The Few

“They wear ^astiff necks and high heads; yea, and because of pride, and wickedness, and abominations, and ^bwhoredoms, they have all ^cgone astray save it be a ^dfew, who are the humble followers of Christ; nevertheless, they are ^eled, that in many instances they do ^ferr because they are taught by the precepts of men.”
(2 Nephi 28:14)

Admittedly, this verse has become one of my recent favorites because of its very descriptive nature.  There is a particular word in there that I have found to be a key word of sorts.  It should be rather obvious which word that is, based on the title.  Looking it up, there are 114 uses of the word “few” in the canon, and elsewhere.    In general, a descriptive pattern is illustrated in the verses where the few are mentioned, as a people or type of a people.  “Modern” scripture proved to be far more rife with that description that the old and New testaments, though the savior did his part to mention it.  Anyway, an analysis of those verses;

In reading the verse above my I became oddly motivated to find out who the “few” are.  This moment came when I was reading another scripture in Mormon 8:36

And I know that ye do ^awalk in the pride of your hearts; and there are none save a few only who do not ^blift themselves up in the pride of their hearts, unto the wearing of ^cvery fine apparel, unto envying, and strifes, and malice, and persecutions, and all manner of iniquities; and your churches, yea, even every one, have become polluted because of the pride of your hearts.
(Mor. 8:36)

2 Nephi 28 and Mormon 8 are similar chapters, as both describe a great and abominable church that fights and ruins the true one.  Both have been remarked by our leaders as describing us, though Mormon 8 far more often, as shown in several earlier posts.  For my purpose though, the description of the people in those churches, their attributes and desires, are more useful.  Both chapters us the word “few” to describe the people.  Moroni says the Few are those in the Holy Church of God who do not pollute it with pride etc… Nephi takes it a bit further by explicitly calling them the Humble Followers of Christ.  Being that one belongs to the Church of God, and one belongs to the Church of Abomination we could wrongly assume that their membership is in differing church establishments here on earth, a good one and a bad one.  However, using the above verses and their surrounding friends in context, we can show plainly that they likely worship in the same temporal building.  Starting in Nephi, the Few are taught by men who teach the precepts of men.  These men are obviously teaching false doctrines, the precepts of men mingled with scripture.  They are teaching false doctrines and are thus False teachers, they’ve gone astray and are full of pride, believing they know and understand sound doctrine, not willing to hear otherwise.  Verse 12 then tells us distinctly that the people teaching the humble followers untrue doctrines are part of the False Church, though they attend, worship, with the Few.  They, the majority, have polluted the Churches they attend.  They go to “Church” (temporal) demanding the wearing of fine clothing.  They insist on having their building beautiful and well adorned.   Because of this pride they have corrupted the church.  Because of this misplaced zealousness, they persecute the poor, the needy, the meek.  They themselves are drunk with the spirit of “All is well is Zion!”.  As such they insist on and teach the commandments of men.  Calling good evil and evil good, denying the reliance on the holy ghost and preaching the reliance on the leaders, teaching “follow the prophet”.  As such they are drunk with zealousness, Isaiah’s water down wine, crying” come ye and we will fill ourselves with strong drink; and tomorrow shall be as this day and much more abundant.”  It is an intoxicating thing, this successful number driven game they play,  so much so that even the humble followers of Christ, the Few may be led away by their teaching.  Indeed, they worship together on Sunday, but their hearts are far apart, with the Few finding the majority more and more disallusioned with strong drink.
Moroni similarly points out that the Few and the Majority belong to the same “church”, they worship together.  Whereas Nephi was more descriptive in giving the Few a name, “humble followers of CHRIST” (notice, not the Followers of a prophet, but of Christ), Moroni is more descriptive in the name of the Church that they worship together in, calling it the “Holy Church of God” (vs. 38).  Again, we find Nephi’s polluters here doing their work.  What does Moroni call them?  Teachers, Pollutions, Hypocrites, same as Nephi.  Here again you find them teaching false doctrines, adorning their churches, insisting on fine clothing, persecuting the poor and meek and needy with their drunkenness.  But, amongst them we find the few.
I have made it painfully obvious what Church I am referring to, and I believe these two true prophets are referring to.  The Holy Church of God wherein truth CAN be found, but is not always taught as the Majority have ran with deception.  The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day saints.  Nephi Gives us another description of those who belong to the Church of the Lamb of God, instead of the Church of the Devil in First Nephi 14.  Here again, he describes those who belong to the Church of the Lamb (spiritual) as “few”.  They are encompass the same land mass (the whole earth) but, the church of the Lamb’s dominions are SMALL, whereas the whore sat on the whole face, over many waters.  Belonging to the same body though one remains small and firmly on the ground and the other is huge and drifts with the waves.  Intriguingly, Isaiah tells us a couple of times that one the Lord returns to finish the work He will be upset to find His children scattered throughout the face of the Land.  Seems to me, that the scattering has been done by us refusing and rejecting the principle of Gathering, which principle Zion will be built on (read all of the D&C).  Now, knowing this lets define the attributes of the few in Modern-Day scriptures, and apply that knowledge to our lives.   Taking the word FEW and reading the described attributes.

• 2 Nephi 28-Led By the Precepts of men but have to find truth therein by the Holy Ghost (vs 14, 31)
• D&C 33:4-Err in many instances because they are taught by Priestcraft, corrupt minds
• 1 Nephi 14-Scattered small groups (13, 14)
• Amla 21:12-Looking, searching, seeking for MORE of Gods word (see also 1 nephi 14, 2 Nephi 28, a bible, a bible…)
• Alma 33:19-23-Believe in the gift of Healing, the Gifts of the Spirit.  And UNDERSTAND what that means
• Mormon 8:36-Do NOT wear fine apparel (white shirt, dark suit, flaxen cord), are not prideful, do not envy things, or persecute others for their beleifs of socio economic status.
• 3 Nephi 7:21-They are visited by the power and spirit of God and testify of it
• 3 Nephi 14:14-have found the straight gate and narrow way of Baptism by fire
• DC 121:34-They are Chosen Because they reject the things of the World, Idols and pride; Don’t aspire to mens honors, the pharicees seats in the high places; Do not exercise Dominion or compulsion over other men, like making someone dress or groom differently to receive preisthood blessings
• DC 132:22-perhaps the biggest demarcation, They SEE CHRIST in THIS WORLD, or are definately searching for that gift
• Finally, their mantra is FOLLOW CHRIST, not FOLLOW THE LEADER or arm of flesh ( a mediator for a mediator? perposterous.  All men should be prophets in order to have the secrets and direction of God given them

To close this rambling thought line, is should be noted the Christ told us in the Last days it will be for us as in the days of Noah.  How many people were let onto the boat in the Days of Noah?

^aWhich sometime were ^bdisobedient, when once the ^clongsuffering of God waited in the days of ^dNoah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were ^esaved by ^fwater.
(1 peter 3:20)