See also 3 Nephi 11:32–39; 27:13–22; D. Todd Christofferson, “The Doctrine of Christ,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2012, 86–90; Brian K. Ashton, “The Doctrine of Christ,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2016, 106–9. Bruce M. Metzger and Michael D. Coogan (New York: Oxford University Press, 1993), 793–94. They sometimes refer to it as the doctrine of Christ or the gospel of Jesus Christ, but even more often as “the way” or as “the word.” While Latter-day Saint writers sometimes equate the gospel with the plan of salvation, Book of Mormon writers reserve this latter term to invoke the full list of things God has done to make salvation possible. Items in the BMC Archive are made publicly available for non-commercial, private use. O my son, do not let us be slothful because of the easiness of the way; for so was it with our fathers; for so was it prepared for them, that if they would look they might live; even so it is with us. And now, behold, this is the doctrine of Christ, and the only and true doctrine of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost” (2 Nephi 31:21; emphasis added). The more diligently you strive to live like Jesus Christ and rely on His atoning power, the more naturally you will teach in His way. How are the reasons He was baptized similar to the reasons you were baptized? [16] Reynolds, “Gospel of Jesus Christ,” 33. 2 (1996): 26–56. He sought the will of the Lord and courageously strived to obey it—whether that meant risking his life to get the brass plates from Laban, building a boat and crossing the sea, or faithfully teaching the doctrine of Christ with plainness and power. That Jesus provides the example or shows men the way is a clear theme of 2 Nephi 31. And we will better understand that Nephi sees himself marshaling the highest possible authority when he says, “I know by this” in his own explanation of the doctrine of Christ (2 Nephi 31:16). Following Nephi, the Book of Mormon writers consistently used a handful of interchangeable terms to refer to this gospel. How can we make sure the Holy Ghost has “place in [us]”? Perhaps sensing a need to connect the dots more clearly for his readers, Nephi goes on to explain that we could not “speak with the tongue of angels save it were by the Holy Ghost” (2 Nephi 32:2). The podcast contains interviews with youth throughout the world as well as "True Tales from the Book of Mormon" - Stories told in a fun and easy-to-understand way. My insights and notes are so much better and it has made studying the Book of Mormon much more fun and applicable! Nephi could speak persuasively of the need to “press forward with a steadfastness in Christ,” of following the “strait and narrow path which leads to eternal life” (2 Nephi 31:20, 18), because that is the path he followed. The Book of Mormon is a musical comedy with music, lyrics, and book by Trey Parker, Robert Lopez, and Matt Stone.. First staged in 2011, the play is a satirical examination of the beliefs and practices of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.The musical ultimately endorses the positive power of love and service. took courage to go forth unto the Lamanites to declare unto them the word of God.”, Alma 31:11: “Alma ​and his brethren went into the land to preach the word unto them.”, Moroni 9:4: “When I speak the word of God with sharpness they tremble and anger against me.”. Nephi, with his characteristic plainness and simplicity, did it this way: faith in Christ, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end. [17] Compare Psalm 16:11; Proverbs 3:17; 6:23; 8:32; 10:17, 29; 11:5; 12:28; 13:6; 15:24; 16:7, 17; Jeremiah 21:8; Acts 2:28; Romans 3:17; with Proverbs 7:27; 13:15; 14:12; 16:25; 21:16; 22:5, 25; Isaiah 59:7. . "This Is the Way," Book of Mormon Journaling 2 Nephi 31-33 (March 2-9, 2020) In these final chapters, Nephi completes his record. Two months later, James Covill was told in another revelation that he should “preach the fulness of my gospel, which I have sent forth in these last days, the covenant which I have sent forth” (D&C 39:11; emphasis added). One way the Book of Mormon changes lives is through its teachings on the Savior’s Atonement. It includes an account of the pre-earth life and the planning for this earth as a probation for God’s spirit children; the Creation; the Fall; the Atonement of Christ, which makes humanity’s redemption possible; the preaching of the gospel in this world and in the spirit world; the final judgment of all God’s children according to their responses to the gospel; and the final state of his children after that judgment, whether they have received eternal life or some lesser reward. In 2005, I wrote a very enthusiastic review of Royal Skousen’s Analysis of Textual Variants of the Book of Mormon, Part One: 1 Nephi 1–2 Nephi 10, the first part of volume 4 of his Book of Mormon Critical Text Project. The much less conspicuous term, the way, which is also used as a synonym for these, occurs 82 times when referring to this same teaching. While the principles of the gospel of Jesus Christ are taught throughout the Book of Mormon, three specific passages offer authoritative, complete, and precise definitions of that gospel. To Fulfill All Righteousness, by Liz Lemon Swindle, March 2–8. These two terms, gospel and doctrine, are the most likely to catch the attention of modern readers. However, rather than giving a straightforward statement of the principal meaning such as a modern dictionary might offer, each passage outlines the gospel or doctrine of Christ several times in different ways: each statement including two or more of the basic elements of the gospel message is related in a variety of ways. ​Reynolds, “The Gospel of Jesus Christ as Taught by the Nephite Prophets,” BYU Studies 31, no. I get distracted. [2]. The Book of Mormon states, Mormon missionaries regularly quote this verse and accompany it with heartfelt person… Jesus himself expands on this description of the two ways in Matthew 7:13–14: “Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.”. The more I have studied and taught the Book of Mormon, the more suspicious I have become of many of those assumptions. Though sinless, it was necessary for him to humble himself before the Father and witness “unto the Father that he would be obedient unto him in keeping his commandments” (2 Nephi 31:7). With Billy Peter. The article is also available online: https://byustudies.byu.edu/showTitle.aspx?title=6054. The author gives basic drawing instructions. The Book of Mormon characterizes the gospel as the guide for all men who wish to live this life in such a way that they can receive eternal life. . Even more numerous are the other references that seem to refer to specific prophecies or divine actions that evidence God’s power in this world—without suggesting a focus on this central gospel message. They ignore, of course, the context itself in which God actually gives the interpretation (v. 21), which has nothing at all to do with the Book of Mormon. . Two young Latter-day Saints are sent on a mission to convince the people of a small village in Uganda to become part of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. and there is none other way save it be by the gate” (2 Nephi 9:41; emphasis added). [21] See also D&C 22:1–2; 45:8–9; 49:8–14; 66:2; 76:101. 2 (2012): 4–37, especially 17–26. You might consider Nephi’s teachings in 2 Nephi 31:18–20 and evaluate your own efforts to “press forward” along the gospel path. Jacob offered a somewhat rearranged version of Nephi’s image with the gate being placed at the end of the straight path: “Remember that his pathsare righteous. The importance of this chapter is easily overlooked by readers because 2 Nephi 31 comes almost as an appendix to Nephi’s writings. [3] As I have demonstrated in previous publications, these three Book of Mormon passages are set off from the surrounding text in this way by such phrases as “the doctrine of Christ,” or “my gospel.” The first of these is 2 Nephi 31:2–21, written by Nephi at the end of his career as prophet to his people. But the most important things you’ll learn in your study will come from the whisperings of the Spirit. How does the Savior help us progress along the path? The way is a translation for hodos, and a variety of other terms referring to roads, paths, courses of travel, or manners of thinking or acting. According to Nephi’s teachings, what are some reasons we should be baptized? What reasons do you find in this chapter? And while Latter-day Saints ate up the reference to the book of scripture, fans completely disagreed with Michaels’s calling for the extra point that cut the game to a 12-point deficit rather than 11 if the Steelers had completed a 2-point conversion in the third quarter. Nephi’s younger brother Jacob is described in his own record as going about, preaching what he calls “the gospel, or the doctrine of Christ” (Jacob 7:6). What answers do you find for yourself? The goal of this podcast is to help children and young adults grow closer to the Savior through a daily study of the Book of Mormon. Here are some ideas. Using the clarification of the gospel provided in the Book of Mormon as a guide, we can go back to the New Testament and find​ the fulness of the gospel there as well, though not so clearly and authoritatively defined. Suggested song: “When I Am Baptized,” Children’s Songbook, 103. should be preached among the Jews,” after seeing the baptism of Christ in his version of the same vision (1 Nephi 10:11). How can you help your family understand Nephi’s analogy about the “strait and narrow path”? 2 Nephi 31–33: “This Is the Way”. . Two days later, this equivalence was stated clearly again: “And for this cause, that men might be made partakers of the glories which were to be revealed, the Lord sent forth the fulness of his gospel, his everlasting covenant, reasoning in plainness and simplicity” (D&C 133:57; emphasis added). The occurrences of these six elements in the three passages can be summarized as follows: [7], Element                                              Occurrences, 1. A few days later, the ​“Lord’s preface,” received on November 1, 1831, explained the purpose of the Restoration with the same language: “Thatmine everlasting covenant might be established; That the fulness of my gospel might be proclaimed by the weak and the simple unto the ends of the world” (D&C 1:22–23; emphasis added). One way is by picking any topic and write a talk, like you are going to speak on it. For all who do this sincerely, the Father will send a remission of sins and many spiritual gifts by the baptism of fire and the Holy Ghost, which will provide them with the guidance and strength necessary to endure to the end and receive eternal life. Literary scholars also refer to the inclusio as an “envelope structure—in fact a structure popular in many biblical genres—​in which significant terms introduced at the beginning are brought back prominently at the end.” See an account of how these structures are used prominently in the Psalms in Robert Alter, “Psalms,” in The Literary Guide to the Bible, ed. . January 6, 2019 The temple is seen as the holiest place on earth, the sacred house of the Lord. [10] It is introduced quite deliberately in two different ways by Nephi in his presentation of the doctrine of Christ in 2 Nephi 31. We usually remember that the two passages in 3 Nephi quote Jesus Christ exclusively, but we generally miss the fact that in 2 Nephi 31, Nephi quotes the Father three times, and the Son three times as well. Finally, it should also be pointed out that in the revelations of the Restoration, the gospel is referred to as the “everlasting covenant.” This equivalence of terminology is stated clearly in a revelation received October 25, 1831: “Verily I say unto you, blessed are you for receiving mine everlasting covenant, even the fulness of my gospel, sent forth unto the children of men, that they might have life and be made partakers of the glories which are to be revealed in the last days, as it was written by the prophets and apostles in days of old” (D&C 66:2; emphasis added). (2 Nephi 31:21), Three times Joseph Smith was told in a revelation that “the fulness of the gospel” was to be found in the Book of Mormon. Book of Mormon Central aims to provide free access to Book of Mormon research and scholarship and expects to become the largest on-line repository of all such materials in the world. Understood in this way, the plan of salvation provides the context that makes the gospel both meaningful and important. A warning though: it’s very messy and ugly it its current form. Perhaps they could share why they decided to get baptized. An example of how this works can be seen in Noel B. Reynolds, “Understanding Christian Baptism through the Book of Mormon,” BYU Studies Quarterly 51, no. [12]  That “the word[s] of Christ” and “the gospel of Christ” are interchangeable terms is clear in several Book of Mormon passages. [4] This discussion will focus on the first of these three texts. Reflect on what you’ve read so far in 1 Nephi and 2 Nephi and notes you may have taken. . And now, behold, my beloved brethren, this is the way; and there is none other way nor name given under heaven whereby man can be saved in the kingdom of God. If you had to summarize the path to eternal life in just a few words, what would you say? Copyright 2021 Book of Mormon Central: A Non-Profit Organization. 1 It seemed to herald the beginning of a new approach to Book of Mormon studies, one marked by an unprecedented level of detail, rigor, and professionalism. Baptism of the Holy Ghost                        13, 5. It’s hard for me to read any book all the way through, let alone a book I’ve read so many times. In addition to the ​kind of private or individual guidance described in this passage, the Book of Mormon writers speak of prophecies and revelations as the “words of Christ” or the “words of God.” And frequently, “the word” refers specifically to the basic six-element gospel message. Hystad said “The Book of Mormon” producers have an opportunity to change the musical since everything remains locked down because of the coronavirus pandemic. Alma combined these understandings of the way back to God with the function of the compass that was heaven-sent to Lehi, which showed them a straight course to the promised land: For behold, it is as easy to give heed to the word of Christ, which will point to you a straight course to eternal bliss, as it was for our fathers to give heed to this compass, which would point unto them a straight course to the promised land. In the revelations of the Restoration, the gospel is also called the everlasting covenant and is recognized as the only means by which mortals can take full advantage of the Atonement and the plan of salvation and return to dwell in heaven with their Eternal Father. It is generally assumed by scholars that it derives from Jesus’s own self-description: “I am the way” (John 14:6). . The other way is to read the Book of Mormon from start to finish, and as you finish a few chapters, write a talk on what you’ve read. One clear example of ​this explicit equation of “the word” with the gospel occurs in the last speech of Jesus to his Nephite disciples in 3 Nephi 27:16–18, which is preceded by the prefatory statements  that “I have given unto you my gospel, and this is the gospel which I have given unto you,” in verse 13: “And it shall come to pass, that whoso repenteth and is baptized in my name shall be filled; and if he endureth to the end, behold, him will I hold guiltless before my Father at that day when I shall stand to judge the world. Innovation in the Book of Mormon. Consider recording these experiences or sharing them with a family member or friend. [3] Inclusio is used here in the sense developed by biblical scholars and defined by David Ulansey as “the narrative device common in biblical texts in which a detail is repeated at the beginning and the end of a narrative unit in order to “bracket off” the unit and give it a sense of closure and structural integrity.” See David Ulansey, “The Heavenly Veil Torn: Mark’s Cosmic Inclusio,” Journal of Biblical Literature 110, no. At five pages, you may have time to … Among Nephi’s last recorded words, we find this declaration: “The Lord commanded me, and I must obey” (2 Nephi 33:15). It was first published in March 1830 by Joseph Smith as The Book of Mormon: An Account Written by the Hand of Mormon upon Plates Taken from the Plates of Nephi. It … The connection was articulated in a slightly ​different way two years later: “When men are called unto mine everlasting gospel, and covenant with an everlasting covenant, they are accounted as the salt of the earth and the savor of men” (D&C 101:39; emphasis added). Then Felix, who was well acquainted with the Way, adjourned the proceedings” (Acts 24:14, 22, NIV). Repentance                                              18, 3. The New Testament ratio is similar, 51 to 24, but the Book of Mormon ratio is only 6 to 57. [15]. It does not stand independently from it, but the plan of salvation features all those things that God has done for his children. (2 Nephi 31:18). This is reflected in their systematic and consistent use of a well-developed terminology throughout the book. Rather, Christians were increasingly divided into a multiplying array of sects, each featuring its own answers to that question. Think about how living these teachings has blessed you. [9]. See also David A. Bednar, “Receive the Holy Ghost,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2010, 94–97; “Holy Ghost,” Gospel Topics, topics.ChurchofJesusChrist.org. Ancient writers could signal the beginning and end of a dedicated section of their writing by repeating at the end the same word or phrase used at the beginning. [1] See D&C 20:9; 27:5​; 42:12; compare D&C 135:3. the tongue of angels” and to urge his readers to “press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ” that they might “have eternal life” (2 Nephi 31:14, 20). [10] Some of the best New Testament examples (Matthew 3:3, 7:13–14, John 14:6, Acts 24:14, 22) are discussed near the end of this article. But Jesus’s power to teach and lift others ultimately came from who He was and how He lived. It teaches the Atonement in more clarity than any other book … By my count, this more restricted meaning is indicated explicitly in 79 different passages. The Book of Mormon contains the fulness of the gospel, which is understood as the good news or teaching that through faith in Jesus Christ, men and women can come unto Christ by repenting of their sins and being baptized in water. Furthermore, each of these is marked off from surrounding text as aninclusio, the technique used frequently in the Bible before modern methods of punctuation were available. In 2 Nephi 33, as Nephi concluded his writings, he explained reasons why he was writing in the first place. The gospel, on the other hand, features those things that mortals must do as they respond to God’s invitation to repent and come unto him if they would be saved in the kingdom of God. Two more of these passages were provided by Jesus Christ in person when he first appeared to the Nephite people (3 Nephi 11:31–39) and when he returned later in response to the prayers of his disciples, who wanted his guidance in naming the church he had established among them (3 Nephi 27:13–21). . The enormous literature that responded to C. H. Dodd’s The Apostolic Teaching and Its Developments (1936) demonstrated that about all that the Christian world could agree on was the divine nature of Christ and the transforming nature of his ministry. The Book of Mormon is a sacred text of the Latter Day Saint movement, which, according to Latter Day Saint theology, contains writings of ancient prophets who lived on the American continent from approximately 2200 BC to AD 421. By my count, doctrine only occurs in this context 25 times in the text of the Book of Mormon, and gospel only occurs 42 times. It's a fun way to get children engaged with the Book of Mormon. Baptism of water                                       22, 4. . [18] Compare Isaiah 40:3 and Malachi 3:1 with Matthew 3:3, Mark 1:2–3, Luke 3:4, 7:27, John 1:23, and Acts 18:25–26. What are you doing today to continue following the Savior’s example of obedience? If baptism and confirmation are “the gate by which [we] enter” the strait and narrow path (2 Nephi 31:17), what do we do once we’re on the path? Enduring to the end                                  12, 6. By accumulating the repeated elements, the reader could ascertain that they were six in number and could grasp the rich fabric of meanings embedded in these definitional passages. His father had done the same thing earlier when he reported a rod of iron along a straight and narrow path that led to the tree laden with the fruit which “was desirable above all other fruit” (1 Nephi 8:12, 19–20). The New Testament is mostly complete, especially the Acts and Revelation. Nephi himself only uses doctrine to describe this teaching of Christ in this definitional chapter, but seems to refer to it as “the gospel of Jesus Christ” in the preceding chapter (2 Nephi 30:5). “March 2–8. Inclusion within the BMC Archive does not imply endorsement. (verse 4). 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