12 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.
13 And it shall come to pass that the Jews shall have the
words of the Nephites, and the Nephites shall have the words of the Jews; and
the Nephites and the Jews shall have the words of the lost tribes of Israel;
and the lost tribes of Israel shall have the words of the Nephites and the
Jews.
14 And it shall come to pass that my people, which are of
the house of Israel, shall be gathered home unto the lands of their
possessions; and my word also shall be gathered in one. And I will show unto
them that fight against my word and against my people, who are of the house of
Israel, that I am God, and that I covenanted with Abraham that I would remember
his seed forever.
As the Lord continues speaking to Nephi about additional records, He tells him the Jews, Nephites, and the other tribes of Israel will hear His word and make records containing His word. Lehi told Joseph, “Wherefore, the fruit of thy loins shall write; and the fruit of the loins of Judah shall write; and that which shall be written by the fruit of thy loins, and also that which shall be written by the fruit of the loins of Judah, shall grow together, unto the confounding of false doctrines and laying down of contentions, and establishing peace among the fruit of thy loins, and bringing them to the knowledge of their fathers in the latter days, and also to the knowledge of my covenants, saith the Lord” (2 Nephi 3:12).
The Lord will speak to all nations and they will be expected
to record His words. Alma2 wrote,
“the Lord doth grant unto all nations, of their own nation and tongue, to teach
his word, yea, in wisdom, all that he seeth fit that they should have;
therefore we see that the Lord doth counsel in wisdom, according to that which
is just and true” (Alma 29:8).
Leslie Taylor describes the Book of Mormon’s place among our
scriptures.
“The Book of Mormon is perhaps the most Logos-centric of all
scripture. Its significance as the word of God (Logos) is expressed in terms of
its divine origin and role. Written ‘by the spirit of prophecy and of
revelation,’ this sacred text was destined to ‘come forth by the gift and power
of God’ as an additional testimony of the word of God unto the inhabitants of
the earth (see title page, 1 Nephi 13:38–41; 2 Nephi 29:12–14; Mormon
7:8–9).”[1]
Once the word of the Lord has been recorded, the day will
come when these records will be made available to the entire world. “[T]he Jews shall have the words of the Nephites,
and the Nephites shall have the words of the Jews; and the Nephites and the
Jews shall have the words of the lost tribes of Israel; and the lost tribes of
Israel shall have the words of the Nephites and the Jews” (2 Nephi 29:13).
Mormon explained the Book of Mormon would someday go into
the world.
“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 5:13-14).
“The day will come when those that are of the house of
Israel will gather in the lands of their inheritance. At that time, the Lord words will be gathered
together. Ezekiel spoke about that
day. “Moreover, thou son of man, take
thee one stick [HEB wood. Wooden writing tablets were in common use in Babylon
in Ezekiel's day.], and write upon it, For Judah, and for the children of
Israel his companions: then take another stick, and write upon it, For Joseph,
the stick of Ephraim, and for all the house of Israel his companions:
“And join them one to another into one stick; and they shall
become one in thine hand” (Ezekiel 37:16-17).
To those who fight against the Lord’s word and His people
will learn that they are of the seed of Abraham. And, the covenants the Lord made with Abraham
will be remembered and known.
[1] The
Word of God, Leslie A. Taylor, Maxwell
Institute.
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