2 Nephi 29:3-5

After prophesying about the Book of Mormon going forth into the world, we are told the word of the Lord “shall hiss [to utter or whisper angrily or threateningly and with a hiss[1]] forth” (2 Nephi 29:3).  How will the Gentiles respond?  The Lord tells us, “A Bible!  A Bible!  We have got a Bible, and there cannot be any more Bible” (2 Nephi 29:3). 

Hugh Nibley explains:

But does the world really need more than the Bible to do these things? Nephi predicted what the reaction of the world would be to the claims of the Book of Mormon: "Many of the Gentiles shall say: A Bible! A Bible! We have got a Bible, and there cannot be any more Bible" (2 Nephi 29:3). The moment the book was presented for sale this prophecy began to be fulfilled, when the most eminent newspaper of the region, The Rochester Daily Advertiser of Rochester, New York, published the following opinion:

BLASPHEMY
Book of Mormon, Alias the Golden Bible
The Book of Mormon has been placed in our hands. A viler imposition was never practiced. It is an evidence of fraud, blasphemy, and credulity, shocking to both Christians and moralists⁶.[2]

This has been a cry against the Book of Mormon since its publication.  Many Christians accept that the Bible is all the scripture the Lord has given us and will give us no more. 

John Welch writes about developments in Biblical studies.

[O]ne can now see that there were significant losses of text, and even of whole books, from the Bible.² A significant stir of criticism is now afoot in Christian theology, asking why certain books were excluded from the Bible and wondering what makes a text scriptural. Thomas Hoffman writes of the theoretical possibility "that a lost epistle of an apostle could still be accepted into the canon." He remarks that the reasons why "such books as the Shepherd of Hermas, the First Epistle of Clement, or the Epistle of Barnabas . . . were eventually dropped from the canon are not that clear."³ Robert Detweiler sees it as "entirely conceivable" that if the Latter-day Saints become more influential, people will "come to view the Book of Mormon with something of the same regard [as Christians now] give to the Pentateuch."⁴ The old cry, "A Bible! A Bible! We have got a Bible, and there cannot be any more Bible" (2 Nephi 29:3), is giving way in some circles like scarcely before.[3]

I find it surprising so many Christians reject additional records from the Lord.  Just looking through the New Testament, there are many things about which we know little.  A few examples demonstrate this.

·         Christ’s ministry lasted only three years.  Of that three-year ministry, we have only a fraction of His words.  It makes me wonder what teachings we don’t have.  For example, I don’t believe that the only parables Christ told are those we have in the Bible.  I would love to have a more complete record of His ministry.

·         On the Mount of Transfiguration, Christ commanded Peter, James, and John not to write or discuss those events until after His death.  We still don’t have a full account of what occurred.

·         After His resurrection, Christ taught his apostles for forty days.  We have no record of what was taught during that time.  Those teachings had to have been important for Christ to teach the apostles for such a long period.

·         We don’t have copies of letters that were sent to Paul.  We only have his responses.  It would be interesting to read the letter(s) to which he responded.

These are but a few examples of why the Lord might give us additional records and scriptures to go hand-in-hand with the Biblical record. 

The Lord calls these people fools.  The Bible comes to us from the Jews.  The angel guiding Nephi during his great vision told him:

And he said: Behold it proceedeth out of the mouth of a Jew. And I, Nephi, beheld it; and he said unto me: The book that thou beholdest is a record of the Jews, which contains the covenants of the Lord, which he hath made unto the house of Israel; and it also containeth many of the prophecies of the holy prophets; and it is a record like unto the engravings which are upon the plates of brass, save there are not so many; nevertheless, they contain the covenants of the Lord, which he hath made unto the house of Israel; wherefore, they are of great worth unto the Gentiles.

And the angel of the Lord said unto me: Thou hast beheld that the book proceeded forth from the mouth of a Jew; and when it proceeded forth from the mouth of a Jew it contained the fulness of the gospel of the Lord, of whom the twelve apostles bear record; and they bear record according to the truth which is in the Lamb of God.

Wherefore, these things go forth from the Jews in purity unto the Gentiles, according to the truth which is in God.

1 Nephi 13:23-25

In a revelation Joseph Smith received regarding the lost 116 manuscript pages, the Lord made it clear to Joseph, “Nevertheless, my work shall go forth, for inasmuch as the knowledge of a Savior has come unto the world, through the testimony of the Jews, even so shall the knowledge of a Savior come unto my people—“ (D&C 3:16).

When the world rejects the Book of Mormon because we have a Bible, the Lord asks a number of questions.  Do they thank the Jews for the Bible?  Do they remember, “the travails, and the labors, and the pains of the Jews, and their diligence unto me, in bringing forth salvation unto the Gentiles” (2 Nephi 29:4). 

The truth is that they have cursed and hated the Jews.  They “have not sought to recover them” (2 Nephi 29:5).  The Lord has not forgotten His chosen people.  “I will return all these things upon [their] own heads” (2 Nephi 29:5).

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[1] Miriam-Webster on-line dictionary, accessed December 17, 2013.

[2] Introduction to an Unknown Book, Hugh Nibley, Maxwell Institute, accessed December 17, 2013.

[3] The Plain and Precious Parts, John W. Welch, Maxwell Institute, accessed December 17, 2013.

2 Nephi 29:1-2

Chapter 29

Many gentiles shall reject the Book of Mormon—They shall say: We need no more Bible—The Lord speaks to many nations—He will judge the world out of the books thus written. About 559–545 B.C.

The words in this chapter are the words of the Lord and recorded by Nephi.  The Lord again reveals more to Nephi about the “marvelous work” He will do among men.  What is this marvelous work?  It will be the coming forth of the Book of Mormon.  Hugh Nibley asks the question, “Why the Book of Mormon?”. 

The twenty-seventh and twenty-ninth chapters of the book of 2 Nephi explain the conditions under which the Lord has brought forth the Book of Mormon in modern times and his purpose in doing so:

·         To show the human race the vanity of their wisdom and to show them "that I know all their works" (2 Nephi 27:26—27).

·         To teach the meek and correct ancient misunderstandings (2 Nephi 27:25, 30).

·         To serve as a great central rallying point for the work of the last days: "a standard unto my people," recalling them to their covenants (2 Nephi 29:1—2).

·         To stand beside the Bible as "the testimony of two nations ... a witness unto you that I am God, that I remember one nation like unto another" (2 Nephi 29:8).

·         "That I may prove unto many that I am the same yesterday, today, and forever; ... for my work is not yet finished" (2 Nephi 29:9).

·         It is "written to the Lamanites ... and also to Jew and Gentile ... —Which is to show unto the remnant of the House of Israel what great things the Lord hath done for their fathers; and that they may know the covenants of the Lord, that they are not cast off forever—And also to the convincing of the Jew and Gentile that JESUS is the CHRIST, the ETERNAL GOD, manifesting himself unto all nations" (Title Page to the Book of Mormon).

·         At a time when men "cast many things away which are written and esteem them as things of naught" (2 Nephi 33:2), the Book of Mormon, containing "the fulness of the gospel of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles and to the Jews also; ... was given by inspiration, and is confirmed to others by the ministering of angels, and is declared unto the world by them—Proving to the world that the holy scriptures are true, and that God does inspire men and call them to his holy work in this age and generation, as well as in generations of old; Thereby showing that he is the same God yesterday, today, and forever. Amen" (D&C 20:9—12).[1]

When the Lord does his work, he will do it “that I may remember my covenants which I have made unto the children of men” (2 Nephi 29:1).  At this time, He will, for a second time, “recover my people which are of the house of Israel” (2 Nephi 29:1).

Jacob taught the Nephites about the second time the Lord will recover the house of Israel.  “And behold, according to the words of the prophet, the Messiah will set himself again the second time to recover them; wherefore, he will manifest himself unto them in power and great glory, unto the destruction of their enemies, when that day cometh when they shall believe in him; and none will he destroy that believe in him” (2 Nephi 6:14).

Hugh Nibley continues:

[The appearance of the Book of Mormon] is not a triumphant one at all, but only marks the first step, the very beginning, of the latter-day work: "Therefore, when ye shall receive this record ye may know that the work of the Father has commenced upon all the face of the land" (Ether 4:17). It shows "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). It is characteristic of adventist and millennialist sects to preach a hasty and spectacular consummation of all things. Not so the Book of Mormon, whose coming forth is depicted only as the opening scene of a long and eventful drama. With it, "the work of the Father" has commenced, not ended (1 Nephi 14:17; 2 Nephi 3:13; 30:8; 3 Nephi 21:26—28; Mormon 3:17).[2]

The Book of Mormon will go forth because the Lord promised both Nephi and Lehi that the words of Nephi’s seed would “proceed forth out of my moth unto your seed” (2 Nephi 29:2).  As he was writing his last comments on the plates, Moroni2 wrote, “I declare these things unto the fulfilling of the prophecies.  And behold, they shall proceed forth out of the mouth of the everlasting God; and his word shall hiss forth from generation to generation.  And God shall show unto you, that that which I have written is true” (Moroni 10:28 - 29).

The Book of Mormon will go forth along with other words of the Lord.  Hugh Nibley explains:

Question: Do you feel that the Lord's hand was involved in the discovery of [the Dead Sea Scrolls]?

Answer: Yes, he said he would bring these things out in his own way and in his own time, and it's really quite miraculous the way these things have happened, when you see the opposition to them. The Lord said he would send his words hissing forth from the dust (cf. 2 Nephi 29:2; Moroni 10:28), and none would be able to stop them…[3]

The Lord’s words will go forth to the entire world, “a standard unto my people which are of the house of Israel” (2 Nephi 29:2).

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[1] Introduction to an Unknown Book, Hugh Nibley, Maxwell Institute, accessed December 14, 2013.

[2] Prophecy in the Book of Mormon: The Three Periods, Hugh Nibley, Maxwell Institute, accessed December 14, 2013.

[3] Apocryphal Writings and Teachings of the Dead Sea Scrolls, Hugh W. Nibley, Maxwell Institute, accessed December 14, 2013.

2 Nephi 28

Chapter 28 is an important chapter.  If we read it carefully, we see that it is a “how-to” guide.  It shows us how the devil works; it shows us how he goes about placing us in the chains of hell.  Welch and Welch have put together a chart that will allow us to see how he works.  By paying attention to the devil’s methods, it will be easier to recognize them and defeat his efforts.

The Ways of the Devil[1]

Embedded in Nephi’s prophecy in 2 Nephi 28 are many phrases that describe the conduct of those who follow the devil.  These sins, Nephi states, Will pervade much of society in the latter days.  Today they can be found well-disguised as the philosophies and tendencies listed in this chart.  Such conditions are symptomatic of society’s passive acceptance of “false and vain and foolish doctrines” (2 Nephi 28:9) that can lead people away from God.  Knowing how the devil works and being able to see his tactics in operation in the ideologies of the world around us help prevent us from being taken captive by Satan, who leads people “carefully down to hell” (2 Nephi 28:21).

Tactic	Quotation	Verse
Exclusivism	“I am the Lord’s”	3
Cynicism	“deny the Holy Ghost, which giveth utterance”	4
Secularism	“deny the power of God”	5
Skepticism	“believe it not”	6
Naturalism	“he is not a God of miracles”	6
Hedonism	“eat, drink, and bet merry”	7
Fatalism	“tomorrow we die”	7
Popularism	“many … shall say”	8
Rationalizing	“justify in committing a little sin”	8
Criticism	“take the advantage of one because of his words”	8
Entrapment	“dig a pit for thy neighbor”	8
Permissivism	“do all these things”	8
Leniency	“god will beat us with a few stripes”	8
Egotism	“vain”	9
Imprudence	“foolish”	9
Arrogance	“puffed up in their hearts”	9
Self-Conception	“hide their counsels from the Lord”	9
Oppressionism	“rob the poor”	13
Ostentationism	“because of their fin sanctuaries”	13
Narcissism	“their fine clothing”	13
Supremism	“persecute the meek and the poor in heart”	13
Elitism	“stiff necks and high heads”	13
Immorality	“abominations and whoredoms”	14
Distortionism	“pervert the right way of the Lord”	15
Trivialism	“turn aside the just for a thing of naught”	16
Meanness	“revile against that which is good”	16
Dismissivism	“say that it is of no worth”	16
Tantrumism	“rage in the hearts of the children”	20
Emotionalism	“anger against that which is good”	20
Materialism	“into carnal security”	21
Toadyism	“others he will flatter”	22
Relativism	“there is no hell”	22
Complacency	“wo unto him that is at ease in Zion”	24
Secularism	“we need no more of the word of God”	29
Faithless Humanism	“putteth his trust in man”	30

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[1] Charting the Book of Mormon, John W. Welch and J. Gregory Welch, Chart 79.

2 Nephi 28:29-32

In the days the Lord will reveal His word to us, there will be those who will reject it.  Why?  “We have received the word of God and we need no more the word of God, for we have enough” (2 Nephi 28:29).  This is a common complaint against the Church and our acceptance of continuing revelation.  “We believe … all that [God] does now reveal, and we believe that He will yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to the Kingdom of God” (Articles of Faith 1:9).  Verse 29 is almost a direct quote of those who reject continuing revelation – “we have enough!”

When Moroni₂ was sealing the record that contained the brother of Jared’s vision of the history of the world, he quoted the word of the Lord.  “[H]e that will contend against the word of the Lord, let him be accursed; and he that shall deny these things, let him be accursed; for unto them will I show no greater things, saith Jesus Christ; for I am he who speaketh” (Ether 4:8).

Nephi informs us how the Lord works.  He does not give us everything at once.  We learn “line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little” (2 Nephi 29:30).  This is how we learn.  This is how I approach a unit when teaching my students.  I begin with the basics.  After I’m satisfied my students understand the basics, then we begin dealing with the higher concepts.  The times I don’t do this, my students don’t understand the unit, and I have to go back and re-teach. 

The Lord gives all people His word and principles.  Those that accept, learn, and understand His words will receive more.  He says to those who say “we have enough,” “from them shall be taken away even that which they have” (2 Nephi 28:30).  During His ministry, the Savior made this point clearly.  “Take heed therefore how ye hear: for whosoever hath, to him shall be given; and whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he seemeth to have” (Luke 8:18).

Alma₂ told Zeezrom, “And therefore, he that will harden his heart, the same receiveth the lesser portion of the word; and he that will not harden his heart, to him is given the greater portion of the word, until it is given unto him to know the mysteries of God until he know them in full” (Alma 12:10).

Hugh Nibley explains this concept.

Implicit and explicit in the concept of a gospel taught by degrees instead of all at once—"line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little, and there a little" (2 Nephi 28:30)—is the idea that the most important, the highest, and the holiest teachings come last.¹¹⁶ This is the exact opposite of the reasoning of the Christian world today, that the most important teachings must have come first, so that everything essential is known, while anything that may have escaped is not really vital. Few would dispute that the higher and holier a teaching is, the fewer are qualified to hear it: One need only recall the Lord's practice of discussing "the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven" only with his disciples behind closed doors, and of selecting only a few chosen apostles to share in the still greater mysteries such as the transfiguration. All Christians, indeed, agree that the most glorious manifestations are reserved for the end. But the importance of a teaching is not measured by its depth and wonder but by the particular need of the person receiving it. God does give people at all times what are for them the most important teachings that could possibly be given.[1]

We must choose whom we will trust.  There is man.  There is the Lord.  The Lord makes clear what the consequences of that choice are.  Those who put their trust in the arm of flesh are cursed.  The Lord said, “The weak things of the world shall come forth and break down the mighty and strong ones, that man should not counsel his fellow man, neither trust in the arm of flesh—But that every man might speak in the name of God the Lord, even the Savior of the world” (D&C 1:19-20).

The Lord revealed to Nephi, “Forasmuch as this people draw near unto me with their mouth, and with their lips do honor me, but have removed their hearts far from me, and their fear towards me is taught by the precepts of men—“ (2 Nephi 27:25).  Those that choose to hearken unto the Lord will be given them through the Holy Ghost.

The Lord will always reach out to the Gentiles, but they will deny Him.  Even so, He will show them mercy.  They must repent and come unto Him. 

Jacob told the Nephites, “And how merciful is our God unto us, for he remembereth the house of Israel, both roots and branches; and he stretches forth his hands unto them all the day long; and they are a stiffnecked and a gainsaying people; but as many as will not harden their hearts shall be saved in the kingdom of God” (Jacob 6:4).

During His ministry to the Nephites, the Savior told them, “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” (3 Nephi 16:8).

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[1] "…But Unto Them It Is Not Given" Hugh Nibley, Maxwell Institute, accessed December 10, 2013

2 Nephi 28:27-28

The day will come when some will proclaim, “We have received, and we need no more” (2 Nephi 28:27).  They will claim they know all they needed to know; they have read all they needed to read.  When additional knowledge from the Lord comes their way, they will reject it.

When confronting Zeezrom, Alma₂ told him, “[T]hey that will harden their hearts, to them is given the lesser portion of the word until they know nothing concerning his mysteries; and then they are taken captive by the devil, and led by his will down to destruction…”  (Alma 12:10-11).

During his ministry to the Nephites, the Savior also made this principle clear.  “And when they shall have received this, which is expedient that they should have first, to try their faith, and if it shall so be that they shall believe these things then shall the greater things be made manifest unto them.  And if it so be that they will not believe these things, then shall the greater things be withheld from them, unto their condemnation” (3 Nephi 26:9-10).

Whenever I read this scripture, I always think of the critics of the Church.  They claim we need nothing more than the Bible.  They refuse to accept the Lord would speak to man today.  Researching this post, I came across a different perspective.  Dilworth Parkinson applies this scripture to us as members of the Church.  His observations hit the nail on the head.

I'm not sure he is just referring to nonmembers and nonbelievers when he said this, however. I wonder if he also isn't referring to me as I sit in Sunday School class with one more lesson on faith wondering what more I could possibly learn about faith. No matter how much progress we have made, no matter what line we're on, we need more. We need a firmer witness, a clearer and deeper understanding, and a more practical, heart-changing incorporation of almost any gospel principle we could contemplate. If we are satisfied with where we are, if we are pretty sure we have the whole thing figured out, we are in effect saying: "We have received, and we need no more." The point of this life is to grow and progress, to become something so unbelievably far from where we are now that it almost seems ridiculous to contemplate. Learning the language of the gospel to the point of real native fluency—just like learning a foreign language as an adult—is difficult and can seem impossible when we contemplate the gulf between where we are and where we want to be. But God has given us a way to do it, and if what Brigham Young says is right, we get to it a little at a time by consistently working at it throughout our lives until the gospel gradually—and through his grace—becomes a part of us, truly "written in our hearts," one line at a time.[1]

I find it interesting how people react to the truth.  When hearing the truth, many rejoice and accept the word of God.  On the other hand, many get angry when they hear the truth.  Following up on Parkinson’s quote, this includes members of the Church. 

Immigration is a very hot political topic today (and has been for the last few years).  The Church released a statement concerning immigration June 2011 (see the statement here).  The statement was not appreciated by those who had a different stand on the issue.  These people expressed their disagreement.  There’s nothing wrong with having a different opinion on this issue than the Church.  What appalled me was that, in this group, there were regular, temple recommend holding, tithing paying members of the Church.  They were angry with the leadership of the Church.  This went against their cherished political philosophy.  Response reeked of anger towards the same Church leaders they had earlier sustained.  Sadly, anger with the word of God is not limited to those who are not members of our Church.

(Note:  I have my own opinions on the immigration issue.  I also believe intelligent people can look at the same set of facts and come to differing opinions.  I respect those with differing views from mine.  But, I was shocked when so-called “good” members of the Church addressed their leaders with so much anger and hate.  As Nephi said earlier, we can’t be complacent.  We can’t say “All is well in Zion.”  It isn’t.)

As he ended his record, Nephi wrote:

And I know that the Lord God will consecrate my prayers for the gain of my people.  And the words which I have written in weakness will be made strong unto them; for it persuadeth them to do good; it maketh known unto them of their fathers; and it speaketh of Jesus, and persuadeth them to believe in him, and to endure to the end, which is life eternal.

And it speaketh harshly against sin, according to the plainness of the truth; wherefore, no man will be angry at the words which I have written save he shall be of the spirit of the devil.

2 Nephi 33:4-5

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[1] "We Have Received, and We Need No More", Dilworth B. Parkinson, Maxwell Institute, accessed December 8, 2013. 

2 Nephi 28:23-26

Nephi writes about the fate of the wicked.  All those who have followed the devil will face death and hell.  They, along with the devil, must stand before God and be judged according to their works.  They will face the place that has been prepared for them, “a lake of fire and brimstone, which is endless torment” (2 Nephi 28:23).

In his revelation, John saw the fate of the wicked.  “And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image.  These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone” (Revelation 19:20).  “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death” (Revelation 21:8).

Speaking to the Nephites, Jacob, using his brother, Nephi’s words, warned them that, “according to the power of justice, for justice cannot be denied, ye must go away into that lake of fire and brimstone, whose flames are unquenchable, and whose smoke ascendeth up forever and ever, which lake of fire and brimstone is endless torment” (Jacob 6:10)

Noel Reynolds observes:

At the end of Zenos's allegory the bad fruit is "cast away into its own place" (Jacob 5:77). Jacob emphasizes the magnitude of this penalty upon wicked individuals by saying, "How cursed are they who shall be cast out into their own place" (Jacob 6:3). He then clarifies that because "justice cannot be denied," these offenders "must go away into that lake of fire and brimstone, whose flames are unquenchable, and whose smoke ascendeth up forever and ever, which lake of fire and brimstone is endless torment" (Jacob 6:10). This notion is paralleled in the revelation of John (Revelation 19:20; 20:14–15, 20) and in the writings of Nephi, who saw the same revelation (1 Nephi 14:24–27) and used the same phrase when he said of the wicked that "they must go into the place prepared for them, even a lake of fire and brimstone, which is endless torment" (2 Nephi 28:23). Thus it may well be that Nephi was the source of this language for Book of Mormon peoples (1 Nephi 14:24–28; cf. Jacob 3:11, Mosiah 2:37–39; Alma 12:17; 14:14).[1]

With all that is occurring in the world, we must not be “at ease in Zion” (2 Nephi 28:24).  We must be vigilant against the subtle efforts of the devil.  If we fail to be watchful, we will be in danger of falling into Satan’s trap.  We must, at all cost, not listen to the precepts of man that deny the power of God. 

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[1] Nephite Uses and Interpretations of Zenos, Noel Reynolds, Maxwell institute, accessed December 6, 2013.

2 Nephi 28:20-22

In the last days, Satan will do many things to destroy the Christ’s church.  Anger will be one of his tools.  Lehi, speaking to Jacob, told him that Satan “had fallen from heaven, and had become miserable forever, he sought also the misery of all mankind” (2 Nephi 2:18).  John the Revelator was shown that “it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations” (Revelation 13:7).

Anger is an intriguing and powerful emotion.  It can be used for good, as in righteous indignation.  Most of the time, anger is a destructive emotion.  It divides us, causes conflicts, and destroys families and friendships.  It is at the root of violent crime.  The devil loves this tool.  Christ is love.  Christ is persuasion.  Satan is destruction.

Though anger is an effective tool, the devil is a cunning enemy of righteousness.  He knows our weaknesses and uses them to defeat Christ’s work and us.

He attacks members of the Church.  He wants us to believe, “All is well is Zion.”  He lulls the member and that person becomes complacent.  When you become complacent, you are ripe for the picking.  The devil then “cheateth their souls, and leadeth them away carefully down to hell” (2 Nephi 28:21). 

Jacob was concerned about this complacency of the soul.  When preaching to the people under Nephi’s direction, he warned, “O, my beloved brethren, remember the awfulness in transgressing against that Holy God, and also the awfulness of yielding to the enticings of that cunning one.  Remember, to be carnally–minded is death, and to be spiritually–minded is life eternal” (2 Nephi 9:39).

He also warned his people, “O my brethren, hearken unto my words; arouse the faculties of your souls; shake yourselves that ye may awake from the slumber of death; and loose yourselves from the pains of hell that ye may not become angels to the devil, to be cast into that lake of fire and brimstone which is the second death” (Jacob 3:11).

Hugh Nibley observes:

And so the timely reminder to the Church is this: Do not "suppose that ye are more righteous than the Gentiles. . . . For . . . ye shall . . . likewise perish; . . . ye need not suppose that the Gentiles are utterly destroyed" (2 Nephi 30:1). The Church is in the same danger as the Gentiles: "Wo be unto him that is at ease in Zion. Wo be unto him the crieth: All is well!" (2 Nephi 28:24—25). Here we see how the label of Zion has been processed in a smooth soft-sell by broadcasting: "All is well in Zion; yea, Zion prospereth, all is well . . .—the devil cheateth their souls, and leadeth them away carefully down to hell" (2 Nephi 28:21). That's the business of advertising, to cheat and lead carefully.[1]

Another tool of the devil’s is flattery.  He will flatter people, whispering in their ear there is no devil nor is there any hell.  People will begin to believe this and become wrapped by “his awful chains, from whence there is no deliverance” (2 Nephi 28:22). 

Alma₂ understood what Nephi meant when writing about the chains of hell.  “Now, as my mind caught hold upon this thought, I cried within my heart: O Jesus, thou Son of God, have mercy on me, who am in the gall of bitterness, and am encircled about by the everlasting chains of death”  (Alma 36:18).

Let’s close with the words of Hugh Nibley.

The most famous passage relevant to our subject is from another medieval epic, the opening refrain from Macbeth: "Fair is foul, and foul is fair: Hover through the fog and filthy air” … The worst thing about the "filthy air" is that it turns out to be a smoke-screen; Macbeth is led on and put off from day to day until he is done in. It is a smooth, white-collar scam such as Macbeth half suspected from the beginning: "But 'tis strange; And oftentimes, to win us to our harm, The instruments of darkness tell us truths, Win us with honest trifles, to betray 's In deepest consequence."¹⁶ What kind of honest trifles? Such pleasant bits as those pacifying public relations assurances, "We are not monsters or ogres, we are people just like you. We love our families just like you, we go to church too!" Or to quote the scriptures, "I am no devil" (2 Nephi 28:22). That, of course, is all perfectly true—the workers are not the culprits, but the pawns of owners, who use them to justify profitable pollution while hiring as few workers as possible and paying them as little as possible.[2]

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[1] Last Call: An Apocalyptic Warning from the Book of Mormon, Hugh Nibley, Maxwell Institute, accessed December 4, 2013.

[2] Stewardship of the Air, Hugh Nibley, Maxwell Institute, accessed  December 4, 2013.

2 Nephi 28:17-19

After warning that the fate of the wicked is destruction, Nephi writes, “if the inhabitants of the earth shall repent of their wickedness and abominations they shall not be destroyed” (2 Nephi 28:17).  Here, again, we see that the destruction promised by the Lord for the wicked will not occur if they wicked simply repent!

Ultimately, the great and abominable church of the devil must be destroyed.  It is referred to as “the whore of all the earth” (2 Nephi 28:18).  John wrote, “For true and righteous are his judgments: for he hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of his servants at her hand” (Revelation 19:2).

Nephi was told by the angel guiding him through his great vision:

And that great pit, which hath been digged for them by that great and abominable church, which was founded by the devil and his children, that he might lead away the souls of men down to hell—yea, that great pit which hath been digged for the destruction of men shall be filled by those who digged it, unto their utter destruction, saith the Lamb of God; not the destruction of the soul, save it be the casting of it into that hell which hath no end…

And when the day cometh that the wrath of God is poured out upon the mother of harlots, which is the great and abominable church of all the earth, whose founder is the devil, then, at that day, the work of the Father shall commence, in preparing the way for the fulfilling of his covenants, which he hath made to his people who are of the house of Israel.

1 Nephi 14:3, 17

It has always seemed appropriate that the church of the devil would be referred to as a whore.  As we’ve been studying Nephi’s words in Chapter 28, we learn that the wicked will do what they do for power and gain.  There’s something in it for them.  They sell their souls to devil.  A very appropriate analogy.

The day will come when the devil’s kingdom will shake, attempting to stir up his follower to repentance.  Nephi told his brethren:

And the righteous need not fear, for they are those who shall not be confounded.  But it is the kingdom of the devil, which shall be built up among the children of men, which kingdom is established among them which are in the flesh—

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 22:22-23

Following Alma₂, Amulek taught the people, “For behold, if ye have procrastinated the day of your repentance even until death, behold, ye have become subjected to the spirit of the devil, and he doth seal you his; therefore, the Spirit of the Lord hath withdrawn from you, and hath no place in you, and the devil hath all power over you; and this is the final state of the wicked” (Alma 34:35).

If those following the devil refuse to repent, they will become wrapped in his chains forever.  When offered the kingship by his people, Alma1 refused and told them, “And now I say unto you, ye have been oppressed by king Noah, and have been in bondage to him and his priests, and have been brought into iniquity by them; therefore ye were bound with the bands of iniquity” (Mosiah 23:12).

Confronting Zeezrom, Alma₂ explained what is meant by the chains of hell.  “And they that will harden their hearts, to them is given the lesser portion of the word until they know nothing concerning his mysteries; and then they are taken captive by the devil, and led by his will down to destruction.  Now this is what is meant by the chains of hell” (Alma 12:11).

Elder Neal Maxwell explained how to avoid these “stumbling blocks.”

Earlier, Nephi wrote of how the Lord would, "in word, and also in power," remove stumbling blocks in order to help some people believe (1 Nephi 14:1). In our time, the prevailing intellectual pattern is secular, and an "exceedingly great many do stumble" over and experience difficulty in accrediting and taking seriously revelations and sacred records (1 Nephi 13:29). Nephi also advised that the Lord will stir, even "shake," the kingdom of the devil in order to help bring some therein to repentance, which is a topic for another time (2 Nephi 28:19). For the meek, however, the Book of Mormon removes some very large stumbling blocks…”[1]

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[1] King Benjamin's Sermon: A Manual for Discipleship, Elder Neal A. Maxwell, Maxwell Institute, accessed December 2, 2013.