2 Nephi 14

Seven to One

One of the hot topics about the LDS church is polygamy. It was practiced in ancient times as well as in modern times. We learn from Jacob that one of the reasons for polygamy is to "raise up seed" (Jacob 2:30). Here in 2 Nephi 14, we are presented with a scenario where in order to raise up seed, seven women will marry one man. So many men will have been killed in battle, that there will not be enough men for all the women who remain.

A quote from Wilford Woodruff demonstrates what that day will be like.

“I had been reading the revelations…[when] a strange stupor came over me and I recognized that I was in the Tabernacle at Ogden. I arose to speak and said…I will answer you right here what is coming to pass shortly….I then looked in all directions…and I found the same mourning in every place throughout the Land. It seemed as though I was above the earth, looking down to it as I passed along on my way east and I saw the roads full of people principally women with just what they could carry in bundles on their backs…It was remarkable to me that there were so few men among them…Wherever I went I saw…scenes of horror and desolation apine and death…death and destruction everywhere. I cannot paint in words the horror that seemed to encompass me around. It was beyond description or thought of man to conceive. I supposed that this was the End but I was here given to understand, that the same horrors were being enacted all over the country…Then a voice said ‘Now shall come to pass that which was spoken by Isaiah the Prophet That seven women shall take hold of one man…’” (Journal of Wilford Woodruff, June 15, 1878 as taken from Isaiah: Prophet, Seer, and Poet, by Victor L. Ludlow, p. 109)

They … shall be called holy

After many wars and bloodshed, the Millennium will commence. All those who survived the great battles and destructions will worthy enough to live on the Earth. It is at this time that the Earth will receive it paradisiacal glory (10th Article of Faith).

A Place of Refuge

The day will come where the only place one may find peace is in Zion … the New Jerusalem. D&C 45:66-70 says, "And it shall be called the New Jerusalem, a land of peace, a city of refuge, a place of safety for the saints of the Most High God;
And the glory of the Lord shall be there, and the terror of the Lord also shall be there, insomuch that the wicked will not come unto it, and it shall be called Zion.
And it shall come to pass among the wicked, that every man that will not take his sword against his neighbor must needs flee unto Zion for safety.
And there shall be gathered unto it out of every nation under heaven; and it shall be the only people that shall not be at war one with another.
And it shall be said among the wicked: Let us not go up to battle against Zion, for the inhabitants of Zion are terrible; wherefore we cannot stand."

I often wonder how close the day is when the Saints will again gather to Zion. For so long, Zion has meant where the Saints are … in their wards and stakes. But soon, the New Jerusalem will need to be built and for that to happen, I would imagine the Saints would have to gather there. I don't know how it all will occur, but I am still curious about it. My patriarchal blessing says that I will be involved in the gathering of Israel and in the preparation for the building of the New Jerusalem. Does that mean that I will be directly involved or does that mean that I will prepare my children who in turn will build Zion? I don't know.

1 Nephi 13

What Chapter 13 is About

In essence, this chapter discusses the reasons for why we need the Book of Mormon. The Book of Mormon is God’s answer to Satan’s great and abominable church (GAAC). The goal of the GAAC is to slay the saints of God, torture them, bind them down, yoke them and bring them into captivity (v. 5). How does the GAAC do that? Obviously this slaying and torture is spiritual … Satan seeks to kill our very souls. The only way our souls can be killed is if we give into the temptations of the Devil and in turn end up living a life full of sin and never repenting. And the way the Devil gets us to sin is to teach us false doctrines. False doctrines are as numerous and various as the paths that are not “straight and narrow.” Some doctrines can be completely false while other doctrines can contain an element of truth yet be mixed with false principals. The only way to defend against false doctrines is to teach and apply true and pure doctrines.

Originally the true doctrines of the Gospel were found in the unaltered version of the modern-day Bible. It was written by the Jews (probably not in the strict sense, rather in a broad context). From the Jews, this book went to the Gentiles. After it went to the Gentiles, the GAAC was formed and the book fell into that church’s possession. While in the GAAC’s possession, “many plain and precious things [were] taken away from the book” (v. 28). From the GAAC the book went “forth unto all nations of the Gentiles” (v. 29) including America.

And here is where the problem begins … “because of these things which are taken away out of the gospel of the Lamb, an exceedingly great many do stumble, yea, insomuch that Satan hath great power over them” (v. 29). Because correct principals are missing from the Bible, many people develop an un-pure understanding of the true gospel of Christ. And therefore, they err and stumble in sin.

In response to Satan’s subtle plan, God instructed Lehi and his posterity to keep records. Since Lehi’s posterity keeps this commandment, the Lord is able to restore much of the plan and precious parts of his Gospel to the earth. In verse 35 he says, “I will manifest myself unto thy seed, that they shall write many things which I shall minister unto them … these things shall be hid up, to come forth unto the Gentiles, by the gift and power of the Lamb.”

As we know, the records of Lehi’s posterity are contained in the Book of Mormon. Joseph Smith, by the power of God, translated these records and now the world has another testament of Jesus Christ. Many will not believe any of the Bible. Therefore the purpose of the Book of Mormon is twofold … to prove that the Bible is indeed true (or that what it is trying to teach is true) and to restore the many plain and precious parts of the Gospel.

Besides the Book of Mormon, “other books” came forth by the power of God (v. 39). These other books are probably the Doctrine and Covenants and the Pearl of Great Price. There are also the records of the Lost Tribes of Israel that are yet to come forth too. Doubtless these records will yet again prove that Christ’s gospel is universal and is the same among all people.

And what is the main message of the Bible, the Book of Mormon and the other books? “That the Lamb of God is the Son of the Eternal Father, and the Savior of the world; and that all men must come unto him, or they cannot be saved” (v. 40).

Misc. Verses

13:37 – “And blessed are they who shall seek to bring forth my Zion at that day, for they shall have the gift and power of the Holy Ghost; and if they endure unto the end they shall be lifted up at the last day, and shall be saved in the everlasting kingdom of the Lamb; and whoso shall publish peace, yea, tidings of great joy, how beautiful upon the mountains shall they be.” For some reason, when I read this scripture, I felt this is our mission as latter-day Saints. All that we should do should help build up the kingdom of God.

13:41 - In this verse, Nephi talks about how the Bible and the Book of Mormon testify of Christ and his Apostles. The part that I really enjoy is where it says, “They both shall be established in one.” My inlaws and I were talking about the Church and Church policies over the years. One of the things my father-in-law talked about was how the Book of Mormon was still called the Mormon Bible or the Gold Bible when he was a missionary. Then he talked about how when President Benson prophesied that the Book of Mormon would flood the Earth. My father-in-law said that he thought the prophet was really stepping out on a limb when he said that. But now, the Book of Mormon is being widely accepted by people and other religions. The Book of Mormon is no longer being referred to as the Gold Bible or the Mormon bible, rather it is being accepted as scripture, just like the Bible. The Bible and the Book of Mormon are beginning to be accepted as one.

I recall from my mission when I was on splits up in Senahu, the missionaries stayed with this family who was Nazarene. The family was so used to being around Mormons that they believed in the Book of Mormon. In fact, the father who was a pastor for the same, often used the Book of Mormon in his sermons and would frequently ask the missionaries for help when he read out of the Book of Mormon.