Category: Book of Mormon Project

2 Nephi 9:15-16 — LeGrand Baker — resurrection and judgment

15   And it shall come to pass that when all men shall have passed from this first death unto life, insomuch as they have become immortal, they must appear before the judgment-seat of the Holy One of Israel; and then cometh the judgment, and then must they be judged according to the holy judgment of God.
16   And assuredly, as the Lord liveth, for the Lord God hath spoken it, and it is his eternal word, which cannot pass away, that they who are righteous shall be righteous still, and they who are filthy shall be filthy still;

The sequence here is quite explicit: the final judgement really is at the conclusion of all things fo this “age” — first come the clarification by experience and choice, then the resurrection, after that, comes “the holy judgement of God.” So when one stands before God to be judged, one is judged according to the degree of glory of the resurrected body which one brings to that judgment bar.

That asks an extremely important question: If the final judgement is not to assign us to a degree of glory, then how is that assignment made and who makes it? The answer is, of course, each of us judges ourselves. But that seems a bit simplistic, and doesn’t tell when or how. A more accurate, less simplistic, and much less conventional answer may be: the earth is our judge in that it surrenders to us the appropriate elements with which our eternal bodies will be made. Well now, that was unconventional! and will need a good deal of explanation before it makes any sense at all. So before you abandon me as a combined heretic and mad man, let me try to explain my idea about that.

The Saviour’s body, like ours, was made from the elements of this earth. His resurrected body was his natural body made perfect. That is, his resurrected body was also made from the elements of this earth. So it will be with all resurrected bodies: telestial, terrestrial, and celestial bodies are all made up of the elements of this earth. When the earth itself is resurrected, it will be wholly celestial in its own make up.

For a further explanation, we must go to D&C 88.

14   Now, verily I say unto you, that through the redemption which is made for you is brought to pass the resurrection from the dead (D&C 88:14).

After that introduction, the lord begins to explain, not how the resurrection is accomplished, but the criteria upon which each person’s resurrection is determined.

15   And the spirit and the body are the soul of man.
16   And the resurrection from the dead is the redemption of the soul (D&C 88:15-16).

There are three categories of meanings of “redemption.” (1) The Greek meanings are to purchase or to ransom. (2) The Hebrew meanings are the same except that it is done by a near relative. (3)

The meaning most frequently used in the Book of Mormon is that to redeem is to be brought into the presence of God (Ether 3:13; 2 Nephi 1:15, 2:2-4; Helaman 14:17-18).

17   And the redemption of the soul is through him that quickeneth all things, in whose bosom it is decreed that the poor and the meek of the earth shall inherit it (D&C 88:17).

Many biblical scholars agree that the “poor” in the Beatitudes are those who fulfill their religious commitments. These poor will own the kingdom of heaven (Note: It does not say “they shall be citizens in the kingdom,” but rather, “theirs is the kingdom of heaven”). That is about priesthood and kingship. The statement that the meek shall inherit the earth is lifted almost verbatim from the Beatitudes. That in turn, comes from Psalms 25 and 37. This should give us a clue that the Beatitudes are a key to understanding all this. The Lord now goes on to explain that the earth itself will be a sanctified celestial world.

18   Therefore, it [the earth] must needs be sanctified from all unrighteousness, that it may be prepared for the celestial glory;
19   For after it hath filled the measure of its creation, it shall be crowned with glory, even with the presence of God the Father (D&C 88:18-19).

20   That bodies who are of the celestial kingdom may possess it forever and ever; for, for this intent was it made and created, and for this intent are they sanctified (D&C 88:20).

The idea that the earth was made for the people is only half the idea. The other half is that the people were created to inhabit the celestial earth. It is apparent that neither without the other is complete. The earth will be a great urim and thummim to those celestial persons who possess it. (D&C 130:9)

21   And they who are not sanctified through the law which I have given unto you, even the law of Christ, must inherit another kingdom, even that of a terrestrial kingdom, or that of a telestial kingdom.
22    For he who is not able to abide the law of a celestial kingdom cannot abide a celestial glory.
23   And he who cannot abide the law of a terrestrial kingdom cannot abide a terrestrial glory.
24   And he who cannot abide the law of a telestial kingdom cannot abide a telestial glory; therefore he is not meet for a kingdom of glory. Therefore he must abide a kingdom which is not a kingdom of glory.
25   And again, verily I say unto you, the earth abideth the law of a celestial kingdom, for it filleth the measure of its creation, and transgresseth not the law– (D&C 88:21-24).

I suspect that the same criterion applies to people as well: that is, those who inherit the celestial earth are those who “filleth the measure of (their) creation, and transgresseth not the law.”

26   Wherefore, it shall be sanctified; yea, notwithstanding it shall die, it shall be quickened again, and shall abide the power by which it is quickened, and the righteous shall inherit it.
27   For notwithstanding they die, they also shall rise again, a spiritual [resurrected] body.
28 They who are [present tense] of a celestial spirit shall receive [future tense] the same body which was [past tense] a natural body; even ye shall receive [future tense] your bodies, and your glory shall be [future tense] that glory by which your bodies are quickened [present tense] (D&C 88:26-28).

Thus, the Lord equates the full glory of the body one receives when it one is quickened (resurrected), with the partial glory one has while living on this earth. The Lord now reiterates that in terms so straightforward that he cannot be misunderstood.

29   Ye who are quickened [present tense] by a portion of the celestial glory shall then receive [future tense] of the same, even a fulness (D&C 88:30).

That is, the glory which partially quickens ones body now, will be the glory which quickens it in the resurrection. To show that the law is universal, the Lord repeats himself as he describes the resurrection of those in the terrestrial and telestial glories.

30   And they who are quickened by a portion of the terrestrial glory shall then receive of the same, even a fulness.
31   And also they who are quickened by a portion of the telestial glory shall then receive of the same, even a fulness.
32   And they who remain shall also be quickened; nevertheless, they shall return again to their own place, to enjoy that which they are willing to receive, because they were not willing to enjoy that which they might have received.
33   For what doth it profit a man if a gift is bestowed upon him, and he receive not the gift? Behold, he rejoices not in that which is given unto him, neither rejoices in him who is the giver of the gift(D&C 88:30-33).

The Lord’s next statement comes as close to describing the ‘how’ of the resurrection as one can find in the scriptures:

34   And again, verily I say unto you, that which is governed by law is also preserved by law and perfected and sanctified by the same.
35   That which breaketh a law, and abideth not by law, but seeketh to become a law unto itself, and willeth to abide in sin, and altogether abideth in sin, cannot be sanctified by law, neither by mercy, justice, nor judgment. Therefore, they must remain filthy still (D&C: 88:13-35).

As I read that scripture, it says there are people walking about in this world who are essentially celestial people. Yet, all one has to do is look at them to know they are not entirely celestial. They look old and tired just like everyone else. I think that is a major reason for the blessing of death. It lets the spirit leave the body which is not entirely compatible with its own spiritual nature. Then, at the resurrection, it picks those portions of its body which are entirely compatible. I think that is what Brigham Young meant when he said,

In the resurrection everything that is necessary will be brought from the elements to clothe and to beautify the resurrected Saints who will receive their reward (Journal of Discourses 9:192).

I suppose, then, that there are not only celestial type people walking about, but also terrestrial and telestial types of people among us. We will all die, then at the resurrection, when “everything that is necessary will be brought from the elements,” we will each pick up those elements of our body which are compatible with our spirit.

Thus clothed in our resurrected body, we will be presented to the Lord. Those whose glory is compatible with his, will remain with him. Those who have some lesser glory, will go where they are most comfortable. At least, that’s how I understand it.

2 Nephi 9:5-7 — LeGrand Baker — creation powers of the Atonement

What Jacob says is that the Atonement was performed by the God of Creation. He wrote: 2 Nephi 9:5-7

5   Yea, I know that ye know that in the body he shall show himself unto those at Jerusalem, from whence we came; for it is expedient that it should be among them; for it behooveth the great Creator that he suffereth himself to become subject unto man in the flesh, and die for all men, that all men might become subject unto him.
6   For as death hath passed upon all men, to fulfil the merciful plan of the great Creator, there must needs be a power of resurrection, and the resurrection must needs come unto man by reason of the fall; and the fall came by reason of transgression; and because man became fallen they were cut off from the presence of the Lord.
7   Wherefore, it must needs be an infinite Atonement–save it should be an infinite Atonement this corruption could not put on incorruption. Wherefore, the first judgment which came upon man must needs have remained to an endless duration. And if so, this flesh must have laid down to rot and to crumble to its mother earth, to rise no more.

To me that suggests that Jacob has associated the powers of performing the Atonement with the powers of Creation. That is, that the powers by which the Saviour created all things are the same powers by which he atoned for all things.

The key to understanding that, I think, is in D&C 93:10, which reads, “The worlds were made by him; men were made by him; all things were made by him, and through him, and of him.”

I now want to try to describe what I think is meant by the idea that Christ created “all things.”

Joseph Smith said there is no such thing as immaterial matter, and that physical matter and spirit matter are the same except one is more refined than the other. So I presume the following fundamental ideas are as true of spirit matter as they are true of physical matter.

Matter is an expression of the way energy is organized. Matter and energy are fundamentally the same thing. That’s what Einstein’s most famous theory is all about. A demonstration of that is an atomic explosion. When matter is changed back into energy, that energy is expressed in an explosion of force, visible and non-visible light, and heat.

The string theory teaches the same thing: matter is energy. As was demonstrated by the atomic explosion, energy is light.

The elementary particles of visible light are called photons. Sometimes they act like a wave, other times they act like a particle, so no one is quite sure whether they are either or both.

There are different kinds of expressions of light. D&C 88 suggests photons are only one:

5    … through Jesus Christ his Son-
6   He that ascended up on high, as also he descendedbelow all things, in that he comprehended all things, that he might be in all and through all things, the light of truth;
7   Which truth shineth. This is the light of Christ. As also he is in the sun, and the light of the sun, and the power thereof by which it was made.
8   As also he is in the moon, and is the light of the moon, and the power thereof by which it was made;
9   As also the light of the stars, and the power thereof by which they were made;
10   And the earth also, and the power thereof, even the earth upon which you stand.
11   And the light which shineth, which giveth you light, is through him who enlighteneth your eyes, which is the same light that quickeneth your understandings;
12   Which light proceedeth forth from the presence of God to fill the immensity of space–
13   The light which is in all things, which giveth life to all things, which is the law by which all things are governed, even the power of God who sitteth upon his throne, who is in the bosom of eternity, who is in the midst of all things. (D&C 88:5-13)

Both physics theories suggest that energy, which is light, or something very akin to it, is the stuff of which matter is made. D&C 88 suggests the same thing. But neither say that precisely — the stuff part, I mean. Einstein talks of “energy” which is sometimes expressed by light, while the D&C talks of “power” which is the same thing as light. Each suggest that matter is a form or function of that energy or power. I suppose it would not be too wrong to simplify all that by suggesting that the elementary particle of matter of which our bodies, this earth, and the universe, are made is light, but not necessarily something akin to or the same sort of thing as photons. I presume, then, it would be correct, if over-simplistic, to say that our bodies are made of light. I also presume it would be equally correct to say that our spirit bodies are made of light also.

This substantiates Abinadi’s testimony that Christ “is the light and the life of the world; yea, a light that is endless, that can never be darkened; yea, and also a life which is endless, that there can be no more death (Mosiah 16:9). The Saviour himself reiterates this point through the frequently repeated statements that he is “the light and the life of the world.” (D&C 34:1-2; 39:1-2; 45:7) Thus, the statement that Christ is the creator of all things, when “all things” refers to the basic element from which everything is organized, places us in a time context which can best be described as the very beginning before the beginning (as it does in the Secrets of Enoch). That seems to be equally true of the beginning of life. For life, cognizance, is also an expression of the light of Christ.

The essence of our being and personality is called in the scriptures, “intelligence.” Of that we learn,

29   Man was also in the beginning with God. Intelligence, or the light of truth, was not created or made, neither indeed can be.
30   All truth is independent in that sphere in which God has placed it, to act for itself, as all intelligence also; otherwise there is no existence (D&C 93:29-30).

The phrase “light of truth” seems to be a literal, rather than a figurative description. We have already read section 88 as it relates to light and matter, but now lets look at it again as it relates to light and life. The first thing we note is that truth shines, and thus is the source of light.

4   This Comforter is the promise which I give unto you of eternal life, even the glory of the celestial kingdom;
5   Which glory is that of the church of the Firstborn, even of God, the holiest of all, through Jesus Christ his Son– (D&C 88:4-5).

Truth seems to be something like the “elementary particles” of which light is made, or light is an expression of organized truth.

Truth is a knowledge of reality—of things as they really are. Christ is the personification of that knowledge, for he has all truth.

24   And truth is knowledge of things as they are, and as they were, and as they are to come; And whatsoever is more or less than this is the spirit of that wicked one who was a liar from the beginning.
25   The Spirit of truth is of God.
26   I am the Spirit of truth, and John bore record of me, saying: He received a fulness of truth, yea, even of all truth; (D&C 93:24-26)

Having all truth does not constitute a monopoly. For the next two verses say,

27   And no man receiveth a fulness unless he keepeth his commandments.
28   He that keepeth his commandments receiveth truth and light, until he is glorified in truth and knoweth all things. (D&C 93: 27-28)

What I am about to write may not be correct, but it is as close as I can come with the information I have.

Truth shines, so light is either a product or a characteristic of truth. Christ has all truth and therefore is the immediate source of our light. Light is the power from which matter is organized. Light is also the power of life. Christ is “in all and through all things, the light of truth.” (D&C 88:6) Intelligence is “the light of truth.” (D&C 93:29-30)

I believe that life is also an expression of the love of Christ. Indeed, in my mind, I cannot discover the difference between the love of Christ and the light of Christ. “Love,” I suspect, is simply another expression of light.

God’s light “fills the imensity of space,” so does his truth, so does his love. Therefore light, truth, and love either occupy the same space at the same time or they are expressions of the same thing. I believe the latter is true. Therefore love is as tangible in the same way light is. Even though we can rarely see this love/light, we can feel it (or the lack of it) as it emanates from the people we are around. And they can feel what we are just as easily.

The beginning of the gospel of John is necessary to pull all this together. It equates the light which is “in him” with the life of man. It reads:

1   In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2   The same was in the beginning with God.
3   All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
4   In him was life; and the life was the light of men. (John 1:1-4)

Thus, Christ is the source of the light which animates intelligence. Intelligence, which is the light of truth, cannot be created or made (D&C 93:29), but they can be “organized” (Abraham 3:22) Some of the organized intelligences” are greater than others: of those, some are called “noble and great ones.” This gradation of intelligences is because those who were noble were also “good.” These intelligences, receive spirit bodies, come to a physical earth where they receive physical bodies, and eventually are resurrected and become eternal beings. (see Abraham 3).

Thus it appears that man is an expression of the life which is the light which emanates from the fulness of truth of which Christ is the personification. In short, we and all things in this “age” are made of the light which emanates from Christ.

Now let us return more directly to the ideas in Jacob’s observation that it is the Creator God who is also the God of the Atonement.

The next phrase in John’s gospel, v. 5, seems to define the whole power of the Atonement. “The light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended [encircled, encompass, overcame] it not.” The power of the Atonement is the power to withstand, then overcome and defeat darkness, chaos, and entropy.

The ancient Israelite idea of creation of the earth was that the garden of Eden was lifted out of the waters of chaos. Thus creation is an organizing of cosmos from chaos. That idea seems to be represented in what Jacob is saying. The powers of creation (that is the powers which overcome chaos), and the powers of the Atonement (that is the powers which ultimately defeats chaos) are the same powers. Another way of saying that is that by the powers of the Atonement Christ overcame chaos in the initial creation – and in the subsequent organization – of all things. As it is by the powers of the Atonement that Christ overcomes the chaos which has to do with matter, so it is that by the powers of the Atonement of Christ overcomes the chaos which has to do with life.

During the full eternal scope of the creation process (the organization of intelligences, the creation of spirit element, then the creation of temporal element, then the creation of eternal-resurrected element) Christ gives free reign to the individual units of personality which are called “intelligences.” The result of this freedom is the introduction of a new kind of chaos. The chaos from which all things are organized is not bad, it is just not organized. However this new kind of chaos is bad in that it leads toward entropy rather than cosmos. This new kind of chaos is the result of individuals believing in, and propagating ideas to be fact even though those ideas are not truth—that is they are not consistent with eternal reality. The Lord explains,

24   And truth is knowledge of things as they are, and as they were, and as they are to come;
25   and whatsoever is more or less than this is the spirit of the wicked one who was a liar from the beginning. (93:24-25)

All things called “fact” need not be “true.” One can “know” things which have no basis in reality. These range from scientific, religious, or historical theories which are simply false, or moral theories (“eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow we die and that is the end of the matter”) which are vicious. Such non-truths get in the way of knowing real truths. They can destroy, rather than build. Believing, teaching, or incorporating non-truths leads to a lessening of life, to chaos or entropy. That is explained by Alma this way:

9   It is given unto many to know the mysteries of God; nevertheless they are laid under a strict command that they shall not impart only according to the portion of his word which he doth grant unto the children of men, according to the heed and diligence which they give unto him.
10   And therefore, he that will harden his heart, the same receiveth the lesser portion of the word; and he that will not harden his heart, to him is given the greater portion of the word, until it is given unto him to know the mysteries of God until he know them in full.
11   And they that will harden their hearts, to them is given the lesser portion of the word until they know nothing concerning his mysteries; and then they are taken captive by the devil, and led by his will down to destruction. Now this is what is meant by the chains of hell. (Alma 12:9-11)

Lies, believed or taught as truths, are, by definition, evil because they lead to chaos. Rejection of truth — not knowing the mysteries — is called “the chains of hell” because they lead to entropy.

Truth and light, on the other hand, are powers which bind things together. Believing, teaching, incorporating truths leads to unity—that is to love. Apparently, as one learns and incorporates truth, darkness is removed from his being, he grows in both life and light to become “holy, without spot.” (Moroni 10:33)

Thus, insofar as I understand it, the power of Creation—bringing organization or cosmos from chaos—is the power of Christ’s Atonement— evoking purifying and sealing powers in place of entropy—thus preventing a return to chaos.

For us in this world, the application of the Atonement begins with repentance and ultimately concludes with resurrection. The Atonement completes the creation process by sealing that which is organized into a permanent condition of its greatest possible glory. A greatly oversimplified review of the Atonement/creation sequence will show you what I mean.

The point of all that was this. It seems to me that the power of Christ to create and the power of Christ to atone, are not separate powers, but each a part of the same whole. That is, that the Atonement is the necessary beginning and the necessary conclusion to the creation process. That the powers of the Atonement were first expressed by the creation of all things, then by the organization of all things, then by the purging of all things from evil, then the eternal resurrection and sealing of all things. That in every aspect of this creation sequence, the

Atonement is, and ever will be, an expression of the Saviour’s infinite and eternal love, as it is of his infinite and eternal power.

2 Nephi 9:1-7 — LeGrand Baker — Keys to Ancient Israelite Religion

I have appreciated Richard Dilworth (Dil) Rust’s comments on Jacob’s teachings — and I look forward to what else he promises to say. Dil has observed that Isaiah is extremely important to our understanding of both the Bible and the Book of Mormon. I would like to mention why that is so.

Discovering the religion of the ancient Israelites before the Babylonian captivity is not as simple as it appears on the surface, and, surprisingly, the Bible is not as good a source as one might think. Even though much of the Old Testament tells about time before the exile, a good part of that was written after the exile, so seems to reflect the religion of the period in which it was written rather than the religion of the period it tells about. From the pre-exilic period, we have the words of Moses and Isaiah; some minor prophets; and some poetic works and wisdom literature; but that is about all. Most scholars believe that the historical portions of the Bible (Joshua, Judges, Samuel, Kings, and Chronicles, etc.) were either written or severely edited after the Babylonian captivity. Consequently, they tell the post-exilic official version of their early history and religion, but they are not a contemporary record, and that “official” reflects much of the apostasy which had already occurred. Lemche explains it this way,

In the Old Testament a number of texts — to a large degree to be found in the book of Psalms, but also elsewhere — seemingly testify to religious beliefs which are obviously not in accordance with the official version of the religion as given by the historical literature….The most important evidence of this state of religious affairs may be Deut. xxxii 8-9, in the LXX version, according to which Yahweh seems not to be identified with El Elyon but is considered a son of this mighty creator of the world. Other important testimonies are Ps. lxxxii and Ps. lxxxix 6-9, in that both testify to the belief in a divine pantheon in Israel, although Yahweh is obviously considered to be the king of the assembly of the gods….It now looks as if the description of the Israelite religion in the formative period of the nation as a religion which contained a strictly monotheistic faith has to be surrendered in favor of another picture of the religious development…Still, we are sorely without knowledge as to the content of their religion, and no source available can prove that the religion of the early Israelites was ever a monotheistic one, whether Yahwistic or no….I would say: so much for the presumed original Israelite monotheism! (Niels Peter Lemche, “The Development of the Israelite Religion in the Light of Recent Studies on the Early History of Israel,” in Congress Volume, Leuven, 1989 (Louvain, Belgium, E.J. Brill, for the International Organization fro the Study of the Old Testament, 1991), 109, 112-113, 115.

H. H. Rowley, The Old Testament and Modern Study, A Generation of Discovery and Research (Oxford, Clarendon Press, 1951), contains several essays on the history of academic discussions about the authorship and historicity of the books of the Old Testament. The three which are of most immediate interest to our studies are: N. H. Snaith, “The Historical Books,” p. 84-114; Aubrey R. Johnson, “The Psalms,” p. 162-209; and G. W. Anderson, “Hebrew Religion,” p. 283-310.)

This argument, that the historical books of the Old Testament were written after the Babylonian captivity and reflect the religion of the post-exilic rather than the pre-exilic Jews, has important implications to any study of the Book of Mormon. Lehi left Jerusalem a few years before the Babylonian captivity. Therefore, the religion of the Nephites should reflect the belief in a pantheon and that Jehovah is the Son of God as in the religion of the pre-exilic Jews. But it must not reflect the idea that Jehovah is alone in the godhead, which was the idea adopted by the post-exilic Jews. If that test were used to determine whether the Book of Mormon is an accurate reflection of the pre-exilic Israelite religion, the Book of Mormon passes with flying colors.

If these scholars are correct, and the evidence seems to indicate they are, then we have only small windows through which to see the religion of David, Solomon and the pre-exilic prophets. Let me give an analogy of the problem that poses. Having only those sources and trying to discover a complete theology is analogous to the challenge one might have if he tried to discover the theology of Latter-day Saints by reading only the Documentary History of the Church (which is the story of our beginnings as the books of Moses is the story of theirs), a collection of Conference addresses by Wilford Woodruff (which we might put in place of one of the ancient prophets), a single General Conference address by about half a dozen different general authorities (the minor prophets), and some of the words of the temple ceremony without any indication at all of what those segment were about or in what sequence or context they were spoken (the Psalms). Those sources would be important, of course, but they would also be inadequate. The list does not even include the standard works, just as our Bible does not include their ancient scriptures, such as the unedited books of Moses and the books of Enoch, Abraham, Joseph, Zenos etc.

Except for the book of Job, everything in our Bible was written by or after the time of Moses. But there can be little question but that the people who lived while our Bible was being written had ancient scriptures of their own. The complete Book of Enoch is just one probable example. The Book of Enoch was considered scripture by both Jews and early Christian. For example, 1 Enoch 1:9 is quoted as scripture in Jude 1:14. Our problem in trying to discover the ancient Israelite theology is about as difficult as trying to discover Latter-day Saint theology using only the sources I mentioned above.

Jeremiah and Ezekiel were both written at the time of the captivity and are about what was happening then, and prophecies about what would happen in the future. There are theological statements in them of course, but hardly enough to reconstruct even the basic assumptions of their theology on subjects other than those immediately addressed.

So that leaves basically foun places to look. The books of Moses, Job, Psalms, and Isaiah. Job is a review of the temple sequence with great emphasis on this lonely, dreary world. It also contains relatively little theology.

So our two most valuable sources in the pursuit of the ancient Israelite religion are the books of Psalms and Isaiah. The Psalms are quoted in the Old Testament and the New Testament, as well as in the Book of Mormon. Many scholars believe that the Psalms are the very words which were spoken an sung of their endowment/enthronement temple ceremony.All we have to do is discover the context in which those words were spoken (probably sung) and we can know a great deal about the theology of ancient Israel, as well as their enthronement/ endowment ceremonies. But that is exceedingly difficult because they were re-arranged in the post-exilic period so their arrangement is no longer in the sequence which gives them a story line. In Who Shall Ascend into the Hill of the Lord, Stephen Ricks and I have put many of them back in the order of the temple drama.

That leaves Isaiah as one of the best source in the Old Testament by which one might discover the ancient religion of Israel. Scholars agree that Isaiah is heavily dependent upon the Psalms for its ideas and some of its words. So the key to unlocking Isaiah is the Psalms. Knowing what the Psalms are makes it possible to restate that by saying the key to unlocking Isaiah is the temple.

I suppose that the Brass plates contained many of the Old Testament scriptures which are lost to us. So Nephi, Jacob, Abinadi, the Saviour and others might have quoted Enoch or Abraham just as well as Isaiah. But they didn’t. They quoted the one major source which we could turn to in our Bible to learn the fulness of the ancient gospel. Those long quotes in the Book of Mormon let us compare the Isaiah of the Bible with the Isaiah of the brass plates. The upshot of that comparison is that the Bible’s Isaiah is remarkably accurate (except for the Cyrus part stuck in during the Exile). So in the Book of Mormon we not only have confirmation that the Bible’s Isaiah is mostly dependable, but we have the repeated admonition to read it and discover the ancient religion for ourselves. We also have a good deal of help in doing that as the Saviour and the greatest of the Book of Mormon prophets read it to us and explain what it means.

2 Nephi 6:3, 4 – LeGrand Baker – Jacob’s explanation of Isaiah

Jacob’s explanation of Isaiah is so clearly written that there seems to be no reason for one to try to re-explain Jacob’s explanation. However, there may be some value in pointing out the context in which Jacob placed his words. Verses 3 and 4 read in part:

3   For I have exhorted you with all diligence; and I have taught you the words of my father; and I have spoken unto you concerning all things which are written, from the creation of the world.
4   And now, behold, I would speak unto you concerning things which are, and which are to come; wherefore, I will read you the words of Isaiah (2 Nephi 6:3-4).

The words, “from the creation of the world” seem not to be a casual pointing in the direction of the physical creation because in terms of the sequence of events that is more than half way into our eternal history. Rather the phrase seems to be code here, as elsewhere, to refer to time and place of the Council in Heaven, and more specifically to the plans of that Council.

For example, notice Lehi’s use of the phrase:

10   But behold, when the time cometh that they shall dwindle in unbelief, after they have received so great blessings from the hand of the Lord— having a knowledge of the creation of the earth, and all men, knowing the great and marvelous works of the Lord from the creation of the world; having power given them to do all things by faith; having all the commandments from the beginning, and having been brought by his infinite goodness into this precious land of promise. (2 Nephi 1:10)

It is clear to me that he is talking about the affairs of the Council which have been revealed through scriptures and revelation to those whose ordinance experiences have given them a context in which to understand and exercise faith (pistis).

One of the most astounding uses of that phrase is found where Abraham writes.

28   But I shall endeavor, hereafter, to delineate the chronology running back from myself to the beginning of the creation, for the records have come into my hands, which I hold unto this present time (Abraham 1:28).

We are aware from the Book of Enoch, that Enoch had access to those records while he was in the presence of God, and wrote them for his posterity. This suggests that the records written by Enoch which dealt with the decisions and actions of the Council were still extant and in the possession of Abraham. Or else it suggests Abraham had access to those celestial records some other way.

Paul uses the phrase in somewhat the same way:

20   For God hath revealed unto them the invisible things of him, from the creation of the world, which are clearly seen; things which are not seen being understood by the things that are made, through his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse (JST Romans 1:20).

These uses suggest that the phrase “from the creation,” is equivalent to the phrase “in the beginning,” and that they have the same connotation as sode, that is, the decisions of the Council.

If that is so, then that seems to place Jacob’s commentary on Isaiah in a very interesting context. He writes,

3   I have spoken unto you concerning all things which are written, from the creation of the world. And now, behold, I would speak unto you concerning things which are, and which are to come (2 Nephi 6:3).

To me, that suggests he has already discussed the plans of the Council, and now his intent is to show how those plans are, and will yet be carried to fruition.

2 Nephi 5:16, 18, 26 — LeGrand Baker — Nephi as king

2 Nephi 5:16
16   And I, Nephi, did build a temple; and I did construct it after the manner of the temple of Solomon save it were not built of so many precious things; for they were not to be found upon the land, wherefore, it could not be built like unto Solomon’s temple. But the manner of the construction was like unto the temple of Solomon; and the workmanship thereof was exceedingly fine.

In the ancient Near East, kings built temples. Indeed, the building or restoring of a temple was a necessary beginning to a new dynasty. Nephi is aware of that, and builds the temple as though he were king. He does not write, “we built a temple,” he writes, “I, Nephi, did build a temple.” In so saying he assumes both the prerogative and responsibility of an anointed king.

The temple, he says, is built after the pattern and manner of construction of Solomon’s temple, except it was not built of so many precious things. He does not tell us what those “precious things” are, but he has just told us in the preceding verse,

15   And I did teach my people to build buildings, and to work in all manner of wood, and of iron, and of copper, and of brass, and of steel, and of gold, and of silver, and of precious ores, which were in great abundance(2 Nephi 5:15).

So the precious things the temple lacked, was not the gold which adorned the interior of the Solomon’s temple and covered the cherubim throne in the Holy of Holies, nor was it the gold and silver implements which were used in the temple service. So it must have been the material from which the temple itself was constructed. Our Bible (and, one may presume, the brass plates also) gives a detailed account of the construction of Solomon’s temple. Part of that detail reports,

19   And the king commanded, and they brought great stones, costly stones, and hewed stones, to lay the foundation of the house.
18   And Solomon’s builders and Hiram’s builders did hew them, and the stonesquarers: so they prepared timber and stones to build the house. (2 Kings 5: 17-18)

Such a labor would have been beyond the ability of Nephi and his colony. The stone like that which Solomon used was not available to Nephi, either because it did not exist there, or because it was in the mountain and could not be gotten out. So the Nephite temple was probably not built of wood, rather than stone. But the wood would have been inferior, at least in Nephi’s judgement, to the giant cedars of Lebanon which Solomon imported to construct his temple. Nevertheless, Nephi was very pleased with what he and his people had done.

The dimensions of the temple of Solomon are given in the scriptures, so Nephi and his builders could have followed those with some accuracy. Notwithstanding those details, in our day the description in the Bible is not sufficient for one to know what the temple looked like. But for Nephi and his people that would not have been a problem. They had been in Jerusalem and seen the original.

The most sacred part of the temple was the Holy of Holies with the throne of God at its back wall. The throne had winged cherubim on each side. Their wings reached to either side and to the top of the room, which was about 16 feet high.

When Nephi’s temple was completed it would have been dedicated to the Lord.

Following Solomon’s example, Nephi would have done that personally. Temples in the ancient Near East were dedicated during the New Year’s festival. In Palestine this occurred in the fall of the year, in October or November. Nephi and his people were trying to live the Law as Moses had directed, so it is likely that this temple would have been dedicated during that same festival. The Feast of Tabernacles was a eight day feast which culminated in the renewing of covenants with God and in the enthronement or re-enthronement of the king. Mormon scholars have shown that King Benjamin’s address and the enthronement of his son Mosiah took place during such a festival.

As Nephi’s temple was being completed, it was entirely appropriate that the question would arise about whether Nephi would accept the title of king. Even before the offer was made Nephi had served as though he were king. Now, even though he rejected the title, he rejoiced in the fact that it was offered to him. .

18   And it came to pass that they would that I should be their king. But I, Nephi, was desirous that they should have no king; nevertheless, I did for them according to that which was in my power.
19   And behold, the words of the Lord had been fulfilled unto my brethren, which he spake concerning them, that I should be their ruler and their teacher. Wherefore, I had been their ruler and their teacher, according to the commandments of the Lord, until the time they sought to take away my life (2 Nephi 5:18-19).

In ancient Israel the king had three main functions. First, he was commander in chief of the armies, and responsible for all international relations. Second, he was the chief judge of the people. That is, he was the court of last appeal, much like the American Supreme Court. Third, he was something like the president of the church. The priests and Levites took care of the routine matters of daily sacrifice and services, but on special occasions the king could conduct and perform sacrifices himself. He could, and did, use the Urim and Thummim, and he could go into the Holy of Holies and speak with God. Near the conclusion of the Feast of Tabernacles he gave a lecture about the sanctity of the Law of Moses, and thus he was the chief teacher, as well as the chief priest and prophet.

After the Israelites left Egypt, the first man to hold the office, though not the title, of king was Moses. But Moses divided his authority between himself and his brother Aaron. Moses retained the powers of chief judge, and military and diplomatic leader; but he gave the Urim and Thummim and the authority which went with it to his brother Aaron.

Nephi apparently rejected the title “king” because he intended to follow Moses’ example. He retained the military and judgship authorities, but give the church leadership to his brothers Jacob and Joseph.

26   And it came to pass that I, Nephi, did consecrate Jacob and Joseph, that they should be priests and teachers over the land of my people (2 Nephi 5:26).

Many years later, King Mosiah did that same thing when he made Alma I head of the church. That authority was joined again in the person of Alma II, who promptly divided it again. Only this time he kept the ecclesiastical authority for himself and gave the military, diplomatic, and domestic judgship responsibilities to someone else who was called the “Chief Judge.”

Nephi’s temple is important for the same reasons that Solomon’s temple was important. It represented the creation of a new dynasty and a new nation. It also represented the covenants associated with kingship, priesthood, and it gave the people the opportunity to participate in all the ordinances which were a part of their temple worship.

2 Nephi 4:25 – LeGrand Baker – “the wings of his Spirit”

2 Nephi 4:25
25   And upon the wings of his Spirit hath my body been carried away upon exceedingly high mountains. And mine eyes have beheld great things, yea, even too great for man; therefore I was bidden that I should not write them.

I wish to comment on only two ideas. First that the great sin which weighs down Nephi’s soul is that he got angry with his brothers when they tried to murder him. That fact tells one a great deal about the fine-tuned sensitivity of Nephi’s soul, but it also tells one about the erosive power of the sin of being angry. I recall the story, that once when the Prophet was translating the Book of Mormon, he and Emma had a tizzy. The Spirit withdrew and Joseph could not continue to translate until he had gone out into the woods to apologize to the Lord, then returned to the house to apologize to Emma. Anger is addictive because it gives one an adrenalin high and gives the angry person a false sense of superiority. People who get angry frequently become chemically dependent on that artificial high and emotionally dependent on the sense of power. Anger is a cancer which destroys its host from within, often so subtly that the host thinks it is both normal and healthy, until it has had time to mature and is ready to strike its devastating, sometimes deadly blow.

The second idea upon which I wish to comment is the phrase, ‘the wings of his Spirit,’ in the verse, “And upon the wings of his Spirit hath my body been carried away upon exceedingly high mountains. And mine eyes have beheld great things, yea, even too great for man; therefore I was bidden that I should not write them.” These wings are both real and symbolic.

The cherubim who surround the celestial throne of God are described as having wings (sometimes called wings like the wings of an eagle), by Isaiah (ch. 6), Ezekiel (ch. 1), Daniel (ch. 7), and John (Rev. 4). But, we are told by the Prophet Joseph that “their wings are a representation of power, to move, to act, etc.” (D&C 77:4)

Similarly, there were cherubim whose wings overreached the throne of God in the Tabernacle of Moses, which throne was the Ark of the Covenant. (Exodus 25:20). Then, later, when Solomon built his temple, he constructed a huge throne in the Holy of Holies. There, cheribums with a wingspan of about 16 feet (1 Kings 6:24) spread those wings over a golden throne; and over whomever sat upon that throne; and over the Ark of the Covenant, which now served as the throne’s footstool.

Only the king who had been anointed a son of God, and thereby also adopted as a legitimate heir of God, could sit upon this earthly representation of the heavenly throne. Therefore, sitting upon the throne, under the wings of the cherubim represented not only priesthood power and temporal majesty, but also security and peace, as is expressed in the 63rd psalm, “Because thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice.” (Psalm 63:7. See also Psalms 17:8, 36:7, 57:1, 61:4, 91:4.)

Because the throne and its overshadowing wings were symbolic of priesthood and kingship, they were also symbolic of the invitation to receive the gift of eternal life. The Saviour used that symbolism repeatedly, as a lament for those who would not accept the invitation.

37   O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! (Matthew 23:37, see also Luke 13:34, 3 Nephi 10:4-6, D&C 43:24)

And also as a promise to those how would accept that invitation:

Who will gather his people even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, even as many as will hearken to my voice and humble themselves before me, and call upon me in mighty prayer. (D&C 29:2, see also 10:65) (The phrase “mighty prayer” has an obvious significance in this enthronement context.)

Thus, the symbolism of those enthroning wings is the same as the symbolism of the powerful wings of the celestial cherubim upon whose power, God himself may ride.”And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly: yea, he did fly upon the wings of the wind. (Psalms 18:10 and 2 Samuel 22:11)” And upon whose wings he invites his children to ride also. “But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. (Isaiah 40:31)”

So Nephi’s statement resounds with the clarity of the ancient enthronement ordinances, is a testimony of the validity of those ordinances, and a representative form and pattern of their fulfilment. He wrote,

25   And upon the wings of his Spirit hath my body been carried away upon exceedingly high mountains. And mine eyes have beheld great things, yea, even too great for man; therefore I was bidden that I should not write them. (2 Nephi 4:25)

The wings have a further and expected symbolism, which is an extension of the ones mentioned so far. They also represent the association of enthronement and peace. “But unto you that fear my name, shall the Son of Righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth and grow up as calves in the stall.” That, as Nephi adds, “all those who shall believe on his name shall be saved in the kingdom of God. (3 Nephi 25:2 and 2 Ne. 25:13)

2 Nephi 4:1-2 — LeGrand Baker — Joseph in Egypt

Sometimes I suspect that the best kept secret in the church is the academic value of the latter-day scriptures. That observation is not intended to be a criticism of members of the church, just as the following is not intended to be a criticism of scholars of other faiths. The following is only an example of how much Mormons can know which other people cannot know. The example begins with Psalm 105, which is a review of Israelite history.

17   He sent a man before them, even Joseph, who was sold for a servant:
18   Whose feet they hurt with fetters: he was laid in iron:
19   Until the time that his word came: the word of the LORD tried him.
20   The king sent and loosed him; even the ruler of the people, and let him go free.
21   He made him lord of his house, and ruler of all his substance:
22   To bind his princes at his pleasure; and teach his senators wisdom (Psalm 105:17-22).

In commenting on those verses, Svend Holm-Nielsen wrote,

The description of Joseph’s release and his promotion in vv. 20-22 resembles that of the Joseph narrative in Genesis. The idea of Joseph as the instructor of Pharaoh’s elders and the teacher of wisdom seems to be a rather exaggerated interpretation of Gen. 41:37- 40, maybe inspired by the views on the heathen world as an underdeveloped world in relation to Israel,… (“The Exodus Traditions in Psalm 105″, Annual of the Swedish Theological Institute, vol. 11, p 25)

Notice how different that analysis is from Nephi’s,

1   And now, I, Nephi, speak concerning the prophecies of which my father hath spoken, concerning Joseph, who was carried into Egypt.
2   For behold, he truly prophesied concerning all his seed. And the prophecies which he wrote, there are not many greater. And he prophesied concerning us, and our future generations; and they are written upon the plates of brass (2 Nephi 4:1-2).

It is not that Holm-Nielsen is not a good scholar; it is only that he probably hasn’t read the Book of Mormon and does not know its value as an historical record.

My point is this. In our world there is a prevailing notion that any idea which in not “test-tube- demonstrable” must not be taken too seriously. That notion, in some contexts, is the stimulus which invites experimentation, study, and the continued search for knowledge. But in other contexts, it is the opiate which virtually cripples many fine, intelligent, and otherwise capable young minds. How priceless, then, is one’s knowing that the Book of Mormon is a trustworthy statement of historical and doctrinal truth. Such a knowledge gives one academic and spiritual stability which the otherwise learned might envy or reject with contempt, and which their university education might appear to approximate, but can never duplicate.