SECOND WITNESS

Chronological overviews of lessons of the Book of Mormon are found in this section. For detailed, unabridged lessons contact kathryn@secondwitnessbookofmormon.com

A Companion Study Guide to:
The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ

OVERVIEW: Text

OVERVIEW

What an awesome experience—to reach back over 2600 years and read a translation of words written by Nephi, an early prophet of God!

570 B.C.

The messages on the Small Plates, which are called 1 Nephi,

were written after Nephi thought he had already written

what was necessary of that time period.

600 B.C.

Fast forward in time to 1829

Joseph Smith translated 116 pages of Mormon’s abridgment of the Book of Lehi, Lehi’s detailed journal, from the Large Plates. Then Martin Harris lost Joseph Smith’s manuscript. Wicked men, inspired by Satan, thought Joseph would re-translate it—and then they could alter the stolen translation and discredit Joseph when he published the new translation. But the Lord had the situation covered. In fact, He took care of it about 2400 years before it occurred.

Joseph did not need to re-translate Lehi’s writings, because the Small Plates of Nephi encompassed the same era as that recorded on the missing material (D & C, Chapter 10).

Why else was Nephi commanded to make the Small Plates?

The Large Plates included secular history along with sacred doctrine, and the Small Plates contained many extra sacred religious nuggets of gold along with some secular history.

Nephi began his record complimenting his parents…although, Nibley (An Approach to the Book of Mormon, 1964, p.35) suggests the term, “goodly,” refers to temporally wealthy and of a prominent position, in addition to meaning “righteous.”

By the time Nephi wrote this, his father Lehi, and most likely his mother Sariah, had already died. Possibly this reflective experience was difficult for him to do.

All varieties of learning were important in Lehi’s family.

Nephi was taught in “all the learning of his father”.

Language and literacy

Nephi’s learning included literacy in what we now call Hebrew (although it was not called “Hebrew” then). Many scholars think reformed Egyptian was shorthand, and that it was used to take less characters to express a thought. Hebrew is much more concise than English, so reformed Egyptian, taking less room than Hebrew, must have been very compact.

Thought Question:

Do you think the Lord considered ahead of time how convenient it would be for Book of Mormon scribes to know how to write in Egyptian, which knowledge was passed down through generations, taking into account that there would be so much difficult recording to do on metal plates?

Vocabulary Tips:

Concise means, “cut short or brief.”

Compact can mean, “Occupying a small volume by efficiently using space.” The Plates were difficult to make. It was necessary to use space in the most efficient way possible!

Religion

Israelite tradition included learning—even memorizing—the scriptures; they not only contained religious law; they contained secular law—although by that time scribes had misinterpreted, altered, and left out or added to many of Moses’s original writings.

Caring for the welfare of others

Nephi was taught to care for the welfare of others—spiritually and temporally. Lehi cared desperately about the people in the land of Jerusalem and set a spiritual example, obeying God’s calling to “warn his neighbors.”

Work ethic

Although he was raised in a wealthy environment, Nephi showed throughout his life he was not afraid to put forth the effort of his own labor to get it.

Nibley (Ibid, Chapters 5-7), presents

many telling arguments that, although Lehi had a house in the city of Jerusalem, when they spoke of the “land of his inheritance” it was most likely in the country—outside of the city—but in the land of Jerusalem. Nibley also offered reasonable opinions that Lehi was a merchant who likely became wealthy from selling and trading rich produce from his land on journeys throughout the near east.

We know that Nephi brought a steel bow on his journey and knew how to use it proficiently. This suggests he was a skilled hunter. We can safely assume that his father taught him many other skills.

Self-confidence

Nephi was not arrogant. He acknowledged God in everything he did and consistently prayed for light, knowledge, and help; he prayed in the spirit of love and gratitude. But he also had a sureness that came with knowing that he was doing the right thing.

Jerusalem

Even though Laman and Lemuel often later complained that the family should have stayed at Jerusalem, during the time chronicled in 1 Nephi, 1 (about 600 B.C.), Jerusalem was in a very precarious position.

Against the advice and warning of the prophets, a powerful pro-Egyptian faction promoted support of Egypt, even though Egypt had already been defeated by Babylon and Judah was a vassal state of Babylon. Egyptian supporters included the king’s foolish and wicked advisors who reveled in the Egyptian life-style and riches—and held political authority. The other faction urged submission to the Babylonians. Although the Babylonians were also wicked, at this time they were much stronger than Egypt—and could crush opposition that supported Egypt. Even more important than whom they supported, the people needed to repent of their sins.

The Israelites in the land of Jerusalem were in spiritual danger, resulting from their own wickedness, as well as political danger. Judah was a little nation tucked between aggressive strong countries. If the people were righteous, the Lord promised to keep them safe. But they lived wickedly; among their most heinous sins was the persecution and murder of God’s prophets. Because of their own wicked actions, they were throwing away their only chance of safety.

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OVERVIEW: Welcome