4 But thus saith the Lord God: O fools, they shall have a Bible; and it shall proceed forth from the Jews, mine ancient covenant people. And what thank they the Jews for the Bible which they receive from them? Yea, what do the Gentiles mean? Do they remember the travails, and the labors, and the pains of the Jews, and their diligence unto me, in bringing forth salvation unto the Gentiles? 5 O ye Gentiles, have ye remembered the Jews, mine ancient covenant people? Nay; but ye have cursed them, and have hated them, and have not sought to recover them. But behold, I will return all these things upon your own heads; for I the Lord have not forgotten my people.
2 Nephi 29:4-5 (Emphasis mine)
There are those who celebrate the Bible, yet they either forget or ignore who was responsible for giving them their Bible. During his great vision, the angel told Nephi(1) that “… [the Bible] proceedeth out of the mouth of a Jew … [t]he book that thou beholdest is a record of the Jews, which contains the covenants of the Lord, which he hath made unto the house of Israel; and it also containeth many of the prophecies of the holy prophets…” (1 Nephi 13:23).
In this dispensation, the Lord said that “… my work shall go forth, for inasmuch as the knowledge of a Savior has come unto the world, through the testimony of the Jews, even so shall the knowledge of a Savior come unto my people—“ (D&C 3:16). Through the testimony of the Jews, we will have the knowledge of the Savior.
Yet, even though we owe the Bible, we do not give thanks to the Jews for the Bible. They have been cursed and hated through the ages. They have been abused and mistreated, their contributions to our gospel knowledge forgotten. The Lord said that “… ye need not any longer hiss, nor spurn, nor make game of the Jews, nor any of the remnant of the house of Israel; for behold, the Lord remembereth his covenant unto them, and he will do unto them according to that which he hath sworn.” (3 Nephi 29:8).
Noel Reynolds explains:
“The Gentiles do not appreciate God's ‘ancient covenant people,’ the Jews, who have given them the Bible. Rather they have cursed and hated them. The Lord asks the Gentiles if there are not more nations than one. He created all men; he remembers those on the isles of the sea; and he will bring his word forth to ‘all the nations of the earth’ (2 Nephi 29:4–7). The Lord speaks ‘according to his own pleasure,’ and his ‘work is not yet finished.’ And finally, his people, ‘which are of the house of Israel, shall be gathered home unto the lands of their possessions,’ and he will show the world that he ‘covenanted with’ (2 Nephi 29:9, 14).” [1] (Emphasis mine)
Jeffrey Chadwick comments:
“ [Daniel C.] Peterson explores the entire scope of Book of Mormon comments on the subject. He, of course, refers back to the Bible and even includes a reference to the Quran, which Peterson, associate professor of Islamic studies and Arabic at Brigham Young University, cannot (or does not) resist. In terms of Judah, Peterson demonstrates that the Book of Mormon covenant concept fully recognizes the Jewish people and their unique position in the house of Israel. He also quotes 2 Nephi 29:4—5, the Lord's stern condemnation of those Gentiles who persecute and attack Jews. The message is timely.” [2] (Emphasis mine)
6 Thou fool, that shall say: A Bible, we have got a Bible, and we need no more Bible. Have ye obtained a Bible save it were by the Jews? 7 Know ye not that there are more nations than one? Know ye not that I, the Lord your God, have created all men, and that I remember those who are upon the isles of the sea; and that I rule in the heavens above and in the earth beneath; and I bring forth my word unto the children of men, yea, even upon all the nations of the earth? 8 Wherefore murmur ye, because that ye shall receive more of my word? Know ye not that the testimony of two nations is a witness unto you that I am God, that I remember one nation like unto another? Wherefore, I speak the same words unto one nation like unto another. And when the two nations shall run together the testimony of the two nations shall run together also.
2 Nephi 29:6-8 (Emphasis mine)
15 Wherefore glorify ye the LORD in the fires, even the name of the LORD God of Israel in the isles of the sea.
Isaiah 24:15 (Emphasis mine)
The Lord rejects the “We’ve got a Bible” argument. He reminds us that there are many nations and they are remembered by the Lord. He will bring His word to all nations. Why do they complain? They are complaining because they receive more of His word! Think about this for a moment. There are people who don’t to receive more of His word. They’re satisfied with the little they have.
Nephi(1) was told of the Lord that “… the fruit of thy loins shall write; and the fruit of the loins of Judah shall write; and that 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.” (2 Nephi 3:12). All the writings will stand together to confound false doctrines and brining us the knowledge of truth.
The Lord reminds us that these words stand as a witness that He is God and He remembers all nations. When He speaks the same words to both nations, they stand as a witness of his statements.
In an interview, Robert J. Matthews explains how he was struck by this concept.
“There was something about the concept that there is more than one nation and therefore there ought to be more than one book. That really caught my attention. I can remember saying out loud, ‘This is true.’ I was so impressed with that concept: if there is more than one nation, there ought to be more than one record; and God speaks the same things to one nation that he does to another. I have thought a lot about that since. That's the first real live action I remember getting out of the Book of Mormon.” [3] (Emphasis mine)
During his ministry, the Lord told us that “…in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.” (Matthew 18:16). Nephi(1) also emphasizes that the Lord sends witnesses as need. He explains that “… my brother, Jacob, also has seen him as I have seen him; wherefore, I will send their words forth unto my children to prove unto them that my words are true. Wherefore, by the words of three, God hath said, I will establish my word. Nevertheless, God sendeth more witnesses, and he proveth all his words.” (2 Nephi 11:3)
Richard Rust expands on the concept of witnesses.
“Repetitions in the Book of Mormon emphasize the law of witnesses at work within the book … Nephi quotes the Lord as saying, ‘Know ye not that the testimony of two nations is a witness unto you that I am God, that I remember one nation like unto another?’ (2 Nephi 29:8). Near the end of the book, Moroni reaffirms the law of witnesses when he says, ‘And in the mouth of three witnesses shall these things be established; and the testimony of three, and this work, in the which shall be shown forth the power of God and also his word, of which the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost bear record—and all this shall stand as a testimony against the world at the last day’ (Ether 5:4).” [4] (Emphasis mine)
[1] Nephite Uses and Interpretations of Zenos, Noel B. Reynolds, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed January 11, 2012.
[2] Three Books on Jewish and Mormon Themes, Jeffrey R. Chadwick, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed January 11, 2012.
[3] A Conversation with Robert J. Matthews, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed January 11, 2012.
[4] "To Show unto the Remnant of the House of Israel" - Narrators and Narratives, Richard Dilworth Rust, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed January 11, 2012.
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