1 Ne 22:2 by the Spirit are all things made known unto the prophets
Nephi has
personal experience with this. When he saw the vision of the tree of life, he
was taken away in the spirit that he might behold a glorious vision. Nephi is
teaching that Isaiah received his prophecies by the power of that same Spirit.
The Spirit is also able to make all things known unto those who are not
prophets, And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may
know the truth of all things (Moroni 10:5). Joseph F. Smith taught what
effect the Holy Ghost can have upon the saints as a group.
Joseph F.
Smith
“That Spirit,
it must be remembered, is, by way of preeminence, called ‘The Spirit of Truth,
which proceedeth from the Father.’ He teaches all things; and brings to the remembrance
of the Saints all the instructions of the Master. He guides into all truth, and
as in all truth there is unity or harmony, so, it is believed that if the
Saints are in possession of this Spirit, the harmony in the Church of Christ
will be superior to the harmony that can be looked for or hoped for, in any
other organization whatsoever. And because the Saints have free access to the
Holy Spirit, and may walk within his light and fellowship and possess the
intelligence which he is able to impart, a stricter harmony among the Saints
may be insisted upon than in any other organization of men whatsoever.” (Gospel
Doctrine, p. 131)
1 Ne 22:3 the things….I have read are things pertaining to things
both temporal and spiritual
With God, all
things are spiritual, all things unto me are
spiritual, and not at any time have I given unto you a law which was temporal (DC
29:34). So the promises to the house of Israel are both temporal and spiritual.
Temporal in the sense that there will be a literal scattering and gathering of
Israel from the four corners of the earth and spiritual in that those who turn
unto the Lord in the last days will be spiritually gathered into the fold of
God, he numbereth his sheep, and they know him; and
there shall be one fold and one shepherd (v. 25).
One of the
most contended issues in ecclesiastical history is whether to interpret a
scripture in a literal (temporal) or a figurative (spiritual) sense.
“No question
is more basic to scriptural interpretation than the determination of whether a
particular passage, story, or even an entire book of scripture is to be
understood as figurative or literal.
Having read to his brothers what we know as Isaiah chapters 48 and 49,
Nephi was asked if what he had read was to be understood in a figurative or a
literal sense. Short of the actual
destruction of scriptural records, Satan has no more effective way of opposing
scriptural truths than confusing the figurative and the literal. Like potter's clay, some simply mold the
scriptures into the likeness of the theories of men. Conversely, by making scriptural metaphors literal, the most
marvelous truths are distorted beyond recognition. The bread and wine of the sacrament are an obvious
illustration. By eating the sacramental
bread, do we literally eat the body of Christ?
And in drinking the wine or water in a sacramental ritual are we
figuratively drinking Christ's blood, or doing so literally, as some
suppose? Such is the issue, ever
present in scriptural interpretation:
Is the passage, the story, or the book to be interpreted figuratively or
literally?
“In answering
his brothers, Nephi explained that these prophecies of Isaiah were to be
understood as being "both temporal and spiritual." That is, they
would literally come to pass, yet their interpretation would go beyond the
event of their temporal fulfillment, for they carried spiritual or symbolic
meanings also. Nephi further explained
that it is only by the spirit of revelation that such questions can be
answered, saying, "For by the Spirit are all things made known unto the
prophets." (McConkie and Millet, Doctrinal Commentary on the Book of
Mormon, vol. 1, p. 168-9)
1 Ne 22:4 Yea, the more part of all the tribes have been led away
Let’s review what
has happened to the tribes of Israel by the time of Nephi’s writing. The twelve
tribes of Israel each inhabited a specific portion of the land of Canaan, see
map #5. The tribes were ruled by judges until the reign of the kings: Saul,
David, and Solomon. After the reign of Solomon, the ten northern tribes,
comprising all the tribes except the tribe of Judah and Benjamin, split from
the two southern tribes. From this time forth, they were divided into the
kingdom of Israel (also called the northern kingdom led by the tribe of
Ephraim) and the kingdom of Judah (also called the southern kingdom led by the
tribe of Judah), see map #9.
The scattering
of Israel came because of the wickedness of the people. When Moses gave the law
to the children of Israel, he also gave them a list of specific blessings and
cursings which would take place depending on their obedience to the law. One of
the curses listed is that they would be scattered by their enemies,
But
it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy
God, to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command
thee this day; that all these curses shall come upon thee, and overtake
thee….The Lord shall cause thee to be smitten before thine enemies: thou shalt
go out one way against them and flee seven ways before them: and shalt be
removed into all the kingdoms of the earth…And thou shalt become an
astonishment, a proverb, and a byword, among all nations whither the Lord shall
lead thee…And the Lord shall scatter thee among all people, from the one end of
the earth even unto the other; and there thou shalt serve other gods, which
neither thou nor thy fathers have known, even wood and stone. And among
these nations shalt thou find no ease, neither shall the sole of thy foot have
rest: but the Lord shall give thee there a trembling heart, and failing of
eyes, and sorrow of mind (Deut 28:15, 25, 37, 64-5)
The scattering
of Israel began with the Assyrian conquest of the northern kingdom. This
occurred about 722 BC. The entire northern kingdom was destroyed and the people
were taken to Assyria. This is how the ten tribes get lost. They are scattered
by the Assyrians, and yet a body of them is preserved which remains as a
cohesive body and is somehow led to the lands of the north. The Bible doesn’t
tell us much about what happened to them, In the
ninth year of Hoshea the king of Assyria took Samaria, and carried Israel away
into Assyria, and placed them in Halah and in Habor by the river of Gozan, and
in the cities of the Medes. For so it was, that the children of Israel had
sinned against the Lord their God (2 Kings 17:6-7). This is what Nephi
is referring to when he says that the more part of
all the tribes have been led away. In Nephi’s day, the only tribes which
were left were the tribe of Judah and Benjamin. There were a few in Jerusalem
from the tribes of Ephraim, Manasseh, and Levi (see 1 Chron 9:3) but the vast
majority of these three tribes had been taken north with the rest of the
northern kingdom.
1 Ne 22:7 Who
is this mighty nation?
The mighty
nation is the United States of America. The U.S. government is largely
responsible for what happened to the American Indians in the early decades of
the nation.
1 Ne 22:8
Lamanites nourished by the Gentiles
Spencer
W. Kimball
“A
loving father does not despise his children. These [Lamanites] are a chosen
people, and this Church has an important part in restoring them to their
rightful inheritance. The chasm between what they are and what they will be is
opportunity. The gospel furnishes that opportunity; it is ours to give.” (Ensign,
Dec. 1975, p. 7 as taken from Latter-day Commentary on the Book of Mormon
compiled by K. Douglas Bassett, p.70)
1 Ne 22:12 he will bring them again out of captivity
This is meant in
a spiritual sense. The members of the house of Israel, the Indians of North and
South America, will be brought out of spiritual captivity when they begin to
understand that they are of the house of Israel and when they begin to believe
in the Mighty One of Israel.
“Scattered
Israel is to be freed from the captivity of ignorance and the bondage of false
forms of worship. No longer are they to
walk in darkness and worship gods of wood and stone or other supposed gods who
have neither body, parts, nor passions.
Their obscurity has ended, for now they know the true and living God who
‘is their Savior and their Redeemer, the Mighty One
of Israel.’ Jeremiah
prophetically described this day, saying:
‘O Lord, my strength, and my fortress, and my
refuge in the day of affliction, the Gentiles shall come unto thee from the
ends of the earth, and shall say, Surely our fathers have inherited lies,
vanity, and things wherein there is no profit.
Shall a man make gods unto himself, and they are no gods? Therefore, behold, I will this once cause
them to know, I will cause them to know mine hand and my might; and they shall
know that my name is The Lord.’ (Jeremiah 16:19-21.)” (McConkie and
Millet, Doctrinal Commentary on the Book of Mormon, vol. 1, p. 173)
1 Ne 22:13 that great and abominable church…they shall war among
themselves
Nephi makes it
clear that the destruction that comes upon the great and abominable church will
come as a result of wars among the nations which support that church. Joseph
Smith helps us to understand which wars are part of the wars attending the last
days. In the 87th section of the D&C, he records that the time will come that war will be poured out upon all
nations, beginning at this place (DC 87:2). This statement is made in
the section in which he prophecies of the Civil War. So the wars to be poured
out upon all nations begin with the Civil War. The many wars since, including
WWI and WWII, are those wars which were prophesied to come in the last days.
These are the wars and rumors of wars of the last days. There is no reason to
think that these wars will stop until the fullness
of the wrath of God (v. 16) has been poured out and Satan is bound for a
millennium. D&C 88 says that the final destruction of the great church
directly precedes the coming of the Lord:
And
another angel shall sound his trump, saying: That great church, the mother of
abominations, that made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication,
that persecuteth the saints of God, that shed their blood--she who sitteth upon
many waters, and upon the islands of the sea--behold, she is the tares of the
earth; she is bound in bundles; her bands are made strong, no man can loose
them; therefore, she is ready to be burned. And he shall sound his trump both
long and loud, and all nations shall hear it.
And
there shall be silence in heaven for the space of half an hour; and immediately
after shall the curtain of heaven be unfolded, as a scroll is unfolded after it
is rolled up, and the face of the Lord shall be unveiled; (DC 88:94-5).
1 Ne 22:14 all that fight against Zion shall be destroyed
Isaiah made it
clear that the day will soon come when the Lord will fight Zion’s battles, I will contend with him that contendeth with thee (1
Ne 21:25). The D&C teaches that the fame of Zion will spread because of the
power of the Lord which will preserve it:
And it shall be called the New Jerusalem, a
land of peace, a city of refuge, a place of safety for the saints of the Most
High God;
And the glory of the Lord shall be there,
and the terror of the Lord also shall be there, insomuch that the wicked will
not come unto it, and it shall be called Zion.
And it shall come to pass among the wicked,
that every man that will not take his sword against his neighbor must needs
flee unto Zion for safety.
And there shall be gathered unto it out of
every nation under heaven; and it shall be the only people that shall not be at
war one with another.
And it shall be said among the wicked: Let
us not go up to battle against Zion, for the inhabitants of Zion are terrible;
wherefore we cannot stand. (DC 45:66-70)
The day will
come when Zion, or the New Jerusalem, will become so powerful, both spiritually
and politically, that it will strike fear into the hearts of the wicked. Verse 19
of chapter 22 reads, all they who fight against Zion
shall be cut off. This doctrine was sometimes boldly and tactlessly
declared by the early saints in Missouri. This contributed to the paranoia and
hatred which was so easily engendered among the Missourians of the early
1830’s.
1 Ne 22:17 he will preserve the righteous by his power…Wherefore, the
righteous need not fear
Many have worried
how selective the Lord will be when he separates the wheat from the tares. Many
have suggested that some of the righteous must inevitably suffer in the
destructions which are to attend the Second Coming. Nevertheless, the Lord has
given the righteous the promise that they will be preserved. He has also said, verily it is a day of sacrifice and a day for the tithing
of my people; for he that is tithed shall not be burned at his coming (DC
64:23). Although many have considered the payment of tithing as the best type
of fire insurance available, there is one caveat. The section heading for DC
119 explains that at the time this revelation was given, the term, “tithing,”
refers to “not just one tenth, but all free-will offerings, or contributions,
to the Church funds.” One may safely conclude that if the sacrifice has been
great enough in the eyes of the Lord (in the payment of tithing,
fast-offerings, sacrifice of one’s time and talents), there is no reason to
fear the destructions of the last days. The Lord is able to preserve the righteous by his power.
Mark E.
Petersen
“... in these,
the last days, the Lord has predicted that there shall be two simultaneous
movements. One of these movements is the great tribulation that shall come upon
the world. The wicked will destroy the wicked.
“The other
great movement which will be going forward simultaneously is that there shall
be a stone cut out of the mountain without hands, and it shall roll forth and
eventually fill the whole earth. The Church to which you and I belong is that
stone. It has been cut out of the mountain without hands, and your destiny and
mine is to help roll it forth. (D&C 65:2.)
“Now do you
suppose for one moment that the judgments of God are going to interfere with
the progress of his work? He is consistent, isn't he? Although he will pour out
his tribulations upon the wicked, he nevertheless will carry forward his work,
and his people, under divine protection, will roll forth that stone until
eventually it fills the whole earth.
“And so says
the Book of Mormon:
“For
the time soon cometh that the fulness of the wrath of God shall be poured out
upon all the children of men; for he will not suffer that the wicked shall
destroy the righteous.
“Wherefore,
he will preserve the righteous by his power, even if it so be that the fulness
of his wrath must come, and the righteous be preserved, even unto the
destruction of their enemies by fire. Wherefore, the righteous need not fear;
for thus saith the prophet, they shall be saved, even if it so be as by fire. (1 Nephi
22:16-17.)
“I believe
that. In the midst of all these tribulations God will send fire from heaven, if
necessary, to destroy our enemies while we carry forward our work and push that
stone until it fills the whole earth!
“Your destiny
is to do that very thing, and this is the kind of protection you will have. You
do not need to fear about world conditions. You do not need to fear about
anybody. Just serve the Lord and keep his commandments and build the kingdom,
and as you do so you will be protected in these last days. God will have his
hand over you, and you can plan your lives in confidence. (Conference Report,
October 1960, pp. 81-83. as taken from D. Ludlow’s A Companion to Your Study
of the Book of Mormon, p.122-3)
Brigham
Young
“God has been
and is our helper, and is on our right and left, and round about us like a wall
of fire to defend this people, if they serve him with an undivided heart.” (Journal
of Discourses, 8:172 as taken from Latter-day Commentary on the Book of
Mormon compiled by K. Douglas Bassett, p.74)
Joseph
Fielding Smith
“Do not think
for a moment that the days of trial are over. They are not. If we keep the
commandments of the Lord, we shall prosper, we shall be blessed; the plagues,
the calamities that have been promised will be poured out upon the peoples of
the earth, and we shall escape them, yea, they shall pass us by. But remember
the Lord says if we fail to keep his word, if we walk in the ways of the world,
they will not pass us by, but we shall be visited with floods and with fire,
with sword and with plague and destruction. We may escape these things through
faithfulness.” (Doctrines of Salvation, 3:34 as taken from Latter-day
Commentary on the Book of Mormon compiled by K. Douglas Bassett, p.75)
Joseph
Smith
“It is a false
idea that the Saints will escape all the judgments, whilst the wicked suffer;
for all flesh is subject to suffer, and ‘the righteous shall hardly escape;’
still many of the Saints will escape, for the just shall live by faith; yet
many of the righteous shall fall a prey to disease, to pestilence, etc., by
reason of the weakness of the flesh, and yet be saved in the Kingdom of God. So
that it is an unhallowed principle to say that such and such have transgressed
because they have been preyed upon by disease or death…” (History of the
Church, 4:11 as taken from Latter-day Commentary on the Book of Mormon
compiled by K. Douglas Bassett, p.75)
1
Ne 22:18 blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke must come
These three
signs occurred on the American Continent when the Savior was crucified (see 3
Ne 10:13) but in this context, Nephi is referring to the last days. The images of blood and fire are commonly
used in describing the destructions of the last days, but the image of a “vapor
of smoke” is not. This particular sign was explained by Elder McConkie:
Bruce R.
McConkie
“It may be,
for instance, that nothing except the power of faith and the authority of the
priesthood can save individuals and congregations from the atomic holocausts
that surely shall be.” (Conference Report, Apr. 1979, p.133 as taken
from Latter-day Commentary on the Book of Mormon compiled by K. Douglas
Bassett, p.75)
1 Ne 22:20 A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you, like
unto me
Did not Moses save Israel
from the most powerful military force on the earth? Will not Christ save Israel
from an army assembled from all nations? Was not Moses the lawgiver for Israel?
Will not Christ dispense the word of the Lord from Jerusalem and the law of the
Lord from Zion? Did not Moses offer the children of Israel a land of promise,
flowing with milk and honey? Will not Christ establish Israel in their land of
promise and supply pools of living water and the bread of life? Did not Moses live
with his people, judge them, and lead them in person? Will not Christ become
the Great Judge and dwell with his people?
While we don’t think about Moses delivery of the children of Israel in apocalyptic terms, we should. Moses’ delivery of the children of Israel is a type of Christ’s delivery of Israel from a besieging army. Even the destructions which were brought upon Egypt are but a foreshadowing of the way in which his enemies will be destroyed. Indeed, the destruction of Egypt at the hand of Moses shows us how the Lord will destroy Babylon in the last days. Fortunately, he will not need his saints to fight, for he has promised ‘I will fight your battles’ (DC 105:14) just as he fought their battles in Moses’ day (Ex. 14:14).
Plagues of Egypt |
Apocalyptic Destruction of Wicked |
Waters of Egypt turned to
blood. (Ex. 7:20) |
The rivers and fountains
of waters…became blood. (Rev. 16:4) |
Frogs covered the land of
Egypt. (Ex. 8:6) |
Three unclean spirits like
frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon. (Rev 16:13) |
Plagues of lice and flies.
(Ex. 8:17,24) |
God will send forth flies
and maggots. (DC 29:8) |
All the cattle of Egypt
died. (Ex. 9:6) |
Desolation upon the cattle
and sheep. (Joel 1:15-20) |
Plague of boils upon man
and beast. (Ex. 9:10) |
There fell a noisome and
grievous sore upon the men which had the mark of the beast. (Rev. 16:2) |
Plague of hail and fire
(Ex. 9:23) |
Men scorched with fire and
a plague of great hailstones. (Rev. 16:8,21) |
Locusts covered the face
of the whole earth. (Ex. 10:14-15) |
There came out of the
smoke locusts upon the earth. (Rev. 9:3-10) |
A thick darkness in all
the land for three days. (Ex. 10:22) |
The sun became black as
sackcloth. (Rev. 6:12) |
The firstborn males are
killed. (Ex. 12:29-30) |
The third part of men are
killed by fire, smoke, and brimstone. (Rev. 9:18) |
Pharaoh’s army destroyed by water. (Ex. 14:28) |
Saint’s enemies destroyed
by fire. (1 Ne. 22:17) |
After the plagues of Egypt are repeated upon the wicked of the last days, the saints will clearly see the connection. Then it will seem most natural to ‘sing the song of Moses, the servant of God’ in conjunction with ‘the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvelous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints.’ (Rev. 15:3) Then will the saints understand in fullness that the prophet whom the Lord should raise up like unto Moses would be like him in so many ways. For ‘it shall come to pass, that every soul, which will not hear that prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people.’ (Acts 3:23)
1 Ne 22:23 churches…built up to get gain, and…to become popular in
the eyes of the world
The current
trend in many churches is to condone all sorts of behavior that have been
traditionally contrary to the teachings of the Bible. This sort of “doctrinal
open-mindedness” is a form of flattery designed to cater to the self
justification of would be patrons. It is a form of flattery because it tells
the sinner that he need not repent. Moroni prophesied similarly, there shall be many who will say, Do this, or do that, and
it mattereth not, for the Lord will uphold such at the last day. But wo unto
such, for they are in the gall of bitterness and in the bonds of iniquity
(Mormon 8:31).
The message of
Mormonism is the opposite. It requires abstinence before marriage and fidelity
thereafter. It requires abstaining from abusive drugs, alcohol, tobacco,
coffee, and tea. It condemns the practice of homosexuality. It calls for the
exercise of faith, repentance, hope and charity. It requires the individual’s
time, money, effort, sacrifice, and talents. To the carnal mind, it sounds like
the most miserable form of existence possible. Nevertheless, to those who have
made the sacrifice, it is the most rewarding and liberating experience, for the truth shall make you free (Jn 8:32).
1 Ne 22:26 Satan… cannot be loosed for the space of many years
The book of Revelation
tells us that Satan is actually bound and that the time period described is a
thousand years, he…bound him a thousand years, And
cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him,
that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be
fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season (Rev
20:2-3).