A Study of the Book of Mormon

2 Nephi 15:1-7 Vs 1 - A parable about "God's mercy and Israel's unresponsiveness,"(see the chapter heading). Israel is described in this verse as being located on a "very fruitful hill." Vs 2 - God prepares a choice vineyard, attending to every needful element in its preparations to bring forth good grapes. So diligent were His preparations, that He looked expecting grapes, but instead He found wild grapes. Herein is the premise for the remainder of the chapter. Vs 3 - Jerusalem and the men of Judah are asked to think about this thing and determine if there was anything more that God could have done, in all reality, for his people, that he didn't do, so that they might have brought forth good fruit. Vs 4 - This verse reinforces verse two where it says the Lord expected to find grapes, good fruit, as a result of His labors. He drives home the point with a question: "What could have been done more to my vineyard that I have not done in it?"...

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 13:16-26 These verses list the destruction that will come upon the lofty daughters of Zion "in that day." The time period refers to the day of the Lord, or, as far as I can tell, this is a direct reference to the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. In no uncertain terms, all the fine decorations, all the worldly ornamentation that the daughters of Zion put their trust into will be eventually stripped from them. There is a direct correlation here with unrighteousness as well. This curse of humiliation falls upon them because of their haughtiness, their wanton eyes and stretched-forth necks. The personal application for me is to avoid the luxurious, and in my walk among men, I should be humble and simple.

2 Nephi 13:9-15 There is one verse amidst all the decreed condemnation and destruction of Judah and Jerusalem that is worthy of my entire attention this morning, verse 10 : "Say unto the righteous that it is well with them; for they shall eat the fruit of their doings." I struggle with this daily, perhaps we all do. But that there are blessings specifically assigned to the righteous, makes the desire to obtain such a station all the more worthy of our best time and efforts. Arguably, it is in the pursuit of righteousness that we obtain it. Thus, to be righteous becomes a lifelong process, a continual exertion of our best selves. "How can such a state of constant striving, yield fruits?" "How could fruit grow into maturity otherwise?" is perhaps the better question. Today I will strive to become whom I ought to be, for whom I know I should have become yesterday, but still hope I can become tomorrow, so that in the end, through repentance and faith on the Lo...

2 Nephi 13:1-8 I was fortunate to read this account in Spanish first this go around. In Spanish the same verses equate the words "stay and staff" with the translated "sustain and support". In simple terms then, what Isaiah is saying is that the arm of the Lord which has been a support for his people, Jerusalem and Judah, will be taken away by the Lord because of their disobedience. He points to the great blessings of able leadership--counselors, wise men, men of war, prophets-- and says that these things shall be done away with. They will be replaced with inexperience in matters of ability and respect, and be led by those who are children. The reason for the demise of Jerusalem is in verse 8 , "their tongues and their doings have been against the Lord, to provoke the eyes of his glory." Clearly, the things we do and the things we say carry great weight in the sight of God. I do well to remember this.

2 Nephi 12:4-22 The remainder of this chapter is a reminder to the house of Jacob (and to me) that in the end "the Lord alone shall be exalted," ( 2 Nephi 12:17 ). All that man aspires to is of no worth in the end. These verses are very descriptive in depicting in great details that last day with abundant use of local symbolism that has great meaning in the regions surrounding Jerusalem. All the vain labors of man throughout all time will eventually be counted as nothing before the Lord in the end of times. This is thus a powerful reminder that the efforts expended in the work of the Lord are of such greater worth to man.

2 Nephi 12:1-3 In this chapter begins the lengthiest direct extraction from the Bible that is found in the Book of Mormon, all of which are the words of Isaiah the prophet. This first chapter, which is the second chapter from the book of Isaiah, begins with a prophecy of the House of the Lord being established in the tops of the mountains. Latter-day Saints believe this to be in reference to the Salt Lake Temple and its surrounding meeting halls. I find it particularly intriguing the prophecy that many shall go up to it to find truth and instruction. Then the distinction between Zion and Jerusalem: "out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem," ( see vs. 3 ). There is a relevant prophecy found in Zechariah .