According to Joseph McConkie, Joseph Smith's translation of the Abraham papyrus opens to us a flood of knowledge about the covenant God made with our ancient father--knowledge now lost to those whose understanding is limited to the Bible. From the record we learn that Abraham was promised that his seed--his literal descendants--were to hold the priesthood and carry the message of salvation, even the blessing of eternal life to all nations. (Abraham 2:9-11) This right has not been given to those of any other lineage. In 3 Nephi 20:26-27 we find the following words of Jesus to the Nephites:
The Father having raised me up unto you first, and sent me to bless you in turning away every one of you from his iniquities; and this becaause ye are the children of the covenant--And after that ye were blessed then fulfilleth the Father the covenant which he made with Abraham, saying: In thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed--unto the pouring out of the Holy Ghost through me upon the Gentiles, which blessing upon the Gentiles shall make them mighty above all, unto the scattering of my people, O house of Israel. (emphasis added)
Here Christ reminds the Nephites that they are the children of the prophets and thus inheritors of the promises made to Abraham. It was because of that covenant that Christ had come to them and sought to turn them from their iniquities. Amplifying the Abrahamic covenant over that preserved for us in the Bible, the Savior said that he had promised Abraham that through his posterity all the families of the earth would be blessed by the "pouring out of the Holy Ghost." [Joseph F. McConkie, "The Final Gathering to Christ," in Studies in Scripture: Book of Mormon, Part 2, pp. 188-189]
[3 Nephi 20:32]--22:17 (Note* Commentary on Isaiah)
A simple, yet very effective commentary on the words of the prophet Isaiah as quoted by the Savior in his New World visit can be found included (within parenthesis) in the scriptural text of the companion book to this commentary called The Covenant Story (Volume 6). The style used is patterned after David J. Ridges' Isaiah Made Easier, and much of the wording or meaning has been adopted from that text by permission of the author. [See David J. Ridges, Isaiah Made Easier / The Book of Revelation Made Easier, 1994]
For the benefit of the reader, the Isaiah text and commentary from The Covenant Story (3 Nephi 20:32--22:17) will be included in this commentary. [Alan C. Miner, Personal Notes]