Sunday, March 22, 2020

2 Nephi 10:15-17


15 Wherefore, for this cause, that my covenants may be fulfilled which I have made unto the children of men, that I will do unto them while they are in the flesh, I must needs destroy the secret works of darkness, and of murders, and of abominations.
16 Wherefore, he that fighteth against Zion, both Jew and Gentile, both bond and free, both male and female, shall perish; for they are they who are the whore of all the earth; for they who are not for me are against me, saith our God.
17 For I will fulfil my promises which I have made unto the children of men, that I will do unto them while they are in the flesh—

Continuing his sermon, Jacob tells the people that all covenants made by the Lord will be filled during this lifetime.  There will be works of darkness (sins done is secret[1]) and other evils, but they will be destroyed by the Lord.

“In 2 Nephi 10, Jacob, Nephi's younger brother, also quotes some unique, divine covenant pronouncements … [The Lord] foretells that America would be a land of inheritance for Jacob's descendants and also a land of liberty for the gentiles. The Lord continues, ‘Wherefore, for this cause, that my covenants may be fulfilled which I have made unto the children of men, . . . I must needs destroy the secret works of darkness, and of murders, and of abominations’ (2 Nephi 10:15); he would fulfill his promises to the righteous, which would include having the gentiles both afflict and bless Jacob's seed. Thus the coming of the gentiles to America is an important precondition for the fulfilling of God's covenants to the house of Israel, especially Lehi's seed.”[2]

The Lord warns those that fight against Zion are against Him.  In his vision, the angel told him, “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 14:10).  The Savior Himself made it clear, “He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad” (Matthew 12:30).

Here, Jacob reiterates his brother, Nephi’s, teachings.  There are only two churches, the Church of the Lamb and the Great and Abominable Church of the Devil.  Those who follow Christ belong to the Church of the Lamb.  Those that oppose Christ and his church belong to the Church of the Devil.

Hugh Nibley comments:

“For [Jacob] as for Nephi there are just two sides to the question. He groups all factions and complexions of people into two arbitrary categories. After naming seven different groups, he adds, ‘But I shall call them Lamanites that seek to destroy the people of Nephi, and those who are friendly to Nephi I shall call Nephites’ (Jacob 1:14). In the same way, Nephi had explained: ‘He that fighteth against Zion, both Jew and Gentile . . . are they who are the whore of all the earth’ (2 Nephi 10:16). By this reasoning there are never more than ‘save two churches only’ in the world, and indeed Nephi's much-commented remark to that effect (1 Nephi 14:10) reads more like a statement of general principle than the denunciation of one particular church among many.”[3]

The Lord promises He “will fulfil my promises which I have made unto the children of men, that I will do unto them while they are in the flesh” (2 Nephi 10:17).


[1] That Old Black Magic, William J. Hamblin, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute
[2] Covenant Teachings of the Book of Mormon, Victor L. Ludlow, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute
[3] Churches in the Wilderness, Hugh W. Nibley, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute

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