8 Yea, even he should go forth and cry in the wilderness: Prepare ye the way of the Lord, and make his paths straight; for there standeth one among you whom ye know not; and he is mightier than I, whose shoe’s latchet I am not worthy to unloose. And much spake my father concerning this thing.
(1 Nephi 10:8)
After studying the words of prophets contained on the brass plates, Lehi taught his children about the Savior. He explained that a prophet (John the Baptist) would prepare the way for the Savior’s ministry, just as Isaiah had prophesied (Isaiah 40:3).
Even though this prophecy is specifically about John the Baptist, it has relevance for each of us. In a revelation received by Joseph Smith in Fayette, New York, the Lord commanded members of the Church to preach this message to the world: “Repent, repent, and prepare ye the way of the Lord, and make his paths straight; for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (D&C 33:10).
We can prepare the way of the Lord by taking actions which help our hearts and minds become receptive to His Spirit. This includes repentance and participation in the ordinances of the gospel. We also prepare the way for ourselves and others by acting on revelation we receive.
Today, I will prepare the way of the Lord by opening my mind and heart, being willing to accept the messages God wants to send me, and then acting on the messages I receive from Him.
Has anyone pondered this phrase from 1 Ne. 10:8 “whose shoe’s latchet I am not worthy to unloose.”
Interestingly, this phrase is not in our current version of Isaiah 40:3. Additionally, the reference regarding the Lord’s shoe latchet is not in the Isaiah translations of the Dead Sea Scrolls.
However, it is in three verses in three different gospels.
See John 1:27
27 He it is, who coming after me is preferred before me, whose shoe’s latchet I am not worthy to unloose.
See Luke 3:16
16 John answered, saying unto them all, I indeed baptize you with water; but one mightier than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire:
See Mark 1:7
7 And preached, saying, There cometh one mightier than I after me, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to stoop down and unloose.
As you state Paul, Lehi read from PROPHETS on the brass plates.
I think it might be possible that Zenos, Zenock, Neum or a different prophet shared the prophecy regarding the language of the “shoe latchet” on the Brass Plates.
Nephi does say this regarding the Brass Plates and these other prophet’s detailed visions of the Savior’s ministry.
1 Nephi 19:10
10 And the God of our fathers, who were led out of Egypt, out of bondage, and also were preserved in the wilderness by him, yea, the God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, yieldeth himself, according to the words of the angel, as a man, into the hands of wicked men, to be lifted up, according to the words of Zenock, and to be crucified, according to the words of Neum, and to be buried in a sepulchre, according to the words of Zenos, which he spake concerning the three days of darkness, which should be a sign given of his death unto those who should inhabit the isles of the sea, more especially given unto those who are of the house of Israel.
If Zenos, Zenoch, and Neum had such detailed vision about the Savior’s mission set forth above, why not too that the infinite majesty of the Lord made his cousin John feel unworthy to unloose the latchet of His shoe.
Thanks for the comment, Jeff. It’s certainly possible that the specific language of the shoe’s latchet was on the brass plates, but I think there’s a simpler explanation. Lehi may have known what John the Baptist would say for the same reason he knew that John would baptize “in Bethabara, beyond Jordan” (1 Nephi 10:9, John 1:28). That is, by revelation.
There’s no doubt that Lehi’s prophecy was prompted by his study of the brass plates. He referenced Isaiah 40:3, for example. But Nephi referred to his father’s words as a prophecy, not a book report. (See 1 Nephi 10:15.) I believe that Lehi was not merely reporting the words of earlier prophets, but was also offering a prophecy of his own.