2 Nephi 25:18-21

18 Wherefore, he shall bring forth his words unto them, which words shall judge them at the last day, for they shall be given them for the purpose of convincing them of the true Messiah, who was rejected by them; and unto the convincing of them that they need not look forward any more for a Messiah to come, for there should not any come, save it should be a false Messiah which should deceive the people; for there is save one Messiah spoken of by the prophets, and that Messiah is he who should be rejected of the Jews.

19 For according to the words of the prophets, the Messiah cometh in six hundred years from the time that my father left Jerusalem; and according to the words of the prophets, and also the word of the angel of God, his name shall be Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

20 And now, my brethren, I have spoken plainly that ye cannot err. And as the Lord God liveth that brought Israel up out of the land of Egypt, and gave unto Moses power that he should heal the nations after they had been bitten by the poisonous serpents, if they would cast their eyes unto the serpent which he did raise up before them, and also gave him power that he should smite the rock and the water should come forth; yea, behold I say unto you, that as these things are true, and as the Lord God liveth, there is none other name given under heaven save it be this Jesus Christ, of which I have spoken, whereby man can be saved.

21 Wherefore, for this cause hath the Lord God promised unto me that these things which I write shall be kept and preserved, and handed down unto my seed, from generation to generation, that the promise may be fulfilled unto Joseph, that his seed should never perish as long as the earth should stand.

In the last days, the Savior will bring forth His words.  When He appeared and taught the Nephites, He told them…

“And I command you that ye shall write these sayings after I am gone, that if it so be that my people at Jerusalem, they who have seen me and been with me in my ministry, do not ask the Father in my name, that they may receive a knowledge of you by the Holy Ghost, and also of the other tribes whom they know not of, that these sayings which ye shall write shall be kept and shall be manifested unto the Gentiles, that through the fulness of the Gentiles, the remnant of their seed, who shall be scattered forth upon the face of the earth because of their unbelief, may be brought in, or may be brought to a knowledge of me, their Redeemer” (3 Nephi 16:4).

Nephi, writing the words of the Lord, shared the importance His words be written.  “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” (2 Nephi 29:11). 

Mormon would emphasize the importance of the Savior’s words.  The first was in the Words of Mormon.

“Wherefore, it came to pass that after Amaleki had delivered up these plates into the hands of king Benjamin, he took them and put them with the other plates, which contained records which had been handed down by the kings, from generation to generation until the days of king Benjamin.

“And they were handed down from king Benjamin, from generation to generation until they have fallen into my hands.  And I, Mormon, pray to God that they may be preserved from this time henceforth.  And I know that they will be preserved; for there are great things written upon them, out of which my people and their brethren shall be judged at the great and last day, according to the word of God which is written” (Words of Mormon 1:10-11).

Mormon would record the Savior’s words during his ministry to the Nephites.

“Write the things which ye have seen and heard, save it be those which are forbidden.

“Write the works of this people, which shall be, even as hath been written, of that which hath been.

“For behold, out of the books which have been written, and which shall be written, shall this people be judged, for by them shall their works be known unto men.

“And behold, all things are written by the Father; therefore out of the books which shall be written shall the world be judged.

“And know ye that ye shall be judges of this people, according to the judgment which I shall give unto you, which shall be just.  Therefore, what manner of men ought ye to be?  Verily I say unto you, even as I am” (3 Nephi 27:23-27).

The words that are written are to convince the Jews Christ was the true Messiah.  “And as I [Nephi] spake concerning the convincing of the Jews, that Jesus is the very Christ, it must needs be that the Gentiles be convinced also that Jesus is the Christ, the Eternal God” (2 Nephi 26:12). 

In his book, Mormon would explain why he was making this abridgement.

“And I write also unto the remnant of this people, who shall also be judged by the twelve whom Jesus chose in this land; and they shall be judged by the other twelve whom Jesus chose in the land of Jerusalem.

“And these things doth the Spirit manifest unto me; therefore I write unto you all.  And for this cause I write unto you, that ye may know that ye must all stand before the judgment–seat of Christ, yea, every soul who belongs to the whole human family of Adam; and ye must stand to be judged of your works, whether they be good or evil;

“And also that ye may believe the gospel of Jesus Christ, which ye shall have among you; and also that the Jews, the covenant people of the Lord, shall have other witness besides him whom they saw and heard, that Jesus, whom they slew, was the ^every Christ and the very God” (Mormon 3:19-21).

These words are also to let the Jews know “they need not look forward any more for a Messiah to come, for there should not any come, save it should be a false Messiah which should deceive the people; for there is save one Messiah spoken of by the prophets, and that Messiah is he who should be rejected of the Jews” (2 Nephi 25:18).

Nephi tell us according to the prophets, the Savior will come six hundred years after they left Jerusalem.  It was revealed to Nephi “his name shall be Jesus Christ, the Son of God” (2 Nephi 25:19).

Nephi took pride in plain speaking.  He does so in order for his people to understand his words.  Writing about the Exodus, Nephi reminds his people of the incident with the poisonous serpents.  The serpent raised up by Moses, which would heal the people, represents Christ.  Speaking to Nicodemus, the Savior told him, “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up” (John 3:14).

Before leaving for the Promised Land, Nephi had told Laman and Lemuel, “And he did straiten them in the wilderness with his rod; for they hardened their hearts, even as ye have; and the Lord straitened them because of their iniquity.  He sent fiery flying serpents among them; and after they were bitten he prepared a way that they might be healed; and the labor which they had to perform was to look; and because of the simpleness of the way, or the easiness of it, there were many who perished” (1 Nephi 17:41)

Alma₂ made clear that it was the Savior who “was spoken of by Moses; yea, and behold a type was raised up in the wilderness, that whosoever would look upon it might live.  And many did look and live” (Alma 33:19).

Nephi₃ told the crowd, “Yea, did he not bear record that the Son of God should come?  And as he lifted up the brazen serpent in the wilderness, even so shall he be lifted up who should come. And as many as should look upon that serpent should live, even so as many as should look upon the Son of God with faith, having a contrite spirit, might live, even unto that life which is eternal” (Helaman 8:14 - 15). 

Nephi testified to his people (and the readers of the Book of Mormon today), “that as these things are true, and as the Lord God liveth, there is none other name given under heaven save it be this Jesus Christ, of which I have spoken, whereby man can be saved” (2 Nephi 25:20). 

When Peter testified to “Annas the high priest, and Caiaphas, and John, and Alexander, and as many as were of the kindred of the high priest” (Acts 4:6), he told them, “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). 

Nephi again reminds us that he received a promise from the Lord his record will be preserved, “from generation to generation” (2 Nephi 25:21).  The promise made to Joseph that his seed will not perish “as long as the earth should stand” (2 Nephi 25:21).

Amos wrote about the promise made to Joseph by the Lord.  “Hate the evil, and love the good, and establish judgment in the gate: it may be that the LORD God of hosts will be gracious unto the remnant of Joseph” (Amos 5:15).

When General Moroni₁ recruited Nephites for his army, carrying the Title of Liberty, the Nephite descent from Joseph play are part of his call.

“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.

“Now behold, this giveth my soul sorrow; nevertheless, my soul hath joy in my son, because of that part of his seed which shall be taken unto God.

“Now behold, this was the language of Jacob.

“And now who knoweth but what the remnant of the seed of Joseph, which shall perish as his garment, are those who have dissented from us?  Yea, and even it shall be ourselves if we do not stand fast in the faith of Christ” (Alma 46:24-27).