2 Ne 10:1
this righteous branch
The righteous branch to which Jacob is
referring is the family of Lehi. This doctrine began
with the prophecy of Joseph of Egypt regarding a righteous branch that the Lord
would restore to the gospel in the latter days, Joseph…obtained
a promise of the Lord, that…God would raise up a righteous branch unto the
house of Israel; not the Messiah, but a branch which was to be broken off,
nevertheless, to be remembered in the covenants of the Lord that the Messiah
should be made manifest unto them in the latter days, in the spirit of power,
unto the bringing of them out of darkness unto light (2 Ne 3:5). Jacob
will make reference to this branch again in the allegory of the olive tree. In
that passage, there is a branch which is planted in good ground and produces
part wild fruit and part good fruit. See Jacob 5:25. As Jacob makes clear, the Nephites understood that they were part of scattered
Israel. Their writings concentrate on the promises of the Lord to the house of
Israel because those promises apply directly to them and their descendants.
2 Ne 10:3 his name should be Christ
Some have criticized the Book of Mormon
because Book of Mormon prophets use the term “Christ” before the birth of the
Savior. The word “Christ” is the Greek form of the Hebrew word for Messiah and
means literally “the anointed one.” As the critics point out, this word was not
used in the Old Testament. Some of the Old Testament terms for Christ are
Shiloh (Gen 49:10), Prophet (Deut 18:15), Holy One of Israel (Ps 16:10), King
(Ps 24:10, Zech 9:9), Immanuel (Isa 7:14), Redeemer (Isa 59:20), Prince of
Peace (Isa 9:6), righteous Branch (Jer 23:5, Zech
3:8), and Messiah (Dan 9:26).
Jacob helps us understand this apparent
“anachronism.” He explains that the angel of the Lord told him what his name
should be. The Book of Mormon prophets often speak plainly about the mission
and ministry of Jesus Christ. Their writings and prophecies were inspired by
direct revelation and the Spirit of God. The Book of Mormon prophets will
continue to use the term Christ or Christians long before the terms are found
in the Bible.
Edward J. Brandt, in the Book of
Mormon Symposium Series, explains the use of these names in the Book of
Mormon in a lecture entitled, “The Name Jesus Christ Revealed to the Nephites:”
“The use of the sacred name of Christ
in a record of Hebrew origin (see 1 Nephi 1:2; Mosiah
1:4; and Mormon 9:32-34) is of some unusual significance since the name, Jesus
Christ, is of Greek derivation. The
English form Jesus is a transliteration via Latin and Greek of the Aramaic name
Yeshua given him at birth1 The older Hebrew form, Joshua in
English, originally meant ‘Savior’ (Talmage 35). The title Christ is an English
transliteration via Latin of the Greek translation of the ancient Hebrew title
‘the Anointed One’ (Grundmann 493-509; Durham
16). The direct English transliteration
of that Hebrew term is Messiah (Durham 15; Talmage
35-36).
“Did the prophet Joseph Smith, as
translator, substitute these later and more familiar names and titles, or were
they terms precisely known and used by the Book of Mormon prophets? If they knew, how did they come to know
them? Those names were supposed to be of
much later usage. The record itself
reveals the remarkable way the ancient prophets learned these terms. All the scriptures contain many names and
titles for the Messiah. The Book of
Mormon alone provides over 100 names and titles for Christ (Easton 60-61)
However, the name ‘Christ’ does not appear until Jacob's sermon to the Nephites in 2 Nephi 10:3.
“….Jacob had seen the Savior as a youth
and on a later occasion reaffirmed his experience of receiving the ministering
of angels (2 Nephi 2:3-4; Jacob 7:5; compare Moroni
7:22). The language of this
manifestation uses the future designation of the term Christ for covenant
Israel.
“The name Jesus first appears in the
Book of Mormon in 2 Nephi 25:19. As
Nephi was teaching the people concerning the Jews and their eventual acceptance
of the Messiah, he declared:
“…For
according to the words of the prophets, the Messiah cometh in six hundred years
from the time that my father left Jerusalem; and according to the words of the
prophets, and also the word of the angel of God, his name shall be Jesus
Christ, the Son of God (2 Nephi 25:16, 18-19; emphasis added).
“Here Nephi acknowledges that through
the ministry of an angel it was revealed to him that in the future ‘his name shall be Jesus Christ, the Son of God.’ Verse 19 contains both the English
transliteration of the Hebrew term for ‘the anointed one’-Messiah-and also the
transliteration of the Greek term extended to the English for ‘the anointed
one’- Christ.
“The continued use of the name Jesus
Christ in the Book of Mormon, in view of all the other names and titles used in
the scriptures, shows it had an important influence on
the Nephites throughout their history. Centuries later the prophet leader Benjamin
taught what the future name of the Lord would be:
“And he shall be called Jesus Christ,
the Son of God, the Father of heaven and earth, the Creator of all things from
the beginning; and his mother shall be called Mary (Mosiah
3:8, emphasis added; see also Mosiah 4:3).
“…Other Book of Mormon prophets also bore
testimony that the Savior would be known by these names in future records. Abinadi testified
before the wicked priests of Noah concerning the resurrection of Christ, ‘for so shall he be called’ (Mosiah
15:21). The prophet Alma (formerly one
of Noah's priests) organized those who entered the gospel covenant of baptism,
and they were called ‘the church of God, or the
church of Christ, from that time forward’ (Mosiah
18:17; see also Mosiah 26:18, 24). In teaching the people, he often reminded
them of the future atonement and mission of this Christ (see Alma 5:48; Alma
6:8; Alma 7:11-13; Alma 45:4 [his son Alma]).
“The
effect of calling the members of the church after this future title-Christ-led
to calling them as ‘Christians.’
“And those who did belong to the church
were faithful; yea, all those who were true believers in Christ took upon them,
gladly, the name of Christ, or Christians as they were called, because of their
belief in Christ who should come (Alma 46:15; emphasis added.)” (Edward J. Brandt,
Book of Mormon Symposium Series, edited by PR Cheesman, MS Nyman, and CD Tate, Jr., 1988, p. 201-4)
Neil L. Andersen
As a young missionary, I had a most
interesting discussion with a clergyman. He told us that he could not accept
the Book of Mormon because it openly spoke of Jesus Christ, using His name and
events of His life hundreds of years before His birth. He found this
transparency uncharacteristic of the pattern of the Old Testament that
referenced the Savior more subtly.
To me the bold declaration of Jesus
Christ is the very power of the Book of Mormon.
Of course, we must receive a spiritual witness that the book is of
God. But once that is obtained, the purposes
of Christ, the reality of His life and Resurrection, and the clarity of what is
necessary to follow Him and obtain eternal life with Him are strikingly
tangible before us. (Ensign, Oct.
2011, 41)
2 Ne 10:3 they
shall crucify him
“Such knowledge could only be had by
revelation. The fulfillment of the
prophecy required not only that the Jews reject and kill their Messiah but also
that he die by crucifixion. The prophecy was the more remarkable because
crucifixion was unknown to Hebrew law.
The Mosaic code prescribed the penalty of death in four forms: stoning, burning, beheading, and strangling.”
(McConkie and Millet, Doctrinal Commentary on the
Book of Mormon, vol. 1, p. 266)
2 Ne 10:3-5 there
is none other nation on earth that would crucify their God
Imagine witnessing an individual heal a
man with a withered hand. Then imagine that this same individual looks upon a
man who has been paralyzed with the palsy and commands him to take up his bed
and walk—and he does. Then imagine that this individual casts the devils out of
a man so wild that he can’t be restrained with chains.
Then imagine that this man heals lepers, opens the ears of the deaf, makes the dumb to speak and the blind to see. After all
this, imagine an individual so powerful that he could raise from the dead a man
who had lain in the tomb for 4 days. After witnessing all these things, would
you conclude that he had done all these things by the power of the devil? Would
you then seek from him a sign of his power?
Imagine listening to sermons taught
which explain doctrines never before understood. Imagine a man who could speak
with the power and spirit of no individual before him. Imagine an individual
who could teach how to understand, comprehend, and communicate with God.
Imagine that this individual could, without the least preparation, give an
incredible sermon complete with well developed, profound parables, references
to Old Testament scriptures, and examples of how common practices relate to the
scriptures. Imagine that the wisest and most learned people in the land set
intellectual, doctrinal, and political traps for him and yet he confounded them
time after time after time. Would you then conclude that he
was unlearned, a winebibber, and nothing more than the son of a carpenter?
Imagine that this individual exhibited
love and charity for all mankind. Imagine that he did all these things without
seeking for power, authority, or recognition. Imagine that this individual
taught of God as his father, that he referred to the temple as his father’s
house, that he sought to do the will of his father not his own will, and that
he did nothing save his father had commanded him. Would you then have him
killed for asserting that he was the son of God?
Such was the wickedness of the Jews in
the meridian of time. As Jacob explains, For should the
mighty miracles be wrought among other nations they would repent, and know that
he be their God. But because of priestcrafts and
iniquities, they at Jerusalem will stiffen their necks against him, that he be
crucified (v. 4-5). Not only were the Jews particularly wicked at this
time, but the Lord explained to Enoch that the inhabitants of this world were
more wicked than any of the other creations of God, among
all the workmanship of mine hands there has not been so great wickedness as
among thy brethren (Moses 7:36).
Joseph Smith
“Hence
it was that so great a responsibility rested upon the generation in which our
Savior lived, for, says he, ‘That upon you may come
all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the
blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias, son of Barachias,
whom ye slew between the temple and the altar. Verily I say unto you, all these
things shall come upon this generation.’ (Matthew 23:35, 36.) Hence as
they possessed greater privileges than any other generation, not only
pertaining to themselves, but to their dead, their sin was greater, as they not
only neglected their own salvation but that of their progenitors, and hence
their blood was required at their hands.” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph
Smith, p. 222-3)
2 Ne 10:6 they
who shall not be destroyed shall be scattered among all nations
In 70 AD, the Romans sieged Jerusalem. During this siege, the Jews suffered
terrible things—even destructions, famines, and
pestilences. For a detailed account of what happened, see commentary for
2 Ne 6:10. After this, they were scattered all over the Roman Empire. This
event is sometimes called the Diaspora.
2 Ne 10:9 kings…shall
be nursing fathers…and…queens shall become nursing mothers
Jacob is referring to the prophecy of
Isaiah 49:22-3. The meaning of these phrases has already been beautifully
explained by Nephi, see 1 Ne 22:6-12.
2 Ne 10:10 this land…shall be a land of thine
inheritance
Joseph Fielding
Smith
“There is strong presumptive evidence
in the blessings given by Israel to his son Joseph, and his grandsons Ephraim
and Manasseh, as recorded in Genesis, that they were to inherit a land far from
Jerusalem and become a multitude of nations.
Joseph was promised that his inheritance should be to the ‘utmost bounds of the everlasting hills’; (Genesis
49:26.) that he was ‘a fruitful bough by a well
whose branches run over the wall.’ (Genesis 49:22.) Moreover, he was to receive a greater
inheritance than his progenitors, who were given the land of Palestine.
“The Book of Mormon is the record of
the descendants of Joseph who were led across the ‘great waters’ to inherit
this western land, which is designated as being choice above all other
lands. Surely these blessings could not
be realized in Palestine. Joseph and his
sons did not become a multitude of nations there; the tribes of Ephraim and
Manasseh did not receive a more wonderful inheritance in Palestine than any
other of the tribes of Israel. There the
chief honors were conferred first on Benjamin and then on Judah. Here in America all these promises were
fulfilled when the descendants of Joseph possessed the land given as their
inheritance.
“There are many references in the Bible
to Zion, a land, or place, separate and distinct from Jerusalem. Such passages are found in the second chapter
of Isaiah and the fourth chapter of Micah.
It would be foolish to say that these references to Zion were to the
hill in Jerusalem where David dwelt.
Through modern revelation the Lord has made it known that the American
continent is Zion. It is to be on this
land that the city Zion, the New Jerusalem, shall be built.” (A Book of Mormon Treasury: Selections
from the Improvement Era, p. 191-2)
Joseph Fielding
Smith
“With the translation of the Book of
Mormon many of the descendants of Joseph were made known. Who could have made
that great discovery without a revelation from the Lord? The Lamanites are of Israel. Lehi was
a descendant of Manasseh. We are informed that Ishmael, whose children joined
the family of Lehi, was of Ephraim. In this way
children belonging to these two tribes were planted in America. It is true that
others also came, and it is just possible that the Lord, remembering his
promise to Joseph, sent with the Mulekites others of
the tribes of Joseph. At any rate, this land was given to them as their everlasting
inheritance. They have inherited it in the past. They will do so more fully in
the future.
“We are told that there was a prophecy
in the destruction of the coat of many colors worn by Joseph. (See Gen. 37:31-35.) Part of it was preserved, and Jacob,
before his death, prophesied that as a remnant of the coat was preserved so
should a remnant of Joseph’s posterity be preserved: ‘And
he said, Even as this remnant of garment of my son’s hath been preserved, so
shall a remnant of the seed of my son be preserved by the hand of God, and be
taken unto himself, while the remainder of the seed of Joseph shall perish,
even as the remnant of his garment.’ (Alma 46:24.)
“That remnant now found among the Lamanites shall eventually partake of the blessings of the
gospel. They shall unite with the remnant which is being gathered from among
the nations and they shall be blessed of the Lord forever.” (The Way to
Perfection, p. 121)
2 Ne 10:11 there shall be no kings upon the land
“It is remarkable that so few attempts
have been made to establish thrones in America. Perhaps the most substantial
barrier has been the Monroe Doctrine, although, there has, for the most part,
been so little real force behind that ‘doctrine’ that its very weakness has
invited more than one European monarch to attempt to ‘smash it.’ It defied all
the world to attempt to set up any authority of their own, or to interfere with
any of the independent governments then existing in North or South America….In
a word the real meaning of the Monroe Doctrine is, ‘Hands off’ and that too, to
all the world….One could imagine that the Book of Mormon prophet might have
been standing at the elbow of President Monroe when he signed the document as
it was handed to him by the Secretary of State, John Quincy Adams. For the
Monroe Doctrine is nothing more than the Book of Mormon prophecy put in the
form of a state paper. It has been tested and tried. It has been called the
‘most magnificent bluff in history, and so far the most successful.’ At any
rate, it has stood. It has been affirmed and re-affirmed by President after
President until it is now upheld and proclaimed as with the voice of a hundred
millions of people.” (Nephi Lowell Morris, Prophecies of Joseph Smith and
Their Fulfillment, pp. 136-138 as taken from Latter-day Commentary on
the Book of Mormon compiled by K. Douglas Bassett, p. 125)
2 Ne 10:13 he
that fighteth against Zion shall perish
The phrase, he that fighteth
against Zion shall perish, has both a literal and a spiritual meaning. The context of verses 11-14 show that the Lord will fortify the
land of America against all other nations. This is not a spiritual
fortification but a military one and will remain in force as long as the
inhabitants of the land are righteous. This interpretation has been applied to
this scripture by many of the brethren.
Matthias
Cowley
“Another
striking prediction contained in the Book of Mormon is the following: ‘And this land shall be a land of liberty unto the
Gentiles, and there shall be no kings upon the land, who shall raise up unto
the Gentiles; and I will fortify this land against all other nations; and he
that fighteth against Zion shall perish, saith God; For he that raiseth up
a king against me shall perish, for I, the Lord, the king of heaven, will be
their king, and I will be a light unto them forever, that hear my words.’
(II. Nephi x: 11-14.) Gradually, yet with certain progress, has the government
of kings been abolished from the American continent until nearly all
governments in North and South America are republics.
Canada is still under the rule of Great Britain, but is managed in such a
manner that the liberties of the people are almost, if not quite equal to those
of a republican territory. Those who know the history of the effort to make
Maximilian a king in Mexico also know how terribly the words of the Book of
Mormon have been verified: ‘For he that raiseth up a king unto me shall
perish.’
“This
continent is the land of Zion, ‘and he that fighteth against Zion shall perish, saith
God.’ Before the late Spanish-American war, George Q. Cannon read these
predictions from the Book of Mormon before a congregation in the Tabernacle,
and with a knowledge that these prophecies were given of the Lord foretold the
result of the war and the certain banishment of Spanish kingly power from the
American isles. Other prophecies of the sacred volume have been verified since
its publication to the world. Those verified should establish faith in
reasonable minds that the unfulfilled parts will surely come to pass.” (Cowley’s
Talks on Doctrine, p. 183-4)
B.
H. Roberts
“[speaking of World War I]… Does this Church of Jesus Christ
of Latter-day Saints stand in any relationship to this great calamity that has
come upon the inhabitants of the earth--upon the nations of Europe? Do we as a
Church have any relationship to the great world movements? I believe that we
do….We have in a general way, a foreknowledge of the destiny of the nations
that shall inhabit this choice land of America. We had read to us this morning
by Elder Joseph F. Smith, Jr., the conditions on which nations may maintain
themselves and their dominion upon this choice land, dedicated as it is to free
institutions and to be the habitat of a righteous people. And they may maintain
themselves here, whether of Israel or of the Gentile races; if they comply with
those conditions--acceptance of the God of the land--who is declared to be
Jesus Christ--and of his righteous law. The same message was delivered to the Nephites. They were told that both the House of Joseph--son
of Jacob--and the Gentiles should have special inheritance in this land, and
that the Gentiles should be great in the eyes of the Lord, but there should be
no kings that should raise up unto the Gentiles in this land; ‘for he that raiseth up a king
against me shall perish,’ said the Lord, ‘for
I, the Lord, the King of heaven, will be their King.’ The land is
consecrated to free institutions, then, and to a righteous people and God,
under these conditions is pledged ‘to fortify this
land against all other nations.’ It is the land of Zion, ‘and he that fighteth against
Zion shall perish, saith God’ (II Nephi X).” (Conference
Report, Oct. 1916, p. 141)
Spencer
W. Kimball
“But
these promises, glorious though they be, desirable as
they are, can come only ‘. . . if they will but
serve the God of this land who is Jesus Christ....’ (Ether 2:12.) There
is only one way. That infallible cure is simply righteousness, obedience,
Godliness, honor, and integrity. There is no other cure. Mountains of arms and
ammunitions will not guarantee safety, for enemies can also build
fortifications and missiles and bomb shelters. If we would but believe the
prophets! For they have warned that if the ‘inhabitants
of this land are ever brought down into captivity and enslaved, it shall be
because of iniquity; for if iniquity shall abound cursed shall be the land.’
(See 2 Nephi 1:7.)” (Conference Report, Oct. 1, 1961, p. 31)
The spiritual interpretation of the
phrase, he that fighteth against Zion shall perish,
is apparent from the context of verse 16, Wherefore,
he that fighteth against Zion, both Jew and Gentile,
both bond and free, both male and female, shall perish; for they are they who
are the whore of all the earth; for they who are not for me are against me, saith our God. In this sense, those who fight
against the kingdom of God, or Zion, shall perish with the destructions
pronounced upon the great and abominable whore.
Hugh Nibley
“For him as for Nephi there are just
two sides to the question. He groups all factions and complexions of people
into two arbitrary categories. After naming seven different groups, he adds,
"But I shall call them Lamanites
that seek to destroy the people of Nephi, and those who are friendly to Nephi I
shall call Nephites" (Jacob 1:14). In the
same way, Nephi had explained: "He that fighteth against Zion, both Jew and Gentile . . . are they
who are the whore of all the earth" (2 Nephi 10:16; italics added).
By this reasoning there are never more than "save
two churches only" in the world, and indeed Nephi's much-commented
remark to that effect (1 Nephi 14:10) reads more like a statement of general
principle than the denunciation of one particular church among many. (An
Approach to the Book of Mormon, p. 161)
Finally, the doctrine is repeated in 2
Ne 27:3-5:
‘And all the nations that
fight against Zion, and that distress her, shall be as a dream of a night vision;
yea, it shall be unto them, even as unto a hungry man which dreameth,
and behold he eateth but he awaketh
and his soul is empty; or like unto a thirsty man which dreameth,
and behold he drinketh but he awaketh
and behold he is faint, and his soul hath appetite; yea, even so shall the
multitude of all the nations be that fight against Mount Zion.
For behold, all ye that doeth iniquity, stay
yourselves and wonder, for ye shall cry out, and cry; yea, ye shall be drunken
but not with wine, ye shall stagger but not with strong drink.
For behold, the Lord hath poured out upon
you the spirit of deep sleep. For behold, ye have closed your eyes, and ye have
rejected the prophets; and your rulers, and the seers hath he covered because
of your iniquity.’
2 Ne 10:18 the
Gentiles shall be blessed and numbered among the house of Israel
The Gentiles will be blessed with the
Holy Ghost. Through the Holy Ghost, those who are Gentiles by lineage can
become members of the house of Israel when they receive the ordinances of
baptism and the laying on of hands. They are thereby adopted into the house of
Israel and will be entitled to all the blessings promised to those who have the
blood of Israel in their veins. Joseph Smith explained how the Holy Ghost makes
this transformation.
Joseph Smith
“for as the Holy Ghost falls upon one
of the literal seed of Abraham, it is calm and serene; and his whole soul and
body are only exercised by the pure spirit of intelligence; while the effect of
the Holy Ghost upon a Gentile, is to purge out the old blood, and make him
actually of the seed of Abraham. That man that has none of the blood of Abraham
(naturally) must have a new creation by the Holy Ghost.” (Teachings,
p. 149-150).
Therefore, once a Gentile has had this
transformation take place, he or she is entitled to the blessings of the
members of the house of Israel. The prophecies of Isaiah concerning the house
of Israel can be likened unto them. They will be a part of the great gathering
of Israel, as the Savior explained:
‘But if they will repent and hearken unto my
words, and harden not their hearts, I will establish my church among them, and
they shall come in unto the covenant and be numbered among this the remnant of
Jacob, unto whom I have given this land for their inheritance;
And they shall assist my people, the remnant
of Jacob, and also as many of the house of Israel as shall come, that they may
build a city, which shall be called the New Jerusalem.
And then shall they assist my people that
they may be gathered in, who are scattered upon all the face of the land, in
unto the New Jerusalem.
And then shall the power of heaven come down
among them; and I also will be in the midst.’ (3 Nephi
21:22-5).
2 Ne 10:19 it
is a choice land…above all other lands
See commentary for 2 Ne 1:4.
2 Ne 10:20-21 we are upon an isle
of the sea. But great are the promises of the Lord unto them who are upon the
isles of the sea
Jacob and
Nephi considered the land of promise an isle of the sea. Such a conclusion is logical
to one who had arrived there by sea. This helps us to understand why Nephi
included chapter 49 of Isaiah in his record (see 1 Ne 21). In Isaiah 49, the
first verse addresses the reader, Listen, O isles,
unto me. Nephi likens the scriptures unto himself and unto his people.
Nephi and Jacob are reading this as if Isaiah is speaking directly to them. The
rest of the chapter 49 includes some of the great promises given to the
scattered Israelites in the last days. The great promises are that God will preserve
them, will make them his covenant people, will lead them and guide them, will
have mercy on their afflicted, will contend with their enemies, and they will
be nursed and gathered by the Gentiles. Other promises given to those on the
isles of the sea are listed:
‘The isles saw it, and feared; the
ends of the earth were afraid, drew near, and came.
But thou, Israel, art my servant,
Jacob whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham my friend.
Thou whom I have taken from the ends of
the earth, and called thee from the chief men thereof, and said unto thee, Thou
art my servant; I have chosen thee, and not cast thee away.’ (Isa 41:5,8,9)
‘the isles shall wait for his law’ (Isa 42:4)
‘Surely the isles shall wait for me, and the
ships of Tarshish first, to bring thy sons from far,
their silver and their gold with them, unto the name of the LORD thy God, and
to the Holy One of Israel, because he hath glorified thee.
And the sons of strangers shall build up thy
walls, and their kings shall minister unto thee: for in my wrath I smote thee,
but in my favour have I had mercy on thee.
Therefore thy gates shall be open
continually; they shall not be shut day nor night;
that men may bring unto thee the forces of the Gentiles, and that their
kings may be brought.
For the nation and kingdom that will not
serve thee shall perish; yea, those nations
shall be utterly wasted. (Isa
60:9-12)
‘Hear the word of
the LORD, O ye nations, and declare it in the isles afar off, and say,
He that scattered Israel will gather him, and keep him, as a shepherd doth
his flock.
For the LORD hath redeemed
Jacob, and ransomed him from the hand of him that was stronger than he.’
(Jer 31:10-11)
‘Yea, then will
he remember the isles of the sea; yea, and all the people who are of the house
of Israel, will I gather in, saith the Lord,
according to the words of the prophet Zenos, from the
four quarters of the earth.
Yea, and all the earth shall see the
salvation of the Lord, saith the prophet; every nation,
kindred, tongue and people shall be blessed. (1 Ne 19:16-7)
2 Ne 10:23 ye are free to act for
yourselves
Christ’s
infinite atonement frees us from the fall of Adam and allows us to exercise our
agency in choosing right and wrong. The term, “free agency” is redundant. It is
not found in the scriptures. Rather, the scriptures use the term, “agency of
man” (Moses 4:3). People only remain free as long as they exercise this agency
wisely. Lehi makes it clear that if they choose the
plan of Satan, they are choosing captivity and death
(2 Ne 2:27). Thus, the wicked voluntarily give up their freedom so that Satan
can drag them down to his miserable level.
Joshua tried to help the children of
Israel decide how to use their agency righteously, choose
you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served
that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites,
in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord (Josh
24:15). It is only through serving the Lord that we remain free, for we are
able to avoid the bondage of sin and the captivity of the devil.
Brigham Young
“All rational beings have an agency of
their own; and according to their own choice they will be saved or damned (DBY,
62).
“Can the people understand that it is
actually necessary for opposite principles to be placed before them, or this
state of being would be no probation, and we should have no opportunity for
exercising the agency given us? Can they understand that we cannot obtain
eternal life unless we actually know and comprehend by our experience the
principle of good and the principle of evil, the light and the darkness, truth,
virtue, and holiness,—also vice, wickedness, and corruption? (DBY,
66).
“Man can produce and control his own
acts, but he has no control over their results (DBY, 63).
“There are limits to agency, and to all
things and to all beings, and our agency must not infringe upon that law. A man
must choose life or death [see Helaman 14:31], and if
he chooses death he will find himself abridged, and that the agency which is
given to him is so bound up that he cannot exercise it in opposition to the
law, without laying himself liable to be corrected and punished by the
Almighty. (DBY, 63).
“A man can dispose of his agency or of
his birthright, as did Esau of old, but when disposed of, he cannot again
obtain it; consequently, it behooves us to be careful, and not forfeit that
agency that is given to us. The difference between the righteous and the
sinner, eternal life or death, happiness or misery, is this, to those who are
exalted there are no bounds or limits to their privileges, their blessings have
a continuation, and to their kingdoms, thrones, and dominions, principalities,
and powers there is no end, but they increase through all eternity; whereas,
those who reject the offer, who despise the proffered mercies of the Lord, and
prepare themselves to be banished from his presence, and to become companions
of the devils, have their agency abridged immediately, and bounds and limits
are put to their operations (DBY, 63-4)
“In rendering that strict obedience,
are we made slaves? No, it is the only way on the face of the earth for you and
me to become free (DBY, 225)” (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Brigham
Young, pp. 71-3)
2 Ne 10:24 reconcile
yourselves to the will of God
The righteous exercise of agency
requires that we reconcile ourselves to the will of God. One of the great ironies of the gospel is
that true freedom comes only after submitting to the will of God, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and
take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose
it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same
shall save it. For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole
world, and lose his own soul? (Mark 8:34-6)
2 Ne 10:24 it
is only in and through the grace of God that ye are saved
When Paul taught that it was by grace
that we are saved, he did not intend all of Christendom to interpret this to
mean that the only requirement for salvation was a cursory acceptance of
Christ. He said, by grace
are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift
of God (Eph 2:8). The exercise of faith requires more than a casual
acceptance of Christ. It requires action. We must receive the necessary
ordinances, exercise faith, and as Jacob teaches, we must first be reconciled
unto God by submitting to His will. At that point, we are brought into the
presence of God—not because our actions were righteous enough to get us there
but because the grace of God has made up the difference. Therefore, it truly is
by grace that we are saved. See also 2 Ne 25:23.