"And I have put my words in thy mouth..."

16 And I have put my words in thy mouth, and have covered thee in the shadow of mine hand, that I may plant the heavens and lay the foundations of the earth, and say unto Zion: Behold, thou art my people. (2 Nephi 8; Isaiah 51)

What a profound verse! One of my favorite things about scripture study is that each time I learn a new concept, I begin to see other verses in a new light. This new light leads me to find new insights even in verses I have known well for decades. In this post, I'll outline how the verse above connects to many other concepts Stisa and I have recently studied. I'll also try to unpack some new meaning out of this verse in light of these other concepts.

Summary of recent discoveries

As I've been studying the concept of receiver becoming giver, I've learned the importance of hearkening to God's word. One of the reasons this is important is that it leads us to speaking God's word. This pattern has specific importance in the ordinances of the temple. Having ears to hear and eyes to see leads us to consecrating ourselves (symbolized by the nose and the "sweet savour") and ultimately gaining the ability to call upon God in the name of the Son with the "tongue of angels" (see 2 Nephi 32:2).

The remainder of this post will discuss the covenant significance of several phrases from this verse.

"I have put my words in thy mouth"

This is perhaps the most exciting of my recent discoveries.  Through the priesthood, we can be taught to call upon God in the name of the Son, just like Adam:

7 And then the angel spake, saying: This thing is a similitude of the sacrifice of the Only Begotten of the Father, which is full of grace and truth.

8 Wherefore, thou shalt do all that thou doest in the name of the Son, and thou shalt repent and call upon God in the name of the Son forevermore. (Moses 5)

We find similar emphasis on the name of the Lord and using the voice to call upon God with power and authority in the dedication of the Kirtland Temple:

4 And now we ask thee, Holy Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, the Son of thy bosom, in whose name alone salvation can be administered to the children of men, we ask thee, O Lord, to accept of this house, the workmanship of the hands of us, thy servants, which thou didst command us to build.

5 For thou knowest that we have done this work through great tribulation; and out of our poverty we have given of our substance to build a house to thy name, that the Son of Man might have a place to manifest himself to his people.

...

9 That your incomings may be in the name of the Lord, that your outgoings may be in the name of the Lord, that all your salutations may be in the name of the Lord, with uplifted hands unto the Most High ...

22 And we ask thee, Holy Father, that thy servants may go forth from this house armed with thy power, and that thy name may be upon them, and thy glory be round about them, and thine angels have charge over them ...

24 We ask thee, Holy Father, to establish the people that shall worship, and honorably hold a name and standing in this thy house, to all generations and for eternity;

25 That no weapon formed against them shall prosper; that he who diggeth a pit for them shall fall into the same himself;

26 That no combination of wickedness shall have power to rise up and prevail over thy people upon whom thy name shall be put in this house ...

78 O hear, O hear, O hear us, O Lord! And answer these petitions, and accept the dedication of this house unto thee, the work of our hands, which we have built unto thy name;

79 And also this church, to put upon it thy name. And help us by the power of thy Spirit, that we may mingle our voices with those bright, shining seraphs around thy throne, with acclamations of praise, singing Hosanna to God and the Lamb!

80 And let these, thine anointed ones, be clothed with salvation, and thy saints shout aloud for joy. Amen, and Amen.  (Doctrine & Covenants 109; see also vv. 17-19, 31, 56, 58)

 

It is well known in the church that at baptism we take upon ourselves the name of Christ. The ordinances of the temple deepen this process.

"[I] have covered thee in the shadow of mine hand"

Several of my recent posts have dealt with symbolism involving the hand.  This post discusses the connection between the hand held with the palm upward in a cupping position and consecration/temple incense/devotion to God.  Palm up can also be associated with supplication and mercy.

On the contrary, the hand with the palm down is the sign of the giver. This is the position of the hand when giving a blessing, for example.  Palm down gestures symbolize authority. They can also be associated with judgment/condemnation.

Take for example this depiction of Christ at the day of judgment from the 1306 Italian painting The Last Judgment by Giotto, in which Christ is depicted with His right hand extended toward the righteous with the palm up and His left hand extended toward the wicked with the palm down:

I picture the shadowing hand with the palm down, not in judgement but rather in the rest of the Lord, the divine hand providing cover for the covenant people.

Heaven and Earth

Stisa has posted extensively about this (see here, here and here) and I won't belabor all of the points he makes in these posts, but they are well worth your time to review in this new light. The covenant people actively seek to bring about the order of heaven on earth, summarized perfectly in the Lord's Prayer: "Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven." (Matthew 6:9-10)

"Behold, thou art my people"

While visiting the Nephites and establishing His covenant people among them, the Savior quoted Isaiah: "Verily, verily, I say unto you, that my people shall know my name" (3 Nephi 20:39). Recall that Jacob gave his sermon in 2 Nephi 6-10 in order to teach the people to "learn and glorify" the name of their God. The covenant people know the name of the Lord, and they learn this through sacred ordinances administered by angels.

Conclusion

In October 2021 General Conference, President Nelson said:

"...it is now time that we each implement extraordinary measures—perhaps measures we have never taken before—to strengthen our personal spiritual foundations. Unprecedented times call for unprecedented measures.

My dear brothers and sisters, these are the latter days. If you and I are to withstand the forthcoming perils and pressures, it is imperative that we each have a firm spiritual foundation built upon the rock of our Redeemer, Jesus Christ. ...

The temple lies at the center of strengthening our faith and spiritual fortitude because the Savior and His doctrine are the very heart of the temple. Everything taught in the temple, through instruction and through the Spirit, increases our understanding of Jesus Christ. His essential ordinances bind us to Him through sacred priesthood covenants. Then, as we keep our covenants, He endows us with His healing, strengthening power. And oh, how we will need His power in the days ahead." (President Russell M. Nelson, The Temple and Your Spiritual Foundation)

I'm grateful for the insights that come from my time in the temple. As a result of participating in the sacred ordinances of the temple, I see the scriptures with new eyes. The inverse is also true, when symbols and insights from the scriptures augment my understanding of temple worship.