2 Nephi 2

(All of my own thoughts are in blue type.4/20  Green 1/21 Orange 4/22 Brown 2023 )

CHAPTER 2

Redemption cometh through the Holy Messiah Most important fact!—Freedom of choice (agency) is essential to existence and progression Most important doctrine!—Adam fell that men might be—Men are free to choose liberty and eternal life. Most important choice! Between 588 and 570 B.C.

  1 And now, Jacob, I speak unto you: Thou art my ^afirst-born in the days of my tribulation in the wilderness. I think we all can/will be able to point to a period in our lives (or our whole lives...) that we would call the "days of my tribulation in the wilderness". In the grandest of views, our whole mortal life is a wilderness compared to the home we left in heaven and the one to which we will return. I also love how he gives this title to a younger child…"my first-born".  I think there was quite an age difference between Sam and Jacob.  Often parents who have a child later in life will have two so they are not alone. They definitely are a “second” family so you can see why he’d be seen as a “first-born” of those “last” two… And behold, in thy childhood thou hast suffered afflictions and much sorrow, because of the rudeness of thy brethren. Ouch!  Makes me wonder how/why Lehi and Sariah tolerated the rudeness…Lehi sure wasn't shy about telling it like it was!

  2 Nevertheless, Here is the lesson for Jacob: don't dwell on the afflictions, the injustice, the persecution. Focus on the blessings! Jacob, my first-born in the wilderness, thou knowest the greatness of God; how did Jacob come to this knowledge? At the very least, he had a father and a brother that testified of it constantly. They always focused on their blessings and the hand of God in guiding and preserving them and they were verbal about those facts…and he shall consecrate thine ^aafflictions for thy gain. This is a great promise to all who suffer at the hands of the wicked. We must all come to know the greatness of God. Whether it is harder or easier to do that from a place of trial or ease is individual. But, collectively, history shows that it is affliction that points us in His direction...and if it does, in the end we'll be grateful! I have written a book in my head that is titled "Will You Please Change, So I Don't Have To?"  The title came to me one day in a flash of learning where I came to see my trials (particularly the ones that come at the hands of others) as nothing more than opportunities for me to see how I was doing in developing the character of Christ. It took all the previous focus on the actions of others and their effects on me (which I didn't like, hence the title to 'stop it!') to my own reaction and the agency I possessed to choose that reaction. I began to see each "injustice" as an opportunity to see only how I was doing; and I could only every really know that if I was continually 'tested'.

  3 Wherefore, thy soul shall be blessed, and thou shalt dwell safely I can only imagine that safety is a big issue for this "younger" child who has witnessed the physical abuse of his older brothers and perhaps his own. This would be a very comforting promise. We are given that same promise of safety as we keep the commandments. Lehi could confidently give Jacob this promise because he knew that he would be true to the covenant he had made to keep the commandments with thy brother, Nephi; and thy days shall be ^aspent in the service of thy God. This language suggests that Lehi might be officially calling Jacob, right here, in this moment, to be a prophet. Wherefore, I know that thou art not "will be" but "art" now...redeemed, because of the righteousness of thy Redeemer; did you think he was going to say “redeemed because of YOUR righteousness”?….I did.  But we are saved “AFTER” all we can do…which can mean…EVEN after all you can do…you are still only saved because Jesus Christ chose, in HIS righteousness to atone for your sins. and ultimately perfect you for thou hast ^bbeheld Jacob has been shown in vision… that in the ^cfulness of time he cometh to bring salvation unto men. We don't have a record of Jacob's vision, but here we read he has had one. So in the first few pages of the Book of Mormon we have a witness that Lehi, Nephi, and Jacob have all received this glorious vision. Are they just a lucky family? Or is this blessing available to all who "Come unto Christ"? Pres. Benson said, "Seek the face of the Lord, always". This "vision" is part of your endowment that literally brings you into the Lord's presence...in this life. Believe it. I wonder how old Jacob was? Seems like he couldn't be more than about 10. That's amazing to have had those experiences so young!
  4 And thou hast ^abeheld in thy youth his glory; WOW! You do not have to wait until you are older to experience this!  wherefore, thou art blessed even as they unto whom he shall minister in the flesh; meaning? That Christ ministered to Jacob the same as he did in the N.T. times? or his Nephite descendants? for the Spirit is the same, yesterday, today, and forever. Do not read the Book of Mormon as if its promises and blessings are reserved only to that particular time or only to certain people. God is no respecter of persons. You are equal in his sight, equal in potential, equal in promise to Lehi, Nephi, and Jacob. And the way is prepared There is one path, and all have been, are, and ever will be free to follow it...follow Him! from the fall of man, and ^bsalvation is ^cfree. 'Free', in that you cannot buy it or earn it…it has to be given to you.  You do have to “come unto Christ” with a broken heart and contrite spirit and repent and be baptized and endure to the end…but even with that, you are only saved because Christ offers it freely to you.

  5 And men are instructed sufficiently "you don't know everything....but you know enough!" that they ^aknow good from evil. This is the promise of the Light of Christ that is given to every person born. Follow it from it's earliest and tiniest of promptings; learn to trust it; and it will lead you to the Father. It is enough. And the ^blaw is given unto men. Make peace with the justice of God. And by the law no flesh is ^cjustified; or, by the law men are ^dcut off. Yea, by the temporal law they were cut off; and also, by the spiritual law they perish from that which is good, and become miserable forever. We cannot choose the consequences of our actions. There are only two choices. Eternal life through Jesus Christ, or eternal misery through the captivity of Lucifer. This might be referring to the law that by Adam and Eve's transgression, we come into a mortal world already "cut off" from God and thus need to cast off the natural man to regain God's presence. 
  6 Wherefore, ^aredemption from sin and death; from our physical and spiritual separation from God cometh in and through the ^bHoly ^cMessiah; "in" his example and "through" his atonement for he is full of ^dgrace - that enabling and ennobling power that comes through the gift of the Atonement to lift us from our fallen natures to the presence of God and truth.   "...and the truth shall make you free"; in other words "Christ" shall make you free. (video: I am the Light of the World; The Truth Shall Make You Free; LDS Media)

It is a grand paradox that the world that rejects the "standards" of the gospel because they claim it limits their freedom. How very wrong they are. Freedom only comes from truth and truth comes from Christ. The gospel proclaims what those truths and choices are that bring freedom and it invites you to choose to live by them. The only "freedom" one retains in rejecting them is the freedom to choose to follow someone else's standard. The deception is... that a person who rejects Christ thinks they are choosing "their own way"...but there is no "own way"... there is only Christ's way or the Devil's. Period. Your only agency is to decide which you will follow.

Moses 7:32 The Lord said unto Enoch: Behold these thy brethren; they are the workmanship of mine own hands, and I gave unto them their knowledge, in the day I created them; and in the Garden of Eden, gave I unto man his agency;

 33 And unto thy brethren have I said, and also given commandment, that they should love one another, and that they should choose me, their Father..."

Each "way" has consequences that you are NOT free to choose. The consequence of God's way is continued and increasing freedom, light, knowledge, and progression. The consequences of not choosing His way are misery, darkness, confusion, and an end to all progress. And freedom? forget that...Satan's goal is to bring you under his control and power. 

2 Nephi 2:27 Wherefore, men are free according to the flesh; and all things are given them which are expedient unto man. And they are free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil; for he seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself.  

7 Behold, he offereth himself a ^asacrifice for sin, to answer the ends of the law without the sacrifice of the Savior we would all be condemned by the law to suffer for our own sins. I'm sure this will come up again later, but it's worth bringing up here, that we need to understand that the punishment for sin is affixed to the law - the law administers it. God does not , unto all those who have a broken heart and a contrite spirit; and unto ^bnone else can the ^cends of the law be answered.  These are the terms for you…a broken heart and a contrite spirit…
Broken: “to cause to yield; to train to obedience" a broken heart is one that is being trained for obedience Or one that knows it's nothingness without Christ and thus the desire to yield fully to Christ and follow Him
Contrite: "Feeling regret and sorrow for one's sins or offenses” This is the necessary condition for training to take place. Think of a horse being trained by its master. The animal must respond to correction with a desire to please the master. The animal learns to yield its natural, wild impulse to the call of the master. When they have done so, they are considered 'broken'. 
Remember, we must learn to yield to the voice of the Spirit and obey it's promptings. When we fail to do so, we must recognize it, and feel regret and sorrow which gives us greater faith to yield the next time. These opportunities to yield and follow and succeed and fail and regret and try again are innumerable and happen more often than we realize. Every whisper of the conscience is really the voice of the Spirit of Christ. Learn to follow it. It will lead you back to the Father. A remission of sins only comes to those who offer a broken heart/contrite spirit. This does not happen at our water baptism, but only when we are baptized by Fire and the Holy Ghost and are Born Again. Look for this doctrine throughout the scriptures. It truly is The Doctrine of Christ!

       (video: Easily Guided; Emily Winegar-World Champion Horse Trainer)

  8 Wherefore, how great the importance to make these things known unto the inhabitants of the earth, it is a condition for everyone...whether you are aware of it or not! By Christ all are resurrected...this gift is given even without your needing to know it exists. But...eternal life is a gift only to those who accept the sacrifice of the Savior for their sins and who repent and enter into covenants with Him that they will keep His commandments and always remember Him and endure to the end in following Him. This applies to everyone and is in effect even if you are unaware of it...hence the importance to make it known to all men. We are in a prophesied time of "hastening" to get that message to as many people as possible as quickly as possible, for He said, Matthew 24:14 "And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come."  Is this yet coming where literally all will hear?

Add to that Elder Holland's ending words almost two years ago:
"So if you have made covenants, keep them. If you haven’t made them, make them. If you have made them and broken them, repent and repair them. It is never too late so long as the Master of the vineyard says there is time.

  Please listen to the prompting of the Holy Spirit telling you right now, this very moment, that you should accept the atoning gift of the Lord Jesus Christ and enjoy the fellowship of His labor. Don’t delay. It’s getting late."   

that they may know that there is no flesh that can dwell in the presence of God, ^asave it be through the merits, and mercy, and grace of the Holy Messiah, who ^blayeth down his life according to the flesh, and taketh it again by the power of the Spirit, that he may bring to pass the ^cresurrection of the dead, being the first that should rise. 

  9 Wherefore, he is the firstfruits unto God, In the law of Moses, the Israelites consecrated the "first fruits" of their harvest to God, by giving it to the priests for their support. All of the fruit of Christ's labor was consecrated to the Father. He is the "first fruit" of the plan of salvation. We are all to be the fruit that follows. And it will be the first fruits that are resurrected or caught up to meet Him when He comes in the morning of the first resurrection inasmuch as he shall make ^aintercession  while this means that He makes a plea for us, it is more that His intercession provides or is the gate by which we may be redeemed for all the children of men; and they that believe in him shall be saved. Notice the condition...they that believe in him...He is the gate, but we must choose to walk through it. No amount of His pleading on our behalf can override our agency to walk through the gate.

  10 And because of the intercession for ^aall, all men come unto God; Christ's atonement brings all men to the stand before God wherefore, they stand in the presence of him, to be ^bjudged of him according to the truth and ^choliness which is in him. Wherefore, the ends of the law which the Holy One hath given, unto the inflicting of the ^dpunishment which is affixed, which punishment that is affixed is in opposition to that of the happiness which is affixed, to answer the ends of the ^eatonement—Here is the scripture I just referenced about the punishment being affixed to the law. No longer do I see punishment being meted out by an angry Father. He is always loving and kind and it pains His heart to watch us suffer the consequences of our choices that are affixed to the laws we break. But He knows this is how we learn - by the things which we suffer. He is not standing there beating us with a whip. He knows the Law is the one doing it. 

  11 For it must needs be, not…”this is the way it is” but “this is the way it HAS to be” that there is an ^aopposition in all things. Everything has it’s opposite (and everything in between...) If not so, my first-born in the wilderness, He may be addressing this specifically to Jacob because he knew so much opposition in his childhood and wants him to have the right perspective about it... righteousness could not be brought to pass, neither wickedness, neither holiness nor misery, neither good nor bad. Wherefore, all things must needs be a compound in one; I think this means, if there were no opposition - everything, in effect, would be the same because it would have no context. It would be like seeing a picture of someone crying. But the tears have no meaning...are they for joy? sadness? fear? something in the eye? It doesn't matter...for it has no meaning and therefore no effect on us. It just seems as water. All the possible reasons for the tears have the same effect so it is like they are the same thing or "a compound in one"...wherefore, if it should be one body it must needs remain as dead, having no life neither death, nor corruption nor incorruption, happiness nor misery, neither sense nor insensibility.

  12 Wherefore, it must needs have been created for a thing of naught; wherefore there would have been no ^apurpose in the end of its creation. This is a key statement. For it is not so much that there are opposites that we should focus on, but that opposition creates a choice whereby we may exercise our agency to make a choice and it is the EFFECT of that choice that makes all the difference! Wherefore, this thing must needs destroy the wisdom of God and his eternal purposes, "to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man" and also the power, and the mercy, and the ^bjustice of God. through the Atonement

  13 And if ye shall say there is ^ano law, ye shall also say there is no sin. If ye shall say there is no sin, ye shall also say there is no righteousness. And if there be no righteousness there be no happiness. And if there be no righteousness nor happiness there be no punishment nor misery. And if these things are not ^bthere is no God. And if there is no God we are not, neither the earth; for there could have been no creation of things, neither to act nor to be acted upon; This is Elder Bednar's favorite phrase... wherefore, all things must have vanished away.

  14 And now, my sons, I speak unto you these things for your profit and ^alearning; the loving motivation for all parental teaching for there is a God, and he hath ^bcreated all things, both the heavens and the earth, and all things that in them are, both things to act and things to be ^cacted upon. You are created to ACT…not be acted upon!

  15 And to bring about his eternal ^apurposes in the end of man, after he had ^bcreated our first parents, and the beasts of the field and the ^cfowls of the air, and in fine, all things which are created, it must needs be that there was an opposition; There HAD to be a choice for Adam and Eve… even the ^dforbidden ^efruit in ^fopposition to the ^gtree of life; the one being sweet and the other bitter. I think that Adam and Eve's transgression wasn't so much that they ate the forbidden fruit...for at some point they would have had to partake of it to become mortal to "multiply and replenish the earth". The transgression may have been that they ate it before God told them to and ate it when Satan told them to.

  16 Wherefore, the Lord God gave unto man that he should ^aact for himself. Wherefore, man could not ^bact for himself save it should be that he was ^centiced by the one or the other. If you do not feel a pull by one choice or the other…than what choice is it really?

  17 And I, Lehi, according to the things which I have read, must needs suppose that an ^aangel of God, according to that which is written, had ^bfallen from heaven; wherefore, he became a ^cdevil, having sought that which was evil before God. And what was the evil the devil sought? To destroy the agency of man...and how would he do that? Would it be to force us to choose good over evil? Or was it to take away the consequences of sin so that the effect of the two choices would be the same...it wouldn't matter what you chose? (that seems to be his deception today...to have us believe we can choose anything we want without consequence -  either choice can bring happiness)

  18 And because he had fallen from heaven, and had become miserable forever, he ^asought also the misery of all mankind. Is this where the phrase "misery loves company" comes from? Wherefore, he said unto Eve, yea, even that old serpent, who is the devil, who is the father of all ^blies, wherefore he said: Partake of the forbidden fruit, and ye shall not die, but ye shall be as God, ^cknowing good and evil. Seems like one lie…one truth. The lie: ye shall not die, for they did die spiritually as they were removed from God’s presence AND they would eventually die physically, which they would never have done if they had remained in the garden. The truth: Ye shall be as God, knowing good and evil. But Satan cannot speak truth, so what is the lie in "ye shall be as the Gods?" Perhaps it was that that the path to Godhood had anything to do with following anything Satan said. The lie could also be, that they already had the ability to know good from evil through the light of Christ which all are given at birth.

  19 And after Adam and Eve had ^apartaken of the forbidden fruit they were driven out of the garden of ^bEden, to till the earth. The first consequence of their choice...we must work!

  20 And they have brought forth children; yea, even the ^afamily of all the earth. The second consequence of their choice...have children

  21 And the days of the children of ^amen were prolonged, according to the ^bwill of God, that they might ^crepent while in the flesh; Thank God, everyday, for another chance to repent while in the flesh. It’s more important than you will ever know…until you are on the other side… wherefore, their state became a state of ^dprobation, and their time was lengthened, they lived a looooong time back them, so his day truly was lengthened....according to the commandments which the Lord God gave unto the children of men. For he gave commandment that all men must repent; for he showed unto all men that they were ^elost, because of the transgression of their parents. All men become separated from God by being born into this world. Adam and Eve brought mortality to us, that separation. Then, being mortal brings spiritual separation because we are constantly being enticed by "one or the other" and are not perfect. Justice requires restitution. Without it we are not 'clean' and we cannot enter God's presence unclean. Only the Atonement can make us "clean" to return to God.

  22 And now, behold, if Adam had not transgressed he would not have fallen, but he would have remained in the garden of Eden. And all things which were created must have remained in the same state in which they were after they were created; and they must have remained forever, and had no end.

  23 And they would have had no ^achildren; wherefore they would have remained in a state of innocence, having no ^bjoy, for they knew no misery; People like to make a joke out of this – that you can’t know misery if you don’t have kids…but also, there is the joy side! doing no good, for they knew no ^csin. Interesting that they weren’t capable of “good” unless there was the chance to sin. Again, this may be more about the effect of doing good when it comes not by choice. It is the grand effect of our agency that can exalt us.

  24 But behold, all things have been done in the wisdom of him who ^aknoweth all things.

  25 ^aAdam ^bfell that men might be; and men ^care, that they might have ^djoy.  Joy…what is God’s greatest joy?  You would think if he has created worlds without end…that must be his joy…creating!  And he doesn’t create them just for looks…he puts people on them. So his greatest joy is creating people. And his greatest power of creation he shares with us…to create life…hence our greatest joy is from creating life, (and all other “creating” that we do that gives literal life to spiritual creations )…forever.  So maybe this statement means, “Adam fell so that he could create people, families…so YOU could be…and YOU are so that you might have joy…creating people. When you are given eternal life…it is so that you can create eternal lives eternally…because that is where the joy is…just a thought. Also, in the context of this discourse on opposition, it seems like he is saying that the exercise of our agency to choose good over evil brings the effect of joy.

  26 And the ^aMessiah cometh in the fulness of time, that he may ^bredeem the children of men from the fall. And because that they are ^credeemed from the fall they have become ^dfree forever, knowing good from evil; to act for themselves and not to be acted upon, there it is again...agency...save it be by the punishment of the ^elaw at the great and last day, according to the commandments which God hath given.

  27 Wherefore, men are ^afree according to the ^bflesh; and ^call things are ^dgiven them which are expedient unto man. Is this breath, agency, a conscience, etc? And they are free to ^echoose ^fliberty and eternal ^glife, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil; Again...these are the only two choices you will ever really make. There is no "third way" called your "own way" for he seeketh that all men might be ^hmiserable like unto himself.

  28 And now, my sons, I would that ye should look to the great ^aMediator, and hearken unto his great commandments; and be faithful unto his words, and choose eternal life, according to the will of his Holy Spirit; Sooo much you can do with your agency.  Soooo important to CHOOSE well. Yield...

  29 And not choose eternal death, according to the will of the flesh and the ^aevil which is therein, This is our mortal "battle"...not to just overcome the will of the flesh; but to learn to let our Spirits YIELD to the enticings of the Holy Spirit which allow us to then master our flesh which giveth the spirit of the devil power As soon as we yield to Satan, we give him power...to ^bcaptivate, to bring you down to ^chell, that he may reign over you in his own kingdom.

  30 I have spoken these few words unto you all, my sons, in the last days of my probation; and I have chosen the good part, according to the words of the prophet. And I have none other object save it be the everlasting ^awelfare of your souls True charity!. Amen. So has direct and harsh as Lehi's words to Laman an Lemuel may seem, Lehi is clear that his only purpose in what he says to them is for the welfare of their souls. 

(Watch this video again:) LDSConservative YouTube channel:Moral Agency (LDS Prophets Mormon Message) Natural Law - Decisions Determine Destiny