Out of Obscurity and Darkness

As Nephi commented on the words of Isaiah to his brethren, he talked about the last days when the Lord would raise up a “mighty nation” and when the He would bring “his covenant and his gospel unto those who are of the house of Israel” (1 Nephi 22:7, 11).  Nephi then made this prophecy: “Wherefore, [the Lord] will bring [the House of Israel] again out of captivity, and they shall be gathered together to the lands of their inheritance; and they shall be brought out of obscurity and out of darkness; and they shall know that the Lord is their Savior and their Redeemer, the Mighty One of Israel” (1 Nephi 22:12).  This seems to be a clear reference to the missionary work of our day when the gospel will go forth to all the world and gather out those who are of the house of Israel. 

Nephi’s phrase that the people would be “brought out of obscurity and out of darkness” likely comes from Isaiah.  In Isaiah 29:18 (that Nephi would quote verbatim in 2 Nephi 27:29), the ancient prophet said of our time: “And in that day shall the deaf hear the words of the book, and the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity, and out of darkness.” It is of course our conviction that the book Isaiah saw was the Book of Mormon, the book that the Lord said would be used to “gather out [His] elect from the four quarters of the earth” (Moses 7:62).  Nephi’s and Isaiah’s comments suggest that in the last days people would need to be brought out of darkness, and the Book of Mormon is what God uses to do that.  So in ways does the book bring us out of obscurity and darkness?

                To me one of the major purposes of the Book of Mormon is to combat the philosophies of the world and declare the doctrine of Christ.  The world today has completely obscured what is right and wrong that even those who are “humble followers of Christ” are caused to “err because they are taught by the precepts of men” (2 Nephi 28:14).  The world more than ever before does “call evil good and good evil,” or in other words, they “put darkness for light, and light for darkness” (Isaiah 5:20).  So much of the obscurity and darkness that we have in the world is because it calls evil good and good evil, and one of the great roles of the Book of Mormon is to “expose the errors and find the truths to combat many of the current false theories and philosophies of men” (see here).  For example, as the world gets more and more promiscuous, the Book of Mormon denounces all forms of immorality as “an abomination in the sight of the Lord” (Alma 39:5).  As the world teaches by word and deed that one should be lifted “up in the pride of their hearts, unto the wearing of very fine apparel, unto envying, and strifes, and malice, and persecutions, and all manner of iniquities,” the Book of Mormon responds, “Why do ye adorn yourselves with that which hath no life….  Why do ye build up your secret abominations to get gain?...  The sword of vengeance hangeth over you” (Mormon 8:36, 39-41).  As the world tells us that anything goes and that sin is relative to whatever you believe—“Do this, or do that, and it mattereth not, for the Lord will uphold such at the last day”—the Book of Mormon declares that “wickedness never was happiness” and that there is “joy which none receiveth save it be the truly penitent and humble seeker of happiness” (Mormon 8:31, Alma 41:10, 27:18).  The world teaches that “every man fared in this life according to the management of the creature; therefore every man prospered according to his genius,” but the Book of Mormon reminds us in no uncertain terms that it is God who “is preserving you from day to day, by lending you breath, that ye may live and move and do according to your own will, and even supporting you from one moment to another (Alma 30:17).

                There are many other passages that similarly teach truths of the gospel that go against the ways of the world.  The light of its words is available to all willing to pay the price to sincerely study its pages.  As we do so, we are all invited to follow the exhortation of Lehi to awake and “put on the armor of righteousness. Shake off the chains with which ye are bound, and come forth out of obscurity, and arise from the dust” (2 Nephi 1:23).  And the Book of Mormon itself is key for us to come out of darkness and receive the light of the Father to guide us.