2 Nephi 10 – Jacob’s First Sermon, Part 5: Reconciled Unto God

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Reconciliation is the main theme of this last section of Jacob’s sermon, which he delivered the day after the rest of the sermon. Even though his descendants may stray from the faith, they will return to their Redeemer. Even though the Jews will reject Christ, they will one day believe in Him and be gathered home. Even though his people are far from their home in Jerusalem, they are not “cast off.” They can be reconciled to God and saved by His grace.

Chapter Outline

  1. Our descendants will come to a knowledge of their Redeemer (v. 1-2).
  2. Christ will be rejected and crucified, but when the children of Israel believe in Him, He will gather them (v. 3-10).
  3. This land will be a land of liberty (v. 11-19).
  4. Cheer up your hearts. We are not cast off (v. 20-23).
  5. Reconcile yourselves to God’s will, and you will be saved by His grace (v. 24-25).

My Takeaways

  1. Even if you feel lonely or abandoned, you aren’t. God remembers you, and His promises are durable.
  2. Liberty is an essential characteristic of a promised land.
  3. We should be joyful and happy because we trust God’s promises.
  4. As we work to reconcile our will to God’s will, His saving power flows into our lives.

Featured Blog Posts

❖ The Current and Future Relevance of God’s Promises – 2 Nephi 10:1-2

“According to the Flesh” – 2 Nephi 10:2

On at least two occasions, Nephi’s older brothers asked him if the scriptures were talking about spiritual things or about temporal things. Here’s how they asked the question after he read two chapters of Isaiah to them: What meaneth these things which ye have read? Behold, are they to be understood according to things which…

That Which Will Give Them the True Knowledge of Their Redeemer – 2 Nephi 10:2

2 For behold, the promises which we have obtained are promises unto us according to the flesh; wherefore, as it has been shown unto me that many of our children shall perish in the flesh because of unbelief, nevertheless, God will be merciful unto many; and our children shall be restored, that they may come…

❖ “I Am Christ” – 2 Nephi 10:3-7

Jesus Is the Christ

The Greek word Christos means “the Anointed One.” It is the equivalent of the Hebrew word Mashiach (Messiah). Lehi taught his children that the Messiah would be the Savior of the World. Nephi and Mormon testified that Jesus is the Christ.

❖ “We Are Not Cast Off” – 2 Nephi 10:20-21

We Are Not Cast Off – 2 Nephi 10:20-22

20 And now, my beloved brethren, seeing that our merciful God has given us so great knowledge concerning these things, let us remember him, and lay aside our sins, and not hang down our heads, for we are not cast off; nevertheless, we have been driven out of the land of our inheritance; but we…

❖ Reconciled – 2 Nephi 10:22-23

2 Nephi 10:24 Reconcile Yourselves to the Will of God

24 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, reconcile yourselves to the will of God, and not to the will of the devil and the flesh; and remember, after ye are reconciled unto God, that it is only in and through the grace of God that ye are saved. (2 Nephi 10:24) Within a financial institution, there are…

Old Testament Foundations

Belonging

One of the purposes of the Book of Mormon is to assure us that we belong, that because of “the covenants of the Lord,” we “are not cast off forever.” Jesus taught that we belong to the covenants God made with our ancestors, and that He will not forget us.

Hunters and Fishers

The gathering of Israel is underway, and each of us can be part of it. Jeremiah said, “The days come, saith the Lord, that it shall no more be said, The Lord liveth, that brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt; but, The Lord liveth, that brought up the children of Israel from the land of the north,…

“I Will Gather Them from Thence”

While serving in the palace of the king of Persia, Nehemiah was devastated to learn of the sorry state of the city of Jerusalem. The people who were left there were “in great affliction and reproach.” The walls of the city were broken, and the gate had been burned. As Nehemiah pleaded with God for…

New Testament Parallels

Atonement and Reconciliation

To be “at one with” someone is to be in a state of agreement and peace. Jesus made it possible for our relationship with God to be healed, and one word for that reconciliation is “atonement,” the gift which enables us to be “at one” with God.

Only by His Grace

In his epistle to the Romans, Paul testifies that we are justified only by God’s grace. Lehi, Jacob, and Nephi taught the same principle. When we recognize that we need Him, we will seek to align ourselves with Him, so that we can receive His power.

Church History Connections

Light

Jesus said, “I am the true light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world” (Doctrine and Covenants 93:2; see also John 1:9.) He also said, “I will be a light unto them forever, that hear my words” (2 Nephi 10:14). Elder Timothy J. Dyches said: Just as sunlight daily bathes the earth to renew…

Promises to Covenant Israel

Nephi told us that God “loveth those who will have him to be their God.” As an example, “he loved our fathers, and he covenanted with them, yea, even Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; and he remembered the covenants which he had made” (1 Nephi 17:40). In August of 1830, Joseph Smith received a revelation in…

The Islands of the Sea

Lehi’s family took comfort in knowing that God remembers people who live on islands. Whether we are isolated geographically, or whether we isolate ourselves, He is always mindful of us, and we are more connected with other people than we may realize.

“Let Every Man Choose for Himself”

God honors our agency, even as He offers clear instructions. In Eden and in Ohio, He invites without compulsion: “Let every man choose for himself,” He said. We can follow this pattern, extending invitations to others while respecting their choices and their timing.

All Posts Referencing 2 Nephi 10

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