Lehi continues Joseph2’s blessing, resuming his
discussion of the coming forth of the Book of Mormon.
The word of the Lord will go out to the people based on
their faith. They will be made strong in
faith and remember the Lord’s covenants He made with their fathers.
About the coming forth of the Book of Mormon, Nephi would
write:
BUT
behold, there shall be many—at that day when I shall proceed to do a marvelous
work among them, that I may remember my covenants which I have made unto the
children of men, that I may set my hand again the second time to recover my
people, which are of the house of Israel;
And
also, that I may remember the promises which I have made unto thee, Nephi, and
also unto thy father, that I would remember your seed; and that the words of
your seed should proceed forth out of my mouth unto your seed; and my words
shall hiss forth unto the ends of the earth, for a standard unto my people,
which are of the house of Israel;
2 Nephi 29:1 - 2
It is not unusual for the Lord to describe His word as
hissing forth (“my words shall hiss forth
unto the ends of the earth” 2 Nephi 29:2).
This is an interesting word. I’ve
always heard or thought of the word “hiss” in a negative context. (“My cats hiss when they are threatened;” “The
audience hissed their disapproval.”)
Dictionary.com defines hiss – “to make or emit a sharp sound.”[1] So, Nephi is telling us that world of the
Lord will forcefully and sharply go forth, making it hard for us to miss His
important message to us.
Lehi’s blessings contain an interesting feature. Victor Ludlow explains:
One interesting feature of the
covenant references in 2 Nephi is that almost one-half of them are attributed
directly to the Lord. That is, the writer introduces a covenant passage with
"thus saith the Lord unto me" (2 Nephi 3:7; compare 2 Nephi 6:17;
10:7; and 29:4), completes the passage with "saith the Lord" (2 Nephi
3:12), or quotes the passage in the first-person singular with God as the
speaker (see 2 Nephi 3:21; 10:15; and 29:1, 5, 14). In these passages, the Lord,
as a premortal spirit being, reveals important covenant teachings to various
ancient prophets as recorded in the Book of Mormon. Thus an important feature
in 2 Nephi is the recognition of how the premortal Lord amplifies important
covenant teachings. Most of these pronouncements of the Savior are found in
chapters 3, 10, and 29 as Joseph of Egypt, Jacob (Lehi's son), and Nephi
receive divine instruction.[2]
“Finally Lehi concludes, ‘And now, behold, my son Joseph,
after this manner did my father of old prophesy,’ for he calls
the Patriarch Joseph his father (2 Nephi 3:22).”[3]
Lehi tells Joseph2 that, through the covenant the
Lord made with Joseph1, his descendants will not be destroyed
because the will follow “the words of the
book” (2 Nephi 3:23).
The Lord will rise up “one
mighty among them, who shall do much good, both in word, and in deed, being an
instrument in the hands of God” (2 Nephi 3:24). Joseph Smith will be given the responsibility
the restoration of the gospel that will go forth to the descendants Joseph1
and Joseph2.
Lehi closes Joseph2’s blessing telling him to
listen to the teachings of Nephi. “Remember the words of thy dying father” (2
Nephi 3:25).
[1] Dictionary.com,
entry “hiss,” accessed July 16, 2013.
[2] Covenant
Teachings of the Book of Mormon, Victor L. Ludlow, Provo,
Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed July 16, 2013.
[3][3]
Checking
on Long-Forgotten Lore, Hugh Nibley, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute,
accessed July 16, 2013.
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