Keywords

gospel of Jesus Christ, doctrine of Christ, repentance, baptism, Book of Mormon, Second Nephi

Abstract

2 Nephi 31 was written by Nephi as a grand finale to his small plates and was placed at the end to signal its premier importance. It is the centerpiece of his concluding sermon as signaled by a series of inclusios. It is presented as a flashback to the great vision received by both Lehi and Nephi in the first camp in the wilderness—over forty years earlier. But only here are we told for the first time that when Nephi witnessed the baptism of Jesus Christ in that early vision, he was simultaneously team-taught the gospel of Jesus Christ by the Father and the Son—neither of whom he claimed to see, but both of whom spoke to him in their own voices. This fact makes this chapter the most authoritative statement of the gospel anywhere in scripture. It is also the most comprehensive statement of the gospel and provides the basis and structure of the gospel message as taught by all Nephite prophets.

Original Publication Citation

This is a pre-publication draft expected to be published in 2015.