One Mighty Among Them

It is well accepted that in 2 Nephi 3, the “choice seer” who “would be like unto Moses” and who would be named Joseph “after the name of his father” is Joseph Smith.  The chapter can be difficult to navigate, though, given the fact that Lehi was speaking to his son Joseph and quoting Joseph of Egypt who was quoting the Lord who was speaking about Joseph Smith in that last days.  Near the end of the chapter Lehi said this to his son: “And there shall rise up one mighty among them, who shall do much good, both in word and in deed, being an instrument in the hands of God, with exceeding faith, to work mighty wonders, and do that thing which is great in the sight of God, unto the bringing to pass much restoration unto the house of Israel, and unto the seed of thy brethren” (2 Nephi 3:24).  The footnote suggests that this verse refers to Joseph Smith again like the previous verses, but I don’t believe it is clear that Lehi was referring to the same choice seer as the previous verses in the chapter.

               As far as I can tell, the verses which are quotations from Joseph of Egypt in 2 Nephi 3 are 6-21.  In verse 22 Lehi then said this to his son, signifying he was done quoting, “And now, behold, my son Joseph, after this manner did my father of old prophesy.”  This is consistent with the JST of Genesis 50 which contains much of the same language as 2 Nephi 3.  Most of the text in verses 6-21 are also repeated in JST Genesis 50:26-35 (though the language and ordering are slightly different), but what Lehi said to Joseph in 2 Nephi 3:23-24 is not contained in the JST.  This seems to confirm that verse 24 in particular contains the words of Lehi and is not a direct quotation from Joseph in Egypt like much of the rest of the chapter.  In verse 23 Lehi said to Joseph, “Thy seed shall not be destroyed, for they shall hearken unto the words of the book.”  This is the only reference to a “book” so this must be referring to the words that would “cry from the dust” that was mentioned a few verses before, and therefore mean the Book of Mormon.  Lehi continued saying, “There shall rise up one mighty among them,” where the antecedent of “them” is the “seed” of Joseph (son of Lehi) just mentioned who would accept the Book of Mormon.  The language in my opinion suggests that this this “mighty” person would be of the seed of Joseph (son of Lehi) just described since he will “rise up among them.”  If that’s the case and this group of Joseph’s seed are ones who have accepted the Book of Mormon, then it wouldn’t fit that Joseph Smith was this person.  Instead the mighty one would be a descendant of Lehi (and his son Joseph in particular) who would accept the gospel and do much to bring the gospel to the descendants of Lehi today.  This is, it appears, how President Kimball interpreted the verse in a 1947 general conference address: “The Lamanites must rise in majesty and power. We must look forward to the day when… they shall be organized into wards and stakes of Zion, furnishing much of their own leadership; when they shall build and occupy and fill the temples…. And in the day when their prophet shall come, one shall rise. . . mighty among them . . . being an instrument in the hands of God, with exceeding faith, to work mighty wonders (2 Ne. 3:24).”  If indeed 2 Nephi 3:24 does not refer to Joseph Smith but to a powerful prophet descended from Lehi, then this likely is a prophecy yet to be fulfilled that we must wait to see come to pass.