15 Wherefore, the Jews shall
be scattered among all nations; yea, and also Babylon shall be destroyed;
wherefore, the Jews shall be scattered by other nations.
16 And after they have been
scattered, and the Lord God hath scourged them by other nations for the space
of many generations, yea, even down from generation to generation until they
shall be persuaded to believe in Christ, the Son of God, and the atonement,
which is infinite for all mankind—and when that day shall come that they shall
believe in Christ, and worship the Father in his name, with pure hearts and
clean hands, and look not forward any more for another Messiah, then, at that
time, the day will come that it must needs be expedient that they should
believe these things.
17 And the Lord will set his
hand again the second time to restore his people from their lost and fallen
state. Wherefore, he will proceed to do a marvelous work and a wonder among the
children of men.
The Jews will crucify Christ. After the crucifixion, Jerusalem was invaded by the Romans and destroyed. Jews were scattered throughout the world. Jacob had echoed his brother, Nephi’s, teachings. “Wherefore, because of their iniquities, destructions, famines, pestilences, and bloodshed shall come upon them; and they who shall not be destroyed shall be scattered among all nations” (2 Nephi 10:6).
Terrence Szink comments:
“Not only was there wickedness in
the Old World that resulted in the crucifixion of Jesus, but there was great
wickedness among the Nephites and Lamanites in the New World at that time.
Third Nephi describes the rise of the secret combinations, the collapse of the
government, the murder of prophets, and general wickedness that characterized
the age (see 3 Nephi 7:5–7).
“Because of this wickedness,
vengeance was swift in coming. According to Nephi, "the Jews shall be
scattered among all nations; yea, and also Babylon shall be destroyed;
wherefore, the Jews shall be scattered by other nations" (2 Nephi 25:15).
The Jewish historian Josephus described in graphic detail the Roman siege and
capture of Jerusalem. Jesus, while prophesying of this destruction,
identified the era as days of vengeance: ‘For these be the days of
vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled’ (Luke 21:22,
emphasis added).”[1]
The scattering of the Jews
throughout the world will last for generations. It will last until the day
comes “they shall be persuaded to believe in Christ, the Son of God, and the
atonement” (2 Nephi 25:16). Ezekiel prophesied of this day. “As a shepherd
seeketh out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered;
so will I seek out my sheep, and will deliver them out of all places where they
have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day” (Ezekiel 34:12).
Towards the end of his life,
Mormon addressed the gathering of the Jews. “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 5:14).
Nephi 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).
In the Book of Mormon, “Messiah”
and “Christ” have specific meanings and uses.
“The distinction between ‘Messiah’
and ‘Christ’ when used together in the Book of Mormon is one of generic versus
specific, between the concept of a messiah as understood by the Jews and the
particular being that the Nephites believe to be the messiah. Thus Nephi urges
his readers to ‘believe in Christ, the Son of God, [specific] . . . and look
not forward any more for another Messiah [general]’ (2 Nephi 25:16). Thus the
distinction between ‘Messiah’ and ‘Christ’ can be viewed as a nuance of English
exploited that we ‘might come to understanding’ (D&C 1:24), but need not
reflect anything about the Nephite language.”[2]
After the Jews accept Christ,
they will be restored “from their lost and fallen state” (2 Nephi 25:17). On
that day, “he will proceed to do a marvelous work and a wonder among the
children of men” (2 Nephi 25:17).
Nephi would again 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” (2 Nephi 29:1). Nephi was reminding
us of the words of Isaiah, “Therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvellous
work among this people, even a marvellous work and a wonder: for the wisdom of
their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall
be hid”
(Isaiah 29:14).
After recording his account of
Christ’s visit to the Nephites, Mormon wrote:
“Therefore, great and marvelous
works shall be wrought by them, before the great and coming day when all people
must surely stand before the judgment–seat of Christ;
“Yea even among the Gentiles
shall there be a great and marvelous work wrought by them, before that judgment
day.
“And if ye had all the scriptures
which give an account of all the marvelous works of Christ, ye would, according
to the words of Christ, know that these things must surely come” (3 Nephi
28:31-33).
The words of Aaron Schade are an
appropriate way to end this post.
“The chain of events that
transpired from Lehi's ministry in Jerusalem— including his dreams, obtaining
the plates, transporting them to the American continent, the rise and fall of
civilizations, and the eventual transmission and translation by the Prophet
Joseph Smith—leaves no doubt that the Book of Mormon truly is part of a ‘marvelous
work and a wonder’ (2 Nephi 25:17; 27:26).”[3]
[2] La Trahison des Clercs: On the Language and
Translation of the Book of Mormon, John Gee, Maxwell Institute.
[3] The
Kingdom of Judah: Politics, Prophets, and Scribes in the Late Preexilic Period,
Aaron P. Schade, Maxwell Institute.
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