Difference between revisions of "FAIR Study Aids/Gospel Doctrine/Book of Mormon/Lesson Eight"
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'''The Occasion of Jacob's Sermon:''' An Israelite Festival: LDS scholar John S. Thompson has examined the thematic elements and textual structure of Jacob's sermon and concluded that it fits the ancient Near Eastern covenant/treaty pattern. This pattern consists of a six-part form: Preamble, Historical Overview and Covenant Speech Proper, Stipulations of the Covenant or Treaty, Cursings and Blessings, Witness Formula, and Recording of the Contract. Thompson found all of these elements in Jacob's sermon. He notes, "Basing their arguments on covenant/treaty forms found in the biblical text, Gerhard von Rad and others have concluded that the Israelites periodically held a covenant-renewal ceremony during the Feast of the Tabernacles (Sukkot). Hence, the presence of this structure in Jacob's sermon may also suggest the possibility that he gave his covenant speech during this festival as well."
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*John S. Thompson, "Isaiah 50-51, the Israelite Autumn Festivals, and the Covenant Speech of Jacob in 2 Nephi 6-10," in ''Isaiah in the Book of Mormon'', ed. Donald Parry and John Welch (Provo, Utah: FARMS, 1998), 124-125.
  
 
==='''''Potential Criticisms'''''===
 
==='''''Potential Criticisms'''''===

Revision as of 05:18, 17 February 2012

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Lesson Seven
A FAIR Analysis of:
Book of Mormon: Gospel Doctrine Teacher’s Manual
 		Lesson Nine

Lesson 8: O How Great the Goodness of Our God

Lesson #8- Sunday School Manual: O How Great the Goodness of Our God

1. Through His Atonement, Jesus Christ offers redemption from temporal death and spiritual death. (2 Nephi 9)

Helpful Insights

Structure of 2 Nephi 9:

  • Jacob explains the Resurrection and the Jugement (1-16)
  • A Hymn to the Holy One of Israel (17-24)
  • The Law and the First Wo (25-27)
  • Nine More Woes (28-38)
  • Jacob Exhorts His People to Remember (39-54
    • (Structure according to Grant Hardy, The Book of Mormon: A Reader's Edition)


Jacob's Sermon: 2 Nephi 6-10 is a sermon by Nephi's younger brother Jacob given at the instruction of Nephi (2 Nephi 6:4). This sermon is inserted into the text by Nephi with no warning, and immediately follows Nephi's conclusion of his family's journey and the eventual tragic division of the family into "Nephites" and "Lamanites". It may be that Nephi felt that Jacob's sermon appropriately addressed some of the challenges that Nephi's community was facing. Jacob begins his sermon by quoting Isaiah and commenting on the meaning of it. In chapter 6 Jacob reveals that God has told him that Jerusalem has been destroyed, but that Israel will be gathered again, both in that century and again at the Messiah's second coming. Chapters 7-8 are direct quotations of Isaiah 50-52:2.


Jacob "Read" His Sermon: In 2 Nephi 9:1 Jacob notes that he "read" Isaiah to his audience. The custom among ancient Jews was to stand and read from the scriptures in the synagogue. Jacob's sermon was originally delivered orally, and perhaps only later written down either by Jacob or by Nephi.


The Occasion of Jacob's Sermon: An Israelite Festival: LDS scholar John S. Thompson has examined the thematic elements and textual structure of Jacob's sermon and concluded that it fits the ancient Near Eastern covenant/treaty pattern. This pattern consists of a six-part form: Preamble, Historical Overview and Covenant Speech Proper, Stipulations of the Covenant or Treaty, Cursings and Blessings, Witness Formula, and Recording of the Contract. Thompson found all of these elements in Jacob's sermon. He notes, "Basing their arguments on covenant/treaty forms found in the biblical text, Gerhard von Rad and others have concluded that the Israelites periodically held a covenant-renewal ceremony during the Feast of the Tabernacles (Sukkot). Hence, the presence of this structure in Jacob's sermon may also suggest the possibility that he gave his covenant speech during this festival as well."

  • John S. Thompson, "Isaiah 50-51, the Israelite Autumn Festivals, and the Covenant Speech of Jacob in 2 Nephi 6-10," in Isaiah in the Book of Mormon, ed. Donald Parry and John Welch (Provo, Utah: FARMS, 1998), 124-125.

Potential Criticisms

Is Hell Eternal?: Jacob describes the fate of the wicked as being "everlasting fire...a lake of fire and brimstone, whose flame ascendeth up forever and ever and has no end." Some may wonder whether this means hell is eternal. However, the Lord clarified in D&C that hell is not eternal except in the sense that "Eternal" is a name for God, and so "Eternal punishment" is "God's punishment" on the wicked.


Omniscience of God: What does Jacob mean when he says that God "knoweth all things, and there is not anything save he knows it?". There are varying perspectives among Latter-day Saints regarding the nature of God's knowledge.


Faith Affirmations

"The Divine Warrior": Jacob draws upon ancient conceptions of Jehovah as a "divine warrior", a perspective unfamiliar to many modern people, but which was familiar in ancient Israel. Jacob explores how God will fight for Israel and at last Israel will find peace through its covenant relationship with Jehovah. This sermon comes at a time of confusion for the Nephites, who had split from their family (the Lamanites, who were now their enemies) and were finding that the Promised Land was not quite as heavenly as they had hoped.


Death and Hell as Monsters: In describing the power of God Jacob explains that God rescues men "from the grasp of this awful monster; yea, that monster, death and hell". This conception of death and hell as "monsters" echoes some ancient ideas that existed among the Canaanites and Israelites about death. God was conceptualized as fighting against, and conquering, cosmic forces which often took the form of monsters. Similar ideas are also found in Paul's "participationist" model of salvation in which sin is a cosmic power which Jesus defeats.

2. Certain attitudes and actions prevent us from receiving all the blessings of the Atonement. (2 Nephi 9)

Helpful Insights

3. The Lord remembers His covenants with His people. (2 Nephi 10)

Helpful Insights

Potential Criticisms

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