THOUGHT QUESTIONS 2 NEPHI

Thought Questions for 2 Nephi

The Lord often gave promises pertaining to His people’s children and descendants. Posterity was important to Israelites. Righteous Israelites were concerned about what would happen—not only to themselves, but also to their children and their children’s children.

1

• Do you think Laman and Lemuel considered their children when they taught them by word and by example to fight against the things father Lehi taught them?

• In what way does this covenant to live righteously on the land apply to those living in the Promised Land today?

2

• How do you think Lehi’s admonitions of choices help us today?

3

• If you have had a patriarchal blessing, from which tribe, or from whose lineage, did you descend?

• Do you think that this is always a literal pronouncement, or may you have been assigned or adopted into a particular tribe?

• If you are from Ephraim or Manasseh, does this mean you are also of the lineage of Joseph?

We do not know where the “lost” ten tribes have been these thousands of years. Many of them may have settled in countries through which they traveled.

• Does it matter whether we are literal or adopted members of the House of Israel as long as we all come to the Lord under the Abrahamic covenant?

4

• Do we ever have the tendency to dwell on how another person has afflicted us (or still does afflict us) instead of centering our lives on Christ and our Heavenly Father who love us?

• Do we, as Brother Covey suggested, let ourselves become “enemy centered” instead of God-centered?

• What can we learn from Nephi’s resolve to not let his strength in God “slacken” because of his afflictions?

• When we discover weaknesses in ourselves, do we reach out to Christ, accepting His Atonement, and asking Him to take these weaknesses away from us?

• Do we, as Nephi did, ask the Lord to “redeem our souls”?

• Although Laman and Lemuel proved themselves to be Nephi’s enemies—who is the greatest enemy of all—for Nephi, for Laman and Lemuel (who listened to him), and for us?

• How can we help the Lord to “hedge up” Satan’s plans for us?

5

• Do you think acquiring a heart hardened against the Lord is a curse of “blackness”?

• Who do you think actually brought the curse on these people—the Lord or themselves?

• Why do you think the Lord wanted the “blackness” of the Lamanites to be visible to the people of Nephi?

• Do you think that we could be “cursed” with “darkness,” no matter what our physical skin color—if we choose to follow Satan rather than God?

• Why do you suppose early Lamanites “did seek beasts of prey”?  To eat them? because wearing animal skins made them look ferocious? To identify themselves with something preying on something else?

• What do you think verse 26 tells us about how Jacob and Joseph reacted to the blessing their father, Lehi, gave them before he died?

6

• Although when Jacob quoted Isaiah, he was speaking of latter day Israel, how do you think these prophesies applied to the Nephites of His day?

• How do you think these prophesies apply to our lives in this last dispensation?

7

• Think of some ‘thought questions’ and answers as you read Chapter 7.

8

• What do you think is the difference between having a law written “on the books” and having it written in the “hearts of the people?”

• Why do you think the metaphors of the moth and the worm eating cloth are appropriate comparisons to describe what will happen to those who put their trust in worldly wisdom?

• How do you think the metaphor, “thou has drunken the dregs,” applies to the Children of Israel in the last days?

9

• Why will the devil rise no more—why can he never rise, or be resurrected?

• Since we will all have a perfect knowledge—or memory—of the lives we have lived, do you think we will, in a sense, judge ourselves by that very memory?

• Do you think there are people today, because they have had much education or have been blessed with gifted intellectual capacities, who think that they know better than the prophets of God?

Consider someone who is “rich and famous” or someone in an “ivory tower” of some learning institution—a person considered successful by the standards of the world.

• Do you think it is wrong to desire prosperity?

• Do you think it is wrong to be the most learned in a particular field of education?

10

 What do you think is one reason it was necessary (or expedient) for Jesus Christ to be born to that nation who would kill their

• Why do you think the Earthly authorities at Jerusalem “stiffen their necks” and cause Jesus to be crucified? 

11

• What does this last phrase in verse 3 tell us about three witnesses of the Restoration who were privileged to see hear the Voice of the Lord, see an angel, and see the Golden Plates and bear witness to them?

• What can we learn from Nephi of where to find happiness?

12

• What type of prophecies do you think Philistine soothsayers would make? Do you think their prophecies would help bring people to Christ?

God, Jesus Christ, suffered great unimaginable agony to give us the chance for Eternal Life—the chance for us to become like God!

• Why do you think it is worthwhile (other than to save ourselves) to put God over false idols of this life?

• Do you think it is a privilege to show our appreciation and love for our Self-sacrificing Savior?

13

“Ancients of His people and princes thereof,” from verse 14 is condemning corrupt rulers of ancient Israel.

• Do you think this same condemnation could apply to corrupt judges and lawyers and politicians today?

• What similarities do you see of vanity in Isaiah’s day to vanity in our day?

• Do you think attractive clothing and tasteful jewelry are wrong to wear—or do you think they are a problem only if they become so important that they replace the Lord in our lives?

14

• What better protection could we ever ask for than protection of our Savior and Redeemer?

15

• In our day, how do you think the Lord “nourishes” us?

• How do you think we use this precious nourishment?

• Who do you think are like the stubble and the chaff today?

• What fire and flame do you think will consume these?

• What do you think “their” roots mean?

• What do you think their blossoms represent?

• Why do you think they will be consumed as fire?

• What kind of modern weapon do you think Isaiah might have seen as a sharp arrow and bent bow?

• What kind of transportation could take the place of horses’ hoofs, have wheels “like a whirlwind,” and roar like a lion?

• What method of modern transportation “roars like young lions, lays hold of the prey [or has people go inside of it], and carries the people away safely, where none can get at them”?

16

• If you were called to do something for the Lord (perhaps minister to a reluctant member, accept a mission call in a place that was inherently unresponsive to missionaries, serve at Desert Industries for people you felt were unappreciative, or teach a group of unruly teenagers) how would you respond to the call?

17

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• What feelings would trees have if the wind moved them?

• Would they have a choice of fighting back?

• Would they feel helpless?

• How do you think you would have felt if God Himself invited you to ask for a sign from Him?

• Do you wonder that Isaiah told Ahaz that he had made a very poor decision?

• How can this metaphor “only eat ‘butter and honey’” help us develop noble characters?

18

• Might “going over all his banks” (verse 7) also represent how the Assyrian king—under Satan’s influence—would go into Promised Land territory and tempt God’s chosen people to continue in—and expand in—wickedness?

• We will not all be asked to seal our testimonies with our lives as Joseph Smith (and likely Isaiah eventually did).  What are some other ways we might be asked to “seal” our testimonies of God?

Jacob, Nephi’s brother, cautioned the Nephites not to become so enchanted with their own learning or with the learning of the “highly educated” that they did not recognize the teachings of God (2 Nephi 28:4).

• How do you think listening to worldly sources of information that contradict the teachings of the prophets similar to what Isaiah taught about getting information from “familiar spirits” and “wizards”?

• Does this sound like the description of hell—when unrepentant spirits suffer from their own evil choices? 

• In choosing darkness over Light by choosing to get their direction from sources contrary to God, where would the Children of Israel be driven?

• If we choose darkness over Light by choosing to get our direction from sources contrary to God, where will we be driven?

19

• Why do you think, according to Isaiah, the land of Jerusalem would be called the land of the shadow of death before the Savior came?

• Do you think this this refers to physical or spiritual death?

• Considering verse 2, what is one reason you think that candles are appropriate symbols at Christmastime?

• What do you think will be the harvest after that great battle of good triumphing over evil?

• What do you think will be the “spoils” of the war—taken from the defeated enemy, Satan?

• How is the attitude of the Israelites of Isaiah’s time similar to the attitudes of the Nephites to whom Jacob and Nephi address in these chapters?

• How are the attitudes of both the ancient Israelites and the Nephites similar to attitudes of our time?                                                                                  

•  How can this devastating sequence of events be stopped?

• Why do you think the leaders’ power is cut off first?

• Do the people seem to rebel against the wicked leaders—or do they seem to follow them?

• Do you see a similarity in this older generation of Israelites and the influence they have of the younger generations to the effect Laman and Lemuel had on their descendants?                                                                                  

• Do you think that Nephi and Jacob read the scriptures from Isaiah to help the Nephites refrain from making the same tragic mistakes made by both the earlier wicked Israelites and by Laman and Lemuel?

• How do you think this lesson from Isaiah can help parents and leaders today realize their solemn responsibilities?

20

• How many of us take credit for completed projects when it was the Lord who made it possible for them to be completed?

21

• Do you think the fact that a “little child shall lead them” shows the type of spirit children of God who will be born during the Millennium?

• After all the bloody and horrible things Isaiah witnessed of the future, how do you think visions of the Millennial era made him feel?

• Do you think we could be living in a Millennium-type world now if no one paid any attention to Satan’s enticings?

22

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• If only the Lord Jehovah or ones like Him can possess Salvation, what do you think we must do to obtain it?

• Would we not all think that eradicating the Earth of evil and offering Salvation to everyone are the ultimate of excellent things?

• What is the metaphor Isaiah used in connection with “Salvation” in verse 3?

• Why would Isaiah use water and wells to describe Salvation (verse 3)?

• What wonderful feeling will those who obtain Salvation experience (verse 3)?                                          

23

• Does the Lord think people are inherently precious—if He was willing to suffer and die to give us the opportunity for Eternal Life?

• Will the people be few in number—or precious and rare—after the great wars?

• Will the people become “refined” through the events of the last days so they will be precious?

24

• Can you imagine what awful power-lust Lucifer possessed—to expect to be higher than our Heavenly Father?

• Can you imagine what kind of universes would exist under Lucifer, if he had the power to rule them?

• How do you think the Lord’s servants and handmaids will take the former “captors” captive?

• Do you think the former captors will become converted to the truth?

• Do you think that the reference reminds us that those who choose to follow

     Satan will be captive, or bound, in their quest for wickedness?

• Do you think that “ruling over their captives” means that “good” will rule over “evil”?

• Are we going to be on the Lord’s side? 

• Will we meet enthusiastically under His holy banner to fight against evil?

25

• Do you think it is logical that understanding Isaiah helps solidify the testimony of Christ—or the Spirit of prophecy?

• Do you think we can we reconcile having a strong testimony of Jesus Christ in our hearts, yet still have a difficult time understanding the words of Isaiah with what Nephi said in verse 4?

• If we wait until prophecies are fulfilled in the last days before we begin to believe, do you think it will be too late?

Jesus has completed the task to save all mankind from permanent separation of body and spirit; He also offers Eternal Life for all who come unto Him. This is certainly “healing!”

• In what other ways does the Savior offer “healing in His wings”?

The ancient country of Babylon was destroyed before the Savior was born.

• Could the term, Babylon, in verse 15 refer to the destruction of the wicked Israelites in Jerusalem as well as the ancient Babylonian kingdom?

• How do you think the term, Babylon, in verse 15 could have yet other multi-layered meanings?

• What do you think this “Babylon” meant in Nephi’s day in the Promised Land?

• What are possible meanings of “Babylon” in our day?

Nephi referred to two miracles Moses performed. The first was, when the people were bitten by poisonous snakes, and the Lord caused that a statue of a snake be raised and if the people would look at the statue, they would be healed. Some people refused to look at the statue!  They died.

• How do you think this is a “type,” or an “example,” of people who refuse to look to the Savior to be healed?

The second miracle was when the people thirsted in the desert and the Lord let Moses hit a rock to bring forth water.

• How can this miracle of water be compared to the Gospel the Savior offers?

26

• What do you think are some Eternal consequences to Earthly behaviors?

27

Portions of the Plates would be “sealed.”  Nephi said that the sealed section of the Plates would not be “delivered” to the world because the condition of the world was too wicked. He also said that the book (or the Plates themselves) would not be delivered.

• When we think of how sacred are the words we do have, does it give you profound excitement to realize all the additional things yet to be revealed when we are ready?

• Do you think it is important for us to study and live by the scriptures we do have, so we will be prepared for the remainder of God’s mysteries to be revealed to us?

The Lord said that all that “watch for iniquity” will be cut off. “” means to be .

• Are those who are watching for Satan to triumph “watching for iniquity”? Do people in our time “watch for iniquity”?

• Could “watching for iniquity” be focusing on the evil and base in the world, ignoring the good?

• Do you think “watching iniquity”—or pornography or unclean movies and other media is included in this expression?

• Do you think we are we preparing ourselves to return to the holy Presence of our God if we are anxiously waiting to see and hear evil movies, pictures, music, and language?

• What would be valuable to “watch for”—rather than for iniquity?

28

• Do we, in the dispensation Nephi envisioned, appreciate the “great worth” of The Book of Mormon?

29

• Do you think that those who show prejudice against  people from other cultures and nationalities—and assume their own superiority because of their race or culture—would do well to remember that the Lord Himself said, “I, the Lord your God have created all men” (verse 7)?

• Why should anyone complain because they receive more of God’s word to feast upon? 

30

• What do you think is an effective way to become spiritually “white and delightsome” regardless of skin color?

31

God the Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost use their efforts in helping us come back to them.

• With these Divine Partners to help us, do you think that living up to the covenants we made in the pre-mortal life, then make again when we are baptized, and then renew each week as we take the sacrament, is really so difficult?

32

• Of all doors we might want to enter, do you think the door to our Lord Jesus Christ is the door most important?

33

Many have been inspired and converted because of the sacred things Nephi wrote on the Small Plates.

• Do you think because Nephi wrote by the Power of the Holy Ghost, the Holy Ghost is also able to deliver these things to the hearts of the readers?

• With all of the wonderful things that Nephi did write, do you think it will be a spiritual feast to someday hear the things he said but was not able to write?

• With all of the wonderful things that Nephi did write, do you think it will be a spiritual feast to someday hear the things he said but was not able to write?