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Lesson 7
"I
Know in Whom I have Trusted"
2 Nephi 3-5
by Scot Facer Proctor
Introduction
The third chapter of 2 Nephi provides
one of the most exciting views of the Plates of Brass contained
in the Book of Mormon. Here is a branch of Joseph "broken
off" and claiming their lineage and rights of blessings through
their ancient father, Joseph of Egypt. Here they see that out
of the fruit of the loins of Joseph of Egypt will come this mighty
seer, the prophet Joseph Smith. Nephi said concerning the prophecies
of Joseph of Egypt: "there are not many greater." (2
Nephi 4:2)
Lehi likely named his son Joseph
after his ancestral father, Joseph, to remind little Joseph of
his blessings and heritage. Nephi's quoting so much of this particular
prophecy of Joseph of Egypt proved to be a great blessing to us
in the latter days.
Not the Full Prophecy
From the Joseph Smith Translation
(JST) of the Bible we are able to discover some parts of the prophecy
recorded in 2 Nephi 3 that were left out. One of the most critical
verses that likely triggered Lehi's desire for his family to know
about this prophecy and Nephi's desire to copy it onto the Small
Plates, is in the JST. Carefully study the following verse which
was originally placed just before the materials that we have in
2 Nephi 3. It is talking about Joseph of Egypt's posterity:
And it shall come
to pass that they shall be scattered again; and a branch shall
be broken off, and shall be carried into a far country; nevertheless
they shall be remembered in the covenants of the Lord, when the
Messiah cometh; for he shall be made manifest unto them in the
latter days, in the Spirit of power; and shall bring them out
of darkness into light; out of hidden darkness, and out of captivity
unto freedom. (JST Genesis 50:25, emphasis added)
It is well for the student of the
scriptures to turn to the back of their LDS version of the Bible
(page 799 in the index) and compare JST Genesis 50: 24-38 with
2 Nephi 3. It is powerful to have another witness of the writings
of Joseph in our canonized text.
The Prophet Joseph was also blessed
to find some of the writings of Joseph of Egypt in the mummies
that were purchased in 1835 in Kirtland, Ohio.
I commenced the
translation of some of the characters or hieroglyphics, and much
to our joy found that one of the rolls contained the writings
of Abraham, another the writings of Joseph of Egypt, etc., — a
more full account of which will appear in its place, as I proceed
to examine or unfold them. Truly we can say, the Lord is beginning
to reveal the abundance of peace and truth. (1)
Later Joseph Smith gave a description
of those writings:
The record of Abraham
and Joseph, found with the mummies, is beautifully written on
papyrus, with black, and a small part red, ink or paint, in perfect
preservation. The characters are such as you find upon the coffins
of mummies-hieroglyphics, etc.; with many characters or letters
like the present (though probably not quite so square) form of
the Hebrew without points. (2)
The translation of the record of
Abraham later became part of our canon in the Pearl of Great Price,
named The Book of Abraham (Translated from the Papyrus, by Joseph
Smith). The writings of Joseph of Egypt, found in the mummies,
have been lost to us. Some fragments of the papyrus were recovered
in 1967 and given the Church, but the only writings of Joseph
we have are that which is contained in the Book of Mormon, the
JST and some few references to Joseph in the Bible itself. Surely
the majority of this great prophet's writings are yet to come
forth.
Remembering the Covenants of Israel
Nephi was always looking for ways
to remind his people that though they were cast out of Jerusalem,
they were not forgotten in the covenants of the Lord. They were
not cast out by God. Nephi recorded large numbers of verses from
Isaiah with that same intention:
Yea, for thus saith the Lord: Have
I put thee away, or have I cast thee off forever? (2 Nephi 7:50)
Hearken unto me,
ye that follow after righteousness. Look unto the rock from whence
ye are hewn, and to the hole of the pit from when ye are digged.
(2 Nephi 8:1)
Nephi's brother Jacob said concerning
the words of Isaiah: "And now my beloved brethren, I have
read these things that ye might know concerning the covenants
of the Lord that he has covenanted with all the house of Israel."
(2 Nephi 9:1)
For the Lord will
have mercy on Jacob, and will yet choose Israel, and set them
in their own land; and the strangers shall be joined with them,
and they shall cleave to the house of Jacob. And the people shall
take them and bring them to their place; yea, from far unto the
ends of the earth; and they shall return to their lands of promise.
(2 Nephi 24:1,2)
Fulfillment of Prophecy of Joseph
of Egypt
One of the most specific and clear
prophecies from ancient times is contained in this third chapter
of 2 Nephi. It comes to us from Joseph of Egypt and could not
be clearer concerning the great seer of the last days:
And his name shall
be called after me; and it shall be after the name of his father.
And he shall be like unto me; for the thing, which the Lord shall
bring forth by his hand, by the power of the Lord shall bring
my people unto salvation. (2 Nephi 3:15)
This prophet and seer of the latter
days had to have the same name as Joseph of Egypt — Joseph — and
it had to be the same name as his father — Joseph. How did this
come about in the family of the Smiths? Was Joseph the oldest
son, as is tradition to be the father's namesake, in the family
of Joseph and Lucy Mack Smith? No, he was not. How, then, was
he named Joseph?
One thought might be helpful in this
brief observation. Joseph Smith and Lucy Mack were married in
Tunbridge, Vermont on January 24, 1796. It has often been thought
that Alvin Smith was the oldest son of Joseph and Lucy (born February
11, 1798), but recent research has unveiled a firstborn son who
was taken before Alvin. In Joseph Smith Sr.'s patriarchal blessing
book of 1834, he addressed the Smith family and speaks of "three
seats" vacated by death among his children:
The Lord in his
just providence has taken from me at an untimely birth a son ...
My next son, Alvin ... was taken.
Ephraim was the other child who had
passed away by 1834 (he only lived ten days). Joseph and Lucy's
firstborn son was taken in death sometime between the middle of
1796 and the spring of 1797. (3) Is it possible that Joseph and Lucy were planning on naming
their firstborn son Joseph, after the name of his father? When
this first son suffered an untimely (likely premature) birth,
did this shake the confidence of this young couple? Did they want
to make sure they had a healthy child who would live before bestowing
the honor of the father's namesake?
Alvin was born February 11, 1798.
Hyrum came next on February 9, 1800, and then Sophronia May 17,
1803. Joseph, the Prophet, would come 31 months later on December
23, 1805. Did they feel inspired to call this child Joseph? If
so, it is not recorded in any known record. Were they ready now
to trust that this son would live? Did Lucy say to her husband
Joseph, "Let's name this one after you, dear"?
However it came about, in the grand
scheme of things, this winter baby of 1805, by prophecy, would
be called Joseph, and he would be the mighty seer of the loins
of Joseph of Egypt.
The Psalm of Nephi
Not many days after the death of
the great prophet Lehi, "Laman and Lemuel and the sons of
Ishmael were angry with [Nephi] because of the admonitions of
the Lord." (2 Nephi 4:13) Nephi, as the youngest of the four
older brothers, was constantly constrained by the Spirit and by
the Lord to call his older brothers to repentance. Now that Lehi
(and likely Sariah) was gone, the brothers conspired to kill Nephi.
Having been left with the stewardship
and charge for the family of Lehi, Nephi recorded his feelings
as his family was crumbling and he had to make a decision about
what he was now going to do.
This section, 2 Nephi chapter 4,
from verses 15 to 35, is commonly referred to as "The Psalm
of Nephi." In this inspiring and powerful series of verses
Nephi resounds with his feelings of happiness and explores the
depths of misery that come from sin.
“My soul delighteth in the things
of the Lord; and my heart pondereth continually upon the things
which I have seen and heard," Nephi stated. (2 Nephi 4:16)
And yet, as all of us have sinned
and "come short of the glory of God," (see Romans 3:23)
Nephi, too, explored those feelings:
Nevertheless, notwithstanding
the great goodness of the Lord, in showing me his great and marvelous
works, my heart exclaimeth: O wretched man that I am! Yea, my
heart sorroweth because of my flesh; my soul grieveth because
of mine iniquities. I am encompassed about, because of the temptations
and the sins which do so easily best me. And when I desire to
rejoice, my heart groaneth because of my sins; nevertheless, I
know in whom I have trusted. (2 Nephi 4:17-19)
Through all of the trials and tribulations
Nephi had been through, he had come to know the Lord. "And
having seen many afflictions in the course of my days, nevertheless,
having been highly favored of the Lord in all my days; yea, having
had a great knowledge of the goodness and the mysteries of God..."
Nephi truly does know the Lord. He
has seen him (2 Nephi 11:2,3). He has been taught by angels many
times. He has been supported and strengthened by the Lord through
the terrible ordeal of the wilderness crossing and the ocean voyage
to the Promised Land.
Remember the Lord had told Lehi's
family: "And I will also be your light in the wilderness;
and I will prepare the way before you, if it so be that ye shall
keep my commandments; wherefore, inasmuch as ye shall keep my
commandments ye shall be led towards the promised land; and ye
shall know that it is by me that ye are led." (1 Nephi 17:13,
emphasis added) Nephi truly knew that the Lord had been their
guide and their stay. When Nephi says "I know in whom I have
trusted," he truly means that he does know Him, even the
great Jehovah, the Lord Jesus Christ.
One of the great passages for the
serious student of the scriptures to memorize is these twenty-one
verses comprising this "psalm of Nephi." These verses,
whether memorized or read often, will always lift and strengthen
the reader and give life to the soul.
Parting of the Ways
In a dramatic move on the part of
Nephi, and following the admonitions of the Lord given to him
(the same as had been given to his father, Lehi, to leave Jerusalem),
Nephi takes those who will follow him and they separate from Laman
and Lemuel and the sons of Ishmael and depart into the wilderness.
Nephi takes many things with them
that will for five hundred more years be an enormous point of
contention between the two nations. He takes the Plates of Brass
so that the people of the Lord would have the word of the Lord
and the written language with them.
He takes the Liahona, or compass,
or director, which had led them through the deserts of the Arabian
Peninsula. It is likely that the Liahona was used again on this
journey to lead them to what would then be called the land and
city of Nephi.
He took the sword of Laban and from
it replicated numerous swords so that the Nephites could defend
themselves against the Lamanites and other marauders of this new
world. And, of course, he took all those who would follow the
teachings and commandments of the Lord. This small party consisted
of Nephi and his wife and children (at least 4 people); Sam and
his wife and children (at least 4); Zoram and his wife and children
(at least 4 people); Jacob and Joseph (2); and also his sisters
(at least 2 — these are likely the wives of the sons of Ishmael
— see "Lehi's Family, sub-section of Lesson 6 in Meridian
Magazine); and finally "all those who would go with me."
(2 Nephi 5: 6)
Could this have been some of the
children of Laman and Lemuel? Could this have included some of
the children of Ishmael's sons? Likely, yes. The group leaving
to go into the wilderness now is no less than 20 people, but likely
somewhat larger. From this faithful group would come the nation
of the Nephites. From those left behind would come the nation
of the Lamanites.
The followers of Nephi were following
an ancient pattern. Whenever there is imminent destruction, and
all else has been tried, the Lord removes the righteous from among
the wicked and leads them through a wilderness experience, and
finally they arrive in a promised land. The people of Nephi had
done this before. The righteous would do it again. The Lord was
with His people and helped them establish a new and prosperous
land and circumstance.
1 History
of the Church, 2:236.
2 Ibid,
2:348.
3 See
Revised and Enhanced History of Joseph Smith by his Mother.
Edited by Scot and Maurine Proctor. Bookcraft, Salt Lake City,
1996, p. 46, fn. 2.
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