Second Book of Nephi
Encyclopedia
The Second Book of Nephi ' is the second book of the Book of Mormon
. The book is usually referred to as Second Nephi, and is abbreviated "2 Ne." According to the book, it was written by the ancient prophet
Nephi
, who lived around 600 BC.
Unlike the First Book of Nephi
, this book contains a less secular history of the Nephite
people, but instead discusses vision
s and prophesies of Nephi himself and other ancient prophets, such as Isaiah
.
In 2 Nephi chapter 2, Lehi expounds to Jacob, about the redemption and salvation through Jesus
. He speaks about opposites—that without evil there is no good; without sin there is no righteousness
; that without these things there is no God
; and if there is no God
there is no earth. He talks about the importance of The Fall of Man
and how without it, man would lose his freewill, and salvation would ultimately be impossible.
To Joseph, he talks about his namesake, which includes Joseph of Egypt
. He quotes some of the lost prophecies by Joseph. Joseph predicted that the Lord would raise up Moses
to free the people of Israel. He also predicted that a seer named after Joseph, and whose father's name is also Joseph, would the Lord raise up, for the purpose of restoring Israel.
To the children of his sons Laman and Lemuel he says that if their parents teach them wickedness, that their sins will be the responsibility of the parents.
After the death of Lehi, Laman and Lemuel and others rebel against Nephi and try to kill him. Nephi leaves the area with those who listen to him and travel far away to establish another settlement. He takes the brass plates and other records, along with the ball or compass
. They call this new place Nephi, choose Nephi to be their king, and call themselves the people of Nephi, or Nephites. They observe the Law of Moses as it is recorded in the brass plates. They also prosper exceedingly, and build a temple like the temple of Solomon.
Nephi also begins arming his people using the sword that Laban had as a model for production. At this time, the people with Laman and Lemuel and others who remained behind had their skin turn dark, as a sign that the people of Nephi are not to mix with them until they repent.
A speech that Jacob delivered to the people of Nephi is recorded in chapters 6-10. Jacob quotes passages from Isaiah. He prophesies that the destruction of the people in Jerusalem has already happened. He also shows that at a future date the Lord will lift up his hand to the Gentiles, and set up his standard, and then gather the tribes of Israel one final time. He reads from Isaiah 50 and 51. Then he prophesies about the birth, life, infinite atonement and death of Christ, calling on his people to repent and believe in the Savior
. He also explains the resurrection; that the body lies in the grave and the spirit either in torment or in a state of paradise, and that without Christ there could be no resurrection, and that because of Christ all men will be resurrected with their spirit being freed from either paradise or torment and their body raised from the grave, and then they are judged according to their works in life. Jacob continues by teaching about the various sins, such as lying, murdering, whoredoms, idol worship. He exhorts his people to throw off their sins. He then continues by prophesying about the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and the establishment of a free people in America
in the last days.
who would testify that it was true. He prophesies the conversation that Martin Harris has with Professor Charles Anthon
. Nephi continues by prophesying about the Gentile's attitude towards the Bible
, accepting it as the only scripture in the world. Nephi challenges that assumption, and encourages the Gentiles to believe that God would speak to more than one nation. He also says that there will be scriptures that will come from some of the lost tribes of Israel.
Nephi ends his record by pleading with the reader to follow the Savior's example and be baptized, but emphasizes that baptism is the beginning of the way, not the final destination, and that it is necessary to endure to the end. His final words include another exhortation to pray
and seek the Holy Ghost, and also a testimony that his words are true.
Book of Mormon
The Book of Mormon is a sacred text of the Latter Day Saint movement that adherents believe contains writings of ancient prophets who lived on the American continent from approximately 2600 BC to AD 421. It was first published in March 1830 by Joseph Smith, Jr...
. The book is usually referred to as Second Nephi, and is abbreviated "2 Ne." According to the book, it was written by the ancient prophet
Prophet
In religion, a prophet, from the Greek word προφήτης profitis meaning "foreteller", is an individual who is claimed to have been contacted by the supernatural or the divine, and serves as an intermediary with humanity, delivering this newfound knowledge from the supernatural entity to other people...
Nephi
Nephi
According to the Book of Mormon, Nephi was the son of Lehi, a prophet, founder of the Nephite people, and author of the first two books of the Book of Mormon, First and Second Nephi.- Early life :Nephi was the fourth of six sons of Lehi and Sariah...
, who lived around 600 BC.
Unlike the First Book of Nephi
First Book of Nephi
The First Book of Nephi is the first book of the Book of Mormon. Its full title is The First Book of Nephi: His Reign and Ministry. The book is usually referred to as First Nephi and abbreviated as "1 Ne.". It is a first-person narrative, beginning around 600 BC, of a prophet named Nephi...
, this book contains a less secular history of the Nephite
Nephite
According to the Book of Mormon, a Nephite is a member of one of the four main groups of settlers of the ancient Americas. The other three groups are the Lamanites, Jaredites and Mulekites. In the Book of Mormon, the Nephites were a group of people descended from or associated with Nephi, the...
people, but instead discusses vision
Vision (religion)
In spirituality, a vision is something seen in a dream, trance, or ecstasy, especially a supernatural appearance that conveys a revelation.Visions generally have more clarity than dreams, but traditionally fewer psychological connotations...
s and prophesies of Nephi himself and other ancient prophets, such as Isaiah
Isaiah
Isaiah ; Greek: ', Ēsaïās ; "Yahu is salvation") was a prophet in the 8th-century BC Kingdom of Judah.Jews and Christians consider the Book of Isaiah a part of their Biblical canon; he is the first listed of the neviim akharonim, the later prophets. Many of the New Testament teachings of Jesus...
.
Lehi Gives Last Counsel to His Posterity
Second Nephi begins with the prophecies of Lehi concerning the future of his seed, and speaks to his posterity. As Lehi is old, and will soon die he wishes to bestow blessings upon his children. He emphasizes that if the people are righteous, they will prosper; but if they are wicked, they will be destroyed. This is a general blessing and curse upon all peoples who inhabit the land where Lehi and his family lived.In 2 Nephi chapter 2, Lehi expounds to Jacob, about the redemption and salvation through Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
. He speaks about opposites—that without evil there is no good; without sin there is no righteousness
Righteousness
Righteousness is an important theological concept in Zoroastrianism, Hinduism , Judaism, Christianity and Islam...
; that without these things there is no God
Atheism
Atheism is, in a broad sense, the rejection of belief in the existence of deities. In a narrower sense, atheism is specifically the position that there are no deities...
; and if there is no God
God
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
there is no earth. He talks about the importance of The Fall of Man
The Fall of Man
In Christian doctrine, the Fall of Man, or simply the Fall, refers to the transition of the first humans from a state of innocent obedience to God to a state of guilty disobedience to God. In Genesis chapter 2, Adam and Eve live at first with God in a paradise, but the serpent tempts them into...
and how without it, man would lose his freewill, and salvation would ultimately be impossible.
To Joseph, he talks about his namesake, which includes Joseph of Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
. He quotes some of the lost prophecies by Joseph. Joseph predicted that the Lord would raise up Moses
Moses
Moses was, according to the Hebrew Bible and Qur'an, a religious leader, lawgiver and prophet, to whom the authorship of the Torah is traditionally attributed...
to free the people of Israel. He also predicted that a seer named after Joseph, and whose father's name is also Joseph, would the Lord raise up, for the purpose of restoring Israel.
To the children of his sons Laman and Lemuel he says that if their parents teach them wickedness, that their sins will be the responsibility of the parents.
Lehi Dies and His Posterity are Divided
Nephi continues the narrative by recording the death of Lehi. In this passage, he also records what is known as "the Psalm of Nephi", where he pleads for the Lord to forgive his weaknesses, make him strong so he can conquer his enemies, and redeem his soul.After the death of Lehi, Laman and Lemuel and others rebel against Nephi and try to kill him. Nephi leaves the area with those who listen to him and travel far away to establish another settlement. He takes the brass plates and other records, along with the ball or compass
Liahona
According to the Book of Mormon and other Latter Day Saint movement sources, the Liahona is a brass ball that operated as a type of compass with two spindles. One of the spindles was said to point the direction Lehi and his party should travel after their escape from Jerusalem. The Book of Mormon...
. They call this new place Nephi, choose Nephi to be their king, and call themselves the people of Nephi, or Nephites. They observe the Law of Moses as it is recorded in the brass plates. They also prosper exceedingly, and build a temple like the temple of Solomon.
Nephi also begins arming his people using the sword that Laban had as a model for production. At this time, the people with Laman and Lemuel and others who remained behind had their skin turn dark, as a sign that the people of Nephi are not to mix with them until they repent.
Jacob Preaches
Nephi ordains his younger brothers Jacob and Joseph as teachers over the people of Nephi. The remainder of Second Nephi is a recording of their (Jacob's and Nephi's) teachings and prophecies.A speech that Jacob delivered to the people of Nephi is recorded in chapters 6-10. Jacob quotes passages from Isaiah. He prophesies that the destruction of the people in Jerusalem has already happened. He also shows that at a future date the Lord will lift up his hand to the Gentiles, and set up his standard, and then gather the tribes of Israel one final time. He reads from Isaiah 50 and 51. Then he prophesies about the birth, life, infinite atonement and death of Christ, calling on his people to repent and believe in the Savior
Messiah
A messiah is a redeemer figure expected or foretold in one form or another by a religion. Slightly more widely, a messiah is any redeemer figure. Messianic beliefs or theories generally relate to eschatological improvement of the state of humanity or the world, in other words the World to...
. He also explains the resurrection; that the body lies in the grave and the spirit either in torment or in a state of paradise, and that without Christ there could be no resurrection, and that because of Christ all men will be resurrected with their spirit being freed from either paradise or torment and their body raised from the grave, and then they are judged according to their works in life. Jacob continues by teaching about the various sins, such as lying, murdering, whoredoms, idol worship. He exhorts his people to throw off their sins. He then continues by prophesying about the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and the establishment of a free people in America
Americas
The Americas, or America , are lands in the Western hemisphere, also known as the New World. In English, the plural form the Americas is often used to refer to the landmasses of North America and South America with their associated islands and regions, while the singular form America is primarily...
in the last days.
Nephi Quotes Isaiah and Gives Final Counsel
Nephi then records in the book more of Isaiah— chapters 2 through 14 of Isaiah. Nephi then prophesies that Christ himself will visit the Nephites in America after his death and resurrection. He prophesies the destruction of his own people due to wickedness. He also predicts that the remainder of the people, the Lamanites and others, will be smitten by the immigrating Gentiles in the last days. He prophesies that the Gentiles will establish many different churches and also practice priestcraft, or the practice of preaching the gospel for money rather than for the love of the gospel. Nephi predicts the translation of the Book of Mormon and of the Three WitnessesThree Witnesses
The Three Witnesses were a group of three early leaders of the Latter Day Saint movement who signed a statement in 1830 saying that an angel had shown them the golden plates from which Joseph Smith, Jr. translated the Book of Mormon and that they had heard God's voice testifying that the book had...
who would testify that it was true. He prophesies the conversation that Martin Harris has with Professor Charles Anthon
Charles Anthon
Charles Anthon was an American classical scholar.-Life:After graduating with honors at Columbia College in 1815, he began the study of law, and in 1819 was admitted to the bar, but never practiced...
. Nephi continues by prophesying about the Gentile's attitude towards the Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
, accepting it as the only scripture in the world. Nephi challenges that assumption, and encourages the Gentiles to believe that God would speak to more than one nation. He also says that there will be scriptures that will come from some of the lost tribes of Israel.
Nephi ends his record by pleading with the reader to follow the Savior's example and be baptized, but emphasizes that baptism is the beginning of the way, not the final destination, and that it is necessary to endure to the end. His final words include another exhortation to pray
Pray
Pray may refer to:* Prayer, an active effort to communicate with a deity or spiritIt may also refer to:-Places:Italy* Pray, Piedmont, a comune in the Province of BiellaUnited States* Pray, Wisconsin, an unincorporated community-People:...
and seek the Holy Ghost, and also a testimony that his words are true.