“The Father Commandeth All Men Everywhere, to Repent and Believe in Me”

Alan C. Miner

Hugh Nibley asks a pertinent question: “Who is righteous in the Book of Mormon?” There’s a very simple definition of righteousness in the Book of Mormon, as in the book of Ezekiel. One is righteous because he is repentant, and a person who is not repenting is a person who is not righteous. That’s all there is to it, because we’re all wicked and we all need to repent all the time. “Say nothing but repentance to this generation (D&C 6:9).” The first word of the Lord to the Nephites was, “This is my doctrine … and I bear record that the Father commandeth all men, everywhere to repent …” (3 Nephi 11:32). You have to do that. And as Ezekiel tells us, if a person has been righteous all his life but he’s not repenting any more, he’s wicked (see Ezekiel 18:20-32). Of course, he may have been wicked all of his life, and if he’s repenting now, he’s righteous. It makes no difference. So, always repent, always keep repenting. “But behold, all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people shall dwell safely in the Holy One of Israel if it so be that they will repent” (1 Nephi 22:28). The phrase “all nations” occurs ninety times in the Book of Mormon. You see, the gospel isn’t just for one special tribe, or a chosen people, or church, or anything like that… . So the Church is not provincial and it’s not ethnic. [Hugh W. Nibley, Teachings of the Book of Mormon, Semester 1, p. 228, 242] [See the section on the doctrine of Christ in The Covenant Story, Vol. 2, 2 Nephi 31-33; see 1 Nephi 17:35]

Step by Step Through the Book of Mormon: A Cultural Commentary

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