Subtle evidence that the latter-day Gentiles are meant to be a covenant people

32 (And these are the words which I spake unto my servant Moses, and they are true even as I will; and I have spoken them unto you. See thou show them unto no man, until I command you, except to them that believe. Amen.) (Moses 4)

As I finished up my most recent three part post series about Adam and Even in the scriptures, an idea grabbed my attention. It has a lot to do with the verse above, which is the final verse in Moses 4 contained in parentheses.  

The other important context has to do with the target audience in each sermon in the Book of Mormon that contains references to Adam and Eve:

• 2 Nephi 2:15-26 (Lehi speaking to his son Jacob)
• 2 Nephi 9:9,21 (Jacob speaking to Nephites)
• Jacob 4:3-5 (Jacob speaking to Nephites)
• Mosiah 3:11-26; 4:7 (King Benjamin speaking to his people/s as they enter a covenant)
• Mosiah 16:3 (Abinadi speaking to apostate Nephite priests)
• Alma 12:21-26 (Alma-2 speaking to rebellious Nephites)
• Alma 42:2-7 (Alma-2 speaking to his son Corianton)
• Helaman 14:16-18 (Samuel the Lamanite speaking to wicked Nephites)
• Mormon 3:20 (Mormon writing to latter-day Gentiles)
• Mormon 9:11-14 (Moroni writing to latter-day Gentiles)
• Ether 8:25 (Moroni writing to latter-day Gentiles)
• Moroni 8:8 (Mormon writing to his son Moroni)
• Moroni 10:3 (Moroni writing to latter-day Gentiles)

Do you see a pattern? Aside from the Gentiles, the audience is always comprised of covenant-keepers or those who were once covenant-keepers.

I see a message embedded in the fact that the last of these prophets spoke to us in the same way and about the same topics their predecessors spoke to other covenant-keepers. We are part of the house of Israel. We belong in the fold of God. That we have these words is an indication that the latter-day work has commenced (see Ether 4:17). This fits with the purposes outlined in the Title Page:

Which is to show unto the remnant of the house of Israel what great things the Lord hath done for their fathers; and that they may know the covenants of the Lord, that they are not cast off forever—And also to the convincing of the Jew and Gentile that Jesus is the Christ, the Eternal God, manifesting himself unto all nations

Furthermore, this detail gives us a plausible explanation for why/how these doctrines came to be suppressed/lost.  Suppose they were given to given from the beginning with the instruction that they only be shown to believers.  As apostasy set in, it wouldn't take long for these hidden doctrines to come to be viewed with suspicion and eventually left behind altogether.  

There is a pretty close parallel in the early Christian church that is well documented, where esoteric teachings and rites were widely practiced at first, but eventually considered heretical and excised from the practice of Christianity.

Even in the church today there are quite a few mainstream believing members who consider the temple problematic. This could be a pattern. Unlike previous dispensations, though, we know there won't be another global apostasy, so it becomes an individual question.  Will we embrace these doctrines and seek to understand them?  Or will we reject them and lose the understanding they offer?

What is the "calamity" spoken of in Doctrine & Covenants 1:17?

I realize this is a Book of Mormon blog, so why am I asking the question in the title of this post? I promise I'll connect this to the Book of Mormon before long.

I came across the word calamity in Doctrine & Covenants 1:17 a few weeks ago and this question has been rolling around in my head ever since.

17 Wherefore, I the Lord, knowing the calamity which should come upon the inhabitants of the earth, called upon my servant Joseph Smith, Jun., and spake unto him from heaven, and gave him commandments; (D&C 1)

It seems rather important to understand what the calamity is! This section is very intricately worded, so my next step to unpacking the meaning of the word "calamity" was to pare down the text of the entire section into key points. It seems to me that verse 17 marks a turning point in the text.

The section begins with a strong voice of warning. It paints a picture of the fate of the world at the day of judgement if they are not protected by the everlasting covenant:

2 ...there is none to escape; and there is no eye that shall not see, neither ear that shall not hear, neither heart that shall not be penetrated.
3 And the rebellious shall be pierced with much sorrow; for their iniquities shall be spoken upon the housetops, and their secret acts shall be revealed.

We are then asked to "hearken" to "the voice of the Lord ... by the mouths of my disciples" who "go forth, bearing these tidings unto the inhabitants of the earth, to them is power given to seal both on earth and in heaven, the unbelieving and rebellious..."

The Lord is restoring measure and order to His creation by re-establishing the everlasting covenant. The purpose of His creation has been forgotten, and He is bringing about a work to restore that purpose.

The presence of the voice of warning serves to justify "the wrath of God ... "poured out upon the wicked without measure..."

It all sounds quite severe, yet how can God look upon sin with the least degree of tolerance, knowing it blocks us from experiencing pure joy? 

Just before verse 17, we are given a significant clue about the nature of the calamity spoken of in that verse:

15 For they have strayed from mine ordinances, and have broken mine everlasting covenant;
16 They seek not the Lord to establish his righteousness, but every man walketh in his own way, and after the image of his own god, whose image is in the likeness of the world, and whose substance is that of an idol, which waxeth old and shall perish in Babylon, even Babylon the great, which shall fall.

The calamity is the loss of the everlasting covenant! What could possibly be worse than being unprepared for the day of judgment?

After verse 17, we are given some clear indicators of exactly what the Lord is doing to restore the proper order of things for His children. 

• The Lord:
• called a prophet (v. 17)
• spake unto him from heaven (v. 17)
• gave him commandments (v. 17)
• gave commandments to others, that they should proclaim these things unto the world (v. 18)

• So that:
• that every man might speak in the name of God the Lord, even the Savior of the world; (v. 20)
• That faith also might increase in the earth; (v. 21)
• That mine everlasting covenant might be established; (v. 22)
• That the fulness of my gospel might be proclaimed by the weak and the simple unto the ends of the world, and before kings and rulers. (v. 23)

Next we learn that "these commandments" were "given unto my servants in their weakness, after the manner of their language, that they might come to understanding." (v. 24)

What comes next is beautiful. We get language similar to the beginning of the section, only this time with the benefit of the covenant:

31 For I the Lord cannot look upon sin with the least degree of allowance;
32 Nevertheless, he that repents and does the commandments of the Lord shall be forgiven;
33 And he that repents not, from him shall be taken even the light which he has received; for my Spirit shall not always strive with man, saith the Lord of Hosts.
34 And again, verily I say unto you, O inhabitants of the earth: I the Lord am willing to make these things known unto all flesh;
35 For I am no respecter of persons, and will that all men shall know that the day speedily cometh; the hour is not yet, but is nigh at hand, when peace shall be taken from the earth, and the devil shall have power over his own dominion.
36 And also the Lord shall have power over his saints, and shall reign in their midst, and shall come down in judgment upon Idumea, or the world.

How does this connect to the Book of Mormon?

I told you we'd get back to the Book of Mormon before long. Here is one obvious connection:

Which is to show unto the remnant of the house of Israel what great things the Lord hath done for their fathers; and that they may know the covenants of the Lord, that they are not cast off forever (Book of Mormon Title Page)

Here is another: The Nephites experienced this "calamity" on a societal level. Their story is given to us as a voice of warning, to help us avoid the same fate. Moroni summarizes the importance of fully embracing the covenant in order to avoid the "calamity" that the Nephites suffered:

28 Be wise in the days of your probation; strip yourselves of all uncleanness; ask not, that ye may consume it on your lusts, but ask with a firmness unshaken, that ye will yield to no temptation, but that ye will serve the true and living God.
29 See that ye are not baptized unworthily; see that ye partake not of the sacrament of Christ unworthily; but see that ye do all things in worthiness, and do it in the name of Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God; and if ye do this, and endure to the end, ye will in nowise be cast out.
30 Behold, I speak unto you as though I spake from the dead; for I know that ye shall have my words.
31 Condemn me not because of mine imperfection, neither my father, because of his imperfection, neither them who have written before him; but rather give thanks unto God that he hath made manifest unto you our imperfections, that ye may learn to be more wise than we have been. (Mormon 9)

Christ and covenants - Part 2

I wrote a post with the same name a while back, not knowing there would be a part 2. But this theme keeps popping up. To recap: The purpose of the Book of Mormon is stated on the title page, and can be summed up in two words: Christ and covenants. For me, this is the core message of Isaiah too and the reason, I believe, he is quoted so much in the Book of Mormon. After I had these thoughts, I read a post on Reddit, analyzing 2 Nephi 11. This short chapter contains repetetive resumption (marked with yellow) and several "my soul delighteth in..." in between.

2 And now I, Nephi, write more of the words of Isaiah, for my soul delighteth in his words. For I will liken his words unto my people, and I will send them forth unto all my children, for he verily saw my Redeemer, even as I have seen him.

3 And my brother, Jacob, also has seen him as I have seen him; wherefore, I will send their words forth unto my children to prove unto them that my words are true. Wherefore, by the words of three, God hath said, I will establish my word. Nevertheless, God sendeth more witnesses, and he proveth all his words.

4 Behold, my soul delighteth in proving unto my people the truth of the coming of Christ; for, for this end hath the law of Moses been given; and all things which have been given of God from the beginning of the world, unto man, are the typifying of him.

5 And also my soul delighteth in the covenants of the Lord which he hath made to our fathers; yea, my soul delighteth in his grace, and in his justice, and power, and mercy in the great and eternal plan of deliverance from death.

6 And my soul delighteth in proving unto my people that save Christ should come all men must perish.

7 For if there be no Christ there be no God; and if there be no God we are not, for there could have been no creation. But there is a God, and he is Christ, and he cometh in the fulness of his own time.

8 And now I write some of the words of Isaiah, that whoso of my people shall see these words may lift up their hearts and rejoice for all men. Now these are the words, and ye may liken them unto you and unto all men.

So basically, Nephi delighteth in Isaiah's words and the meesage they contain, which is all about Christ and covenants.

Lord Wilmore wrote a post yesterday about the meaning of the names of Isaiah's sons. Their names reflect the scattering and gathering of Israel, that is mentioned on the title page too and that I would sum up in this one word; covenants. Add to that, Isaiah's own name: It means "Jehovah saves" or "Jehovah is salvation". Although Isaiah doesn't use the name "Christ", which is only a Greek version of the Hebrew, "Messiah", the salvation that comes through Jehovah/The Holy one of Israel/The Lord of Hosts is a central theme in the Book of Isaiah.

Again, through the names of Isaiah and his sons we get the same theme: Christ and covenants.

After Nephi has made this introduction to Isaiah in 2 Nephi 11, he goes on to quote 13 chapters. When he is done, he comments on it in 2 Nephi 25:

my soul delighteth in the words of Isaiah (v.5)

And the Lord will set his hand again the second time to restore his people from their lost and fallen state. Wherefore, he will proceed to do a marvelous work and a wonder among the children of men. (v.17)

And we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins. (v.26)

To get a little personal: Last Sunday taking the sacrament, I reflected again on these two words and realized that they sum up the sacrament too. We remember Christ and renew our covenants with him. These two are inseparably connected and the whole basis of our salvation. I believe that covenants is the only way given to us that binds us to Christ in such a way that we can receive the full effects of the atonement.

Crying out to God for mercy (and finding it through Jesus Christ) -- Part 2

In my last post, we looked at three examples of the following pattern, which believe is intentionally reiterated and constitutes a major theme of the Book of Mormon:

1. The person is in darkness, fear, or pain.
2. A divine messenger delivers (or has delivered) a message.
3. The person prays/cries out ...
4. ... for mercy.
5. They come to know of Christ, the son of God (or a symbol of Christ) 
6. They receive comfort and a remission of sins.
7. The person experiences the fruits of the Spirit.

In this post, we'll look at an important variant version of this theme, then we'll revisit Moroni's final exhortation and see how an understanding of this pattern might help us see that chapter in a new light.

Variant #1 -- Jesus' words to the Nephites 

If we look for this same pattern/invitation elsewhere, we can find it.  Notice the pattern hinted at in these words from Jesus to the Nephites after the great destrcution.

1. 3 Nephi 8:20-22 -- The survivors were encompassed by darkness: "20 And it came to pass that there was thick darkness upon all the face of the land, insomuch that the inhabitants thereof who had not fallen could feel the vapor of darkness;"
2. 3 Nephi 8:25; 9:10-11 -- The prophets had been cast out and slain: "10 And behold, the city of Laman, and the city of Josh, and the city of Gad, and the city of Kishkumen, have I caused to be burned with fire, and the inhabitants thereof, because of their wickedness in casting out the prophets, and stoning those whom I did send to declare unto them concerning their wickedness and their abominations."
3. 3 Nephi 8:23-24 -- The survivors cry out: "24 And in one place they were heard to cry, saying: O that we had repented before this great and terrible day, and then would our brethren have been spared,"
4. 3 Nephi 9:13-14 -- Jesus Christ offers mercy: "13 O all ye that are spared because ye were more righteous than they, will ye not now return unto me, and repent of your sins, and be converted, that I may heal you? 14 Yea, verily I say unto you, if ye will come unto me ye shall have eternal life. Behold, mine arm of mercy is extended towards you, and whosoever will come, him will I receive; and blessed are those who come unto me."
5. 3 Nephi 9:15 -- The people come to know Jesus Christ: "15 Behold, I am Jesus Christ the Son of God."
6. 3 Nephi 11-12 contain numerous relevant examples of the people being instructed in how to receive remission of sins. The best example might be 3 Nephi 12:1-2
7. 3 Nephi 17:17-18 -- The multitude is overwhelmed with joy:   "17 And no tongue can speak, neither can there be written by any man, neither can the hearts of men conceive so great and marvelous things as we both saw and heard Jesus speak; and no one can conceive of the joy which filled our souls at the time we heard him pray for us unto the Father. 18 And it came to pass that when Jesus had made an end of praying unto the Father, he arose; but so great was the joy of the multitude that they were overcome."

This variant example is strikingly significant in my opinion since it directly ties priesthood ordinances to the more symbolic examples in the previous post. This connection is intended to teach us how important the ordinances are for us to experience the joy that these people experienced.

If we look at the final chapter in the Book of Mormon, we'll see yet another variant example of this pattern intended for us.

Moroni's Final Exhortation

Quite often (and for good reason) we focus on three verses of this final chapter, with an emphasis on coming to know that the Book of Mormon is true.  This is wonderful, and effective, and yet I believe (as is often the case) additional layers of depth and meaning can be found if we look more intently at the words of the book.  I'll include verses from throughout the chapter here, but exclude much of the middle section which deals with the gifts of the Spirit. The elements of the pattern are all found in this exhortation, in a different order,  I believe verses 7-20 could all be colored yellow, fitting into element #7 in the pattern above.

3 Behold, I would exhort you that when ye shall read these things, if it be wisdom in God that ye should read them, that ye would remember how merciful the Lord hath been unto the children of men, from the creation of Adam even down until the time that ye shall receive these things, and ponder it in your hearts.
4 And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost.
5 And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things.
6 And whatsoever thing is good is just and true; wherefore, nothing that is good denieth the Christ, but acknowledgeth that he is.
7 And ye may know that he is, by the power of the Holy Ghost; wherefore I would exhort you that ye deny not the power of God; for he worketh by power, according to the faith of the children of men, the same today and tomorrow, and forever.
...
22 And if ye have no hope ye must needs be in despair; and despair cometh because of iniquity.
...
24 And now I speak unto all the ends of the earth—that if the day cometh that the power and gifts of God shall be done away among you, it shall be because of unbelief.
25 And wo be unto the children of men if this be the case; for there shall be none that doeth good among you, no not one. For if there be one among you that doeth good, he shall work by the power and gifts of God.
26 And wo unto them who shall do these things away and die, for they die in their sins, and they cannot be saved in the kingdom of God; and I speak it according to the words of Christ; and I lie not.
27 And I exhort you to remember these things; for the time speedily cometh that ye shall know that I lie not, for ye shall see me at the bar of God; and the Lord God will say unto you: Did I not declare my words unto you, which were written by this man, like as one crying from the dead, yea, even as one speaking out of the dust?
28 I declare these things unto the fulfilling of the prophecies. And behold, they shall proceed forth out of the mouth of the everlasting God; and his word shall hiss forth from generation to generation.
29 And God shall show unto you, that that which I have written is true.
30 And again I would exhort you that ye would come unto Christ, and lay hold upon every good gift, and touch not the evil gift, nor the unclean thing.
31 And awake, and arise from the dust, O Jerusalem; yea, and put on thy beautiful garments, O daughter of Zion; and strengthen thy stakes and enlarge thy borders forever, that thou mayest no more be confounded, that the covenants of the Eternal Father which he hath made unto thee, O house of Israel, may be fulfilled.
32 Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God.
33 And again, if ye by the grace of God are perfect in Christ, and deny not his power, then are ye sanctified in Christ by the grace of God, through the shedding of the blood of Christ, which is in the covenant of the Father unto the remission of your sins, that ye become holy, without spot.

The purpose of the Book of Mormon, according to the title page:

Which is to show unto the remnant of the house of Israel what great things the Lord hath done for their fathers; and that they may know the covenants of the Lord, that they are not cast off forever—And also to the convincing of the Jew and Gentile that Jesus is the Christ, the Eternal God, manifesting himself unto all nations

This theme shows up over and over again in various forms and certainly helps accomplishes the book's stated purpose.

Christ and covenants

I just understood better why Isaiah is quoted so much in the Book of Mormon. The title page explains the whole purpose of the Book of Mormon

Which is to show unto the remnant of the house of Israel what great things the Lord hath done for their fathers; and that they may know the covenants of the Lord, that they are not cast off forever—And also to the convincing of the Jew and Gentile that Jesus is the Christ, the Eternal God, manifesting himself unto all nations

Christ and covenants, that's what it's all about. But the more I read Isaiah, the more I realize that this quote from the title page summarizes his writings perfectly. This is the theme all throughout the Book of Isaiah. Sometimes it's buried in a lot of symbolism that might be interpreted on different levels, especially his message of Christ. But a good indicator of how to best summarize Isaiah's message is what Book of Mormon authors say when they comment after having quoted Isaiah. It is always about this theme, no exceptions.

1 Nephi 20-21: Nephi reads Isaiah 48-49 and comments in 1 Nephi 22. He explains how the Jews will harden their hearts against the Holy One of Israel and be scattered, how the Lord will do a marvelous work among the Gentiles, that they will be an instrument in gathering the House of Israel, and that the "Lord God will make bare his arm" in the latter days and bring about the covenants and his gospel to the House of Israel, who shall know that the Lord is their Savior.

2 Nephi 6: Jacob starts reading the end of Isaiah 49 and comments in the same chapter. What he says is very similar to what Nephi says in 1 Nephi 22. (Details here)

2 Nephi 7-8: Jacob quotes Isaiah 50-52:2. His speech continues into chapters 9-10. This is how he starts his comments

1 And now, my beloved brethren, I have read these things that ye might know concerning the covenants of the Lord that he has covenanted with all the house of Israel—

2 That he has spoken unto the Jews, by the mouth of his holy prophets, even from the beginning down, from generation to generation, until the time comes that they shall be restored to the true church and fold of God; when they shall be gathered home to the lands of their inheritance, and shall be established in all their lands of promise. (2 Nephi 9)

Then he goes on to talk about the Savior and the atonement before returning to the topic of covenants and the gathering of Israel in the latter part of 2 Nephi 10.

2 Nephi 12-24: Nephi quotes Isaiah 2-14. Then he spends the next 6 chapters talking about the atonement through Christ and the marvelous work and wonder in the latter-days (while quoting some more Isaiah in between).

Mosiah 14: Abinadi quotes Isaiah 53. Then he spends the next two chapters talking about the salvation through Christ.

3 Nephi 16, 20-22: The Savior himself quotes several parts of Isaiah, Isaiah 54 among them. His own comments in these chapters focus on God's covenants with his children and the gathering of Israel. Language like we find in 3 Nephi 21:4 is repeated a lot

that the covenant of the Father may be fulfilled which he hath covenanted with his people, O house of Israel

I have previously tried to summarize these teachings here.

The Book of Mormon authors are true to its purpose, even when they don't quote Isaiah. But since Isaiah's prophecies are so very well aligned with the purpose of the Book of Mormon, he is used quite a lot as a "second witness" to what the Book of Mormon prophets are testifying of.

The Two Ways -- Introduction to the concept and notes from the Book of Mormon Title Page

As I read through the Book of Mormon this year, I am specifically trying to notice a few things. One of these goals involves looking for "The Two Ways" in each verse.

I believe the Book of Mormon writers had a worldview that was unique in a few keys ways, shared by modern day prophets as well.  In essence, there is a Way of Life, which comes through the Plan of Redemption and Jesus Christ, and the Way of Death, which is authored by Satan in an effort to blind our eyes, harden our hearts, and lead us into captivity.

Each week as I read, I'll be asking myself this question:

What does this passage teach me about the Way of Life (or the Way of Death)?

The Two Ways in the Title Page

Here are the notes I took from the Title Page with this question in mind:

The Way of Life

• Has nothing to do with what group you were born to ("Written to the Lamanites, who are a remnant of the house of Israel; and also to Jew and Gentile"), the audience is everyone on earth
• Accepting the Book of Mormon requires an acceptance of "spirit of prophecy and of revelation"/"the gift of God"
• Written by commandment (the Nephite prophets were playing as much of a role in the latter-day gathering as the modern day gatherers -- all are following the commandment of the Lord)
• Written:
• "to show [us] what great things the Lord hath done for [our] fathers"
• "that [we] may know the covenants of the Lord, that [we] are not cast off forever"
• "to the convincing of the Jew and Gentile that JESUS is the CHRIST, the ETERNAL GOD, manifesting himself to all nations."
• Implied: If we "condemn not the things of God" we can be "found spotless at the judgment seat of Christ."

To summarize, the Lord is unfolding a grand design, prepared from the beginning, to allow us to accept Jesus Christ. By reading this book we will see that the same covenants made with our fathers can be ours today if we receive the gifts of God as given directly to us and through the words of His prophetic messengers, current and past. Accepting these words and receiving the covenants of the Lord will allow us to be found spotless at the judgement seat of Christ.

The Way of Death

• "When they were building a tower to get to heaven," the Lord "confounded the language of the people" and "scattered" them.
• Implied: If we do not know the covenants we will not be found spotless
• Warning to "condemn not the things of God" due to the "mistakes of men."
• Implied: Condemning the "things of God" will lead us to not being found spotless at the judgment-seat of Christ.

Summary: Condemning the "things of God" will lead us to not being found spotless at the judgment-seat of Christ, perhaps due to rejecting the covenant mediated by Jesus Christ. Man-made efforts lead to "confounding" and "scattering"

A few notes on the Book of Mormon title page

Since we are approaching the beginning of the Book of Mormon "Come, follow me" study curriculum and the first lesson is on the introduction and witnesses statements, I plan to make some posts covering this part. In this post, I make a few notes on the title page.

Who wrote the title page?

Joseph Smith stated that 

the title-page of the Book of Mormon is a literal translation, taken from the very last leaf, on the left hand side of the collection or book of plates, which contained the record which has been translated, the language of the whole running the same as all Hebrew writing in general; and that said title page is not by any means a modern composition, either of mine or of any other man who has lived or does live in this generation

(Source: History of the Church, 1:71)

So the question is who wrote the title page? According to this article, most scholars believe it is Moroni, but the article suggests that Mormon wrote the first half and Moroni the second.

Intertextual connection

Compare this passage from the title page

And now, if there are faults they are the mistakes of men; wherefore, condemn not the things of God, that ye may be found spotless at the judgment-seat of Christ.

with Mormon 8:17

And if there be faults they be the faults of a man. But behold, we know no fault; nevertheless God knoweth all things; therefore, he that condemneth, let him be aware lest he shall be in danger of hell fire.

Moroni is the author of Mormon 8 and likely also this part of the title page. It's difficult to know which of the two was written first, but one of them is clearly written with the other in mind. Having repeated this message twice, it is obviously one that Moroni finds important. 

The purpose of the Book of Mormon

The title page summarizes the main purposes of the Book of Mormon

• To make the remnant of the House of Israel aware of the covenants of the Lord
• To convince both Jew and Gentile that Jesus is the Christ

I have found that these two themes are consistently brought up throughout the book.

Mormon breaks the fourth wall, part 2

This is part 2 of a series of posts breaking down what we learn from Mormon's long aside found in 3 Nephi 5.  Part 1 can be found here.

13 Behold, I am a disciple of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. I have been called of him to declare his word among his people, that they might have everlasting life.

Here is a succinct summary of the role of a prophet if I ever saw one.

14 And it hath become expedient that I, according to the will of God, that the prayers of those who have gone hence, who were the holy ones, should be fulfilled according to their faith, should make a record of these things which have been done—
15 Yea, a small record of that which hath taken place from the time that Lehi left Jerusalem, even down until the present time.

Here is Mormon's second chief assignment--to make a "small record" documenting the history of the Nephites up to the "present time." Also note that Mormon understands an important part this purpose is to fulfill the words of the prophets.  This explains why Mormon goes out of his way to point out the fulfillment of prophecies.  (For example, see 3 Nephi 1:4, 13, 18, 20, 21, 26; or 3 Nephi 10:11, 14, 16, 17.)

16 Therefore I do make my record from the accounts which have been given by those who were before me, until the commencement of my day;
17 And then I do make a record of the things which I have seen with mine own eyes.

In verse 17, we find an editorial promise--Mormon will proceed to give us a record of what he has seen with his own eyes after he finishes the abridgment of those previous record-keepers.  He does precisely this in Mormon 1:1.

18 And I know the record which I make to be a just and a true record; nevertheless there are many things which, according to our language, we are not able to write.
19 And now I make an end of my saying, which is of myself, and proceed to give my account of the things which have been before me.

Verse 18 speaks to the accuracy of the record, and Mormon makes an interesting comment--"there are many things which, according to our language, we are not able to write." I wonder what these things are and why they can't write them. Notice that in verse 19 he attempts to end his aside, but ends up adding 7 more verses.

20 I am Mormon, and a pure descendant of Lehi. I have reason to bless my God and my Savior Jesus Christ, that he brought our fathers out of the land of Jerusalem, (and no one knew it save it were himself and those whom he brought out of that land) and that he hath given me and my people so much knowledge unto the salvation of our souls.

I consider this verse to be "outsider evidence." If the only people in the new world were descendants of Lehi, why does Mormon feels the need to state this?  I take this to represent indirect evidence that the Nephites and Lamanites mixed with existing peoples.

As we get to the end of this long aside, Mormon gives us a summary of what I consider to be the overarching themes of the Book of Mormon. We get a reminder of what the Lord has done (verses 21-22) and what He will yet do for the House of Israel (verses 23-26).

21 Surely he hath blessed the house of Jacob, and hath been merciful unto the seed of Joseph.
22 And insomuch as the children of Lehi have kept his commandments he hath blessed them and prospered them according to his word.
23 Yea, and surely shall he again bring a remnant of the seed of Joseph to the knowledge of the Lord their God.
24 And as surely as the Lord liveth, will he gather in from the four quarters of the earth all the remnant of the seed of Jacob, who are scattered abroad upon all the face of the earth.
25 And as he hath covenanted with all the house of Jacob, even so shall the covenant wherewith he hath covenanted with the house of Jacob be fulfilled in his own due time, unto the restoring all the house of Jacob unto the knowledge of the covenant that he hath covenanted with them.
26 And then shall they know their Redeemer, who is Jesus Christ, the Son of God; and then shall they be gathered in from the four quarters of the earth unto their own lands, from whence they have been dispersed; yea, as the Lord liveth so shall it be. Amen.

Compare these verses to this passage from the Title Page: "Which is to show unto the remnant of the house of Israel what great things the Lord hath done for their fathers; and that they may know the covenants of the Lord, that they are not cast off forever—And also to the convincing of the Jew and Gentile that Jesus is the Christ, the Eternal God, manifesting himself unto all nations."

All of this, especially the final verses, indicate to me that Mormon is working from notes.  He is intentionally abridging the record to conform to the commandments of God.  This is an insider's glimpse into why he presents the narrative in a way that focuses on the House of Israel, the seed of Joseph, the latter-day restoration of the covenant, and the gathering of scattered Israel throughout the earth.

As we know, the Isaiah chapters in 1 and 2 Nephi serve to underscore this point, but these chapters haven't been dictated by this point, and won't be for another 80 chapters, which means if the critics' theories are right and Joseph Smith was simply planning to use Isaiah-KJV to make the Book of Mormon seem longer, he must have had a detailed plan long in advance, because he just so happened to pick chapters that discuss these concepts in detail. He also managed to give Nephi and Jacob a lot of detailed insight into these prophecies and how they relate to the larger Nephite narrative.  It is a pretty amazing accomplishment, and one that could not have been done without extensive notes and planning.

Joseph, of course, did all of this in one dictated draft. I have read many criticisms of the presence of Isaiah in the Book of Mormon, but I have yet to see a critic address how Joseph Smith managed to use Isaiah in such a complex, thematically-relevant way, without notes!