2 Nephi 1 - The Promised Land

The literary feel of 1 Nephi is not present in 2 Nephi. 1 Nephi is a chiasmus telling the story of their journey to the Promised Land and focuses on the exposition of new doctrine about the Savior. In contrast, 2 Nephi is a series of doctrine rich essays with a minimal amount of historical narrative to tie them together. Nephi wastes no time and jumps into the first one in Chapter One. He teaches us about the Promised Land.

For him, it was a real place. A place they gave years of their lives, endured repeated and severe trials, and exercised great faith to attain. Each of us has goals, desires, even life missions we feel deeply within us. All these have the potential to be our personal Promised Lands. 1 Nephi gives us lessons on how to get there. This chapter explains an essential component of our Promised Land and how we stay there once we arrive.

The first key concept is in 2 Nephi 1:6. No one gets to the Promised Land without God allowing them to get there. His method for limiting access is controlling the knowledge of its existence. Simply, if you don’t know, you won’t go. Without God, there is no Promised Land. Without Him, you not only can't get there, you'll never know what it is.

The second key concept is repeated throughout the Book of Mormon, but expressed best in 2 Nephi 1:20. Obedience is key to prosperity once you arrive. He also defines prosperity. It’s not wealth, it’s having God’s presence in your lives. It doesn’t mean you see Him, but you see His hand in shaping events in your behalf. You hear His voice in the scriptures and in quiet moments, in your heart. You live each day confident you are known and loved by Him. Living each day, close to God is the great blessing of our personal Promised Lands.

The corollary to that great promise is also explained: it’s all perishable. Whether by laziness or direct action, we can separate ourselves from God. When that happens, no matter where we are, we’ve lost the Promised Land.

1 Nephi 17-18 - Into the Winds of Adversity

If you haven't figured it out yet, by the end of these two chapters you should know with great clarity that while God helps us to our respective Promised Lands, the journey there is never easy nor without travail and adversity. He has to help us because the trip is overwhelmingly daunting otherwise. And that's by divine design.

In chapter seventeen, Nephi is trying to build a boat. His labor pool consists of his brothers and Ishmael's sons. Laman and Lemuel think the idea is ridiculous and fight him. Only divine intervention saves Nephi's life and gets them to help.

Then, in the boat, they forget all the miracles and mutiny, wresting control of the boat from Nephi and Lehi. It's not until they face certain death in the face of a terrible storm, do they relent. Only when they come face to face with the reality that there is much in their lives over which they have no control that they finally get it.

So it is with us. God grants us agency, the ability to choose what we do and think. But we are not in control of our lives and environment. Death, illness, accidents, the actions of others near and far can destroy our world in an instant. The only thing we really control is how we choose to respond.

We see from these two stories, the correct choice is to be grateful to God and acknowledge He is in control and do our best within that context.

Ether 2 -3 - More on Prayer

The powerful lesson on prayer begun in Ether 1 sees its profound conclusion in Ether 2 and 3. While I’m saving the crux of the answer in Ether 3 for my next post, there are still some amazing answers to questions we have about prayer to be had in what leads up to it. Answers to questions like: What does God expect of us about prayer? What does He expect of us when dealing with questions and matters we bring to Him for help? These are answered.

There’s also a profound promise about this continent, this Land of Promise. But with any blessing from God, there is also a penalty affixed (see Lehi’s sermon to his sons on opposition in all things ) equal to the blessing. In the case of this land, since it’s a land of promise it’s also a cursed land. If you obey God and turn to Him then the bounties of this land are yours and it will be a land of liberty. Turn away from God and in the fulness of your wickedness, you’ll be swept off.  We’ve just seen that with the Nephites, the American Indians likewise were driven off of their lands into reservations, we’ll read about it at the end of this book. God not only keeps His promises to our detriment or blessing.

Regarding prayer, we have the chastisement of Jared’s brother… three hours worth from the Lord for not praying. In contrast we have the amazing prayer where the Lord reasons with him about the air and light situation on the boats he built. In effect, the Lord leaves the question of the lights to him by saying, “You can’t have windows because they’ll get broken by the waves. You can’t have fire because I won’t allow it.” (Not to mention fire would burn all the oxygen out of these enclosed spaces.) So what was left? He puts the matter in the Brother of Jared’s hands…

Have you ever struggled with challenges? Or faced perplexing dilemmas and turn to God for help only to be told, “go figure it out.” If you have ever felt that way, you’re in good company. The lesson is this: God knows the answer to the problem, just as He did with the air, but He needed to teach a lesson and so that’s what happened. As it was for Jared’s brother, it is likely so for us. Heavenly Father always knows the answer, but this life isn’t a test for Him. It’s our test and as we see here, often times, the only answer is to choose, ask God and go.