A Study of the Book of Mormon

Alma 37:1-7 On my initial reading of these verses, I've spent a lot of time reviewing the footnotes found in verses 6 and 7 . On the word "small" I was brought Doctrine and Covenants 123:16-17 , which reads: You know, brethren, that a very large ship is benefited very much by a very small helm in the time of a storm, by being kept workways with the wind and the waves. Therefore, dearly beloved brethren, let us cheerfully do all things that lie in our power; and then may we stand still, with the utmost assurance, to see the salvation of God, and for his arm to be revealed.  I read last evening elsewhere about the power of a smile. And the Lord this morning seems to validating this thought, while also encouraging me on in my life's great (yet simple) mission. Action Item: smile and cheerful do all things that are in your power, and leave the rest to God. On a second day of study, my searches took me to contemplate the footnotes on "wise" purpose...

Mosiah 12:20-24 The verses quoted in this section are taken from Isaiah 52:7-10 .  In context, I have to remind myself that these priests that quoted them where utterly clueless on the very points of doctrine that make this verse of scripture so rich in meaning and significance. Perhaps they used this passage of scripture through some gross distortion of it, as justification for their vain and pacifying promises to the people of Noah. But oh how beautiful and rich in symbolism is the true meaning of these verses. There is a verse of one of our hymns ("Come, Ye Disconsolate") that concludes with this line: "Earth has no sorrow that heav’n cannot heal." I feel that the significance of these verses is in the reality of that statement. As I work through these verses, I am asking myself why are these verses so significant and reassuring at the same time. What follows is a personal Q and A relative to the verses quoted from Isaiah. What is the significance of being in the...

2 Nephi 27 Verses one through five describe the apostate state of the world in the last days. What I find to be interesting is that these conditions are spoken of spiritually. Drunkenness, famine, thirst -- there is a void that is unable to be satisfied by wicked practices. One of the qualifiers that defines those that are drunken in iniquity is "all the nations that fight against Zion," ( vs. 3 ). Verses six through ten talk about the contents of the sealed portion of the Book of Mormon. In it there is a revelation or prophecy which spans from the beginning to the end of the world. Nephi goes on to say that it is a prophecy from God that reveals "all things from the foundation of the world to the end thereof," ( vs. 10 ). This is interesting to consider, that there is a prophecy that is being kept from us during this period of history because of wickedness. With that in mind, verse 11 looks forward to the day when that sealed portion of the book shall be read u...

2 Nephi 20 The condemnation decreed upon the house of Israel continues in verses 1-4 of this chapter. Whereas in the last chapter, it talks about even the fatherless and widows being evildoers, so that the Lord would have no mercy on them, in this chapter, it points to the leadership of their people as the source of suffering for the poor, the widows, and the fatherless. It is interesting to note in the following verses that the Lord permitted Assyria to afflict the House of Israel. Yet to the mind of Assyria, it was their own craft and wisdom that brought upon them their prosperity over Israel. Isaiah hence points out that this is only because the Lord decreed destruction upon Israel, and that Assyria in the end would also be destroyed. The key variable that is almost never understood is the Lord's involvement in it all. Hence in verse 24, the Lord comforts Zion, and tells them to not fear Assyria, thought it would seem that there was for the immediate a preference given to Assyri...

2 Nephi 18:18 reads like this: Behold, I and the children whom the Lord hath given me are for signs and for wonders in Israel from the Lord of Hosts, which dwelleth in Mount Zion. "Behold," a call for attention to this statement which is one of the few times there is mention of family in the words of Isaiah. "I and the children," A father to children relationship --the entity of the family. Mother was probably not included in this statement either out of respect (or reverence) for her place in the family, or perhaps, because of social customs that had evolved out of a patriarchal society. Though she is referenced at the beginning of the chapter as a "the prophetess". "the children whom the Lord hath given me," Psalms 127:3 also reads, " Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord : and the fruit of the womb is his reward. " These verses are a recognition of the truth that our children are not really ours, but are on loan from...

2 Nephi 14 Vs. 1 - "And in that day" - the millennial day, immediately after the daughters of Zion have been abased of all their worldliness. "Seven woman shall take hold of one man " - there is a footnote in the Isaiah version of this verse which suggests this is because there will be few men left due to war. A suggestion that perhaps a practice of polygamy will be reinstated. "We will eat our own bread and wear our own apparel;" - Such women will be very industrious and capable of providing for their own needs. "Only let us be called by thy name to take away our reproach." - Again another footnote from the Isaiah version on the word "reproach" suggest that this reproach is caused from being unmarried and without children. In a millennial day, when social perceptions will not be as they are now, it is interesting to consider how for a woman it would be a greater reproach to be childless and unmarried than to be a part of a polygamo...

2 Nephi 10:7-16 There is a trigger in these verses that has been put in place by way of covenant, or promise, to the children of men. In verse 7 , we learn that when the house of Israel is brought to believe in Jesus as the Christ, then will He fulfill the promises which He had made to their fathers. These divine promises are of such strength that in order for the Lord to bring them about, He must destroy the work of the wicked, or those that fight against Zion. In other words, as the righteous (like young plants) begin to grow, the Lord will go about clearing the way for their growth, so that they are not overpowered by the wicked. "...That my covenants may be fulfilled... I must needs destroy the secret works of darkness, and of murder, and of abominations," ( vs. 15 ). There are specific promises that are made to the believing among the Gentiles. The Lord has promised to bless them upon the promised land forever, so that they would never be subjected to kings. The Lord h...

2 Nephi 8:1-12 Isaiah is again being quoted in this chapter. He starts by stating the audience for which this is intended: "Ye that follow after righteousness. " Then in verse 3 is found the premise, or main idea, for the remainder of the chapter: "For the Lord shall comfort Zion," or in other terms, the Lord shall restore the house of Israel. We believe in the literal gathering of the House of Israel, (see Article of Faith 10 ). However, the terms that Isaiah uses to describe this gathering or restoration paint a picture of a more personal God, working in a spirit of joy, gladness, and gratitude (see verse 3 & 11 ). Later in verse 12 , "I am he; yea, I am he that comforteth you. "