2 Nephi 3—Four Josephs

2 Nephi 3—Four Josephs

Here’s a brief PowerPoint slideshow and lesson plan that helps answer, “Who are the four people Lehi talks about in 2 Ne. 3 who are all named Joseph?” I’ve also made a timeline where you can try to figure out what order the Josephs were born in (i.e., who came first on a timeline of world history). Also included are helpful application questions for why this matters today.

Four corners of the earth and of the altar

Four corners of the earth and of the altar

I just noticed this morning that there seem to be two principle uses of the phrase “four corners” in the scriptures. First is the gathering of Israel. They’ll be scattered to and gathered from “the four corners of the earth.” Second is the altar of sacrifice in the tabernacle (and later the temple).

Joseph Spencer on Isaiah, baptism, and the Godhead in the Book of Mormon

Joseph Spencer on Isaiah, baptism, and the Godhead in the Book of Mormon

I recently read an article that pointed out some interesting patterns. In 1 and 2 Nephi, Isaiah and several themes related to his teachings are used extensively. Then, suddenly, Isaiah goes completely unused in Enos through Helaman (and the first part of 3 Nephi). Then, Isaiah is reintroduced “with a vengeance” in 3 Nephi by the Savior, almost as soon as He appears to the Nephites. Joe Spencer drew some interesting conclusions as to why that might be.