The Sunday School material this week now covers the concluding segment of the small plates of Nephi. After Nephi’s plentiful quotes and prophesies, and Jacob’s sermons and writings, blank space in the small plates seems to have become scarce. So the writings of the subsequent authors (i.e. Jacob’s progeny) become increasingly brief. These authors were:

• Enos
• Jarom
• Omni
• Amaron
• Chemish
• Abinadom
• Amaleki

Chronologically, this section of the Book of Mormon covers a large span of time, where we learn very little about the societal developments of the Nephites or Lamanites. However, we do get enough insights that give us enough of a picture of what is going on. Here are some highlights:

We now move beyond the writing of Nephi, and enter the writings of Jacob, Nephi’s brother, who became the next spiritual leader. The narrative of Jacob chapters 1-4, which accounts for the beginning of Jacob’s ministry, can be recapped as follows:

• Nephi charges Jacob with the record–keeping responsibilities.
• Jacob works hard to persuade people to believe in Jesus Christ.
• Nephi gets old, and a system for naming his successors as king is established.
• Nephi dies.
• Under the rule of their second king, the people get prideful and begin practicing polygamy.
• Jacob gives a sermon at the temple in response to his people’s pride and sins.
• Jacob writes to future readers of his record.

Most of these narrative elements are found it chapter 1, but the the majority of the text covered in this lesson comprises Jacob’s temple sermon, where he covers the issues of pride and polygamy.

Our next installment in the Sunday School schedule brings us to 2 Nephi 31–33, in which Nephi, finished with quoting Isaiah and adding his own prophesies, now expounds the fundamental doctrines of Christ and leaves his prophetic witness. This segment of Nephi’s writings can be outlined as follows:

• Nephi’s Addition to his Record
• Importance of Baptism
• Enduring to the End
• The Doctrine of Christ
• The Necessity of Prayer
• Nephi’s Conclusion
• Nephi’s Last Goodbye

The essence of Nephi’s words is captured in his admonition to his readers:

“Ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: ‘Ye shall have eternal life.’” (2 Nephi 31:19–20)

This lesson covers 2 Nephi chapters 26-30, which contain Nephi’s writings and teachings following his quotations of Isaiah.

Nephi discusses a variety of of topics, including a prophesy of the coming of Christ, predictions regarding the last days, and a foreshadowing of the Gospel’s restoration. Nephi also speaks of the judgments of God, and warns of the devices of the devil that will prove to be detrimental to the humanity.

Through it all, Nephi continues to emphasize the goodness of God, saying:

“He inviteth them all to come unto him and partake of his goodness; and he denieth none that come unto him, black and white, bond and free, male and female; and he remembereth the heathen; and all are alike unto God, both Jew and Gentile.” (2 Nephi 26:33)

Much of Nephi’s message can be categorized as follows:

After Jacob’s Sermon, Nephi carries on with the religious teaching in the land of Nephi. He proceeds to open up the brass plates and quote extensively from the writings of Isaiah, saying, “I will liken his words unto my people, and I will send them forth unto all my children, for he verily saw my Redeemer, even as I have seen him.” This shows that Nephi was concerned with the Messianic prophesies of Isaiah, and how they related to the people of the covenant—the type of people Nephi was trying to lead.

For a concise overview of the Nephi’s Isaiah quotations, click here.

While Isaiah is general respected and revered, the “Isaiah chapters” are dreaded by many readers. Some of the reasons for this include the absences of any cohesive narrative; symbols, metaphors, and allegories that seem very obscure or cryptic, and a prose that is difficult for untrained readers to follow. Acknowledging these issues, Boyd K. Packer said:

Lesson 8 covers 2 Nephi chapters 6-10, which of course includes the oft quoted and very significant 2 Nephi 9, which contains very a very powerful discussion of the atonement of Christ, the universal resurrection, and the final judgment. Many casual readers of these chapters will glance at the Book title (2 Nephi) and assume that these are Nephi’s words. However, if look carefully, we see that these five chapters are in fact an account of a sermon given by Nephi’s brother, Jacob. It appears that Nephi transcribed it and included it in his own record. He does, however, give Jacob full credit. If we look in 2 Nephi 6:1, we read:

“The words of Jacob, the brother of Nephi, which he spake unto the people of Nephi.”

Nephi also lets us know when the account of Jacob’s sermon ends, in 2 Nephi 11:1:

“And now, Jacob spake many more things to my people at that time; nevertheless only these
things have I caused to be written, for the things which I have written sufficeth me.”