abandoned us, and says that he hasn't... we have abandoned him.  He is still there, and he still has the power to redeem us.  I really like in verse 4 where Isaiah tells us that "When ye are weary he waketh morning by morning." God is concerned for us, and he keeps his prophets busy, trying to save us.

Verses 7 and 8 remind us that the Lord is trustworthy.  Even when bad things happen to us, we know that the Lord will keep his promises.  I like "Who will contend with me? Let us stand together."  The chapter has a lot of the "if you fight with God, God will win" idea, which of course is a good thing to keep in mind since we too often set our wills against his, which only causes us pain.  This particular phrase though seems softer.  An offer of unity--the idea of let's not fight; let's figure it out together.  God knows more than we do, even about ourselves and our lives.  If we can learn to trust him, instead of harming ourselves by demanding things that we can't and shouldn't have, we can work with God to find ways to satisfy our needs and wants in ways that will help us find some long-term happiness.

Verses 9 and 10 assure us that God will help us.  The question in verse 10 asking who obeys the Lord and walks in darkness is rhetorical.  The answer is no one.  If we walk with God, we will always have light in our lives.

Verse 11 is interesting talking about people who create sparks.  I think that it is paired with verse 10, and really the whole chapter talking about whether we're trusting God or not.  If we try to light our own lives by kindling our own light--tiny sparks that are quickly extinguished--we can only find eventual sorrow.  God's light is as the sun, brightening everything and helping us see clearly.  With him, we never have to walk in darkness, and we will be able to discern the right path.

Some great advice from Jacob, Isaiah, and of course, God.  Tune in next time as Jacob continues reading from Isaiah as part of his sermon.

Jacob's Sermon Begins -- 2 Nephi 6

What Happens

"Jacob recounts Jewish history: The Babylonian captivity and return; the ministry and crucifixion of the Holy One of Israel; the help received from the Gentiles; and the Jews’ latter-day restoration when they believe in the Messiah."
2 Nephi 6 Chapter Heading


Commentary

In our last episode, Nephi made his younger brothers Jacob and Joseph priests and teachers over his people after they split apart.  This seems to be a record of one of Jacob's sermons.

 I'm impressed in verse 3 by the reason that Jacob is doing this.  He is concerned about the welfare of the souls of the people around him.  How often do we really think about one another's souls? :)  Doing so might pull us out of our short-term thinking a little bit, as we go throughout our day thinking about how we can help one another on a spiritual level.

In verse 4 he says "I would speak unto you concerning things which are, and which are to come; wherefore, I will read you the words of Isaiah."  I like this idea of talking about now and about the future... looking forward.  And then he reads from Isaiah, which in some ways seems like the past, right?  But just like we recently read in past chapters, these prophets saw the future, including our day, and so they can help us with thinking ahead as well.

In verse 6 he starts quoting Isaiah, and Isaiah is always good.  Interesting to think about likening it all to us (verse 5) though.  How do these scriptures apply to us?  Jacob gives us one hint in verse 5 as well.  We are of the house of Israel (either by blood or by adoption if we covenant to follow the Lord).  I like the line in verse 7 "they shall not be ashamed that wait for me."  Looking to and waiting on the Lord--trusting him, is never something that we need to be ashamed of, because God is there to back us up and make sure that our trust is not in vain... specifically with reference to the Second Coming, which Isaiah is leading up to here, but also a promise in general, that God will always keep his covenants with us.  It's our side that we have to worry about. :)

Jacob jumps in here and explains how this applies to the people (which is awesome, especially with Isaiah).  The Lord showed him that Jerusalem was sacked, and part of Isaiah's promise here was that it would be restored.  Then he goes back to quoting Isaiah, furthering this idea of restoration.  God's message throughout these verses is that he will deliver his covenant people. 

Isaiah, as always, is many-layered, so I think in talking about his covenant people he means specifically those at Jerusalem (mentioned in verse 8), but also the Gentiles (mentioned in verse 12), so in essence, all of us who "repent and fight not against Zion" (verse 12). He specifically also mentions that "none will he destroy that believe in him" (verse 14), which is a pretty amazing promise, likely specific to this event, but also true in a general, eternal sense.

My favorite part in the last part of this chapter (verse 17) is "I will contend with them that contendeth with thee."  The idea that God will fight our battles for us is an amazing promise.  I think, again, that the meaning here is many layered.  God likely doesn't mean that he will fight all of our battles for us, since we need to learn to handle things as well, but specifically the ones at the Second Coming are included, as are, perhaps, other battles like that... ones where we have done all we can, and only a miracle will do.

I think sometimes we see that in our own lives, where we are the prey (verse 16), because we have broken God's laws.  It would be perfectly just to punish or destroy us, but in repentance, instead, we find God willing to save us even from ourselves.  ... I think that is what the atonement is--Christ willing to fight our battles for us in a spiritual way, just like he will fight this physical one (or at least partly physical) for us at the Second Coming.

The chapter ends with a cool quote: "all flesh shall know that I the Lord am thy Savior and thy Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob."  I like the idea that eventually everyone will know the Lord.  I also think it is cool that Isaiah was talking about a different Jacob, but that it also applies to the Jacob who is quoting it here, any other Jacob, and really... all of us.  God is our mighty one.  He will save us.

Tune in next time as Jacob reads us more Isaiah. :)  Good stuff.

Nephi Flees for His Life -- 2 Nephi 5

What Happens

"The Nephites separate themselves from the Lamanites, keep the law of Moses, and build a temple—Because of their unbelief, the Lamanites are cut off from the presence of the Lord, are cursed, and become a scourge unto the Nephites."
2 Nephi 5 Chapter Heading


Commentary

In our last episode, Lehi died and Laman and Lemuel were getting mad at Nephi for preaching to them.  Pretty par for the course in our story so far.  However, this chapter starts out with them getting so angry that, as Nephi puts it, "they did seek to take away my life" (verse 2).  This definitely isn't the first time this has happened, but something is different this time--perhaps the calming influence of their father, or the fact that there is no longer a higher authority to go to beyond the brothers themselves--and the Lord warns Nephi that he needs to "flee" (verse 5), along with anyone that will go with him.

Verse 6 lists some of the people that went with Nephi, including Zoram, Sam, Jacob, Joseph, and interestingly "also my sisters."  I think that is the only place that it specifically even mentions that Nephi has sisters, even though of course there is a lot of speculation about the subject.

So, they leave and go someplace else, and they call the new place the land of Nephi, and themselves the people of Nephi.  Thus the huge generation-spanning rift that echoes throughout the whole Book of Mormon begins.  Or rather, I suppose that it began much earlier, since that sibling bond had been eroding for a while, but this is the breaking point where they really become two different people, and later we hear all kinds of stories about this central split, because the two different groups raise their children to believe that it happened for very different reasons, but since we are reading about it now, it is a good thing to remember later that Nephi left because God warned him to flee.  ... Incidentally, the same reason that Lehi left Jerusalem in the first place.

We learn in verse 12 that Nephi has brought along the brass plates and the Liahona.  I'm sure that he had more need of both than people who had chosen not to heed the word of the Lord, but leaving the Lamanites without the scriptures, when the journey back to retrieve them was a dramatic event in all of their lives is huge, likely exacerbating the rift.   Not at all that I think Nephi should have or could have made a different choice here.   Just, you don't miss the scriptures until you don't have them anymore, and it becomes pretty easy to dwindle in unbelief.  But of course, God felt compassion for their state as well, and that's why he sends missionaries out to them in later chapters. :)

Nephi also brought along the sword of Laban (verse 14) and he makes many copies of it, thinking ahead and realizing that the rift will lead to violence.

In verse 16, Nephi builds a temple.  That's an important addition, essential to their spiritual lives.  I don't know if they had left one behind with the Lamanites as well, but it's possible.  This is an important tradition that doesn't always get mentioned, but significantly when Christ appears to these people (hundreds of years after this point), it is to a group that have gathered around a temple... so clearly this tradition was maintained through many, many generations as the people followed God and stayed true to his teachings.

God curses the Lamanites, and tells them not to mix, or they will receive the same cursing (verse 23).  This is an interesting direction, and indicates that God might have been concerned about contact between the groups having a corrupting influence rather than an edifying influence... the way he asked the Israelites under Moses to not mix with the other nations that were already in the land, because they would tend to start following idols and not stay true to him when they did.  Maybe we have to work our way up and be a lot more solid before we are ready to do missionary work, rather than allowing ourselves to be swayed.  ... Or maybe it was still too early for contact to result in anything better than violence.

In verse 26, Nephi consecrates his younger brothers to be priests and teachers, and in the very next verse it says "And it came to pass that we lived after the manner of happiness."  That's a pretty cool statement, and I think there is a connection there.  Happiness goes hand-in-hand with choosing to follow God.  Things aren't always going to go right, and we won't always escape pain, but every single thing in God's plan is meant to lead us to goodness and happiness, and when we follow him, we're on that path, and that is our inevitable destination, even if we aren't there every second. :)

At the end of the chapter Nephi talks about keeping records, and about God commanding him to make a separate record (the plates that we are reading from in translation).  We *also* learn that there have already been "wars and contentions" with the Lamanites (verse 34), so in the space of 20 verses the swords that Nephi made had been used several times, and perhaps the curse that was laid upon the Lamanites helped the Nephites stay alive, since the possibility of infiltration would be very low.

Tune in next time when we get to read some things written by Jacob, Nephi's little brother, and begin our interlude into a lot of Isaiah. :)