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

Book of Mormon Commentary
2 Nephi Chapter 4
cannot be accepted as scientific, although it is convenient for common purposes. We must after all
agree with a contributor to the American Anthropologist for Oct.-Dec., 1924, p. 489, who says: "It
must be observed that the colors assigned to these five types are purely imaginary. We are all of
us, 'black' and 'white,' really brown. The Negro is not black but chocolate colored (a fact which
some artists have not discovered yet). The Chinese is not yellow, the Indian is not red, and the
white are by no means white, as anyone may see for himself by viewing his hand on a sheet of
note paper. The actual pigment is a sepia-colored material known as melanin, which is the same in
all, the Negroes having a plentiful supply of it, while others have a scanty suffused change."
2 Ne 4:40 And the Lord God said unto me, They shall be a scourge unto thy seed, to stir them up in
remembrance of me;
4:40 The scourging was doubtless expected, but the cause given may have been a surprise. Most
of us know of people who became careless and worldly when things went well (D. and C. 98:3 b,
c), but in sickness and adversity sought and found God. It is well for all men to make the Lord a
friend in good times so that He will not be a stranger when the going gets really difficult.
PRIESTS AND TEACHERS ORDAINED, VER. 42-51
2 Ne 4:42 And it came to pass that I, Nephi, did consecrate Jacob and Joseph, that they should be priests
and teachers over the land of my people.
4:42 Nephi's younger brothers had been loyal to the teachings of their father, and were now called
to the priesthood. Their parish was "the land of my people." They were to teach and minister
according to the Mosaic Law (14). They were probably between twenty-one and twenty-five years
old at this time (44).
A temple had been built, and the priest was appointed under the law to officiate at the altar of
sacrifice (Lev. 4:1-7). The scriptures also directed the priesthood to live "that ye may teach the
children of Israel all the statutes which the Lord hath spoken unto them by the hand of Moses"
(Lev. 10:11).
Nephi was busy as ruler of the Nephites and maker of the records. "The Lord God said unto me,
Make other plates; and thou shalt engraven many things upon them… for the profit of thy people"
(46). These plates were known as “the larger plates of Nephi" (civil history) and “the smaller
plates of Nephi" (sacred history). (See comment I N. 1:17)