2 Nephi 25:5-6

Nephi continues discussing how to understand the scriptures.  “[M]y soul delighteth in the words of Isaiah” (2 Nephi 25:5).  He comes from Jerusalem and he knew the things of the Jews.  This is how he understands the writings of Isaiah.  “[T]here is none other people that understand the things which were spoken unto the Jews like unto them, save it be that they are taught after the manner of the things of the Jews” (2 Nephi 25:5).

The disciples did not understand why Christ spoke in parables.  They asked Him.

And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables?

He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.

JST Matt. 13:10–11 For whosoever receiveth, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance; but whosoever continueth not to receive, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.

Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.

And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive:

For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.

But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear.

For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.

Matthew 13:10-17

We have an example of this when we look at Lehi’s dream.

In Lehi's dream, everything is unashamedly symbolic. We accept his culturally specific symbols because we accept the source of the dream as divine, and the symbols as corresponding to reality. Far from discounting cultural influence in the revelations, Nephi insists that Isaiah, for example, cannot be understood properly without knowledge of Isaiah's Hebrew culture (2 Nephi 25:5). [1]

We need this background and knowledge to help us understand what is written in the Book of Mormon as well as understanding Isaiah.

An essential part of the background for the Book of Mormon is the Bible. Leo Strauss (1899–1973) argues that when reading a complex text, one must learn to read it the way the writer reads others (Strauss states the principle as an aphorism: “One writes as one reads”).¹⁵ Nephi notes that his people find the plates of brass writings difficult to understand; such writings cannot be understood unless readers “are taught after the manner of the things of the Jews” (2 Nephi 25:5) … Nephi and the Nephite writers who follow him repeatedly use Hebraic [interpretive] principles as they compose their record. They do so because they are writing “after the manner of the things of the Jews.” We must apply the principles of biblical composition when reading the Book of Mormon because they are also the principles of the text’s composition. The rule is to think allusively.[2]

Nephi would not teach the Nephites about the manner of the Jews ad their works were works of darkness (2 Nephi 25:2).  John L. Sorensen clarifies Nephi’s words.

He is not talking here about the script, which he surely did teach to his children so they could keep their record. The only thing he could have meant is the body of literary, historical, and theological allusions; stylistic forms; vocabulary; and nuanced interpretations the Jews had elaborately developed surrounding their books. But it was only that part of this esoteric information which Nephi₁considered perverse that he held back.[3]

The post will end with an example of chiasmus in Nephi’s writings. 

A₁ for I came out from Jerusalem,

    B₁ and mine eyes hath beheld the things of the Jews,

        C₁ and I know that the Jews

            D₁ do understand the things of the prophets,

                E₁ and there is none other people

            D₁' that understand the things which were [of the prophets]

        C₁' spoken unto the Jews like unto them,

    B₁' a save it be that they are taught

        b after the manner of the things of the Jews.

    a But behold, I, Nephi, have not taught my children

        b after the manner of the Jews;

A₁' but behold, I, of myself, have dwelt at Jerusalem. (2 Nephi 25:5–6)^[4]

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[1] "Nigh unto Death": NDE Research and the Book of Mormon, Kevin Christensen, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed October 10, 2013.

[2] How Should We Then Read? Reading Mormon Scripture After the Fall, Alan Goff, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed October 10, 2013.

[3] The Book of Mormon as a Mesoamerican Record, John L. Sorenson, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed October 10, 2013.

[4] Nephi's Convincing of Christ through Chiasmus: Plain and Precious Persuading from a Prophet of God, David E. Sloan, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed October 10, 2013.