2 Nephi 4-5 a Quick conclusion

This Chapter, using the Names of the Laman and Lemuel.  From Book of Mormon history we can get a pretty good feel of who these guys are.

Off the top of my head:

• They are covenant people
• They are prideful and stubborn, stiffnecked
• They love their riches, the things of the world
• They forfeit the birthright
• They murmur about their trials in the wilderness
• They are the chief persecutor of the servant, beating him and tying him up, seeking his life
• The reject the fullness of the Gospel (good fruit)

In my uneducated opinion this sounds like prideful, stubborn and worldly Ephraim since the beginning.  Though, it could also just been seen as a type of ALL people who reject the message of the Gospel in favor of more smooth things of the world.  Using Laman and Lemuel then as the type for fallen Israel, mongrel Israel who forfeit the birthright, Gentile Israel who reject the fullness of the Gospel and do not repent.

He first reiterates the same promise to them as was given to Joseph, “^aInasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments ye shall prosper in the land; and inasmuch as ye will not keep my commandments ye shall be cut off from my presence.”  Just showing that God will give to all those who repent, even the Gentile who wants nothing to do with his promise.

Then Lehi does something interesting.  Remember that at this time Lamanite and Nephite don’t exist, they are lehites.  Indeed, the “lamanites” are coming here to talk to Lehi, showing that the groups had not been separated, yet Lehi says to them;

“I know that if ye are ^bbrought up in the ^cway ye should go ye will not depart from it. Wherefore, if ye are ^acursed, behold, I leave my blessing upon you, that the ^bcursing may be taken from you and be answered upon the ^cheads of your parents. Wherefore, because of my blessing the Lord God will ^anot suffer that ye shall perish; wherefore, he will be ^bmerciful unto you and unto your seed forever.”

A curse?  Is this merely prophetic of the soon to happen cursing of this people?  Or is it included in this form to tell us something?  That is the point of this blog, so we are running with personal application.  Having grown up in a time, as Nephi and Moroni predicted, when the teachings of men mingled with scripture are polluting the holy church of God.  I think it quite relevant to us to state that if we “are ^bbrought up in the ^cway ye should go ye will not depart from it.”  Indeed if we were, but we ain’t.  Much seeking and learning as individuals is required to find that way.  But, as the DC shows us, we have been cursed.  We are under condemnation and Zion is scattered from the land of its inheritance.  Lehi promises us though that we can have that curse removed, and have the sins of our fathers answered upon their heads instaed of our won.  WE can rid our garments and accept the way we should go.

Lehi then says virtually the same things to Lemuel’s kids and Ishmaels and closes his thoughts, tying them all into the same group  He then dies and we are left with a narrative to describe the events immediately surrounding the exodus of Nephi, having had the principle parties spelled out for us.

Nephi goes to the fallen covenant people right off,

“I, Nephi, was constrained to speak unto them, according to his word; for I had spoken many things unto them, and also my father, before his death; many of which sayings are written upon mine ^aother plates; for a more history part are written upon mine other plates.”

He then tells us of the necessity of scriptures, and tells us that the servant not only read and ponders them, but writes his own;

“And upon ^athese I ^bwrite the things of my soul, and many of the scriptures which are engraven upon the plates of brass. For my soul ^cdelighteth in the scriptures, and my heart ^dpondereth them, and writeth them for the ^elearning and the profit of my children. Behold, my ^asoul delighteth in the things of the Lord; and my ^bheart pondereth continually upon the things which I have seen and heard.”

He then uses that key word, which Gileadi has explained for us, to reflect to us the events sourounding the restoration of the house of Israel and the servant who perfoms it;

“Nevertheless, notwithstanding the great ^agoodness of the Lord, in showing me his great and marvelous works…“

The use of these words is integral and not by accident.  I will post a part of a chapter on the subject from Brother Gileadi after this post for further reading, the whole article can be found in here.

After turning our minds to the events at hand, and telling us that they relate to the Great and Marvelous we will see, Nephi wails a bit about his sufferings, throughout the rest of the chapter.  HE relays his frustrations and His worry of his sins.  HE cries that the Lord will deliver His people from His enemies.  Nephi is giving us a type of the suffering servant.  He is struggling with his inability to accomplish all that he wants and is called to do.  HE has confronted those of fallen Israel, and they have rejected his words.  He worries that he is inadequate for the calling.  HE is a man of sorrows acquainted with grief.

Into chapter 5 the events reach their climax, “their ^aanger did increase against me, insomuch that they did seek to take away my life.”  Bu this time, though beaten and trodden down, this servant is not killed, the enemy does not succeed.

What is their complaint against him?  “Our younger brother thinks to ^arule over us; and we have had much trial because of him; wherefore, now let us slay him, that we may not be afflicted more because of his words. For behold, we will not have him to be our ruler; for it belongs unto us, who are the elder brethren, to ^brule over this people.”

This account gives me chills in its application.  Here we have the Servant of God, the younger brother going before the elders,  He has told them of their problems frankly.  And from their words here we see that they think that he want s to rule over them.  HE has been given that right, and they, the “brethren” or the “Elders” who rule over this people have been removed from their post, though the refuse to admit it.  I don’t feel that these terms are used on accident.  Described for us plainly here is series of events that will surround the removal of the remnant from the rest of the people.  The elders of that people will refuse the servant whose right it is to rule and seek to take his life.

But the Lord delivers them;

And it came to pass that the Lord did ^awarn me, that I, ^bNephi, should depart from them and flee into the wilderness, and all those who would go with me.  Wherefore, it came to pass that I, Nephi, did take my family, and also ^aZoram and his family, and Sam, mine elder brother and his family, and Jacob and Joseph, my younger brethren, and also my sisters, and all those who would go with me. And all those who would go with me were those who believed in the ^bwarnings and the revelations of God; wherefore, they did hearken unto my words.  And we did take our tents and whatsoever things were possible for us, and did journey in the wilderness for the space of many days. And after we had journeyed for the space of many days we did pitch our tents.  And my people would that we should call the name of the place ^aNephi; wherefore, we did call it Nephi.  And all those who were with me did take upon them to call themselves the ^apeople of Nephi.

So, the manner of revelation is set out.  A servant receives the word of the Lord, and all those that would go with him, who “were those who believed in the ^bwarnings and the revelations of God”, and the people follow.  Namely, those of adotped Israel (Zoram) and those of pure blood brethren to the servant (Sam) and all of the house of Israel (Jacob and Joseph) and even all those who are of pure heart (sisters   ).

And who is left out? the rest of the World, those of the wicked old world and all of the covenant people too who reject the gospel when it is given to them, stay at home in the world.  The people of God leave to their tents in the wilderness and the rest dwindle in unbelief.   We could likely go on in our analysis, but I think the series has run its course.  the second exodus of the Book of Mormon in as many books is concluded and rife with rich symbolism to tell us of the events which we are soon facing.