Gospel Essentials Class Notes January 28, 2001

This week's class was only 25 minutes given weather delays and a teacher's commitment at another congregation. We will cover Mormon 4 & begin Ether for next week's discussion.

This week's (short) class covered:

Mormon prophecies again:

• These words shall be read upon the house tops.

  Mormon 2:35 But I, knowing that these things must surely be made known, and that all things which are hid must be revealed upon the house tops, ...

• The Gentiles would also scatter the remnant of this people:

  Mormon 2:35 But I, knowing that these things must surely be made known, and that all things which are hid must be revealed upon the house tops, and also that a knowledge of these things must come unto the remnant of these people, and also unto the Gentiles, which the Lord hath said should scatter this people, and this people should be counted as nought among them.

• Gentiles would also receive this record who HAD CARE for the House of Israel:

  Mormon 2:37 And now behold, this I speak unto their seed, and also to the Gentiles, who have care for the house of Israel, that realize and know from whence their blessings come.

• What will bring them forth?  Wickedness or Righteousness?

  Mormon 2:39 Now these things are written unto the remnant of the house of Jacob; and they are written after this manner, because it is known of God that wickedness will not bring them forth unto them; and they are to be hid up unto the Lord, that they may come forth in his own due time.  What brings forth the book again in the last days?

• When will they come forth?

   Mormon 2:40 And this is the commandment which I have received; and behold they shall come forth according to the commandment of the Lord, when he shall see fit, in his wisdom.

• To whom shall they go, and for what purpose?

  Mormon 2:41 And behold they shall go unto the unbelieving of the Jews; and for this intent shall they go; that they may be persuaded that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God;  Mormon 2:42 That the Father may bring about, through his most beloved, his great and eternal purpose, in restoring the Jews, or all the house of Israel, to the land of their inheritance, which the Lord their God hath given them, unto the fulfilling of his covenant,

• What must happen before the covenant with Abraham is fulfilled?  What was the covenant? 

  Mormon 2:49 But behold, it shall come to pass that they shall be driven and scattered by the Gentiles; and after they have been driven and scattered by the Gentiles, behold, then will the Lord remember the covenant which he made unto Abraham, and unto all the house of Israel.

• What does the last verse mean regarding a remnant of the seed of Jacob coming through?  Who are they?  What other verses refer to this event?

  Mormon 2:54 Therefore repent ye, and humble yourselves before him, lest he shall come out in justice against you; lest a remnant of the seed of Jacob shall go forth among you as a lion, and tear you in pieces, and there is none to deliver.

      3 Nephi 9:52 And ye shall be in the midst of them, who shall be many; and ye shall be among them, as a lion among the beasts of the forests, and as a young lion among the flocks of sheep, who, if he goeth through, both treadeth down and teareth in pieces, and none can deliver.

3 Nephi 9:99 And my people who are a remnant of Jacob, shall be among the Gentiles, yea, in the midst of them, as a lion among the beasts of the forest, as a young lion among the flocks of sheep, who, if he go through both treadeth down and teareth in pieces, and none can deliver.

Jesus is speaking in the above scripture, and is directly his words to the remnant of this land, who we call the Lamanites.  They have a spiritual promise that when the Gentiles, to whom the gospel has come, sin against it, then God will take it from the Gentiles and give it to the remnant of Joseph.  They will rise to spiritual power:

3 Nephi 7:34 And thus commandeth the Father that I should say unto you, At that day when the Gentiles shall sin against my gospel, and shall reject the fullness of my gospel, and shall be lifted up in the pride of their hearts ...

3 Nephi 7:35 ... and shall reject the fullness of my gospel, behold, saith the Father, I will bring the fullness of my gospel from among them;

3 Nephi 7:36 And then will I remember my covenant which I have made unto my people, O house of Israel, and I will bring my gospel unto them;

3 Nephi 7:37 And I will shew unto thee, O house of Israel, that the Gentiles shall not have power over you, but I will remember my covenant unto you, O house of Israel, and ye shall come unto the knowledge of the fullness of my gospel.

Isaiah also spoke of this event of the Gospel coming from the Gentiles to the House of Israel.  First, God establishes that his people may think He has forgotten them, but He pledges that He never would or could:

Isaiah 49:14 But Zion said, The Lord hath forsaken me, and my Lord hath forgotten me.

Isaiah 49:15 Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee.

Isaiah 49:16 Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me.

Then, Isaiah specifically talks about lifting up his standard (i.e. the fullness of the Gospel) to the Gentiles.  This 'standard' is not the bible, but actually the Book of Mormon.  Read Nephi's commentary on Isaiah (below) to understand how this is so.

Isaiah 49:22 Thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I will lift up mine hand to the Gentiles, and set up my standard to the people; and they (the Gentiles) shall bring thy sons (the House of Israel) in their arms, and thy daughters shall be carried upon their shoulders.
Isaiah 49:23 And kings shall be thy nursing fathers, and their queens thy nursing mothers; they shall bow down to thee with their faces toward the earth, and lick up the dust of thy feet; and thou shalt know that I am the Lord; for they shall not be ashamed that wait for me.

Isaiah's words (above) both use metaphors describing the Gentiles (the kings and queens) carrying and nourishing the House of Israel.  Some people have ascribed this to the events of WWII, where America helped establish Israel for the Jews.  This is certainly a significant event; however, the words of Nephi help us to understand that Isaiah was specifically speaking of the words of the Remnant (Joseph on this land) coming back to the House of Israel, via the Gentiles:

1 Nephi 7:6 For it appears that the house of Israel, sooner or later, will be scattered upon all the face of the earth, and also among all nations,...

1 Nephi 7:12 Wherefore, they shall be scattered among all nations, and shall be hated of all men.

1 Nephi 7:13 Nevertheless, after they have been nursed by the Gentiles, and the Lord has lifted up his hand upon the Gentiles and set them up for a standard, and their children have been carried in their arms and their daughters have been carried upon their shoulders, behold, these things of which are spoken, are temporal: for thus are the covenants of the Lord with our fathers;

1 Nephi 7:14 And it meaneth us in the days to come, and also all our brethren who are of the house of Israel.

 1 Nephi 7:15 And it meaneth that the time cometh that after all the house of Israel have been scattered and confounded, that the Lord God will raise up a mighty nation among the Gentiles, yea, even upon the face of this land;

1 Nephi 7:16 And by them shall our seed be scattered.

1 Nephi 7:17 And after our seed is scattered, the Lord God will proceed to do a marvelous work among the Gentiles, which shall be of great worth unto our seed;

1 Nephi 7:18 Wherefore, it is likened unto their being nourished by the Gentiles, and being carried in their arms, and upon their shoulders.

1 Nephi 7:19 And it shall also be of worth unto the Gentiles:

1 Nephi 7:20 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.

1 Nephi 7:21 And I would, my brethren, that ye should know that all the kindreds of the earth can not be blessed unless he shall make bare his arm in the eyes of the nations.

1 Nephi 7:22 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.

1 Nephi 7:23 Wherefore, he will bring them again out of captivity, and they shall be gathered together to the lands of their inheritance;

1 Nephi 7:24 And they shall be brought out of obscurity, and out of darkness;

1 Nephi 7:25 And they shall know that the Lord is their Savior and their Redeemer, the mighty one of Israel.