In this passage, Jacob ties
Isaiah to the New World situation, both currently and in the future. While
Jacob does not tell his audience that these verses are directed at them, he
likely does not need to. It is important for us to read this sermon with those
contemporary allusions in mind. In his introduction, Jacob had explained: “And now, the words which I shall
read are they which Isaiah spake concerning all the house of Israel. And there
are many things which have been spoken by Isaiah which may be likened unto you,
because ye are of the house of Israel” (2 Ne. 6:5).
Jacob is pointing to a particular circumstance
facing his community. To underscore the relevant to their current situation,
Jacob quote a revelation, but which one? Jacob does not say. The clue is Jacob’s
reference to those who fight against Zion despite the promise of liberty in the
land of promise. Thus, the context for this promise is the New World. Jacob is
alluding to Nephi’s vision in 1 Nephi 22:14: “And every nation which shall war
against thee, O house of Israel, shall be turned one against another, and they
shall fall into the pit which they digged to ensnare the people of the Lord.
And all that fight against Zion shall be destroyed, and the great whore, who
hath perverted the right ways of the Lord, yea, that great and abominable
church, shall tumble to the dust and great shall be the fall of it.”
Nephi’s vision identifies two components of the
fight against Zion: the battle itself, and the “great and abominable church.”
In his first-day sermon, Jacob explicitly notes the fight against Zion in the
context of the great and abominable church: “And blessed are the Gentiles, they
of whom the prophet has written; for behold, if it so be that they shall repent
and fight not against Zion, and do not unite themselves to that great and abominable
church, they shall be saved; for the Lord God will fulfil his covenants which he
has made unto his children; and for this cause the prophet has written these
things” (2 Ne. 6:12).
Thus, Jacob is referring to Nephi’s vision,
which he no doubt expects his listeners to recognize. The great and abominable
church is still the enemy, while the Gentiles, in a departure from their
typical role as outsiders, are agents of salvation for Zion—Isaiah’s theme upon
which Jacob built his sermon. (Brant A. Gardner, Second Witness: Analytical
and Contextual Commentary on the Book of Mormon, 6 vols. [Salt Lake City:
Greg Kofford Books, 2007], 2:186-87)
History: “There shall be
no kings upon the land, who shall raise up unto the Gentiles” is typically read
as an indication that the United States will not have kings. For example, Chris
B. Hartshorn, editor of the Saints’ Herald for the Reorganized Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (now Community of Christ) suggested in 1964: “Though
European nations have held possessions in or near the Americas, in no instance
has a kingdom worthy of the name been set up and long maintained.” (Chris B.
Hartshorn, A Commentary on the Book of Mormon [Independence, Mo.: Herald
Publishing House, 1966], 119) Such a statement focuses on the United States and
ignores Canada and any country south of the border which recognized European
monarchies for centuries. It also ignores the context in which Jacob presents
his case. Because Nephi has been named a king for the people, there is already
something problematic in saying that there would be no kings.
Verse 9 offers an explanatory
context: “the kings of the Gentiles shall be nursing fathers unto them.” Jacob’s
statement makes more sense by removing a comma: “There shall be no kings upon
the land who shall raise up unto the Gentiles.” The context thus is one of
conquering Gentile kings and the opposition that might “rise up” and defeat
them. In other words Jacob is prophesying that no non-Gentile kings will defeat
the Gentiles, whose kings are the nursing fathers who will provide salvation to
the colony of Israeltes. Verses 12-13 confirms this context. Here the promise
is clearly that Yahweh’s people will be protected against those who fight against
Yahweh. In verse 14 Yahweh declares that he is the king of heaven and will be
the Nephites’ king.
In short, Jacob in quoting this
passage from Isaiah, is not saying that there will be no kings. He cannot, for
his brother is the king. His point is that no other kings shall stand against
the Nephites if they are righteous, for their true king is Yahweh who has
promised to preserve them. (Brant A. Gardner, Second Witness: Analytical and
Contextual Commentary on the Book of Mormon, 6 vols. [Salt Lake City: Greg
Kofford Books, 2007], 2:187-88)
