United States Divided

As I've written previously, the Book of Mormon is written for our day. It gives us insight into what we should expect leading up to the Second Coming of Christ.

One of the events that happened in Book of Mormon times before Christ visited them was the destruction of the government and the people dividing into "tribes" as described in 3 Nephi 7:1-7. Every time I read this passage, I wondered if something similar would ever happen to the United States.

Joseph Smith has prophesied, according to many people, that the United States government would be on the brink and that the Constitution would hang by a thread (read "What do we know about the purported statement of Joseph Smith that the Constitution would hang by a thread and that the elders would save it?" D. Michael Stewart, “I Have a Question,” Ensign, June 1976, 64–65)

So with all this in mind, I was honestly surprised to see an article link from a major US News site that read "Professor Predicts end of USA". The article appears on the Wall Street Journal and is entitled "As if Things Weren't Bad Enough, Russian Professor Predicts End of U.S.
In Moscow, Igor Panarin's Forecasts Are All the Rage; America 'Disintegrates' in 2010"

I'm not sure if that link will stay hot, so I'll post the article in its entirety here:

By ANDREW OSBORN
MOSCOW -- For a decade, Russian academic Igor Panarin has been predicting the U.S. will fall apart in 2010. For most of that time, he admits, few took his argument -- that an economic and moral collapse will trigger a civil war and the eventual breakup of the U.S. -- very seriously. Now he's found an eager audience: Russian state media.

In recent weeks, he's been interviewed as much as twice a day about his predictions. "It's a record," says Prof. Panarin. "But I think the attention is going to grow even stronger."
Prof. Panarin, 50 years old, is not a fringe figure. A former KGB analyst, he is dean of the Russian Foreign Ministry's academy for future diplomats. He is invited to Kremlin receptions, lectures students, publishes books, and appears in the media as an expert on U.S.-Russia relations.

But it's his bleak forecast for the U.S. that is music to the ears of the Kremlin, which in recent years has blamed Washington for everything from instability in the Middle East to the global financial crisis. Mr. Panarin's views also fit neatly with the Kremlin's narrative that Russia is returning to its rightful place on the world stage after the weakness of the 1990s, when many feared that the country would go economically and politically bankrupt and break into separate territories.

A polite and cheerful man with a buzz cut, Mr. Panarin insists he does not dislike Americans. But he warns that the outlook for them is dire.

"There's a 55-45% chance right now that disintegration will occur," he says. "One could rejoice in that process," he adds, poker-faced. "But if we're talking reasonably, it's not the best scenario -- for Russia." Though Russia would become more powerful on the global stage, he says, its economy would suffer because it currently depends heavily on the dollar and on trade with the U.S.

Mr. Panarin posits, in brief, that mass immigration, economic decline, and moral degradation will trigger a civil war next fall and the collapse of the dollar. Around the end of June 2010, or early July, he says, the U.S. will break into six pieces -- with Alaska reverting to Russian control.

In addition to increasing coverage in state media, which are tightly controlled by the Kremlin, Mr. Panarin's ideas are now being widely discussed among local experts. He presented his theory at a recent roundtable discussion at the Foreign Ministry. The country's top international relations school has hosted him as a keynote speaker. During an appearance on the state TV channel Rossiya, the station cut between his comments and TV footage of lines at soup kitchens and crowds of homeless people in the U.S. The professor has also been featured on the Kremlin's English-language propaganda channel, Russia Today.

Mr. Panarin's apocalyptic vision "reflects a very pronounced degree of anti-Americanism in Russia today," says Vladimir Pozner, a prominent TV journalist in Russia. "It's much stronger than it was in the Soviet Union."

Mr. Pozner and other Russian commentators and experts on the U.S. dismiss Mr. Panarin's predictions. "Crazy ideas are not usually discussed by serious people," says Sergei Rogov, director of the government-run Institute for U.S. and Canadian Studies, who thinks Mr. Panarin's theories don't hold water.

Mr. Panarin's résumé includes many years in the Soviet KGB, an experience shared by other top Russian officials. His office, in downtown Moscow, shows his national pride, with pennants on the wall bearing the emblem of the FSB, the KGB's successor agency. It is also full of statuettes of eagles; a double-headed eagle was the symbol of czarist Russia.

The professor says he began his career in the KGB in 1976. In post-Soviet Russia, he got a doctorate in political science, studied U.S. economics, and worked for FAPSI, then the Russian equivalent of the U.S. National Security Agency. He says he did strategy forecasts for then-President Boris Yeltsin, adding that the details are "classified."

In September 1998, he attended a conference in Linz, Austria, devoted to information warfare, the use of data to get an edge over a rival. It was there, in front of 400 fellow delegates, that he first presented his theory about the collapse of the U.S. in 2010.

"When I pushed the button on my computer and the map of the United States disintegrated, hundreds of people cried out in surprise," he remembers. He says most in the audience were skeptical. "They didn't believe me."

At the end of the presentation, he says many delegates asked him to autograph copies of the map showing a dismembered U.S.

He based the forecast on classified data supplied to him by FAPSI analysts, he says. He predicts that economic, financial and demographic trends will provoke a political and social crisis in the U.S. When the going gets tough, he says, wealthier states will withhold funds from the federal government and effectively secede from the union. Social unrest up to and including a civil war will follow. The U.S. will then split along ethnic lines, and foreign powers will move in.

California will form the nucleus of what he calls "The Californian Republic," and will be part of China or under Chinese influence. Texas will be the heart of "The Texas Republic," a cluster of states that will go to Mexico or fall under Mexican influence. Washington, D.C., and New York will be part of an "Atlantic America" that may join the European Union. Canada will grab a group of Northern states Prof. Panarin calls "The Central North American Republic." Hawaii, he suggests, will be a protectorate of Japan or China, and Alaska will be subsumed into Russia.

"It would be reasonable for Russia to lay claim to Alaska; it was part of the Russian Empire for a long time." A framed satellite image of the Bering Strait that separates Alaska from Russia like a thread hangs from his office wall. "It's not there for no reason," he says with a sly grin.

Interest in his forecast revived this fall when he published an article in Izvestia, one of Russia's biggest national dailies. In it, he reiterated his theory, called U.S. foreign debt "a pyramid scheme," and predicted China and Russia would usurp Washington's role as a global financial regulator.

Americans hope President-elect Barack Obama "can work miracles," he wrote. "But when spring comes, it will be clear that there are no miracles."

The article prompted a question about the White House's reaction to Prof. Panarin's forecast at a December news conference. "I'll have to decline to comment," spokeswoman Dana Perino said amid much laughter.

For Prof. Panarin, Ms. Perino's response was significant. "The way the answer was phrased was an indication that my views are being listened to very carefully," he says.

The professor says he's convinced that people are taking his theory more seriously. People like him have forecast similar cataclysms before, he says, and been right. He cites French political scientist Emmanuel Todd. Mr. Todd is famous for having rightly forecast the demise of the Soviet Union -- 15 years beforehand. "When he forecast the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1976, people laughed at him," says Prof. Panarin.

I'm not sure if I believe all of this or not. But it is very interesting to see that the idea of the United States disintegrating is being talked about and even being considered not insane these days.

My original commentary on 3 Nephi 7 & 8

2 Nephi 30

Believe and Carry

In verse 3, Nephi prophesies that after the Book of Mormon would come forth, the many would believe the words and "carry them forth unto the remnant of our seed." I believe I am proof that this prophesy has been and is being fulfilled. I believe the words of the Book of Mormon and I had the wonderful opportunity of preaching the teachings of the Book of Mormon to the people of Guatemala for two years.

A Great Division

In chapter 30, Nephi talks about the 2nd Coming. One significant verse in this chapter that has always stood out in my mind is verse 10. Nephi tells of a great division among the people. It will be a division of the righteous and the wicked and that once divided, the wicked will be destroyed by fire. This division will happen in the future. A similar division has happened before, in the Book of Mormon. Just before the coming of Jesus to the Nephites, the government was destroyed and the people were divided into tribes of families (3 Nephi 7:2-3). Some were wicked and some were righteous. But the main point was that there was a division of the righteous and the wicked. Once the division was in place, the earthquakes, volcanoes, thunder, lightening and tempests began (3 Nephi 8). All the wicked were destroyed and the righteous were left, or at least those who were righteous as well as those who were willing to repent.

Our day is no different than in the Book of Mormon times. Every day, we divide ourselves by making choices. When we sin or fall to temptation and we do not repent, we move closer to Satan. But if we repent and do those small and simple things (Alma 37:6), our footing becomes more sure on the Lord's side.

2 Nephi 27

Drunken with Iniquity

To me, this image of drunken with iniquity evokes a scene of people not able to control their desires. I think of a person who takes a drink of alcohol and then another and another and he has no control and he cannot stop. The world will be similar to this drunken man. The world will delve further and further into iniquity that people will not have any control over their actions.

Is there any question that the world is becoming drunk with iniquity today? All that we have to do to gauge this is to turn on the TV or read the daily headlines in the news. Sadly, in this Information Age, every act of sin gets broadcast over the Internet and unlike the daily newspaper that used to be trashed and sometimes forgotten, today's barrage of news is ever available and can be easily summoned by any search engine. Thus today's outrageous acts of sin are multiplied by tomorrow's media shocks.

Paul sums up today's list of sins:
This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.
For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,
Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts,
Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.
Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith.
But they shall proceed no further: for their folly shall be manifest unto all men, as theirs also was. (2 Timothy 3:1-9)

His Soul is Empty

I really like the analogy that Nephi borrows from Isaiah in verse 3. He is referring to the enemies of Zion in that all those who fight against Zion will think that they are victorious, but when reality hits them, they will realize that it was all a dream to them.

I think this analogy can also be applied to the world being drunk with iniquity. When we sin, we think we are seeking what will make us happy, but in reality when we "wake up," we realize that we are not truly happy and we find our "soul is empty."

It is very frustrating to see people seek happiness in sin. It is equally frustrating when people attack Christianity claiming that religion seeks to force people to live a certain way. In reality, all that Christianity seeks is true, lasting happiness for everyone. The Father of Lies is the one who deceives us into thinking we can find joy in sin. But instead of finding joy, we find nothing but emptiness when we sin.

The Sealed Book

Verses 9 and 10 concern the prophecy of Moroni giving the Book of Mormon to Joseph Smith. Some parts of the gold plates were sealed. What we have today is the unsealed portion of the Book of Mormon. Some day the sealed portion of the Book of Mormon will be revealed and "shall be read upon the house tops and they shall be read by the power of Christ" (v. 11).

The sealed portion of the book contains "all things from the foundation of the world unto the end thereof" (v. 10). We know that Nephi saw things in his vision that he was not permitted to write about. We also know that the brother of Jared saw the same vision and was commanded to write it and seal it up (Ether 3:25-27).

Show Them unto the Learned

In verse 15 we read, "Take these words which are not sealed and deliver them to another, that he ma show them unto the learned." This is in reference to Martin Harris taking a copy of some of the characters of the gold plates and showing them to Charles Anthon.

“I went to the city of New York, and presented the characters which had been translated, with the translation thereof, to Professor Charles Anthon, a gentleman celebrated for his literary attainments. Professor Anthon stated that the translation was correct, more so than any he had before seen translated from the Egyptian. I then showed him those which were not yet translated, and he said that they were Egyptian, Chaldaic, Assyric, and Arabic; and he said they were true characters. He gave me a certificate, certifying to the people of Palmyra that they were true characters, and that the translation of such of them as had been translated was also correct. I took the certificate and put it into my pocket, and was just leaving the house, when Mr. Anthon called me back, and asked me how the young man found out that there were gold plates in the place where he found them. I answered that an angel of God had revealed it unto him.

“He then said to me, ‘Let me see that certificate.’ I accordingly took it out of my pocket and gave it to him, when he took it and tore it to pieces, saying, that there was no such thing now as ministering of angels, and that if I would bring the plates to him, he would translate them. I informed him that part of the plates were sealed, and that I was forbidden to bring them. He replied, ‘I cannot read a sealed book.’ I left him and went to Dr. Mitchell, who sanctioned what Professor Anthon had said respecting both the characters and the translation.” (History of the Church, vol. 1, p. 20)

Removed Their Hearts Far From Me

In verse 25, the Lord says, “this people draw near unto me with their mouth, and with their lips do honor me, but have removed their hearts far from me, and their fear towards me is taught by the precepts of men.” We need to be weary of paying lip service to God and not serving him. In other words, the Lord is saying to not be hypocritical. We sometimes get caught up in repeating the Sunday school answers at church, but fail to truly understand what we are saying. If we understood what we were saying or paid attention to what we were saying, we would act the part of a good Christian rather than just paying lip service. As Elder Maxwell put in one time, "So it is that discipleship requires all of us to translate doctrines, covenants, ordinances, and teachings into improved personal behavior. Otherwise we may be doctrinally rich but end up developmentally poor" ("Becoming a Disciple," Ensign, June 1996, 12).

A good example of this principle is the Zoramites in Alma 31. Alma and his brethren witnessed the Zoramites praying in their synagogues only once a week. And when they went to their synagogues to pray, they stood on the Rameumptom and prayed out loud so everyone could hear. The Zoramites were paying lip service to God, but their hearts were far from Him. They did not truly pray to God; they did not serve others or have charity and neither did they keep the statutes and commandments of God. They were wicked, self-righteous, and hypocritical.

We need to be careful that we do not inherit a treasure trove of rich Gospel doctrine but then fail to use what we have learned. The most important lessons we will learn will be the relevant experiences as we live our lives. However, we must always read the scriptures. I am not saying that life’s experiences replace studying the scriptures. What we need to do is study the doctrine and the prophets, pray and then do. The scriptures are our textbooks for life’s class. The prophets are our teachers. Life’s experiences are our tests. We learn from the textbooks and teachers and then we are tested to see if we truly learn the lessons.

2 Nephi 24

Thankfully the death and destruction described in the previous chapter is not the end … better things are to come. Israel will be restored and Satan will be bound for a thousand years and the Earth will have peace.

Strangers

In the first verse of chapter 24, Isaiah refers to strangers who will be "joined with them" meaning the House of Jacob (Israel). We learn from the Bible (dictionary and scripture references) that a stranger is a "man of non-Israelite birth" who is a resident in the promised land and who has permission to live there. In this context, it is understood to be the Gentiles living in modern-day America. We've learned previously from the other Isaiah chapters in 2nd Nephi that America will be the location of Zion from where the law will go forth and Jerusalem will be the place where the word will go forth. Therefore some alliance will be formed between the (American) Gentiles and the House of Jacob. Already today, Israel is one of America's strongest allies.

The Fall of Satan

Isaiah compares the fall of the King of Babylon to the fall of Satan. Just as the King of Babylon "ruled the nations in anger" (v. 6) and is later "persecuted", so shall Satan be mocked.

Verses 6 through 11 are so poetic and bring welcome relief (at least to me as the reader). Here was the King of Babylon who tormented the neighboring nations, his people and even the fir-trees all for the sake of his glory. When he is finally defeated and thrust to Hell, he becomes the persecuted and he must endure the torments of a racked soul.

Then in verses 12 through 20, we read of Satan's demise and how he'll be cast into his own prison and the people of the Earth will say, "Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake the kingdoms?" (v. 16).

The Shepard vs. The Prison Keeper

All through these Isaiah chapters, we've read how merciful and patient the Lord has been with the House of Israel. He extends his hand time and time again and is ever-patient with us. Even after scattering His people, the Lord promises to gather them again and restore them to their promised lands (v. 1).

Satan, on the other hand, shows no mercy. He destroyed the world and captured not only a third of the hosts of heaven, but all those who died in their sins. He kept them in his prison and never opened the doors (v. 17).

Alma 30:60 best describes the "mercy" of Satan. " … the devil will not support his children at the last day, but doth speedily drag them down to hell."

In contrast, read the words of Christ who spoke to the Nephites and Lamanites after the great destruction in the Promised Land. He said, "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" (3 Nephi 9:14).

Epilogue For Commentary on Isaiah Chapters

I've read the Book of Mormon many, many times, but I've never really taken the time to study the Isaiah chapters. Mostly I've simply read through them and endured them. I am so thankful that I stopped and "inspected" these chapters this time through. I know I would have not learned much of anything new if I did not use some help. I am grateful to Bryan Richards and Nathan Boone who run GospelDoctrine.com. They have done a marvelous job in gathering quotes from General Authorities and other reference material, thus saving their readers hours of research time.

The general feeling I have after reading the Isaiah Chapters this time is that I marvel at how much these chapters dealt with the 2nd Coming and the Last Days. I've learned new things about Zion and Jerusalem and the Millennium that I've never considered before. If Mormon's intention was to prepare us for the Last Days, it is no wonder then that he included Nephi's and Jacob's commentaries on Isaiah. Before the Lord comes again, there will be much death and destruction and wickedness. There will also be much righteousness. And since the Book of Mormon is a parallel to our day, it too documents the wickedness and wars and destructions and righteousness of the Nephites and Lamanites. Just as the Book of Momon ended with the coming of Christ, so too will our "day" end with the 2nd Coming of Christ.

We now know what will happen. All that remains to be seen is what we choose to do. Will we repent and turn to God or will we suffer the consequences of unrepented sin? Nephi reminds us that we are free to choose liberty or death (2 Nephi 2:27). All that we have to do is choose the right.

2 Nephi 23

I suggest the reader go to the gospeldoctrine.com entry for 2 Nephi 23 and read all that the author has written there. You will find it very useful and helpful. Then comeback and read the rest of this entry.

I was a furniture delivery boy in a small town. The owner of the store sold his furniture out of this old, old building downtown. All of the furniture was on the street level floor of the store. The building had a 2nd level too. The only way you could access it was via a staircase from the back of the building. The owner usually kept it locked and we hardly ever went up there. One time my delivery partner and I needed to go up there for some reason that I can't recall right now. It was a fall afternoon and as we climbed up the stairs, we could see the sunlight streaming into the windows. When we reached the top, it was as if we had stepped back 80 years in time. We saw old, dusty desks and shelves with mail and papers scattered all over the place. Some of the letters were unopened and undelivered. In my mind's eye I could see people hustling and bustling around the office. But on that present day, all was quite. There was a depressing, sorrowful feeling about the room.

A few years later, I found myself in the jungles of Guatemala at the popular tourist attraction El Tikal. I was in awe as I walked among the ruins of the ancient Mayan civilization. As I contemplated what could have become of the people who used to live there hundreds of years ago, I got the same sorrowful feeling as I had back in that old office. How could something so robust and glorious be found in such a dilapidated condition? How could it have "fallen"? I think of Mormon's plea when he rhetorically said, "how is it that ye could have fallen?" (Mormon 6:19). Of course we know the answer to Mormon's question … they fell because of sin. They did not keep the commandments and the Lord destroyed them.

The same will happen in the last days. The people will become increasingly wicked and the fall of the World will be similar to the fall of Babylon. Babylon was powerful and glorious too. But because of wickedness, it was destroyed. Because of wickedness, the people of this world who do not repent will be destroyed too.

2 Nephi 21 & 22

A Rod, a Stem, a Branch and Roots

Verses 1 and 10 are very interesting verses. We learn from D&C 113:2 that the stem of Jesse is Christ. The rod is a servant of Christ who is a descendent of both Ephraim and Jesse "on whom there is laid much power" (D&C 113:4). We also learn from section 113 verse 6 that the "root of Jesse" is a descendent of Jesse as well as Joseph (Ephraim) who rightly possess the priesthood and the keys of the kingdom to be an ensign and gatherer of God's people in the last days. The branch is not specifically mentioned in section 113, but the author at gospeldoctrine.com, through some deductive reasoning, postulates that the branch is Christ.

As to the rod and root of Jesse, the same author thinks that both of these represent Joseph Smith. I did a search on the lds.org gospel library and found only three results for "root of Jesse." One result agrees that the rod and root represent Joseph Smith. The other search result returns an article whose author is a Jew who converted to the Church. In that article, he alludes that the root of Jesse is person who is yet to come. He learned this from "various Latter-day prophets." Every time I read this chapter, I've always assumed that the root is not Joseph Smith, but another prophet who is yet to come.

The Knowledge of the Lord

In verses 6-9, we read that the Earth will be "safe" so that the hunter and the hunted will lay down side by side without bloodshed. "They shall not hurt or destroy … for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord" (v. 9).

Joseph Smith once admonished his fellow saints when some attempted to kill rattlesnakes.

"In pitching my tent we found three massasaguas, or prairie rattlesnakes, which the brethren were about to kill, but I said, 'Let them alone, don't hurt them! How will the serpent ever lose his venom, while the servants of God possess the same disposition, and continue to make war upon it? Men must become harmless, before the brute creation; and when men lose their vicious dispositions and cease to destroy the animal race, the lion and the lamb can dwell together, and the suckling child can play with the serpent in safety.' The brethren took the serpents carefully on sticks and carried them across the creek. I exhorted the brethren not to kill a serpent, bird or an animal of any kind during my journey unless it became necessary in order to preserve ourselves from hunger. (History of the Church, vol. 2, pp. 71-2)"

The Gathering of Israel

As prophesied so many times before, Isaiah yet again prophesies that the lost tribes will return in the Last Days. In D&C 133 we learn more of this "highway for the remnant of his people" (v. 16). D&C 133:26-32 says,

"And they who are in the north countries shall come in remembrance before the Lord; and their prophets shall hear his voice, and shall no longer stay themselves; and they shall smite the rocks, and the ice shall flow down at their presence.
And an highway shall be cast up in the midst of the great deep.
Their enemies shall become a prey unto them,
And in the barren deserts there shall come forth pools of living water; and the parched ground shall no longer be a thirsty land.
And they shall bring forth their rich treasures unto the children of Ephraim, my servants.
And the boundaries of the everlasting hills shall tremble at their presence.
And there shall they fall down and be crowned with glory, even in Zion, by the hands of the servants of the Lord, even the children of Ephraim."

God is my Salvation

In chapter 22, we read that we will rejoice that Christ will reign on the earth.

Verse 2 is my favorite verse in this chapter.

"Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid; for the Lord JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he also has become my salvation."

In verse 6, we are reminded that Christ will personally reign on the earth as he will be "in the midst" of Israel.

2 Nephi 8

The New Jerusalem and Old Jerusalem

I learned from another Book of Mormon commentator that this chapter is divided into two parts. The first part (verses 1-16) pertains to Zion or the New Jerusalem. The second part (verses 17-23) pertains to the Old Jerusalem.

The Earth Shall Wax Like an Old Garment

Verse 6 talks about the Earth dying. The following quote by Joseph Fielding Smith provides more detail on this subject.

This earth is filling the measure of its creation. (D&C 88:18-26.) Today
it is passing through its mortal state. The time will come when it shall die and
pass away as do all things upon it. Isaiah says: ‘The earth mourneth and fadeth away, the world languisheth and fadeth away, the haughty people of the earth do languish.’(Isaiah
24:4)

“’The earth is utterly broken down, the earth is clean dissolved, the earth is moved exceedingly. The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard, and shall be removed like a cottage; and the transgression thereof shall be heavy upon it; and it shall fall, and not rise again.’ (Isaiah 24: 19-20) Again he declares: ‘Lift up your eyes to the heavens and look upon the earth beneath; for the heavens (i.e. the heavens surrounding the earth) shall vanish away like smoke, and the earth shall wax old like a garment, and they that dwell, therein shall die in like manner.’ (Isaiah 51:6.) Here we have predictions that the earth shall pass away, die, and all its inhabitants shall also die in like manner. This truth was not generally and correctly understood until the Lord made known in revelations to Joseph Smith that this should be the case. When Isaiah said the earth should ‘fall and not rise again,’ the interpretation is that it should not be restored to the same mortal or temporal condition. When the earth passes away and is dissolved it will pass through a similar condition which the human body does in death….The ‘new heavens and new earth’ referred to in this scripture [Isaiah 65:17], and also in D&C 101:23-31, had reference to the change which shall come to the earth and all upon it, at the beginning of the Millennial reign, as we declare in the tenth article of the Articles of Faith. This is the renewed earth when it shall receive its paradisiacal glory, or be restored as it was before the fall of man. (See Compendium, art, "Millennial Reign," p. 202.) ‘The new heaven and new earth’ we are discussing in D&C 29, is the final change, or resurrection, of the earth, after the ‘little season’ which shall follow the Millennium.” (Church History and Modern Revelation, vol. 1, p. 132)

To summarize, the Earth is in a telestial state right now. Soon it will transform into a terestial state (a renewed earth in its paradisiacal glory). Finally the Earth will change to its final state which will be celestial.

The People in whose Heart I Have Written My Law

Verse 7 refers to having the Lord's law written on our hearts. Obviously this is symbolic. So what does it mean? To me, having the Lord's law written on our hearts means that we no longer have to think about obeying the commandments. Instead, we simply live it … it is a part of our lives. Sometimes we have to force ourselves to obey a commandment. If we are not in the habit of praying every morning and night, then we have to remind ourselves to pray morning and night. Soon our prayers become habit and we automatically say our prayers when it is time to pray. I also tend to think that when we memorize scripture and thoroughly study it, we have the Lord's law written on our hearts.

Thy Sons Have Fainted

Verses 18 and 19 refer to the two prophets who preach in Jerusalem for three and a half years and then are killed and their bodies lay in the streets for three days. Revelation 11:2-12 expands on this prophecy.

2 But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months.
3 And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth.
4 These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth.
5 And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies: and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed.
6 These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy: and have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will.
7 And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them.
8 And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified.
9 And they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations shall see their dead bodies three days and an half, and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves.
10 And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth.
11 And after three days and an half the Spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them.
12 And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them.

2 Nephi 6

As I read through the Book of Mormon, my main purpose is to find ways in which I can apply the teachings in each chapter to my life. I try to ask myself what it is the writer is trying to tell me the reader and why is he telling me these things. Most of the time, the intent of the writer and the personal application are obvious. Other times, it is not so obvious.

This chapter probably falls in between. There are no obvious commandments found in this chapter. There are, however, a few warnings to the Jews and Gentiles which could be considered commandments. But for the most part, this chapter discusses the history and future of the Jews. It talks about certain signs that will take place before the 2nd Coming of Christ.

No Hidden Agenda

I really like the way Jacob begins his discourse to the people. In verse 3 he says, I am desirous for the welfare of your souls.” He goes on in verse 4, “And I speak unto you for your sakes, that ye may learn and glorify the name of your God.” He also tells them that he has always sought to teach them everything (regarding the Gospel) since the creation. And then he continues to teach them “concerning the things which are to come” (v. 4).

I personally believe that all the prophets from Nephi to Jacob, to Joseph Smith to President Hinckley, that they have no other agenda other than welfare of our souls. They have tried to teach us and show us the true meaning and purpose of the Gospel and then exhort us to do what is right so that we may be happy. Unlike so many voices in today’s world who try to sway us to be miserable, the prophets have been a light showing us the way of happiness.

The Messiah, the Jews and the Gentiles

Jacob continues his sermon by reading the words of Isaiah to the people. He tells them that those at Jerusalem have been slain and carried captive into Babylon. The main reason Lehi and his family fled was because of the Lord’s warning to them about Babylon’s eminent invasion. Now Jacob tells them that it has happened. We later learn in Omni 1:15 that the people of Mulek confirm this fulfilled prophecy.

After the Jews are scattered, they are again gathered and Christ manifests himself to them in the flesh, but they crucify him. Then they are “smitten and afflicted” (v. 10) again. But the Lord is merciful to them still and they are gathered again.

Next the Gentiles are warned to “repent and fight not against Zion” (v. 12).

Lastly the Messiah manifests himself a 2nd time to the Jews and again saves them from destruction.

Warnings

There are a couple of warnings in this chapter. They are pretty generic, but they should not be disregarded. In verse 12 the Gentiles are warned to repent, to not fight against Zion and to not unite themselves with the great and abominable church.

In verse 15 we read that “they that believe not in him (Christ) shall be destroyed” by fire, tempest, earthquakes, bloodsheds, pestilence and famine.

So What Does It Mean for Me?

Obviously the warnings are important. If we don’t repent, we’ll be destroyed (physically and spiritually).

What else is important is the history and the prophecies surrounding the Messiah and the Jews. If we learn about the signs that will take place before the 2nd Coming, then we will be better prepared spiritually. We will know what to look for and as the signs are fulfilled, our faith will increase.

Already the gathering of the Jews has begun and continues to progress. Today we see wars and rumors of wars and all sorts of discord in the world. It will get far worse before Christ comes again.

But if we look for the signs and know what they mean, then we will (hopefully) feel the need to repent and live closely to the Holy Ghost and we will be prepared for His coming.

1 Nephi 21 & 22

On Tuesday September 11th, two passenger jets were flown into the two towers of the World Trade Center. Another plane was crashed into the Pentagon. A forth plane was headed for the White House or some other significant target, but it did not succeed. It crashed in western Pennsylvania. As the events unfolded, many Americans, including me, were shocked, scared and in unbelief. How could this happen in America? All Tuesday and for the next few days, everyone was in fear of another attack. Jill told me that she thought this was it – that the last day was here. That might be the case, but what I told her was that if it is the last day or not, that does not matter. What matters is if it is your last day on Earth or not. The last day will come whether we are ready or not. We will die someday, ready or not. The bottom line is that we are prepared. If we are prepared, then there is no reason to fear. If we die in righteousness, then we will be saved. But if our death is imminent and we have not done righteousness all our days, then we will fear.

Just as Nephi pointed out – the righteous need not fear. The righteous will not perish and will not be confounded. However, the wicked have much to fear for they will face their Judge and will be sentenced to spiritual death.

I think Nephi sums it all up in the final verse of 1 Nephi. “Wherefore, if ye shall be obedient to the commandments, and endure to the end, ye shall be saved at the last day.”

One of the speakers in a recent Sacrament meeting told an interesting story. In his talk he mentioned that members used to write letters to President Kimball and he would respond to many of them. One letter asked President Kimball if the fire in the scripture in Malachi regarding tithing was a "real" fire or if it was symbolic. President Kimball responded that the only fire he knew of was the one that burns! I can't find the source on that quote … but it is interesting if not funny! To relate this back to chapter 22, verse 22 talks about fire.

To summarize my insights from reading chapter 22:

First, it seems to me that many of the things discussed in these chapters are signs. We are given these signs so that we know that God indeed is in charge and knows what He is doing. These signs assure us and strengthen our faith. These signs also show the love of God towards all his children … especially those who love him.

Second, to reiterate again … "the righteous need not fear" (v. 17, 22).

Third, Nephi describes the work and glory of Satan. In verse 23 he tells us that Satan seeks to "get power over the flesh" meaning he desires control over our bodies. Satan and his followers seek the popularity of the World or in another word vanity. Satan and those who belong to his church "seek the lusts of the flesh and the things of the world, and to do all manner of iniquity."

In conclusion, we need to know that there are signs that indicate Christ's 2nd coming and we need to look for them. And not only should we look for those signs, but we should align our lives with the Savior's. If we do, then we need not worry about cataclysmic events that will surly take place.

January 5, 2012 update

Most of this original post discussed my commentary on 1 Nephi 22.  There's not much said on 1 Nephi 21 (Isaiah 49).  For more insight into 1 Nephi 21 (Isaiah 49), see this post on my Isaiah blog.