2 Ne 31:11-15
From Feast upon the Word (http://feastupontheword.org). Copyright, Feast upon the Word.
The Book of Mormon > Second Nephi > Chapter 31
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Contents |
Questions
- In verse 13 Nephi promises the ability to speak with the tongue of angels? What does this mean?
Lexical notes
- Click the edit link above and to the right to add lexical notes
Exegesis
Verse 13
The promise that concludes this verse has been generally considered rather odd and obscure. Though the phrase, "the tongue of angels," is only to be found in the writings of Nephi (here and in 2 Ne 32:3) and of Paul (1 Cor 13:1), what the phrase describes is not so foreign to the scriptures in general. The plainest meaning of the phrase would be "the language of angels," "what the angels speak," or, in other words, "what it is the angels do with their tongues." Taking the phrase in this very straightforward manner, one notices that a host of scriptures offer explanations of what Nephi is considering here. In Job 38:7, the angels are pictured as those who "sang together" and "shouted for joy" ("the sons of God" is a stock OT phrase meaning "angels"). In Isa 6:2-3, the angels are pictured as crying "one to another," saying "Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory." When the heavens were opened to the shepherds, they saw "a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men" (Luke 2:13-14). John, in Revelation 4-5, records a number of different hymns sung by the angels who gather about the throne in heaven. King Benjamin mentions his desire to "join the choirs above in singing the praises of a just God" (Mosiah 2:28). Alma even speaks of singing "the song of redeeming love" (Alma 5:26). All of these are, however, hints and allegations when compared with the most explicit explanation of what angels do, which is reported by Nephi himself: Lehi "saw the heavens open, and he thought he saw God sitting upon his throne, surrounded with numberless concourses of angels in the attitude of singing and praising their God" (1 Ne 1:8). (Alma later describes a similar vision by quoting this very important verse: Alma 36:22.)
This last example is vital to the present context: Nephi at the end of his record (in the present verse 13) makes reference to the very beginning of his record. In fact, the language is so parallel that it seems clear that Nephi is trying to draw a link between the two verses: the angels sing and shout praises in Lehi's vision; here Nephi promises his readers that if they follow the steps he describes they will "speak with the tongue of angels, and shout praises unto the Holy One of Israel." A major distinction between the two mentions of angelic praise is important, however: in Lehi's vision, the prophet only beholds the angelic chorus from a distance, while in the final promise Nephi extends to his readers, the reality of becoming an angel, of going into the heavens is in question. In other words, Nephi's record begins with a view of what man might become (namely, an angel) and ends with the promise of doing just that, becoming an angel. If these verses are understood as tied together, the difficulty of the present verse disappears.
It might be objected that the slightest mention at the end of verse 13 here is not enough discussion to suggest that Nephi has angelification in mind as the goal of his whole two-volume record. However, the theme persists throughout chapters 31 and 32. In 2 Ne 31:17, baptism and the reception of the Holy Ghost are understood as a "gate," a sort of veil through which one must pass (as Isaiah passes through the veil before he is invited to join the heavenly chorus; see Isa 6:1-13). In 2 Ne 32:4, Nephi makes a more explicit mention of passing through a veil, being "brought into the light" as opposed to perishing without "in the dark." He suggests that as someone receives the Holy Ghost and begins to praise, one will see the Christ: "he shall manifest himself unto you in the flesh" (2 Ne 32:6). Moreover, Nephi deals with the details of such an experience with a reverent silence: "now I, Nephi, cannot say more; the Spirit stoppeth mine utterance" (2 Ne 32:7). Besides reference to the mystery of the veil, Nephi re-explains the tongue of angels in 2 Ne 32:1-3. He states quite clearly that "angels speak by the power of the Holy Ghost," therefore speaking "words of Christ." Always singing, always praising, it is apparently the privilege of the baptized to function as angels--messengers--of God on earth.
Perhaps the best correlate to this vision in scripture is Isa 6:1-13, which should be read very carefully and in the context of the Day of Atonement.
Related links
- On becoming an angel and what it has to do with the priesthood, see Margaret Barker's article "The Angelic Priesthood" in The Great High Priest, 2003.
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