2 Nephi 1:28-32

Brant Gardner

Although we currently have a chapter break at the end of verse 32, there was no chapter break in the 1830 edition of the Book of Mormon. Orson Pratt created this division, and perhaps one of the reasons was his desire to have fewer verses in a chapter. Thus, this split gives us 32 verses in Chapter 1, followed by 30 verses in Chapter 2, all of which were combined into a single chapter. In this case, if there were to have been a division, it should have been before the current verse 28. It is at verse 28 that the blessings of the sons formally begin.

The blessings begin by addressing Nephi’s three older brothers; Laman, Lemuel, and Sam, rather than only Laman and Lemuel. Thus, it is a conditional blessing and not a curse, which one might suppose from the content of the discourse up to this point. It is simple. They should follow Nephi, and if they do, they are blessed, and if they do not, the blessing is removed.

Zoram is addressed separately because he is not part of the family. He is already counted as one who will follow Nephi. Sam has already similarly demonstrated his faithfulness, but Sam was included with the brothers’ blessing, while Zoram required a separate blessing.

As the blessings continue, Lehi will address Jacob and Joseph, and expound doctrine to them. Nephi will not have a recorded blessing, though Lehi’s admonition to the brothers to follow him serves as a de facto blessing. However, this also suggests again that we are reading Nephi’s interpreted recollection of the events. It would be unusual for Jacob and Joseph to receive such complex blessings, and that the other brothers would not. It is more likely that Nephi is emphasizing those blessings precisely because they had important doctrinal content in addition to being part of the patriarchal blessings that Lehi gave to his sons.

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