2 Nephi 10:23-25

23 Therefore, cheer up your hearts, and remember that ye are free to act for yourselves—to choose the way of everlasting death or the way of eternal life.

24 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, reconcile yourselves to the will of God, and not to the will of the devil and the flesh; and remember, after ye are reconciled unto God, that it is only in and through the grace of God that ye are saved.

25 Wherefore, may God raise you from death by the power of the resurrection, and also from everlasting death by the power of the atonement, that ye may be received into the eternal kingdom of God, that ye may praise him through grace divine. Amen.

As Jacob ends his sermon, he turns to a subject that is common in the Book of Mormon.  Remember, he said, “ye are free to act for yourselves” (2 Nephi 10:23).  He is repeating something Lehi told him as a part of his blessing.  “Wherefore, the Lord God gave unto man that he should act for himself.  Wherefore, man could not act for himself save it should be that he was enticed by the one or the other” (2 Nephi 2:16). 

Acting for ourselves, we have two choices.  The first choice is to follow the devil and received “everlasting death.”  The second choice is to follow the Lord and find “the way to eternal life” (2 Nephi 10:23).  Hugh Nibley writes:

“There is no more emphasized doctrine in the Apocrypha, especially the Christian Apocrypha, than the teaching of the Two Ways, the Way of Light and the Way of Darkness … Constantly the Book of Mormon people are told to choose between life and death, with emphasis on the fact that man is placed on this earth in the peculiar position of being able to choose either good or bad as long as he is here: ‘Remember that ye are free to act for yourselves—to choose the way of everlasting death or the way of eternal life’ (2 Nephi 10:23; cf. Helaman 14:30—31; Alma 12:29, 31; Alma 13:3; 1 Nephi 14:7).)[1]

Jacob calls upon the people to “reconcile yourselves to the will of God and not to the will of the devil” (2 Nephi 10:24).  There is only one way we are saved, and that is through the grace of Christ.

Again, Jacob is supporting Lehi’s teachings.

“All of this was, according to Lehi, part of the plan by which ‘there is an opposition in all things,’ allowing men to choose between good and evil (2 Nephi 2:11). The first of these choices was made in the garden of Eden, where the ’forbidden fruit [was] in opposition to the tree of life; the one being sweet and the other bitter’ (2 Nephi 2:15). Jacob reflected these concepts when he declared, ‘Reconcile yourselves to the will of God, and not to the will of the devil and the flesh’ (2 Nephi 10:24).”[2]

Jacob closes his sermon.  “[M]y God raise you from death by the power of the resurrection, and also from everlasting death by the power of the atonement” (2 Nephi 10:25).  John Tvedtnes observes:

“Jacob's teachings on resurrection derive directly from what he learned from his father. Lehi had spoken of the ‘power of the Spirit . . . the resurrection’ (2 Nephi 2:8), and told him that, without the resurrection, the body would ‘have been created for a thing of naught [and] there would have been no purpose in the end of its creation" and would have destroyed "the wisdom of God and his eternal purposes’ (2 Nephi 2:12). Jacob, too, referred to the ‘power of the resurrection’ (2 Nephi 9:6, 12; 10:25; Jacob 4:11; 6:9) and reflected other thoughts of Lehi in his discourse…”[3]

Again, Jacob refers to the grace of God.  John Gee writes:

“Nephi's brother Jacob extols the wisdom, mercy, and grace of God in providing the resurrection (2 Nephi 9:8, 53). Jacob, like his brother, notes that one must first be ‘reconciled unto God,’ and then, after that, one is saved ‘through the grace of God’ (2 Nephi 10:24). At that point ‘grace divine’ allows one to praise God (2 Nephi 10:25). Jacob also prefigures Jesus's own teaching by noting that ‘the Lord God showeth us our weakness that we may know that it is by his grace, and his great condescensions unto the children of men, that we have power to do these things’ (Jacob 4:7).”[4]

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[1] The Apocrypha and the Book of Mormon, Hugh W. Nibley, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute.

[2] The Influence of Lehi's Admonitions on the Teachings of His Son Jacob, John A. Tvedtnes, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute`.

[3] Ibid.

[4] The Grace of Christ, John Gee, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute .

2 Nephi 10:18-22

18 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, thus saith our God: I will afflict thy seed by the hand of the Gentiles; nevertheless, I will soften the hearts of the Gentiles, that they shall be like unto a father to them; wherefore, the Gentiles shall be blessed and numbered among the house of Israel.

19 Wherefore, I will consecrate this land unto thy seed, and them who shall be numbered among thy seed, forever, for the land of their inheritance; for it is a choice land, saith God unto me, above all other lands, wherefore I will have all men that dwell thereon that they shall worship me, saith God.

20 And now, my beloved brethren, seeing that our merciful God has given us so great knowledge concerning these things, let us remember him, and lay aside our sins, and not hang down our heads, for we are not cast off; nevertheless, we have been driven out of the land of our inheritance; but we have been led to a better land, for the Lord has made the sea our path, and we are upon an isle of the sea.

21 But great are the promises of the Lord unto them who are upon the isles of the sea; wherefore as it says isles, there must needs be more than this, and they are inhabited also by our brethren.

22 For behold, the Lord God has led away from time to time from the house of Israel, according to his will and pleasure. And now behold, the Lord remembereth all them who have been broken off, wherefore he remembereth us also.

 Continuing his discussion of the gentiles, Jacob warns the people that the gentiles “will afflict they seed by the hand of the Gentiles” (2 Nephi 10:18).  Even so, the hearts of the gentiles will be softened by the Lord.

Again, we see an example of Nephi’s influence of Jacob.  During his vision, the angel told him:

“Nevertheless, thou beholdest that the Gentiles who have gone forth out of captivity, and have been lifted up by the power of God above all other nations, upon the face of the land which is choice above all other lands, which is the land that the Lord God hath covenanted with thy father that his seed should have for the land of their inheritance; wherefore, thou seest that the Lord God will not suffer that the Gentiles will utterly destroy the mixture of thy seed, which are among thy brethren.

“Neither will he suffer that the Gentiles shall destroy the seed of thy brethren (1 Nephi 13:30-31).

Not only will the hearts of the gentiles be softened, “they shall be like a father to them” (2 Nephi 10:18).  For this, the gentiles will be blessed and someday become a part of the house of Israel.

Towards the end of his life, Nephi would write this about the gentiles.  “I also have charity for the Gentiles.  But behold, for none of these can I hope except they shall be reconciled unto Christ, and enter into the narrow gate, and walk in the strait path which leads to life, and continue in the path until the end of the day of probation” (2 Nephi 33:9).   Preaching to the Nephites on this continent, the Savior would tell the Nephites:

“And I will show unto thee, O house of Israel, that the Gentiles shall not have power over you; but I will remember my covenant unto you, O house of Israel, and ye shall come unto the knowledge of the fulness of my gospel.

“But if the Gentiles will repent and return unto me, saith the Father, behold they shall be numbered among my people, O house of Israel” (3 Nephi 16:12-13),

In his final words in 3 Nephi, Mormon addressed the gentiles directly:

“Turn, all ye Gentiles, from your wicked ways; and repent of your evil doings, of your lyings and deceivings, and of your whoredoms, and of your secret abominations, and your idolatries, and of your murders, and your priestcrafts, and your envyings, and your strifes, and from all your wickedness and abominations, and come unto me, and be baptized in my name, that ye may receive a remission of your sins, and be filled with the Holy Ghost, that ye may be numbered with my people who are of the house of Israel” (3 Nephi 30:2).

The promised land will be consecrated to the Nephites, Lamanites, and “them who shall be numbered among thy seed forever” (2 Nephi 10:19).  Returning again to Nephi’s vision, Nephi said, “And I beheld the Spirit of the Lord, that it was upon the Gentiles, and they did prosper and obtain the land for their inheritance; and I beheld that they were white, and exceedingly fair and beautiful, like unto my people before they were slain” (1 Nephi 13:15).

Bruce Boehm discusses the promised land.

“In one sense the entire promised land is a foreign land to the Nephites. As Israelites, the land of Canaan was also the land of their inheritance. This is what Ammon seems to mean when he says that they are separated from the rest of the house of Israel in a land foreign to the other Israelites (see Alma 26:[36])[1]. Yet Lehi tells his sons that ‘the Lord hath covenanted this land unto me, and to my children forever’ (2 Nephi 1:5).
“Further, throughout the Book of Mormon, Nephite prophets recognize that the Lord has given them the Americas as the land of their inheritance (see 2 Nephi 10:19).

“Both of these references to the promised land as a foreign land seem unusual unless we see the land of promise in terms of its spiritual significance. The Nephites, as the ancient Israelites, recognize that (in the spiritual sense) they are in a foreign land. Even the promised land is not the true inheritance of the Nephites. The promised land, as in the Old Testament, acts as a type or shadow pointing toward eternal life. Nephi makes it clear that ‘all things which have been given of God from the beginning of the world, unto man, are the typifying of him [Christ]’ (2 Nephi 11:4). The promised land is no exception; ‘given of God,’ it typifies Christ through pointing the Nephites' eyes toward the salvation and exaltation which come through Christ. Thus, recurring exodus to a new inheritance points readers forward to eternal life and reminds them that we must seek for an everlasting inheritance beyond this telestial world.”[2]

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[1] Yea, blessed is the name of my God, who has been mindful of this people, who are a branch of the tree of Israel, and has been lost from its body in a strange land; yea, I say, blessed be the name of my God, who has been mindful of us, wanderers in a strange land. (Alma 26:36)

[2] Wanderers in the Promised Land: A Study of the Exodus Motif in the Book of Mormon and Holy Bible, Bruce J. Boehm, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute.

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).

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[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

2 Nephi 10:8-14

8 And it shall come to pass that they shall be gathered in from their long dispersion, from the isles of the sea, and from the four parts of the earth; and the nations of the Gentiles shall be great in the eyes of me, saith God, in carrying them forth to the lands of their inheritance.

9 Yea, the kings of the Gentiles shall be nursing fathers unto them, and their queens shall become nursing mothers; wherefore, the promises of the Lord are great unto the Gentiles, for he hath spoken it, and who can dispute?

10 But behold, this land, said God, shall be a land of thine inheritance, and the Gentiles shall be blessed upon the land.

11 And this land shall be a land of liberty unto the Gentiles, and there shall be no kings upon the land, who shall raise up unto the Gentiles.

12 And I will fortify this land against all other nations.

13 And he that fighteth against Zion shall perish, saith God.

14 For he that raiseth up a king against me shall perish, for I, the Lord, the king of heaven, will be their king, and I will be a light unto them forever, that hear my words.

Jacob continues teaching about the gathering of the Jews.

When the Jews are scattered, they will be scattered throughout the world.  They will return “from the isles of the sea, and from the four parts of the earth” (2 Nephi 10:8).  Nephi taught Laman and Lemuel, “And behold, there are many who are already lost from the knowledge of those who are at Jerusalem.  Yea, the more part of all the tribes have been led away; and they are scattered to and fro upon the isles of the sea; and whither they are none of us knoweth, save that we know that they have been led away” (1 Nephi 22:4). 

The gentiles will be involved in this return.  Nephi said, “And after our seed is scattered the Lord God will proceed to do a marvelous work among the Gentiles, which shall be of great worth unto our seed; wherefore, it is likened unto their being nourished by the Gentiles and being carried in their arms and upon their shoulders” (1 Nephi 22:8).

The gentiles are a major support for the Jews.  How does this apply to the Nephites?  Alma₂ told the people of Ammonihah, “For behold, the promises of the Lord are extended to the Lamanites, but they are not unto you if ye transgress; for has not the Lord expressly promised and firmly decreed, that if ye will rebel against him that ye shall utterly be destroyed from off the face of the earth” (Alma 9:24).

The Lord reiterated His promise to Lehi and Nephi that this land would be the land of their inheritance.  The gentiles will also enjoy the blessings of the promised land.  Jacob was restating his words of the day before, “And blessed are the Gentiles, they of whom the prophet has written; for behold, if it so be that they shall repent and fight not against Zion, and do not unite themselves to that great and abominable church, they shall be saved; for the Lord God will fulfil his covenants which he has made unto his children; and for this cause the prophet has written these things” (2 Nephi 6:12).

This land will be a land of liberty for those who live in the promised land.  Lehi taught that the promise was not limited to his posterity.  “Wherefore, this land is consecrated unto him whom he shall bring.  And if it so be that they shall serve him according to the commandments which he hath given, it shall be a land of liberty unto them; wherefore, they shall never be brought down into captivity; if so, it shall be because of iniquity; for if iniquity shall abound cursed shall be the land for their sakes, but unto the righteous it shall be blessed forever” (2 Nephi 1:7). 

The Lord also promised “there shall be no kings upon the land, who shall raise up unto the Gentiles” (2 Nephi 10:11).  What was meant by “no kings?”  Kevin Christensen addressed this question.

Brant Gardner has observed of 2 Nephi 10:11 that Jacob's statement makes more sense if the comma in “‘There shall be no kings upon the land, who shall raise up unto the Gentiles' is removed. The context is thus one of conquering Gentile kings and the opposition that might rise up and defeat them. In other words, Jacob is prophesying that no non-Gentile kings will defeat the Gentiles, whose kings are the nursing fathers who will provide salvation to this colony of Israelites.”[1]

This land will be strengthened and protected against all other nations.  Nephi said, “And every nation which shall war against thee, O house of Israel, shall be turned one against another, and they shall fall into the pit which they digged to ensnare the people of the Lord.  And all that fight against Zion shall be destroyed, and that great whore, who hath perverted the right ways of the Lord, yea, that great and abominable church, shall tumble to the dust and great shall be the fall of it … For behold, the righteous shall not perish; for the time surely must come that all they who fight against Zion shall be cut off” (1 Nephi 22:14, 19).

The Lord will be our king and a light to us forever.  Leslie Taylor wrote:

“The Book of Mormon also testifies that it is the word of God that enlightens us and expands our minds (see Alma 32:34). This concept is often conveyed through the images of light and darkness in which the word of God is characterized as bringing people into the light and unto understanding. Through Jacob, the Lord prophesies that he ‘will be a light unto them forever, that hear my words’ (2 Nephi 10:14). In a speech to his brethren, Nephi makes a similar point and then adds a warning about spiritual darkness: ‘After I have spoken these words, if ye cannot understand them it will be because ye ask not, neither do ye knock; wherefore, ye are not brought into the light, but must perish in the dark’ (2 Nephi 32:4).”[2]

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[1] Hindsight on a Book of Mormon Historicity Critique, Kevin Christensen, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute.

[2]The Word of God, Leslie A. Taylor, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute.

2 Nephi 10:5-7

5 But because of priestcrafts and iniquities, they at Jerusalem will stiffen their necks against him, that he be crucified.

6 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.

7 But behold, thus saith the Lord God: When the day cometh that they shall believe in me, that I am Christ, then have I covenanted with their fathers that they shall be restored in the flesh, upon the earth, unto the lands of their inheritance.

Why would the Jews at Jerusalem crucify their God?  Jacob sums it up in two words – priestcrafts and iniquities.  The practice of priestcraft turns the priest into a person who is working for his own power and glory, rather than God’s.  The term priestcraft as we know it occurs in the 17^th century.  “After rise of Protestantism and the Enlightenment, [priestcraft] acquired a pejorative sense of ‘arts and devices of ambitious priests for attaining and holding temporal power and social control’ (1680s).”^[1]  The priests at Jerusalem became stiff-necked and turned against their God, crucifying Him. 

Because of the iniquities of the Jews, they will suffer “destructions, famines, pestilences, and bloodshed” (2 Nephi 10:6).  Those who do not perish will be scattered among all nations of the world.  Talking to Laman and Lemuel, Nephi told them:

“And as for those who are at Jerusalem, saith the prophet, they shall be scourged by all people, because they crucify the God of Israel, and turn their hearts aside, rejecting signs and wonders, and the power and glory of the God of Israel.

“And because they turn their hearts aside, saith the prophet, and have despised the Holy One of Israel, they shall wander in the flesh, and perish, and become a hiss and a byword, and be hated among all nations” (1 Nephi 19:13-14).

Nephi would also later write, “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” (2 Nephi 25:15).

Even though they will be scattered, there is hope for the Jews.  They day will come when they will accept Christ.  At that time, they will be restored “unto the lands  of their inheritance” (2 Nephi 10:7).  Remember, when Jacob spoke to the Nephites the day before, he told them:

“And now, my beloved brethren, I have read these things that ye might know concerning the covenants of the Lord that he has covenanted with all the house of Israel—

“That he has spoken unto the Jews, by the mouth of his holy prophets, even from the beginning down, from generation to generation, until the time comes that they shall be restored to the true church and fold of God; when they shall be gathered home to the lands of their inheritance, and shall be established in all their lands of promise” (2 Nephi 9:1-2).

Robert Millet summarizes Jacob’s words.

“The sequence of gathering—first to Christ and his Church and then to specific locations—is clear in Jacob's words. Having taught that the people of Jerusalem who reject the Savior will be ‘scattered among all nations,’ he added: ‘Thus saith the Lord God: When the day cometh that they shall believe in me, that I am Christ, then have I covenanted with their fathers that they shall be restored in the flesh, upon the earth, unto the lands of their inheritance’ (2 Nephi 10:6-7).”[2] 

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[1] Online Etymology Dictionary .

[2] The Gathering of Israel in the Book of Mormon: A Consistent Pattern, Robert L. Millet, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute .

2 Nephi 10:1-4

Chapter 10

Jews shall crucify their God—They shall be scattered until they begin to believe in him—America shall be a land of liberty where no king shall rule—Be reconciled to God and gain salvation through his grace. About 559–545 B.C.

1 And now I, Jacob, speak unto you again, my beloved brethren, concerning this righteous branch of which I have spoken.

2 For behold, the promises which we have obtained are promises unto us according to the flesh; wherefore, as it has been shown unto me that many of our children shall perish in the flesh because of unbelief, nevertheless, God will be merciful unto many; and our children shall be restored, that they may come to that which will give them the true knowledge of their Redeemer.

3 Wherefore, as I said unto you, it must needs be expedient that Christ—for in the last night the angel spake unto me that this should be his name—should come among the Jews, among those who are the more wicked part of the world; and they shall crucify him—for thus it behooveth our God, and there is none other nation on earth that would crucify their God.

4 For should the mighty miracles be wrought among other nations they would repent, and know that he be their God.

Jacob ended his sermon for the day and began again the next day (see 2 Nephi 10:3).  He again speaks about their relationship to Joseph and Jacob.  In this, he no doubt referred to Nephi’s words, “Behold, I say unto you, that the house of Israel was compared unto an olive-tree, by the Spirit of the Lord which was in our father; and behold are we not broken off from the house of Israel, and are we not a branch of the house of Israel” (1 Nephi 15:12).

Jacob was most likely influence by the teachings of Lehi.  “Wherefore, Joseph truly saw our day.  And he obtained a promise of the Lord, that out of the fruit of his loins the Lord God would raise up a righteous branch unto the house of Israel; not the Messiah, but a branch which was to be broken off, nevertheless, to be remembered in the covenants of the Lord that the Messiah should be made manifest unto them in the latter days, in the spirit of power, unto the bringing of them out of darkness unto light—yea, out of hidden darkness and out of captivity unto freedom” (2 Nephi 3:5).

This teaching was also used by General Moroni when he was recruiting his army to defend the Nephites.

“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” (Alma 46:24-25).

What promises they have received were received by the flesh.  It had been revealed to Jacob that “many of our children” (2 Nephi 10:2) will perish because of their lack of belief.  However, many will be restored through receiving a “true knowledge of their Redeemer” (2 Nephi 10:2).

Jacob reveals to his congregation that their Redeemer’s name would be Christ.  “[F]or in the last night the angel spake unto me that this should be his name” (2 Nephi 10:3).  Nephi testified to the truthfulness of Jacob’s words.  “And my brother, Jacob, also has seen him as I have seen him; wherefore, I will send their words forth unto my children to prove unto them that my words are true.  Wherefore, by the words of three, God hath said, I will establish my word. Nevertheless, God sendeth more witnesses, and he proveth all his words” (2 Nephi 11:3).  Mormon, writing to his son Moroni, said, “For behold, God knowing all things, being from everlasting to everlasting, behold, he sent angels to minister unto the children of men, to make manifest concerning the coming of Christ; and in Christ there should come every good thing” (Moroni 7:22).

Without question, Jacob, like Nephi, paid dearly for his faith. The text also affirms that he was beloved of the Lord, for even when Nephi was alive, Jacob was visited by Christ and by angels. Moreover, Jacob was first among the Nephites to learn—from an angel—that the name of the Holy One of Israel would be Christ (see 2 Nephi 10:3). And anyone uninitiated to Jacob's rhetorical gifts need only study in detail the sermon fragment that Nephi elects to copy into his own chronicle.[1]

Christ would come to the Jews.  He will preach to a people “who are the more wicked part of the world” (2 Nephi 10:3).  Among all the people on Earth, the Jews were the only “nation on earth that would crucify their God” (2 Nephi 10:3).

As he was recording his record on the small plates, Nephi would write:

“For the things which some men esteem to be of great worth, both to the body and soul, others set at naught and trample under their feet.  Yea, even the very God of Israel do men trample under their feet; I say, trample under their feet but I would speak in other words—they set him at naught, and hearken not to the voice of his counsels…

“And the God of our fathers, who were led out of Egypt, out of bondage, and also were preserved in the wilderness by him, yea, the God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, yieldeth himself, according to the words of the angel, as a man, into the hands of wicked men, to be lifted up, according to the words of Zenock, and to be crucified, according to the words of Neum, and to be buried in a sepulchre, according to the words of Zenos, which he spake concerning the three days of darkness, which should be a sign given of his death unto those who should inhabit the isles of the sea, more especially given unto those who are of the house of Israel” (1 Nephi 19:7, 10).

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[1] Unlocking the Sacred Text, Marilyn Arnold, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute.

2 Nephi 9:46-54

46 Prepare your souls for that glorious day when justice shall be administered unto the righteous, even the day of judgment, that ye may not shrink with awful fear; that ye may not remember your awful guilt in perfectness, and be constrained to exclaim: Holy, holy are thy judgments, O Lord God Almighty—but I know my guilt; I transgressed thy law, and my transgressions are mine; and the devil hath obtained me, that I am a prey to his awful misery.

47 But behold, my brethren, is it expedient that I should awake you to an awful reality of these things? Would I harrow up your souls if your minds were pure? Would I be plain unto you according to the plainness of the truth if ye were freed from sin?

48 Behold, if ye were holy I would speak unto you of holiness; but as ye are not holy, and ye look upon me as a teacher, it must needs be expedient that I teach you the consequences of sin.

49 Behold, my soul abhorreth sin, and my heart delighteth in righteousness; and I will praise the holy name of my God.

50 Come, my brethren, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters; and he that hath no money, come buy and eat; yea, come buy wine and milk without money and without price.

51 Wherefore, do not spend money for that which is of no worth, nor your labor for that which cannot satisfy. Hearken diligently unto me, and remember the words which I have spoken; and come unto the Holy One of Israel, and feast upon that which perisheth not, neither can be corrupted, and let your soul delight in fatness.

52 Behold, my beloved brethren, remember the words of your God; pray unto him continually by day, and give thanks unto his holy name by night. Let your hearts rejoice.

53 And behold how great the covenants of the Lord, and how great his condescensions unto the children of men; and because of his greatness, and his grace and mercy, he has promised unto us that our seed shall not utterly be destroyed, according to the flesh, but that he would preserve them; and in future generations they shall become a righteous branch unto the house of Israel.

54 And now, my brethren, I would speak unto you more; but on the morrow I will declare unto you the remainder of my words. Amen.

Jacob calls on the people to prepare for that “that glorious day when justice shall be administered unto the righteous” (2 Nephi 9:46).  What about the wicked?  The wicked will “remember your awful guilt in perfectness, and be constrained to exclaim: Holy, holy are thy judgments, O Lord God Almighty—but I know my guilt; I transgressed thy law, and my transgressions are mine; and the devil hath obtained me, that I am a prey to his awful misery” (2 Nephi 9:46). 

King Benjamin might well be referring to Jacob’s words when he told the people if the works are evil, “evil they are consigned to an awful view of their own guilt and abominations, which doth cause them to shrink from the presence of the Lord into a state of misery and endless torment, from whence they can no more return; therefore they have drunk damnation to their own souls” (Mosiah 3:25).  If their minds were pure, Jacob would not be troubling their souls with his plain words.

Jacob speaks to them as their teacher.  He had been set apart as a priest and teacher by his brother Nephi (see 2 Nephi 5:26).  “[I]t must needs be expedient that I teach you the consequences of sin” (2 Nephi 9:48).  Jacob abhors sin and delights in righteousness (see also Isaiah 55:1-2). 

Jacob uses the metaphor of thirst and hunger when calling the people to repent and come to the Lord.  The truth will satisfy their hunger and thirst.  The Savior would tell the Nephites, “[B]lessed are all they who do hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled with the Holy Ghost” (3 Nephi 12:6).

Alma₂ would tell Corianton that “whosoever will come may come and partake of the waters of life freely; and whosoever will not come the same is not compelled to come; but in the last day it shall be restored unto him according to his deeds” (Alma 42:27).

Daniel Belnap writes, “But the invitation in 2 Nephi 9:50–51 is the victory feast for the righteous. The invitation to the feast repeats the exhortation to ‘come’, thereby relating this invitation and feast to the invitation in verse 41, to "come unto Christ.”[1]

The concept of a feast appears a number of times in the Book of Mormon.

“The image of feasting upon the word of God appears six times in scripture, all in the Book of Mormon. In the excerpt from Jacob's speech cited above, the image of feasting on the word is visually developed. The word of God is eternal; thus it is like food that cannot spoil. It is also abundant and pleasing, so Jacob states, ‘Let your soul delight in fatness.’ Nephi employs this metaphor of feasting in the closing chapters of 2 Nephi: "Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end…”[2]

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[1] "I Will Contend with Them That Contendeth with Thee": The Divine Warrior in Jacob's Speech of 2 Nephi 6-10, Daniel Belnap, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute.

[2] The Word of God, Leslie A. Taylor, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute.

2 Nephi 9:44-45

44 O, my beloved brethren, remember my words. Behold, I take off my garments, and I shake them before you; I pray the God of my salvation that he view me with his all-searching eye; wherefore, ye shall know at the last day, when all men shall be judged of their works, that the God of Israel did witness that I shook your iniquities from my soul, and that I stand with brightness before him, and am rid of your blood.

45 O, my beloved brethren, turn away from your sins; shake off the chains of him that would bind you fast; come unto that God who is the rock of your salvation.

What is this sermon Jacob is presenting to the Nephites? 

“[T]he new legal order was traditionally submitted by way of covenant to a ‘ritually prepared community.’ Significantly, Jacob's ensuing speech is a covenant speech: ‘I have read these things that ye might know concerning the covenants of the Lord’ (2 Nephi 9:1). Jacob's purpose was to purify the people, to shake his garments of all iniquities and have his people turn away from sin (see 2 Nephi 9:44-45), to motivate them to act for themselves—'to choose the way of everlasting death or the way of eternal life’ (2 Nephi 10:23).”[1]

Jacob takes of his cloak and shakes it before the people.  He does this to represent shaking the people’s “iniquities from my soul, and that I stand with brightness before him, and am rid of your blood” (2 Nephi 9:44).  “Having one's garments washed white through the blood of the Lamb was an important religious concept for the Nephites (see 2 Nephi 9:44; Jacob 2:2; Mosiah 2:28; Alma 5:21; 13:11; 34:36; 3 Nephi 27:19). It may well have had something to do with their temple ceremony, vividly typifying the purifying and cleansing power of the atoning blood of Jesus Christ.”[2]

Years later, Jacob would remind the people of his words he spoke this day. 

“And we did magnify our office unto the Lord, taking upon us the responsibility, answering the sins of the people upon our own heads if we did not teach them the word of God with all diligence; wherefore, by laboring with our might their blood might not come upon our garments; otherwise their blood would come upon our garments, and we would not be found spotless at the last day” (Jacob 1:19).

“Now, my beloved brethren, I, Jacob, according to the responsibility which I am under to God, to magnify mine office with soberness, and that I might rid my garments of your sins, I come up into the temple this day that I might declare unto you the word of God.

O that he would rid you from this iniquity and abomination.  And, O that ye would listen unto the word of his commands, and let not this pride of your hearts destroy your souls” (Jacob 2:2, 16).

In his final sermon to his people, King Benjamin would refer to Jacob’s words.  “I say unto you that I have caused that ye should assemble yourselves together that I might rid my garments of your blood, at this period of time when I am about to go down to my grave, that I might go down in peace, and my immortal spirit may join the choirs above in singing the praises of a just God” (Mosiah 2:28).

In King Benjamin’s words, we say a theme that is present throughout the Book of Mormon.  King Benjamin refers to God as “a just God.”  Nephite prophets would constantly remind the people the God is just.  Whatever judgment we face will be just and fair, based on our actions and nobody else’s. 

We again see an image that is frequently used in the Book of Mormon.  When we sin, we become bound in the chains of the devil.  “Shake off your chains” Jacob tells the people (2 Nephi 9:45).  When Alma₂ recounted the vision that led to his conversion, he told his son, Helaman₂, “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 [IE in extreme remorse], and am encircled about by the everlasting chains of death” (Alma 36:18). 

“The liberties of the life of sin are only illusory when properly understood. For they in fact constitute captivity and death in the power of Satan. Jacob calls on his brothers to ‘turn away from [their] sins’ and to ‘shake off the chains of him that would bind [them] fast’ (2 Nephi 9:45).”[3]

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[1] Kingship and Temple in 2 Nephi 5-10, John M. Lundquist, and John W. Welch, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute.

[2] The Temple in the Book of Mormon: The Temples at the Cities of Nephi, Zarahemla, and Bountiful, John W. Welch, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute.

[3] The True Points of My Doctrine, Noel B. Reynolds, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute.

2 Nephi 9:42-43

42 And whoso knocketh, to him will he open; and the wise, and the learned, and they that are rich, who are puffed up because of their learning, and their wisdom, and their riches—yea, they are they whom he despiseth; and save they shall cast these things away, and consider themselves fools before God, and come down in the depths of humility, he will not open unto them.

43 But the things of the wise and the prudent shall be hid from them forever—yea, that happiness which is prepared for the saints.

When we arrive at the gate, we will knock and the Savior will choose for whom he will open the gate.  Jacob is specific who will not have the gate opened for them, “the wise, and the learned, and they that are rich, who are puffed up because of their learning, and their wisdom, and their riches—yea, they are they whom he despiseth” (2 Nephi 9:42). 

“The wicked flaunt their riches and their learning in the highly visible manner; ‘they are they whom he [God] despises.’ To be righteous they must ‘consider themselves fools before God, and come down in the depths of humility’ (2 Nephi 9:42), with no photo opportunities whatever.”[1]

Once again, Jacob reminds us that the wise will be ignored unless they humble themselves.  The Savior taught, “I thank [GR praise] thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes [GR innocent people]” (Matthew 11:25).

The Lord revealed to Isaiah, “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).  The prophet Jeremiah taught the word of the Lord, “Thus saith the LORD, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches” (Jeremiah 9:23).

Paul wrote to the Corinthians:

“Let no man deceive himself.  If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise.

“For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God.  For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness [GR cunning, villainy].

“And again, The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are [GR deceptive, fruitless]” (1 Corinthians 3:18-20).

Whose plan is it for the wise to be arrogant and turn from the Lord?

“Here is the devil's plan, and it is devilishly clever, the best possible way to turn men's minds against the plan of salvation being the appeal to their vanity. The two things people want are to be successful and to be smart—The Elite: ‘and the wise, and the learned, and they that are rich, who are puffed up because of their learning, and their wisdom, and their riches,’ are the ones who think they are putting God in his place, while it is He who is rejecting them: ‘yea, they are they whom he despiseth; and save they shall cast these things away, and consider themselves fools before God, and come down in the depths of humility, he will not open unto them’ (2 Nephi 9:42).”[2]

Ultimately, the things the wise value will be hid from them forever; that which is hidden is “that happiness which is prepared for the saints” (2 Nephi 9:43).  We will close this post with the words of Paul:

“But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.

“But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth [GR explores, investigates] all things, yea, the deep things of God.

“For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him?  even so the things of God knoweth no man, but [JST 1 Cor. 2:11 ... except he has the Spirit of God].

“Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.

“Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.

“But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned [GR examined, tried, judged].

“But he that is spiritual judgeth [GR examines, tries, judges] all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.

“For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him?  But we have the mind of Christ” (1 Corinthians 2:9-16).

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[1] Last Call: An Apocalyptic Warning from the Book of Mormon, Hugh Nibley, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute.

[2] The Way of the "Intellectuals", Hugh W. Nibley, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute.

2 Nephi 9:39-41

39 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.

40 O, my beloved brethren, give ear to my words. Remember the greatness of the Holy One of Israel. Do not say that I have spoken hard things against you; for if ye do, ye will revile against the truth; for I have spoken the words of your Maker. I know that the words of truth are hard against all uncleanness; but the righteous fear them not, for they love the truth and are not shaken.

41 O then, my beloved brethren, come unto the Lord, the Holy One. Remember that his paths are righteous. Behold, the way for man is narrow, but it lieth in a straight course before him, and the keeper of the gate is the Holy One of Israel; and he employeth no servant there; and there is none other way save it be by the gate; for he cannot be deceived, for the Lord God is his name.

After presenting the Nephite Ten Commandments, Jacob spoke against sinning against God.  This is one the devil’s tools, to entice us to sin.  Nephi would later write:

“For behold, at that day shall [the devil] rage in the hearts of the children of men, and stir them up to anger against that which is good.

“And others will he pacify, and lull them away into carnal security, that they will say: All is well in Zion; yea, Zion prospereth, all is well—and thus the devil cheateth their souls, and leadeth them away carefully down to hell.

“And behold, others he flattereth away, and telleth them there is no hell; and he saith unto them: I am no devil, for there is none—and thus he whispereth in their ears, until he grasps them with his awful chains, from whence there is no deliverance” (2 Nephi 28:20-22).

King Benjamin would echo Jacob’s words in his final sermon:

“But, O my people, beware lest there shall arise contentions among you, and ye list to obey the evil spirit, which was spoken of by my father Mosiah…

“And ye will not suffer your children that they go hungry, or naked; neither will ye suffer that they transgress the laws of God, and fight and quarrel one with another, and serve the devil, who is the master of sin, or who is the evil spirit which hath been spoken of by our fathers, he being an enemy to all righteousness” (Mosiah 2:32, 4:14).

What are the consequences of giving into the enticings of the devil?  “[T]o be carnally-minded is death” (2 Nephi 9:39).  What are the consequences to obeying the word of God?  “[T]o be spiritually–minded is life eternal” (2 Nephi 9:39).  Paul would tell the Romans, “[T]o be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace” (Romans 8:6).  “As righteousness tendeth to life: so he that pursueth evil pursueth it to his own death” (Proverbs 11:19).

Jacob tells the people, “Do not say that I have spoken hard things against you” (2 Nephi 9:40).  “Just as the word of God can be comforting to those who accept it, it can be discomforting—‘hard,’ ‘sharp,’ or ‘strict’—to those who reject it. This dichotomy is a prevalent theme in the Book of Mormon.”[1]

Solomon wrote, “Correction is grievous unto him that forsaketh the way: and he that hateth reproof shall die” (Proverbs 15:10). Speaking to King Noah and his priests, Abinadi told them, “Yea, and I perceive that it cuts you to your hearts because I tell you the truth concerning your iniquities” (Mosiah 13:7). 

The classic example of those murmuring against the admonitions of the Lord was Laman and Lemuel.

“AND now it came to pass that after I, Nephi, had made an end of speaking to my brethren, behold they said unto me: Thou hast declared unto us hard things, more than we are able to bear.

“And it came to pass that I said unto them that I knew that I had spoken hard things against the wicked, according to the truth; and the righteous have I justified, and testified that they should be lifted up at the last day; wherefore, the guilty taketh the truth to be hard, for it cutteth them to the very center” (1 Nephi 16:1-2).

Like his brother, Nephi, Jacob reminded them he was teaching them the word of the Lord.  “[T]he the words of truth are ^chard against all uncleanness; but the righteous fear them not, for they love the truth and are not shaken” (2 Nephi 9:40). 

And, we are all familiar with the words of Solomon, “The wicked flee when no man pursueth: but the righteous are bold as a lion” (Proverbs 28:1).

Come unto the Lord, Jacob tells his people.  He might have been influenced by his brother, Nephi.  “For the fulness of mine intent is that I may persuade men to come unto the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, and be saved”

(1 Nephi 6:4). 

Alma₂ desired to “declare unto every soul, as with the voice of thunder, repentance and the plan of redemption, that they should repent and come unto our God, that there might not be more sorrow upon all the face of the earth” (Alma 29:2).  The Savior told the Nephites,  “it shall come to pass, saith the Father, that at that day whosoever will not repent and come unto my Beloved Son, them will I cut off from among my people, O house of Israel” (3 Nephi 21:20).

As Moroni completed the Book of Mormon, among his lasts words were:

“And again I would exhort you that ye would come unto Christ, and lay hold upon every good gift, and touch not the evil gift, nor the unclean thing.

“And awake, and arise from the dust, O Jerusalem; yea, and put on thy beautiful garments, O daughter of Zion; and strengthen thy stakes and enlarge thy borders forever, that thou mayest no more be confounded, that the covenants of the Eternal Father which he hath made unto thee, O house of Israel, may be fulfilled.

“Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God” (Moroni 10:30-32).

The gate is narrow.  It is a straight course.  “Strive to enter in at the [narrow] gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able”  (Luke 13:24). 

When you arrive at the gate, you meet the keeper of the gate.  “There's that marvelous line in the Book of Mormon, ‘The keeper of the gate is the Holy One of Israel; and he employeth no servant there.’ (2 Nephi 9:41). He will personally talk with you and bring you in. You are just as important as anybody else in the kingdom of God, he says.”[2]

Truman Madsen writes:

“As the ‘keeper of the gate’ (2 Nephi 9:41), Jesus the Christ summons us, ‘Come unto me’ in my holy sanctuary (Matthew 11:28; see 2 Chronicles 30:8; D&C 110:7–9), and he promises, ‘Whoso knocketh, to him will [I] open’ (2 Nephi 9:42). He is in his sanctuary; ‘he employeth no servant there’ (2 Nephi 9:41). We who put off our shoes to walk on holy ground need not be put off by the fact that mere mortals administer these divine ordinances. They may be familiar and ordinary persons from just around the corner. Yet they represent the Lord himself. Christ himself is blessing us, reaching down to us through those ordinances. The Lord himself is waiting for us beyond the veil. It is he who voices and magnifies and endows the temples with a summation of human experience that is a step-by-step ascent into his presence. May we go to him in his temple. May we serve as he served. May we live as he lived…”.[3]

The only way we can enter heaven is through the gate.  The Lord cannot be deceived; only the righteous may enter.

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[1] The Word of God, Leslie A. Taylor, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute.

[2] Lecture 83: 3 Nephi 8-11, Hugh W. Nibley, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute.

[3] The Temple and the Atonement, Truman G. Madsen, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute.