In 2 Nephi 11:2 Nephi talking about Isaiah he writes that "my soul delighteth in his words. For I will liken his words unto my people, and I will send them forth unto all my children, for he verily saw my redeemer, even as I have seen him." To Nephi, Isaiah's words had very pertinent application and fulfillment in the Nephite/Lamanite culture.
2 Nephi 26:1 Nephi saw Jesus' resurrection and after that he came to America and "show himself unto you, my children, and my beloved brethren." Nephi also saw the birth of the Messiah, his death and resurrection. He saw how the wicked rejected, stoned and cast out the prophets.
2 Nephi 11:3 Nephi says "Wherefore by the words of three God hath said, I will establish my word. Nevertheless, God sendeth more witnesses, and he proveth all his words." The three witnesses here are Jacob, Nephi and Isaiah.
2 Nephi 26: 14 Nephi saw our day. "But behold, I prophesy to you concerning the last days; concerning the days when the Lord God shall bring these things forth unto the children of men." Nephi is saying that the last days are the days of the coming forth of the Book of Mormon.
2 Nephi 26: 17 Nephi saw the Book of Mormon, "They shall write the things which shall be done among them, and they shall be written and sealed up in a book."
2 Nephi 26:20 Nephi saw the gentiles "lifted up in the pride of their eyes, and have stumbled, because of the greatness of their stumbling block, that they have built up many churches; nevertheless, they put down the power and miracles of God, an preach up unto themselves their own learning, that they may get gain and grind upon the face of the poor." Nephi describes the gentiles as preaching up unto themselves their own wisdom and their own learning so that they can get gain and grind upon the face of the poor, a certain kind of intellectual culture that allows them to justify their stability that is actually built on the crushing of the poor. He sees in the gentiles a culture of exclusion that is rooted in a desire for gain.
2 Nephi 26: 23 God doesn't work in darkness
2 Nephi 26: 24 God doesn't do anything save it be for the benefit of the world; for he loveth the world. He commanded non that they shall not partake of his salvation.
2 Nephi 26: 25 He doesn't cry unto any Depart from me. He saith: "Come unto me all ye ends of the earth'"
2 Nephi 26: 26 God doesn't tell us to depart out of the synagogues, or out of the houses of worship.
2 Nephi 26:27 Has the Lord commanded us not to partake of his salvation? No, but He gives it free to all men and hath commanded his people to persuade all men to repentance.
2 Nephi 26:28 Has the Lord commanded us to not partake of his goodness? No, but all men are privilege the one like unto the other and none are forbidden.
2 Nephi 26:29 The Lord has commanded that there shall be no priestcrafts. That is that men preach and set themselves up as light unto the world that they may get gain and praise or the world and not the seek the welfare of Zion.
2 Nephi 26:30 The Lord has commanded us to have charity, which is love. And except we have charity we are nothing. If we have charity we will not suffer the laborer in Zion to Perish.
2 Nephi 26:31 The laborer in Zion will labor for Zion and not for money or they shall perish. Who's kingdom are we trying to build? my kingdom or God's kingdom? How much can I be change by the Lord's work so that I can be holy and labor for Zion?
2 Nephi 26:32 The Lord hath commanded that men not commit murder, not lie, not steal, not take the name of God in vain, not envy, not have malice, not contend once with anther, not commit whoredoms, those who do these shall perish.
2 Nephi 26:33 None of those iniquities come from the Lord. He does that which is good among the children of men and he inviteth all to come unto him and partake of his goodness; and he denieth none that come unto him, black and white, bond and free, male and female. He remembers the heathen and all are alike unto God, both Jew and Gentile.
Because Nephi saw our time and he is saying that God denies no one that comes to him, black and white, bond and free, male and female it suggests that that is a problem among the Gentiles of racism, sexism. He can see those are problems in the last days. Gentile is the European culture or anyone who is not of Israel. In 1 Nephi chapters 11 to 14 the Gentile nations Nephi talks about are the European nations.
Chapter 27
Nephi calls the last days, the days of the Gentiles. He talks about how bad the days of Gentiles are. Then he talks about how the Lord shall bring forth the words of a book (verse 6). The words of the book mean the Book of Mormon, this book is the answer for how to fix the world's problems that he talked about in the earlier verses of chapter 27. When Nephi says book he is referring to the gold plates when he says the words of the book he is referring to the Book of Mormon. The words of the book are the words of the dead Nephite prophets. The book shall be sealed and contains revelation from God from the beginning of the world until the end of the world. The book will be sealed up and not be delivered in the day of the weakedness and abominations of the people and so the book shall be kept from them. But the book shall be delivered unto a man (verse 9) Joseph Smith. In verse 9 also it says "that he shall deliver the words of the book (the Book of Mormon), this is talking about the translation of the Book of Mormon. There will be three witnesses of the gold plates, David Whitmer, Martin Harris and Oliver Cowdery. Verse 12 says they shall testify of the truth of the book and the things therein. In verse 13 we have "as many witnesses as seemeth him (God) good." These are the 8 witnesses and Mary Whitmer who saw the gold plates. On verse 15 is the story of Martin Harris and the lost manuscript. The learned wanted to see the book, he wanted proof. The book that the learned wanted was the gold plates. Because he didn't see the gold plates the learned decided it was not true. The learned shall not read them (verse 20) and reject the book of Mormon. The book was delivered to Joseph Smith who was not learned. This can apply to the missionaries, when teaching about the Book of Mormon and the investigator doesn't believe because he or she wants proof or evidence. During Joseph Smith's time the people wanted to see the plates but Joseph only showed them to a few people. Had showed everyone the plates everyone would have been convinced but not converted. The plates might convince but the words converts. The real motive behind wanting to see the plates was to get gain and not for the glory of God (verse 16). Like Korihor, give me a sign then I believe. Joseph wasn't learned, he wasn't a scholar but that was not needed. God was going to give him the words he needed to write. The Joseph was to give the words to the world and the world will not have access to the plates. On verse 23 it says "For behold I am God; and I am a God of miracles and I will show unto the world that I am the same yesterday, today and forever and I work not among the children of men save it be according to their faith." God works with us according to our faith not science or evidences. This is not an experiment and we have to trust the words of the book first. God is the same and never changes. When Christ was resurrected there were witnesses just like with the gold plates.
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