Preparing a way

After I posted on 1 Nephi 3:7 and the two ways in the wilderness, I studied to understand the concept of "preparing a way". It's a common expression in the scriptures rooted in ancient Middle Eastern imagery, but it has different uses. A well known verse in Isaiah 40:3 reads

A voice of one calling:
“In the wilderness prepare
    the way for the Lord;
make straight in the desert
    a highway for our God"

One Bible commentary explains this verse as follows:

He hears a crier giving orders, by solemn proclamation, to prepare the way of the Lord in the wilderness; to remove all obstructions before Jehovah marching through the desert; through the wild, uninhabited, unpassable country. The idea is taken from the practice of the eastern monarchs, who, whenever they entered upon an expedition, or took a journey, especially through desert and unpractised countries, sent harbingers before them to prepare all things for their passage, and pioneers to open the passes, to level the ways, and to remove all impediments.

With this imagery in mind, it is interesting to  study the various Book of Mormon passages using this expression. It is used in different ways as shown below:

A particular person gets the role as forerunner

1 Nephi 10:7-8 and 1 Nephi 11:27 echo Isaiah 40:3 and the gospels as they talk about John the Baptist as a forerunner preparing the first coming of Christ. Also, in Malachi 3:1 / 3 Nephi 24:1

Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me

An invitation to all the people to prepare the way of the Lord

As Christ's first coming approaches, Alma extends the invitation in Alma 7:9:

repent and prepare ye the way of the Lord 

A similar invitation is given in Alma 9:28 and by Samuel the Lamanite in Helaman 14:9, only 5 years before Christ's birth

God prepares the way to the salvation of His children

This is perhaps the most common usage of the phrase. I only include about half of the examples I found in my search.

the work of the Father shall commence, in preparing the way for the fulfilling of his covenants (1 Nephi 14:17)

O my son, do not let us be slothful because of the easiness of the way; for so was it with our fathers; for so was it prepared for them, that if they would look they might live; even so it is with us. The way is prepared, and if we will look we may live forever. (Alma 37:46) 

therefore, the way is prepared that whosoever will may walk therein and be saved. (Alma 41:8) 

Yea, the work shall commence among all the dispersed of my people, with the Father to prepare the way whereby they may come unto me (3 Nephi 21:27)

But because of the faith of men he has shown himself unto the world, and glorified the name of the Father, and prepared a way that thereby others might be partakers of the heavenly gift (Ether 12:8)

God prepares a way for individuals in their circumstances

We are all familiar with 1 Nephi 3:7 and how the Lord would prepare a way for Nephi to perform this particular task. The Lord would also prepare a way for Lehi's family through the wilderness (1 Nephi 17:13)

The way of death

And here's the twist: In Ether 14:25, we read

And thus we see that the Lord did visit them in the fulness of his wrath, and their wickedness and abominations had prepared a way for their everlasting destruction.

Just to make sure that the teachings of "the two ways" remain intact. Note that it is always God who prepares the way for our salvation, but here it was the Jaredite's own wickedness that prepared a way for their destruction.


Again, "the way" is often connected to the wilderness, playing on this imagery in Isaiah 40.  For instance:

• John the Baptist lived in the wilderness and prepared the way of the Lord
• Jesus, who is "The way", also prepared himself for his mortal mission in the wilderness!
• In 1 Nephi 3:7, Nephi received a call to travel through the wilderness up to Jerusalem to get the plates and trusted that the Lord would provide a way
• In 1 Nephi 8, Lehi walks around in the wilderness before he sees the strait and narrow path to the tree of life.
• In 1 Nephi 17:13, as already mentioned: "And I will also be your light in the wilderness; and I will prepare the way before you"

In our journey in the barren wilderness, it is reassuring to know that God has prepared a way back to the fruitful tree of life.