by

So I was reading 2 Nephi 3 in preparation for this Sunday’s GD class, and I realized I kept getting lost. At one point I thought the text said that Joseph Smith was descended from Joseph son of Lehi (which would also make him descended from Lehi himself), until I realized I was confusing Joseph of Egypt as a speaker with Lehi. As I looked over the text, I realized how very confusing it was. There are multiple quotations, some of which are nested, but per KJV usage without quotation marks. It is often difficult to tell what the antecedent to various pronouns is supposed to be. So I copied verses 6-22 and used square bracketed inserts to try to keep track of who was speaking, and braces to try to keep track of who was being referred to. I’m not sure I got it all right; I found verse 18 particularly vexing. In any event, I think this is a good illustration of the need to read closely, because in my initial quick read I had totally butchered who was referring to what.

[6] [Lehi/] For Joseph truly testified, saying: [/Lehi] [Joseph of Egypt/] A seer {Joseph Smith} shall the Lord my God raise up, who shall be a choice seer unto the fruit of my {Joseph of Egypt’s} loins. [/Joseph of Egypt]

[7] [Lehi/] Yea, Joseph truly said: [/Lehi] [Joseph of Egypt/] Thus saith the Lord unto me [\Joseph of Egypt] [Lord/]: A choice seer {Joseph Smith} will I raise up out of the fruit of thy {Joseph of Egypt’s} 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.

[8] 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.

[9] And he shall be great like unto Moses, {in the future from Joseph of Egypt’s perspective} whom I have said I would raise up unto you, to deliver my people, O house of Israel.

[10] And Moses will I raise up, {verb future tense} to deliver thy people out of the land of Egypt.

[11] But a seer will I raise up out of the fruit of thy {Joseph of Egypt’s} loins; and unto him will I give power to bring forth my word {Book of Mormon} 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 {Bible}.

[12] Wherefore, the fruit of thy{Joseph of Egypt’s} 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 {Book of Mormon}, and also that which shall be written by the fruit of the loins of Judah {Bible}, shall grow together, unto the confounding of false doctrines and laying down of contentions, and establishing peace among the fruit of thy {Joseph of Egypt’s} loins, and bringing them to the knowledge of their fathers in the latter days, and also to the knowledge of my covenants, [/Lord] [Joseph of Egypt/] saith the Lord. [/Joseph of Egypt]

[13] [Lord/] And out of weakness he {Joseph Smith} shall be made strong, in that day when my work shall commence among all my people, unto the restoring thee, O house of Israel, [/Lord] [Joseph of Egypt/] saith the Lord. [/Joseph of Egypt]

[14] [Lehi/] And thus prophesied Joseph, saying: [/Lehi} [Joseph of Egypt/] Behold, that seer {Joseph Smith} 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;

[15] And his name {IE Joseph Smith’s name} shall be called after me; {Joseph in Egypt} and it shall be after the name of his father. {Joseph Smith, Sr.} And he shall be like unto me {Joseph of Egypt}; for the thing, which the Lord shall bring forth by his hand, by the power of the Lord shall bring my people unto salvation. [/Joseph of Egypt]

[16] [Lehi/] Yea, thus prophesied Joseph: [/Lehi] [Joseph of Egypt/] I am sure of this thing, even as I am sure of the promise of Moses; {in the future from Joseph of Egypt’s perspective} for the Lord hath said unto me, [/Joseph of Egypt] [Lord/] I will preserve thy seed forever. [/Lord]

[17] [Joseph of Egypt/] And the Lord hath said: [/Joseph of Egypt] [Lord/] I will raise up a Moses {future tense}; and I will give power unto him {Moses, as with all remaining pronouns in this vers} in a rod; and I will give judgment unto him in writing. Yet I will not loose his tongue, that he shall speak much, for I will not make him mighty in speaking. But I will write unto him my law, by the finger of mine own hand; and I will make a spokesman {Aaron} for him. [/Lord]

[18] [Joseph of Egypt/] And the Lord said unto me also: [/Joseph of Egypt] [Lord/] I will raise up unto the fruit of thy {Joseph of Egypt’s} loins; and I will make for him {Still Moses? End of verse suggests now this is Joseph Smith. Or BRM posits Mormon}a spokesman {Still Aaron? End of verse suggests now this is Sidney Rigdon/Oliver Cowdery. Or BRM posits Joseph Smith}. And I, behold, I will give unto him {Moses or Joseph Smith or Mormon} that he {Moses or Joseph Smith or Mormon} shall write the writing of the fruit of thy loins {the Book of Mormon, written by the Nephites}, unto the fruit of thy loins {the Lamanites}; and the spokesman of thy loins {Sidney Rigdon/Oliver Cowdery or per BRM Joseph Smith} shall declare it.

[19] And the words which he shall write shall be the words which are expedient in my wisdom should go forth unto the fruit of thy loins. And it shall be as if the fruit of thy loins had cried unto them from the dust; for I know their faith.

[20] And they shall cry from the dust; yea, even repentance unto their brethren, even after many generations have gone by them. And it shall come to pass that their cry shall go, even according to the simpleness of their words.

[21] Because of their faith their words shall proceed forth out of my mouth unto their brethren who are the fruit of thy loins; and the weakness of their words will I make strong in their faith, unto the remembering of my covenant which I made unto thy fathers. [/Lord]

[22] [Lehi/] And now, behold, my son Joseph , after this manner did my father of old {Joseph of Egypt} prophesy.