2 Nephi 29:1-3

Brant Gardner

With the separation of these verses from the previous chapter, it is easy to miss the fact that Jehovah himself is the speaker. That will be reiterated in verse 4, but it is important to understand that these words are part of 2 Nephi 28:30’s declaration that “thus saith the Lord God.”

Jehovah is restating that he would do a marvelous work in the last days. That marvelous work is defined as the Book of Mormon. It comes as one of the means to gather the children of Israel, perhaps only spiritually, rather than physically, in the last days.

Importantly, Jehovah promises Nephi that he will remember, and keep the promises which he has made. Jehovah promised that his words would come forth and be part of the means by which Jehovah’s law would become a standard. The standard recalls Isaiah 5:26: “And he will lift up an ensign to the nations from far, and will hiss unto them from the end of the earth: and, behold, they shall come with speed swiftly.” Nephi not only picks up on the standard, which in the translation in Isaiah is called an ensign, but also picks up on the interesting use of the word hiss. In both cases, it appears to refer to a strong call from the Lord. Perhaps the concept of hissing is a reference to a strong wind, and, therefore, a reference to Jehovah as the Lord of the winds and storms.

The verse that has the people crying that they need no more Bible echoes what Nephi said in 2 Nephi 28:27: “wo be unto him that saith: We have received, and we need no more!”

Book of Mormon Minute

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