Commentary for Book of Mormon: 2 Nephi 6-10

Chapter 6 

Overview of 2 Nephi 6-10

Although this section of the Book of Mormon is titled 2 Nephi, this title is slightly misleading because Nephi is not the only speaker/writer. In 2 Nephi 1, we read about Lehi's blessing and teaching to his sons. This spanned for 3 chapters. In 2 Nephi 4, we then heard from Nephi again. His writing continued for two chapter (4 and 5). Now, in chapter 6 until chapter 10, we are going to read the word of Jacob, Nephi's younger brother. As we read the next few chapters, it's also important to remember that while there are chapter breaks, there is not break in Jacob's speaking. From chapters 6 - 10, Jacob is addressing the Nephites.

"I, Jacob, having been called of God..."

Jacob begins chapter 6 addressing the Nephites. And like any prophet, Jacob established his pedigree. He states:

2 Behold, my beloved brethren, I, Jacob, having been called of God, and ordained after the manner of his holy order, and having been consecrated by my brother Nephi, unto whom ye look as a king or a protector, and on whom ye depend for safety, behold ye know that I have spoken unto you exceedingly many things.

Many of us may skip over verse 2. I know I did. However, there are some important insights we can extract from this verse. Broadly, Jacob is establishing his authority. Let's now break down what he says.

1. Was called of God
2. Ordained after the manner of his holy order; and
3. Consecrated by Nephi

Ordained vs. Called

For this section, I would like to focus on the difference between being called of God and being ordained after the Melchizedek order.

For most of us, I would imagine that we conflate being ordained with being called. But these do not mean the same thing. To ordain someone to the priesthood means to "establish [that person] in a particular office or order. However, to be called in gospel terminology means something different. Where ordain means to appoint someone to a particular office within the church, call means to be chosen by God.

These distinction might not be clear at first and the scriptures don't come out and say: THERE'S A DIFFERENCE! Instead, like most things with the gospel, truths are hidden and only careful study and prayer will uncover them.

Genesis 14 (JST) 

With that in mind, let's begin by looking at the Joseph Smith Translation (JST) of Genesis 14. Here, if we read carefully enough, we'll be able to unravel the differences.

26 Now Melchizedek was a man of faith, who wrought righteousness; and when a child he feared God, and stopped the mouths of lions, and quenched the violence of fire.
27 And thus, having been approved of God, he was ordained an high priest after the order of the covenant which God made with Enoch,
28 It being after the order of the Son of God; which order came, not by man, nor the will of man; neither by father nor mother; neither by beginning of days nor end of years; but of God;
29 And it was delivered unto men by the calling of his own voice, according to his own will, unto as many as believed on his name. 

Let's now break it down.

In verses 26-28, we learn that because Melchizedek was righteousness man of faith, he was ordained a high priest after the priesthood order God made with Enoch, which order [priesthood] came by God, not by the will of humans. Thus, Melchizedek was initially ordained as high priest to the priesthood order.

However, in verse 29 we learn Melchizedek received the priesthood by God's voice. Thus Melchizedek was ordained to the priesthood, but it was conferred upon him by God's voice. Further note that verse 29 says that "it" [priesthood] was delivered by God's voice. Although there are many definitions for deliver, one of these definitions is to "give, or transfer to put in another's hand or power,: to commit; to pass from one to another." Applying this definition to verse 29, unravels its full meaning.

Oath and Convent of the Priesthood 

Yet, this is only the beginning. This idea is further fleshed out in Doctrine and Covenants 84. In speaking about obtaining the priesthood, which culminates in receiving the Melchizedek, the Lord explains

38 And he that receiveth my Father receiveth my Father’s kingdom; therefore all that my Father hath shall be given unto him.
39 And this (receiving all that the Father has) is according to the oath and covenant which belongeth to the priesthood.
40 Therefore, all those who receive the priesthood, receive this oath and covenant of my Father, which he cannot break, neither can it be moved.
41 But whoso breaketh this covenant after he hath received it, and altogether turneth therefrom, shall not have forgiveness of sins in this world nor in the world to come.
42 And wo unto all those who come not unto this priesthood which ye have received, which I now confirm upon you who are present this day, by mine own voice out of the heavens; and even I have given the heavenly hosts and mine angels charge concerning you.

Before getting to my main point, it important to first clarify one thing. Verses 38-42 are talking about the priesthood. It is the priesthood because both the Aaronic and Meclhnizek priesthoods are part of the priesthood, they are just degrees within it -- Aaronic the lesser, Melchizedek the greater. Thus to fully receive the priesthood requires that one receive the Melchizedek priesthood. This is what it means to receive the fullness of the priesthood and this is what the Lord is referring to in these verses.  Therefore, when the Lord states talks about the priesthood, he is referring to acquiring the Melchizedek. Otherwise you can't have have the priesthood without the Melchizedek.

Having laid that groundwork, let's proceed to break down these verses. Staring at verse 40, we learn that those who receive the priesthood, receive it with an oath and covenant. How might this oath and covenant come about? The same way it happens for every person who has received this priesthood -- through God's voice. Verse 42, then repeats what Genesis 14 (JST) said, that the priesthood is was received by those to whom the Lord is addressing by the Lord voice from heaven.

In reading these verses, we should ask ourselves what would Jospeh Smith and 6 others receive it from God's voice but yet for us we can receive the priesthood through men? Doesn't that seem inconsistent.

Additionally, other question  requires us to look in verse 41. There is says that those who receive the oath and covenant and breaks it, can't have forgiveness in tis world nor in the world to come. If we believe that fullness of the priesthood comes form laying on hand, that means those who fall away can't be forgiven -- in this world or the next. Seems extreme and would mean that a lot of those who were ordained and have fallen away can't be forgiven. Is this what God means?

Last question deals with the power of the priesthood. Section 84 explains that

Jospeh Smith Receiving the Melchizedek Priesthood

Our last evidence is Joseph Smith's own conferral of the Melchizedek Priesthood, which happened by God's voice.

Although we teach that Jospeh Smith and Oliver Cowdrey, received the Melchizedek Priesthood by Peter, James, and John, there are some problems with that belief. First, there is no record by Jospeh Smith that Peter, James, and John conferred Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdrey to priesthood in 1829. Second, despite there not being a record that Peter, James, and John conferred the priesthood to Jospeh Smith, we do have a record that at the general conference on the farm of Isaac Morley in 1831, Joseph Smith and other received the Melchizedek Priesthood by God's voice.

Furthermore, this reception of the MPH at Isaac Morley's farms was noted as "the first occasion in which this priesthood has been revealed and conferred upon the Elders in this dispensation." (Autobiography of Parley P. Pratt, edited by his son, Parley P. Pratt [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1985], 53). Jospeh and other stated the same thing. This is supported by other accounts as well.

“On the 3rd of June, the authority of the Melchizedek Priesthood was manifested and conferred for the first time upon several of the Elders. It was clearly evident that the Lord gave us power in proportion to the work to be done.” (History of the Church, Vol.1, p.175). 

The Power of the Melchizedek Priesthood 

Besides discerning the meaning of these verses, another helpful approach is to look at what the scriptures say about the power of the Melchizedek Priesthood and then compare our experiences to it.

Doctrine and Covenants 107

18 The power and authority of the higher, or Melchizedek Priesthood, is to hold the keys of all the spiritual blessings of the church—
19 To have the privilege of receiving the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, to have the heavens opened unto them, to commune with the general assembly and church of the Firstborn, and to enjoy the communion and presence of God the Father, and Jesus the mediator of the new covenant.

Have we received any one of these privileges? If not, then we don't fully hold the Melchizedek Priesthood. We may have been ordained, but we haven't been called.


Conclusion  

Coming back to verse 2 in this chapter, we can now interpret it more accurately. Whereas in the past, many of us would read over this, we now see that Jacob is making a greater statement than we thought. By saying that he is "called of God" Jacob is stating that God, by his voice, has conferred upon the Melchizedek Priesthood.

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Chapter 7

Back to Isaiah 

Since we're looking at some chapter from Isaiah, I'm going to follow the established routine of providing commentary to selected verses. And like my previous post on Isaiah, I'll also indicate the speaker.

Verse 1: [Lord] The Lord ask Israel whether he has divorced them.

Note: Under Mosaic law, the husband (because a wife couldn't divorce) divorcing his wife was required to give his wife a bill (certificate) of divorcement. Like today, this certificate of divorcement would legally dissolve the marriage. The man was then free to remarry. 

Thus, the Lord is essentially asking (since he is the male in the relationship between Israel and Him] whether he initiated the divorce. He is asking the Jews the show proof that he initiated it. However, the Lord declares to the Jews that their actions ended the "marriage."

Note: For those interested, it's worthwhile to research the difference between divorce and putting away. Doing so will yield fantastic insight into Jesus' teaching about divorce in the Gospels. 

Verse 2: [Lord]: The Lord then explains that none received him when he came, no one responded to his call. To show his reliability and power (which would be necessary in the Ancient Near East) the Lord then explains how powerful he is.

Verse 4 [Davidic Servant ("DS")] Here, we turn back to the DS. In the next verse the DS describes the what the Lord has given him and also explains his character. Its worthily to note all the descriptions he gives.

Verse 8 - 9 [DS]: Explains that the Lord will be with him. Being armed not with physical strength, but power form the Lord, the DS's strength comes from the word he speaks. The DS will have such great power that his enemies will perish by his utterances.

Verse 10 [Isaiah]: Isaiah then asks who fears the Lord? Notable here is that Isaiah links fearing the Lord with obeying the voice of the DS. Additionally, Isaiah links not fearing the Lord with walking in darkness.

Verse 11: Picking up on this theme of walking in darkness, Isaiah then depicts the imagery of someone lighting a small fire, and seeking to use that light to be their only light. This idea of a small fire is indicated by the word "spark." A spark is a small particle of fire...or a small and shining body of...light. Thus when Isaiah says that those in darkness "compass [themselves] about with sparks," he is suggesting that those in darkness are using a small particle of light to give them light.

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Chapter 8

We'll continue the same pattern as we did in chapter 7. 

Verse 1-2 [Lord]: The Lord is calling the righteous to him. Abraham and Sarah are the parents of the righteous because the righteous are part of Abraham's lineage, regardless of whether they are Gentiles.

Verse 3-4 [Isaiah]: Isaiah explain that the Lord will reassure Zion and in time bring about Zion.

Notable to verse 3 is the reference to Eden. Ancient Near East mythology (where the Israelites originate from) believed that their gods lived in garden. Isaiah's imagery of Zion being like an Eden is two-fold: First, the wilderness (from where Zion will flourish) will be giving new life. Second, the God's (Heavenly Father, Jesus, and others) will dwell on the earth and the people living in Zion will dwell with them. Hence the reason why "joy and gladness shall be found in [Zion]." 

 The law shall proceed form the Lord to the righteous.

Verse 5-6 [Lord] Using metaphors, the Lord refers to three end-time servants (prophets). These are 1) [His] righteousness; 2) [His] salvation; and 3) [His] arm.

In verse 9, we see than the Lord arm is referring to a person. For more information about the three servants, see Doctrine and Covenants 113. I believe the "arm of the Lord" is the Davidic Servant ("DS"). 

The imagery of the Lord's arm, moreover, is powerful imagery. This is especially seen in the last sentence of verse 5 -- "the isles shall wait upon me, and on mine arm (my servant) shall they trust". Since the DS will manifest the Lord's power, he shall be like the arm of the Lord. Thus trusting in the work of the DS, means that the people are trusting in the Lord's power. 

Verse 7 [Lord]: Speaking to the Israelites who are seeking after righteousness, the Lord explain the criteria for being considered righteous. They

1. Have the law of the Lord written in their hearts (i.e., full submission to the Lord)
2. Do not fear men. 

Verse 8 [Lord]: The "them" in the moth shall eat them up like a garment refers to the men who revile and persecute the righteous in verse 6.

Verse 9-10 [Isaiah] Isaiah exhorts the "arm of the Lord" (DS) to put on his strength (power). Rahab and the Dragon refers to the Devil. We learn that the DS fought against the Devil and wounded him at some point. Isaiah is also drawing on Ancient Near East imagery of a large sea monster, likening the Devil to the sea monster. In verse 10, Isaiah seems to link the DS to the parting of the Red Sea. Was the DS there along with the Lord during Isarelite's Exodus? Reagrdless, we learn the DS has immense power.

Verse 11[Isaiah]: The redeemed are the ones who live Zion.

Verse 12-16 [Lord]: Reminds the people of his power.

Verses 17-18 [Isaiah]: Isaiah speaks to Jerusalem (and us, as the modern Jerusalem, today) who, due to their wickedness have suffered the Lord's judgment. Isaiah uses a metaphor of sons, offspring. And like a mother who has failed to raise righteous sons to guide and her, Jerusalem has failed to produce righteous people who could turn the city into a holy one.

Verse 19-20 [Isaiah]: Although Jerusalem has failed to produce "sons", two of her decednants will come to her to judge and condemn Jerusalem by desolation, destruction, famine, and war. The coming of the "two sons" likely refers to the other prophets the Lord will send in the end times -- righteousness and salvation (mentioned in verse 5). See Revealtion 11 below.

3 And I (the Lord) will give power unto my two witnesses, and they (the two witnesses/prophets) shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth.
...
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. (recall the Isaiah 20 about power to cause famine and desolation)
7 And when they shall have finished their testimony (testimony against Jerusalem), 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. (see 2 Nephi 8:20 "lie at the head of all the streets) 

Verses 21 - 23 [Isaiah]: Explains that the Lord will remove judgement away from Israel. Israel has experienced his judgement and now he will turn his judgement against the wicked -- those that afflict Israel.

Verse 24-35 [Isaiah]: See Doctrine and Covenants 113: 7 - 10

7 Questions by Elias Higbee: What is meant by the command in Isaiah, 52d chapter, 1st verse (or 2 Nephi 8:24), which saith: Put on thy strength, O Zion—and what people had Isaiah reference to?
8 He had reference to those whom God should call in the last days, who should hold the power of priesthood to bring again Zion, and the redemption of Israel; and to put on her strength is to put on the authority of the priesthood, which she, Zion, has a right to by lineage; also to return to that power which she had lost.
9 What are we to understand by Zion loosing herself from the bands of her neck; 2d verse (or 2 Nephi 8:25)?
10 We are to understand that the scattered remnants are exhorted to return to the Lord from whence they have fallen; which if they do, the promise of the Lord is that he will speak to them, or give them revelation. See the 6th, 7th, and 8th verses. The bands of her neck are the curses of God upon her, or the remnants of Israel in their scattered condition among the Gentiles.

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Chapter 9: 

If Our Flesh Should Rise No More?

8 O the wisdom of God, his mercy and grace! For behold, if the flesh should rise no more our spirits must become subject to that angel who fell from before the presence of the Eternal God, and became the devil, to rise no more.
9 And our spirits must have become alike unto him, and we become devils, angels to a devil, to be shut out from the presence of our God, and to remain with the father of lies, in misery, like unto himself; yea, to that being who beguiled our first parents, who transformeth himself nigh unto an angel of light, and stirreth up the children of men unto secret combinations of murder and all manner of secret works of darkness.

Questions from this verse:

• Why would Satan have power over us if we didn't have bodies? What is it about bodies that prevent/protect us from Satan's influence.  

Consider this statement by Joseph Smith: 

"God is good and all his acts (are) for the benefit of inferior intelligences - God saw that those intelligences had not power to defend themselves against those that had a tabernacle, therefore the Lord calls them together in counsel and agrees to form them tabernacles." (Words of Joseph Smith, p.68.)

Shall Have A Perfect Knowledge

13 O how great the plan of our God! For on the other hand, the paradise of God must deliver up the spirits of the righteous, and the grave deliver up the body of the righteous; and the spirit and the body is restored to itself again, and all men become incorruptible, and immortal, and they are living souls, having a perfect knowledge like unto us in the flesh, save it be that our knowledge shall be perfect.
14 Wherefore, we shall have a perfect knowledge of all our guilt, and our uncleanness, and our nakedness; and the righteous shall have a perfect knowledge of their enjoyment, and their righteousness, being clothed with purity, yea, even with the robe of righteousness.

Questions from this verse

• What does it mean to have a perfect knowledge? What's the difference between having the knowledge that we have know and a perfect knowledge that we'll have before we are judged? When Jacob says that the knowledge of our guilt, uncleanness, and naked will be perfect, what does he mean? 

The Righteous Saints

Jacob gives us a criteria of what it means to be righteous:

18 But, behold, the righteous, the saints of the Holy One of Israel, they who have believed in the Holy One of Israel, they who have endured the crosses of the world, and despised the shame of it, they shall inherit the kingdom of God, which was prepared for them from the foundation of the world, and their joy shall be full forever.

Two Criteria:

1. Believed in Christ (the Holy One of Israel) 
2. Endured the crosses of the world 

What Does It Mean To Believe? 

The first question for us is what does it mean to believe. Since this is an attribute of the righteous, we should avail ourselves of understanding the meaning of this term. However, when searching out this meaning, we should first look to what the scriptures, themselves, say, instead of coming up with our own definition or looking in the dictionary. This is because God's definition of belief, might not be the same as our definition.

Let's turn to Doctrine and Covenants 84, where the Lord tells us the signs that come to those who have a gospel type of belief. 

64 Therefore, as I said unto mine apostles I say unto you again, that every soul who believeth on your words, and is baptized by water for the remission of sins, shall receive the Holy Ghost.
65 And these signs shall follow them that believe—
66 In my name they shall do many wonderful works;
67 In my name they shall cast out devils;
68 In my name they shall heal the sick;
69 In my name they shall open the eyes of the blind, and unstop the ears of the deaf;
70 And the tongue of the dumb shall speak;
71 And if any man shall administer poison unto them it shall not hurt them;
72 And the poison of a serpent shall not have power to harm them. 

Also see Mormon 9:24

24 And these signs shall follow them that believe—in my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick and they shall recover; 

Thus, we should take time to ask ourselves whether we have witnessed or received any (doesn't have to be all) of these signs. If we haven't, then we don't believe.

And why does this matter? First, we are not part of the righteous saints. Second, we have not claim on eternal life. For the scriptures teach:

 And he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved, but he that believeth not shall be damned.. (Mormon 9:23)

Or

7 For verily I say unto you that I am aAlpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the light and the life of the world—a blight that shineth in darkness and the darkness comprehendeth it not.
8 I came unto mine own, and mine own received me not; but unto as many as received me gave I power to do many miracles, and to become the sons of God; and even unto them that believed on my name gave I power to obtain eternal life. 

Endured The Crosses of the World 

In the gospel, Jesus taught:

24 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
25 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.

The JST of Matthew 16 explains:

And now for a man to take up his cross, is to deny himself for all ungodliness, and from every worldly lust, and keep my commandments. Break not my commandments, for to save you lives; for whosover will save his life in this world, shall lose it in the world to come; and whosoever will lose his life in this for my shake shall find it in the world to come.

"I Have Spoken Hard Things"

As discussed in a earlier post, gaining light and truth often forces us to face the hard and cold facts of reality. It also causes us to to accept new truth that may be uncomfortable and hard. Laman and Lemuel struggled with this concept and often we offended by the things Nephi taught. As a result, they shut themselves out from learning more. This is what damnation means -- to stop oneself from progressing in further light and truth.

Sadly the scriptures teach us that the default position for most humans is to harden our hearts against receiving more truth. Doctrine and Covenants teaches us about the Israelites:

"Now this Moses plainly taught to the children of Israel in the wilderness, and sought diligently to sanctify his people that they might behold the face of God; but they hardened their hearts and could not endure his presence; therefore, the Lord in his wrath, for his anger was kindled against them, swore that they should not enter into his rest while in the wilderness, which rest is the fullness of his glory. Therefore, he took Moses out of their midst, and the Holy Priesthood also; and the lesser priesthood continued, which priesthood holdeth the key of the ministering of angels and the preparatory gospel." (D&C 84:23-26.)

On this, Brigham Young explained:

"If they (the Israelites) had been sanctified and holy, the children of Israel would not have traveled one year with Moses before they would have received their endowments and the Melchizedek Priesthood. But they could not receive them, and never did. Moses left them, and they did not receive the fullness of that Priesthood...The Lord told Moses that he would show himself to the people; but they begged Moses to plead with the Lord not to do so. (J.D. 6:100.) 

The same were for the Jews to whom Christ ministered. Joseph Smith taught:

Christ, in his days of flesh, proposed to make a covenant with them, but they rejected Him and His proposals, and in consequence thereof, they were broken off, and no covenant was made with them at that time. (H.C

This principle is true today. Many Christians believe that having another book besides the Bible is heresy. "There can't be any other book other than the Bible," they say. And by so saying, the draw a line in the sand, preventing God from teaching them further.

And because my words shall hiss forth—many of the Gentiles shall say: A Bible! A Bible! We have got a Bible, and there cannot be any more Bible. (2 Nephi 29:3) 

But many of the Christian sects out in the world aren't guilt of setting up stakes, the early saints were guilty of the same thing. This is something Joseph Smith lamented during his later years:

"I have tried for a number of years to get the minds of the Saints prepared to receive the things of God; but we frequently see some of them, after suffering all they have for the work of God, will fly to pieces like glass as soon as anything comes that is contrary to their traditions; they cannot stand the fire at all. How many will be able to abide a celestial law, and go through and receive their exaltation, I am unable to say, as many are called, but few are chosen." (Sunday, 21 Jan. 1844; TPJS, p. 331.) 

John Taylor explained some of these problems:

When Joseph Smith had anything from God to communicate to the children of men or to the Church, what was it he had to fight against all the day long? It was the prejudices of the people; and, in many instances, he could not and dare not reveal the word of God to the people, for fear they would rise up and reject it. How many times he faltered? It was not that he was particularly afraid; but he had to look after the welfare and salvation of the people.If the Prophet Joseph had revealed everything which the Lord manifested to him, it would have. proven the overthrow of the people in many instances; hence he had to treat them like children, and feed them upon milk, and unfold principles gradually, just as they could receive them.Was all this because it was so hard to comprehend correct principles? No, it was because we were babes and children, and could not understand." (JD 6:165.) 

Where do we stand?

• How do we respond to information that challenges our beliefs? 
• Do we prefer to be corrected or to be right? 
• Are willing to have our beliefs challenged each and every day or are we content living with the beliefs we have?  
• Do we actively seek out new information? 
• When considering new information, how do we evaluate it? Do we reject it because it doesn't feel right or to we test and try it out? 
• Are we offended easily by being corrected? 
• Are there certain topics or ideas we won't touch? 

How we respond to these questions is a indication of how much we love truth. Sadly, however, I fear that many of the LDS are too comfortable and content where they are. This is mainly evident in our discussions, particularly in church meetings. How much of our discussion is merely skimming the surface? How much reveals greater depths? Do we come away edified? 

In concluding, consider Brigham Young's statement about where we should place our focus:  

"There are a great many branches of education: some go to college to learn languages, some to study law, physics, or study astronomy and various other branches of science. We want every branch of science taught in this place that is taught in the world. But our favourite (sic) study is that branch which particularly belongs to the Elders of Israel--namely, theology. Every Eider (including women) should become a profound theologian--should understand this branch better than all the world." (JD 6:317.)

Keeper of the Gate

In brining about his work of restoring Israel, the Lord has once against called prophets to lead us. However, prophets are merely guides, they are not the source of our salvation. The Lord expects us to heed their words, but he doesn't expect us to follow them like a leader. Prophets serve as his mouthpiece, but only when he commands them to. When he doesn't, they are speaking on their form their own opinion.

We'll turn to this topic more fully toward in 2 Nephi 31-32. But suffice it to say, each one of us, in the words of Paul, must work out our salvation with "fear and trembling." The working out of our salvation requires us, like the righteous of old, to walk back into God's presence. The gate by which we pass is the gate (veil) into the Lord's presence. He alone stands there to welcome us. No man will do it for us. Only by knowing the Lord through keeping the commandments he tell us, will we be able to walk back.

In light of this, consider the following verses from Doctrine and Covenants 76 about those who will inherit a telestial glory:

98 And the glory of the telestial is one, even as the glory of the stars is one; for as one star differs from another star in glory, even so differs one from another in glory in the telestial world;
99 For these are they (i.e., these are they who inherit the telestial) who are of Paul, and of Apollos, and of Cephas.
100 These are they who say they are some of one and some of another—some of Christ and some of John, and some of Moses, and some of Elias, and some of Esaias, and some of Isaiah, and some of Enoch;

Question: What does it mean to be of "Paul, Apollos, or Cephas"? To be of some of Christ and some of John, etc?

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Chapter 10

Like Nephi in previous chapter, Jacob explains to the people the Lord's gathering of Israel. Because my other posts have discussed this topic in more depth, I will provide a brief overview of some topics and some questions to think about while reading this chapter:

This Land Shall Be A Land of Thine Inheritance

10 But behold, this land, said God, shall be a land of thine inheritance, and the Gentiles shall be blessed upon the land.
11 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.

It's important to note a few things. First, "this land" (in verse 10) is referring to the American land. Second, we learn that his seed will inherit the American land. Third, Jacob distinguishes between two groups: his seed and the Gentiles. His seed will inherit the the American land ("this land') and the Gentiles shall be blessed upon it.

This distinction are important to recognize. We know that the Nephite seed was wiped out except for those who dissented to the Lamanites. Thus the Lamanites would be the inheritors of the American land, not us. Our promise as Gentiles, is to be blessed upon the land and to have a land of liberty with no kings to rule over us. But in the end this land is for the Lamanites. Our job is to prepare it for them.

Other Questions To Consider 

• In verse 5-6, what caused the Jews to "stiffen their necks against God"?

• In verse 7-8, what has to happen (what condition has to be met) for the Jews to be "restored in the lands of their inheritance"?

• In verse 8, Jacob distinguished between "isles of the sea" and the "nations of the Gentiles," do these terms have the same meaning or different meaning. How do you know?

• Who is going to help them? 

• In verse 15, why does the Lord have to destroy "secret works of darkness, and of murders, and of abominations" in order for him to fulfill his covenant? 

• In verse 18, how will the Lord afflict the Lamanites? Who will he use?