We do not know the precise identity of the “remnants”
described in this passage. This could refer to the remnants of the Book of
Mormon peoples found in the Western Hemisphere. It may also be a reference to
the remnants of the house of Israel. When Jesus Christ ministered among the
people of the Americas, he uttered a prophecy that holds some parallels to the
wording used here: “Then shall the remnants, which shall be scattered abroad
upon the face of the earth, be gathered in from the east and from the west, and
from the south and from the north; and they shall be brought to the knowledge of
the Lord their God, who hath redeemed them” (3 Nephi 20:13). The Savior continued,
“If the Gentiles do not repent after the blessing which they shall receive,
after they have scattered my people—then shall ye, who are a remnant of the
house of Jacob, go forth among them; and ye shall be in the midst of them who
shall be many; and ye shall be among them as a lion among the beasts of the forest,
and as a young lion among the flocks of sheep” (3 Nephi 20:15-16).
The Savior concludes the prophecy with the following: “And
I will gather my people together as a man gathereth his shaves into the floor.
For I will make my people with whom the Father hath covenanted, yea, I will
make thy horn iron, and I will make thy hoofs brass. And thou shalt beat in
pieces many people; and I will consecrate their grain unto the Lord, and their
substance unto the Lord of the whole earth. And behold, I am he who doeth it”
(3 Nephi 20:19; see also Micha 5:8). These words indicate that the restored
house of Israel will assist in bringing about “the end of nations.” While this
does not mean that the people of these nations will be destroyed, it does mean
that their governments will be dissolved as the kingdom of Gd spreads throughout
the earth (Articles of Faith 1:10). (Casey Paul Griffiths, Scripture Central
Commentary on the Doctrine and Covenants, 4 vols. [Springville, Utah: CFI,
2014], 3:309)
Further Reading:
Resources
on Joseph Smith’s Prophecies
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