A Book of Sacred Writings

John W. Welch

The book of 2 Nephi is almost exclusively a book of sacred writings. It is comprised of inspired prophecies, spiritual teachings, divine revelations, and beautiful personal testimonies of Lehi, Nephi, Jacob, and Isaiah. Here, on his small plates, Nephi turned toward spiritual things, as he and his righteous followers sought to find strength in the Lord and to establish themselves successfully in their new land of promise. Unlike the book of 1 Nephi, very little in the book of 2 Nephi deals with historical facts, political developments, or social tensions. Those types of worldly matters and concerns were reported by Nephi mainly on his large plates. The one exception to that rule is here in 2 Nephi Chapter 5, where Nephi establishes the pillars of his leadership over his people, as he became their ruler and teacher. Those pillars were (1) law, (2) authority, (3) temple, (4) kingship, (5) membership, and (6) record keeping. All of these organizational elements worked together to unite Nephi’s people (7) under God, building upon Him as their foundation.

John W. Welch Notes

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