20 I am Mormon, and a pure descendant of
Lehi. I have reason to bless my God and
my Savior Jesus Christ, that he brought our fathers out of the land of
Jerusalem, (and no one knew it save it were himself and those whom he brought
out of that land) and that he hath given me and my people so much
knowledge unto the salvation of our souls. 21 Surely he hath blessed
the house of Jacob, and hath been merciful unto the seed of Joseph. 22
And insomuch
as the children of Lehi have kept his commandments he hath blessed them and
prospered them according to his word.
3 Nephi 5:20 – 22 (Emphasis mine)
Mormon introduces himself to use, telling us that he is a “pure descendant of Lehi.” He would make this same point in his
book, writing, “I, Mormon, being a
descendant of Nephi, (and my father's name was Mormon) I remembered the things
which Ammaron commanded me” (Mormon 1:5).
His son, Moroni2 would also emphasize his descent. “I am
the son of Mormon, and my father was a descendant of Nephi” (Mormon 8:13).
Discussing Mormon’s descent, Hugh Nibley writes:
There is nothing whatever in the
Book of Mormon to indicate that everything that is found in the New World
before Columbus must be either Nephite or Lamanite. On the contrary, when
Mormon boasts, "I am Mormon, and a pure descendant of Lehi" (3 Nephi
5:20), we are given to understand that being a direct descendant of Lehi, as
all true Nephites and Lamanites were, was really something special. We think of
Zarahemla as a great Nephite capital and its civilization as the Nephite
civilization at its peak; yet Zarahemla was not a Nephite city at all: its
inhabitants called themselves Nephites, as we have seen, because their ruling
family were Nephites who had immigrated from the south.[1]
He also reminds us that Lehi and company was brought out of
Jerusalem, no one knowing they had left and would not return.
Now
we were desirous that [Zoram] should tarry with us for this cause, that the
Jews might not know concerning our flight into the wilderness, lest they should
pursue us and destroy us.
1 Nephi 4:36
And
not at any time hath the Father given me commandment that I should tell it unto
your brethren at Jerusalem.
3 Nephi 15:14
He reminds us the Lord has blessed the house of Jacob and
been merciful to the seed of Joseph.
For
the LORD hath chosen Jacob unto himself, and Israel for his peculiar treasure.
Psalms 135:4
Wherefore,
be not deceived, but continue in steadfastness, looking forth for the heavens
to be shaken, and the earth to tremble and to reel to and fro as a drunken man,
and for the valleys to be exalted, and for the mountains to be made low, and
for the rough places to become smooth—and all this when the angel shall sound
his trumpet.
But
before the great day of the Lord shall come, Jacob shall flourish in the
wilderness, and the Lamanites shall blossom as the rose.
Zion
shall flourish upon the hills and rejoice upon the mountains, and shall be
assembled together unto the place which I have appointed.
D&C 49:23 - 25
He
hath remembered his mercy and his truth toward the house of Israel: all the
ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.
Psalms 98:3
He also reiterated the Lord’s promise that, when “the children of Lehi” keep His
commandments, they will be blessed and prosper.
And
he hath said that: Inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments ye shall prosper
in the land; but inasmuch as ye will not keep my commandments ye shall be cut
off from my presence.
2 Nephi 1:20
And
thus being prepared to meet the Lamanites, they did not prosper against
us. But the word of the Lord was
verified, which he spake unto our fathers, saying that: Inasmuch as ye will
keep my commandments ye shall prosper in the land.
Jarom 1:9
For
the Lord would not suffer, after he had led them out of the land of Jerusalem
and kept and preserved them from falling into the hands of their enemies, yea,
he would not suffer that the words should not be verified, which he spake unto
our fathers, saying that: Inasmuch as ye will not keep my commandments ye shall
not prosper in the land.
Omni 1:6
And
now, my sons, I would that ye should remember to search them diligently, that
ye may profit thereby; and I would that ye should keep the commandments of God,
that ye may prosper in the land according to the promises which the Lord made
unto our fathers.
Mosiah 1:7
Behold,
do ye not remember the words which he spake unto Lehi, saying that: Inasmuch as
ye shall keep my commandments, ye shall prosper in the land? And again it is said that: Inasmuch as ye
will not keep my commandments ye shall be cut off from the presence of the
Lord.
Now
I would that ye should remember, that inasmuch as the Lamanites have not kept
the commandments of God, they have been cut off from the presence of the Lord. Now we see that the word of the Lord has been
verified in this thing, and the Lamanites have been cut off from his presence,
from the beginning of their transgressions in the land.
Alma 9:13 – 14
O
remember, remember, my son Helaman, how strict are the commandments of
God. And he said: If ye will keep my
commandments ye shall prosper in the land—but if ye keep not his commandments
ye shall be cut off from his presence.
Alma 37:13
23 Yea, and surely shall he again bring a remnant of
the seed of Joseph to the knowledge of the Lord their God. 24 And as surely as the
Lord liveth, will he gather in from the four quarters of the earth all the
remnant of the seed of Jacob, who are scattered abroad upon all the face of the
earth.
25 And as he hath covenanted with all the house of
Jacob, even so shall the covenant wherewith he hath covenanted with the house
of Jacob be fulfilled in his own due time, unto the restoring all the house of
Jacob unto the knowledge of the covenant that he hath covenanted with them. 26 And then shall they know
their Redeemer, who is Jesus Christ, the Son of God; and then shall they be
gathered in from the four quarters of the earth unto their own lands, from
whence they have been dispersed; yea, as the Lord liveth so shall it be. Amen.
3 Nephi 5:23 – 26 (Emphasis mine)
The day will come when a remnant of the see of Joseph will
be brought to a knowledge of the Lord.
Yea,
let us preserve our liberty as a remnant of Joseph; yea, let us remember the
words of Jacob, before his death, for behold, he saw that a part of the remnant
of the coat of Joseph was preserved and had not decayed. And he said—Even as this remnant of garment
of my son hath been preserved, so shall a remnant of the seed of my son be
preserved by the hand of God, and be taken unto himself, while the remainder of
the seed of Joseph shall perish, even as the remnant of his garment.
Alma 46:24
Behold,
our father Jacob also testified concerning a remnant of the seed of
Joseph. And behold, are not we a remnant
of the seed of Joseph? And these things
which testify of us, are they not written upon the plates of brass which our
father Lehi brought out of Jerusalem?
3 Nephi 10:17
The remnant of the seed of Jacob will be gathered
again. Because of his covenant it will
be fulfilled and the house of Jacob will come to the knowledge of this
covenant. They will know that Christ is
their Redeemer.
And
it shall come to pass that the Jews which are scattered also shall begin to
believe in Christ; and they shall begin to gather in upon the face of the land;
and as many as shall believe in Christ shall also become a delightsome people.
2 Nephi 30:7
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