2 Nephi Chapter 1

2 Nephi Chapters 1 to 3 seem to happen all at once, like they were written as one discourse. In these chapters, Lehi makes reference to the covenant he has made with the Lord (2 Nephi 1:5)

Abram and Jehovah also made a covenant (Genesis 15). We refer to this as the Abrahamic Covenant or the priesthood covenant.  Today we say we make covenants, but in Hebrew it is said that we cut a covenant. Hebrew always refers to covenants as “cutting.”  In this case, Abram wants a land of inheritance, and Jehovah wants to give it to him, so the two make a covenant.  Notice what Abram does as his part of the ritual of making this covenant.  He cuts sacrifices in half and lays them in two rows kind of like the illustration below.

                _______             _______             _______             _______             _______

                _______             _______             _______             _______             _______

In Genesis 15:17, we read that Jehovah passes between the halves of the offerings as smoke and fire signifying that if He does not keep the covenant, may He die (i.e. be cut in half). When a covenant was made anciently, it always referred to what would happen if the covenant was broken. And, in covenants, punishments were always equal to the promised blessings. The sign of the covenant with Abraham was circumcision, signifying that if he does not keep the covenant, may he be cut off as was his foreskin. Note the presence of cutting and blood in making the covenant.  Abraham also now has a daily reminder of the Covenant he has made with Jehovah.  2 Nephi 1:6—there was probably a similar ritual performed to that recorded in Genesis 15, the account of which could very well have been lost with the 116 pages.

In our day as in the days of Abraham and of Lehi, temple covenants mean that our children will have a land to inherit.  Think of all the places the Saints were driven out of in the early days of the Church:  Missouri, Kirtland, etc.  Then in Nauvoo they built a temple and made the Covenant with Jehovah.  They went to Utah and were never driven out again.  The land inherited by children of the covenant is a place where they/we can worship God as we wish. Think of the significance of this to saints in foreign countries today who have lived under oppressive governments.  A temple in their land means they will have a place to worship as they wish and live the gospel.  This is an incredible promise!

Promises and Blessings of the Temple Covenant (see Abraham 2:6-11)

Mortal Blessings

1.       Posterity

2.       Land to freely worship

3.       Posterity will have the gospel

Eternal Blessings

1.       Eternal increase

2.       Celestial Kingdom is the land inherited

3.       Eternal life - Godhood

To scattered Israel, whether in Egypt or in the case of the Lamanites, God will redeem His people. This gives great hope to Lehi about his own people, who he knows will go astray because he has seen it in a vision. Note that the covenant of Jehovah with Lehi is very similar to the covenant with Abram. Both would be foreigners in a promised land.

In making covenants, agency is always an issue.  God will not force us into anything.  Covenanting with God gives Him our agency, which frees him to bless us. Covenants provide a legal way for the Lord to intervene in our behalf in spite of the Law of Justice, which says we must pay for every misdeed, transgression, and sin.

All this tells us that the God of the Old Testament is merciful. 2 Chronicles 33 gives an example of His mercy extended toward Manassah, king of Israel, who led his people away from Jehovah into idol worship and human sacrifice. Yet, when he repented, Jehovah showed him mercy.

2 Nephi 1:28       Lehi makes reference to his “first blessing” in speaking to Zoram and his descendants, but we have no account of that blessing.  It could have been in the lost 116 pages.

2 Nephi 1:31       Lehi blesses Zoram with the same blessings as Nephi’s family because of his faithfulness.  Zoram came out of Jerusalem a servant, or in other words a slave. Lehi gives him his freedom and an inheritance like that of his own righteous son. To me Zoram represents everyone who accepts the gospel of Jesus Christ, regardless of their lineage or station in life, and the blessings the Lord offers to each of us through the covenant of baptism. We are made free from the outcomes of the Fall of man and “partakers of the heavenly gift.” If we are faithful like Zoram, we become the sons and daughters of Christ just like in this verse Zoram becomes the adopted son of Lehi.  We, like Zoram, then stand to inherit all that the Father offers.  Notice Lehi’s promise to Zoram—that of security for himself and his posterity forever.  As a slave, Zoram had no security.  He could have been bought, sold, or killed by his master. His descendants could also have been bought, sold, taken into a foreign country, or killed.  Zoram goes from having no security and no birthright to having security and a land of inheritance for himself and his posterity as long as they remain faithful.

Glory: we determine ours through what we choose to do as well as what we choose not to do. We can repent of our wrong doings and still limit our own glory through what we do not do right through sins of omission. God judges us on what we have become in the end. We can only change to become more like God if we do the works of God (see Dallin H. Oaks, “The Challenge to Become,” Liahona, Jan 2001, 40–43).