20 And now, my brethren, I have spoken plainly that ye cannot err. And as the Lord God liveth that brought Israel up out of the land of Egypt, and gave unto Moses power that he should heal the nations after they had been bitten by the poisonous serpents, if they would cast their eyes unto the serpent which he did raise up before them, and also gave him power that he should smite the rock and the water should come forth; yea, behold I say unto you, that as these things are true, and as the Lord God liveth, there is none other name given under heaven save it be this Jesus Christ, of which I have spoken, whereby man can be saved.
21 Wherefore, for this cause hath the Lord God promised unto me that these things which I write shall be kept and preserved, and handed down unto my seed, from generation to generation, that the promise may be fulfilled unto Joseph, that his seed should never perish as long as the earth should stand.
22 Wherefore, these things shall go from generation to generation as long as the earth shall stand; and they shall go according to the will and pleasure of God; and the nations who shall possess them shall be judged of them according to the words which are written.
2 Nephi 25:20-22 (Emphasis mine)
Again, Nephi(1) reminds his reader that he has spoken plainly. He testifies of the truthfulness of his words, reminding us of the importance of Christ and his atonement: “there is none other name given under heaven save it be this Jesus Christ, of which I have spoken, whereby man can be saved.”
We also see a common motif in the Book of Mormon. The writers of the Book of Mormon frequently mentioned Moses raising the serpent to save his people after being bitten by poisonous serpents.
There are many commentaries on the raising of the brazen serpent. First, Wallace E. Hunt, Jr. writes:
“In the Book of Mormon, the various writers refer to the Lord's dealings with their fathers some seventy-nine times.. Thus, it appears that the Nephite leaders were continually reminding their people what had happened to their fathers. As a result, it is natural that the Nephite leaders used and adapted events from the lives of their forefathers for their everyday teachings, including the story of Moses and his brazen serpent, thus keeping the story alive and active among the people. Further, it was common practice to distribute copies of the scriptures among all the Nephites (Alma 63:12; Jacob 7:23; and Alma 14:1), who were continually encouraged by their leaders to read them … the brazen serpent event is described five separate times in the Book of Mormon (2 Nephi 25:20; Alma 33:19–22; 37:46; Helaman 8:14–15)…” [1] (Emphasis mine)
Andrew Skinner observes:
“It is clear that the righteous peoples of the Book of Mormon understood the symbol of the serpent in much the same way that many of their Old Testament forebears did. However, it is monumentally significant that these American Israelites also knew, even from the earliest periods of their own history, that the ultimate meaning behind the symbol of the serpent was the Lord Jesus Christ and his saving and life-giving power. They understood the true intent of the symbol some 600 years before the Messiah himself appeared in mortality to articulate the message of the serpent's being raised up in Moses' day. In the sixth century B.C. “ [2] (Emphasis mine)
Allen Christensen observes that the serpent symbol has been observed in Mesoamerica.
“The prophet Nephi, who seems to have set the pattern for many of the religious motifs in the Book of Mormon, identified Christ with the serpent raised upon a staff by Moses (2 Nephi 25:20). This is similar to the recurrent Mesoamerican symbol of the serpentine god Itzamna lifted up into the branches of a cross-shaped tree of life.” [3] (Emphasis mine)
The record Nephi(1) is preparing will last. He is promised that, from generation-to-generation, the record will be handed down. All who possess his record will be judged according to the words written therein.
Neal A. Maxwell comments:
“We know the[Book of Mormon’s] influence will continue to grow. ‘Wherefore, these things shall go from generation to generation as long as the earth shall stand; and they shall go according to the will and pleasure of God; and the nations who shall possess them shall be judged of them according to the words which are written’ (2 Nephi 25:22). Among other words foretelling the book's growing influence are these: ‘The day cometh that the words of the book which were sealed shall be read upon the house tops’ (2 Nephi 27:11). Hence the Book of Mormon's best days still lie ahead!” [4] (Emphasis mine)
23 For we labor diligently to write, to persuade our children, and also our brethren, to believe in Christ, and to be reconciled to God; for we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do.
24 And, notwithstanding we believe in Christ, we keep the law of Moses, and look forward with steadfastness unto Christ, until the law shall be fulfilled.
25 For, for this end was the law given; wherefore the law hath become dead unto us, and we are made alive in Christ because of our faith; yet we keep the law because of the commandments.
26 And we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins.
2 Nephi 25:23-26 (Emphasis mine)
Even though the Book of Mormon is Christ-centered, the Nephites kept the Law of Moses until the coming of Christ. This they did because they were commanded to keep the Law.
He also emphasizes the importance of preserving the record for their children. He knew the importance of them knowing about Christ, His mission, and His atonement. While his record is for his brethren, it is for future generations as well.
It is claimed by critics of the Church that we do not accept the concept of salvation by grace. They claim we believe that our works alone can save us. This, most certainly is, at best, a misunderstanding of what we believe. Nephi(1) makes it clear: “it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do.” (verse 23 – emphasis mine).
We wholeheartedly accept the words of Paul:
20 Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
21 But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets;
22 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:
23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:
Romans 3:20-24 (Emphasis mine)
We cannot march up to the gates of heaven and demand to be let it because we lived a good life. All the good works in the world cannot save us. It is only through the atonement we are saved. In verse 20, Nephi(1) writes: ‘there is none other name given under heaven save it be this Jesus Christ, of which I have spoken, whereby man can be saved.’ (emphasis mine).
Does that mean belief alone is all that is required? No. The teachings of Christ make that clear.
21 ¶ Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
Matthew 7:21 (Emphasis mine)
16 ¶ And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?
17 And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.
Matthew 19:16-17 (Emphasis mine)
15 ¶ If ye love me, keep my commandments.
John 14:15 (Emphasis mine)
21 He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.
John 14:21 (Emphasis mine)
Does this mean if we keep His commandments, we will be saved? No. As Nephi(1) said, “it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do.” (verse 23 – emphasis mine).
John Gee writes:
“Nephi tells us that he delights in the grace, justice, power, and mercy of Christ (2 Nephi 11:5), presumably because ‘it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do’ (2 Nephi 25:23). On the face of it, Nephi says that one cannot earn one's way into heaven but is still expected to do everything that one can. Individual action is still required.” [5] (Emphasis mine)
Robert Millet observes:
“And yet, Jesus Christ takes center stage in the Book of Mormon. The book has been written to testify, not only of his Messiahship, but that he is the Eternal God (Title Page; 2 Nephi 26:12). Though there is a Being who is the Father of the Savior, it is Christ himself who is generally referred to as God in the Book of Mormon. Though it is true that Christ receives power from his Father (Mosiah 15:2-3; Helaman 5:10-11; Mormon 7:5), and that Christ's atonement reconciles us to the Father (2 Nephi 25:23; Alma 12:33-34; Moroni 7:22, 26-27), yet it is Christ who is God in the Book of Mormon.” [6] (Emphasis mine)
[1] Moses' Brazen Serpent as It Relates to Serpent Worship in Mesoamerica, Wallace E. Hunt Jr., Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed December 24, 2011.
[2] Serpent Symbols and Salvation in the Ancient Near East and the Book of Mormon, Andrew C. Skinner, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed December 24, 2011.
[3] Maya Harvest Festivals and the Book of Mormon, Allen J. Christensen, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed December 24, 2011.
[4] By the Gift and Power of God, Neal A. Maxwell, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed December 24, 2011.
[5] The Grace of Christ, John Gee, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed December 24, 2011.
[6] By What (Whose) Standards Shall We Judge the Text? A Closer Look at Jesus Christ in the Book of Mormon, Robert L. Millet, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed December 24, 2011.
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