Scriptures
There is so much doctrine packed in here. Nephi is talking about the Lord doing a “marvelous work”
And it [the marvelous work] shall also be of worth unto the Gentiles; and not only unto the Gentiles but unto all the house of Israel, unto the making known of the covenants of the Father of heaven unto Abraham, saying: In thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed. And I would, my brethren, that ye should know that all the kindreds of the earth cannot be blessed unless he shall make bare his arm in the eyes of the nations. Wherefore, the Lord God will proceed to make bare his arm in the eyes of all the nations, in bringing about his covenants and his gospel unto those who are of the house of Israel. Wherefore, he will bring them again out of captivity, and they shall be gathered together to the lands of their inheritance; and they shall be brought out of obscurity and out of darkness; and they shall know that the Lord is their Savior and their Redeemer, the Mighty One of Israel. 1 Nephi 22.9–12
The Lord will restore His covenants. It doesn’t explicitly say “baptism, the sacrament, the oath and covenant of the priesthood, the endowment, and the sealing ordinance”, but that’s what Nephi is referring to.
Why doesn’t the Book of Mormon mention the sealing ordinance? The Melchizedek priesthood (the name of it)? The endowment? I’m not sure. But it’s fascinating how Joseph Smith translated this book but also received revelations to help finalize the structure of the church. # Meaning
This teaches me that…
- The Lord cares about people who reject him. He will do His work among them. He won’t leave me even if I leave Him. That’s a powerful concept.
- The covenants are the most important thing to focus on in the scriptures. Everything else is just context about how to best live them.
- I am gathered when I keep my covenants. They are the thing that help me understand and connect with the Lord.
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Bryan lives somewhere at the intersection of faith, fatherhood, and futurism and writes about tech, books, Christianity, gratitude, and whatever’s on his mind. If you liked reading, perhaps you’ll also like subscribing: