A Bible! A Bible! We Have Got a Bible!

Therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvelous work among this people, even a marvelous work and a wonder: for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid.  (Isaiah 29:14)

We are at that point in the Book of Mormon history when the editor of the book, a prophet named Mormon, intrudes into the narrative to comment on the plates he is using to create this condensed version of hundreds of years of history.  His condensed and edited version is what we know as the Book of Mormon today.  For the next three days on the couch, I am going to use this interlude to discuss the book that Mormon edited and it's place as one of the signs of the latter-day work preceding the Second Coming of our Lord and Savior.

 

Mormon explained:

 

And now, I speak somewhat concerning that which I have written; for after I had made an abridgment from the plates of Nephi, down to the reign of this king Benjamin, of whom Amaleki spake, I searched among the records which had been delivered into my hands, and I found these plates, which contained this small account of the prophets, from Jacob down to the reign of this king Benjamin, and also many of the words of Nephi.  And the things which are upon these plates pleasing me, because of the prophecies of the coming of Christ [Mormon actually lived after the coming of Jesus Christ and thus he wrote Christ whenever he saw Messiah, for the two words have the same meaning, the Anointed One] . . . I cannot write the hundredth part of the things of my people. But behold, I shall take these plates, which contain these prophesyings and revelations, and put them with the remainder of my record, for they are choice unto me; and I know they will be choice unto my brethren. (Words of Mormon 1: 3-6)

 

In a nutshell, Nephi fashioned plates out of gold.  Upon them, he wrote the things sacred to his people.  He kept a history of his people on other plates.  Additional records were kept by others throughout the long Nephite history.  God's people have always been a record-keeping people, and the people of Nephi were no exception.

 

Nephi and those who followed him kept the records safe because they knew that one day, God would bring them forth as "a voice from the dust." (Isaiah 29:3)  The coming forth of their records would be one of the signs of the last days.  Nephi prophesied that many would scoff at the book.  He wrote:

 

But behold, there shall be many—at that day when I shall proceed to do a marvelous work among them . . . many of the Gentiles shall say: A Bible! A Bible! We have got a Bible, and there cannot be any more Bible.  Wherefore, because that ye have a Bible ye need not suppose that it contains all my words; neither need ye suppose that I have not caused more to be written.

 

 For behold, I shall speak unto the Jews and they shall write it; and I shall also speak unto the Nephites and they shall write it; and I shall also speak unto the other tribes of the house of Israel, which I have led away, and they shall write it; and I shall also speak unto all nations of the earth and they shall write it.

 

And it shall come to pass that the Jews shall have the words of the Nephites, and the Nephites shall have the words of the Jews; and the Nephites and the Jews shall have the words of the lost tribes of Israel; and the lost tribes of Israel shall have the words of the Nephites and the Jews. (2 Nephi 29: 1, 3, 10, 12-13)

 

Who wrote the Bible?  Who wrote the Book of Mormon?  I discuss this tomorrow at the Couch.

Text from the Old Testament and the Book of Mormon

Additional text copyright July 2013, Gebara Education

Picture of Isaiah from www.johnbarneyborn.blogspot.com

Picture of golden plates from www.mormonhomeschool.org