2 NEPHI 21:1-5—THE STEM OF JESSE
Isaiha continued to prophesy about the
coming of Christ in 2 Nephi 21:1-5. Among the many biblical prophecies Moroni
quoted to Joseph Smith in 1823, words in Isaiah 11 (appearing here as 2 Nephi
21) were declared in particular as “about to be fulfilled.” Isaiah 11 speaks of
“the stem of Jesse,” “a rod [or branch] that will come out of the stem of
Jesse,” and a “root of Jesse.” Doctrine and Covenants 113:1-6 explains that the
stem of Jesse refers to Jesus Christ. Who was Jesse? He was a descendant of
Judah and the father of King David. Isaiah was prophesying that the Savior would
come through this royal line, as indeed Jesus did, whether one looks at the
genealogy given by Matthew (see 1:6) or the genealogy given by Luke (see Luke
3:31).
Isiaha also spoke of a rod or branch,
as well as of roots, that would come from the central stem. The rod and the
roots are described in Doctrine and Covenants 113:3-6 as being two different people
who would both descend from the tribe of Joseph as well as from the tribe of
Judah. Might Joseph Smith be either the “rod” or the “root” of Jesse, with
Jesus Christ being the “stem”? Was Joseph Smith was a descendant of Jesse? He
might be, through a collateral ancestral line. We don’t know that for sure, but
we do know that he is of the tribe of Ephraim and thus a descendant of Joseph,
a son of the Old Testament Jacob. Even though the prophecy of Isiaha may not be
clear on this or every detail, the symbolism of the “stem” is clear—the stem
refers to the coming of Christ. (John W. Welch, Inspiration and Insights from
the Book of Mormon: A Come, Follow Me Commentary [American Fork, Utah: Covenant
Communications, Inc., 2023], 59)
