Institute - 2 Nephi 25-30

Institute this morning was on 2 Nephi 25-30, but we spent most of our time on the first two chapters. Today was a day of lots of lists. Here is what we discussed in a nut shell:

1. These five chapters are Nephi's commentary on Isaiah's prophecies, combined with his own prophecies.
2. Nephi talks in plainness, as a contrast to the darkness and confusion of the Jews in Jerusalem. 
3. Nephi tells the Jews of the latter days:
   
   • Jerusalem had been destroyed, just as Lehi had prophesied, and the Jews were taken captive and scattered. (2 Nephi 25:10)
   • The Jews would return to Jerusalem (25:11)
   • Christ will come, be rejected, crucified, and resurrect. (vs. 12-13)
   • Jerusalem will be destroyed a second time and the Jews again would be scattered (v16)
   • Eventually, the gospel will be restored, and the Jews will be brought to believe in Christ. (v16-20)
   All these things would happen because of the hardheartedness of the Jews.
4. According to a conference talk by Kevin Pearson in April 2009, we can soften our hearts and develop faith through:
   
   • being righteous
   • obedience with exactness, even in simple things 
   • having a desire to believe
   • hope
   • belief (or in other words, gain a knowledge that the course you pursue is in accordance with God's will.)
   This process leads to more power and understanding, which encourages our efforts to be righteous and obedient, thereby increasing our faith. On the other hand, we can harden our hearts by fostering fear rather than faith. This occurs through:
   
   • doubt
   • discouragement
   • distraction
   • lack of diligence
   • disobedience, and finally
   • disbelief
5. Nephi tells his descendents:
   
   • The Lord's promises concerning Nephi's writings will be fulfilled. (2 Nephi 25:21)
   • We will be judged by the things written in the Book of Mormon. (v. 22)
   • Nephi had a great desire to bring his descendents to Christ. (v23,26)
   • The law of Moses would be fulfilled in Christ. (v. 24, 27)
   • Watch for the signs of Christ's coming - those who don't will perish.(26:3-4,8-9)
   • After Christ's coming, 3 1/2 generations would pass, and then would come a speedy destruction. (26:9-10)
6. Just as Nephi labored to teach his children of Christ, we also need to teach our children of Christ, so they will know who to look to for remission of their sins. (2 Nephi 25:26) Some ideas we discussed of how to do this included:
   
   • Pray for our children to make righteous choices - such as serving missions or being married in the temple when our children are listening.
   • Set a righteous example for our children - hold family home evenings, study scriptures, pray, attend church and the temple, etc.
   • Include our children in acts of service.
   • Talk with our children about the gospel, share our testimony with them often, and encourage them to share their testimonies and feelings, too.
   • Support church leaders and policies - don't ever let your children hear you speak disrespectfully of church leadership.
   • Show your children how the atonement works, by admitting your own mistakes, and setting examples of repentance and forgiveness.
7. There are parts of the Book of Mormon which were sealed. These parts "reveal all things from the foundation of the world unto the end thereof." (2 Nephi 27:10) 
8. There are other scriptures that we are promised will be forthcoming some day. These include:
   
   • The Book of Enoch (D&C 107:57)
   • More of John's revelations (Ether 4:16)
   • and the words of the lost tribes of Israel. (2 Nephi 29:13)  
    

While we didn't have time to discuss it in class, there are also many things that Nephi had to say to the Gentiles. He wanted to convince them, too, to believe in Christ. (see 2 Nephi 26:12) He writes about the many records which would be written and sealed up and saved for the latter days, about the apostasy and the many false churches that would cause them to stumble, about the restoration of the gospel in the last days and the need for more scripture than just the Bible. Throughout all this, Nephi emphasizes the Lord's invitation to all to come to Him, even the Gentiles, because "as many of the Gentiles as will repent are the covenant people of the Lord; and as many of the Jews as will not repent shall be cast off; for the Lord covenanteth with none save it be with them that repent and believe in his Son, who is the Holy One of Israel." (2 Nephi 30:2)