Alma 12:21-22 (etc) The Book of Mormon Makes the Bible Plain

[MaidservantX]

I love the Book of Mormon. It's purpose is to testify of Jesus Christ.

There are so many ways that the Book of Mormon can change our lives and be helpful to us. I was struck by one particular use when reading Alma 12:21 and so forth.

In those passages, an individual asks a question about the meaning of a scripture. In fact, the scripture he asks about is equivalent to what we have in Genesis in the Bible -- the story of Adam and the fall (etc). Alma then explains the scripture in plainness (verses 22-37).

I then recalled that this sort of mechanism happens throughout the Book of Mormon. Priests asked Abinadi the meaning of a scripture, and he explains. Nephi copies passages from Isaiah, and then he explains them. (That one right there is a good reason that we have some Isaiah in the Book of Mormon -- because the plain description is also provided). Nephi also spends time making things plain to his brothers. I am sure there are other spots like this.

What it amounts to, then, is that the Book of Mormon can be thought of on one level as a reference book/ commentary ON the Bible. Many of the most important and critical teachings in the Bible that are nevertheless difficult to interpret (e.g. Genesis and Isaiah) are revealed in simple and prosaic terms and concepts that are more comprehensible to the modern mind (the Book of Mormon is for our time, we've heard). The spirit is very strong as we read these passages of plainness and our testimony of the Bible and of Jesus Christ and of the plan of salvation provided in the Bible is strengthened.

It reminds me of a couple of other great scriptures.

2 Nephi 25:4, 20 " . . . my soul delighteth in plainness . . . that they may learn . . . I have spoken plainly that ye cannot err."

And of course:

1 Nephi 13:20-41 (v34) " . . . I will be merciful unto the Gentiles in that day, insomuch that I will bring forth unto them, in mine own power, much of my gospel, which shall be plain and precious, saith the Lamb . . . (v36) And in them shall be written my gospel, saith the Lamb, and my rock and my salvation. . . (v40) These last records . . . shall establish the truth of the first . . . and shall make known the plain and precious things . . . and shall make known to all kindreds, toungues, and people, that the Lamb of God is the Son of the Eternal Father, and the Savior of the world; and that all men must come unto him, or they cannot be saved . . . (41) for there is one God and one Shepherd over all the earth."

[Guest tomk]

Great observations.

You might want to pick-up this book:

Nephi's Isaiah

also:

Eighteen Verses

[Guest tomk]

What amazes me is this:

Jacob 4: 1

1 Now behold, it came to pass that I, Jacob, having ministered much unto my people in word, (and I cannot write but a little of my words, because of the difficulty of engraving our words upon plates) and we know that the things which we write upon plates must remain;

And that Nephi took the time to copy down entire chapters from Isaiah!

They must be extremely important.

That applies to the entire book. Wording had to be carefully chosen. And it is amazing how much you can pull-out from a SINGLE verse!