| 29:1 But behold, there shall be many--at that day
when I shall proceed to do a marvelous work among them,
that I may remember my covenants which I have made unto
the children of men, that I may set my hand again the
second time to recover my people, which are of the house
of Israel; |
|
| 29:2 And also, that I may remember the promises
which I have made unto thee, Nephi, and also unto thy
father, that I would remember your seed; and that the
words of your seed should proceed forth out of my mouth
unto your seed; and my words shall hiss forth unto the
ends of the earth, for a standard unto my people, which
are of the house of Israel; |
|
| 29:3 And because my words shall hiss forth--many of
the Gentiles shall say: A Bible! A Bible! We have got a
Bible, and there cannot be any more Bible. |
Topic: Anachronistic
Concepts
The word ‘Bible’ is
anachronistic here. It only became the collective term
for the books of Scripture long after the establishment
of the New Testament canon. Further, the word is taken
from the Greek Biblia (books). The Nephites knew
no Greek. This verse was most likely inserted as a
reaction against the orthodox Christians of Smith’s
day, who contended that the canon of revelation was
closed.In addition, the notion
of a closed canon did not yet exist among the Jews. At
the time that these words were purportedly written, the
majority of the Old Testament books had yet to be
written, and the documents that were in existence at the
time still had many centuries of collection and editing
ahead of them. Although this statement makes sense in a
time when the canon was considered to be closed, it would
have made no sense whatsoever to a Jew of the fifth
century BC.
|
| 29:4 But thus saith the Lord God: O fools, they
shall have a Bible; and it shall proceed forth from the
Jews, mine ancient covenant people. And what thank they
the Jews for the Bible which they receive from them? Yea,
what do the Gentiles mean? Do they remember the travails,
and the labors, and the pains of the Jews, and their
diligence unto me, in bringing forth salvation unto the
Gentiles? |
|
| 29:5 O ye Gentiles, have ye remembered the Jews,
mine ancient covenant people? Nay; but ye have cursed
them, and have hated them, and have not sought to recover
them. But behold, I will return all these things upon
your own heads; for I the Lord have not forgotten my
people. |
|
| 29:6 Thou fool, that shall say: A Bible,
we have got a Bible, and we need no more Bible. Have ye
obtained a Bible save it were by the Jews? |
|
| 29:7 Know ye not that there are more nations than
one? Know ye not that I, the Lord your God, have created
all men, and that I remember those who are upon the isles
of the sea; and that I rule in the heavens above and in
the earth beneath; and I bring forth my word unto the
children of men, yea, even upon all the nations of the
earth? |
|
| 29:8 Wherefore murmur ye, because that ye shall
receive more of my word? Know ye not that the testimony
of two nations is a witness unto you that I am God, that
I remember one nation like unto another? Wherefore, I
speak the same words unto one nation like unto another.
And when the two nations shall run together the testimony
of the two nations shall run together also. |
|
| 29:9 And I do this that I may prove unto many that I
am the 1same yesterday, today, and forever; and that I
speak forth my words according to mine own pleasure. And
because that I have spoken one word ye need not suppose
that I cannot speak another; for my work is not yet
finished; neither shall it be until the end of man,
neither from that time henceforth and forever. |
[1] Hebrews 13:8: Jesus Christ the same yesterday,
and to day, and for ever. |
| 29:10 Wherefore, because that ye have a Bible
ye need not suppose that it contains all my words;
neither need ye suppose that I have not caused more to be
written. |
|
| 29:11 For I command all men, both in the east and in
the west, and in the north, and in the south, and in the
islands of the sea, that they shall write the words which
I speak unto them; for 1out of the books which shall be written I will
judge the world, every man according to their works,
according to that which is written. |
[1] Revelation 20:12: ...and the dead were judged
out of those things which were written in the books,
according to their works. |
| 29:12 For behold, I shall speak unto the Jews and
they shall write it; and I shall also speak unto the
Nephites and they shall write it; and I shall also speak
unto the other tribes of the house of Israel, which I
have led away, and they shall write it; and I shall also
speak unto all nations of the earth and they shall write
it. |
|
| 29:13 And it shall come to pass that the Jews shall
have the words of the Nephites, and the Nephites shall
have the words of the Jews; and the Nephites and the Jews
shall have the words of the 1lost tribes of Israel; and the lost tribes of
Israel shall have the words of the Nephites and the Jews.
|
[1] The fate
Lost Tribes of Israel was a popular topic of conversation
during Smith’s time. Ethan Smith (author of ‘View of the Hebrews’, from which Joseph Smith borrowed
heavily) speculated that the indigenous Americans might
be the descendants of the Lost Tribes. However, as any
careful student of Middle Eastern history knows, the
"ten" tribes (scholars now doubt that there
ever were exactly ten Northern tribes) are now extinct,
and will never return. |
| 29:14 And it shall come to pass that my people, which
are of the house of Israel, shall be gathered home unto
the lands of their possessions; and my word also shall be
gathered in one. And I will show unto them that fight
against my word and against my people, who are of the
house of Israel, that I am God, and that I covenanted
with Abraham that I would remember his seed forever. |
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