Thursday, January 19, 2012

Influence of a Father

1 Nephi 10 teaches us a lot about the influence of a Father on his children.

This section mentions more of the broad topics that Lehi prophesied about. Specifically it mentions:
1) Jerusalem will be destroyed
2) Jews will return
3) All men need a Redeemer
4) John the Baptist would come before Jesus to prepare the way and to baptize
5) Jews will reject the Savior and kill the Savior
6) Gentiles will receive the gospel
7) 5 and 6 above likened to the Olive Tree and being grafted and moved around the garden

Notice that Nephi mentions that Lehi said a few more things but that these didn't make it into this book. Nephi and/or Jacob then bring up each of these points again later in the Book of Mormon.

Jacob talks about the Olive Tree. Nephi tells about all that will happen with his posterity after the death of the Savior. Nephi also mentions his vision of John the Baptist, the Savior being rejected. Jacob talks in detail about the need for a redeemer in 2 Nephi 9 and that all men would become like the devil without him.

It appears that the emphasis of their father on certain topics are also those that they further explained in the book. Also, they use their father's teaching as an introduction to the major points that they end up covering later in the book.

Fathers - your teachings matter. They flow into the lives and thoughts and teachings of your posterity.

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