4 Ne 1:1-49

From Feast upon the Word (http://feastupontheword.org). Copyright, Feast upon the Word.
Revision as of 00:03, 4 October 2015 by KurtElieson (Talk | contribs)

Jump to: navigation, search

Home > The Book of Mormon > Fourth Nephi


This page would ideally always be under construction. You are invited to contribute.


Summary

This heading should be very brief. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Relationship to Book of Mormon. Fourth Nephi is the bridge between the reign of the judges ad the final destruction of the Nephites. The relationship of Fourth Nephi to the Book of Mormon as a whole is discussed at Book of Mormon: Unities.

Story. Fourth Nephi consists of ____ major sections:

Message. Themes, symbols, and doctrinal points emphasized in Fourth Nephi include:


Historical setting

This heading should be brief and explain facts about the historical setting that will help a reader to understand the book. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →


Discussion

This section is for detailed discussion such as the meaning of a symbol, how a doctrinal point is developed throughout a passage, or insights that can be further developed in the future. Contributions may range from polished paragraphs down to a single bullet point. The focus, however, should always be on understanding the scriptural text consistent with LDS doctrine. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

  • Verse 1:3: Heavenly gift. The "heavenly gift" mentioned here may be a reference to a temple ritual where people learn to recognize the resurrected Christ (see Ether 12:8).
  • Verse 1:3: All things in common. The phrase "they had all things common among them" may imply the people were living under formal rules similar to the united order, where members practice the law of consecration by giving all they have to the Church and the Church then redistributes goods among the members as needed (see links below). Alternatively, it could be that the people achieved a similar result by sharing their goods without a centralized structure for determining how this was to be done.
  • Verse 1:24. It is interesting that pride is the first sin mentioned among this people who had been so happy for so long, and that a description of suffering and strife among the people follows immediately afterwards (vv. 26ff).
  • Verse 1:27: The sacrament. I am always surprised a bit in reading the scriptures when I am reminded how bad it seems it is to allow someone who is unworthy to take the sacrament. As a missionary I always found it a bit awkward to tell people not to take the sacrament when they came to Church with us. My surprise at reading how bad it is to allow someone who is unworthy to take the sacrament is probably a reflection of the fact that it is easy for me to forget how sacred the sacrament is--because I participate in it so frequently. I don't find myself similarly suprised that we have processes to help make sure only the worthy enter the temple. --Matthew Faulconer 09:47, 7 Mar 2006 (UTC)
I thought I remember hearing something about this recently. I couldn't find it, but did find this quote from Elder Groberg in General Conference, April 1989:
What does it mean to partake of the sacrament worthily? Or how do we know if we are unworthy?
If we desire to improve (which is to repent) and are not under priesthood restriction, then, in my opinion, we are worthy. If, however, we have no desire to improve, if we have no intention of following the guidance of the Spirit, we must ask: Are we worthy to partake, or are we making a mockery of the very purpose of the sacrament, which is to act as a catalyst for personal repentance and improvement? If we remember the Savior and all he has done and will do for us, we will improve our actions and thus come closer to him, which keeps us on the road to eternal life.
If, however, we refuse to repent and improve, if we do not remember him and keep his commandments, then we have stopped our growth, and that is damnation to our souls.
I thought I heard something about non-members taking the sacrament, but couldn't find it. At any rate, there doesn't seem anything in Elder Groberg's discussion that would necessarily preclude non-members from taking the sacrament. My mission president also instructed us to explain to investigators that this was a way that members renewed their baptismal covenant, but I think I've heard of instances where the policy was to allow non-members to take the sacrament.... --RobertC 00:01, 8 Mar 2006 (UTC)
Elder Russell M. Nelson made a statement about visitors taking the sacrament; he said this in a worldwide leadership training meeting and it was reproduced in the August 2004 Ensign.
Because we invite all to come unto Christ, friends and neighbors are always welcome but not expected to take the sacrament. However, it is not forbidden. They choose for themselves. We hope that newcomers among us will always be made to feel wanted and comfortable. Little children, as sinless beneficiaries of the Lord’s Atonement, may partake of the sacrament as they prepare for covenants that they will make later in life.
This is the most recent statement I remember about non-members taking the sacrament. MJ 09:47, 8 Mar 2006 (UTC)
Thanks MJ, this sounds like what I remember hearing, though I'm not sure I heard this from the training meeting. --RobertC 14:57, 13 Mar 2006 (UTC)
  • Verse 1:27. Here we are told about many churches which professed to know Christ but denied the more parts of his gospel. (Compare JS-H 1:19.) Mormon then explains that these churches allowed wicked practices and then links this with administering that which was sacred unto those who had been forbidden because of unworthiness. That which was sacred would seem to refer to the sacrament, thought it might instead, or might also, refer to the endowment. Either way it is interesting that in the few words he tells us about these corrupt churches, Mormon chooses to conclude by pointing to this problem. It seems that for Mormon this error is the most obvious example of apostasy.
  • Verse 1:30: Disciples of Jesus. Though the word disciple is often used to refer to simply a follower, it may mean here someone in a certain office in the Church. That is the way the phrase is used a few verses earlier in verse 14. There the disciple of Jesus refers first to those Jesus had chosen (see 3 Ne 11:22 and 3 Ne 12:1) and then others ordained in the stead of those initial disciples after they died.


Unanswered questions

This section is for questions along the lines of "I still don't understand ..." Please do not be shy. The point of these questions is to identify things that still need to be addressed on this page. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →


Prompts for life application

This section is for prompts that suggest ways in which a passage can influence a person's life. Prompts may be appropriate either for private self reflection or for a class discussion. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

  • Verse 1:10. It is interesting to note in the end of verse 10 that the Nephites became an exceedingly "fair and delightsome people." What warrants a people to become fair and delightsome? We know that at this time, the Nephites were all converted unto the Lord and they were walking uprightly before him. When the Nephites are filled with the spirit of the Lord and emanate the light of Christ, fair and delightsome become appropriate words to describe their state. We can follow this example in our own lives by living how the Lord would have us do and therefore, achieving this fair and delightsome state. We must always be wary, however, because becoming fair and delightsome may lead to pride and destruction which occurred with the Nephites. Always remember the Lord and we can emanate the light of Christ without falling into destructive paths.


Prompts for further study

This section is for prompts that invite us to think about a passage more deeply or in a new way. These are not necessarily questions that beg for answers, but rather prompts along the lines of "Have you ever thought about ..." Prompts are most helpful when they are developed individually, thoughtfully, and with enough background information to clearly indicate a particular direction for further study or thought. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

  • Verse 1:3: What does it mean to have "all things common"?
  • Verse 1:11: Would it be totally irresponsible and speculative to ask if the "multitude of the promises" carried a reference to temple marriage, in addition to the promise of prosperity?
  • Verse 1:24ff: Pride is mentioned as the first sin among this people that had been living so peacefully. Then the account describes suffering and strife starting among the people (vv. 26ff). Did pride cause the ensuing strife and suffering, or was pride a symptom of an underlying spiritual lapse and pride was just the first observable sign of this lapse? What other scriptural instances are there where pride is the precursor of increased unhappiness, suffering, and/or strife?


Relation to other scriptures

This heading is for notes about the relationship of this book to other sections and passages. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Related scriptures

The relationship of Fourth Nephi to the rest of the Book of Mormon is discussed at Book of Mormon: Unities.

Parallel passages

Previous editions

Resources

This section is the bibliography of electronic links and print resources referenced on this page, including links that are integrated into the Discussion and citations that appear in the Notes. A comment here about the strengths or limitations of a resource can be helpful. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →


Cited references

Other resources

  • Verse 1:3: Law of consecration. The law of consecration and united order are described with scripture references at lds.org here and here.


Notes

Footnotes are not required but are encouraged for factual assertions that average readers cannot easily evaluate for themselves (such as the date of King Solomon’s death or the nuanced definition of a Greek word). In contrast, insights rarely benefit from footnoting, and the focus of this page should always remain on the scriptures themselves rather than what someone has said about them. Links are actively encouraged on all sections of this page, and links to authoritative sources (such as Strong's Bible Concordance or the Joseph Smith Papers) are preferable to footnotes.




                                                                 Return to The Book of Mormon