Book Of Mormon Midterm

“Throughout the remainder of my life, I will seek to learn by what I see, hear, and feel. I will write down the important things I learn and I will do them.”

We learn best by teaching someone else- so there are three people involved in ideal learning: a teacher, a learner, and a learner teaching another learner.

1- Read it, 2- Study topics, 3- Search for connections, 4- Search for patterns, 5- Search for themes.

Key to understanding many fundamental doctrines; it is an unshakable witness of Christ and the Restoration; If it is true, Joseph was a prophet; It applies to us and how we live our religion. We can use the Book and the Spirit as our personal tutor; it sets forth the foundation for the plan of salvation, witnesses for how we should live. Written for our day. Gospel in purest form. Implications for all other revelations that build on this foundation. Gives us the fullness of salvation which leads to fullness of exaltation.Many others they may see that I don’t.

Oliver Cowdrey, David Whitmer, Martin Harris. All of them fell away, OC and MH came back and none of them denied their testimony.

13- the 3 witnesses, the 8 witnesses, Joseph Smith and Sister Whitmer.

Clinging is occasional reading and dabbling in the scriptures. Holding Fast involves serious study and application and building a testimony like both Elders Bednar and Elder Scott recommended.

They were returned to Moroni.

To convince the Jew and Gentile that Jesus is the Christ

In the BOM these distinctions are often based on geography while in the Bible they are based on blood lines. People of Lehi are the 7 groups that descended from the families that left Jerusalem with Lehi. Jews are the people who remained at Jerusalem and were spread throughout the world and will be gathered back to Jerusalem. Gentiles are everyone else.

While the spiritual witness applies directly to our hearts, the physical bears witness to our minds. Together, the witnesses are more powerful than either would be alone.

Through the Holy Ghost

Moroni sealed it up so it is likely he wrote it. Joseph Smith translated it.

Elder Bruce R. McConkie, because they were passed through correlation and approved by all the Brethren.

a. Nephi’s trust in God (he experience many afflictions but knew he was still blessed in his life) (1 Nephi 1:1)
b. Lehi’s prayers for and on behalf of his people (1:5)
c. Lehi’s willingness to bear his testimony at great personal risk (1:18-20)
d. Lehi’s obedience to God’s commandments (2:2-3)
e. Lehi’s attempt to teach his wayward sons (2:8-10)
f. Nephi’s humility and willingness to believe in the words of his father (2:18-20)
g. Nephi’s leadership and commitment to do what the Lord commanded (chapters 3 and 4; especially 3:14-16 and 4:6).
h. Lehi’s comforting of his wife by bearing reassuring testimony (5:1-8)
i. Nephi’s testimony about the need to be obedient (see 1 Ne. 7:13 and 2 Ne. 33:15).

1 Nephi 1:5-6 praying

a. Lehi’s lineage was included in them 5:14.
b. They contained prophecies given to earlier prophets (especially Isaiah’s prophecies about Christ) 5:13
c. To bless all people; all nationalities, etc. 5:18
d. To preserve the commandments of God 5:21
e. The Lord wanted Lehi’s family to have them 5:22

(Personal prayer. 1 Nephi 8:7-8.) (See also Ether 6:7.)

a. It extends along the bank and protects us from falling into the river of filth (8:19)
b. It leads us to the Tree (which is the Savior) (8:19)
c. It keeps us on the strait and narrow path (8:20)

11:1-6 & 15:8-9 He asked! He would be sharing it with his readers. He was a prophet too.

We too can have the Gift of the Holy Ghost and can have our answers confirmed.

11:9-33A sub-vision with an angel guide instead of the Spirit of the Lord showing and commenting on the condescension of both the Father and the Son. Why this extensive overview of the Savior’s life and mission? Because this is the central message of the Book as another testament of Him.

11:16 & 26 The Father condescended to send His son through a mortal mother and to allow His son to live among people and act like a man though he was a God. Christ condescended to do all that and to atone for our sins and provide a way for us to live again and to repent.

1-d (1 Ne 11:25; 15:23-24),
2- b (1 Ne 12:17),
3- g (1 Ne 12:16, 18; 15:26-28),
4- a (1 Ne 12:18; 11:35-36),
5- e (Interpretation of 1 Ne 12:18; 11:35-36) ,
6- h (1 Ne 11:21-25),
7- h (1 Ne 11:21-25),
8- i (1 Ne 8:10-18)

We are happy (8:10) and we desire to share it with others (8:13-17 and Alma 36:24)

To show the purpose of this world and the reality of Satan we need to protect ourselves against! Satan doesn’t want us to know these things.

Chapter 13 refers to early pre-Christian philosophy; Chapter 14 refers to everything that Satan and his followers use to divert us from God’s truths.

14:1-2, 5 All people may be part of the Lord’s “chosen people” if they receive his covenants.

1 Ne 13:11-19- His wrath is withdrawing His spirit and letting men wallow in their choices which were to not receive His covenant. Power comes when He gives us His spirit as he offers to do in the Sacrament covenant we make each week; verse 16 is key to the difference, which is humility and obedience before the Lord. See many related scriptures under “wrath” and “withdraw” in the triple combination index.

From Largey, pg 640-641- Of the hundreds of verities that might be brought forward as examples, the following are [some] central truths:
a. The gospel of Jesus Christ originated long before the 1st century church (1 Ne 10:4-11, 2 Ne 9:4)
b. Jehovah would come to earth as Jesus of Nazareth and be crucified by wicked men (1 Ne 19:7-10)
c. Jesus Christ, though separate and distinct from God the Father will serve in the role of both Father and Son (Mosiah 15:1-4)
d. The fall of Adam and Eve was as much a part of the foreordained plan of salvation as the atonement of Christ (2 Ne 2:25) and if not for their fall, we wouldn’t be (2 Ne 2:22-23)
e. We are not depraved creatures but have the capacity, because of the atonement, to choose good or evil, captivity and death or liberty and eternal life (2 Ne 2:27, 10:23, Helaman 14:30).
f. The suffering of the Lord Jesus during the hours of the Atonement caused blooed to come from every pore (Mosiah 3:7 compared to Luke 22:44).
g. The people of Israel are scattered whenever they reject the true Messiah and his gospel. They are gathered when they receive the Lord, his gospel, and come into his church. The gathering is first spiritual, to the Lord, and secondly temporal, to the lands of their inheritance (1 Ne 15:14; 10:14; 2 Ne 6:8-11, 10:3-8).
h. The Lord has a plan for his chosen people, the house of Israel and the restoration of the gospel in the last days is in reality a restoration of the Abrahamic covenant and a significant part of the realization of God’s promise to Abraham (1 Ne 22: 7-12).
i. All mortals lived before they came into mortality, and men are foreordained to receive the Holy Priesthood (2 Ne 2:17-18; Alma 13).
j. One must have proper authority to officiate in the ordinances of the Church of Jesus Christ, and those ordinances are required for salvation (2 Ne 31:5; Mosiah 18:13; Alma 5:3; 3 Ne 27:19-20).
k. God is indeed the same yesterday, today, and forever, and he reveals himself through prophets to all nations, if they seek him earnestly (1 Ne 10:17-19; 2 Ne 29:1-14).

We don’t really know, though a blessing is implied in 2 Ne 1:29.

Verse 4- A way was prepared. God had a plan that was rehearsed with all of us in the pre-existence. It was a plan that respected our agency or right to choose what we would do.
Verse 5- (and 11-17) To have agency there has to be choice among opposites; so a law was given, which we could follow or reject. Without a law, we couldn’t have agency.
Verse 4 again (and 18-25) In particular, Adam and Eve had choices. God gave them opposing commandments. This chapter makes it clear that they were actually heroes because they chose their own death so we could be born and also have agency, choice (23-25) and joy. If they had not made that choice, God’s plan would have been frustrated and we wouldn’t be here making choices.
Verse 5 again- Adam and Eve’s choice caused both a physical and a spiritual death. We had a spiritual death and then temporal death. Christ overcame them both and atonement from both is freely available (2 Ne 2:4).
Verse 4 again (and 6-10 and much of the rest of the chapter) The crowning point of this chapter is that the plan is all possible because, like Adam and Eve, Christ was willing and able to make a key choice with His agency too. He chose to condescend and sacrifice his life and take on the bitter cup and make it possible for us to live physically and spiritually return to the Father to be judged.

In addition to the physical and temporal deaths addressed in 2 Ne 2:4-6, there is a third death- a second spiritual death that we bring on ourselves. Only sons of perdition experience this third death completely. The atonement from the second spiritual death is conditional on our acceptance through faith. Helaman 14:15-19. First spiritual (and physical) death by Adam’s fall. Second spiritual death by our individual sins.

Yes, we DO believe in salvation by grace. This chapter is full of this truth. 2:3 why was Jacob redeemed after all the good things just said about Jacob and seeing Christ in 2:4? 2 Ne 2:5 The law condemns us and no flesh is justified because of how we live. Only through Christ and his grace and truth can we be saved. What would we have to do to be justified by the law? Live perfectly and pay for every infraction. We can’t! But Christ does this. He saves us from physical death (2 NE 2:8) AND the first spiritual separation that Adam and Even allowed us to have when we come to earth and have the veil separation (2 NE 2:10 & 21 & 26) AND we he will save us from the second spiritual death if we take upon us and keep certain covenants (2 Ne 2:27-28 & 2 Ne 25:23). We are free to choose because Adam and Eve and Christ made us free as they helped carry out the Father’s plan which ensures we are free. We are not bound by physical or spiritual death of the first kind. We are only bound by the second spiritual death to the extent that we choose to be. That is the amazing plan of our Creator!

Both Moses and Joseph Smith are spoken of in the verses. These prophecies are born out in their lives in several ways:
1. 3:5-7 Both brought the Lord’s covenants to His people and brought the people out of darkness too.
2. 3:6-7- Both esteemed highly by many and cursed by many. JS was truly a choice seer raised up by the Lord and was esteemed highly by posterity and associates (John Taylor in D&C 135 and BY wanting to shout hallelujia all the time). Potawatami and other chiefs coming to JS and telling him that the Great Spirit told them to come to JS for advice on what to do. Gave them blankets and food.
3. 3:8-Moses was dedicated to the Lord’s work for 80+ years. Fulfillment in JS’s life of serving all his life and giving his life. D&C 24 points out he did only the work given him, Didn’t succeed in worldly things.
4. 3:9-11 Great like Moses- Moses offered the house of Israel the Gospel of Jesus Christ and to deliver them from slavery as both symbolic and actual. JS’s calling was to deliver people from apostasy and bring us the Gospel.
5. 3:11-12 The book of Moses (which is an extract from JS’s translation of the Bible; just the mention of Enoch gives 18 times as much about him as in Genesis) gives much that was once in Genesis and is more convincing. Lehi’s quotes from the brass plates in 2 Ne 3 and in the Joseph Smith Translation version of Genesis we have much more than related accounts in Genesis 45-50.
6. 3:13 Like Moses who had to go away for 40 years to be prepared for his mission, Emma noted that when JS began translating he was ignorant. But they both changed and grew greatly.
7. 3:14 Both Moses and JS protected until their work was done
8. 3:17-18 See also D&C 100:9 Both JS and Moses had spokespersons explicitly called (Aaron and Sydney Rigdon)
9. 3:17-21 And Moses and JS were great in writing. How were they both great in writing (The first five books of the Old Testament (Covenant) are attributed to Moses plus he brought the 10 commandments written on stone tablets from the Lord; JS brought forth not only the writings of Lehi and his descendents to their later descendents and the rest of the world but also translated the writings of Moses and Abraham AND received all the revelations of the D&C; which, taken together, constitute the writings that tell us of the Lord’s covenant with His Covenant people then and now.

2 Ne 4: 14-35 Nephi just lost his main friend and father, Lehi and may be explaining that he has lost his temper with his brethren, is depressed about it, and how he overcomes this through turning to Christ (instead of the arm of flesh- see 4:34) and writing the things of his soul

5:5-6- Because the Lord commanded them to and they were obedient.

See LDS Bible Dictionary, p. 707 for these answers.
Who is Isaiah and where did he live?
-Prophet living in Jerusalem
What does his name mean? Why would that be important?
“The Lord (Jehovah) is salvation”
When did he prophesy?
-Prophesied 740 - 700 BC
(Israel is rushing headlong into destruction)
-Assyria invaded the Northern Kingdom of Israel and the Ten Tribes were taken captive to Assyria and other lands (721 BC) about midway through Isaiah’s ministry in the Southern Kingdom.
-Assyria sought to take over the Southern Kingdom of Israel too but as Isaiah prophecied, Jerusalem was protected until it was taken captive to Babylon quite awhile later (587 BC)
How do we know his prophecies are important?
-Isaiah is the most quoted of all the prophets (even by the Savior)
-More often quoted by Jesus, Paul, Peter, and John, the BM, and the D&C than any other OT prophet.
-Several Isaiah passages were quoted by Moroni to Joseph Smith in 1823 and he was told “it is about to be fulfilled”
Which kings in Judah did he serve?
-Served with four kings in Southern Israel (Jotham, Ahaz, Hezekiah, Manasseh)
-“He had great religious and political influence during the reign of Hezekiah, whose chief advisor he was.” (BD)
-He was a statesman prophet/poet.
How did he die?
“Tradition states that he was ‘sawn asunder’ during the reign of Manasseh; for that reason he is often represented in art holding a saw” (BD).

a. We are helped to come to Christ and believe in Him (1 Ne 19:23; 2 Ne 11:4)
b. We learn truths about ourselves and mortality (2 Ne 6:5 and 2 Ne 11:8)
c. We learn about our mission and destiny as members of the house of Israel (3 Ne 23:2)
d. We learn about past judgments of God, which we will see repeated in our future (2 Ne 25:6)
e. We come to a greater understanding of our future (2 Ne 6:4)
f. We are given cause to rejoice (2 Ne 11:8)
g. His prophecies are of great worth (2 Ne 25:8)

a. Be righteous because righteousness brings the Spirit, which increases understanding and the spirit of prophecy (2 Ne 25:2).
b. Be “filled with the spirit of prophecy,” which is the spirit of revelation (2 Ne 25:4), the Holy Ghost, or a testimony that Jesus is the Christ, while remembering that these writings are about both ancient Israel and about us.
c. Live in the last days when Isaiah’s prophecies are fulfilled (2 Ne 25:7,8).
d. Make the effort to search Isaiah’s words mentally and spiritually (3 Ne 20:11; 23:1; Mormon 8:23).
e. Recognize and use the Book of Mormon as one of the best commentaries on Isaiah by quoting nearly 1/3 of the 66 chapter book, changing about half the verses to make them clearer and providing inspired explanations and commentary on these verses.
f. Become familiar with the regions around Jerusalem (2 Ne 25:6) that are referred to by Isaiah.
g. Learn to understand the “manner of prophesying” among the Jews (2 Ne 25:1) and various prophets, particularly Isaiah, which includes use of:
1) symbolism (as Nephi said that all things given of God typify Christ in 2 Ne 11:4) which is used by Isaiah in every revelation. Through revelation, Isaiah drew upon his social, cultural, religious, and political background to produce hundreds of different symbols to illustrate prophecy and eternal truths and we have to seek through study and the Spirit to understand them;
2) poetic parallelism or repeating, restating, or echoing statements in various ways to emphasize them through musical or poetic form.
3) prophetic speech forms, including:
* the messenger formula “Thus saith the Lord” which sets forth the divine authority and origin of a prophet’s revelation;
* the revelation formula “The Lord spake unto me saying,…” which indicates prophetic authority and the source of the revelation;
* the proclamation formula “Hearken unto me” or “Hear the word of the Lord” which calls people to attention so they can hear what the Lord is saying to them through His prophet;
* the oath formula “As the Lord liveth” or the Lord has sworn” which means these prophecies will surely come to pass because the Lord says so, and He never lies;
* the woe oracle or revelation from God which warns of woes to come to people who have transgressed.
4) prophetic perfect verb tense, which is the use of past, present, and future verbs to prophecy with certainty of things yet to come. This is a reminder that God is in control of His work at all times, while taking our agency into account (He doesn’t control our choices).

Fulfilled in various ways but certainly by the establishment of the nation of Israel by many governments of the world and by the missionary work being done by Gentiles (non-Jews and people who did not descend from Lehi) to bring the children of Israel back to the covenants of the Lord.

This is a powerful form of symbolism that reiterates that the Lord is speaking to people who have made covenants with Him (as marriage is a covenant) but have broken the covenants through iniquity and cannot therefore blame Him for having divorced them or put them away. He is placing the responsibility for our choices squarely on us. We separate ourselves from God or come near to Him by using our agency to break or keep our covenants.

This is a direct reference to Christ with his back to the smiters and to the shame and spitting he received in life and symbolically by us when we reject his atonement (or ransom he paid with his blood) in our behalf by not always remembering him, keeping his commandments or truly taking his name upon us.

If you keep God’s commandments he gives you more and more true and bright light but if you choose to “do your own thing” with your little sparks, you will walk in darkness and lie down in sorrow. JFS- Gospel Doctrine p 373- Those who read by the lamp of their own conceit are hopelessly ignorant.

It refers both to the Lord inviting us to awake from our sins and ignorance of Him. But also is a plea by the Prophet to God to protect and comfort His people as he did in the days of Moses and other ancients. It also could refer to all who accept Christ’s atonement, being redeemed or awakened from the second spiritual death and rejoicing in the eternal life Christ offers to all who make and keep covenants with Him.

a. Existence of baptismal fonts and temple away from Jerusalem
b. Existence of mines with ore and ore in Bountiful easily accessible to Nephi
c. Existence of Dufar, Oman as likely (only?) spot for Bountiful. How would Joseph have known of such a green spot in such a vast desert?
d. Burial grounds at Nahom where Ishmael could have been buried. Could Joseph know that specific name of a place?
e. Nature of ship building at the time as drawn on rocks and how Nephi likely built his
f. Nephi’s apparent skills with metals
g. The barren nature of the desert land they crossed
h. Existence of beehives in Bountiful
i. Plates have been made of ore for many millennia
j. All the evidence that would indicate Lehi’s family followed the spice route
k. The fact that they encountered cities along the way and had to hide by not making fire
l. Fact that Joseph Smith didn’t even know that Jerusalem had a wall around it; other facts about the city that are pretty much the way they were back then, including the pool of water.
m. Finding of temples and altars with inscriptions dating them to Nephi’s time
n. The amount of time (8 years) it would take for a family to make this trip and the amount of time it would take to build a ship (over 2 years).
Others!?

Ne 16:1-5 By how you respond to truth. Verse 2- boiling water hardens eggs and softens carrots- how do we respond to adversity? Verse 3 emphasis on agency again. We choose how we will respond.

The Liahona operates (1 Ne 16:10, 28-29 on three principles—feel something, follow those feelings, and then receive the witness. Elder Scott talks about feeling, writing our feelings, and then acting on them before expecting a testimony.

Instead of murmuring like others, worrying about the past or dreaming of the future, Nephi asked the Lord and himself what he should do.

Unlike his brothers he asked of the Lord for answers to his questions (1 Ne 15:8-9), appreciated blessings from God and saw them as such (17:2-6), and prayed to the Lord often, thus receiving what the Lord offered (18:3).

19:10- God of our fathers is Christ! Administers the Gospel on this earth.

1 Ne 19:13-14 Scattering of Israel when turn hearts away from Him
1 Ne 19:15-16 Gathering when turn hearts toward Him

1 Ne 19:23-4 Because they testify so clearly of Christ and are actually the words of Christ to all who ought to be coming to Him. And so we and his descendents and the Jews should liken them unto ourselves for profit or our salvation (see also 2 Ne 6:5).

1 Ne 20:9-13 Christ is refining them through invitations to receive covenants, natural punishments that take place when people don’t keep their covenants and natural blessings when they do.

It is Christ (see intro to the chapter and verse 16, as well as others. But Isaiah is talking also of Christ’s disciples such as himself, Joseph Smith, many others, including us who are bringing the gospel and covenants of Christ’s church to the world (see verses 22-23).

A rallying flag, Ensign, or true vine, Christ’s sheep fold—His true church, Christ Himself, and His gospel. See also Nephi’s clarifications in 1 Ne 22 and Jacob’s clarification in 2 Ne 6.

Both past and present, physical and spiritual- see 1 Ne 22:3+ for details Nephi gives to clarify what he was quoting from Isaiah.

1 Ne 22:5-21 It is Christ, Who is the God of the Old Testament, Christ of the New Testament and of the latter days and He does His great work through righteous people who keep the covenants He offers to them. But he also allows people to scatter themselves and estrange themselves from Him and wicked people may scatter other wicked people.

2 Ne 1:1-20 Much of what happened was a natural cutting off from the Lord’s presence or a consequence of the people’s choices, not the Lord being vindictive. 2 Ne 1:20 This point about being cut off is repeated 40 times or so!

No. See “Seven lineages of Lehi” in May 1975 New Era where the author concludes:
“The prophet Lehi, as recorded in 2 Nephi 1:5, told of the Lord bringing other peoples than just his family to the Americas. [2 Ne. 1:5, 10–12] In verses 10 to 12 he promised his sons that when their descendants should ‘dwindle in unbelief’ and reject their Messiah, those other nations would take away their lands and smite and scatter them amid scenes of bloodshed from generation to generation.”

He reminds them in 2 Ne 9:1 and in several other verses (e.g., 10:15-19) that he is talking to people who have covenanted with the Lord and then summarizes what it takes to receive the atonement- obedience to the Lord’s covenants. As Isaiah illustrated so beautifully, the Lord provides the ransom but we have a choice to either receive it through obedience to His commandments or reject Him and eternal life by breaking our covenants. This is summarized in 2 Ne 10:24-25.

Infinite atonement is infinite in many ways—timeless, conquers death, which touches everyone, for all of Christ’s creations (he created more worlds than this one), by Christ who is an infinite being for us, who are also infinite beings.

2 Ne 9:28-29 Hearkening unto the counsels of God (following the guidance of the Holy Ghost in studying and knowing and keeping our covenants) rather than being proud of our knowledge and thinking we know anything without God’s help.

Jacob states it in 2 Ne 10:3, on the second day of his speech to the Nephites.

They all saw the Lord and by multiple witnesses the Lord establishes His words so all can have their faith strengthened if they will heed His witnesses. This gives great comfort to the witnesses as well- to have their claims confirmed by others chosen by the Lord, as was the case with Joseph Smith.

Mt of Lord’s house is viewed generally as temple by all religions. BY and GBH have said Ute Indian word “Utah” means the top of the mountains. This may be true but in addition—there are mountains from Alaska to Argentina. Zion is all of this continent and not just UT as JS said. Kirtland temple was built and said it would be exalted above the hills. We build our temples on hills. It is true that people from all over the world come to SLC and the temple. But like with all Isaiah’s prophecies, there are multiple fulfillments. The SLC temple was dedicated in 1893 and the Zionist movement in 1896- to establish Israel. Temple building and the return of Jews to Jerusalem are related!

2 Ne 16:5-7 and the footnotes clarify that this is talking about the cleansing and remission from sins that we all need to be true servants of God.

Recognize he was using metaphors, dualisms, and poetry and let these work on your mind to create images that will give you feelings and impressions as well as some facts. Use the chapter headings, cross-references, footnotes, and topical guide, which also give important insights. Be willing to spend some time with other resources like the CES student manual for the Old Testament and others to get important contextual information that will make the images and prophecies make more sense over time.

Isaiah’s son’s name Maher-shalal-hash-baz in verse three means the same thing as the prophecy in verse 4. His other son’s name also had prophetic meaning.

As the chapter heading indicates, the Stem of Jesse is Christ (He is a descendent of Jesse but not of Joseph). As clarified by the cross-references associated with verse 10 to D&C 113, the root is a servant who is a descendent of both Jesse and Joseph (of Egypt). As Danielle pointed out and as was clarified in class from material in Largey’s Book of Mormon Reference Companion, pages 379-381, this is commonly understood in the church to be Joseph Smith who was instrumental in raising the ensign or restored gospel and church to aid in the gathering of God’s people in the last days. This is all part of the marvelous work and a wonder prophesied in 2 Ne 25:17.

It contains two hymns or psalms of praise for God’s love and mercy separated by Isaiah’s testimony that latter-day people will rejoice as well. In contrast, many of the chapters around this chapter are dealing with the destruction and sorrow that will attend people’s choices. It is illustrative of how we can find joy in this world of sorrow and problems if we are willing to look to the Lord and receive His gifts.

This summary comes from Largey’s Book of Mormon Reference Companion, pages 340-343:
1. The status and future of God’s covenant people, including the nature of His covenants and promises to all who will receive and obey them.
2. The need for repentance if we are going to be God’s covenant people and receive the promises he offers through His judgments and the mercies of the atonement.
3. The ministry and mission of the Messiah and how dependent we are on Christ for the opportunity to repent and to have eternal life.
4. To help us learn from the experiences of others and prepare for key events related to the latter days.

It is not just that the Book of Mormon teaches us truth, though it indeed does that. It is not just that the Book of Mormon bears testimony of Christ, though it indeed does that, too. But there is something more. There is a power in the book which will begin to flow into your lives the moment you begin a serious study of the book. You will find greater power to resist temptation. You will find the power to avoid deception. You will find the power to stay on the strait and narrow path. The scriptures are called "the words of life" (D&C 84:85), and nowhere is that more true than it is of the Book of Mormon. When you begin to hunger and thirst after those words, you find life in greater and greater abundance. (Conference Report, November 1986.)

Some examples are:
26:20 Pride
26:22 Secret combinations
26:29 Priestcraft
26:32 A variety of sins (note verse 33: “none of these iniquities come of the Lord”)
28:3-6 False forms of religion, false forms of spirituality
28:7-9 Open apathy towards sin
28:10 Persecution of the Saints
28:12 False teachers, false doctrines
28:15 Pride in learning
28:16, 20 Anger against anything good
28:21-25 Spiritual apathy among the Saints
28:29-30 Apathy, ingratitude and indifference towards additional scripture
28:31 Trust in the arm of flesh (as Elder Maxwell warned: “Beware those biceps!”)

75. What are some ways Nephi recommends for us to deal with the spiritual challenges we face in the latter days? Name at least five from 2 Nephi 26-33.
Some examples are:
26:15-18 and 27:1-35. Read the Book of Mormon. The Savior would bring forth the words of the fallen Nephites and Lamanites to help us and give us strength and understanding.
26:24-28. The Gospel of Jesus Christ would be made available to all. None are precluded from receiving it.
26:30. We need to pray for and have the gift of Charity (crf: Moroni 7:45-48)
31:2. Receive and live by the “Doctrine of Christ”. (Crf: 3 Ne. 11:31-41).
31:5-13. Get baptized and receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
31:20. Press forward with steadfast faith in Christ and charity for all mankind.
32:2-3. Learn to serve others by speaking the words of Christ (the words he would speak if he were there), and by speaking them by the power of the Holy Ghost. This is how angels speak. We can become ministering angels as we serve each other.
33:15. Follow Nephi’s example. His final words in the Book of Mormon are “I must obey. Amen.”

25:16 Jews’ problem is they rejected Christ and don’t believe in him 17-18 is the solution- the Book of Mormon will convince the Jews that Christ is the true Messiah and His words will help the Jews do that too.
26:1 Lehi’s descendents are “My children” 26:10- Their problems include- pride, choosing darkness rather than light (rejecting Christ just as Jews did), selling themselves for not. Back to 25:21-23 for the solution- Book of Mormon. These verses clarify that the BOM contains the words that should persuade Lehi’s descendents that the solution to their problems is Christ.
26:12 Moves to the Gentiles (us). Our problems are many, including 20- pride, 21- false churches, 22- secret combinations, 29- Priestcrafts , 27:1- all manner of iniquity and abominations. Most of chaper 27 clarifies that the solution to our problems is also the BOM, which is mentioned 19 times in this chapter, which elaborates the marvelous work and a wonder that the Lord works to bring forth the book. Chapter 28 is about the worth of the Book (we have Satan’s playbook here!) and Chapter 29 is about those who reject the BOM and God calls them fools (but we shouldn’t).
30:1-5 is a summary- whether you’re a Jew or a Lamanite or a Gentile, you will find solutions to your problems from the BOM, which invites everyone to come unto Christ and to receive God’s covenants by believing in Christ and repenting of our sins.

Priestcrafts (opposite of Priesthood, preaching for money and power or setting up ourselves instead of Christ for the light we are sharing. Can do this as missionaries or as teachers or as parents or many other ways in the church as well as out). Alma 1 about Nehor is a prime example.

27:7-11 Sealed part has not been revealed yet and won’t come forth in the days of wickedness but “in the own due time of the Lord.”

The details are explained in Joseph Smith History and in the introduction to the Book of Mormon. The learned man was Charles Anthon of Columbia University (2 Ne 27:15 and JSH1:64-65). The unlearned man was Joseph Smith who was told by Christ that he should join none of the churches and why (2 Ne 27:25 and JSH1:19). The other man was Martin Harris to whom Joseph entrusted a transcript and translation of some of the characters from the plates (2 Ne27:9, 15 and JSH1:62-65). The three witnesses were Martin Harris, David Whitmer, and Oliver Cowdery. The few others were the eight witnesses.

Several of these are illustrated in the conclusions reached by about 200 Bible scholars and Christian ministers in the United States who met every six months from Feb 1986-Mar 1991 as the “Jesus Seminar” and voted to agree to the following interpretations of the Bible(see Time magazine, April 10, 1995 for a more extensive summary):
1. Jesus did not deliver the Sermon on the Mount. It is simply a collection of sayings attributed to Jesus by his followers.
2. Jesus did not speak the words attributed to him at the Last Supper.
3. He did not predict that Peter would deny knowing Him.
4. Jesus did not speak the seven statements from the cross.
5. Jesus did not predict his own death and resurrection.
6. He did not pray in the Garden of Gethsemane against temptation, or plead with the Father.
7. He did not predict the destruction of Jerusalem and of the temple.
8. He never referred to Himself as the “true vine” or as the “light of the world.”
9. About 80% of the words attributed to Jesus in the New Testament are not his words or even based on his ideas.

Verse 2 clarifies in every day English—if you repent you are the covenant people. As Dennis Largey summarized, “covenant Israel is always more important than blood Israel.” John the Baptist told the Jews God could raise blood Israel out of the rocks (Matthew 3:9). Only those who accept God’s covenants through faith, repentance, baptism, and receiving and obeying the Holy Ghost are the true covenant people. Reiterates that this book and the Gospel covenants and salvation are for everyone who will accept them.

Follow Christ’s example by preparing for and receiving baptism, the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end to be saved. This entails entering the gate of baptism to the strait and narrow path and then continuing on that path, keeping the commandments included in the covenants God gives us throughout our mortal life (Mosiah 4:6), so He can give us eternal life

When someone speaks the words of Christ by the power of the Holy Ghost, they are speaking with the tongues of angels.

2 Ne 31:17 The gate is repentance AND baptism and then remission of sins by fire and the Holy Ghost. Gate is not just baptism but the whole process that allows us to receive the full atonement or merits (2 Ne 31:19) of Christ. JS Teachings, p. 314- might as well baptize a bag of sand as a man if he doesn’t receive the Holy Ghost.

2 Ne 31:19-21 Baptism is the gate to the path to the Celestial Kingdom. Can’t get on the path until we are baptized and receive the Holy Ghost. Must press forward with the Holy Ghost helping us know what we are doing is in accordance with God’s will, which brings hope and charity. Involves continually feasting on the word and living up to what we are learning from Christ’s words and the Holy Ghost.

2 Ne 32:1-6, 8-9 By feasting upon the words of Christ, praying for His light and help, and receiving (hearing and obeying) the Holy Ghost which will both confirm the words of Christ we read in the scriptures and hear from prophets AND will show us all things that we should do. This is what Elder Scott was teaching as well.

2 Ne 32:8-9 The Spirit teaches us to pray and the evil spirit tells us not to. How does the Spirit teach us to pray? Most effective prayers are those we pray according to the guidance of the Lord. Stop before praying and meditate on what we should pray for. The Spirit will teach us what we ought to pray for and will guide us in doing what we are told in response to our prayers. God helps us each step of the way if we will receive His help.

2 Ne 33 Reminder that the prophets speak the words Christ gives them (through and by the power of the Holy Ghost) but people always have their agency to receive or not. Nephi gives his final witness and warning to this effect and reveals his motives- faith in Christ and charity for his ancestors, descendents, and us, the Gentiles- for all the preaching he has done.

If you can find such then maybe you have a basis for criticizing the book according to Monte Nyman; but otherwise, we are either going to rejoice in the words of Christ like Nephi does or we are going to be like his brothers and so many others who reject the book because it goes against their sins.

Once we do all the things Nephi has told us Christ’s doctrine tells us to do, and we do so by our own choice, and we willingly take upon us the covenants Christ offers, we do not lose our agency but are powerfully using it to understand and want to follow Christ’s example and His guidance through the Holy Ghost. We realize we have no other choice if we really want all that God offers us.

Answers will vary.