2 Nephi 5:26-27

Brant Gardner

Nephi continues to give details about how his community was established. Nephi was king, but there were sufficient people that others could have public positions. Thus, Jacob and Joseph were appointed priests and teachers. These should be understood as descriptive, and not as priesthood titles. The modern understanding of those terms would not have described what Jacob and Joseph did.

Nephi gives us too little information to know if priest and teacher were a single position or two separate ones. It is probable that they were combined functions for the same person, or persons. Thus, Jacob and Joseph would be priests when they officiated in the sacrifices, and teachers of the gospel to the people. The Israelite religion was new enough in the New World that it is probable that there was a lot of instruction required that would have simply been cultural heritage for those who were raised in the land of Judah in the Old World.

Nephi concludes his description of the new community with the functional equivalent of the Genesis statement that “it was good.” He has listed the conditions of the new people, and notes that it is good. The evidence that it was good comes from the fact that they were able to live after the manner of happiness.

The manner of happiness must be a synonym for living the gospel. Living the commandments was the condition upon which the promise of the land was bestowed. That they received the blessings is an indication that they lived according to Jehovah’s commandments.

Book of Mormon Minute

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