1 Nephi Chapter 9 - May 9, 2017

[pam]

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[person0]

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2 And now, as I have spoken concerning these plates. . .

Most of this chapter exists because Nephi referred to 'these plates' in the previous verse. Since, as is noted below, Nephi didn't know the Lords purpose for wanting the small plates, then whether before or after chiseling verse 1, he realized he was going to have to explain what he meant in case a later reader had not already read, or was not aware of the other plates.  It's interesting how much time and effort we devote in life explaining things to other people that we understand clearly but that they might not understand without additional information.  That is not necessarily a bad thing, simply noteworthy.  We teach people the gospel, and then often must explain to whatever level of depth is needed for it to click in their mind sufficiently that the Spirit can act upon them.  The same happens we teach or learn a new principle and the teacher says something like: "In order to understand what I'm going to teach you, you need to know [x], however, we really aren't going to go into [x] right now, you just have to know about it and then we will go into it more next week. . ."

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5 Wherefore, the Lord hath commanded me to make these plates for a wise purpose in him, which purpose I know not.

Just as Adam and others, Nephi was willing to keep the commandments of the Lord for no other reason than the fact that He commanded it.  This is discussed often.  What I find especially interesting on this read through is that Nephi automatically assumed and acknowledged that the purpose for making the additional set of plates was wise.  How many people are more like Jonah at first and fail to consider the infinite wisdom of the Lord, or forget that he is able to do all things.  At this point in his life, Nephi had enough experiences and witnesses that he likely was unwilling to question the Lord.  While unproven, I think it reasonable to assume his pivotal moment was the experience of killing Laban.  Nephi's obedience regarding the plates later made up for Joseph Smith's failure of the same.

[pam]

@person0 touched briefly on this.  I sometimes get confused as to what records or plates Nephi and others are referring to.  In Nephi's accounting when he refers to "these" plates he is referring to the small plates.  When he refers to "other" plates he was referring to the large plates.  Easy for me to remember.  

These=small

Others=large

Nephi didn't understand why he was asked to make a duplicate record.  But he trusted that the Lord had a wise purpose in this.  We can kind of understand now what that purpose was with the losing of the 116 pages of the book of Lehi.  Kind of mind blowing when you think about this.  God had a foreknowledge that this would happen centuries and centuries later.