Book of Mormon Commentary CofC - Odessa, Missouri Community ...

LEHI'S GENEALOGY, VER. 1-6
Book of Mormon Commentary
1 Nephi Chapter 2
1 Ne 2:1 And now I, Nephi, do not give the genealogy of my fathers in this part of my record; neither at
any time shall I give it after upon these plates which I am writing; for it is given in the record which has
been kept by my father; wherefore I do not write it in this work.
2:1 Lehi's record was transcribed on the larger plates of Nephi together with the history of the
nation (I N. 5:217-221;Jb. 2:68). Mormon made a summary or an abridgment in the fourth century
after Christ. The first 116 pages of the translation made by Joseph Smith was from these larger
plates. When the manuscript was lost, he was directed to substitute the parallel record from the
smaller plates of Nephi down to the reign of King Benjamin (D. and C. 3:6-10; see also W.M. 1:9,
10). Nephi and Mormon could not understand at the time why they were commanded to so write (I
N. 2:99; 5:223, 224).
1 Ne 2:4 For the fullness of mine intent is that I may persuade men to come unto the God of Abraham,
and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, and be saved.
2:4 This is no play on words, It was to distinguish their God from the tribal gods of the heathen
nations around them. The scriptural background for this expression is an announcement to Moses
as he gazed on the burning bush (Exod. 3: 6). It took Israel a long time to accept the idea that this
God loved any other people. Even Peter, who surely had heard Christ say that God "loved the
world," slipped back to the narrow view that salvation was through the ordinances of the Jewish
religion being administered before the Gentiles were fit subjects for Christian baptism (Acts.15:5-
21)
THE LORD DIRECI'S THAT THERE BE FAMILIES, VER. 7-11
1 Ne 2:7 And now I would that ye might know, that after my father Lehi had made an end of
prophesying concerning his seed, it came to pass that the Lord spake unto him again, saying, that it was
not meet for him, Lehi, that he should take his family into the wilderness alone; but that his sons should
take daughters to wife, that they might raise up seed unto the Lord in the land of promise.
2:7 One of the early commands given to man was "Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the
earth” (Gen. 1:30).
1 Ne 2:10 And it came to pass that we went up unto the house of Ishmael, and we did gain favor in the
sight of Ishmael, insomuch that we did speak unto him the words of the Lord.
2:10 AII of the appeal was made to the father. This was the usual custom for that time. However,
they had a message for Ishmael from God. We must take this into consideration; it was not just a
business deal.