Day 35 - 4 Nephi 1; Book of Mormon 1-5; D&C 137-138 Official Declaration 1-2


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4 Nephi—The second great abbreviation

The Book of Mormon record comes to us in three main sections. The first from 1 Nephi to Enos establishes the beginning of the story. The next 290 years is abbreviated into two small books, Jarom and Omni. The middle section, from Mosiah to 3 Nephi, is separated from the ending by the abbreviated history known as 4 Nephi. While Jarom and Omni cover 290 years in 45 verses, 4 Nephi covers 286 years in 49 verses. As these two sections demonstrate, the point of the Book of Mormon is not to be an exhaustive history. In only 49 verses, Mormon takes us from complete, uniform righteousness to near complete apostasy. The many causes of this wicked metamorphosis do not require exhaustive elaboration for they are the same things which had previously plagued the Nephites: riches, pride, class distinctions, ed doctrines, secret combinations, and willful rebellion.

Spencer J. Condie

“One question often raised about Mormon’s abridgement is, why is 4 Nephi such a brief book, with only four pages covering a period of 285 years? A corollary question is, if, during the first 166 years after the visit of Christ to the Nephites, ‘there could not be a happier people’ (4 Nephi 1:16), why do we not have a much more detailed record of their recipe for righteousness?

“A partial answer may be found in the fact that 3 Nephi does contain this recipe for righteousness. Fourth Nephi then records the natural consequences of righteousness, as ‘they did walk after the commandments which they had received from their Lord and their God,’ and ‘there was no contention in the land, because of the love of God which did dwell in the hearts of the people’ (4 Nephi 1:3, 12, 15).” (Heroes From the Book of Mormon, p. 172-3)

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Mormon 1:1 And now I, Mormon, make a record of the things which I have both seen and heard

Before we discuss Mormon’s personal record, we should note that this verse marks an important transition from Mormon’s role as abridger to personal historian. Mormon’s greatest accomplishment was that he had abridged the Large Plates of Nephi from the days of Lehi to his own (WofM 1:3,9). The portion of this record that we have today (Mosiah to 4 Nephi) spans a time period of over 450 years. For his prophetic condensing, editorializing, and admonishing, we will always be grateful. Apparently, this great work was accomplished prior to writing his own history as evidenced by the smooth transition from 4 Nephi to Mormon.

Furthermore, we learn from the Words of Mormon that Mormon’s work on the abridgement and his personal history took place just before the final battle of 385 AD (See Mormon 6:6 and WofM 1:1). This places his age over 70 and demonstrates his perspective as he abridges the record. Mormon is writing the words we know as the Book of Mormon after collecting all the wisdom of age and experience. He commonly includes stories of the Gadiantons because he has already seen the role the Gadiantons played in the final destruction of his people (Mormon 1:18). He is fatalistic about the Nephites, not just because he knows of prophecies concerning their destruction, but because he has already witnessed almost all of their destruction. We found the same pattern in the life of Nephi, who began writing the record we know as 1 and 2 Nephi long after many events had already transpired—as late as 569 BC (2 Ne 5:28-30).

Jeffrey R. Holland

“In one of the loneliest scenes in scriptural history, a silent, war-weary soldier looked out across time and the unspeakable tragedy his family and followers faced. Mormon, the man destined before the world was formed to abridge and summarize the Nephite story—and in so doing to have his name forever immortalized with this additional testament of Jesus Christ—surveyed the casualties of a nation that had turned from the Lord. As sobering as the account is, it does not give a full account of all the sin and sadness Mormon had seen. Indeed, such an account probably would have been impossible to record.” (Christ and the New Covenant, p. 317)

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Mormon 3:15 Vengeance is mine, and I will repay

In contrast to the Nephites, who thought it was their privilege to mete out punishment on the Lamanites, the Lord reminded Mormon that punishment is His responsibility. As Paul taught, it is not our job to worry about how the wicked are punished but to figure out how to live peaceably with them, If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves…for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay (Rom 12:18-19).

Joseph F. Smith

“…men are not called upon to curse mankind; that is not our mission; it is our mission to preach righteousness to them. It is our business to love and to bless them, and to redeem them from the fall and from the wickedness of the world. This is our mission and our special calling. God will curse and will exercise his judgment in those matters. ‘Vengeance is mine,’ saith the Lord, ‘and I will repay.’ We are perfectly willing to leave vengeance in the hands of God and let him judge between us and our enemies, and let him reward them according to his own wisdom and mercy.” (Conference Report, Oct. 1904, p. 5)

Joseph Smith

“Brethren, bear and forbear one with another, for so the Lord does with us. Pray for your enemies in the Church and curse not your foes without: for vengeance is mine, saith the Lord, and I will repay. To every ordained member, and to all, we say, be merciful and you shall find mercy. Seek to help save souls, not to destroy them.” (Teachings, p. 77)

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Mormon 5:8 I, Mormon, do not desire to harrow up the souls of men

Jeffrey R. Holland wrote, “As Mormon increasingly looked beyond the tragedy before him to a generation he hoped would profit from their mistakes, the destruction continued unabated. Mormon was torn not only by what he saw but also by what he must—and must not—write.” (Christ And The New Covenant, p. 320) The harrowing scenes of Mormon’s life, if depicted, would have to be rated “R” for graphic violence. Yet, amidst such carnage, he had the spiritual sensitivity to be concerned about how his descriptions would affect us. He was concerned that we might not have too great sorrow because of the wickedness of [his] people (v. 9). Accordingly, he does not go into much detail about their wickedness.

However, in an epistle to his son Moroni, he tells it like it is. The Nephite women and children are fed the flesh of their husbands and fathers, and the Lamanite women are raped, tortured, murdered, and eaten for a token of bravery (Moroni 9:7-20). These are just some of the atrocities that Mormon wanted to spare us. His concern for us, again, shows his great charity, for he knew that at the last day, we would watch these scenes on the Lord’s big-screen TV, when all things which are hid must be revealed upon the house-tops.

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I found it extremely interesting that the two declarations that we read about during htis reading assignment are two of the biggest issues that are brought up by non LDS. Polygamy and Blacks holding the Priesthood. It was interesting to read the actual declarations concerning both these issues.

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The 1978 Revelation on the Priesthood


Scripture Reference: Official Declaration 2


There are those who do not feel that a discussion on the Priesthood ban is relevant. They feel that the ban is something that occurred in Church history and we should just let it go and forget about it. My response to those feelings is simply this, if we can spend time talking about such things as the early pioneers and all of their trials and persecutions, or the events that led up to the Mountain Meadows Massacre, then certainly we can spend some time and need to spend some time discussing the Priesthood ban in order to gain a better understanding – realizing that we do not have all the answers to the questions that are asked.

Just because we wish something did not occur in Church history does not mean that it did not occur. One of the reasons there are still organizations in the Church such as LDS Genesis Group is to help educate people of all races and cultures and to help bridge some of the gaps of misunderstanding, as well as, dispel any myths and false teachings about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as far as race or the color of a person's skin is concerned. Our beloved Prophet, President Thomas S. Monson, was one of the people that were instrumental in starting the LDS Genesis Group and still supports that group to this day. In fact, it was the LDS Genesis Group that hosted the 30 year celebration of the 1978 Revelation in 2008 in Salt Lake City Utah. Of historical note, the first Black to be ordained to the Priesthood after the 1978 Revelation was a man by the name of Joseph Freeman and it was then Elder Thomas S. Monson who performed the sealing ordinances for Brother Freeman and his family in the Salt Lake Temple. As an additional side note, Brother Joseph Freeman wrote a book about his experiences and the 1978 Revelation which was appropriately titled "In the Lord’s Due Time".

On Sunday, 22 February 2009, under the direction of the Annapolis Maryland Stake Presidency, I conducted a Fireside based on the subject of the 1978 Revelation on the Priesthood. The Fireside was held in the home of one of the Annapolis Maryland Ward members. at 7:30 pm that evening. There were 15 of us in attendance . The feedback that I received indicated that the Fireside was a success. I am grateful to all who attended.

I began the evening by first introducing myself and then opened up the discussion with a few general statements to include the following:

1. There are no definitive answers that are given or that I have found in my research as to why the Priesthood ban ever took place. I made mention of the fact that the official statement of the Church made in 1969 under the leadership of President David O. McKay declared that the ban existed for "reasons which we believe are known to God, but which He has not made fully known to man." [emphasis added by this author]

2. I then stated that not all people with brown skin are African Americans. I used myself and my ancestry as an example to illustrate this point. I pointed out that many of my ancestors would have been classified as mulatto (a mixed race of people) and not as Blacks, Negroes, or African American. In my genealogical line there is Black blood, White Blood, and even some Indian blood. The point that I wanted to make is that the Priesthood ban was not strictly based on the color of a person’s skin. This brought me to my next point.

3. The Priesthood ban affected any and all members of African descent and lineage. Therefore, it was possible to be White and still be denied the Priesthood. If for example, a person had a Black grandfather and a White grandmother, that person would have been denied the Priesthood as well.

4. I briefly mentioned that one of the theories about the Priesthood ban is the "Curse of Cain" theory based on Genesis 9:20-27. I only mentioned it in passing. We did not pursue a discussion on this subject.

Blacks did indeed hold the Priesthood prior to the Priesthood ban. One such Black was Elijah Abel who was baptized in 1832 by Ezekiel Roberts and became the first Black man to receive the Priesthood in the LDS Church. It is believed that Joseph Smith himself was the one who ordained Elijah Abel to the office of Elder. Later, Elijah’s son and grandson would both receive the Priesthood and be ordained as Elders. It is interesting to note that even though Elijah Abel had done all of the initiatory work in the Temple he was denied the priviledge of receiving his endowments by President Brigham Young. One of the people that Elijah taught was Sister Eunice Kinney who he baptized in 1938. In 1891 Sister Kinney wrote a letter describing her conversion experience.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints maintained an anti-slavery stand and this is one of the things that led to their being driven from Missouri which was a predominant slave state. Also of note is the fact that when Joseph Smith ran for President, he ran on an anti-slavery platform. Perhaps one of the reasons that the Priesthood ban existed in the beginning at least was because the Church was young and in order to keep from causing any major upsets, they tried to stay within the confines of the laws of the land which in most cases prohibited Blacks from holding any type of authoritative positions. Of interesting note is the fact that there were some slaves that were baptized and became members of the Church, but those baptisms had to be done in secret.

The Priesthood ban was not just something that weighed heavily on President Spencer W. Kimball’s mind, but it was on the minds of many of the Church leaders. Even though people of African descent and lineage did not understand why God would allow a Priesthood ban, they still knew in their hearts that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is indeed the Lord’s True Church upon the earth and they had faith and hope that one day the ban would be lifted and all worthy males of every race, color, and ethnicity would enjoy the full blessings of the Priesthood. These faithful Saints saw beyond any color barriers and chose to worship the True and the Living God and to live a life that was pleasing unto Him. When the official announcement was made there is no small wonder that there was a great shout of "Hallelujah" by members everywhere.

How can we do better in reaching out and bridging the gap of any mistrusts and misunderstandings that may exist among peoples of different cultures? I believe that the answer can be found in fellowshipping. We must show people how much we care about them and how much we truly love them as Brothers and Sisters.

We may not know exactly why the Priesthood ban existed, but we can be thankful that today all worthy male members regardless of race or ethnicity are permitted to hold the Priesthood and enjoy the full blessings thereof. Edited by KeithLBrown
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3 Nephi 30 – Gentiles are commanded to repent, come to Christ, and be numbered with the house of Israel.

4 Nephi 1 – For almost 200 years, the descendants of Lehi experience a golden era. All are converted to the Gospel and there is no longer a division between Nephites and Lamanites. All is had in common. Miracles occur, the people prosper, and there is no contention or sin. Nephi dies, and his son Amos keeps the records until he dies, and his son, Amos Jr. takes over as record-keeper. In about 200, a small group revolts, and they become known as Lamanites. Pride and class divisions resurface, and false doctrines are spread. A church arises that denies Christ. People begin to harden their hearts and persecutions against the true Church begin. A variety of –ites arise and the Gadiantons resurface. Both Nephites and Lamanites become wicked. Amos Jr. dies, and his brother Ammaron keeps the records. He obeys the command of the Holy Ghost to hide the records.

Mormon 1 – Ammaron tells Mormon, about age 10, about the records and gives him instructions to retrieve them when he is about 24. There is war between the Nephites and the Lamanites. The Three Nephites are taken away by the Lord and the gifts of the Spirit cease because of unbelief and iniquity. The Lord visits the 15-year-old Mormon, who desires to preach but is forbidden to do so. Treasures become slippery. The power of Satan is upon the land, with magic, sorcery, and witchcraft prevalent.

Mormon 2 – Mormon, although young, is chosen to lead the Nephite armies. Blood and carnage spread across the land. Nephites sorrow, but it is the sorrow of the damned, and they refuse to repent. The day of grace is passed. At the appropriate time, Mormon follows Ammaron’s instructions and obtains the plates of Nephi, on which he records the wickedness of his people. Wars continue.

Mormon 3 – The Lord tells Mormon to cry repentance, which he does, but in vain. The Nephites gain a great military victory and boast in their own strength. Mormon refuses to continue to lead the army. His prayers for his people are without faith because of the hardness of their hearts. Mormon urges his readers to repent and come to Christ.

Mormon 4 – The judgments of God will overtake the wicked. War and bloodshed continue. The Nephites have become more wicked than any other people of the house of Israel. Women and children are sacrificed to idols. The Lamanites begin to advance into Nephite territory and push the Nephites ahead of them. Mormon retrieves the remainder of the records from the area the Lamanites are about to take over.

Section 137 – The doctrine of salvation for the dead is revealed. Small children are saved in the celestial kingdom.

Section 138 – Joseph F. Smith’s vision of the spirit world, resulting from pondering Scripture. The organization of preaching the Gospel in the spirit world is described. The righteous dead minister in the spirit world.

Official Declaration 1 – The Manifesto ending authorized plural marriage.

Official Declaration 2 – The priesthood is to be given to all worthy men regardless of race.

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