Site:SS lessons/BOM lesson 3

The Book of Mormon > First Nephi > Chapter 8

Questions

Verse 1

• Was Nephi's description in this verse affected by Old Testament verses such as 1 Chr 28:14?

Verse 2

• Was Nephi quoting Lehi when he wrote the phrase "in other words"?
• Is there a difference between a dream and a vision? What might qualify a dream as a vision?

Verse 3

• How might Laman and Lemuel have felt to be unflatteringly compared to their younger brother?

Verse 4

• Is it possible that Lehi might have inadvertantly pushed his older children--who obviously did have some serious issues--further away by comparing them to their younger siblings?

Verse 5

• As members of the church, who leads us to the tree?
• Who was this man that Lehi followed?
• Is there special significance to the man's robe being white?

Lexical notes

• "Dreamed a dream" and "seen a vision" are equated in verse 2. There are many contexts in which these phrases might have different connotations.

Exegesis

Click the edit link above and to the right to add exegesis

Related links

• Click the edit link above and to the right to add related links

The Book of Mormon > First Nephi > Chapter 8

Questions

Verse 6

• Was the phrase "bade me" influenced by OT verses such as 2 Sam 14:19?

Verse 7

• What level of consciousness or awareness was Lehi describing with the phrase "beheld myself"?
• What happened to the angel that Lehi was following? Did he abandon Lehi in the darkness?

Verse 8

• If the word "hours" does not appear in the Old Testament, then was it New Testament usage that influenced the translation of this verse?
• How does one distinguish "many hours" of travel in a dream? What was this experience of traveling in darkness like?
• Why would Lehi pray for mercy while traveling in the darkness? Was there something more to the dream than just being in the dark?
• What does the "multitude of...tender mercies" mean? Does this imply that there are more than one type of mercy, and what might make them tender?

Verse 9

• Why doesn't the word "spacious" appear in scriptures outside the Book of Mormon?
• Is the word "spacious" in this verse related to the word "space" in the previous verse?
• Why doesn't the field appear until after Lehi prays?

Verse 10

• Why does this verse echo the phrase "a tree to be desired to make one wise" found in Gen 3:6?

Lexical notes

• Click the edit link above and to the right to add lexical notes

Exegesis

In verse 7, Lehi finds himself in a dark and dreary waste where he wanders around for hours. He wanders around for hours before he prays to the Lord for mercy, after which he see the tree of life and partakes of the fruit. It is interesting that the iron rod is never mentioned in Lehi's partaking of the fruit.

• It is interesting to note that as soon as Lehi begins following the Heavenly messenger, he finds himself in a dark and dreary waste. Often times, it seems that when we make an effort in our lives to do what's right, we end up passing through trials and temptations, and it may seem that the Lord is not with us or doesn't care about us. But, if we are patient and faithful, calling upon His name, He will hear us AND deliver us.

Verse 10

• The tree of life symbolizes the Love of God. There is nothing in this life that can bring us as much happiness as partaking of the fruits of his love. These include his spirit, the atonement, and much more.

Related links

• Click the edit link above and to the right to add related links

The Book of Mormon > First Nephi > Chapter 8

Questions

Verse 11

• Why does the word "sweet" require the modifiers "most" and "above" while the word "white" only requires "exceed"?

Verse 12

• Why does the Bible say nothing about the soul being filled with joy?

Verse 13

• Was Lehi's wording in this verse influenced by Isa 60:4?

Verse 14

• Why was this sacred tree located at the bottom of the river, rather than in an elevated spot?

Verse 15

• Was Lehi using a messianic phrase when he invited his family to "come unto me"?

Lexical notes

• Click the edit link above and to the right to add lexical notes

Exegesis

Verse 11

Verse 12

Verse 13

Verse 14

Verse 15

Related links

• Click the edit link above and to the right to add related links

The Book of Mormon > First Nephi > Chapter 8

Questions

Verse 16

• Why is it necessary for both the words "and" and "also" to appear in this verse?

Verse 17

• Why did Lehi choose to not repeat his "come unto me" message when calling for Laman and Lemuel?

Verse 18

• Does this foreshadowing vision of Laman and Lemuel not going to the tree of life, or not coming unto Christ, mean that they will never come unto the Savior? What about their agency? Does this de-motivate them to try?

Verse 19

• Why was it necessary for the iron rod to follow the route of the river from its head to the tree?

Verse 20

• Was the path located on the bank, between the iron rod and the river, or was the iron rod located in between the river bank and the path?

Lexical notes

• Click the edit link above and to the right to add lexical notes

Exegesis

Click the edit link above and to the right to add exegesis

Related links

• Click the edit link above and to the right to add related links

The Book of Mormon > First Nephi > Chapter 8

Questions

Verse 21

• Given how the word "concourses" is used in the Book of Mormon, should we assume that Lehi was trying to say there was something angelic about the people in this first group?

Verse 22

• How is it possible that all of these people started out on the same side of the river as the path?

Verse 23

• Why did everyone on the path at that moment "lose their way"?

Verse 24

• What were the odds that, in total darkness, these people could find the direction they needed to take in order to find the iron rod?

Verse 25

• Was this verse influenced by Neh 6:16?

Lexical notes

• Click the edit link above and to the right to add lexical notes

Exegesis

Verse 24

Lehi sees that they are "clinging" to the rod of iron. In such a dark setting you might expect people to be holding hands. But nothing is said of people clinging together. No person is leading another by the hand. Maybe the significance of this is that the rod of iron, or as we learn later, the word of God, must be grasped directly, individually, of our own choice. We must know the truth for ourselves. Others can "beckon" us, as Lehi did his family, but we each need to grasp the word of God individually if we are to press forward.

Related links

Verses 23-24

• Jeffrey R. Holland, "Prophets in the Land Again," Ensign, Nov 2006, pp. 104–7. Elder Holland said: "[W]hen those mists of darkness enveloped the travelers in Lehi's vision of the tree of life, it enveloped all of the participants—the righteous as well as the unrighteous, the young along with the elderly, the new convert and seasoned member alike. In that allegory all face opposition and travail, and only the rod of iron—the declared word of God—can bring them safely through. We all need that rod. We all need that word. No one is safe without it..."

• "Clinging" vs. "holding fast." See this post by NathanG at the Feast blog regarding the "clinging to" wording here in contrast to the "holding fast" wording in verse 30.

The Book of Mormon > First Nephi > Chapter 8

Questions

Verse 26

• How did it happen that both the ashamed (vs. 25) and the confident (vs. 26) cast their eyes about?

Verse 27

• Why does the word "attitude" not appear in the Bible?

Verse 28

• Why wasn't it possible for these individuals to avoid feeling ashamed?

Verse 29

• Was Nephi speaking and writing these words simultaneously?

Verse 30

• What does it mean that the people "fell down"?

Lexical notes

• Click the edit link above and to the right to add lexical notes

Exegesis

Click the edit link above and to the right to add exegesis

Verse 30

We often talk about clinging to the rod of iron and holding fast to the rod of iron similarly. Both are descriptors of how we should approach the word of God, or the scriptures. If we follow those who cling to the iron rod to their conclusion, they become ashamed after they have partaken of the fruit of the tree life (verse 28). The group that holds fast to the iron rod (verse 30) comes to the tree, falls down and eats the fruit. Is there a difference, then between clinging and holding fast to the iron rod? Can this difference help us understand how to better approach the scriptures?

Cling is often used in a negative connotation. It also carries a sense of desperation. I envision someone putting their whole attention on the object to which they cling. In the vision, these people may have been clinging to the rod for their life. Or, they were looking to the scriptures to save their life. However, the scriptures are not meant to be the source of life, but something to lead us to the source of life, the tree of life, the love of God, or simply Jesus Christ. Perhaps the mist of darkness and their focus on the iron rod resulted in them not even understanding what they were going to. When they finally arrive at the tree, they partake, but it is not what they expected because this was the life they thought they had received, and they fell away. Perhaps this approach is making the scriptures something they were not intended to be, and maybe this is what wresting the scriptures means.

Contrast holding fast. Fast implies firm and secure. It is similar to fasten. Fastening something together (such as a seatbelt) brings to things together and joins them as one. It gives a sense of safety, without occupying one's entire attention. These people on the path could pay more attention to what was happening and where they were going. Perhaps through breaks in the mist, they could see the tree. They came to understand that the tree would offer them life. They then arrive at the tree and fall down in a worshipful manner and partook of the fruit.

When Nephi and Lehi understood that the rod of iron was a representation of the word of God, they probably thought first and foremost of the Law of Moses. If we apply the two approaches to the rod to the Law of Moses, we can clearly see the history of the Jews in a simple form. There were many who clung to the Law as though it was the source of life. They rejected Christ. There were others who understood that the Law led to Christ. These people continued to follow the law, but it was secondary to their focus on Christ.

Related links

• Click the edit link above and to the right to add related links

The Book of Mormon > First Nephi > Chapter 8

Questions

Verse 31

• Does use of the word multitude connote a line of descendants (see Gen 48:4)?

Verse 32

• How does Nephi know what these people were doing if his father was unable to relate their fate in his telling of the story?

Verse 33

• Why is Nephi switching, apparently without an explanation, from third person in the previous verse to first person in this verse?

Verse 34

• Were these people powerless to escape once they listened to the song of the sirens?

Verse 35

• Which group were these two in and did they even get close to the tree?

Lexical notes

• Click the edit link above and to the right to add lexical notes

Exegesis

Click the edit link above and to the right to add exegesis

Related links

• Click the edit link above and to the right to add related links

The Book of Mormon > First Nephi > Chapter 8

Questions

Verse 36

• Was Lehi's vision so prophetic that Laman and Lemuel were destined, from that time on, to work against the will of the Lord?

Verse 37

• If "exhort" means to "force or impel in an indicated direction" and "tender" means "given to sympathy or gentleness or sentimentality," then how do these words work together?

Verse 38

• Did Lehi think this was the last chance he would have to convince his sons to change their ways?

Lexical notes

• Click the edit link above and to the right to add lexical notes

Exegesis

Click the edit link above and to the right to add exegesis

Related links

• Click the edit link above and to the right to add related links

The Book of Mormon > First Nephi > Chapter 9

Questions

Verse 1

• Was Nephi trying to say that what Lehi felt was less important than what he say, heard, and spoke?

Verse 2

• Why didn't Nephi make the large/small distinction at this point for his plates?

Verse 3

• Did Nephi make these plates in their entirety or did he simply start the plates and leave it to others to add additional leaves?

Verse 4

• Why did Nephi need to repeat this eleven-word phrase twice in the same verse: "of the reign of the kings, and the wars and contentions"?
• How did Nephi know at this point that his descendants would have a history of kings?

Verse 5

• Why did Nephi think that creating an account of the spiritual ministry of his people did not count as a wise purpose?

Verse 6

• Is power the only thing the Lord uses to fulfill his words?

Lexical notes

• Click the edit link above and to the right to add lexical notes

Exegesis

• The Lord know our past. His knowledge of history allows him to make plans for the future. This power of perception allows him to orchestrate our lives and his purposes. The prophecies he shares with us provide an inkling of what he foresees and is putting in place.

Related links

• Click the edit link above and to the right to add related links

The Book of Mormon > First Nephi > Chapter 10

Questions

Verse 1

• If Nephi said his smaller plates record "the ministry of my people" (1 Ne 9:3) and his larger plates record "the reign of the kings" (1 Ne 9:4), then why is he saying in this verse that the particular plates he is writing in at that moment (i.e., his smaller plates) contain an account of both "my reign and ministry"?

Verse 2

• Did Lehi switch to talking about the Jews after discussing his dream because the history of the Jews he was about to relate represented a partial interpretation of the dream?

Verse 3

• Why is the "due time" of the Lord not mentioned in the Old Testament?

Verse 4

• Is Christ first called a prophet in this abbreviated history of the Jews because for the first three decades of his life that was all the Jews knew him as?

Verse 5

• Is Lehi saying the previous prophets agreed with him or that he agreed with his predecessors?

Lexical notes

Verse 1

• Proceedings. In 1 Ne 19:2 the word proceedings is used in describing the "proceedings in the wilderness" of Lehi, Nephi and his brethren. Here, since Nephi does not seem to describe his "reign and ministry" until 2 Ne 6, it may be that the proceedings he is referring to are those times in the wilderness including the vision commencing in 1 Ne 11:1 which occurred in the wilderness.

• Must speak somewhat. One reason that Nephi must speak "of the things of my father, and also of my brethren" may be to set the stage for the vision in the wilderness that he has regarding the Jews and Gentiles (chapters 11-15).

Exegesis

Verse 1

The summarized words of Lehi as recorded in this chapter are of the utmost importance for the interpretation of the rest of the Book of Mormon. This chapter marks the first mention of the Gentiles in the Book of Mormon, and it also marks the first discussion of the interrelation of the Jews and Israel. In fact, it is the first--as well as the simplest, the most straightforward--explanation of the eventual covenantal interplay of the Jews, the Gentiles, and Israel. Since this topic becomes, one could argue, the most important theme of the whole of the Book of Mormon (see, at least, the title page of the Book of Mormon on this), this first setting of the stage for all subsequent discussion is of undeniable importance. It is, in fact, this first verse of this chapter that first highlights the importance of this theme for Nephi. The verse opens quite clearly as a marker of a major transition in the record. Noel Reynolds finds evidence of a very broad structuring of the whole of First Nephi that supports this moment of transition (he argues that 1 Nephi 1-9 form a broad twelve-step pattern that is perfectly parallel to 1 Nephi 10-22, thus making First Nephi one gigantic parallelism that splits right at this verse; see Table 1 in his work cited below). As this verse makes clear, the transition in question at this point in the record is one Nephi had promised as early as 1 Ne 1:17: "Behold, I make an abridgment of the record of my father, upon plates which I have made with mine own hands; wherefore, after I have abridged the record of my father then will I make an account of mine own life." In short, Nephi is in the process here, at last, of transitioning to his own "reign and ministry."

But the wording of this first verse complicates the transition somewhat. Nephi's "reign and ministry" does not enter into the record in chapter 11, right after these brief comments on Lehi's teachings. Rather, any real discussion of his "reign and ministry" is not to be found until at least 2 Ne 5:5, or even (as seems to be a stricter reading) 2 Ne 6:1. In other words, if this first verse marks the beginning of a transition, it must be admitted that the transition stretches for eighteen chapters! This would, interestingly, accord well with what Nephi says in 1 Ne 19:5: he explains there that only after his account of the physical production of the small plates (an account to be found in the very last verses of 2 Ne 5 would he "proceed according to that which I have spoken," namely, to record "the ministry and the prophecies, the more plain and precious parts of them" (this clarification comes from 1 Ne 19:3). In short, it seems the best reading of this first verse is to take it as the marker of an eighteen-chapter transition from Nephi's abridgment of Lehi's record to the beginning of his fulfilling the commandment to record the ministry and prophecies (which begin, ostensibly, in 2 Ne 6.

What all of these broad details suggest for this first verse here, however, still remains to be worked out. Ultimately, all of this suggests that what this first verse is saying is this: what begins to become a major question right here in chapter 10 is a first working out of what will be the underlying theme of 2 Nephi 6-33. What, of course, is in question in chapter 10 is the interplay of the Jews, the Gentiles, and Israel, and this same question underlies the visions that follow in chapters 11-15, as well as in the Isaiah quotations of 1 Nephi 20-22, and as well as in Lehi's final discourses in 2 Nephi 1-4. All in all, this verse warns the reader that the real topic Nephi is going to take up most emphatically is about to be discussed in a preliminary way. That he "must speak somewhat" of Lehi and of his brethren in connection with it is interesting: the signficance of these eventual historical events, these covenantal workings out--at least for Nephi--is to be found in what it has to do with Lehi and his sons. In other words, the Abrahamic covenant is important for Nephi precisely because of what it will do for the Lehites: the Abrahamic covenant is "relativized" ("likened"?) here, just as it is on the title page of the Book of Mormon.

Verse 2

In order to transition back to his brothers and father, Nephi resets the context and draws his readers right back to the very event he had just left: Lehi's report of the dream. That Nephi makes such a to-do right in the middle of that most important event is rather curious, and the very disruption deserves some attention, since it suggests that Nephi moves from simple abridgment to a sort of historical transition right in the middle of that event. But this is too vague. As this verse makes clear, Lehi comes to the conclusion "of speaking the words of his dream, and also of exhorting them to all diligence," and he goes on to speak of another subject, quite specifically, "concerning the Jews." In other words, though Nephi returns to the very same event--though the disruption certainly disrupts a single event--he splits the event into two great parts, two halves, and he seems to locate the shift from abridgment to transition right in the middle of the event: Lehi's subject in chapter 8 should be understood to be a part of Lehi's record, but the subject in chapter 10 must be understood to be otherwise, in fact, a part of Nephi's transition from Lehi's record to his own subject matter. In short, the transition opens with this business of "the Jews," precisely where the vision of the tree of life leaves off.

Something of major importance for a structural reading of Nephi's two books emerges here. Chapter 8, taken up as it is with Lehi's own family, with his descendants, and hence, with his (the "Lehitic") covenant, confirms quite explicitly the concern of Lehi's record and hence of Nephi's abridgment of the same: the covenant that grounds the Lehites (Nephites and Lamanites considered together). That chapter 10 broadens these sorts of questions is of vital importance: here, it is a question of the Jews, and within a few verses, it becomes also a question of the Gentiles and of Israel. The transition Nephi is making, beginning with this chapter, is a transition from questions of the Lehites to questions of all Israel and their interrelations with the Gentiles. Put more strictly: the transition Nephi is working out here is a transition from the "Lehitic" covenant to the Abrahamic covenant. This transition, marking a curious relation between two major covenants (two major covenant peoples), begins to lay the foundation for a most fascinating double record: Nephi's two books are a masterpiece of intertwined themes, the two most important of which themes are the Lehitic and Abrahamic covenants.

Perhas worth mentioning before proceeding on, then, to the first real discussion of the Abrahamic covenant, is the fact that Nephi (cited Lehi) centers this question first and foremost in "the Jews." Whatever part Israel and the Gentiles will play, the very possibility of the Abrahamic covenant begins with the Jews and the events described concerning them in the next few verses.

Verse 3

This verse does not report anything earth-shattering about the Jews, only some historical facts that just about any serious reader of the Book of Mormon already knows. Of course, it is significant that Lehi is stating all of this before it happens (a few years before the one event, a few decades before the other). Read closely, the verse is focused on the return, but this could not have been too overwhelming an insight for Lehi: if "Second Isaiah" had indeed been written at the time, as the Book of Mormon seems quite clearly to conclude, then the idea would have been familiar to any reader of the scriptures (Isaiah does not exactly bury this prophecy in a mystery). In short, Lehi just begins to lay out the next few decades of Jewish history, as Isaiah writes it out in his writings. But there are a few curiosities about the phrasing of this verse that should draw the attention and that call for comment: there is more at work here than a simple prediction of events in Jewish history.

Last things first, the next verse makes quite clear that Lehi is not looking to the return from exile as the celebrated event of his prophetic word, but rather the coming of the Messiah. In fact, the wording, as it spreads across these two verses together, suggests that Lehi is unaware for the most part of when the return will be accomplished. The "Yea, even" that opens verse 4 seems quite clearly to suggest that Lehi understood the return from exile to have something to do with the arrival of the Messiah (perhaps not quite unlike the understanding so often--whether or not justifiably--attributed to the Jews: that of a Messiah who would come specifically to lead to a restoration of the land). In other words, Lehi's prophecy is rather uncertain temporally: it may be that he believes the Jews will return to the land of Israel only after six hundred years. At any rate, it is clear that the return itself is focused on the coming of the Messiah, rather than on the building of the second temple, the purification of Judea, etc.

All of this points to some consideration of the final phrase of verse 3: the return from captivity is a question of "possess[ing] again the land of their inheritance." From the very beginning, the Abrahamic covenant is brought to bear on this question. The return--clearly associated with the Messiah--is a question of fulfilling the ancient covenant. Lehi's picture, with this detail, grows rather complicated, and some confusions must be clarified.

Verse 4

As pointed out above, the "Yea, even" of this verse seems to suggest that Lehi understands the events of verses 3 and 4 to be a single event (though the reader of the Book of Mormon inevitably understands them to be two separate events, the return from exile in the sixth century B.C. and the birth of Christ some five centuries or so later). The point is vastly important, as becomes clear when one takes the Christology of the Book of Mormon into account as well. There is, to this point in the Book of Mormon, only a single reference to the Messiah (in 1 Ne 1:19). That is, Nephi never mentions the Son, the Redeemer, the Savior, the Messiah, the Christ, etc., etc., etc., except for that single verse in his first chapter (where the reference suggests nothing out of the ordinary for seventh or sixth century B.C. Israelite thought). Here, however, when the event of the Messiah's coming is unfolded in Lehi's discourse, Nephi suddenly employs almost every Book of Mormon name for the Son: "Messiah" and "Savior" in this verse, "Redeemer" in the next," "Lamb of God" in verse 10, and "the Son of God" in verse 17. Curiously, the Christology of the Book of Mormon emerges quite suddenly in this single prophetic discourse. But perhaps this is no surprise: the entire theology of the Abrahamic covenant in the Book of Mormon emerges quite suddenly in the course of the same discourse. In the end, the two are so profoundly intertwined in this discourse that one must recognize in Nephite theology the central interrelation between the Abrahamic covenant and the Christ.

Of interest also, then, is the fact that Nephi's first name for the Son here is "a prophet." What this means remains to be explored.

Related links

• See Noel Reynolds' article "Nephi's Outline" on pages 53-74 in Book of Mormon Authorship, published by FARMS and edited by Noel Reynolds ([ISBN 0934893187]). The table mentioned in the exegesis above is found on page 58.

The Book of Mormon > First Nephi > Chapter 10

Questions

Verse 6

• Why does Lehi use the word "lost" in this verse if it means something cannot be found, recovered, or regained?
• Who lost us and how will we be found?

Verse 7

• How long had the Jews lived without a prophet before the arrival of this one?

Verse 8

• Why will John the Baptist come before Christ?

Verse 9

• Why must Christ be baptized?

Verse 10

• Where did he take our sins?

Lexical notes

• Click the edit link above and to the right to add lexical notes

Exegesis

This is a prophecy of the ministry of John the Baptist. This is a prophecy of the baptism of Christ.

Related links

• Click the edit link above and to the right to add related links

The Book of Mormon > First Nephi > Chapter 10

Questions

Verse 11

• Did Nephi immediatly assimalate new terms, like "Holy Ghost," from his father's vocabulary or did he pick them up in later years, as he became more acquainted with the language of the brass plates?

Verse 12

• If Lehi was comparing only the "house of Israel" to an "olive tree," then why did he say "they" rather than "it"?

Verse 13

• What does it mean to be "led with one accord"?

Verse 14

• Did Nephi decide to summarize ("in fine," which means "in short") because he wanted to focus on the gathering rather than the scattering?

Verse 15

• Why is Nephi the only prophet who talks about the "manner of language"?

Lexical notes

• Click the edit link above and to the right to add lexical notes

Exegesis

Verse 11

This verse marks the first use of the word "Gentile" in the Book of Mormon, and it, like 1 Ne 1:2 with the Jews and 1 Ne 5:9 with Israel, should be taken as the point of departure for all consideration of the meaning of the term throughout the Book of Mormon. Perhaps this text (verses 11-15) is, in the end, the source for considering for the first time comprehensively the relation of the Gentiles and Israel. Significantly, the preceding passage (verses 2-10) also takes up the third term of interest here: the Jews. In other words, from verse 2 all the way through verse 15 here, Nephi lays out what must be understood as the first systematic working out of the interrelations of the Jews, the Gentiles, and Israel. Any subsequent discussion of this point is related quite closely to this chapter.

Perhaps the real point of departure, however, is the question of a vision of two trees.

Also making its first appearance in this verse is the title "Holy Ghost." Though the "Spirit" and even the "Holy Spirit" appear in Nephi's text before this point, the exact title of "Holy Ghost" does not occur until here. It is likely quite significant that the Holy Ghost only comes into question with this business of the Jews and the Gentiles. In fact, it turns out that after Nephi introduces this question of the Holy Ghost here and follows it up a few times in the visions of the history of Israel, the Jews, and the Gentiles, any reference to the "Holy Ghost" as such disappears until 2 Ne 26:13. This gap is certainly significant, especially considering the fact that "Spirit" occurs dozens and dozens of times throughout Nephi's two books ("Holy Spirit" only occurs three times, and in each it might well be written "holy Spirit," with "holy" as a qualifier rather than as part of a title, as in "Holy Ghost").

At the very least, all of this seems to suggest that the Holy Ghost should be understood in a very specific role, as something that only has to do with the intertwining dealings of the Jews, the Gentiles, and Israel more broadly. In other words, the Holy Ghost, as Holy Ghost, might be something that only emerges with the question of the Abrahamic covenant. There is certainly something of a hint of this idea in 3 Nephi as well (one should note that "Holy Ghost" only occurs eight times between the Book of Jacob and the teachings of Jesus in 3 Nephi... and all eight references are quotations from or discussions of Alma the Younger, whose connection with the small plates is undeniable). Whatever these facts suggest, they at least point to the possibility of reading the emergence of a strict "Trinity" only with the full weight of the Abrahamic covenant. What this means remains, obviously, to be worked out at length.

Verse 14

Sometimes the house of Israel is used to include anyone who has joined the church. In this context though there seems to be a distinction between the Gentiles that receive the fulness of the Gospel and the remnants of the house of Israel. Presumably then the house of Israel in this case refers to the literal descendants of Israel.

Related links

• Click the edit link above and to the right to add related links

The Book of Mormon > First Nephi > Chapter 10

Questions

Verse 16

• Weren't the prophecies and recording of them upon plates still left undone?

Verse 17

• Was Nephi so specific about the multiple ways he wanted to experience revelation because he was influenced by Dan 5:23?

Verse 18

• Why is the word "today" (and its alternative spelling in this verse, "to-day") not used in the Bible?

Verse 19

• How could the Holy Ghost have revealed truth to people at all points during human history if the Gift of the Holy Ghost was not available during Christ's ministry?

Verse 20

• Was the wording of this verse influenced by Eccl 11:9?

Verse 21

• How can we reconcile this verse with Lam 3:31?

Verse 22

• Did this verse influence the wording in Moro 8:16?

Lexical notes

Verse 19

Mysteries of God

• In this verse Nephi says the mysteries of God shall be unfolded unto those who diligently seek them. When referring to the mysteries of God, the verb unfolded is often used. See Jacob 4:18, Mosiah 8:19, Alma 40:3, and D&C 10:64.
• While we don't know exactly what word is being translated here as "mysteries", in the New Testament the English word "mystery" is a translation of the Greek noun musterion, which originally meant the secret teachings and religious rites of ancient religious orders--such as the Orphic mysteries.

One eternal round

• The phrase "one eternal round" occurs four other times in scripture: 1 Ne 10:19, Alma 7:20, Alma 37:11-15, D&C 3:2, and D&C 35:1.

Exegesis

Misc. thoughts

• In verse 17 Nephi says that he wants to see, hear and know of the things that his Father had seen in a vision. The next phrase "by the power of the Holy Ghost" suggests that Nephi desires that through the power of the Holy Ghost he will see, hear and know what his Father saw and heard.
• One way to interpret the "mysteries of God" in the scriptures is read them as a reference to temple ordinances.

Verse 16

This verse seems to mark a transition, as promised in verse 1, from talking about "the things of my father, and also of my brethren" to continuing his narrative of "proceedings" in the wilderness.

Verse 19

• The Book of Mormon often uses the phrase "power of the Holy Ghost" to speak of something apparently beyond what Latter-day Saints generally call "feeling the Spirit" or even "learning by the Spirit." (A most important such example would be Moro 10:3-5, which contextually goes on to speak of the several gifts of the Spirit, revelation, translation, etc.) That Nephi here speaks of the power of the Holy Ghost in such an exalted situation emphasizes this same point: Nephi understands the experience of the Holy Ghost to be an experience of full-blown revelation, to come to know the "mysteries of God" (understood in whatever sense) as those "of old" and as those "in times to come" (even at the Second Coming?). If, indeed, "the course of the Lord is one eternal round," Nephi seems to be suggesting that the Holy Ghost brings upon one the most exalted and magnificent revelations, perhaps even the revelation of the Son of God.
• We cannot passively await for the delivery of knowledge by the Holy Ghost. The Lord says he that we must go looking for it. Half-hearted attempts will not be rewarded. The point is to hunger and thirst after this revelation. It is our passion and pursuit that will qualify us for the mysteries.

Verse 20

Perhaps it is only based on the foregoing remarks that verse 20 can be seen to fit into this passage: because of the exalted character of revelation through the Holy Ghost, because that possibility remains entirely open to all those who would seek the same revelations of the prophets of old, judgment is just and to be constantly kept in mind.

Related links

Verse 19

• "One eternal round." See "Taking Joseph's Ring Analogy Seriusly" by Geoff J. at the New Cool Thang blog for some quotes by Joseph Smith on existence being like a ring. Whether or not the ring analogy is useful for thinking about this phrase, "one eternal round" is debateable, but it does seem like one way to think about this phrase.

The Book of Mormon > First Nephi > Chapter 11

Questions

Verse 1

• Is the personage who responds to Nephi's desire here the same being who responded to Lehi in 1 Ne 1:5-6?
• How does Nephi's desire to know what his father had seen (see 1 Ne 10:17), presumably a desire expressed in prayer, differ from his prayer in 1 Ne 2:16?
• What is the difference in the faith expressed by someone who believes that the Lord can do something versus one who believes the Lord will do something? When is each appropriate?
• Why does this vision occur on a high mountain?
• What might Nephi have been pondering in his heart?
• How is Nephi's experience like that of others? What significance do you see in those parallels?
• Can the "exceedingly high mountain" be compared to a temple experience? If so, what parallells are there between modern and Jewish temple rites and the tree of life vision? Is Nephi and Lehi's vision an endowment for their dispensation?

Verses 2, 4

• The Spirit already knows the answers to the questions that he asks Nephi, so why does he ask?

Verse 3

• Why didn't Nephi say that he wanted to know the things that his father had learned from his vision?

Verse 5

• In what tone of voice did Nephi say this?

Lexical notes

Verse 1

• "Had desired" shows that the action was completed in the past.
• The root of the word "ponder" is "to weigh."
• In the Old Testament, the heart stands for the person as a whole. It probably has the same meaning here.

Exegesis

At the end of the last chapter Nephi tells us that the mysteries of God would be unfolded to him "that diligently seeketh" 1 Ne 10:19. Then in the last verse of that chapter Nephi tells us that he has authority from the Holy Ghost to make that promise. Now, with the first word of this verse, for, Nephi connects his upcoming description of his vision with that claim to authority. This description of his vision is justification for his claim to authority to make that promise. Specifically Nephi will show us that the Lord does unfold the mysteries of God to the person who diligently seeks.

If the central reason for Nephi to tell us about his vision is to show us that the Lord fulfills his promise, then part of the point of the next part of verse one is to explain what we must do to have the mysteries of God unfolded to us. Like Nephi, we must 1) have a desire to know and 2) have faith.

Nephi's faith was a belief that "the Lord was able to make" the things his father had seen known to him rather than a belief that the Lord would make them known to him. It may be that Nephi lacked confidence that the Lord would make these things known to him. Compare this with his brothers. Similarly, they desired to understand the words of their father. But, their belief that their questions to the Lord would not be answered prevented them from even asking 1 Ne 15:9. Nephi may not have had confidence that the Lord would make the things his father had seen known to him, but he did have faith that the Lord could do so. And clearly Nephi's faith was sufficient, for while he is pondering he is taken away in vision.

Nephi's vision seems to parallel the modern and ancient temple rituals, with progression from one location to others, possible washing at the fountain of living waters, the tree comparision to the Celestial room, the woman and her child legends in the temple of Solomon, having one's family together at the end of the journey, midsts of darkness and testing and adherence to the word of God, the mocking or teachings of man often mixed with scripture, having a testimony of the living prophet prior to induction, teaching of Christ and the Atonement, the pre-eminence of the original Tweleve Apostles, and other things which Nephi is forbidden to write, etc.

Related links

• Compare Nephi's 'formula' for having the mysteries of God unfolded to Alma's formula for nourishing a seed of faith in Alma 32:41: (1) have desire, (2) nourish this desire with faith, diligence and patience.

The Book of Mormon > First Nephi > Chapter 11

Questions

Verse 6

• Having asked Nephi what he wants and what he believes, the Spirit then praises God before proceeding with the revelation. Why?
• Why does the Spirit's address to Nephi, a praise of God, begin with hosanna?
• Does the fact that the second clause begins with "for," meaning "because," help us understand the cry of hosanna?
• According to the Spirit, what will explain why Nephi will see the vision he wants to see?

Verse 7

• The Spirit tells Nephi that seeing the Son will be a sign. A sign of or for what?
• The Spirit uses the word "witness" to mean "see" in this verse rather than to mean "testify" or "bear record." Why, then, does he use the word "witness" rather than the word "see"?

Verse 8

• Before Lehi saw the tree, he went through a dark and dreary space and a large and spacious field (1 Nephi 8:7-9). Why do you think those things are omitted from Nephi's experience?
• Is it significant that Nephi says the tree he saw was like the tree his father saw (verse 8)?
• What tree does Nephi see?
• What justifies the answer you gave? Why is beauty a representation of good and godliness? Is there a connection between truth, goodness, and beauty?

Verse 9

• How does Nephi know that the tree is precious?

Verse 10

• The Spirit asks the same question that he asked in verse 2. Why?
• Is there some sense in which this is the beginning of a second vision?
• If so, can you explain the connection of the two visions?

Lexical notes

• Click the edit link above and to the right to add lexical notes

Verse 6

• The word "hosanna" is a transliteration of a Hebrew word meaning "save, please" or "save now."

Verse 7

• "Behold" means "look," but it is used here as a narrative particle to get Nephi's attention and to emphasize what follows.
• "Him shall ye witness" is inverted grammatically: "You will witness him."

Verse 8

• "Look": another narrative particle, like behold in verse 7.

Exegesis

Click the edit link above and to the right to add exegesis

Related links

• Click the edit link above and to the right to add related links

The Book of Mormon > First Nephi > Chapter 11

Questions

Verse 11

• What has Nephi seen so far?
• When he asks for "the interpretation thereof," what does he want to have explained for him?
• Nephi identifies the Spirit as the Spirit of the Lord. Does he mean the Holy Ghost or the Son?
• Why does Nephi tell us that he spoke with the Spirit as one person speaks with another? How is that relevant to this particular story?
• How does the vision that follows correlate with Lehi's vision and, if what follows is an interpretation of the beautiful tree, what does that tell us about Lehi's vision?

Verse 12

• Do you see any significance in the repetition of "look" in verses 8 and 12?
• Does the repeated command to "look" take on extra significance from Nephi's statement that he had "seen many afflictions in the course of [his] days" (1 Ne 1:1)?
• How does the vision that Nephi has answer his quest for an interpretation of the tree that he saw in vision?
• Why doesn't Lehi's dream include this interpretation of the tree?

Verse 13

• What do you make of the fact that verses 13 and 15 describe the virgin in the same language used in verses 8-9 to describe the tree?
• In the Old Testament, the prophets frequently have to deal with people who worship the goddess Asherah, whose symbol is a pole or tree. In Canaanite religion, Asherah was the queen of heaven, the consort of El, and the mother of the gods. Does Nephi's vision help us understand better why the Israelites might have found Canaanite religion so easy to adopt?

Verse 14

• An angel appears before Nephi and continues the pattern of asking him questions about his beliefs and, now, what he has seen. What is the point of that pattern?

Verse 15

• What was the source of the virgin's beauty?

Lexical notes

Verse 11

• "The Spirit of the Lord" is a phrase used in the scripture 71 times. Looking at the other references this title seems most closely identified with the role of the Holy Ghost.

Verse 13

• "Fair and white" is a hendiadys, in other words, it uses two words, connected by "and," to say the same thing.

Verse 15

• "Beautiful and fair": another hendiadys.

Exegesis

As noted in the lexical notes, the Spirit of the Lord, is often used with a role generally associated with the Holy Ghost. By itself verse 11 is unclear whether the title here refers to the Holy Ghost or the Son of God. The nevertheless in "I beheld that he was in the form of a man; yet nevertheless, I knew that it was the Spirit of the Lord" and the title "Spirit ..." both suggest that the being Nephi spoke with did not have a body. Of course, not having a body is a characteristic of both the Holy Ghost and the Son at this time. However, this same title "Spirit of the Lord" is used to refer to a being in the New Testament at the time that Jesus did have a body. Assuming that the title consistently refers to the same being throughout the scriptures, suggests that this is the Holy Ghost. Note however that there are other examples where the same title in the scriptures is applied to different members of the Godhead. The fact the Godhead is one in purpose may explain why the scriptures don't make more of a point of always making it clear which member of the Godhead is playing what role. It may that it is a matter of little significance.

Related links

Verse 11

• See comments here about Elder Bruce R. McConkie's interpretation of the Spirit of the Lord as a reference to Jesus Christ.

Verse 13

• "Nephi and His Asherah": In this FARMS article, Daniel C. Peterson discusses the connection Nephi may have made between the virgin mother described in this verse and the symbolism of the tree in Lehi's dream based on ancient Canaanite and Israelite associations. (Journal of Book of Mormon Studies, Volume: 9 Issue: 2 Provo, Utah: FARMS, 2000, pp. 16–25)

The Book of Mormon > First Nephi > Chapter 11

Questions

Verse 16

• What exactly is the condescension of God?
• Why does the angel ask Nephi about the condescension of God rather than about something else?
• It is relatively easy to see what condescension has to do with the part of the vision that is about to come, but does it have anything to do with what Nephi has already seen?

Verse 17

• How is Nephi's answer, "I know that he loveth his children," an answer to the angel's question?

Why does Nephi add "I do not know the meaning of all things"? Since no human being does, that is a strange thing to say.

Verse 18

• How is verse 18 related to the question of verse 16?

Verse 19

• There is a kind of empty spot in the vision here: the virgin is carried away and then, after a while, reappears, and as far as we know Nephi sees nothing in the interim (verse 19). Why do you think the vision might have been given in that way? Why not proceed directly to the part of the vision that we see in verse 20?

Verse 20

• Was the vision temporarily silent about the virgin because of the sacred nature of her conception?

Lexical notes

Verse 16

• As used here, the word "condescension" means "a voluntary stoop or descent from one's rightful position."

Verse 18

• "After the manner of the flesh" most likely modifies "the mother of the Son of God," but it could also modify "Son of God."

Exegesis

• Click the edit link above and to the right to add exegesis

Related links

• Click the edit link above and to the right to add related links

The Book of Mormon > First Nephi > Chapter 11

Questions

Verse 21

• Having shown Nephi the birth of Jesus, the angel asks whether Nephi now understands the meaning of the tree. How is the birth of Christ the interpretation of or explanation of the tree?
• Having seen the birth, Nephi says that the tree is the love of God. How does he get that from what he has seen?
• What does it mean that the love of God "sheddeth itself abroad in the hearts of the children of men"? (Compare Rom 5:5.)

Verses 22-23

• In verse 8 Nephi saw that the tree was the most beautiful thing and the most white, in other words, brightest thing. In verse 9 he saw that it was most precious. Now Nephi sees that it is most desirable (verse 22), and the angel says that it is the most joyous thing to the soul (verse 23). How are these things connected to each other?
• What does "joyous to the soul" mean? Does it mean the same as "joyous for the soul"?

Verse 24

• How is verse 24 related to the verses that precede it? For example, does it explain what the angel says in verse 23?

Verse 25

• How do the fountain of living waters and the tree of life both symbolize the love of God?
• Why do you think that Nephi doesn't mention the contrasting river of filthy water in this part of his account, though he seems to have seen it? (Compare 1 Ne 8:13 and 1 Ne 15:26-29.)
• Do you think that Nephi saw, as Lehi did, his family in his vision? (Compare 1 Ne 8:14-18.) If so, why doesn't he mention them? If not, why not?

Lexical notes

Verse 22

• "Love of God, which sheddeth itself abroad in the hearts of the children of men" = "love of God that pours itself into our hearts."

Verse 24

• Since, in this context, "fall down at his feet" and "worship him" mean the same, this is a case of hendiadys, using two words (or phrases) that mean the same and connecting them with "and."

Verse 25

• "Word of God" can be understood in two ways: (1) as in Hebrews 11:3, where it means simply "God's words" or (more often) (2) God's revelations.
• "Love of God" can also be understood in two ways: (1) the love a person has for God, and (2) the love God has for his children.

Exegesis

Related links

• Click the edit link above and to the right to add related links

The Book of Mormon > First Nephi > Chapter 11

Questions

Verse 26

• Why are the vision of Christ's birth (verses 17-23) and the vision of his life (verses 27-34) both preceded by the angel describing them to Nephi as "the condescension of God"? In other words, why does verse 26 repeat verse 16?

Verse 27

• Is there any particular reason that the name "Lamb of God" is used in this context?

Verses 28-29

• Notice that the chronological order of the elements of the vision doesn't correspond to the historical order. What does that tell us about visions? About historical order?
• Why might there be a break in the vision at this point, with a kind of end to the vision, followed by a new beginning in verse 30?

Verse 30

• When did the event of this verse occur?

Lexical notes

• Click the edit link above and to the right to add lexical notes

Verses 26-27

• "And" is used nine times in these two verses, as the organizing word:

     And the angel said . . . behold the condescension of God!
     And I looked and beheld the Redeemer of the world . . .
     and I also beheld the prophet . . .
     And the Lamb of God went forth and was baptized of him;
     and after he was baptized, I beheld the heavens open,
         and the Holy Ghost come down out of heaven
         and abide upon him in the form of a dove.

Verse 27

• "Way" means "road" or "path."
• "Abide" means "dwell." Here it indicates that the Holy Ghost not only came on him, but stayed with him.

Verse 28

• "To minister" = "to attend to," "to wait on," "to serve."
• "In power and great glory" is probably a hendiadys.

Verse 29

• Here "face" stands for the whole person.

Verse 30

• This verse, like verses 26-27, is organized by the word "and":

1 And . . . the angel spake unto me again, saying:  Look!
2 And I looked,
3 and I beheld the heavens open again,
4 and I saw angels descending upon the children of men;
5 and they did minister unto them. 

Notice that lines 2, 3, and 4 are parallel to each other; each depends on a different, but synonymous verb for seeing. Each succeeding line of these three lines expands what the previous line tells us. The first line simply says "I looked." The second line expands that to say what Nephi saw when he looked. The third line expands that even further, giving us the details of what he saw: "I saw angels, etc."

Exegesis

Click the edit link above and to the right to add exegesis

Related links

• Click the edit link above and to the right to add related links

The Book of Mormon > First Nephi > Chapter 11

Questions

Verse 31

• Why does the vision include this relatively lengthy description of the physical and psychological healings that Jesus did?
• How were they important to his mission of salvation?

Verses 32-33

• Why does Nephi see a vision of the crucifixion of Jesus, but not of his resurrection?

Verses 34-36

• Verse 34 tells us that the building is the wisdom of the world. If we compare that to 1 Nephi 8:26-27 we see that the world and its wisdom is derision of those who are outside. What does that mean?
• 1 Ne 12:18 says that the building is human vain imaginations and pride. How do those three versions of the building fit with one another?
• How do we participate in the "wisdom" of the world?
• Why does the angel describe the occupants of the building as the house of Israel (verse 35)?
• Don't the events to which this corresponds occur after the loss of the ten tribes?
• What does "pride of the world" mean here (verse 36)?
• All three of these verses speak of those who fight against the apostles. What fight are they speaking of? Why is it a fight against the apostles rather than against God?

Lexical notes

• Click the edit link above and to the right to add lexical notes

Verse 31

• Like verse 30, this verse is organized by "and":

1 And he spake unto me again, saying: Look!
2 And I looked,
3 and I beheld . . . among the children of men.
4 And I beheld multitudes of people who were sick,
5       and who were afflicted with all manner of diseases,
6               and with devils and unclean spirits;

7 and the angel spake and showed all these things unto me.  
8 And they were healed by the power of the Lamb of God; 
9 and the devils and the unclean spirits were cast out.  

The second part of the verse corresponds to the first. Line 1 is parallel to line 7. Lines 2 through 5 are parallel to line 8. And, line 6 is parallel to line 9. Lines 7 through 9, therefore, act as a kind of synopsis of lines 1 through 6.

Verses 32-33

These verses are complicated rhetorically. A diagram helps show the complexity:

1 And it came to pass that the angel spake . . . saying: Look!
2 And I looked and beheld the Lamb of God,
3        that he was taken by the people;
4        yea, the Son . . . was judged of the world;
5 and I saw and bear record. 
6 And I . . . saw that he was lifted up . . . the world. 

Line 1 introduces the verse. Lines 2 through 5 are a chiasm. Line 6 is parallel to line 5 in that it tells in more detail what Nephi saw and bears record of. But line 6 is also parallel to lines 3 and 4. Specifically, it tells how the people condemned the Lamb of God.

Verse 32

• "Judged" is ambiguous. It can mean only "to hear a case, such as a legal case, and to make a decision in regards to it." But it can also mean "to condemn."
• "Saw and bear record": though "saw" is in the past tense, "bear" is in the present tense. Nephi saw the vision in the past, but he now bears record through the Book of Mormon. (The same phrase appears in verse 36.)

Exegesis

Click the edit link above and to the right to add exegesis