Book of Mormon 2020 - 2 Nephi 31-33

I covered these scriptures in an earlier blog post (2016). Please refer back to https://gospeldoctrine2016.blogspot.com/2016/03/book-of-mormon-11-press-forward-with.html

2 Nephi 31 to 33 are wonderful scriptures, filled with the power and plainness of the prophet Nephi. President Russell M. Nelson summed up Nephi perfectly when he said, “Nephi was a multifaceted genius. Endowed with great physical stature, he was a prophet, teacher, ruler, colonizer, builder, craftsman, scholar, writer, poet, military leader, and father of nations…Toward the end of his inspiring life Nephi wrote his concluding testimony and bore witness of the doctrine of Christ, the power of the Holy Ghost, and the truthfulness of the words he had written. Appropriately, his final testimony closed with the words that could be known as his signature: “I must obey.” (Heroes from the Book of Mormon, p. 15). This farewell is recorded so eloquently in these three final chapters of 2 Nephi.

Nephi - a multifaceted genius

Brother Bill Beardall stated, “2 Nephi 31 contains a discourse by Nephi that is without equal in the entire Standard Works in terms of plainness and clarity. Those who apply these simple ingredients (faith, sincerity, righteousness, and obedience) to this chapter have claim on the greatest treasure man can obtain” (This is the Way). 2 Nephi 31 presents the Doctrine of Christ that enables the children of God to fulfill all righteousness through the first principles and ordinances of the gospel (the 4^th Article of Faith: faith, repentance, baptism, receiving the Holy Ghost) and then enduring to the end. Christ set the example for us to follow. 

The baptism of Jesus Christ

2 Nephi 31:13 states we need to “…follow the Son, with full purpose of heart, acting no hypocrisy and no deception before God, but with real intent” in order for us to receive the “baptism of fire and of the Holy Ghost” and “speak with the tongue of angels”. This means so much to me. I have relied on the promptings of the Holy Ghost at many times in my life. I have heard a still, small voice telling me what to do when danger was present. I have known what to do in situations where many possible choices all seemed to be of value. I have had clarity of thought when I needed to know how to approach a problem or how to counsel a person in despair. I know how much I rely on the Holy Ghost and this means I accept my part in trying to be obedient and remembering my Saviour and His great sacrifice for me.

Enduring to the end sometimes seems so difficult. My poor mum is now 96 years old and she suffers from so many combined medical conditions. Just this morning she poured out her heart to me expressing her readiness to leave this life. Yet, day-by-day, I see her endure the pain and frustration and struggle for each step and each task, yet she is tireless in her devotion to the Gospel. I truly am in awe of her devotion. I do not know if I could have a fraction of her courage and fortitude.

This is a particularly trying time. With the threat of Covid 19 all around, businesses closing, people struggling to make ends meet, I almost feel guilty worrying about finding another job and making my redundancy money last. I was totally deflated when I heard my PhD graduation had been cancelled, felt disappointed that my new baby, part-time job offered so little in terms of remuneration, and felt frustrated that I have been turned down by so many prospective employers because of my age when I have so much expertise in online teaching (I am 62 years old and looking for work! Surely with the push on education going online, my skills would be useful to someone???) Then I see the reports of how many people have died or are seriously ill, I see my friends who have low immunity through disease, and I look at the start of this pandemic in poor countries where it is so hard to be socially distant when 20 people share one large room, and I am ashamed of myself. I have so much for which to be humbly grateful. I loved the message of hope from President Russell M. Nelson. It was just what I needed to hear.

President Boyd K. Packer

In 2 Nephi 32:4 we read, “Wherefore, now after I have spoken these words, if ye cannot understand them it will be because ye ask not, neither do ye knock; wherefore, ye are not brought into the light, but must perish in the dark." We need to be praying constantly. Elder Boyd K. Packer, in the October 1962 General Conference, expressed this so well when he said, “There is a difference, you know, between saying prayers and praying. Don't expect it all to come at once. It is worth earning. Your efforts may seem in vain, but pray unceasingly, unyielding.” I have a strong testimony of the power of prayer and I know that praying with your whole heart and soul is a key to enduring to the end.

Nephi provided us with a game-plan for enduring to the end:

1. Press forward with a steadfastness in Christ (fixed, firm, resolute)
2. Have a perfect brightness of hope – Christ is that hope
3. Demonstrate a love of God and all men – ministering to our families and those who need us
4. Feast upon the word of Christ – are we just nibbling at Come Follow Me?
5. Endure to the end – enduring valiantly

In 2 Nephi 32:8-9 is one of my favourite scriptural passages, “For if ye would hearken unto the Spirit which teacheth a man to pray, ye would know that ye must pray; for the evil spirit teacheth not a man to pray, but teacheth him that he must not pray. But behold, I say unto you that ye must pray always, and not faint; that ye must not perform any thing unto the Lord save in the first place ye shall pray unto the Father in the name of Christ, that he will consecrate thy performance unto thee, that thy performance may be for the welfare of thy soul.” 

If we are ever in doubt about whether to pray, that doubt is from Satan. I have learned a very important lesson in my life, i.e. I need the guidance of the Spirit every day, in every way. I rely on personal revelation and I receive personal revelation based on my obedience. I am not strong enough to do anything on my own. The following short video contains some wonderful quotations on personal revelation based on the ThirdHour blog by Jasmine Turner.

Elder Tad R. Callister

2 Nephi 33 is a testament to the importance of reading the words of Nephi because they testify of Christ. As recorded by Nephi, “Christ will show unto you, with power and great glory, that they are his words, at the last day; and you and I shall stand face to face before his bar; and ye shall know that I have been commanded of him to write these things, notwithstanding my weakness” (verse 11). I love the following quote from Elder Tad R. Callister (from the October 2011 General Conference), “Would you like to have emblazoned on your soul an undeniable witness that the Saviour descended beneath your sins and that there is no sin, no mortal plight outside the merciful reach of His Atonement—that for each of your struggles He has a remedy of superior healing power? Then read the Book of Mormon. It will teach you and testify to you that Christ’s Atonement is infinite because it circumscribes and encompasses and transcends every finite frailty known to man.”