2 Nephi 27

(All of my own thoughts are in red type.5/20Green 2/21 Orange 5/22 Brown 2023)

Chapter 27

Darkness and apostasy will cover the earth in the last days—The Book of Mormon will come forth—Three witnesses will testify of the book—The learned man will say he cannot read the sealed book—The Lord will do a marvelous work and a wonder—Compare Isaiah 29. About 559–545 B.C.

1 But, behold, in the ^alast days, or in the days of the Gentiles—yea, behold all the nations of the Gentiles and also the Jews, both those who shall come upon this land and those who shall be upon other lands, yea, even upon all the lands of the earth, behold, they will be ^bdrunken with iniquity and all manner of abominations—We are there! The Supreme Court is about to overturn Roe vs. Wade (that made abortion legal in all 50 states) which will turn the decision back to the states. You would think they are instead, wanting to make all abortions illegal, by the way people are acting, but it will be just as easy as ever in at least half the states and you can just drive across the border and get one quite easily. But there will be riots and protests like the summer of 2020 riots over the death of George Floyd. The riots didn't happen like that afterall. People are becoming unhinged over the slightest movement towards morality! Is there an abomination greater than abortion? Even our own church has "locked arms" with the NAACP (a black civil rights group that supports abortion) without any qualifications and they disavowed the scriptures say that black skin was ever meant to be a sign of a curse by God. (which I haven't figured out how to get around when I read them)  https://www.thechurchnews.com/leaders-and-ministry/2020-01-20/naacp-elder-stevenson-martin-luther-king-jr-172357;https://news.yahoo.com/naacp-blasts-draft-abortion-decision-231757759.html
  2 And when that day shall come they shall be ^avisited of the Lord of Hosts, with thunder and with earthquake, and with a great noise, and with storm, and with tempest, and with the ^bflame of devouring fire. This is all here and more is coming. Not sure what form the "great noise" will take, in the context of these other "natural" disasters. I do believe the Lord visits these upon us through natural and man-made means. Orange County, California just had a weird fire they called a "brush fire" but houses were burning from the inside out and I saw no "brush" burning. I believe it was Directed Energy Weapons - man-made warfare made to look natural. The Paradise California fire was much the same.
  3 And all the ^anations that ^bfight 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. I think this is after the New Jerusalem is established?
  4 For behold, all ye that doeth iniquity, stay yourselves and wonder, for ye shall cry out, and cry; yea, ye shall be ^adrunken but not with wine, ye shall stagger but not with strong drink. Isaiah talks of prophets being "drunken"...but we know it's not from literal wine. This verse clarifies that.
  5 For behold, the Lord hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep. For behold, ye have closed your ^aeyes, and ye have ^brejected the prophets; and your rulers, and the seers hath he covered because of your iniquity. I think this “deep sleep” is the inability or unwillingness for people to think think think for themselves in a rational way. "critical thinking" Their eyes are closed. That’s the only way they can’t see the obvious if they would open their eyes. The prophets they reject are the ones in the scriptures that talk about our day and the secret combinations and what it will be like (is). What does it mean he “covered” our rulers and seers? Does it mean they don’t get to see the truth or just don’t get to tell us? As much as we might condemn our leaders for what they are doing, this verse seems to infer that the Lord allows that "because of OUR iniquity". It's our fault they can't "see". And our own iniquity causes US not to see as well.
  6 And it shall come to pass that the Lord God shall bring forth unto ^ayou the words of a ^bbook, and they shall be the words of them which have slumbered. If you think about slumber as sleep “with your eyes closed” then you could also interpret this to mean that the words of the book are the testimony of those who also had their eyes closed and want us to see what happened to them... We might think this is the Book of Mormon...
  7 And behold the book shall be ^asealed; and in the book shall be a ^brevelation from God, from the beginning of the world to the ^cending thereof. This part talks about the Book of Mormon as a whole being a sealed book, but also about the sealed portion of the sealed book that wasn't translated. I'm thinking now that it may only be referencing the sealed part...not the part we already have. 
  8 Wherefore, because of the things which are ^asealed up, the things which are sealed shall not be delivered in the day of the wickedness and abominations of the people. Wherefore the book shall be kept from them. The expression that it will not be delivered "in the day of wickedness" makes me wonder if we don't get it until the millennium. Seems like it will be a "day of wickedness" until then. Or maybe the "day of wickedness" ends when the ensign is raised and the House of Israel is gathered and the Ten Tribes return and Christ comes to AOA. Certainly those events would not be happening in the "day of wickedness" if all that reigned was darkness. Or, if there is a "great awakening" in the midst of evil, perhaps that period is not called "the day of wickedness" because so much light is revealed. I just watched an episode of "Touched By An Angel" where the only way to get through to a wicked man was for the angel to reveal himself to the man and offer him truth and one more chance. Maybe the world is at this point as well. The only way people will be able to "see" now and have one last chance before destruction, is for God to literally reveal himself to the world somehow...this would qualify as Pres. Nelson's "greatest manifestations" quote...
  9 But the book shall be delivered unto a man, and he shall deliver the words of the book, which are the words of those who have slumbered in the dust, and he shall deliver these words unto ^aanother;
 10 But the words which are ^asealed he shall not deliver, neither shall he deliver the book. For the book shall be sealed by the power of God, and the revelation which was sealed shall be kept in the book until the own due time of the Lord, that they may come forth; for behold, they ^breveal all things from the foundation of the world unto the end thereof. A second time saying they do come forth sometime.
 11 And the day cometh that the words of the book which were sealed shall be read upon the house tops; and they shall be read by the power of Christ; and all things shall be ^arevealed unto the children of men which ever have been among the children of men, and which ever will be even unto the end of the earth. when? when? when? If it is read upon the housetops, is it done by the internet? So before that is all destroyed? 
 12 Wherefore, at that day Joseph Smith's day when the book shall be delivered unto the man of whom I have spoken, the book shall be hid from the eyes of the world, that the eyes of none shall behold it save it be that ^athree ^bwitnesses shall behold it, by the power of God, besides him to whom the book shall be delivered; and they shall testify to the truth of the book and the things therein. This prophecy was fulfilled and the three never denied their witness. It's found at the front of this book.
 13 And there is ^anone other which shall view it, save it be a few according to the will of God, to bear testimony of his word unto the children of men; for the Lord God hath said that the words of the faithful should speak as if it were ^bfrom the dead.
 14 Wherefore, the Lord God will proceed to bring forth the words of the book; and in the mouth of as many witnesses as seemeth him good will he establish his word; and wo be unto him that ^arejecteth the word of God! These verses should be marked when you give an investigator the Book of Mormon. 
 15 But behold, it shall come to pass that the Lord God shall say unto him this phrase makes it sound like the Lord told Joseph to give the words (116 pages) to Martin Harris. But I guess he did finally tell him he could do it, so it might be referencing that. to whom he shall deliver the book: Take these words which are not sealed and deliver them to another, that he may show them unto the learned, saying: ^aRead this, I pray thee. And the learned shall say: Bring hither the book, and I will read them.
 16 And now, because of the glory of the world and to get ^again will they say this, and not for the glory of God.
 17 And the man shall say: I cannot bring the book, for it is sealed.
 18 Then shall the learned say: I cannot read it.
 19 Wherefore it shall come to pass, that the Lord God will ^adeliver again the book and the words thereof to him that is not learned; and the man that is not learned shall say: I am not learned.
 20 Then shall the Lord God say unto him: The learned shall not read them, for they have rejected them, and I am ^aable to do mine own work; wherefore thou shalt read the words which I shall give unto thee.
 21 ^aTouch not the things which are sealed, for I will bring them forth in mine own due time; for I will show unto the children of men that I am able to do mine own work. I think we need to remember that it is the Lord's work and He is the one that will do it. We only assist. It is not our work and we don't do it. Notice this "work" is something he shows "the children of men". It is not qualified. It is shown to all.
 22 Wherefore, when thou hast read the words which I have commanded thee, and obtained the ^awitnesses which I have promised unto thee, then shalt thou seal up the book again, and hide it up unto me, that I may preserve the words which thou hast not read, until I shall see fit in mine own ^bwisdom to ^creveal all things unto the children of men.
 23 For behold, I am God; and I am a God of ^amiracles; and I will show unto the ^bworld that I am the same yesterday, today, and forever; and I ^cwork not among the children of men save it be ^daccording to their faith. It sounds like when the time is right, it will come in a miraculous way and it is shown unto the world. Notice it must come according to our faith. Is this why the brethren have been working so hard to encourage us to increase our faith?
 24 And again it shall come to pass that the Lord shall say unto him that shall read the words that shall be delivered him: This is you and I...OR "again" could mean the person the sealed portion is given to...
 25 ^aForasmuch as this people draw near unto me with their mouth, and with their lips do ^bhonor me, but have removed their ^chearts far from me, and their fear towards me is taught by the ^dprecepts of men—read this is a last days warning. Who is "this people"? Isaiah would say that the Lord doesn't call us "my people" for the very reason stated. We "say" but are not truly converted. We don't have a proper "fear" of the Lord based on our own experience with him. We only know what we are taught by others at church...and that is filtered through the understanding and eyes of men.
  26 Therefore, I will proceed to do a ^amarvelous work among this people, yea, a ^bmarvelous work and a wonder, for the ^cwisdom of their wise and ^dlearned shall perish, and the ^eunderstanding of their ^fprudent shall be hid. The thought I had when I read this, is that the wisdom that will perish could be the "teachings of men" that have come in to our church through "learned" interpretations of the scriptures that have limited these prophesies to the past- saying - that the Marvelous Work (MW) was the coming of the BOM, not some MW yet to happen. What is this MW yet to be? The Lord does it. In doing it the wisdom of the wise and learned perishes. The understanding of the “wise and careful” is hidden. What does that mean? The wise and learned will not know of the things the prudent knew all along? Who are the "prudent"? Prudent means "exercising good judgement or common sense; care or wisdom in practical matters or planning for the future; sensible; wise forethought".  This verse follows the Lord saying the people have removed their hearts far from Him and have been taught by the precepts of men. It seems like this verse says his MW corrects that condition! I pray this is so... 
 27 And ^awo unto them that seek deep to hide their ^bcounsel from the Lord! And their works are in the ^cdark; and they say: Who seeth us, and who knoweth us? And they also say: Surely, your turning of things upside down shall be esteemed as the ^dpotter’s clay. But behold, I will show unto them, saith the Lord of Hosts, that I ^eknow all their works. For shall the work say of him that made it, he made me not? Or shall the thing framed say of him that framed it, he had no understanding?
 28 But behold, saith the Lord of Hosts: I will show unto the children of men that it is yet a very little while and Lebanon shall be turned into a fruitful field; and the ^afruitful field shall be esteemed as a forest. This is an Isaiah phrase, so I have no idea what Isaiah meant, but it I think "forest" is people. Could this MW be about the massive conversion that is coming? In Isaiah 10 it says Lebanon represents Jehovah's elite people that are hewn down in the Day of Judgment by the archtyrant. This verse says that will in the end/millennium, be reversed. 
  29 ^aAnd in that day shall the ^bdeaf hear the words of the book, and the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity and out of darkness. The MW is the opening of the eyes of the blind and bringing light to them that have sat in darkness. Fulfilling the promise made to Lehi and Nephi about their posterity..?
  30 And the ^ameek also shall increase, and their ^bjoy shall be in the Lord, and the poor among men shall rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.
  31 For assuredly as the Lord liveth they shall see that the ^aterrible one is brought to naught, and the scorner is consumed, and all that watch for iniquity are cut off;
  32 And they that make a man an ^aoffender for a word, and lay a snare for him that reproveth in the ^bgate, and ^cturn aside the just for a thing of naught.
  33 Therefore, thus saith the Lord, who redeemed Abraham, concerning the house of Jacob: Jacob shall ^anot now be ashamed, neither shall his face now wax pale.
  34 But when he ^aseeth his children, the work of my hands, in the midst of him, they shall sanctify my name, and sanctify the Holy One of Jacob, and shall fear the God of Israel.
  35 They also that ^aerred in spirit shall come to understanding, and they that murmured shall ^blearn doctrine. If my interpretation above is correct, then the "learned" in the church admit their error and come to understanding. The footnote on erred says that there's been some priestcraft and teaching after our own understanding. This will be a great call to humility and repentance.