Question From 1 Nephi 22

[Calm]

But if he responds to your comment he will break the perfection....

What to do, what to do....

[volgadon]

Volgadon,

I noted that as of the posting you are at 7777 total posts. Surely 4 - 7's has some significance.

Fourfold perfection? I have exceeded fourfold perfection, that is an accomplishment. =)

[zerinus]

I noted that as of the posting you are at 7777 total posts. Surely 4 - 7's has some significance.

I am just glad that it wasn't a 666!

Edited June 26, 2012 by zerinus

[Benjamin McGuire]

Just my thoughts -

First, I think we can reasonably assume that the language in 1 Nephi 22:20 is borrowed to some extent from the New Testament. However, there is something else to consider along with it. Nephi's Brass Plates probably did not contain Deuteronomy 18:16-17. Those two verses are almost universally considered to be part of a fairly late redaction of Deuteronomy. Verses 15 and 18 though, are viewed as highly likely coming from an earlier proto-Deuteronomy, which would be more reasonably read in terms of Nephi's text.

This theory was discussed in Catholic Biblical Quarterly by William L. Holliday in his article "Elusive Deuteronomists, Jeremiah, and Proto-Deuteronomy" (CBQ, Vol. 66 [2004], 55-77.)

The Book of Mormon uses this text (either as a quotation or a paraphrase) in three places:

1 Nephi 22:20 (already mentioned)

3 Nephi 20:23 "Behold, I am he of whom Moses spake, saying: A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you. And it shall come to pass that every soul who will not hear that prophet shall be cut off from among the people."

1 Nephi 10:4

Yea, even six hundred years from the time that my father left Jerusalem, a prophet would the Lord God raise up among the Jews—even a Messiah, or, in other words, a Savior of the world.

It is also alluded to in Jacob 2:5,30 and 3:11 (but see also 5:2). It seems to be alluded to in 2 Nephi 5:19-20:

"And behold, the words of the Lord had been fulfilled unto my brethren, which he spake concerning them, that I should be their ruler and their teacher. Wherefore, I had been their ruler and their teacher, according to the commandments of the Lord, until the time they sought to take away my life. Wherefore, the word of the Lord was fulfilled which he spake unto me, saying that: Inasmuch as they will not hearken unto thy words they shall be cut off from the presence of the Lord. And behold, they were cut off from his presence."

There is also the potential bit about Joseph Smith (but, that's perhaps a harder case to make).

Also, the Book of Mormon uses the parallel text in Deuteronomy 17 in several places (it is quoted or alluded to in Jacob 2:24 for example). At any rate, the whole issue of being "cut off" seems to be used consistently in the Book of Mormon (not just as a substitute within a New Testament text), and while sometimes the notion of Deuteronomy 18 is used in reference to the Messiah, it is also used more generally of prophets and their calling (which seems more in line with a reading of the Old Testament than with a reading of the New Testament). Further, we have the use of the parallel text in Deuteronomy 17, which is not used in the New Testament (meaning that the authors of the Book of Mormon were probably at least familiar with the Old Testament reading of Deuteronomy 18). It seems as one of the two sort of proof texts used of prophets (the other being Numbers 12:6). And all of these issues lead me to personally conclude that its probably using the Old Testament (even if it borrows from the familiar language of the New).

Ben M.