The Book of Mormon

by Joseph Smith Jr.

12

2 And it came to pass that he spake unto me, saying: Behold I have dreamed a dream, in the which the Lord hath commanded me that thou and thy brethren shall return to Jerusalem.

This reminds me of the story of President Hinckley when he was approving the spot where the Vancouver Temple should be built.

it is a hard thing which I have required of them; but behold I have not required it of them, but it is a commandment of the Lord.

This is like when people complain about their church callings

for behold he is mightier than all the earth, then why not mightier than Laban and his fifty, yea, or even than his tens of thousands?

an angel hath spoken unto you; wherefore can ye doubt?

And I was led by the Spirit, not knowing beforehand the things which I should do. 7 Nevertheless I went forth,

Behold the Lord slayeth the wicked to bring forth his righteous purposes. It is better that one man should perish than that a nation should dwindle and perish in unbelief.

15 Yea, and I also thought that they could not keep the commandments of the Lord according to the law of Moses, save they should have the law.

We cannot keep the commandments if we do not study and understand them

29 And it came to pass that I called after them, and they did hear me; wherefore they did cease to flee from my presence.

Can I hear my master's voice or am I fleeing from before His presence

And after this manner of language did my father, Lehi, comfort my mother, Sariah,

And when we had returned to the tent of my father, behold their joy was full, and my mother was comforted.

8 And now I, Nephi, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts,

I felt this way about David. It made me so sad to see the way he treated my parents

12 Yea, and how is it that ye have forgotten that the Lord is able to do all things according to his will, for the children of men, if it so be that they exercise faith in him?

How quick am i to forget

I began to pray unto the Lord that he would have mercy on me, according to the multitude of his tender mercies.

And he did exhort them then with all the feeling of a tender parent, that they would hearken to his words,

the Lord hath commanded me to make these plates for a wise purpose in him, which purpose I know not.

But the Lord knoweth all things from the beginning; wherefore, he prepareth a way to accomplish all his works among the children of men; for behold, he hath all power unto the fulfilling of all his words.

Yea, even six hundred years from the time that my father left Jerusalem, a prophet would the Lord God raise up among the Jews—even a Messiah, or, in other words, a Savior of the world.

Messiah,

Redeemer of the world.

Wherefore, all mankind were in a lost and in a fallen state, and ever would be save they sh...

Messiah,

for there standeth one among you whom ye know not; and he is mightier than I, whose shoe’s latchet I am not worthy to unloose.

And my father said he should baptize in Bethabara, beyond Jordan; and he also said he should baptize with water; even that he should baptize the Messiah with water. 10 And after he had baptized the Messiah with water, he should behold and bear record that he had baptized the Lamb of God, who should take away the sins of the world.

Messiah,

and after he had been slain he should rise from the dead, and should make himself manifest, by the Holy Ghost, unto the Gentiles.

the true Messiah, their Lord and their Redeemer.

Son of God—and the Son of God was the Messiah who should come—I,

he should manifest himself unto the children of men.

18 For he is the same yesterday, today, and forever;

and the way is prepared for all men from the foundation of the world, if it so be that they repent and come unto him. 19 For he that diligently seeketh shall find; and the mysteries of God shall be unfolded unto them, by the power of the Holy Ghost, as well in these times as in times of old, and as well in times ...

Hosanna to the Lord, the most high God; for he is God over all the earth,

Son of the most high God;

thou shalt also behold a man descending out of heaven, and him shall ye witness; and after ye have witnessed him ye shall bear record that it is the Son of God.

And I said unto him: I know that he loveth his children; nevertheless, I do not know the meaning of all things.

mother of the Son of God, after the manner of the flesh.

bearing a child in her arms.

Behold the Lamb of God,

Knowest thou the meaning of the tree which ...

Yea, it is the love of God, which sheddeth itself abroad in the hearts of the children of men; wherefore, it is the...

I beheld the Son of God going forth among the children of men;

and I saw many fall down at his feet and worship him.

the fountain of living waters, or to the tree of life; which waters are a representation of the love of God;

tree of life was a representation of the love of God.

Redeemer of the world,

And the Lamb of God went forth and was baptized of him; and after he was baptized, I beheld the heavens open, and the Holy Ghost come down out of heaven and abide upon him in the form of a dove. 28 And I beheld that he went forth ministering unto the people, in power and great glory; and the multitudes were gathered together to hear him; and I beheld that they cast him out from among them. 29 And I also beheld twelve others following him.

I beheld the Lamb of God going forth among the children of men. And I beheld multitudes of people who were sick, and who were afflicted with all manner of diseases, and with devils and unclean spirits; and the angel spake and showed all these things unto me. And they were healed by the power of the Lamb of God; and the devils and the unclean spirits were cast out.

beheld the Lamb of God, that he was taken by the people; yea, the Son of the everlasting God was judged of the world;

he was lifted up upon the cross and slain for the sins of the world. 34 And after he was slain I saw the multitudes of the earth, that they were gathered together to fight against the apostles of the Lamb;

And I saw the heavens open, and the Lamb of God descending out of heaven; and he came down and showed himself unto them.