2 Nephi 1 – Nephi as one like Moses

Finally on this though line Father Lehi tells us;

20 And he hath said that: ^aInasmuch as ye shall keep my ^bcommandments ye shall ^cprosper in the land; but inasmuch as ye will not keep my commandments ye shall be cut off from my presence. And now that my soul might have joy in you, and that my heart might leave this world with gladness because of you, that I might not be brought down with grief and sorrow to the grave, arise from the dust, my sons, and be ^amen, and be determined in ^bone mind and in one heart, united in all things, that ye may not come down into captivity; That ye may not be ^acursed with a sore cursing; and also, that ye may not incur the displeasure of a ^bjust God upon you, unto the destruction, yea, the eternal destruction of both soul and body. Awake, my sons; put on the armor of ^arighteousness. Shake off the ^bchains

with which ye are bound, and come forth out of obscurity, and arise from the dust(2 Nephi 1).

Rebel no more against your brother, whose views have been ^aglorious, and who hath kept the commandments from the time that we left Jerusalem; and who hath been an instrument in the hands of God, in bringing us forth into the land of promise; for were it not for him, we must have perished with ^bhunger in the wilderness; nevertheless, ye sought to ^ctake away his life; yea, and he hath suffered much sorrow because of you(2 Nephi 1).

To show that I am not taking this parrallel too far, lets ponder some of the things considering Isaiahs davidic servant we will soon see.   He will have a vision of the future, understanding his God and be able to relate that message to us, his view will be glorious.  He will keep the commandments, the covenants of the fathers and from the temple, he will be a convenant keeper living and understanding Zions laws.  He will bring us forth to the promise land, lead the exodus of the people to a place of inheritance.  He will do wonders, miracles, as Moses did so will he in providing prosperity and protection for the people, as Nephi did for his brothers.  He will be marred by us the genitles and the world, as NEphi was by his brothers.  They too will seek the life of that prophet and he will suffer much because of the wickedness of our people who profess to know HIS name but do not.

And I exceedingly fear and tremble because of you, lest he shall suffer again; for behold, ye have ^aaccused him that he sought power and ^bauthority over you; but I know that he hath not sought for power nor authority over you, but he hath sought the glory of God, and your own eternal welfare(2 Nephi 1).

Before this eventuallity can happen the Lord provided a place and time for Nephi to escape.  HE will do so with the servant too, allowing him to suffer and even be marred but providing protection for him and his people.  What will be the accusation that they have against that servant, if Nephi is our type?  That he seeks to have authority over us!  That he claims to have priesthood over that of our leaders whom we know to be righteous!  That he claims to have recieved revelation for the people, to have received guidance for thier repentance and eventual salvation.  AS we are taught today, a man who would do this who is not our “beloved prophet” would be seeking poser and authority over us, whereas the Lord loves him because he seeks the Glory of God alone and for the welfare of all his children.  There is not a selfish bone in him, willing to give his life for the sake of the repentance and salvation of the sheep.  We also see what type of man he will not be.  HE will not exercise his priesthood in compulsion for power, for the praise of the world or to lift himself up.  All of these things moses and nephi did, and we can bet that the prophet who performs this work will do the same.  he will decalre repentance, decalre glorious revaltion and commands, be perescuted and marred by his brethren and finally lead a people into the wilderness against all odds for their eventual salvation.

And how will he talk to us?  What will he say?

And ye have murmured because he hath been plain unto you. Ye say that he hath used ^asharpness; ye say that he hath been angry with you; but behold, his ^bsharpness was the sharpness of the power of the word of God, which was in him; and that which ye call anger was the truth, according to that which is in God, which he could not restrain, manifesting boldly concerning your iniquities.  And it must needs be that the ^apower of God must be with him, even unto his commanding you that ye must obey. But behold, it was not he, but it was the ^bSpirit of the Lord which was in him, which ^copened his mouth to utterance that he could not shut it(2 Nephi 1).

Nephi spoke in a bold an plain manner to his brothers, whom he loved.  The servant soon will do the same.  He will speak the truth without mincing words!  he will not build you up in places you have fallen, he will point out those errors in plainness.  HE will speak with the power of God.  What he says the people will mistake for anger!  they will say that he is an angry man, wild and crazy, mixed up in his words against the people and leaders of the day.  HE will speak the truth plainly to them and that will hate him for it and misconstrue his message of love.  Perhaps here we should point out that Lehi told us he will seek our own eternal welfare, and how will he do it?  In a manner that can be mistaken by the wicked for anger when in reality it is merely truth, plain and simple.  He will command by the power of God that we must obey his words, though as Lehi points out above, they will thing he is out of place in authority and angry with his message.  What a command that will be!  The effects of such a moment on this people will no doubt be staggering.  He could not restrain himself from this plain, bold, truthful and quite sharp manner of speech because he righteously sought for the good of all of us and God through the spirit delivers this message!  Love is sometimes hard, sometimes violent.  HE is love will be manifested that way, in a way which will be mistake for anger because of its very plain and bold message against the evil and wickedness pervading the people.  Oh how it will sound like sweet candy to the ears of those who long to hear such stirring words of repentance and like the most bitter salt to all those who have last their savor.

Then the promise to the two groups of people, pure Israel and Mixed Isreal (gentiles) comes out in terms of Lehis family;

And now my son, Laman, and also Lemuel and Sam, and also my sons who are the sons of Ishmael, behold, if ye will hearken unto the voice of Nephi ye shall not perish. And if ye will hearken unto him I leave unto you a ^ablessing, yea, even my first blessing.  But if ye will not hearken unto him I take away my ^afirst blessing, yea, even my blessing, and it shall rest upon him(2 Nephi 1).

These are the pureblood, those of Israel who have every right through lineage to be part of the family of Israel.  These here are all Lehis children through their mother sariah.  One family with one blessing.  Take the promise of leave it.  NEphi has it, will you be willing to follow him, your younger brother.  The older more established tribes of Israel such as the jews will be asked to join and follow a younger remnant, that of Joseph, and recognize his right to rule the family despite his hidden prodigal son appearance.  Joseph in Egypt plays this drama out best and the seed of Lehi in the last days will come from seemingly nowhere, appearing as the younger son from here in the Land of egypt to save all ISrael, even those who have always lived in the promised lands of father Abraham.

And then will I ^aremember my covenant which I have made unto my people, O house of Israel, and I will bring my gospel unto them. And I will show unto thee, O house of Israel, that the Gentiles shall not have power over you; but I will remember my covenant unto you, O house of Israel, and ye shall come unto the ^aknowledge of the fulness of my gospel. But if the Gentiles will repent and return unto me, saith the Father, behold they shall be ^anumbered among my people, O house of Israel.  And I will not suffer my people, who are of the house of Israel, to go through among them, and tread them down, saith the Father (3 Nephi 16:11-14).