Sunday, January 16, 2022

Parallels between Joseph Smith and Moses: 2 Nephi 3 and Post-1830 Fulfillment of a Book of Mormon Prophecy

In 2 Nephi 3:7-15, we read a prophecy of a then-future prophet (emphasis added):

 

Yea, Joseph truly said: Thus saith the Lord unto me: A choice seer will I raise up out of the fruit of thy loins; and he shall be esteemed highly among the fruit of thy loins. And unto him will I give commandment that he shall do a work for the fruit of thy loins, his brethren, which shall be of great worth unto them, even to the bringing of them to the knowledge of the covenants which I have made with thy fathers. And I will give unto him a commandment that he shall do none other work, save the work which I shall command him. And I will make him great in mine eyes; for he shall do my work. And he shall be great like unto Moses, whom I have said I would raise up unto you, to deliver my people, O house of Israel. And Moses will I raise up, to deliver thy people out of the land of Egypt. But a seer will I raise up out of the fruit of thy loins; and unto him will I give power to bring forth my word unto the seed of thy loins-- and not to the bringing forth my word only, saith the Lord, but to the convincing them of my word, which shall have already gone forth among them. Wherefore, the fruit of thy loins shall write; and the fruit of the loins of Judah shall write; and that which shall be written by the fruit of thy loins, and also that which shall be written by the fruit of the loins of Judah, shall grow together, unto the confounding of false doctrines and laying down of contentions, and establishing peace among the fruit of thy loins, and bringing them to the knowledge of their fathers in the latter days, and also to the knowledge of my covenants, saith the Lord. And out of weakness he shall be made strong, in that day when my work shall commence among all my people, unto the restoring thee, O house of Israel, saith the Lord. And thus prophesied Joseph, saying: Behold, that seer will the Lord bless; and they that seek to destroy him shall be confounded; for this promise, which I have obtained of the Lord, of the fruit of my loins, shall be fulfilled. Behold, I am sure of the fulfilling of this promise; And his name shall be called after me; and it shall be after the name of his father. And he shall be like unto me; for the thing, which the Lord shall bring forth by his hand, by the power of the Lord shall bring my people unto salvation.

 

Commenting on Joseph Smith and how events, post-1830, fulfil v. 9 and the promise this prophet would be as great as Moses, Rafael Diogo Jara listed the following parallels between Joseph Smith and Moses:

 

·       Both led God's people towards a Promised Land

 

·       Both spent many years on that pilgrimage, camping and living on provisionally in many places

 

·       Both died before they reached the Promised Land, but their successors entered with the people: In the case of Moses, it was Joshua, and in the case of Joseph Smith, it was Brigham Young.

 

·       Both received revelations and possessed unusual divine powers for the blessing of God's people.

 

·       Both miraculously gave water for the people to drink: Moses hitting the rock, Joseph Smith digging in the open while leading the Mormon battalion.

 

·       Both gave God's law to the people: Moses the stone tablets with the Ten Commandments, Joseph Smith the gold plates with the Book of Mormon.

 

·       Both were authors of important sacred books: Moses was the author of the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Bible), Joseph Smith was the translator, and in some cases the author, of five sacred books (The Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, the Book of Moses, The Book of Abraham and Joseph Smith-History).

 

·       Moses began to write the Bible, Joseph Smith revised it to preserve its authenticity.

 

·       Both recorded the minute details of ministry and priesthood ordinances: Moses in Leviticus and Deuteronomy, Joseph Smith in Doctrine and Covenants.

 

·       Both were military leaders and had to defend themselves from the attack of their enemies.

 

·       Both held priesthood names corresponding to the dispensations of the times in which they lived.

 

·       Their graves were both unknown.

 

Therefore, the words of the prophet Lehi, quoting Joseph of Egypt, that Joseph Smith "shall be great like unto Moses," was prophetic and fully fulfilled. (Rafael Diogo Jara, ProfecĂ­as en Oro [2018], 117-19, my translation of the Spanish)