2 Nephi 28:15-16

Who stands in danger before the Lord?  Those that pretend to preach but are wise, smart and teach false doctrine.  Solomon counseled, “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil”  (Proverbs 3:5-7).

Mormon gives us an outstanding example of a man who fits this description.  Upon his death, Zeniff appointed his son, Noah, king.  We know nothing about him until after he was made king.  Mormon gives us this description, “For behold, he did not keep the commandments of God, but he did walk after the desires of his own heart.  And he had many wives and concubines.  And he did cause his people to commit sin, and do that which was abominable in the sight of the Lord.  Yea, and they did commit whoredoms and all manner of wickedness” (Mosiah 11:2).

In spite of his wickedness, he, along with his corrupt priests, would deny they were wicked and not following the Law of Moses when challenged by Abinadi.  We know this because, after fleeing the king, Alma₁ wrote down his words.  Remember, they were addressed to Alma₁ as well as the king and the other priests.  Only Alma₁ took them to heart and repented.

Leaders like Noah perverted the way of the Lord.  What will be the consequences of their choices?  “[T]hey shall be thrust down to hell” (2 Nephi 28:15).

As Mormon ended his record of the Savior’s ministry among the Nephites, he wrote:

And when ye shall see these sayings coming forth among you, then ye need not any longer spurn at the doings of the Lord, for the sword of his justice is in his right hand; and behold, at that day, if ye shall spurn at his doings he will cause that it shall soon overtake you.

Wo unto him that spurneth at the doings of the Lord; yea, wo unto him that shall deny the Christ and his works!

Yea, wo unto him that shall deny the revelations of the Lord, and that shall say the Lord no longer worketh by revelation, or by prophecy, or by gifts, or by tongues, or by healings, or by the power of the Holy Ghost!

Yea, and wo unto him that shall say at that day, to get gain, that there can be no miracle wrought by Jesus Christ; for he that doeth this shall become like unto the son of perdition, for whom there was no mercy, according to the word of Christ!

3 Nephi 29:4-7

Moroni2, as he finished his father’s book, wrote, “[W]ho can stand against the works of the Lord?  Who can deny his sayings?  Who will rise up against the almighty power of the Lord?  Who will despise the works of the Lord?  Who will despise the children of Christ?  Behold, all ye who are despisers of the works of the Lord, for ye shall wonder and perish” (Mormon 9:26).

These false priests and church leaders will turn away the just, scorn against the good, and say these things are of no worth.  Ignore them, they say.  Malachi faced this with problem with the Jews.  “Ye have wearied the LORD with your words.  Yet ye say, Wherein have we wearied him?  When ye say, Every one that doeth evil is good in the sight of the LORD, and he delighteth in them; or, Where is the God of judgment” (Malachi 2:17).

When that day comes, the Lord will deal with the wicked.  They will be full ripe for destruction.  The Lord told the Brother of Jared,

And [The Lord] had sworn in his wrath unto the brother of Jared, that whoso should possess this land of promise, from that time henceforth and forever, should serve him, the true and only God, or they should be swept off when the fulness of his wrath should come upon them.

And now, we can behold the decrees of God concerning this land, that it is a land of promise; and whatsoever nation shall possess it shall serve God, or they shall be swept off when the fulness of his wrath shall come upon them.  And the fulness of his wrath cometh upon them when they are ripened in iniquity.

For behold, this is a land which is choice above all other lands; wherefore he that doth possess it shall serve God or shall be swept off; for it is the everlasting decree of God.  And it is not until the fulness of iniquity among the children of the land, that they are swept off.

And this cometh unto you, O ye Gentiles, that ye may know the decrees of God—that ye may repent, and not continue in your iniquities until the fulness come, that ye may not bring down the fulness of the wrath of God upon you as the inhabitants of the land have hitherto done.

Ether 2:8-11

When does wicked become “fully ripe?”  Richard Draper explains?

When iniquity ripens fully the cursings come. But what constitutes being ripe in iniquity? The Book of Mormon gives specific conditions: (1) when "the voice of this people should choose iniquity" (Alma 10:19); (2) when the people "turn aside the just for a thing of naught and revile against that which is good, and say that it is of no worth" (2 Nephi 28:16); (3) when they reject "every word of God" (1 Nephi 17:35); and (4) "when [they] shall cast out the righteous from among [them], then shall [they] be ripe for destruction" (Helaman 13:14).[1]

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[1] Hubris and Atē: A Latter-day Warning from the Book of Mormon, Richard D. Draper, Maxwell Institute, accessed November 30, 2013.

2 Nephi 28:13-14

Nephi tells us the day will come when churches are built up to bring riches and power to people.  Who usually pays for these things?  It is usually the poor who give their money because of their misplaced belief in those who run these churches.  People struggling to live on their meager incomes give to these churches and they and their faith are exploited by those who are puffed up in their pride.

As we read the Book of Mormon, we will see that the Nephites are continually afflicted with the Nephite Disease – that of pride.  Preaching to the people in Zarahemla, Alma₂ chastised and challenged them.  “[C]an ye withstand these sayings; yea, can ye lay aside these things, and trample the Holy One under your feet; yea, can ye be puffed up in the pride of your hearts; yea, will ye still persist in the wearing of costly apparel and setting your hearts upon the vain things of the world, upon your riches”  (Alma 5:53).

As the Nephites were being destroyed as people, Moroni2 would finish his father’s book with these comments.

And I know that ye do walk in the pride of your hearts; and there are none save a few only who do not lift themselves up in the pride of their hearts, unto the wearing of very fine apparel, unto envying, and strifes, and malice, and persecutions, and all manner of iniquities; and your churches, yea, even every one, have become polluted because of the pride of your hearts.

For behold, ye do love money, and your substance, and your fine apparel, and the adorning of your churches, more than ye love the poor and the needy, the sick and the afflicted.

O ye pollutions, ye hypocrites, ye teachers, who sell yourselves for that which will canker, why have ye polluted the holy church of God?  Why are ye ashamed to take upon you the name of Christ?  Why do ye not think that greater is the value of an endless happiness than that misery which never dies—because of the praise of the world?

Why do ye adorn yourselves with that which hath no life, and yet suffer the hungry, and the needy, and the naked, and the sick and the afflicted to pass by you, and notice them not?

Yea, why do ye build up your secret abominations to get gain, and cause that widows should mourn before the Lord, and also orphans to mourn before the Lord, and also the blood of their fathers and their husbands to cry unto the Lord from the ground, for vengeance upon your heads?

Behold, the sword of vengeance hangeth over you; and the time soon cometh that he avengeth the blood of the saints upon you, for he will not suffer their cries any longer.

Mormon 8:36-41

The leaders of these churches will be a stiffnecked[1] people.  They will continue their “pride, and wickedness, and abominations, and whoredoms” (2 Nephi 28:14).  Solomon warned, “An high look [OR Haughty eyes], and a proud heart, and the plowing of the wicked [OR the cultivating of wickedness] , is sin” (Proverbs 21:4).

Most will go astray rather than teach the things of God.  Alma₂ told the people of Zarahemla, “O ye workers of iniquity; ye that are puffed up in the vain things of the world, ye that have professed to have known the ways of righteousness nevertheless have gone astray, as sheep having no shepherd, notwithstanding a shepherd hath called after you and is still calling after you, but ye will not hearken unto his voice” (Alma 5:37).

A few, who are humble followers of Christ, will continue to live righteously in spite of their corrupt leaders.  Unfortunately, they are still being led astray because “they are taught the precepts of man” (2 Nephi 28:14). 

Peter warned the church, “Ye therefore, beloved, [JST 2 Pet. 3:17 ... seeing ye know before the things which are coming, beware lest] ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness” (2 Peter 3:17). 

Christ chastised the Pharisees when they questioned Him.  “Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God” (Matthew 22:29).

Noel Reynolds further comments on this topic.

[M]any people throughout the ages preceding the restoration and the second coming would be true, humble followers of Christ who erred only because of their leaders (2 Nephi 28:14). We know further that the Spirit continued to strive with men and that some men were inspired … Joseph Smith, when he read Foxe's Book of the Martyrs which records all those who have died for the faith from the early apostles to the Protestant movements, said that many of these people were true disciples who would receive salvation. President John Taylor said in 1873, "There were men in those dark ages who could commune with God, and who, by the power of faith, could draw aside the curtain of eternity and gaze upon the invisible world … have the ministering of angels, and unfold the future destinies of the world.”[2] 

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[1] Dictionary.com defines stiffneckedness as haughty and obstinate; stubbornly disobedient.  Accessed November 28, 2013.

[2] What Went Wrong for the Early Christians? Noel B. Reynolds, Maxwell Institute, accessed November 28, 2013.

2 Nephi 28:9-12

In the day when false churches are built, they will tech false and foolish doctrines.  Ezekiel warned the Jews, “Thus saith the Lord GOD; Woe unto the foolish prophets, that follow their own spirit, and have seen nothing” (Ezekiel 13:3).  Samuel the Lamanite would warned the Nephites, “O ye wicked and ye perverse generation; ye hardened and ye stiffnecked people, how long will ye suppose that the Lord will suffer you?  Yea, how long will ye suffer yourselves to be led by foolish and blind guides?  Yea, how long will ye choose darkness rather than light?” (Helaman 13:29). 

Chastising the scribes and Pharisees, the Savior told them, “Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men” (Matthew 15:7-9). 

Paul would warn the Colossians,

Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind,

And not holding the Head, from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God.

Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances,

Which are after the doctrines and commandments of men, who teach you to touch not, taste not, handle not; all those things which are to perish with the using?

Which things have indeed a show of wisdom in will worship, and humility, and neglecting the body as to the satisfying the flesh, not in any honor to God.

Colossians 2:18-22 (bolded parts of verses 21-22 are from

                                               the Joseph Smith Translation)

The blood of the saints that were killed will cry out from the ground to the Lord.

And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held:

And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?

And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should ^crest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.

Revelation 6:9-11

Moroni₂ warned us about secret combinations.

And whatsoever nation shall uphold such secret combinations, to get power and gain, until they shall spread over the nation, behold, they shall be destroyed; for the Lord will not suffer that the blood of his saints, which shall be shed by them, shall always cry unto him from the ground for vengeance upon them and yet he avenge them not.

 Wherefore, O ye Gentiles, it is wisdom in God that these things should be shown unto you, that thereby ye may repent of your sins, and suffer not that these murderous combinations shall get above you, which are built up to get power and gain—and the work, yea, even the work of destruction come upon you, yea, even the sword of the justice of the Eternal God shall fall upon you, to your overthrow and destruction if ye shall suffer these things to be.

Wherefore, the Lord commandeth you, when ye shall see these things come among you that ye shall awake to a sense of your awful situation, because of this secret combination which shall be among you; or wo be unto it, because of the blood of them who have been slain; for they cry from the dust for vengeance upon it, and also upon those who built it up.

Ether 8:22-24

The churches will be corrupted.  Pride, false teachers and doctrines have caused these churches to be corrupted.  “He that is of a proud heart stirreth up strife: but he that putteth his trust in the LORD shall be made fat [IE prosperous]” (Proverbs 28:25).  The Savior warned the Nephites, “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves” (3 Nephi 14:15).

2 Nephi 28:5-8

In the last days, Nephi tells us, people will deny the power of Christ.  Writing about this time, Nephi previously wrote:

And the Gentiles are lifted up in the pride of their eyes, and have stumbled, because of the greatness of their stumbling block, that they have built up many churches; nevertheless, they put down the power and miracles of God, and preach up unto themselves their own wisdom and their own learning, that they may get gain and grind upon the face of the poor.

2 Nephi 26:20

Paul wrote Timothy describing the conditions in the last days.

THIS know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.

For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,

Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers [GR slanderers], incontinent [GR without self-control], fierce, despisers of those that are good,

Traitors, heady [GR rash, reckless], highminded [GR puffed up, conceited], lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;

Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

2 Timothy 3:1- 5

They will deny the existence of God.  We see that today.  We have seen many books written by so-called “intellectuals” who want to convince those of us not as wise as they are there is no God. 

Alma₂ told Korihor:

Yea, they durst not make use of that which is their own lest they should offend their priests, who do yoke them according to their desires, and have brought them to believe, by their traditions and their dreams and their whims and their visions and their pretended mysteries, that they should, if they did not do according to their words, offend some unknown being, who they say is God—a being who never has been seen or known, who never was nor ever will be.

Alma 30:28

Those that still know of God’s existence will claim the day of miracles has passed.  He no longer does these things.  Mormon warned, “Yea, and wo unto him that shall say at that day, to get gain, that there can be no miracle wrought by Jesus Christ; for he that doeth this shall become like unto the son of perdition, for whom there was no mercy, according to the word of Christ” (3 Nephi 29:7).

Channeling his father, Moroni₂ would write, “And now, O all ye that have imagined up unto yourselves a god who can do no miracles, I would ask of you, have all these things passed, of which I have spoken?  Has the end come yet?  Behold I say unto you, Nay; and God has not ceased to be a God of miracles” (Mormon 9:15).

Today, there are many who accept f “eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die; and it shall be well with us” (2 Nephi 28:7) philosophy.  Alma₂ had to deal with an anti-Christ, Korihor.  His teachings embody what we are warned against by Nephi.

Ye look forward and say that ye see a remission of your sins.  But behold, it is the effect of a frenzied mind; and this derangement of your minds comes because of the traditions of your fathers, which lead you away into a belief of things which are not so.

And many more such things did he say unto them, telling them that there could be no atonement made for the sins of men, but every man fared in this life according to the management of the creature; therefore every man prospered according to his genius, and that every man conquered according to his strength; and whatsoever a man did was no crime.

Alma 30:16-17

Donald Parry looks at the words of Isaiah and how they apply to us today.

Woe unto them that rise up early in the morning, that they may follow strong drink; that continue until night, till wine inflame them! (Isaiah 5:11)

This passage indicates revelry and unholy merrymaking among those who spend time in immoral entertainment. It warns all against making strong drink their passion. A passage from the Book of Mormon presents a prophecy that corresponds in some ways to this verse of Isaiah: "There shall be many which shall say: Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die; and it shall be well with us" (2 Nephi 28:7). But these are "false and vain and foolish doctrines" (Isaiah 5:9).[1]

Like Korihor, there are those today who believe we should not (and will not) be held accountable for our actions.  They find ways to justify actions, claiming it’s not a person’s fault for what they do. 

Isaiah  prophesied,

And in that day did the Lord GOD of hosts call [IE He called for repentance]  to weeping, and to mourning, and to baldness, and to girding with sackcloth:

And behold joy [IE They went on with revelry as usual] and gladness, slaying oxen, and killing sheep, eating flesh, and drinking wine: let us eat and drink; for to morrow we shall die.

And it was revealed in mine ears by the LORD of hosts, Surely this iniquity shall not be purged from you till ye die, saith the Lord GOD of hosts.

Isaiah 22:12-14

In Malachi’s day, he faced the same problem.  “Ye have wearied the LORD with your words.  Yet ye say, Wherein have we wearied him?  When ye say, Every one that doeth evil is good in the sight of the LORD, and he delighteth in them; or, Where is the God of judgment” (Malachi 2:17).

Moroni2 warned those of us who would read the Book of Mormon we would face the same challenges.

Yea, it shall come in a day when there shall be great pollutions upon the face of the earth; there shall be murders, and robbing, and lying, and deceivings, and whoredoms, and all manner of abominations; when there shall be many who will say, Do this, or do that, and it mattereth not, for the Lord will uphold such at the last day.  But wo unto such, for they are in the gall of bitterness and in the bonds of iniquity.

Mormon 8:31

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[1] Visualizing Isaiah – A Warning to the Wicked, Donald W. Parry, Maxwell Institute, accessed November 24, 2013.

2 Nephi 28:1-4

Chapter 28

Many false churches shall be built up in the last days—They shall teach false and vain and foolish doctrines—Apostasy shall abound because of false teachers—The devil shall rage in the hearts of men—He shall teach all manner of false doctrines. About 559–545 B.C.

Nephi begins by testifying that the words he has spoken “must surely come to pass” (2 Nephi 28:1).  A book will come forth.  This book will be of great value to the gentiles, but “especially unto our seed, which is a remnant of the house of Israel” (2 Nephi 28:2).

Nephi was referring to what he had seen in his vision before they arrived in the Promised Land. 

And it came to pass that I beheld the remnant of the seed of my brethren, and also the book of the Lamb of God, which had proceeded forth from the mouth of the Jew, that it came forth from the Gentiles unto the remnant of the seed of my brethren.

And after it had come forth unto them I beheld other books, which came forth by the power of the Lamb, from the Gentiles unto them, unto the convincing of the Gentiles and the remnant of the seed of my brethren, and also the Jews who were scattered upon all the face of the earth, that the records of the prophets and of the twelve apostles of the Lamb are true.

1 Nephi 13:38-39

The day will come when churches are built up.  “Scholars estimate that more than 10,000 such [New Religious Movements] may have formed in the developing world in the past century, totaling more than 12 million members.”[1] (One observation – I am using this quote to show how many churches have been built up over the years.  I make no judgment about these New Religious Movements.)

Many of these churches will not be built up “unto the Lord” (2 Nephi 28:3).  Talking to his brethren after they arrived in the Promised Land, Nephi told them:

For the time speedily shall come that all churches which are built up to get gain, and all those who are built up to get power over the flesh, and those who are built up to become popular in the eyes of the world, and those who seek the lusts of the flesh and the things of the world, and to do all manner of iniquity; yea, in fine, all those who belong to the kingdom of the devil are they who need fear, and tremble, and quake; they are those who must be brought low in the dust; they are those who must be consumed as stubble; and this is according to the words of the prophet.

1 Nephi 22:23

Paul dealt with this same challenge in the early Christian Church.

Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions [GR factions, schisms] among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.

For it hath been declared unto me of [GR about, concerning] you, my brethren, by them which are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you.

Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ.

Is Christ divided?  was Paul crucified for you?  or were ye baptized in the name of Paul?

1 Corinthians 1:10-13

The same problem also arose among the Nephites two centuries after Christ’s ministry to the Nephites.  “And they began to be divided into classes; and they began to build up churches unto themselves to get gain, and began to deny the true church of Christ.” (4 Nephi 1:26). 

The churches will not only be set up to get gain, but they will “contend one with another … and they shall teach their learning and deny the Holy Ghost” (2 Nephi 28:4).  Jacob would describe these people.

O that cunning plan of the evil one!  O the vainness, and the frailties, and the foolishness of men!  When they are learned they think they are wise, and they hearken not unto the counsel of God, for they set it aside, supposing they know of themselves, wherefore, their wisdom is foolishness and it profiteth them not.  And they shall perish.

2 Nephi 9:28

Dennis Largey sums up what the Book of Mormon teaches about true religion.

Through story, prophecy, and sermon, the Book of Mormon denounces paid clergy (Alma 1:3, 20:2 Nephi 26:31); infant baptism (Moroni 8); systems of religion that deny miracles, revelation, and prophecy (2 Nephi 28:4—6; 3 Nephi 29:5,6); systems that preach salvation based exclusively upon the law (Mosiah 13:27—37); being saved by grace alone (2 Nephi 25:23); and the philosophy that mercy can rob justice (2 Nephi 28:7, 8). The Book of Mormon also denounces religion that restricts God to a single book of scripture (2 Nephi 29).[2]

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[1] New religious movements meet widely varied needs, William Hamblin and Daniel Peterson, for the Deseret News, Saturday, Nov. 16 2013, accessed November 21, 2013.

[2] The Book of Mormon, an Interpretive Guide to the New Testament, Dennis Largey, Maxwell Institute, accessed November 22, 2013.

2 Nephi 26:30-33

How do you deal with priestcraft?  Living God’s commandment that we should have charity.  Moroni, writing the word of Mormon shared his definition of charity.

But charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth forever; and whoso is found possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well with him.

 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ; that ye may become the sons of God; that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is; that we may have this hope; that we may be purified even as he is pure.  Amen.

Moroni 7:47-48

Those involved in priestcraft think of themselves first, foremost, and always.  And, when they get around to it, we may do things for others.  Priestcraft is me at the expense of others.

James gave us a wonderful definition of charity, pure religion.  “Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the [JST James 1:27 ... the vices of the world]” (James 1:27).

Nephi makes clear those who labor “in Zion shall labor for Zion” (2 Nephi 26:31). Whoever works for money will perish.

Jacob would remind the Nephites:

Think of your brethren like unto yourselves, and be familiar with all and free with your substance, that they may be rich like unto you.

But before ye seek for riches, seek ye for the kingdom of God.

And after ye have obtained a hope in Christ ye shall obtain riches, if ye seek them; and ye will seek them for the intent to ^ado good—to clothe the naked, and to feed the hungry, and to liberate the captive, and administer relief to the sick and the afflicted.

Jacob 2:17-19

The Lord would tell Hyrum Smith, “Seek not for riches but for wisdom; and, behold, the mysteries of God shall be unfolded unto you, and then shall you be made rich.  Behold, he that hath eternal life is rich” (D&C 11:7). 

Don Norton explains:

The problem of a materialistic outlook on life is that it produces a false sense of security—as if humans have things under control. (Some critics lay similar blame on another sacrosanct feature of our modern world—technology.) If the Book of Mormon has one great message, it is the danger of the love and inequitable distribution of material things. In every case, the Nephite slide into corruption begins with the words "costly apparel" (or as we would say today, "designer clothes"). The charge is clear: "But the laborer in Zion shall labor for Zion; for if they labor for money they shall perish" (2 Nephi 26:31). "It is the love of money and the love of those things which money can buy which destroys us. The love of [money] . . . warps our values . . . and fosters selfishness and greed," President Gordon B. Hinckley warned priesthood bearers as recently as the April 1997 General Conference.[1]

We have been commanded not to murder, lie, steal, take the name of the Lord in vain, envy, have malice, contend with one another, and not commit whoredoms.  If we do, than we shall perish.

No iniquities come from the Lord.  He does good for all men.  All are invited to come and partake of the goodness of the Lord.  No one is denied.  Be they “black and white, bond and free, male and female, and he remembereth the heathen; and all are alike unto God” (2 Nephi 26:33).

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[1] Working toward Zion: Principles of the United Order for the Modern World, reviewed by Don Norton, Maxwell Institute, accessed November 20, 2013.

2 Nephi 26:27-29

Nephi asks, “[h]ath he commanded any that they should not partake of his salvation” (2 Nephi 26:27).  No!  The choice is ours.  It has been given to us, free for all.  Paul wrote, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God” (Ephesians 2:8).

We see that salvation is a gift, given to freely, by the Savior.  All he asks is that we repent and follow Him. 

Has God commanded anyone that they should not partake of His goodness?  He commands no one.  It is our choice.  No one is better than anyone else is.  Paul told the Romans, “For there is no respect [GR partiality] of persons with God” (Romans 2:11).

Alma₂ told Zeezrom, “Or in fine, in the first place they were on the same standing with their brethren; thus this holy calling being prepared from the foundation of the world for such as would not harden their hearts, being in and through the atonement of the Only Begotten Son, who was prepared—“ (Alma 13:5).

Nephi had made this same point to Laman and Lemuel. 

And now, do ye suppose that the children of this land, who were in the land of promise, who were driven out by our fathers, do ye suppose that they were righteous?  Behold, I say unto you, Nay.

Do ye suppose that our fathers would have been more choice than they if they had been righteous?  I say unto you, Nay.

Behold, the Lord esteemeth all flesh in one; he that is righteous is favored of God.  But behold, this people had rejected every word of God, and they were ripe in iniquity; and the fulness of the wrath of God was upon them; and the Lord did curse the land against them, and bless it unto our fathers; yea, he did curse it against them unto their destruction, and he did bless it unto our fathers unto their obtaining power over it.

(1 Nephi 17:33-35)

Nephi makes it very clear that “there shall be no priestcrafts” (2 Nephi 26:29).  What did Nephi mean when he tells us the Lord commanded no priestcrafts among the people?

Priestcraft, a word not in most modern dictionaries, is defined by the 1828 American Dictionary of the English Language by Noah Webster as "the stratagems and frauds of priests; fraud or imposition in religious concerns; management of selfish and ambitious priests to gain wealth and power, or to impose on the credulity of others." This is in contrast to the same dictionary's definitions of priesthood: (1) "the office or character of a priest" and (2) "the order of men set apart for sacred offices; the order composed of priests." From these definitions, it is clear that priestcrafts, including the order of Nehor, are counterfeits or frauds of priesthood or the sacred priestly order.[1]

A man  who practices priestcrafts are more interested in getting “gain and praise of the world, but they seek no the welfare of Zion” (2 Nephi 26:29).

After converting to the gospel, Simon the Sorcerer saw Peter and John exercising their priesthood.

Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John:

Who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost:

(For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.)

Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost.

And when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles' hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money,

Saying, Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost.

But Peter said unto him, Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money.

(Acts 8:14-20)

The Savior warned the Nephites:

And thus commandeth the Father that I should say unto you: At that day when the Gentiles shall sin against my gospel, and shall reject the fulness of my gospel, and shall be lifted up in the pride of their hearts above all nations, and above all the people of the whole earth, and shall be filled with all manner of lyings, and of deceits, and of mischiefs, and all manner of hypocrisy, and murders, and priestcrafts, and whoredoms, and of secret abominations; and if they shall do all those things, and shall reject the fulness of my gospel, behold, saith the Father, I will bring the fulness of my gospel from among them.

3 Nephi 16:10

The Lord warned Joseph Smith:

Behold, there are many called, but few are chosen.  And why are they not chosen?

Because their hearts are set so much upon the things of this world, and aspire to the honors of men, that they do not learn this one lesson—

That the rights of the priesthood are inseparably connected with the powers of heaven, and that the powers of heaven cannot be controlled nor handled only upon the principles of righteousness.

That they may be conferred upon us, it is true; but when we undertake to cover our sins, or to gratify our pride, our vain ambition, or to exercise control or dominion or compulsion upon the souls of the children of men, in any degree of unrighteousness, behold, the heavens withdraw themselves; the Spirit of the Lord is grieved; and when it is withdrawn, Amen to the priesthood or the authority of that man.

D&C 121:34-37

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[1] Conflicting Orders: Alma and Amulek in Ammonihah Conflicting Orders: Alma and Amulek in Ammonihah, Thomas R. Valletta, Maxwell Institute, accessed November 18, 2013.

2 Nephi 26:21-25

The day will come when the Gentiles will face challenges and stumbling blocks.  One of these will be the churches.  There will be many churches built, but they will not be built unto the Lord.  In fact, these churches will be responsible for the problems they face.  They will be responsible for envyings, strifes, and malice. 

Paul warned:  “Now I beseech you, brethren, mark [GR watch, beware of] them which cause divisions [GR stumbling blocks, scandals] and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple [GR innocent, guileless]” (Romans 16:17-18).

In addition to the problems that will be caused by the churches, secret combinations will continue to plague society.  The devil the founder of these groups, groups involved in murder and works of darkness.  They devil leads them “by the neck with a flaxen cord, until he bindeth them with his stronger cords forever” (2 Nephi 26:22).

Nephi would later write:

For the kingdom of the devil must shake, and they which belong to it must needs be stirred up unto repentance, or the devil will grasp them with his everlasting chains, and they be stirred up to anger, and perish;

For behold, at that day shall he rage in the hearts of the children of men, and stir them up to anger against that which is good.

And others will he pacify, and lull them away into carnal security, that they will say: All is well in Zion; yea, Zion prospereth, all is well—and thus the devil cheateth their souls, and leadeth them away carefully down to hell.

2 Nephi 28:19-21

Richard Rust discussed secret combinations.

The nature, rise, and effect of secret combinations is a third significant type of narrative that is reinforced and confirmed by repetition. Jacob anticipates the problem of Gadiantonism when he warns the Nephites about the devil's stirring up secret combinations (2 Nephi 9:9). Likewise, Nephi's prophecies of secret combinations among the Gentiles and Alma's testimony that the Jaredites were destroyed because of their secret works (2 Nephi 26:22; Alma 37:30) prefigure the effect such works of darkness will have on the Nephite nation. The character of secret combinations is presented dramatically and frighteningly in the detailed accounts of Kishkumen and Gadianton and their band (Helaman 2–16) and of Akish's machinations (Ether 8). One account confirms the other.[1] 

Secret combinations work in secret.  They hide their membership; the do their works in secret.  Nephi reminds us, unlike the secret combinations, “the Lord God worketh not in darkness” (2 Nephi 26:23).

The Lord has one purposed.  He does nothing unless we benefit this.  Ammon would proclaim, “Now my brethren, we see that God is mindful of every people, whatsoever land they may be in; yea, he numbereth his people, and his bowels of mercy are over all the earth.  Now this is my joy, and my great thanksgiving; yea, and I will give thanks unto my God forever” (Alma 26:37).

Christ made clear that “God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).  He explained “if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me” (John 12:32).

Jacob taught, “Yea, I know that ye know that in the body he shall show himself unto those at Jerusalem, from whence we came; for it is expedient that it should be among them; for it behooveth the great Creator that he suffereth himself to become subject unto man in the flesh, and die for all men, that all men might become subject unto him” (2 Nephi 9:5). 

The beauty and power of Christ’s offer is that salvation is an offer, nothing more; nothing less.  Lehi taught, “men are free according to the flesh; and all things are given them which are expedient unto man.  And they are free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil; for he seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself” (2 Nephi 2:27). 

Christ welcomes all people.  He turns none who come to Him away.

Elder Neal Maxwell told us:

Nephi tells us that God "doeth not anything save it be for the benefit of the world" (2 Nephi 26:24). The knowledge concerning God's plan of salvation, repeatedly and carefully set forth in the Book of Mormon, can counter the hopelessness and despair of some who lament the human predicament in which they feel mortals are "conceived without consent" and "wrenched whimpering into an alien universe."¹ So many mortals desperately need to know there is divine design. No wonder the Lord told Joseph Smith that the Restoration came to increase faith in the earth! (see Doctrine and Covenants 1:21).[2]

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[1] "To Show unto the Remnant of the House of Israel" - Narrators and Narratives,  Richard Dilworth Rust, Maxwell Institute, accessed November 16, 2013.

[2] By the Gift and Power of God, Neal Maxwell, Maxwell Institute, accessed November 16, 2013.

2 Nephi 26:20

After prophesying about the coming forth of his record, Nephi tells us “that those who have dwindled in unbelief shall be smitten by the hand of the Gentiles” (2 Nephi 26:19).  Nephi had been shown in vision, “many multitudes of the Gentiles upon the land of promise; and I beheld the wrath of God, that it was upon the seed of my brethren; and they were scattered before the Gentiles and were smitten” (1 Nephi 13:14).

The descendants of Lehi, through Laman and Lemuel, as well as the descendants of the sons of Ishmael, would suffer because they turned away from the Lord.  Christ taught those that survived the calamities that occurred after Christ’s resurrection:

But wo, saith the Father, unto the unbelieving of the Gentiles—for notwithstanding they have come forth upon the face of this land, and have scattered my people who are of the house of Israel; and my people who are of the house of Israel have been cast out from among them, and have been trodden under feet by them;

And because of the mercies of the Father unto the Gentiles, and also the judgments of the Father upon my people who are of the house of Israel, verily, verily, I say unto you, that after all this, and I have caused my people who are of the house of Israel to be smitten, and to be afflicted, and to be slain, and to be cast out from among them, and to become hated by them, and to become a hiss and a byword among them—

3 Nephi 16:8-9

Emphasizing the importance of the record, Mormon would write, “And also that a knowledge of these things must come unto the remnant of these people, and also unto the Gentiles, who the Lord hath said should scatter this people, and this people should be counted as naught among them—therefore I write a small abridgment, daring not to give a full account of the things which I have seen, because of the commandment which I have received, and also that ye might not have too great sorrow because of the wickedness of this people” (Mormon 5:9).

Over time, the Gentiles will be lifted up in their pride and but they will stumble.  Solomon warned, “When pride cometh, then cometh shame: but with the lowly is wisdom”

(Proverbs 11:2). 

What will cause them to stumble is the churches they build up.  Ezekiel warned, “Again, When a righteous man doth turn from his righteousness, and commit iniquity, and I lay a stumblingblock before him, he shall die: because thou hast not given him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he hath done shall not be remembered; but his blood will I require at thine hand” (Ezekiel 3:20).

Nephi explained this to his brethren.  “For the time speedily shall come that all churches which are built up to get gain, and all those who are built up to get power over the flesh, and those who are built up to become popular in the eyes of the world, and those who seek the lusts of the flesh and the things of the world, and to do all manner of iniquity; yea, in fine, all those who belong to the kingdom of the devil are they who need fear, and tremble, and quake; they are those who must be brought low in the dust; they are those who must be consumed as stubble; and this is according to the words of the prophet” (1 Nephi 22:23).

Nephi saw, in vision, that there would be two churches.  “And it came to pass that he said unto me: Look, and behold that great and abominable church, which is the mother of abominations, whose founder is the devil. And he said unto me: Behold there are save two churches only; the one is the church of the Lamb of God, and the other is the church of the devil; wherefore, whoso belongeth not to the church of the Lamb of God belongeth to that great church, which is the mother of abominations; and she is the whore of all the earth” (1 Nephi 14:9-10).

These churches will “put down the power and miracles of God, and preach up unto themselves their own wisdom and their own learning, that they may get gain” (2 Nephi 26:20).  Jacob knew of Nephi’s prophesy.  This would lead him to say, “O that cunning plan of the evil one!  O the vainness, and the frailties, and the foolishness of men!  When they are learned they think they are wise, and they hearken not unto the counsel of God, for they set it aside, supposing they know of themselves, wherefore, their wisdom is foolishness and it profiteth them not.  And they shall perish” (2 Nephi 9:28).  Nephi would write, “And they shall contend one with another; and their priests shall contend one with another, and they shall teach with their learning, and deny the Holy Ghost, which giveth utterance … O the wise, and the learned, and the rich, that are puffed up in the pride of their hearts, and all those who preach false doctrines, and all those who commit whoredoms, and pervert the right way of the Lord, wo, wo, wo be unto them, saith the Lord God Almighty, for they shall be thrust down to hell!” (2 Nephi 28:4, 15).

Elder Neal Maxwell would explain how important the things of God are in a true religion.

Benjamin, who twice pointedly mentions his "clear conscience" (Mosiah 2:15, 17), did not do so to be legalistic, but instead, he wanted to do everything he could to keep his people "in wisdom's paths" (Mosiah 2:36). But the wisdom's path he cited is sharply distinguished from the "world and the wisdom thereof" (I Nephi 11:35). Benjamin knew that without revelations, prophets, and sacred records, mankind must settle for "preach[ing] up . . . their own wisdom" (2 Nephi 26:20), which is not much of an offering, brothers and sisters. Only the Holy Ghost can keep us on the strait and narrow path, which is wisdom's path (see Mosiah 2:36).[1]

Richard Draper explains how the Nephite pride would lead to their fall.

In sum, the Nephites committed hubris in two ways: they rebelled against God, attempting to relegate to themselves his power by force; and they sought that which was forbidden—to avenge themselves on their enemies. The work of pride caused them to compete with both God and man. The result was atē—spiritual blindness so profound that the people could neither see nor feel. Final catastrophe was their unsought reward—not ultimately of losing battles to the Lamanites but dying in rebellion against God. To those living in the last days the Lord warned: "Beware of pride, lest ye become as the Nephites of old" (D&C 38:39). The reason God's warning lies particularly upon the Americas seems to be the unprecedented wealth the land provides. Partaking of its easy abundance, Americans often forget from whom the blessings flow. In their blindness, they attribute their success to themselves and desire more. Pride sets in. As in the case of Nephite society, "the people began to be distinguished by ranks, according to their riches and their chances for learning, yea, some were ignorant because of their poverty, and others did receive great learning because of their riches" (3 Nephi 6:12). Nephi knew this was exactly the condition that would beset those upon this continent in the latter days. The Gentiles, he attested, "are lifted up in the pride of their eyes, and have stumbled, because of the greatness of their stumbling block, that they have built up many churches; nevertheless, they put down the power and miracles of God, and preach up unto themselves their own wisdom and their own learning, that they may get gain and grind upon the face of the poor" (2 Nephi 26:20).[2]

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[1] King Benjamin's Sermon: A Manual for Discipleship, Elder Neal A. Maxwell, Maxwell Institute, accessed November 14, 2013.

[2] Hubris and Atē: A Latter-day Warning from the Book of Mormon, Richard D. Draper, Maxwell Institute, accessed November 14, 2013.

2 Nephi 26:17-19

Nephi tells us that the things the Lord does among his people will be written in these books.  During his vision, Nephi saw this being done.

And after it had come forth unto them I beheld other books, which came forth by the power of the Lamb, from the Gentiles unto them, unto the convincing of the Gentiles and the remnant of the seed of my brethren, and also the Jews who were scattered upon all the face of the earth, that the records of the prophets and of the twelve apostles of the Lamb are true.

And the angel spake unto me, saying: These last records, which thou hast seen among the Gentiles, shall establish the truth of the first, which are of the twelve apostles of the Lamb, and shall make known the plain and precious things which have been taken away from them; and shall make known to all kindreds, tongues, and people, that the Lamb of God is the Son of the Eternal Father, and the Savior of the world; and that all men must come unto him, or they cannot be saved.

And they must come according to the words which shall be established by the mouth of the Lamb; and the words of the Lamb shall be made known in the records of thy seed, as well as in the records of the twelve apostles of the Lamb; wherefore they both shall be established in one; for there is one God and one Shepherd over all the earth.

And the time cometh that he shall manifest himself unto all nations, both unto the Jews and also unto the Gentiles; and after he has manifested himself unto the Jews and also unto the Gentiles, then he shall manifest himself unto the Gentiles and also unto the Jews, and the last shall be first, and the first shall be last.

1 Nephi 13:39-42

Towards the end of his record, Nephi would write the Lord’s words:

For I command all men, both in the east and in the west, and in the north, and in the south, and in the islands of the sea, that they shall write the words which I speak unto them; for out of the books which shall be written I will judge the world, every man according to their works, according to that which is written.

For behold, I shall speak unto the Jews and they shall write it; and I shall also speak unto the Nephites and they shall write it; and I shall also speak unto the other tribes of the house of Israel, which I have led away, and they shall write it; and I shall also speak unto all nations of the earth and they shall write it.

2 Nephi 29:11-12

The words written in these books will be sealed.  This was a common practice among the Jews in Nephi’s time.  John Welch writes:

[T]he Book of Mormon is indeed a binding document, a legal warning, a proclamation, a testament, covenant, and contract. Its provisions are about covenants of the Lord. It has much to do with rights of land possession, and it contains the terms and conditions that the owner of the land of promise requires those who occupy that land to obey. In other words, the religious and secular spheres were not widely separated in antiquity, and the Book of Mormon presents sacred materials often by using legalistic forms or concepts. These factors may well explain why Nephi would associate this legal form, typically used for legal contracts, with the final presentation of the Nephite records.

Moreover, the process of sealing up the Nephite records served several practical and religious purposes. To keep the record pure, Nephi and his posterity were instructed that the records should be "sealed up to come forth in their purity" (1 Nephi 14:26). As further protection against destruction, the Lord instructed his scribes to seal up the writings in a book so that "those who have dwindled in unbelief shall not have them, for they seek to destroy the things of God" (2 Nephi 26:17). Prophetically, Nephi reported that the book would be dedicated to the Lord, "sealed up again unto the Lord" (2 Nephi 30:3).[1]

Hugh Nibley explains:

Because the world is touchy and resentful of what it does not understand—"Dogs bark at strangers," says the immortal Heracleitus—the keeping of the record is much concerned with hiding, withholding, dissembling, rationing, and disguising: "Having been commanded of the Lord that I should not suffer the records which had been handed down by our fathers, which were sacred, to fall into the hand of the Lamanites, (for the Lamanites would destroy them) therefore I . . . hid up in the hill Cumorah all the records which had been entrusted to me by the hand of the Lord." (Mormon 6:6); "Those who have dwindled in unbelief shall not have them, for they seek to destroy the things of God." (2 Nephi 26:17.) Such things are "sealed up" and "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 27:8.)[2]

The threats to the records were real.  Enos would tell us the Lamanites “swore in their wrath that, if it were possible, they would destroy our records and us, and also all the traditions of our fathers” (Enos 1:14).  Shortly before his death, Mormon would tell us “having been commanded of the Lord that I should not suffer the records which had been handed down by our fathers, which were sacred, to fall into the hands of the Lamanites, (for the Lamanites would destroy them) therefore I made this record out of the plates of Nephi, and hid up in the hill Cumorah all the records which had been entrusted to me by the hand of the Lord, save it were these few plates which I gave unto my son Moroni” (Mormon 6:6).

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[1] Doubled, Sealed, Witnessed Documents: From the Ancient World to the Book of Mormon, John Welch, Maxwell Institute, accessed November 13, 2013.

[2] A Strange Thing in the Land: The Return of the Book of Enoch—Part 1, Hugh Nibley, Maxwell Institute, accessed November 13, 2013.

2 Nephi 26:12-16

Continuing to discuss the Jews and Christ, Nephi tells us that not only is it important that the Jews be convinced that Jesus is the Christ, but the gentiles must be convinced as well.  He would later write:

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.

And it shall come to pass that the Lord God shall commence his work among all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people, to bring about the restoration of his people upon the earth.

2 Nephi 30:7-8

Mormon would emphasize:

Now these things are written unto the remnant of the house of Jacob; and they are written after this manner, because it is known of God that wickedness will not bring them forth unto them; and they are to be hid up unto the Lord that they may come forth in his own due time.

And this is the commandment which I have received; and behold, they shall come forth according to the commandment of the Lord, when he shall see fit, in his wisdom.

And behold, they shall go unto the unbelieving of the Jews; and for this intent shall they go—that they may be persuaded that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God; that the Father may bring about, through his most Beloved, his great and eternal purpose, in restoring the Jews, or all the house of Israel, to the land of their inheritance, which the Lord their God hath given them, unto the fulfilling of his covenant;

Mormon 5:12-14

Christ will reveal Himself to all who believe in Him through the power of the Holy Ghost.  Miracles, signs, and wonders will be done among all people according to their faith.  When the people cry to the Lord, He will hear their prayers. 

“And now the Lord was slow to hear their cry because of their iniquities; nevertheless the Lord did hear their cries, and began to soften the hearts of the Lamanites that they began to ease their burdens; yet the Lord did not see fit to deliver them out of bondage” (Mosiah 21:15).

Nephi begins to prophesy concerning the last days.  The Lord will bring forth these things to the children of men.  Those who are descended of the Nephites and Lamanites will have dwindled in unbelief. 

They will have suffered at the hands of the Gentiles.  They will undergo abuse and “shall have been brought down low in the dust” (2 Nephi 26:15).  But, the prayers of the righteous “shall be written and the prayers of the faithful shall be heard, and all those who have dwindle in unbelief shall not be forgotten” (2 Nephi 26:15).

The records will be those who are destroyed speaking from the dust.  ”[T]he Lord God will give unto him power, that he may whisper concerning them, even as it were out of the ground; and their speech shall whisper out of the dust” (2 Nephi 26:16).

Richard Rust writes about the concept of dust.

After the Nephites have been brought "down low in the dust, . . . yet the words of the righteous shall be written," and the Lord God shall speak concerning them "even as it were out of the ground; and their speech shall whisper out of the dust" (2 Nephi 26:15-16). In other words, the latter-day Lamanites shall be awakened to repentance by a voice considered dead. Life shall come out of death, words of eternal life from the voice out of the dust.[1]

John Tvedtnes and Hugh Nibley look at records from the dust.

Among the books to come forth was the Book of Mormon, which Nephi wrote about when likening the prophecy found in Isaiah 29 to his own people and their records. He wrote of a sealed book that would be "kept … until the own due time of the Lord, that they may come forth" (2 Nephi 27:10). This book, he noted, "shall come forth, and be written unto the Gentiles, and sealed up again unto the Lord" (2 Nephi 30:3) … Referring to Isaiah 29:4, Nephi wrote that "those who shall be destroyed shall speak unto them out of the ground, and their speech shall be low out of the dust, and their voice shall be as one that hath a familiar spirit" (2 Nephi 26:16). He noted in the farewell at the end of his record, "I speak unto you as the voice of one crying from the dust" (2 Nephi 33:13).[2]

First of all, there is something almost alarmingly literal about these "voices from the dust." For these documents [Dead Sea Scrolls] were deliberately buried in the deep dust of the cave floors and came forth in choking clouds of dust—the finders had to wear masks: "For those who shall be destroyed shall be low out of the dust, and their voice shall be as one that hath a familiar spirit; for the Lord God will give unto him power, that he may whisper concerning them, even as it were out of the ground; and their speech shall whisper out of the dust" (2 Nephi 26:16). They have not survived accidentally, as most other ancient writings have, but were hidden away on purpose; nor were they simply left behind or misplaced or forgotten by people who moved on and lived out their lives elsewhere—the people who left these records died soon after they buried them and died on the spot, the victims of a savage religious war. "For those who shall be destroyed shall speak unto them out of the ground" (2 Nephi 26:16).[3]

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[1] Book of Mormon Imagery, Richard Dilworth Rust, Maxwell Institute, accessed November 10, 2013.

[2] The Records Come Forth, John Tvedtnes, Maxwell Institute, accessed November 10, 2013.

[3] The Prophetic Book of Mormon, Hugh Nibley, Maxwell Institute, accessed November 10, 2013.