1 Nephi 20: 8

 8 Yea, and thou heardest not; yea, thou knewest not; yea, from that time thine ear was not opened; for I knew that thou wouldst deal very treacherously, and wast called a transgressor from the womb.

Among all the prophecies the Lord has given to the house of Israel is this one, the reason He gave all the other prophecies. He knew they would try to credit some other source for events, and He gave prophecies to testify that He is the only true and living God. So another thing the Lord knew beforehand was that Israel would “deal treacherously.” He knew that Israel would reject Him, so he revealed all these events to his prophets, and here he tells them he knew they would apostatize. The Lord is definitely in a position to say he knew about these events, and one of the things He knew about was Israel’s apostasy. As great as the patriarchs of this family were (Abraham, Isaac, Jacob), and among the flashes of greatness, as in the prophets, they really have caused the Lord a lot of trouble “from the womb.” And while there were times of great faith, the Lord saw the seeds of apostasy from the beginning, so He provided prophecies from the beginning as a testimony of His divinity.

1 Nephi 20: 7

7 They are created now, and not from the beginning, even before the day when thou heardest them not they were declared unto thee, lest thou shouldst say—Behold I knew them.

This is reiterating that the Lord has revealed what would occur in the future through His prophets. He revealed them long before anyone could have predicted these events without divine aid, when Israel “heardest them not they were declared unto [them].” Again, the Lord wants no mistake as to who is really in charge, and he wants to remove any excuse the people might have to worship someone or something besides Him. So in verse five He points out that dumb idols could not predict the events that were unfolding, and in this verse he points out that nobody had the right to say, “I told you so,” except His prophets. Nobody could have known what would happen on his or her own. Now that the prophecies are being fulfilled, they need to recognize them as being foretold by the Lord’s prophets.

We are in the same situation today. Events are unfolding today that are creating conditions prophesied about in the scriptures, long before anyone could have predicted them on their own. Yet how many people worldwide recognize these prophecies as being from God? Although God may not be starting wars, or climate change, or [fill in the blank with your favorite world problem], He certainly revealed to His prophets thousands of years ago that they would occur. He knew about them long before anyone could have known they would occur.

1 Nephi 20: 6

6 Thou hast seen and heard all this; and will ye not declare them? And that I have showed thee new things from this time, even hidden things, and thou didst not know them.

In this verse the Lord seems to be saying, “After all the prophetic evidence that you have seen and  heard, why aren’t you testifying that I am your God? Yet even now, I have shown you new evidence and prophecies, things you couldn’t know on  your own, and yet you ignore me.” Moses told Joshua, “…would God that all the Lord’s people were prophets, and that the Lord would put his spirit upon them!” (Numbers 11:29). In the sense that “the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy” (see Revelation 19:10), we are all prophets by covenant, along with Israel. We should testify of Christ. And yet, here is Isaiah talking to those people of Israel who have taken this covenant and rejected it. Not only are they not testifying, they are not even acknowledging the Lord.

So, in the spirit of likening all scriptures unto me, that it might be for my profit and learning (see 1 Nephi 19: 23), do I declare that Jesus is the Christ? Well, I certainly don’t think I ignore that fact. I may not knock doors too much like the full-time missionaries do, but I do try to testify of Him whenever the opportunity presents itself. And sometimes I even make an effort to create the opportunity to talk about and testify of Him. While I have many flaws, I have at least kept this part of my covenant with the Lord. I do testify of Him.

• Numbers 11: 29
• 1 Corinthians 9:16

1 Nephi 20: 5

5 And I have even from the beginning declared to thee; before it came to pass I showed them thee; and I showed them for fear lest thou shouldst say—Mine idol hath done them, and my graven image, and my molten image hath commanded them.

At first this looks like God just wants the credit for what happens in the world. It looks like He’s saying, “I gave you prophets to tell you of things to come so that when those things actually came to pass you would give credit where it was due: to me instead of your idols.” We need to remember, however, what His real purpose is. His revealed job, and the way He grows (growth=life) is to “bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man” (Moses 1:39). All of a sudden this verse is not about jealously taking credit for being so smart; it’s about giving His children (Israel, or more personally, us) every opportunity to recognize Him (the Lord) as the only real way to gain exaltation, to return to Heavenly Father. Dumb idols don’t have that power. They don’t prophesy. The people still have a choice to make as to whom they should follow, but if they don’t follow the Lord they need to account for the evidence He has provided via prophets that He is the only true and living God.

1 Nephi 20: 4

4 And I did it because I knew that thou art obstinate, and thy neck is an iron sinew, and thy brow brass;

Verses like this make me wonder sometimes why the Lord chose the people of Israel to be His elect. He knew that they would not be humble and teachable, so why did he bother with them? I know He made a covenant with Abraham and Jacob, but did it really have to extend to all their posterity, relatively few of which would truly appreciate it? The only answer I can come up with is that Heavenly Father needed a people who would eventually crucify His son. It’s possible that any race would have developed the pride necessary to do that terrible, and at the same time, necessary thing (leading to wonderful results) of sacrificing their God, just as Israel did in spite of the chosen status with Him that they enjoyed. Somebody had to do it, or there would be no Atonement, and the Plan of Happiness would be foiled. So it had to be done, but what a terrible thing to be the one responsible for doing it! (see Matthew 26:24)

When someone’s “neck is in an iron sinew” they are stiff-necked, and they can’t bow their heads in humility. When their brow is brass, they are hardheaded. You can’t teach them anything, because no idea from the outside can penetrate to the inside of their thick sculls. In short: pride. The Lord knew of His people’s pride, so He needed to give evidence that He knew more than they did. So he had his prophets prophesy, then the prophecies were fulfilled. Then He could say after the fact, “See, I told you so. Now listen to me, because I know more about what’s really going on than you do.”

1 Nephi 20: 3

3 Behold, I have declared the former things from the beginning; and they went forth out of my mouth, and I showed them. I did show them suddenly.

Now that the Lord has established specifically to whom He is talking, He reminds those covenant breakers who He is. He starts out by reminding them that He not only tells his prophets ahead of time what will happen, He then makes or allows the prophesied events to happen. His prophecies are fulfilled, unlike prophecies by false gods and idols made through false prophets. One reason He provides foreknowledge of what He will do is that it might serve as evidence of who He is, i.e. the true and living God. That seems to be what the Lord is establishing in this verse by reminding apostate Israel of the fulfillment of prophecies given through his prophets.

1 Nephi 20: 2

2 Nevertheless, they call themselves of the holy city, but they do not stay themselves upon the God of Israel, who is the Lord of Hosts; yea, the Lord of Hosts is his name.

This verse is really the opposite as what is rendered in the King James Version of the Bible. In Isaiah 48:2 of the King James Version it says, “For they call themselves if the holy city, and stay themselves upon the God of Israel; The Lord of hosts is his name.” Two big word or thought changes are the first word, “for” changed to “nevertheless,” and the inclusion of the word, “not” in the Nephi version. So the way the King James Version is worded, this is merely a statement of the Jews’ claims, of how they swear by the name of the Lord and make mention of him, as stated in verse one. The Nephi version says that regardless of what the Jews claim in verse one, they do not rely on the Lord. So they say they are the Lord’s people, but really they are not. They reject the prophets, and they have broken their covenants with the Lord. And yet they still claim to be the Lord’s people. Another word for that kind of behavior is hypocrisy, and was among the sins most strongly condemned by the Lord in His mortal ministry. So in different, more modern language, I might render the verse like this: “In spite of the fact that they do not swear by the name of the Lord in truth or righteousness (verse 1), they claim to be holy and God’s covenant people. But hypocritically, they do not rely on the Lord of Hosts, as His covenant people would do.”

It is sobering to recall that this is included in the Book of Mormon for our benefit here in the latter days. Those of us in the Church need to periodically stop and evaluate whether we are individually like those Jews described by Isaiah in these verses. Do I claim to be one of the Lord’s people, but then reject the prophets and break my covenants? Sobering indeed.

1 Nephi 20: 1

 1 Hearken and hear this, O house of Jacob, who are called by the name of Israel, and are come forth out of the waters of Judah, or out of the waters of baptism, who swear by the name of the Lord, and make mention of the God of Israel, yet they swear not in truth nor in righteousness.

Nephi likens all scripture unto them, and I suppose he sees a real parallel between the Israel that Isaiah prophesies to and his own brethren. In this verse Isaiah is addressing his audience, which is pretty specific: the covenant Israel who do not live up to their covenants. Likewise, Nephi, through the writings of Isaiah, is addressing specifically his brethren, who are also covenant breakers. I have mentioned before how Nephi’s brethren keep repenting and trying again to do the right things (although possibly for the wrong reasons), so we can gather that they have made covenants with the Lord. Breaking a covenant is worse than never making the covenant in the first place. We need to remember Nephi’s purpose in reading Isaiah here. It’s not to condemn his brethren, but rather to persuade them. My guess is that if they are sitting still long enough to have Nephi read to them and preach, they are probably in one of their more teachable moments. So while this introductory verse may be a mild rebuke, they probably realized the truth of their position, that they had broken covenants with the Lord, just as the house of Israel, or the part of that house that Isaiah addresses here. So Laman could have likened this verse to himself like this: “Hearken and hear this, Laman, who is part of the Lord’s covenant people, Israel, who also has made covenants, but has made them falsely, with no real intent to be converted.” These chapters may not apply so directly to Sam and Jacob, and those others who also kept their covenants, except as it gives hope to all, or unless they also break their covenants at some future time. And that’s how it applies to us as well. Either we are covenant breakers, or we don’t want to be, so we should all give heed to these words.

1 Nephi Chapter 20 Overview

The Lord reveals his purposes to Israel—Israel has been chosen in the furnace of affliction and is to go forth from Babylon—Compare Isaiah 48. About 588–570 B.C.

Nephi, in the next two chapters, quotes words of Isaiah that are intended to bring his brethren to Christ. According to the textbook for the Book of Mormon course these are somewhat parallel chapters. This chapter is about the Jews in Jerusalem; the next one is about the Lehites in America. This should be interesting as I dig into understanding this amazing prophet.

1 Nephi 19: 24

 24 Wherefore I spake unto them, saying: Hear ye the words of the prophet, ye who are a remnant of the house of Israel, a branch who have been broken off; hear ye the words of the prophet, which were written unto all the house of Israel, and liken them unto yourselves, that ye may have hope as well as your brethren from whom ye have been broken off; for after this manner has the prophet written.

Nephi’s immediate audience is his family, who are a remnant of Israel that is a branch broken off as prophesied. But his ultimate audience is those of us in the latter days, who are also a remnant of Israel. Even Gentiles who are baptized adopt the heritage of Israel, so Nephi makes a point of saying these words of the prophet “were written unto all the house of Israel” (emphasis added), which includes us, whether direct descendant or adopted in. So we should liken these words unto us just as much as Nephi’s family should have. And so Nephi introduces us to the words of Isaiah.

• Genesis 49: 22 (22–26)
• 1 Nephi 15: 12 (12,16)
• 2 Nephi 3: 5 (4–5)

1 Nephi 19: 23

 23 And I did read many things unto them which were written in the books of Moses; but that I might more fully persuade them to believe in the Lord their Redeemer I did read unto them that which was written by the prophet Isaiah; for I did liken all scriptures unto us, that it might be for our profit and learning.

I find it very telling that Nephi quoted so much from Isaiah. Of all prophets recorded in the brass plates, including Zenock, Zenos, and Neum, who Nephi mentioned earlier in the chapter, he chose to quote from Isaiah. By definition, all prophets testify of Christ (see Revelation 19:10; 1 Nephi 10:5; Jacob 7:11), and there are others besides Isaiah who are more direct and plain. But Nephi quoted Isaiah. And the stated reason was that he “might more fully persuade them to believe in the Lord their Redeemer.” The first thing I get from that is that while Nephi’s brethren must have at least believed some of the prophets (remember that whenever he wanted to pull them back in line he recited Moses, and again here they were giving him time to read from Isaiah) they clearly did not understand those prophets, at least not totally. For sure they didn’t understand that the prophets testified of Christ. But that they might be converted Nephi read Isaiah to them. Why not Zenos? Why not Zenock? After all, they were more easily understood in their testimonies. Nephi’s brethren already had one of the ingredients Nephi later identified as necessary to understanding Isaiah. They may not have had a spirit of prophecy (i.e. testimony of Jesus—Revelation 19:10), but they understood the “manner of prophesying among the Jews” (see 2 Nephi 25:1, 4). I wonder if Nephi hoped that because they understood that part that he could help them “connect the dots” and gain a testimony of Christ. And maybe once you have both ingredients (testimony of Christ and understanding the Jews) you find out that Isaiah really is one of the most, if not the most powerful testifiers of Christ, and one of the most plain. Ultimately Nephi’s audience was we who live in the latter days, but his immediate audience was his brethren. I’m sure he had the same hope for both audiences.

Another important key in the verse is that we “liken all scriptures unto us…for our profit and learning.” The people who get nothing out of the scriptures are the ones who read them thoughtlessly, or without applying them to their own lives and circumstances. This is an important key to understanding and benefiting from the testimonies of these prophets.

• Timothy 3: 16–17
• 1 Nephi 5: 11
• 2 Nephi 4: 15
• 2; 2 Nephi 25: 5 (2–6)
• 3 Nephi 23: 1
• Moses 1: 41 (40–41)

1 Nephi 19: 22

 22 Now it came to pass that I, Nephi, did teach my brethren these things; and it came to pass that I did read many things to them, which were engraven upon the plates of brass, that they might know concerning the doings of the Lord in other lands, among people of old.

Throughout First Nephi I have thought that my opinion of Laman and Lemuel might be wrong. I’m not so convinced that they are the evil people I once took them to be. I now believe it’s more complex than that. In fact, they don’t seem all that different from me or anyone else I know, at least at his point of the story. This verse is another one giving evidence to that idea. If they were so simply wicked, I doubt they would allow their father and younger brother to preach to them. They wouldn’t listen to Nephi read scripture to them. I doubt they would have the patience for it. And then, after Nephi finishes reading, they don’t ridicule him or blow him off. Rather, they ask him what it means (see 1 Nephi 22:1). Furthermore, this is not the first time they have done this. Chapter 15 records a series of questions they asked, trying to understand the Tree of Life vision. They have shown themselves to be at least somewhat obedient, maybe for the wrong reasons, but at least they did the things that were required of them.

I think the lesson to be learned from Laman is deeper than just good vs. evil. All too often I relate more closely with Laman than I do with Nephi. Although thankfully, Nephi gives us some very personal insights into his character that let us know that he is not perfect either (see 2 Nephi 4:17–19 for example). Laman and Lemuel strike me as people who were brought up in a faithful home, and they seem to have believed the teachings they grew up with. The story of Moses seems to have had particular meaning for them. They know they should obey and do the right things, but they also have a powerful temptation, a chronic temptation that they just can’t seem to shake. Of course, in the end they finally just give in to their pride, which is why Nephi and his followers break off and become the Nephites.

The lesson I learn from Laman and Lemuel is about never giving up. Their sins were forgiven them each time they repented of the same thing over and over, but in the end they stopped repenting. They just gave up. And their giving up affected many generations after them. I think they let the jealousy and pride temptations to fester in their souls until it finally just became too much, and they gave up. They gave me hope for me, until that happened.

So the question for me and for everyone is whether we will give up our struggle against our own chronic temptations. We all have these weaknesses. In fact a verse in the scriptures that gives me a lot of hope is Ether 12: 26–27, where it is revealed that the Lord gives us weaknesses that we may be humble and turn to Him. Weaknesses are our own personal Lamanites, given to us to “stir [us] up in the ways of remembrance” (see 1 Nephi 2:24). Our challenge is to not give in to our weaknesses, our Lamanites. The Zoramites are an example of a people who ultimately embraced their “inner Lamanite.” And once they gave in and became Lamanites, they were even harder and worse than those who grew up as Lamanites (see Alma 43:4, 6–8). This is also true on a personal level, where those who become “Lamanites” are angrier toward those who are trying to resist. The scriptures are full of these examples. I pray every day for the strength to continue the fight and not give up to my inner Lamanite.

• 1 Nephi 22:1

1 Nephi 19: 21

 21 And he surely did show unto the prophets of old all things concerning them; and also he did show unto many concerning us; wherefore, it must needs be that we know concerning them for they are written upon the plates of brass.

I wonder if this could be evidence that the plates of brass were more of a record of the tribe of Joseph than of the whole house of Israel. I have wondered before in this journal whether the brass plates weren’t a record of the tribe of Joseph specifically (see entry for 1 Nephi 5:11–13). There just is not that much in our Old Testament about this branch of Israel, or really any branch of Israel besides Judah. Jacob himself prophesies about them (see Genesis 49:22–26), but Nephi says here that the Lord “did show unto many concerning us.” Assuming that the “us” Nephi refers to is Lehi’s group, that indicates that there were more than just a couple of prophets who knew about Lehi and his journey to the Promised Land. Of course, there would be many prophets sent to the House of Joseph (Ephraim and Manasseh) who would know about and write about the future of that tribe more than the other branches of Israel. For the same reason, it makes sense that the Old Testament, a record of Judah, wouldn’t have as much to say about Joseph, since it is more specifically directed to Judah. That’s my theory on why such great prophets as Zenos and Zenok were in the brass plates, but not in the Old Testament. It’s possible that those records were not so much lost as they were simply never a part of the record of Judah. So they would not have found their way into the Old Testament, but would have been part of the brass plates, a record, or “stick” of Joseph (see Ezekiel 37:15–22). In addition, if this were the case, then it would seem reasonable to conclude that each of the 12 tribes of Israel kept their own official records. I suppose at some point these may come to light as well, each one bearing unique testimony of the Savior and His gospel.

• 2 Kings 17:13
• Amos 3:7

1 Nephi 19: 20

 20 For behold, I have workings in the spirit, which doth weary me even that all my joints are weak, for those who are at Jerusalem; for had not the Lord been merciful, to show unto me concerning them, even as he had prophets of old, I should have perished also.

I have already discussed how exhausting particularly spiritual experiences can be (see 1 Nephi 17:47). Nephi’s close call of not being in Jerusalem when it fell could also contribute to this overwhelming feeling of relief. What intrigues me about this verse is Nephi’s apparent wonder at his prophetic calling. He almost seems in awe that he would receive visions and revelations, even as the prophets of old did. It must be humbling indeed to find yourself in the same company as prophets that you have been studying.

I have a little experience to relate with this. I have had exhausting spiritual experiences as well, but this verse reminds me of a time in an art museum. When I was working on my graduate degree at Indiana State University (MFA, 1999) I used to go with my family to St. Louis where we would go to the temple, then visit the zoo, the science museum, and the St. Louis Art Museum. I was focusing my research at the time on the art and artists of Impressionism, and was especially taken with the work of Edgar Degas and Mary Cassatt. So the first time we went to this art museum I stumbled across the Impressionist room, a whole room of nothing but Impressionist art. I was overwhelmed to be in the same room as these originals created by my artistic heroes: Degas, Cassatt, Manet, Monet, Gauguin, Van Gough, and the others. I probably spent a half hour to 45 minutes in that room alone, studying and absorbing. Time meant nothing to me just then, so I really don’t know how long I was there while Sheri and the children looked at other things throughout the museum. It’s not like this was the first art museum I had ever gone to, but I think it was the first I had ever truly appreciated. After awhile I couldn’t take it anymore. My brain just could not absorb any more. I found Sheri and told her I had to leave, that I couldn’t look at any more art that day. So we left without exploring most of the museum.

The reason this verse in 1 Nephi reminds me of that experience is because Nephi seems to just be amazed that he could be in the same category as his heroes, like I felt that day: humbled, awed, and amazed that I was on the same path as my artistic heroes. Nephi never loses that sense of wonder throughout his ministry. He truly was a humble man, and verses like this give us some small insight or a glimpse into his character. This is also Nephi acknowledging that he is a prophet. So in the last few chapters we have seen a progression, starting with the broken bow story in chapter 16 (and actually before that chapter when he pretty much took direction from his prophet father), we have seen Nephi go to his father for direction (where to find food), to Nephi receiving the ship plans by his own revelation, to him being the only one, or the key person to operate the Liahona (on the stormy sea), to now he has acknowledged that he has received the same prophetic revelations as all the other prophets who went before him. Nephi is the prophet by the time he writes this verse. There seems to be no question that he has that testimony.

• Daniel 10:8 (8–12)
• 1 Nephi 17:47
• Alma 27:17

1 Nephi 19: 19

 19 Wherefore, I speak unto all the house of Israel, if it so be that they should obtain these things.

The Book of Mormon is a testament of Christ directed to the whole world, but more specifically to the remnant of the house of Israel, and even more specifically it is directed to the Lamanites (see the title page to the Book of Mormon). But it only will be a testament to those who read it. The unread book is untapped knowledge, and the unread scripture is an unheard testimony.

• Enos 1:16
• Mormon 5:12
• Mormon 7:9 (9–10)

1 Nephi 19: 18

18 And I, Nephi, have written these things unto my people, that perhaps I might persuade them that they would remember the Lord their Redeemer.

This verse seems to be a wrap-up to a thought Nephi started earlier in the chapter. In verse six he states that he would only include sacred things in his engravings, and then he puts in a disclaimer that the things included in the record are there because he thought they were sacred, and what some take to be sacred, others disregarded. Verse seven has him using the Savior as an example of that statement, how men trample under their feet even the very God of Israel. Verses 8–17 have Nephi quoting, paraphrasing, and commenting on the words of the prophets regarding prophesies of Christ to testify that he really was their God. Verse 18 seems to begin the conclusion to this topic. Nephi states why he is writing all this, and it is for the express purpose that his people would remember the Lord their Redeemer.

1 Nephi 19: 17

 17 Yea, and all the earth shall see the salvation of the Lord, saith the prophet; every nation, kindred, tongue and people shall be blessed.

The salvation of the Lord comes through His Atonement. That atonement extends beyond the house of Israel; it applies to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people. Everyone shall be blessed by the Atonement, even if they know nothing about it. Of course, that comes because of the fact that everyone will be resurrected, but also because everyone will have the chance to accept the gospel. This is another blessing that came from the Lord’s sacrifice. After His death, and before His resurrection, our Savior was organizing missionary work in the post-mortal spirit world. As I consider that idea, I wonder how much of the gathering of Israel will be here on earth, and how much of it will be beyond the veil. I haven’t thought about that before, but the gathering obviously continues after mortality. Otherwise, why would we perform ordinances vicariously for those who have passed on?

1 Nephi 19: 16

 16 Yea, then will he remember the isles of the sea; yea, and all the people who are of the house of Israel, will I gather in, saith the Lord, according to the words of the prophet Zenos, from the four quarters of the earth.

This verse at least partially answers the question raised in verse 15: if I am not a part of the house of Israel, what is my role in the gathering? Here it says that when the Lord remembers all the people who are of the house of Israel, who are on the isles of the sea he will gather them in. He will gather them in on the shoulders of the Gentiles (Isaiah 49:22). That’s me. That’s the role I have in the gathering of Israel.

The term “isles of the sea” is interesting. Apparently, anyone who is not part of the Continent where their forefathers came from is considered an isle of the sea, at least if you had to cross the sea to get to it. So, in spite of the fact that the American continent is huge and covers most of the western hemisphere, Nephi and his people considered that they lived on an isle of the sea (see 2 Nephi 10:20).

• Isaiah 49:22 (20–22)

1 Nephi 19: 15

15 Nevertheless, when that day cometh, saith the prophet, that they no more turn aside their hearts against the Holy One of Israel, then will he remember the covenants which he made to their fathers.

The day will come when the house of Israel will be restored to its former place of glory: being privileged to be the Lord’s people. Has that time come with the restoration of the Gospel? Paul teaches that, “they which are of faith [in Christ]…are the children of Abraham” (Galatians 3:7). Does that mean that because my patriarchal blessing says that I was born into the “lineage of Ephraim in the house of Joseph,” and I am of faith in Christ, that I am literally part of the gathering of Israel? That I am one who has been gathered? I know that if not by blood descent, at least in the way that Paul described above, that I am part of that gathering, but what about the bloodline Jews? We sure don’t see them coming to Christ in great numbers yet, but if I understand these last few verses correctly, Nephi is talking specifically about the Jews, they being the ones behind Christ’s crucifixion. They must be the ones who turn no more from the Lord. They have, as a general population, over the years and generations invested so much into maintaining their non-Christian identity that it truly will be a miracle for them to lay that aside and accept Christ as the Savior they have been watching for all these years. I’m anxious to see how it all unfolds.

• Galatians 3: 7
• 1 Nephi 15: 19
• 1 Nephi 22: 12 (11–12)

1 Nephi 19: 14

14 And because they turn their hearts aside, saith the prophet, and have despised the Holy One of Israel, they shall wander in the flesh, and perish, and become a hiss and a byword, and be hated among all nations.

Matthew records the Savior teaching that the first and great commandment is to “love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind” (Matthew 22:37). Today we might say devotion, strength and effort, and thought in place of heart, soul, and mind. Soul and mind have to do with keeping the commandments, or in other words, controlling our thoughts and actions. (According to D&C 88:15, “the spirit and the body are the soul of man,” and I believe that is the sense of the word “soul” used in Matthew.) The heart has to do with our devotion, controlling our thoughts and actions for the right reasons. Even if we do the right things, if it is for the wrong reason, such as personal gain, or out of compulsion it does us no good, and doesn’t count (see 1 Corinthians 13:1–3, and D&C 58:26–29, and D&C 64:34).

So the Jews, by turning their hearts aside, in other words, their devotion to the Lord, could have kept every single point of the Law of Moses for the wrong reason. And it would have gotten them exactly nowhere. The scriptures, and particularly the New Testament, are full of verses relating to the relationship between faith and works. In my mind faith has to do with the heart. So when we perform even noble works without faith, with a heart that is turned away like the Jews in Jerusalem that Nephi is talking about, we run the danger of those works not being counted for righteousness. Because they turned their devotion away from their God, such that they killed Him, there were bound to be consequences. Their consequence was that they would “wander in the flesh,” which could have to do with not having a country of their own, but I take to mean that they would live in a state of apostasy while here on earth. They would perish. Everyone dies, but the term “perish” carries with it a violent connotation. They wouldn’t simply die, but they would be destroyed or die a violent death. Nephi also prophesied that they would “become a hiss and a byword, and be hated among all nations.” This ridicule and hatred has certainly been evident down through the ages. And they brought it all on themselves by turning their hearts aside. I will take that as a lesson for my own life, so that I will strive to keep my heart true to the Lord, and not turn it aside.

• 1 Kings 9:7 (6–7)
• 1 Nephi 22:5
• Mosiah 14:3 (3–6)

1 Nephi 19: 13

13 And as for those who are at Jerusalem, saith the prophet, they shall be scourged by all people, because they crucify the God of Israel, and turn their hearts aside, rejecting signs and wonders, and the power and glory of the God of Israel.

This is certainly a prophecy that has been, and is still being fulfilled. I doubt there has been, any group of people that has been more hated and persecuted down the generations than the Jews, unless it is people with dark skin of just about any race. It all goes back to this prophecy and others like it, along with the fact that the Jews crucified their God, the God of Israel. Some people might dispute that they are the most persecuted, and claim instead that black people of African descent have been more hated. One could make a strong argument to that point; certainly there has been plenty of hate for both groups. There are similarities between them as well. For example, the Jews have maintained their unique identity just as surely as black people of African descent have. However, a major difference between black people and Jews is that Jews the ancestors of today’s Jews chose this persecution, while black people are born with their distinguishing skin color.

When the Jews had Christ crucified, they sealed their fate, and prophecies about them being singled out for persecution were set in motion by their own choice. Surely they were aware of these prophecies. They had to have known, as much as they studied their scriptures, what the consequences would be for this crucifixion. In fact, there is some hint that they did know, and did it anyway. Matthew records that when Pilate washed his hands of the whole thing, all the people said, “His blood be on us, and on our children” (Matthew 27:25 emphasis added). They knowingly sealed their own fate, and actually requested this punishment for their children after them. What kind of person does it take to knowingly and willingly pass responsibility for this kind of thing to their children? And they didn’t crucify him ignorantly. They knew exactly whom they were murdering. The Joseph Smith Translation of the Matthew 23:36 specifically makes a distinction between the ancient Jews persecuting the prophets and those of Christ’s generation. He said the ancients “did it through ignorance, but ye do not.” So, ignoring the signs and wonders, ignoring the displays of their God’s power and glory, they crucified him, but it was not out of ignorance. So, as they requested, they and their generations after them, paid the price for their wickedness.

• Matthew 23:38 (37–39) also JST vs. 36
• Matthew 27:25

1 Nephi 19: 12

12 And all these things must surely come, saith the prophet Zenos. And the rocks of the earth must rend; and because of the groanings of the earth, many of the kings of the isles of the sea shall be wrought upon by the Spirit of God, to exclaim: The God of nature suffers.

In following the cross references printed in my Book of Mormon for this and the last few verses, I get the feeling that prophesies about, and records of the destructions at the time of Christ’s crucifixion are all throughout the canon of scriptures. I have not made a formal study of this, but I’m sure that events and doctrines surrounding the Atonement of Christ, including these destructions at His crucifixion, are the most recorded of single topics found in the scriptures. After all, the purpose of all scripture is to testify of Christ and His mission.

I find fascinating the statement in this verse that “because of the groanings of the earth, many of the kings of the isles of the sea shall be wrought upon by the Spirit of God, to exclaim: The God of nature suffers.” This is interesting because the kings got it. They understood that it was a divine cause making all the destructions. It could just as easily be that they got it from superstition. The scriptures we have are a record of God’s dealings with Israel, but surely there were others in the world worshipping God the best they knew how in sincerity who were not Israelites. The fact that this verse exclaims that the God of nature suffers is interesting. The word “God” is capitalized the way references to the God of Israel usually is, but He is not referred to as the God of Israel, etc. So it’s a bit unclear who these people on the isles of the sea worshipped.

• Matthew 27:51 (51–54)
• 3 Nephi 10:11
• Moses 7:56 (48–56)

1 Nephi 19: 11

11 For thus spake the prophet: The Lord God surely shall visit all the house of Israel at that day, some with his voice, because of their righteousness, unto their great joy and salvation, and others with the thunderings and the lightnings of his power, by tempest, by fire, and by smoke, and vapor of darkness, and by the opening of the earth, and by mountains which shall be carried up.

Nephi quotes one of those prophets, Zenos (see vs. 12), of whom we don’t have any other record. So we get a taste of just how plain his prophecies are of the Savior. This is very clear and plain to understand. All of these forms of testimony came to pass at the Lord’s crucifixion. All of them are recorded as happening in the Americas, so I assume they all happened to others of the tribe of Israel who had been scattered.

The Lord will communicate (testify) with you in whatever form will get your attention. Some hear his voice “because of their righteousness,” probably because they will listen and hear it. For those who will not listen to that, He has the forces of nature at his disposal to get their attention. That doesn’t mean that every natural disaster is evidence that the Lord is trying to get your attention, but it certainly testifies that He controls these elements, and he could use them. Laman and Lemuel found that out while they had Nephi tied up during the sea crossing. If the Lord has to resort to violent natural phenomena to get your attention, you may be too late to get your life in order. I think He would much rather talk with His voice than with a storm. It reminds me of when the prophet Elijah was hiding out in a cave, and when the Lord wanted to talk to him. He used a still, small voice instead of the wind, earthquake, or fire (1 Kings 19:11–12). I suspect that He would much rather use the still, small voice with us as well. We just need to also be still and quiet so we can hear it.

• Helaman 14:21 (20–27)
• 3 Nephi 8:6 (5–23)
• 3 Nephi 9:1 (1–22)
• 3 Nephi 10:13 (13–14)

1 Nephi 19: 10

10 And the God of our fathers, who were led out of Egypt, out of bondage, and also were preserved in the wilderness by him, yea, the God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, yieldeth himself, according to the words of the angel, as a man, into the hands of wicked men, to be lifted up, according to the words of Zenock, and to be crucified, according to the words of Neum, and to be buried in a sepulchre, according to the words of Zenos, which he spake concerning the three days of darkness, which should be a sign given of his death unto those who should inhabit the isles of the sea, more especially given unto those who are of the house of Israel.

Clearly we are missing some pretty plain and precious prophecies about the Savior in the Bible. There are writings of prophets mentioned there that are not found in our Bible. Which makes me wonder about those who claim the Bible to be a complete, perfect and/or infallible document. Doesn’t make sense to me. Anyway, it doesn’t seem to me that this accounts for all of the prophets mentioned in this verse. So I wonder if the prophets Zenock and Zenos were prophets sent specifically to the Northern Kingdom, and were only recorded in the brass plates, which could possibly have been the official record just for them, not for the tribe of Judah. Maybe their prophecies never made it to the Jews’ record because these prophets were never sent to the Jews in Jerusalem, only to the tribes of the Northern Kingdom.

• Matthew 27:60
• Luke 23:53
• 1 Nephi 12:4 (4–5)
• 2 Nephi 6:9
• 2 Nephi 9:5
• 2 Nephi 10:3
• 2 Nephi 25:13
• 2 Nephi 26:12
• Mosiah 3:9
• Mosiah 7:19
• Alma 33:15
• Alma 34:7
• Helaman 8:20 (19–20)
• Helaman 14:27 (20, 27)
• 3 Nephi 8:19 (3, 19–23)
• 3 Nephi 10:9
• 3 Nephi 10:16 (15–16)
• 3 Nephi 11:14 (14–15)
• 3 Nephi 27:14

1 Nephi 19: 9

9 And the world, because of their iniquity, shall judge him to be a thing of naught; wherefore they scourge him, and he suffereth it; and they smite him, and he suffereth it. Yea, they spit upon him, and he suffereth it, because of his loving kindness and his long-suffering towards the children of men.

My comments here, on the surface, may seem to contradict Nephi’s statement that “the world, because of their iniquity, shall judge [the Lord] to be a thing of naught.” However, what I would like to do is draw a distinction between different kinds of disdain, as expressed by the world’s wicked. A thing of naught would be something with no value, or worthless. If something is truly of no value to someone, whether righteous or wicked, it is merely discarded. That’s why we get rid of trash. But just because trash has no value to us (not even touching on the subject of what one person decides is trash, another finds to be of value), does not mean that we complain or abuse it. We don’t get angry at the trash; we simply remove it without a lot of emotional investment or drama.

That’s all well and good for things, but it’s a bit different when it comes to people. A person who is judged as a “thing of naught” is usually ignored. This can be seen in the case of homeless people or beggars. Most people ignore them until they become a threat of some sort to safety or comfort, etc. This is when you start to see a division in how things of naught are treated. Those on the Lord’s side are more likely to deal with the situation in a loving and respectful way. Those on Satan’s side (those committing iniquity) are more likely to be abusive, whether physically or emotionally, but the same level of respect will less likely be shown.

In Christ’s case, even though the world doesn’t value His teachings, they can’t ignore the threat He is to their way of life. So the level of abuse goes up. The wicked will never be able to stop the gospel message; the best they can do is stop the messengers. That’s why so many prophets die a martyr’s death. For the Savior, just killing him wasn’t enough. They had to abuse him first by scourging him, smiting him, and spitting upon him. If He were truly a thing of no value to them, they probably would have simply ignored him, being beneath them. But Christ represents the biggest threat that ever lived to Satan and those who do iniquity. That’s why I say that the gospel message may have been of no value to them, but Christ himself needed to be dealt with. He was a threat, not a thing of naught.

1 Nephi 19: 8

8 And behold he cometh, according to the words of the angel, in six hundred years from the time my father left Jerusalem.

One of the differences between the Lord’s first and second coming is the nature of the prophecies about it. Nephi says here that the angel told him that Christ would come 600 years after Lehi left Jerusalem. Later, in 2 Nephi, he gives the same timetable, but this was “according to the words of the prophets” (2 Nephi 25:19). So in the First Coming, the Lord gave a fairly precise time that people cold look to for His coming into the world. It appears that the scribes and Pharisees, who gave Christ such a hard time during His mortal ministry, were not the sincere students of scripture as they considered themselves to be, or at least tried to convince people they were. Clearly there were some at the time who knew Christ had come (Simeon and Anna—Luke 2: 25–32, 36–38). Yet even though the scholars knew where (Matthew 2: 4–6), and the wise men confirmed when (Matthew 2: 7, 16), they still crucified him. So the First Coming was well documented, or prophesied as to when it would occur.

The Second Coming, however, is much less precise. Thanks to John’s book of Revelations, we have the general time (opening of the 7^th seal—Revelation chapter 8), but that’s about as close as we come to a time frame for the Second Coming. In fact, we are told several times that nobody knows the time of His Coming (see D&C 49: 7 for an example). So why the difference in the type of information given? It’s tempting to simply say that we live in a time different from any other, and for some reason that makes the difference. But they obviously needed faith to accept Christ during His mortal ministry, just as we accept His Second Coming by faith. I’m not sure I have the answer to this right now.

• 1 Nephi 10: 4 (4–11)
• 2 Nephi 25: 19
• 3 Nephi 1:1 (1–21)

1 Nephi 19: 7

7 For the things which some men esteem to be of great worth, both to the body and soul, others set at naught and trample under their feet. Yea, even the very God of Israel do men trample under their feet; I say, trample under their feet but I would speak in other words—they set him at naught, and hearken not to the voice of his counsels.

First off, this is evidence of what Nephi says much later, in 2 Nephi 25:4, that his “soul delighteth in plainness unto [his] people, that they may learn.” The evidence of that in this verse is how he explains what is probably a local expression, “trample under their feet.” He could have left it at that, and most of us would have gotten it. Instead, he takes precious space on these plates to explain the expression as, “they set him (the God of Israel) at naught.” Then he continues to explain how men set Him at naught, by “not [hearkening] to the voice of his counsels.” Nephi wants this to be just as plain as possible, not only for his people in his time, but for us today. So he explains an expression to us that is not so common these days.

This is all part of his disclaimer set forth in this verse. He just finished telling us that this set of plates is reserved for sacred things. What is sacred to one may not be so sacred to another. Nephi acknowledges that if another person had been given this responsibility of making the record, they may have not made the same decisions as to what should or should not get into it. Nephi is not apologizing for his choices, he is simply explaining that he sees the things recorded here as sacred, even if somebody else does not. He does imply, however, that if the reader doesn’t agree with what is recorded, he (the reader) should consider that the reason is within himself, not Nephi or the record, since Nephi is recording the things of God. That same challenge stands today. Those who do not accept the Book of Mormon need to do some soul searching, and discover what their true motives and beliefs really are. My guess is that they are either deceived, or they are not as pure and Christ-centered as they would have people believe. This book is the test.

• 2 Nephi 25:4
• 2 Nephi 33:2
• D&C 76:35