Friday, September 27, 2019

Nephi and the Prophecy of Joseph

In 2 Nephi 3:6-21, we read a prophecy from Joseph in Egypt about a choice seer who will be raised up from his seed in the last days.

Nephi clearly studied the words of this prophecy and carefully and deliberately weaves them into his final sermon found in 2 Nephi 25-33.

Below I will embed references from Nephi's final sermon in excerpts of Joseph's prophecy:

6 For Joseph truly testified, saying: A seer shall the Lord my God raise up, who shall be a choice seer unto the fruit of my loins.
7 Yea, Joseph truly said: Thus saith the Lord unto me: A choice seer will I raise up out of the fruit of thy loins; and he shall be esteemed highly among the fruit of thy loins. And unto him will I give commandment that he shall do a work for the fruit of thy loins, his brethren, which shall be of great worth unto them, (2 Nephi 25:8; 2 Nephi 28:2; 2 Nephi 33:3) even to the bringing of them to the knowledge of the covenants which I have made with thy fathers.
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11 But a seer will I raise up out of the fruit of thy loins; and unto him will I give power to bring forth my word (2 Nephi 29:7; 2 Nephi 25:18) unto the seed of thy loins—and not to the bringing forth my word only, saith the Lord, but to the convincing them of my word, which shall have already gone forth among them.
12 Wherefore, the fruit of thy loins shall write; and the fruit of the loins of Judah shall write (2 Nephi 29:12); and that which shall be written by the fruit of thy loins, and also that which shall be written by the fruit of the loins of Judah, shall grow together, unto the confounding of false doctrines (2 Nephi 28:15; 2 Nephi 28:9, 12) and laying down of contentions, and establishing peace among the fruit of thy loins, and bringing them to the knowledge of their fathers (2 Nephi 30:5) in the latter days, and also to the knowledge of my covenants, saith the Lord.
13 And out of weakness he shall be made strong, in that day when my work shall commence among all my people, unto the restoring (2 Nephi 30:8) thee, O house of Israel, saith the Lord.
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21 Because of their faith their words shall proceed forth out of my mouth (2 Nephi 29:2; 33:14) unto their brethren who are the fruit of thy loins; and the weakness of their words will I make strong (2 Nephi 33:4) in their faith, unto the remembering of my covenant which I made unto thy fathers.
This final piece of writing from Nephi is a complicated masterpiece. Keep in mind he is also working in passages from Isaiah into this same set of chapters.

The author of this text had notes.

Hat tip: Grant Hardy.