I don’t think I am going to be as crazy with the Book of Mormon as with the bible. Maybe I will, not sure. This will probably be more my general thoughts on the events as we go though. Feel free to throw in your thoughts and comments. :)
“1 And now it came to pass that after I, Nephi, had made an end of teaching my brethren, our father, Lehi, also spake many things unto them, and rehearsed unto them, how great things the Lord had done for them in bringing them out of the land of Jerusalem.”
Who is Nephi? (This is a note to self to go back and review what happened in book 1)
Who is the brethren? Why are they being taught?
Who is that father?
Why are they having to rehash past events they are experienced and already know about?
Why did they leave the land of Jerusalem? What was wrong with the land?
Little side note: “Father” was highlighted so I clicked o nit. It was some study tool with other study topics. One of which was “Patriarchal Blessings.” I am actually interested in this. I have heard that there is power in words. “Power of life and death is in the tongue.” “There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise brings healing” “Gracious words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body.” I am actually curios if God and put a certain power into words themselves. Are the Patriarchs just speaking the blessing God has for whoever they are blessing or are they tapping into an actual source of spiritual power and understanding?
“2 And he spake unto them concerning their rebellions upon the waters, and the mercies of God inspiring their lives, that they were not swallowed up in the sea.”
Reminds me a little of the story of Jonah.
“ 3 And he also spake unto them concerning the land of promise, which they had obtained—how merciful the Lord had been in warning us that we should flee out of the land of Jerusalem.”
Land of promise? I thought the land of promise was the land of Israel? Why is the promised land getting reassigned? Does this group no longer have any part in the land of Israel now that it is no longer the promised land for this group? Or does this group have two promised lands?
“4 For, behold, said he, I have seen a vision, in which I know that Jerusalem is destroyed; and had we remained in Jerusalem we should also have perished.”
Which destruction was this? When was this? Where does this fit in the overall timeline of the bible?
“ 5 But, said he, notwithstanding our afflictions, we have obtained a a land of promise, a land which is choice above all other lands; a land which the Lord God hath covenanted with me should be a land for the inheritance of my seed. Yea, the Lord hath covenanted this land unto me, and to my children forever, and also all those who should be led out of other countries by the hand of the Lord.”
So this land is better than the land of Israel? Why did God give the land of Israel to Abraham when there was a better land He could have had? Why is this group the only ones going to this other land? If all of Israelis God’s people, why not bring all of Israel?
“6 Wherefore, I, Lehi, prophesy according to the workings of the Spirit which is in me, that there shall none come into this land save the yshall be brought by the hand of the Lord.”
“workings of the Spirit which is in me” The Spirit is inside this guy? I thought the Holy Spirit did not inhabit people until after Pentecost?Am I remembering wrong? I though the Spirit only “came upon” prophets in the old testament because the Holiness would kill the sinners until the redemption bought by Jesus blood. How does this guy get around that issue?
“ 7 Wherefore, this land is consecrated unto him whom he shall bring. And if it so be that they shall serve him according to the commandments which he hath given, it shall be a land of liberty unto them;wherefore, they shall never be brought down into captivity; if so, it shall be because of iniquity; for if iniquity shall abound cursed shall be the land for their sakes, but unto the righteous it shall be blessed forever.”
What are the commandments He has given to this group. We need to know what these commandments are. If do them the land will be liberty onto us and we cannot be brought into slavery but if we don’t the land will bea curse onto us.
“righteous it shall be blessed forever” Who are the righteous in this case? Those who follow the commandment presumably? What does blessed mean in general? Is that what it means in this case?
The following is a set of answers to my questions from Sis Felsted, one of the missionaries.
This chapter was written in 588 and 570 B.C.
The land was promised to Lehi and his family in 600 B.C.
What is going on with Lehi's Family?
Okay. Do you remember how the two older brothers didn't want to leave Jerusalem?
In fact they have tried killing Nephi SEVERAL times? Alright. They are having to
rehash everything because along the journey the two older brothers have done
nothing but complain and make things harder.
What is Lamen and Lemuel?s problem?
1 Nephi 16:36-37
Their Dad was a very rich business man in Jerusalem. In such, the two older
brothers were supposed to inherit EVERYTHING. They had grown up in rich society
and pleasure. They couldn?t see why they needed to give up all the land, wealth,
and fortune. Therefore, they can only see through the world?s eyes. Their goal
is wealth. Not fallowing the commandments.
They are so concerned about power and who is ruling who. Nephi?s concern is just
doing and obeying God?s word.
When the Brothers were having a hard time understanding Lehi?s dream they went
to Nephi.
1 Nephi 15:7-11
They refuse to pray and so the inheritance was taken away from them.
Boat
Again, Lamen and Lemuel didn?t keep the commandments of the lord and so when
Nephi called them to repentance they couldn?t stand the fact that their little
brother was calling them out. In their culture it was inconceivable. They tied
him up and were talking about killing him when the storm came upon them. Long
story short, they were so afraid of drowning that they loosed Nephi. Nephi
prayed and the waters went quiet. It was plain to everyone on the boat that
Nephi was to inherit.
After this, Lamen and Lemuel became bitter and cold.
Land of Promise
Yes. There are multiple promise lands.
The America?s is the Promised Land spoken in here.
Try reading it again.
5 But, said he, notwithstanding our afflictions, we have obtained a land of
promise, a land which is choice above all other lands; a land which the (*) Lord
God hath covenanted with me should be a land for the inheritance of my seed (*).
Yea, the Lord hath covenanted this land unto me, and to my children forever, and
(*)also all those who should be led out of other countries by the hand of the
Lord(*)
-ALL those who should be led out of other countries by the hand of the Lord.
So. There were multiple people who were led out to start a righteous branch of
God?s children. The Book of Mormon is two of those accounts.
--should be a land of the inheritance of MY seed.
Because God said so. Does it matter how the Israelites came across on dry
ground? No. It doesn?t help your eternal salvation.
Is this the first time a people were denied the Promised Land? NO. They were
wicked and being destroyed. They have no promise when they are wicked. God
always blesses those who keep the commandments?thus Lehi. When people were
trying to kill Lehi, God got them out.
Points to Remember
Lehi was called to be a prophet. Thus, he had the GIFT OF THE HOLY GHOST?hold
up. I am not getting into that. I will send you something else to chew on.
Commandments-they had the 10 commandments from Moses and that?s why they went
back to get the scriptures. That is the commandments in which they lived by.
Those who keep the commandments live in freedom. Those who do not, bring
themselves down into captivity.
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