In Alma
37:18, as part of a discussion of God's promise to preserve the brass plates
(cf. Does
1 Nephi 5:18-19 contain a false prophecy?), we read the following:
For he promised unto them that he would
preserve these things for a wise purpose in him, that he might show forth his
power unto future generations.
This is
important as it shows that, at least in certain instances, prophecies are not
declarations of God's knowledge of the future, per se, but instead, promises of
how God will interact with history to bring out his promises to "show
forth his power." This could also shed light on "difficult"
texts for the Open Theistic view, such as 2 Nephi 3 (see Open
Theism and 2 Nephi 3:15).
