6 And it shall come to pass that the Lord God shall bring forth unto you the words of a book, and they shall be the words of them which have slumbered. 7 And behold the book shall be sealed; and in the book shall be a revelation from God, from the beginning of the world to the ending thereof. 8 Wherefore, because of the things which are sealed up, the things which are sealed shall not be delivered in the day of the wickedness and abominations of the people. Wherefore the book shall be kept from them
2 Nephi 27:6-8 (Emphasis mine)
Isaiah is telling us that, in the last days, a book will come forth. It will contain the words of “them have slumbered.” Death is commonly referred to as “sleeping.” Here, Nephi(1) is telling us that this book will contain the words of those who are now dead.
In verse 7, we learn about a book that shall be sealed. It will contain information from the beginning to the ending of the world. This book will be kept from the people because of their wickedness.
The sealed portion of the Book of Mormon has led to much discussion and speculation. What’s contained in it? Nephi tell us here what it is. The book that is sealed will be “a revelation [singular] from God, from the beginning of the world to the ending thereof.” We know that 2/3rds of the plates are sealed. This must be a powerful revelation. But, what could it be? Valentine Arts explains:
“The sealed portion of the gold plates contains, as Moroni explains, the complete record of the brother of Jared's vision … Although we might suppose that other great revelations were also contained in the sealed part of the gold plates, the Book of Mormon does not support this idea … Nephi refers to the content of the sealed part of the plates in the singular as a or the revelation from God, which will reveal all things from the beginning to the end. It seems evident that he is referring to the great vision of the brother of Jared. In this connection, early and modern church leaders have taught that the sealed part of the gold plates consisted of the record of the vision of the brother of Jared.” [1] (Emphasis mine)
9 But the book shall be delivered unto a man, and he shall deliver the words of the book, which are the words of those who have slumbered in the dust, and he shall deliver these words unto another; 10 But the words which are sealed he shall not deliver, neither shall he deliver the book. For the book shall be sealed by the power of God, and the revelation [singular] which was sealed shall be kept in the book until the own due time of the Lord, that they may come forth; for behold, they reveal all things from the foundation of the world unto the end thereof. 11 And the day cometh that the words of the book which were sealed shall be read upon the house tops; and they shall be read by the power of Christ; and all things shall be reveale unto the children of men which ever have been among the children of men, and which ever will be even unto the end of the earth.
2 Nephi 27:9-11 (Emphasis mine)
Who is the man discussed in verse 9? It is most likely a reference to Dr. Charles Anthon. The portion of the book referred to in this scripture is the part Joseph Smith was translating. It has been, and will continue to be, made clear to Joseph that he was not to translate the sealed portion of the plates.
When that day comes and the words are translated, they will contain wonderful truths.
Monte Nyman writes:
“Nephi, through Isaiah, commented further on when the sealed plates will be revealed. ‘And the day cometh that the words of the book which were sealed shall be read upon the house tops; and they shall be read by the power of Christ; and all things shall be revealed unto the children of men which ever have been among the children of men, and which ever will be even unto the end of the earth’ (2 Nephi 27:11). How these words will be read from the housetops by the power of Christ is not specified, but with today's miracles of radio, television, satellite, and the Internet, it is easy to see how it might happen (compare D&C 88:5—13). Nephi, through Isaiah, further testified that these things would ‘not be delivered in the day of the wickedness and abominations of the people’ (2 Nephi 27:8). He gave instructions to the translator (Joseph Smith) to ‘touch not the things which are sealed, for I [the Lord] will bring them forth in mine own due time’ (2 Nephi 27:21).” [2] (Emphasis mine)
12 Wherefore, at that day when the book shall be delivered unto the man of whom I have spoken, the book shall be hid from the eyes of the world, that the eyes of none shall behold it save it be that three witnesses shall behold it, by the power of God, besides him to whom the book shall be delivered; and they shall testify to the truth of the book and the things therein. 13 And there is none other which shall view it, save it be a few according to the will of God, to bear testimony of his word unto the children of men; for the Lord God hath said that the words of the faithful should speak as if it were from the dead. 14 Wherefore, the Lord God will proceed to bring forth the words of the book; and in the mouth of as many witnesses as seemeth him good will he establish his word; and wo be unto him that rejecteth the word of God!
2 Nephi 27:12-14 (Emphasis mine)
The book will be hidden from the world. No one will see it except for three witnesses. They will see it by the power of God and give their testimony about the book. This is their responsibility. There will also be as “many witnesses as seemth him [the Lord] good.” These witnesses will establish the truthfulness of his word and “wo be unto him that rejecteth the word of God!”
Richard Lloyd Anderson describes the history of the Book of Mormon witnesses.
“Eleven men signed two formal statements, the first recording that a brilliant angel displayed the Nephite plates to three men, followed by the verifying voice of God, and the second telling how eight men lifted and examined the ancient record leaf by leaf. These documents fulfill prophecies in the ancient record and are appropriately printed in each Book of Mormon authorized by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Early in his epic, Nephi wrote that the future translator would show the engraved original to others: ‘Three witnesses shall behold it, by the power of God, besides him to whom the book shall be delivered; and they shall testify to the truth of the book and the things therein’ (2 Nephi 27:12). In addition to these three, others would see the plates themselves: ‘And there is none other which shall view it, save it be a few according to the will of God, to bear testimony of his word unto the children of men’ (2 Nephi 27:13).” [3] (Emphasis mine)
John Welch discusses the importance of witnesses.
“Nephi also mentions witnesses in connection with this document. In 2 Nephi 27:12 he reaffirms that, apart from Joseph Smith, ‘the man of whom I have spoken, . . . three witnesses shall behold it, by the power of God.’ As previously noted, the minimum number of witnesses required under Jewish law in order for a sealed document to be legally valid was three. According to Nephi, these three witnesses will have two functions: to ‘testify to the truth of the book and [of] the things therein’ (verse 12; compare ‘The Testimony of Three Witnesses,’ in the forepart of the current edition of the Book of Mormon). Testifying to ‘the truth of the book’ corresponds with the ancient function of verifying the validity of the formation of the contract and the formalities of the execution of the document; testifying to the truth of ‘the things in the book’ corresponds with the legal role of affirming the accuracy of the words themselves.
“Besides these three witnesses, ‘a few’ others shall view ‘it’ (presumably the external features of the book itself) so that they might bear testimony of his [God's] word [singular]’ (verse 13). In other words, they will attest to the fulfillment of God's promise (word) ‘that the words of the faithful [the slumbering Nephites] should speak as if it were from the dead’ (verse 13). However, it was not anticipated that these other witnesses should testify of the words or contents of the book itself (which is consistent with ‘The Testimony of Eight Witnesses,’ in the front matter of the current printing of the Book of Mormon). Thus God will bring forth ‘the words of the book,’ as distinguished from the book itself, and in the mouths of ‘as many witnesses as seemeth him good will he establish his word’ (verse 14).” [4] (Emphasis mine)
[1] A Third Jaredite Record: The Sealed Portion of the Gold Plates, Valentin Arts, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed January 2, 2012.
[2] Other Ancient American Records Yet to Come Forth, Monte S. Nyman, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed January 2, 2012.
[3] Personal Writings of the Book of Mormon Witnesses, Richard Lloyd Anderson, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed January 2, 2012.
[4] Doubled, Sealed, Witnessed Documents: From the Ancient World to the Book of Mormon, John W. Welch, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed January 2, 2012.
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