“Aaron Began to Open the Scriptures Unto Them Concerning the Coming of Christ”

George Reynolds, Janne M. Sjodahl

All the old sophistries preached by Nehor to the dissident among the Nephites found new expression in the apostate Amalekites. They denied the spirit of prophecy, and called it foolishness to believe that any man knows what is to come. They denounced as folly the traditions of their fathers, and mocked as proceeding from ignorance the so-called revelations of God.

Now Aaron, in spite of his listener’s animosity and notwithstanding their threatened hostility, took the Scriptures wherein Jacob, the Prophet Nephi’s brother, foretold the coming of Christ who should redeem all mankind by His Atoning Blood:

Yea, I know that ye know that in the body He shall show Himself unto those at Jerusalem, from whence we came; for it is expedient that it should be among them; for it behooveth the great Creator that He suffereth Himself to become subject unto man in the flesh, and die for all men, that all men might become subject unto Him.

For as death hath passed upon all men, to fulfill the merciful plan of the great Creator, there must needs be a power of resurrection, and the resurrection must needs come unto man by reason of the Fall; and the Fall came by reason of transgression; and because man became fallen they were cut off from the presence of the Lord.

Wherefore, it must needs be an infinite Atonement—save it should be an infinite Atonement this corruption could not put on incorruption. Wherefore, the first judgment which came upon man must needs have remained to an endless duration. And if so, this flesh must have laid down to rot and to crumble to its mother earth, to rise no more. (II Nephi 9:5-7.)

Aaron also quoted the Prophet Abinadi who labored in the same land wherein Aaron now ministered, even the Land of Nephi:

For behold, did not Moses prophesy unto them concerning the coming of the Messiah, and that God should redeem His people? Yea, and even all the prophets who have prophesied ever since the world began—have they not spoken more or less concerning these things?

Have they not said that God Himself should come down among the children of men, and take upon Him the form of man, and go forth in mighty power upon the face of the Earth?

Yea, and have they not said also that He should bring to pass the resurrection of the dead, and that He, Himself, should be oppressed and afflicted? (Mosiah 13:33-35)

Again Aaron quoted Abinadi:

I would that ye should understand that God Himself shall come down among the children of men, and shall redeem His people.

And thus God breaketh the bands of death, having gained the victory over death; giving the Son power to make intercession for the children of men—

But behold, the bands of death shall be broken, and the Son reigneth, and hath power over the dead; therefore, He bringeth to pass the resurrection of the dead.

But behold, and fear, and tremble before God, for ye ought to tremble; for the Lord redeemeth none such that rebel against Him and die in their sins; yea, even all those that have perished in their sins ever since the world began, that have wilfully rebelled against God, that have known the commandments of God, and would not keep them. (See Chapter 15. Book of Mosiah.)

This latter verse was particularly appropriate in the preaching of Aaron to the Amalekites because they had openly rebelled against God and His laws.

Aaron called upon many other prophets to establish the coming of Christ so that the Amalekites might understand. However, they would not hearken to his words as one by one he brought before them not only the Nephite servants of God, but also many Jewish prophets who lived in Jerusalem even before the time of Lehi.

Commentary on the Book of Mormon, Vol. 3

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