http://www.lds.net/forums/ en Sat, 21 Nov 2009 16:15:05 GMT vBulletin 10 http://www.lds.net/forums/images/misc/rss.jpg http://www.lds.net/forums/ http://www.lds.net/forums/2-nephi/27895-2-nephi-15-11-12-22-a.html Sat, 21 Nov 2009 07:45:13 GMT Reference Search: 2 Nephi 15:11-12, 22

11 Wo unto them that rise up early in the morning, that they may follow strong drink, that continue until night, and wine inflame them!
12 And the harp, and the viol, the tabret, and pipe, and wine are in their feasts; but they regard not the work of the Lord, neither consider the operation of his hands.

• • •
22 Wo unto the mighty to drink wine, and men of strength to mingle strong drink;

Quote for Discussion


“Drunkenness”
This passage indicates revelry and unholy merrymaking among those who spend time in immoral entertainment. It warns all against making strong drink their passion. A passage from the Book of Mormon presents a prophecy that corresponds in some ways to this verse of Isaiah: “There shall be many which shall say: Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die; and it shall be well with us” (2 Nephi 28:7). But these are “false and vain and foolish doctrines” (Isa. 5:9)….The King James Version of the Bible uses the word “tabret,” which is usually translated “tambourine” in modern English Bibles.
Instruments were used in worship. They were also played at banquets and feasts where merry-makers partook of wine and strong drink and participated in revelries. Apparently, harlots played their harps as they wandered around the city attempting to attract attention (Isa. 23:16).
Donald W. Parry, Visualizing Isaiah [Provo, Utah: The Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 2001], 46-47
]]> 2 Nephi pam http://www.lds.net/forums/2-nephi/27895-2-nephi-15-11-12-22-a.html http://www.lds.net/forums/2-nephi/27879-2-nephi-15-10-a.html Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:21:41 GMT Reference Search: 2 Nephi 15:10

10 Yea, ten acres of vineyard shall yield one bath, and the seed of a homer shall yield an ephah.

Quotes for Discussion


10 Acres, 1 Bath, a Homer, an Ephah
The lands of the wealthy will become extremely unproductive. Ten acres represents the amount of land that ten yoke of oxen can plow in a day, or the equivalent of five acres of land by our modern measurement. From this acreage, the yield will be only one bath (four to eight gallons of wine). One homer of seed (about six bushels) will yield only an ephah of produce (four to six gallons of dry measure).
Hoyt WW. Brewster, Jr., Isaiah Plain and Simple [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1995], 47



The land would become unproductive, so that five acres of a vineyard would produce only one bath (eight gallons) of wine, and a homer (six bushels) of seed, would yield only an ephah (four gallons) of grain. Isaiah’s prognosis in these passages accurately describes the pitiful circumstances the remnant of Israel faced after the Babylonian and Assyrian deportations.
Terry B. Ball, Voices of Old Testament Prophets: The 26th Annual Sidney B. Sperry Symposium [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1997], 54
]]> 2 Nephi pam http://www.lds.net/forums/2-nephi/27879-2-nephi-15-10-a.html http://www.lds.net/forums/2-nephi/27819-2-nephi-15-8-a.html Thu, 19 Nov 2009 08:03:09 GMT Reference Search: 2 Nephi 15:8

8 Wo unto them that join house to house, till there can be no place, that they may be placed alone in the midst of the earth!

Quotes for Discussion

“Join house to house”
This woe is pronounced on the wealthy landowners who covet and buy up property, thus depriving the poor of their heritage. Micah 2:1-2.) The law of ancient Israel prescribed that land could not “be sold for ever” (Lev. 25:23; see also 1 Kgs. 21). It was to remain within families as a heritage for posterity. When economical circumstances necessitated the sale of land, it was to be returned to the original owners in the year of jubilee, which occurred every fifty years. (LDS Bible Dictionary, “Jubilee, Year of,” 718).
Hoyt W. Brewster, Jr., Isaiah Plain and Simple [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1995], 46



Property acquired for selfish purposes is not a blessing. Greed is never satisfied. Ownership of property is not condemned. The only question is, how did the owner get it, and to what use does he put it?
George Reynolds and Janne M. Sjodahl, Commentary on the Book of Mormon, ed. Philip C. Reynolds, 7 vols. [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Col., 1955-1961], 1:334



The surplus property of this community, as poor as we are, has done more real mischief than everything else besides….A man has no right with property,…[when the property doesn’t] do good to himself and his fellow-man….If the people of this community feel as though they wanted the whole world to themselves…and would hoard up their property, and place it in a situation where it would not benefit either themselves or the community, they are just as guilty as the man who steals my property.
Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, 1:252, 255



It is frequently astounding to see the dereliction of people in keeping the standards of ordinary fairness and justice….It is sometimes evident in commercial transactions, as well as in private contacts….This unfairness and injustice results principally from one person seeking an advantage or an edge over another. Those who follow such a practice demean themselves greatly. How can those of us who do not practice ordinary fairness and justice have serious claim on the blessings of a just and a fair God? Do some of us seek to justify our taking of shortcuts and advantage of others by indulging in the twin sophistries, “There isn’t any justice” and “Everybody does it”?
James E. Faust, Ensign, Nov. 1986, p. 10



Wo is addressed to those who seek after, collect, acquire, or amass wealth; expanding their own personal power at the expense or neglect of all else. This is not a simple condemnation against the acquisition of wealth. It is a warning against the desire for the acquisition of wealth to an extreme degree, motivated by devotion or religious zeal. It is a warning against worshiping the god of this world, materialism.
The mania for acquisition is never quieted or satisfied by the gain. It is an unquenchable thirst or indulgence, and like an uncontrolled passion, indulgence is never sufficiency. The aspiration to acquire power, dominance, or conquest leaves the aspirant surrounded by his gods, earthly materialism, clamoring for constant attention. There is no place to be left alone in quiet solitude of soul.
Loren D. Martin, Isaiah: An Ensign to the Nations [Salt Lake City: Valiant Publications, 1982], 124

]]> 2 Nephi pam http://www.lds.net/forums/2-nephi/27819-2-nephi-15-8-a.html http://www.lds.net/forums/2-nephi/27759-2-nephi-15-8-25-a.html Tue, 17 Nov 2009 21:28:10 GMT Reference Search: 2 Nephi 15:8-25

Quotes for Discussion


Six Woes upon the Wicked
What is that special form of sin which Isaiah sees? It is human selfishness—the unbrotherhood of man to man….The cry which rises into his ears is the cry of stricken humanity—the cry of the poor and needy, the cry of the sad and weary….He hears God calling him to lash the sins of the nation; but to him all the sins of the nation are forms of a single sin—selfishness. Does he deplore idolatry; it is because the idols of man are images of man’s own glory. Does he repudiate extravagance in dress and luxury in living; it is because this outlay of wealth might have been for the sake of the destitute…To him the evil is not without but within, and can only be cured from within—by cultivating the barren spots in the life of the community. The burden of Isaiah is the burden of human compassion. It is the desire to right the wrongs which man has done to his brother….
The preparation he proposed for meeting god was not [just] the attendance at the temple, not [just] the observance of the Sabbath,…but the sympathy of the heart with the wants and woes of man….It seemed to him that before a man could begin to think of others, he must cease to think of himself—must become self-unconscious.
George Matheson, The Old Testament and the Fine Arts, comp. Cynthia Pearl Maus [New York: Harper & Row, 1954[, 561-62


1.
Rich who are covetous and oppress the poor (vs. 8-10).
2. Drunkenness of riotous living (vs. 11-12)
3. Vanity (vs. 18-19)
4. Deception—good-evil, evil-good
5. Pride (vs. 14-15, 21)
6. Lifestyle of those who reject God and think themselves good, justify wickedness (vs. 22-23)/
]]> 2 Nephi pam http://www.lds.net/forums/2-nephi/27759-2-nephi-15-8-25-a.html http://www.lds.net/forums/2-nephi/27700-2-nephi-15-6-a.html Mon, 16 Nov 2009 08:42:24 GMT Reference Search: 2 Nephi 15:6

6 And I will lay it waste; it shall not be pruned nor digged; but there shall come up briers and thorns; I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it.

Quote for Discussion

“Briers”
Briers surely would evoke negative memories for persons living close to the land. Everybody hates briers; they are an infuriating ground cover that trips, scratches and generally makes walking through them miserable. Briers don’t just cause pain—they make you suffer. The scratches can make one’s bare legs and ankles feel like they are on fire. In fact, briers and suffering are practically inseparable in the Bible….
Briers are used metaphorically to depict the devastating result of God’s judgment—turning pleasant and productive land into wasteland (cf. Isa. 5:6; 7:25; 32:13; Heb. 6:8)….
Being extremely hardy, briers are especially hard on the weak things. Small, delicate plants are no match for the voracious appetite of the brier. Jesus had this in mind when he told the parable of the sower (cf. Matt. 13:7; Mark 4:7; Luke 8:7). Finally, there is that ironic picture of the crown of thorns fashioned for Jesus as a way to mock him. The shameful tearing of his flesh is the outward display of inner suffering. Whether physical or metaphorical, briers and misery go hand in hand.
Dictionary of Biblical Imagery, ed. Leland Ryken, James C. Willhoit, and Tremper Longman III, [Downers Grove, Illinois: InterVarsity Press 1998], 123
]]> 2 Nephi pam http://www.lds.net/forums/2-nephi/27700-2-nephi-15-6-a.html http://www.lds.net/forums/2-nephi/27661-2-nephi-15-2-a.html Sat, 14 Nov 2009 07:27:49 GMT Reference Search: 2 Nephi 15:2

2 And he fenced it, and gathered out the stones thereof, and planted it with the choicest vine, and built a tower in the midst of it, and also made a wine-press therein; and he looked that it should bring forth grapes, and it brought forth wild grapes.

Quote for Discussion


“Winepress, Wild Grapes”
He obviously anticipates a plentiful harvest because he also “hews” a winepress or vat in the middle of the vineyard. Such a wine vat consists of two basins or pits carved out of the rocks. The upper pit, where the grapes are trodden out, is shallow and large enough to accommodate the workers. A trench carries the pressed-out juices to a lower, deeper pit, where the wine accumulates until it is stored in clay jars or skin bags. The construction of this type of press is usually undertaken by wealthy landowners or by those who press grapes for many farmers. Thus, the fact that the master of this vineyard builds a vat in the middle of his own field indicates that he expects his harvest alone to justify its construction. To his disappointment, however, his vines yield only wild, sour grapes.
Victor L. Ludlow, Isaiah: Prophet, Seer, and Poet [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1982], 114 ]]> 2 Nephi pam http://www.lds.net/forums/2-nephi/27661-2-nephi-15-2-a.html http://www.lds.net/forums/2-nephi/27634-2-nephi-15-1-a.html Fri, 13 Nov 2009 08:35:06 GMT Reference Search: 2 Nephi 15:1

1 And then will I sing to my well-beloved a song of my beloved, touching his vineyard. My well-beloved hath a vineyard in a very fruitful hill.

Quotes for Discussion



“Song of the Vineyard”
Some of the greatest sermons are preached by the singing of hymns. Hymns move us to repentance and good works, build testimony and faith, comfort the weary, console the mourning, and inspire us to endure to the end.”
Hymns of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, ix


The Israelites had a yearly festival, at the end of the year, called the feast of ingathering (Ex. 23:16; 34:22), because on that occasion the people were required to give thanks especially for the harvest of fields and vineyards. It has been suggested that this song, or poem, was composed and recited on such an occasion. It contains a parable in which Israel is represented as a vineyard (as in Isa. 3:14), and the consequences of the neglect of unfaithful keepers (Matt. 21:33-41).
George Reynolds and Janne M. Sjodahl, Commentary on the Book of Mormon, ed. Philip C. Reynolds, 7 vols. [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Col., 1955-1961], 1:333


This metaphor of the Lord’s vineyard commences as a song, possibly like those sung by the men of Judah during the grape harvest. The husbandman of the vineyard is referred to as the “well-beloved,” who is identified as Jehovah, while the vineyard itself is clearly the house of Israel.
From the very beginning, it is evident that the “well-beloved” invested all the care requisite for an abundant harvest from this vineyard. He planted it in an ideal location, on a keren ben-shemen (Heb., which is translated as a “very fruitful hill” in the KJV). Literally, keren means “a horn” and probably refers to a hornlike mountain peak or hillside. By planting the vineyard on such a keren, the wise husbandman would ensure that his vineyard would not be shadowed from essential sunlight. The phrase ben-shemen means, literally, “a child of fatness” and might refer to a location with exceptionally fertile soil. The husbandman prepared the soil by digging about it carefully and removing the stones. He then planted the vineyard, not with ordinary vines, or gephen, but rather with soreq, which is thought to be a variety of grapevine that produces one of the choicest of bluish-red grapes. To protect the vineyard, he built a watchtower and apparently placed a hedge or wall around it. Both the tower and the protective walls would probably be constructed from the stones gathered out of the fields. In anticipation of an abundant harvest, he even hewed out a winepress in the vineyard.
Surely the well-beloved could have done nothing more to guarantee production from his vineyard. How bitter must his disappointment have been when, rather than bringing forth sweet juicy grapes—a faithful covenant people—the well-tended vineyard brought forth “wild grapes,” or beushim, literally meaning “stinking, worthless things.”
In frustration the husbandman determined to lay waste the vineyard but not by personally destroying the vines. Rather, he decided to cease taking care of the vineyard and withdraw his protection from it. Accordingly, he stopped pruning and cultivating the vineyard and commanded the clouds to rain no longer upon it. He also removed the protective wall from around it, thus allowing the vines to be trampled and ravaged. Eventually the vines were displaced from their choice location by noxious vegetation, including briars and thorns (see Isa. 7:23). Thus, the metaphor gives a powerful warning to Israel. If they do not respond to the nurturing direction and loving kindness of Jehovah, he will abandon them and allow another people to possess their choice land.
Terry Ball, Thy People Shall Be My People and Thy God My God: The 22nd Annual Sidney B. Sperry Symposium [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1994], 19-20


The parable of the vineyard has been given or told and enacted three times in history: once by Isaiah prior to the destruction of Jerusalem in 587 B.C. (Isa. 5:1-7), once by the Savior prior to the second destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70 (Matt. 21:33-46), and again by revelation through the prophet Joseph Smith in 1833 after the failure to establish a New Jerusalem in Missouri (D&C 101:43-62). All three parables use the same theme and speak of the same characters. Variations within the parables are appropriate to the time within which each was given. As an example, the first two talk about a “tower” (The Temple) which had been constructed by command of the Lord. The third parable speaks of a tower which the Lord commanded to be built but which the people never completed.
The Book of Mormon parable of the Olive tree in the fifth chapter of Jacob is similar in appearance and style but different in meaning. The story in Jacob is a historical parable of the scattering and the gathering of Israel.
Loren D. Martin, Isaiah: An Ensign to the Nations [Salt Lake City: Valiant Publications, 1982], 117 ]]> 2 Nephi pam http://www.lds.net/forums/2-nephi/27634-2-nephi-15-1-a.html http://www.lds.net/forums/2-nephi/27608-2-nephi-15-a.html Thu, 12 Nov 2009 07:09:48 GMT 2 Nephi 15

The fifth chapter of Isaiah speaks of Jehovah and the vines of his vineyard. The common grape, or biblical vine, Vitis vinifera, has a long history of cultivation in Israel. It is the first cultivated plant to be identified by name in the Bible (see Gen. 9:20) and continues to be an important crop in modern Israel. It was an important source of food and beverage in the ancient Near East. In ancient Israel the September grape harvest was a time of feasting, joy, and song.
In the Holy Land, the grapevine can be an exceptionally robust plant, capable of developing trunks up to one and one-half feet in diameter. They typically produce clusters of grapes weighing from ten to twelve pounds, although some approach thirty pounds in weight. To reach this fruit-producing potential, however, the vine requires a tremendous amount of care and attention. If left untended, it seldom survives. These characteristics made the vine an ideal metaphor for Israel.
Terry Ball, Thy People Shall Be My People and Thy God My God: The 22nd Annual Sidney B. Sperry Symposium [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1994], 18
]]> 2 Nephi pam http://www.lds.net/forums/2-nephi/27608-2-nephi-15-a.html http://www.lds.net/forums/2-nephi/27569-2-nephi-14-5-6-a.html Wed, 11 Nov 2009 15:16:09 GMT Reference Search: 2 Nephi 14:5-6

5 And the Lord will create upon every dwelling-place of mount Zion, and upon her assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night; for upon all the glory of Zion shall be a defence.
6 And there shall be a tabernacle for a shadow in the daytime from the heat, and for a place of refuge, and a covert from storm and from rain.

Quotes for Discussion


“Zion a place of refuge”
In Bible times men did not build houses with the idea in mind that most of their daily living would be spent inside them. Their first interest was in spending as much time as possible in God’s out-of-doors. The house served as a place of retirement. For this reason the outside walls of the humble house were not inviting. There was no effort to attract attention to this place of retirement. The purpose of these dwellings is borne out by the meaning of the Hebrew and Arabic words for “house.” Rev. Abraham Rihbany, who was born in Syria and spent his early life there, has made a very illuminative statement about the meaning and purpose of the Palestinian house:
The Hebrew word bavith and the Arabic word bait mean primarily a “shelter.” The English equivalent is the word “house.” The richer term, “home,” has never been invented by the son of Palestine because he has always considered himself “a sojourner in the earth.” His tent and his little house, therefore, were sufficient for a shelter for him and his dear ones during the earthly pilgrimage.
Because the Palestinians lived out-of-doors so much, the sacred writers were fond of referring to God as a “Shelter” or as a “refuge,” rather than as a “home.”
Fred H. Wight, Manners and Customs of Bible Lands [Chicago: Moody Press, 1953], 20-21



The time is soon coming, when no man will have any peace but in Zion and her stakes. I saw men hunting the lives of their own sons, and brother murdering brother, women killing their own daughters, and daughters seeking the lives of their mothers. I saw armies arrayed against armies. I saw blood, desolation, fires. The Son of Man has said that the mother shall be against the daughter, and the daughter against the mother. These things are at our doors. They will follow the Saints of God from city to city. Satan will rage, and the spirit of the devil is now enraged.
Joseph Smith, TPJS, p. 161


The First Presidency has called on the parents of the Church to hold family home evening and family prayer, to study the gospel in the home, and to spend time with children in wholesome activities….
When I was growing up, my father often led our family in gospel discussions around the dinner table. Only with the perspective of years do I understand today the contribution those family hours made to my own testimony. I rejoice in the prophecy of Isaiah that the time will come when “upon every dwelling place of mount Zion” there shall be “a cloud…by day, and …a flaming fire by night” (Isa. 4:5), when the Spirit of God will abide in the homes of His people continually.
Bruce D. Porter, Ensign, May 2001, 81



I believe this building is called a Tabernacle, and it will accommodate from twelve thousand to fifteen thousand persons, and it is a tolerably cool place for the people in the heat of summer, especially to be a shade in the day time from the heat, and for a place of refuge and a covert from storm and from rain and tempest. I do not think that storms or tempests would affect a congregation that might be assembled in the Lord's Tabernacle; but I wish particularly to call your attention to the preceding verse--"The Lord shall create upon every dwelling-place of Mount Zion, and upon all her assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day, and the shining of a flame or pillar of fire by night."
I do not see any cloud covering this house, or the congregation that is before me. What is the reason? The time has not yet come. The time is to come when God will meet with all the congregation of his Saints, and to show his approval, and that he does love them, he will work a miracle by covering them in the cloud of his glory. I do not mean something that is invisible, but I mean that same order of things which once existed on the earth so far as the tabernacle of Moses was concerned, which was carried in the midst of the children of Israel as they journeyed in the wilderness.
Did God manifest himself in that tabernacle that was built according to the pattern which he gave unto his servant Moses? He did. In what way? In the day time a cloud filled that tabernacle. The Lord intended his people to be covered with the cloud continually, and he intended to reveal himself unto them, and to show forth his glory more fully amongst them; but they sinned so much in his sight that he declared-- "My presence shall not go up with this people, lest I should break forth upon them in my fury and consume them in a moment." Because of their wickedness he withdrew his presence. and his glory in a great measure was taken from them; but still Moses was permitted to enter the tabernacle, and to behold the glory of God, and it is said that he talked with the Lord face to face--a blessing which God did intend to bestow upon all Israel had they kept his law and had not hardened their hearts against him.
But m the latter days there will be a people so pure in Mount Zion, with a house established upon the tops of the mountains, that God will manifest himself, not only in their Temple and upon all their assemblies, with a visible cloud during the day, but when the night shall come, if they shall be assembled for worship, God will meet with them by his pillar of fire; and when they retire to their habitations, behold each habitation will be lighted up by the glory of God,--a pillar of flaming fire by night.
Did you ever hear of any city that was thus favored and blessed since the day that Isaiah delivered this prophecy? No, it is a latter-day work, one that God must consummate in the latter times when he begins to reveal himself and show forth his power among the nations. (JD, 16:82.)
Monte S. Nyman, Great are the Words of Isaiah, p.38-39



Storm/rain
These are symbols for God’s judgments on the wicked (Ps. 83:15). The storms remove the wicked from their places as chaff is removed from the wheat (Job 21:18; 27:21), while the righteous, like wheat, are gathered into protected units and preserved (in the Lord’s temples and other holy places).
Parry, Parry, Peterson, Understanding Isaiah, p. 49 ]]> 2 Nephi pam http://www.lds.net/forums/2-nephi/27569-2-nephi-14-5-6-a.html http://www.lds.net/forums/2-nephi/27536-2-nephi-14-5-a.html Tue, 10 Nov 2009 07:02:26 GMT Reference Search: 2 Nephi 14:5

5 And the Lord will create upon every dwelling-place of mount Zion, and upon her assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night; for upon all the glory of Zion shall be a defence.

Quote for Discussion



Defense
A protecting cover. But even so, the expression needs explanation. Perhaps a question might help. Suppose the prophet, seven hundred years before our era, had been carried away, in the spirit, to Ensign Peak and been permitted to see Salt Lake valley, as it is today, first at noon, then at sunset with its indescribable beauty of colors; then, let us suppose that he had seen the shadows of night fall, and, all of a sudden, the entire valley, as by a miracle, lit up by thousands of lights, the Temple radiant among all the glittering little stars; how would he have described this vision to a public not aware of electricity, and he, himself, just as ignorant in that particular as his hearers, except by saying just what he did say, that the Lord had created upon every dwelling place on Mount Zion, and upon her assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day, and the shining of a flaming fire by night; and that this marvelous beauty, this evidence of progress and prosperity would be the protection of the glory of Zion? Or, suppose that the prophet had been standing on the Mount of Olives in Palestine, at a future day, viewing the New Jerusalem and the new temple across the Valley of Kedron, and the thousands of homes that will be there, even more wonderfully illuminated, as scientific marvels are multiplied; what could he have said in a description? That the modern glory of Zion reminded him of the cloud and the fire by which God anciently manifested his glory to Israel is certain. (See Ex. 13:21; 33:18; Numb. 9:15; 2 Chron. 5:13, 14. See also Ezek. 11:22, 23; 43:1-5).
Reynolds & Sjodahl, Commentary on the BOM, p. ]]> 2 Nephi pam http://www.lds.net/forums/2-nephi/27536-2-nephi-14-5-a.html http://www.lds.net/forums/2-nephi/27523-2-nephi-14-4-a.html Mon, 09 Nov 2009 18:45:52 GMT Reference Search: 2 Nephi 14:4

4 When the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof by the spirit of judgment and by the spirit of burning.

Quote for Discussion

In its root sense, the Hebrew word for filth has reference to human excrement. The term is used symbolically to emphasize the terrible nature of the sins of Israel and the impurities found within the daughters of Zion.
Donald W. Parry, Jay A. Parry, and Tina M. Peterson, Understanding Isaiah [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1998], 49



“Washing away the filth of the daughters of Zion” and “purging the blood of Jerusalem” recalls the ancient sacrifices in which the burnt offerings were rinsed to remove impurities, the cleansing atonement of Christ, and washings and anointings.
Victor L. Ludlow, Isaiah: Prophet, Seer, and Poet [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1982], 110 ]]> 2 Nephi pam http://www.lds.net/forums/2-nephi/27523-2-nephi-14-4-a.html http://www.lds.net/forums/2-nephi/27487-2-nephi-14-3-a.html Sun, 08 Nov 2009 14:58:08 GMT Reference Search: 2 Nephi 14:3

3 And it shall come to pass, they that are left in Zion and remain in Jerusalem shall be called holy, every one that is written among the living in Jerusalem—

Quote for Discussion

Holiness has been defined as “conformity to the nature and the will of God, whereby a Saint is distinguished from the unrenewed world; and is not actuated by their principles and precepts, nor governed by their maxims and customs.” (Cruden’s Concordance under “Holiness.”) Israel was commanded to be a “holy nation, a sanctified nation, a nation of saints.” (Ex. 19:6) The followers of our Savior are in the New Testament often referred to as “saints,” which indicates that they were regarded as sanctified, separated fro the “world” by their purer faith and more perfect practices. In this remarkable prophecy the prediction is made that, in the latter days, when Israel and Judah (v. 4) are being gathered in from the dispersion, those who remain after having passed through the fiery trials, whether in Zion or Jerusalem, will be known as “holy,”—that is, as “Saints.”
George Reynolds & Janne M. Sjodahl, Commentary on the BOM, p. 330
]]> 2 Nephi pam http://www.lds.net/forums/2-nephi/27487-2-nephi-14-3-a.html http://www.lds.net/forums/2-nephi/27469-2-nephi-14-2-a.html Sat, 07 Nov 2009 18:21:19 GMT Reference Search: 2 Nephi 14:2

2 In that day shall the branch of the Lord be beautiful and glorious; the fruit of the earth excellent and comely to them that are escaped of Israel.

Quote for Discussion

“The days come, saith the Lord, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch [LDS Bible footnote b says “Jesus Christ”], and a King shall reign and prosper” (Jeremiah 23:5).
In another sense, the “branch” could represent dispersed remnants of the house of Israel who have been redeemed and brought back to the glory of the Lord. (See Isa. 60:21; 61:3; 2 Ne. 3:5; Jacob 2:25.)
Hoyt W. Brewster, Jr., Isaiah Plain and Simple [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1995], 37
]]> 2 Nephi pam http://www.lds.net/forums/2-nephi/27469-2-nephi-14-2-a.html http://www.lds.net/forums/2-nephi/27437-2-nephi-14-1-a.html Fri, 06 Nov 2009 14:40:00 GMT Reference Search: 2 Nephi 14:1

1 And in that day, seven women shall take hold of one man, saying: We will eat our own bread, and wear our own apparel; only let us be called by thy name to take away our reproach.

Quote for Discussion

“The JST and the Hebrew Bible place this verse in the previous chapter where it fits the context much better. This condition will result from the war described in Isaiah 3:25-26. While this verse has been interpreted by some as a prophecy of plural marriage as revealed in the Doctrine and Covenants. The proposal to marry (or merely live together) is made here by the woman. Under the Lord’s law, the man would initiate the marriage (see D&C 132:58-61). The women described by Isaiah volunteer to remain economically independent rather than make the man responsible for their care while they multiply and replenish the earth, as under the Lord’s law (see D&C 132:63 and Jacob 2:30). The innate desire of the woman to be a wife and a mother is noted in the phrase to take away our reproach. To be childless was considered a reproach in ancient Israel (see Luke 1:25 and Gen. 30:23).
Monte S. Nyman, Great Are the Words of Isaiah [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1980], 37


Seven Women—One Man
In a Semitic society, the greatest disgrace for a woman was to be barren. Isaiah describes a time when women will support themselves financially, but seek a husband who will make it possible for them to achieve the honor of motherhood.
Victor L. Ludlow, Unlocking the Old Testament [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1981], 149


“In that day,” (14:1) when judgments will have removed so many men that there is a great scarcity of them, “seven women” (Meaning simply a lot of women) will request a man’s hand in marriage. Economic problems will be such that these women will be willing to provide their own food and clothing, contrary to the usual marriage customs. According to the Hebrew scriptures (Ed. 21: 10), a man was required to provide a wife with food and clothing; but in this case Isaiah observes that the women are willing to waive that right. Having a good knowledge of the importance of marriage, they request a man to take away their reproach. In Isaiah’s day and, indeed, in many parts of the Near East today, it was and is a disgrace to remain unmarried.
Sidney B. Sperry, Book of Mormon Compendium [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1968], 183-84







When a large part of the male population shall have been exterminated by war and its concomitants, seven women shall offer themselves to one man…In the old times a woman, as a rule, considered it unfortunate not to have the privilege of motherhood. See the story of Rachel in the Old Testament, Gen. 30:33; or, in the New Testament, Elisabeth the mother of John the Baptist, Luke, 1:25. The misfortune must have been felt more keenly at a time when the population had been practically decimated. A plurality of wives in one household, under the protection of one man may, according to this prophetic utterance, be a more desirable arrangement than one by which six women of every seven are excluded from the joys and responsibilities of a mother. It is no defense of lawlessness to say that under similar circumstances the same remedy might be applied again. But only by divine revelation through the Prophet authorized to speak for the Lord. (See Jacob 2:27-30; D&C 43:2-6.)
George Reynolds and Janne M. Sjodahl, Commentary on the Book of Mormon, ed. Phillip C. Reynolds, 7 vols. [Salt Lake City: Deseret book Co., 1955-1961], 330
]]> 2 Nephi pam http://www.lds.net/forums/2-nephi/27437-2-nephi-14-1-a.html http://www.lds.net/forums/2-nephi/27371-intro-2-nephi-14-a.html Thu, 05 Nov 2009 14:23:45 GMT “In the preceding chapter we read of the bitter winter seasons of apostate darkness. Now we read of darkness and wickedness giving way to light and righteousness; we read of the glorious spring of restoration with its heaven-sent cleansing rains, followed in turn b the pleasant summer of millennial splendor. It is a day when Zion’s daughters have abandoned worldly fashions and have adorned themselves with robes of righteousness, while Jacob’s faithful sons have, in the language of Isaiah, put on their beautiful garments-the authority and power of the holy priesthood (see Isaiah; D&C 113:7-8).”
R. Millet and J.F. McConkie, Doctrinal Commentary on the Book of Mormon, 1:279 ]]> 2 Nephi pam http://www.lds.net/forums/2-nephi/27371-intro-2-nephi-14-a.html