4 And thou hast beheld in thy youth his glory; wherefore, thou art blessed even as they unto whom he shall minister in the flesh; for the Spirit is the same, yesterday, today, and forever. And the way is prepared from the fall of man, and salvation is free.
This verse seems to me almost a transition statement to what
Lehi will be teaching concerning agency, justice, mercy, and the Atonement.
Lehi first confirms that Jacob has seen Christ. We don’t know when that was,
except that it was in his youth, as others have seen Him, such as Joseph Smith.
Then Lehi states that the way is prepared (which he will
teach us about) for salvation to be made free for everyone (which he will also
explain). We should not get complacent in thinking that because the blessing of
salvation is offered to everyone for
free that everyone will necessarily receive it. There is a big difference. So
we can’t really understand this verse if we stop at this verse. We must read on, or Lehi’s statement is taken out of
context. That’s why I say this is an introduction or transition to what Lehi
will teach next.
- 2 Nephi 10: 3
