Come Follow Me Book of Mormon with - Sam Week 10 - 2 nephi 31-33 The Pure Gospel
Welcome to Come Follow me with Sam! 2 Nephi 31-33 is where the gospel is taught in its plainest form as far as I know. These are also chapters that speak so purely that I am extra careful that my commentary is meaningful and not detract-ful from the core message. It is not a mistake that we focus an entire week on these chapters.
Nephi is continually explaining the condescension of God in different forms, probably because it is so key to the plan. In Chapter 31, he says he makes an end to prophesying on Isaiah and instead will teach according to 'the plainness of my prophesying'.
He talks about baptism.
He really wants us to understand what baptism is.
While on my mission, I realized in the first few weeks that I had no idea about the big picture of baptism. by the end of my mission, I realized that even my new understanding of the first few weeks was just the beginning.
Nephi's approach to help us understand this is unique in possibly all the scriptures. He asks the reader 'Do you understand why the savior was baptized?' The implication is that if you can understand through this part of the condescension your own baptism.
Here's the rub: If John had asked the savior to be baptized it would be something bordering blasphemy. This is what Nephi means when he explains 'know ye not that he was holy?' Remember, this is the God of creation standing before John. And John knows it. And despite all of this, Jesus comes and asks John to do this to fulfill all righteousness.
Nephi says we can understand that the Savior knew it was so important to be baptized, that he himself condescended to baptism to show and emphasize this ordinance.
Nephi focuses most of the rest of the chapter on receiving the spirit and enduring to the end. He is focused on getting us to the point where we can have the spirit with us. He ends by saying 'This is the way', which is pretty cool, but also ends in the name of each of the trinity, which I believe is intentional. Nephi treats this chapter as especially sacred.
Nephi then devotes chapter 32 to speaking to those who are baptized. He gives specific instructions for the first few verses, but then something very strange happens. In vs 7, he says Behold, I nephi cannot say more; the spirit stoppeth mine utterance, and I am left to mourn because of the unbelief and the wickedness and the ignorance and the stiff-neckedness of men; for they will not search knowledge, nor understand great knowledge...'
He was telling us something but the spirit stopped him. It is like he is begging us to understand something but we have a stumbling block and cannot understand... so the spirit said that Nephi can't say anything more about it.
So Nephi tells us to pray instead or in addition. Hopefully this will bring us closer to God and understand his message. Then, in Chapter 33, he talks about how he himself is praying for his people.
I get the feeling that Nephi is always teaching from his own experience, asking us to do nothing that he hasn't done himself. He emphasizes following the commandments, treasuring words of the spirit past and present, praying, and seeking God.
Nephi's final words closely resemble Mormon or Moroni's in themes. He reminds us that these are the words of Christ and if you are seeking him, you know this. He places a warning that if you take these things lightly, you will need to stand before God and account for why you missed a message created for you. He emphasizes his will that his part in the work of salvation can help all people to come unto Christ.
He finally says in vs 15 'For what I seal on earth, shall be brought against you at the judgement bar; for thus hath the Lord commanded me, and I must obey. Amen.
Are there any words more fitting for Nephi the prophet? Thus ends what I call the teachings and one of the greatest treasures of the gospel available to us today.
This is the way
Nephi is continually explaining the condescension of God in different forms, probably because it is so key to the plan. In Chapter 31, he says he makes an end to prophesying on Isaiah and instead will teach according to 'the plainness of my prophesying'.
He talks about baptism.
He really wants us to understand what baptism is.
While on my mission, I realized in the first few weeks that I had no idea about the big picture of baptism. by the end of my mission, I realized that even my new understanding of the first few weeks was just the beginning.
Nephi's approach to help us understand this is unique in possibly all the scriptures. He asks the reader 'Do you understand why the savior was baptized?' The implication is that if you can understand through this part of the condescension your own baptism.
Blasphemy
Here's the rub: If John had asked the savior to be baptized it would be something bordering blasphemy. This is what Nephi means when he explains 'know ye not that he was holy?' Remember, this is the God of creation standing before John. And John knows it. And despite all of this, Jesus comes and asks John to do this to fulfill all righteousness.
Nephi says we can understand that the Savior knew it was so important to be baptized, that he himself condescended to baptism to show and emphasize this ordinance.
The Spirit
Nephi focuses most of the rest of the chapter on receiving the spirit and enduring to the end. He is focused on getting us to the point where we can have the spirit with us. He ends by saying 'This is the way', which is pretty cool, but also ends in the name of each of the trinity, which I believe is intentional. Nephi treats this chapter as especially sacred.
What do we do after we are baptized?
Nephi then devotes chapter 32 to speaking to those who are baptized. He gives specific instructions for the first few verses, but then something very strange happens. In vs 7, he says Behold, I nephi cannot say more; the spirit stoppeth mine utterance, and I am left to mourn because of the unbelief and the wickedness and the ignorance and the stiff-neckedness of men; for they will not search knowledge, nor understand great knowledge...'
He was telling us something but the spirit stopped him. It is like he is begging us to understand something but we have a stumbling block and cannot understand... so the spirit said that Nephi can't say anything more about it.
So Nephi tells us to pray instead or in addition. Hopefully this will bring us closer to God and understand his message. Then, in Chapter 33, he talks about how he himself is praying for his people.
I get the feeling that Nephi is always teaching from his own experience, asking us to do nothing that he hasn't done himself. He emphasizes following the commandments, treasuring words of the spirit past and present, praying, and seeking God.
For thus hath the Lord commanded me, and I must obey.
Nephi's final words closely resemble Mormon or Moroni's in themes. He reminds us that these are the words of Christ and if you are seeking him, you know this. He places a warning that if you take these things lightly, you will need to stand before God and account for why you missed a message created for you. He emphasizes his will that his part in the work of salvation can help all people to come unto Christ.
He finally says in vs 15 'For what I seal on earth, shall be brought against you at the judgement bar; for thus hath the Lord commanded me, and I must obey. Amen.
Are there any words more fitting for Nephi the prophet? Thus ends what I call the teachings and one of the greatest treasures of the gospel available to us today.
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