2nd Nephi
I have seen a vision, in which I know that Jerusalem is destroyed . . .
In the wake of epic cataclysm, Nephi launches a second book of writings. Inspired by the prophet Isaiah’s remarkable account of the scattering and gathering of God’s covenant people, Nephi aches to reassure his family by providing a clear understanding of their unbroken place in God’s designs. Interweaving history, theology, and prophecy, Nephi brings together the covenant’s ancient roots and its future fulfillment, orienting everything around the person of Jesus Christ.
In this brief theological introduction, Terryl Givens echoes Nephi’s invitation for readers to keep Christ front and center in their minds, hearts, and worship. Givens finds clear emphasis on the Redeemer’s healing atonement, the promise of resurrection, the necessity of oppositional strife and of agency wisely employed, and other plain and precious truths lost or obscured by time. Above all, Nephi presents essential elements of the doctrine of Christ, emphasizing repentance as a lifelong process of heart reeducation, and of scripture as a resource for spiritual succor and personal revelation.
Jerusalem is destroyed.
But all is not lost.
“Givens surprised me by revealing both the poignancy and the spiritual depth in 2 Nephi with fresh perspectives.”
"This volume provides some interesting framing for 2 Nephi that promises to provoke further insight as I wrestle with it in my return to the scriptural text. And that seems to be precisely what such books should do."
"There are so many gems to be found in this small book. In reading Givens's '2nd Nephi,' I know the next time I read the Book of Mormon I will study it with new eyes, a new heart, and a better understanding and appreciation for what Lehi's family was experiencing...Givens helps us drink deeply and experience the true spiritual power of the Book of Mormon."
About the Author
Terryl Givens
For many years, Terryl Givens was the Jabez A. Bostwick Chair of English at the University of Richmond. Now a senior research fellow at Brigham Young University’s Neal A. Maxwell Institute, Givens is the author of several books on the Latter-day Saint tradition, including Wrestling the Angel, By the Hand of Mormon, and The Pearl of Greatest Price. With his wife, Fiona, he coauthored The Crucible of Doubt, The God Who Weeps, and The Christ Who Heals.
Table of Contents
Series Introduction
Introduction
The New (and Very Old) Covenant
They Are Not Cast Off
To the Convincing of Jew and Gentile that Jesus is the Christ
More Plain and Precious Things
Backmatter
Endnotes
Editions of the Book of Mormon
Index
Colophon
Publication Information
Subject: Book of Mormon
Publication Month: April
Publication Year: 2020
Language: English
ISBN 13: 978-0-8425-0008-1
Page Count: 115
Binding: Paperback, eBook
Price: $ 9.95
Imprint: Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship