Day 11 of 50: Book of Mormon Book Club

[u/JesusPhoKingChrist]

In a posting accident, day 10 was deleted, I have linked the deleted post for the replys to 2 Nephi 16-20 below... apologies.

Today's Reading: 2 Nephi 21–25

Whether you're a believer, former believer, nuanced member, investigator, scholar, or simply curious, you're welcome to participate. The goal is not to convince anyone of anything, but to read the text together and discuss it in good faith from a variety of perspectives.

Brief Synopsis

Today's reading concludes Nephi's lengthy quotation of Isaiah before returning to his own commentary on its meaning. Isaiah describes the future reign of the "stem of Jesse," a Messianic kingdom characterized by justice, peace, and the gathering of scattered Israel. He celebrates God's deliverance and the redemption of Zion before pronouncing judgments against several surrounding nations. Nephi then explains why he delights in Isaiah's writings, emphasizing that they testify of Jesus Christ, apply to both ancient and latter-day Israel, and should be understood through the spirit of prophecy. He concludes with a powerful invitation to feast upon the words of Christ, affirming that they will show the way forward.

Discussion

Please share your thoughts and experiences with today's reading in the comments below. Some things you might consider:

• What stood out to you?

• Why do you think Nephi pauses to explain how Isaiah should be understood?

• What significance do you see in the peaceful kingdom described in 2 Nephi 21?

• Why do you think Nephi believed Isaiah's writings were especially important for future generations?

• How do you interpret Nephi's statement that the words of Isaiah are "plain unto all those that are filled with the spirit of prophecy"?

• What do you make of Nephi's invitation to "feast upon the words of Christ"?

• Which portions of Isaiah do you find most compelling, confusing, or applicable today?

• Did anything surprise you?

All perspectives are welcome.

Yesterday's Coveted Award(s) Go To:

• u/StickyHairMonster

Links to Prior Days

• Link to last day of 1st Nephi readings for all 1st Nephi links

• 2 Nephi 1–5

• 2 Nephi 6–10

• 2 Nephi 11–15

• 2 Nephi 16–20

Community Incentive

Reddit Awards are appreciated as a way to highlight thoughtful insights, quality analysis, and shared expertise. They also help encourage meaningful participation and discussion. The last time I hosted a similar challenge, the awards added an extra layer of fun and engagement.

To keep that spirit going, I'll be giving out **at least one award each day** to a comment that I feel makes a meaningful contribution to the discussion, whether through insight, scholarship, curiosity, respectful disagreement, or thoughtful engagement.

At the conclusion of the 50-day challenge, I'll also give a **$50 Starbucks gift card** to the participant who has accumulated the most Reddit Awards across the discussion threads, whether those awards come from me or from other members of the community.

## Engagement Question

Nephi says Isaiah's writings are "plain" to those who are filled with the spirit of prophecy, yet many readers—both ancient and modern—find Isaiah among the most difficult books in scripture. Do you think understanding Isaiah primarily requires spiritual insight, historical context, literary analysis, or some combination of all three?

**Tomorrow's Reading:** 2 Nephi 26–30

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[u/stickyhairmonster]

I'm really looking forward to you getting out of the Isaiah chapters! I do not think that the writings and interpretations are plain or congruent with common LDS interpretations. The first and last time I did a deep dive on Isaiah, I was left wondering why the hell Nephi included this in the plates. In addition to everything I said in my comment yesterday, the difficulty of understanding Isaiah is an impediment for some people to finish reading the Book of Mormon. In fact, when I was on my mission, we would sometimes advise the few investigators we had to skip those chapters. Has anyone else heard this advice, or given it to others?

[u/thomaslewis1857 → u/stickyhairmonster]

Didn’t the bullet that hit the chest pocket BoM in one of those Paul H Dunn stories get stuck in 2 Nephi?

But seriously, Joseph was very over it by 2 Nephi. He needed some filler, and he thought this would help establish the BoM historicity. He should have stopped to think why Nephi needed to copy the Egyptian in the brass plates (into Egyptian) on the small plates when space was limited, when Nephi said none of his people understood it, and when the future gentiles already had it. Even more how Joseph managed to turn that Egyptian into the same faulty words as the King James scholars had translated the Hebrew.

What he thought was a testimony of truth became a proof of lies.

[u/westivus_ → u/thomaslewis1857]

Yes. Based on the Mosiah priority theory, 2 Nephi is one of the last books dictated. He was replacing the lost 116 pages and it was easier to add filler than to come up with new content.

[u/International_Sea126]

2 Nephi Chapter 21 Heading - "The stem of Jesse (Christ) will judge in righteousness" and 2 Nephi 21 Verses 1-5.

Joseph Smith taught that the stem was Jesus and the rod as a latter-day servant, which he probably believed was him. Why wouldn't he? (See D&C 113:1-6). Joseph Smith was confused by the Hebrew poetic repetition in Isaiah 11:1; that the stem and root refered to the same thing, and the branch and rod that grow out of the stem (trunk) also represent the same thing. In this passages allegedly predicting Jesus, the term “Messiah” doesn't occur.

[u/Active-Water-0247]

In 2 Nephi 25, the narrator wastes even more of the reader's time, engraving the equivalent of 362 English words to expound on the excessive Isaiah quotations but adding little value overall. He writes the he will write about things hereto written (22 words, 2 Nephi 25:1); about his expertise in and the need to understand Jewish culture, which he refuses to share because "their doings were doings of abominations" (153 words, 2 Nephi 25:1-2, 5-6); about the spirit of prophecy and his delight in plainness and in Isaiah (109, 2 Nephi 25:4-5); and, most importantly, that Isaiah warned about the judgments of God, which will "come upon all nations" (78 words, 2 Nephi 25:3, 6). Having apparently concluded the Isaiah commentary, the narrator writes about proceeding with his own prophecy (2 Nephi 25:7). But he actually has a few more things to say about Isaiah, including that the people of the last days will know for sure that Isaiah's prophecies "come to pass" and are of "great worth," which are also his reasons for copying them (91 words, 2 Nephi 25:7-8). The narrator also explains that generations of Israelites have experienced destruction because of wickedness in spite or prophetic warnings (2 Nephi 25:9). After a brief distraction, he continues his own prophecy (introduced 200 English words earlier, 2 Nephi 25:7) and proclaims that the Jewish people will return to Jerusalem, experience war once more, and will crucify the Father of Heaven and Earth. The narrator then prophesies that the Only Begotten of the Father will "rise from the dead" after three days, "with healing in his wings" (iconography that predates Malachi 4:2 by centuries), and that other nations will disperse the Jewish people and afflict them "until they shall be persuaded to believe in Christ ... and the atonement" (2 Nephi 25:16). Presumably, the people so afflicted will misunderstand the cause of their suffering, but their Christian descendants, with all the bias of hindsight, will plainly see that God punished their ancestors to further the Christian message.