Second Nephi 31:19

And now, my beloved brethren, after ye have gotten into this strait and narrow path, I would ask if all is done? Behold, I say unto you, Nay; for ye have not come thus far save it were by the word of Christ with unshaken faith in him, relying wholly upon the merits of him who is mighty to save.

We rely wholly on the merits of Christ, which are embodied in the atonement, to get us onto the path. We must rely wholly on the Atonement to keep us on the path and see us through to the end. If at any point we start to think that we can make it on our own and can keep the commandments well enough to work our way into heaven, we have ceased to endure, and we are off the path. We strive with all our hearts and might to keep the commandments and serve God because we love him, but we cannot think for a moment that our actions are somehow winning us divine favor and racking up points in our heavenly bank account. The only points that count are Christ's. We cannot give up, but we cannot overrate our own ability.

Second Nephi 31:19

And now, my beloved brethren, after ye have gotten into this strait and narrow path, I would ask if all is done? Behold, I say unto you, Nay; for ye have not come thus far save it were by the word of Christ with unshaken faith in him, relying wholly upon the merits of him who is mighty to save.

To bear fruit, our faith must be unshaken, or more to the point,  unshakable. We must hold onto our faith despite all the shaking and buffeting the world can give it. When everything around us tells us to give up, we must increase our faithfulness,  which is the sign of our faith. We cannot run out of the storm cellar just as the tornado descends. All the faith we build up in the good times is to sustain us through the hard times. God gives us the good so we can be ready to face the bad. It is foolish to throw away the faith that God has built in us in the very moment we need it most.

Second Nephi 31:13

Wherefore, my beloved brethren, I know that if ye shall follow the Son, with full purpose of heart, acting no hypocrisy and no deception before God, but with real intent, repenting of your sins, witnessing unto the Father that ye are willing to take upon you the name of Christ, by baptism—yea, by following your Lord and your Savior down into the water, according to his word, behold, then shall ye receive the Holy Ghost; yea, then cometh the baptism of fire and of the Holy Ghost; and then can ye speak with the tongue of angels, and shout praises unto the Holy One of Israel.

For our ordinances and covenants to be effective, we must enter into them with an honest desire to conform ourselves to the Lord's plan of happiness. We must have a real and abiding intention of following through. Please note that we do not have to be perfect in the execution of our covenants. God knows, and surely we should know, that we will be less than successful in our attempts to be perfectly obedient. It is the whole purpose of the Atonement to enable Christ to help us overcome our failures, mistakes, shortcomings, and sins. The Lord does not expect us to be perfect, but he expects us to want perfection and to strive for it. He will perfect us through his Atonement in his own time. In the meantime, we practice, which means we make mistakes, we receive feedback and correction, and we try again.

As we make a genuine and honest effort to comply with the commandments, the gift of the Holy Ghost will become more evident in our lives. As we qualify ourselves with Christ's help, we will draw ever closer and more consistently to the influence of the Spirit until eventually we will be enveloped by him. Just as we were immersed in the water of baptism, we will be immersed in the Holy Ghost. Thus, we are baptized with the Holy Ghost, the symbol of which is fire.

Second Nephi 31:6-7

And now, I would ask of you, my beloved brethren, wherein the Lamb of God did fulfil all righteousness in being baptized by water? Know ye not that he was holy? But notwithstanding he being holy, he showeth unto the children of men that, according to the flesh he humbleth himself before the Father, and witnesseth unto the Father that he would be obedient unto him in keeping his commandments.

Christ set the example for all mankind by pledging his own loyalty, faithfulness, and obedience to his Father through baptism. An ordinance is an outward expression of an inner commitment. Some may ask why we cannot just make a promise in our hearts to follow and obey God. Why do we have to perform a public, visible sign of our commitment? I do not know the answer to that question. But if it was important to the Savior to submit to baptism as a sign of his formal covenant with Heavenly Father to be obedient, it is surely important to me to do the same. That is Nephi's point. We may not understand the reason for everything, but as long as we follow Christ, we cannot go wrong.

Second Nephi 31:4-5

Wherefore, I would that ye should remember that I have spoken unto you concerning that prophet which the Lord showed unto me, that should baptize the Lamb of God, which should take away the sins of the world. And now, if the Lamb of God, he being holy, should have need to be baptized by water, to fulfil all righteousness, O then, how much more need have we, being unholy, to be baptized, yea, even by water!

Christ not only teaches the doctrine, he lives it. He is the very embodiment of his doctrine. He says with authority and confidence, "Come, follow me." Baptism is a key principle in the doctrine of Christ. Jesus demonstrated the significance of baptism by setting the example for us.

Baptism is a cleansing ordinance and a covenant making ordinance. We are baptized unto repentance. The ordinance unlocks for us the door to forgiveness, justification and sanctification. Jesus needed no repentance, but he still needed baptism because he needed to make the covenant with his Father that he would obey him. We are likewise baptized into the covenant to do our best to become like Christ, and always remember him, and keep his commandments.

The covenant of baptism also brings with it a promise from God that as we keep the covenant, we will always have his spirit to be with us. Jesus needed that promise as much as we do.

Second Nephi 31:2-3

Wherefore, the things which I have written sufficeth me, save it be a few words which I must speak concerning the doctrine of Christ; wherefore, I shall speak unto you plainly, according to the plainness of my prophesying. For my soul delighteth in plainness; for after this manner doth the Lord God work among the children of men. For the Lord God giveth light unto the understanding; for he speaketh unto men according to their language, unto their understanding.

The doctrine of Christ is plain, simple, and understandable. It can be explained in plain, ordinary language. One does not have to have a rich and arcane vocabulary nor a stunning intellect to grasp the concepts of the doctrine. Little children by the age of eight are expected to understand the doctrine of Christ sufficiently that they can make a decision to follow the doctrine.

God wants us to understand the doctrine. He does not hide it in obscurity or shroud it in dark mysteries. He puts it out in plain sight so that all who want to learn it and understand it can do so. It is accessible and approachable.

All this is not to say that the doctrine is easy and takes no effort to comply with it. Salvation is not cheap, but it is freely given to all who will put forth the effort to live it and incorporate it in their lives. We can learn the doctrine in a few moments, but we will spend a lifetime implementing it and letting it change us.

The gospel of Christ is "good news". We should share it with the joy that it brings to us. The doctrine of Christ is delightful because it enlightens us and lifts us.

Second Nephi 30:18

Wherefore, all things which have been revealed unto the children of men shall at that day be revealed; and Satan shall have power over the hearts of the children of men no more, for a long time. 

In the Millennium, when Christ reigns on earth, revelation will be a part of daily life. Revelation can flow freely when Satan is banished. Therefore if we want more revelation in our lives today, we must banish Satan from our lives now. The Millennium can start today on an individual basis.

Second Nephi 30:15

They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain; for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.

The Second Coming of Christ and the establishment of Zion are favorite themes of prophecy in both the Bible and the Book of Mormon. Zion will surely be a unique place. The meek and the mighty will dwell side by side in peace and security. The rest of the earth may not be quite so peaceful, but in Zion peace shall reign. The implication in this verse is that when we know God, we will live peacefully. Or taken the other way, when we live peacefully, we will come to know God. It is hard to live in peace today in the noisy, busy, competitive, ruthless world. But when Christ comes, he will put such things down. We will find it easier to be peaceful when all around us is peace. And in peace, we will come to know God.

Second Nephi 29:9

And I do this that I may prove unto many that I am the same yesterday, today, and forever; and that I speak forth my words according to mine own pleasure. And because that I have spoken one word ye need not suppose that I cannot speak another; for my work is not yet finished; neither shall it be until the end of man, neither from that time henceforth and forever.

The Book of Mormon is evidence that God is not partial and does not change. He speaks to prophets whenever and wherever he likes. What he says to them also does not change. The basic principles of the gospel are the same in every dispensation.

Second Nephi 28:32

Wo be unto the Gentiles, saith the Lord God of Hosts! For notwithstanding I shall lengthen out mine arm unto them from day to day, they will deny me; nevertheless, I will be merciful unto them, saith the Lord God, if they will repent and come unto me; for mine arm is lengthened out all the day long, saith the Lord God of Hosts.

God does not give up on us. He will wait all day for us to come to ourselves and seek his face. He is anxious to bless us with his power, grace, and mercy. Like the father of the prodigal son, God always has his eye on the pathway that leads to him. We barely have to put a foot on the path, and he rushes to us.

Second Nephi 28:29

Wo be unto him that shall say: We have received the word of God, and we need no more of the word of God, for we have enough!

Nephi's warning is not only to those who cling to the Bible and refuse to accept the Book of Mormon, it is also a warning to the saints who refuse revelation from the living prophet. God is not done talking. He has words for every people in every age. He has solutions for modern problems, just as he had solutions for Noah's day, Moses's day, Elijah's day, and Paul's day. Continuous, modern-day revelation is the only course of God that makes sense. He is anxious to help. We ought not to lock him out.

Second Nephi 28:16

Wo unto them that turn aside the just for a thing of naught and revile against that which is good, and say that it is of no worth! For the day shall come that the Lord God will speedily visit the inhabitants of the earth; and in that day that they are fully ripe in iniquity they shall perish.

God allows iniquity to run its course. He does not rob men and women of their agency. He allows us to sin to our heart's content. But the day of reckoning comes with absolute certainty. If we repent or at least leaned towards repentance, mercy will enfold us. If, however, we hold stubbornly to our sins, justice will surely fall upon us in the end.

Second Nephi 28:14

They wear stiff necks and high heads; yea, and because of pride, and wickedness, and abominations, and whoredoms, they have all gone astray save it be a few, who are the humble followers of Christ; nevertheless, they are led, that in many instances they do err because they are taught by the precepts of men.

We are all susceptible to being led into error. Thus we must be ever vigilant and test everything we hear by the scriptures and the words of the living prophet. If we don't know the scriptures and the prophets, it is easy to be led astray. Thus Satan is anxious for us to stop studying the scriptures and stop attending church. Once we lose our compass, he can turn us in any direction he chooses, and we won't be able to detect the misdirection.

Second Nephi 28:5

And they deny the power of God, the Holy One of Israel; and they say unto the people: Hearken unto us, and hear ye our precept; for behold there is no God today, for the Lord and the Redeemer hath done his work, and he hath given his power unto men;

To deny the power of God is to rely exclusively on our own power, which is to put one's trust in weakness. History is littered with people who thought they had great power only to have it stripped away by someone a little stronger and a little cleverer. No power of earth or hell can match the power of God, but Satan will have us believe otherwise. He wants us to put faith in the power of science, medicine, and technology. God had given us these gifts and he wants us to use them, but he doesn't want us to put faith in the inventions of man. All power originates with God. Any power we may have comes from him. The height of arrogance is the think that we have power independent of God. In his patience he may let us delude ourselves for a time, but eventually we will learn the truth. How much better to come the truth early while there is still time to learn to tap into his power than to learn too late and have nothing.

Second Nephi 28:4

And they shall contend one with another; and their priests shall contend one with another, and they shall teach with their learning, and deny the Holy Ghost, which giveth utterance.

The teachings of men are speculative in nature. Without the Holy Ghost to reveal and confirm truth, how can we have confidence in their words? Thus we get councils and creeds created by committees and canonized by a majority vote. When no prophet is present to say, "Thus saith the Lord," absolute truth cannot be known.

Second Nephi 28:2

And the things which shall be written out of the book shall be of great worth unto the children of men, and especially unto our seed, which is a remnant of the house of Israel.

A curious turn of phrase: things "written out of the book". Normally we would say that the things written "in" the book will be of great worth. But in this case, the world does not have the book itself, meaning the gold plates, nor the actual words in the book, but we have the words Joseph Smith took out of the book and translated into the Book of Mormon. So subtle, so clever, so true!

Second Nephi 27:23

For behold, I am God; and I am a God of miracles; and I will show unto the world that I am the same yesterday, today, and forever; and I work not among the children of men save it be according to their faith.

If God does miracles, and if he doesn't change, why is he not doing miracles today? Because of this one additional fact: he works only by faith. He has always worked by faith and will always today and in the future work only by faith. If we don't see his miracles today, we shouldn't look at God's failure, we should look at our own. If he doesn't change, then we must have changed. When we turn to him, he turns to us.

Second Nephi 27:23

For behold, I am God; and I am a God of miracles; and I will show unto the world that I am the same yesterday, today, and forever; and I work not among the children of men save it be according to their faith.

God does not change. What he did yesterday, he is doing today and will do again tomorrow. God cannot change and still be God. One cannot improve on perfection, and God is, by definition, perfect. If he changed, he would have to devolve from perfection, and thus he would cease to be God. Because God is perfect and unchanging, we can trust him. We can also expect certain things of him. If he used to speak to prophets, he will speak again. If he gave scriptures in the past, he will give us more scriptures now and in the future. If he created one world, he will create another. God's reality is one eternal round.

Second Nephi 27:23

For behold, I am God; and I am a God of miracles; and I will show unto the world that I am the same yesterday, today, and forever; and I work not among the children of men save it be according to their faith.

It is important for us to understand that God does miraculous things, for the world is trying to rob God of his power, or rather trying to rob us of a belief in miracles. The secular world claims that everything is knowable and explainable as a natural phenomenon or a random chance, the certainty of which is guaranteed by an unfathomably large number of random opportunities and coincidences. God, on the other hand, claims he is in control, and nothing is random happenstance. I recent saw an unusual bridge arching over I-80 in Nevada. It was a beautifully constructed archway made of cement and decorative stone. It seemed to jut out of the side of a rugged hill and fall off steeply into a canyon on the other side of the freeway. No road led to it from the mountainside, and the angle into the canyon was far too steep to be negotiated by a vehicle. Despite the fact that I could not explain the purpose of the structure, it did not for an instant occur to me that it was randomly placed where it was. And it certainly did not cross my mind that a billion years of wind and water moving sand and rock particles might have formed such a well designed and executed structure. The evidence of intelligence in design was indisputable, however unintelligible the purpose behind the structure might have been. While that bridge might have been a boondoggle to use tax money, God does not do anything as a boondoggle. He has purpose, and everything he does has purpose, whether we understand it or not. For centuries men have tried to explain what God has done, and over and over they have had to change their theories as new knowledge has come to light. Mortal man will never fully understand God's power, and so God will always be a God of miracles.

Second Nephi 26:26

Behold, hath he commanded any that they should depart out of the synagogues, or out of the houses of worship? Behold, I say unto you, Nay.

Christ's church has room for everyone. No one should be turned away who has an honest heart and a desire to get closer to God, regardless of their present condition of sin. President Uchtdorf has described the church as a hospital rather than a retirement home. It is for imperfect people to get better, not for perfect people to retire. Is it the church for adulterers, homosexuals, alcoholics, thieves, smokers, drug abusers, and liars? Absolutely! Christ was criticized for consorting with sinners instead of restricting himself to the supposedly righteous Pharisees. He did not care about their past, only their future. The call was always to repentance and to sin no more. We have room for every type of sinner if they are willing to try to repent. The Lord does not judge people by their temptations, only by their actions.

Second Nephi 26:24

He doeth not anything save it be for the benefit of the world; for he loveth the world, even that he layeth down his own life that he may draw all men unto him. Wherefore, he commandeth none that they shall not partake of his salvation.

We can trust God that he does not do anything or permit anything that is not calculated to benefit us. We are to have gratitude in all things, for even our worst problems are tailor made to help us become what God wants us to be.

Second Nephi 26:22

And there are also secret combinations, even as in times of old, according to the combinations of the devil, for he is the founder of all these things; yea, the founder of murder, and works of darkness; yea, and he leadeth them by the neck with a flaxen cord, until he bindeth them with his strong cords forever.

Satan's ploy is to bind us ever so gently with soft, comfortable cords. In the beginning, they are weak and easy to break. But over time, if we yield ourselves willingly and repeatedly to sin, those pleasant cords become iron chains, which can be impossible to break.Yet with God, nothing is impossible.

Second Nephi 26:22

And there are also secret combinations, even as in times of old, according to the combinations of the devil, for he is the founder of all these things; yea, the founder of murder, and works of darkness; yea, and he leadeth them by the neck with a flaxen cord, until he bindeth them with his strong cords forever.

Secret combinations are a unique theme of the Book of Mormon. Yet they are not unique in history. They have been around since the beginning. Nephi foretold of a "great and abominable church," which is the heart of the secret combinations. This post-first-century collusion of evil men altered the Bible as it was being compiled. I believe one reason for the alterations was to remove all references to their secret combination and all secret combinations like it. Because the Book of Mormon was untouched by the "great and abominable church", those references and prophecies survived. A key message of the Book of Mormon is to warn us of the secret combinations, which are all around us even now.

Second Nephi 26:20

And the Gentiles are lifted up in the pride of their eyes, and have stumbled, because of the greatness of their stumbling block, that they have built up many churches; nevertheless, they put down the power and miracles of God, and preach up unto themselves their own wisdom and their own learning, that they may get gain and grind upon the face of the poor.

Nephi saw our day clearly. The Gentiles of whom he speaks are the European Christians and their descendants in the Americas. Nephi saw the Book of Mormon come forth among them when they are at the height of confusion and apostasy. He saw many churches, yet none acknowledge the power of God. They teach the philosophy of men, mingled with scripture, for they deny revelation. Nevertheless, God speaks today. He speaks to prophets and to individuals. He offers powerful miracles. He yearns for us to draw close to him so he can draw close to us.

Second Nephi 26:13

And that he manifesteth himself unto all those who believe in him, by the power of the Holy Ghost; yea, unto every nation, kindred, tongue, and people, working mighty miracles, signs, and wonders, among the children of men according to their faith.

When we choose to believe, God will justify our choice with a witness from the Holy Ghost. We can know with a surety that God lives and Jesus is the Christ. Our choice, however, must come first. Then his proofs follow.

Second Nephi 26:11

For the Spirit of the Lord will not always strive with man. And when the Spirit ceaseth to strive with man then cometh speedy destruction, and this grieveth my soul.

God is very, very patient, but not infinitely so. He will give us every chance to repent and come to him. But when we harden ourselves to the point that we would crucify Christ afresh if we had the chance, further patience will avail us nothing except deeper condemnation. God, who is the perfectly righteous judge, knows when patience is no longer beneficial. When he withdraws his patience, sorrow and destruction are sure to follow. As long as we are willing to keep trying, however, the Lord will keep giving us chances.

Second Nephi 25:26

And we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins.

Nephi and his followers focused their attention on Christ and his central role in the Plan of Salvation. They kept their eyes fixed on the Son of God. We might say that their eye was single (see Matthew 6:22).  It was not that they were not interested in all aspects of the gospel. But they recognized that everything in the gospel pointed them back to Christ.

This is a truth that the Jews missed. They studied and kept the Law of Moses for the law's sake. They failed to see that the law was merely a means to an end, the end being the salvation through Christ. They thought that they could save themselves through strict obedience. They missed the fact that perfect obedience is an illusion for mortal man.

Latter-day Saints sometimes fall into the same trap. We emphasize keeping the commandments, and there are lots of commandments to keep. We cannot afford to miss the fact that we all fall short of the glory of God (see Romans 3:23). We miss the fact that we keep the commandments not to earn our way into heaven, but to practice being like Christ so that we can be comfortable in his presence. It is the Christ and his Atonement, and not our imperfect works, that will save us in the Kingdom of God.