Ecclesiastes and Nephi

I see some connections between the words of Ecclesiastes and the life and writings of Nephi. The Preacher declared, “For in much wisdom is much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow” (Ecclesiastes 1:18). This was exactly the experience of Nephi. He had sought diligently to know what his father knew. He wrote, “I, Nephi, was desirous also that I might see, and hear, and know of these things, by the power of the Holy Ghost, which is the gift of God unto all those who diligently seek him, as well in times of old as in the time that he should manifest himself unto the children of men” (1 Nephi 10:17). Because of his earnest seeking, he was given an incredible vision and indeed gained much wisdom. But that wisdom came with great sorrow because he beheld the future destruction of his posterity. He wrote after the experience, “And it came to pass that I was overcome because of my afflictions, for I considered that mine afflictions were great above all, because of the destruction of my people, for I had beheld their fall” (1 Nephi 15:5). Nephi found, as the Preacher said, that “in much wisdom is much grief.”

            I can see parallels with other passages in Ecclesiastes with writings of Nephi. The Preacher, also with a tone of sadness, wrote that “the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it” (Ecclesiastes 12:7). Nephi also used the word dust to speak about death, writing that his parents “were about to be brought down to lie low in the dust” were close to death (1 Nephi 18:18). He also spoke of those wicked who would die, “who must be brought low in the dust” (1 Nephi 22:23). The also Preacher wrote, “Know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment” (Ecclesiastes 11:9). Nephi similarly stated, “Therefore remember, O man, for all thy doings thou shalt be brought into judgment” (1 Nephi 10:20). Nephi taught about the secret things of the wicked in these words: “There is nothing which is secret save it shall be revealed; there is no work of darkness save it shall be made manifest in the light; and there is nothing which is sealed upon the earth save it shall be loosed” (2 Nephi 30:17). The final verse of Ecclesiastes similarly says this: “For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil” (Ecclesiastes 12:14). The secret things of the wicked will eventually brought to light as both the Preacher and Nephi suggested. The second to last verse from the Preacher says this: “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man” (Ecclesiastes 12:13). So, the final message of Ecclesiastes was about being obedient to the commandments of God and remembering that we will be judged for our acts. We see the same themes in Nephi’s final words: “For what I seal on earth, shall be brought against you at the judgment bar; for thus hath the Lord commanded me, and I must obey” (2 Nephi 33:15). He spoke of the judgment bar and being obedient to what the Lord had commanded him. Nephi indeed focused on commandments in his writings, and his life’s mission perhaps can be summarized in these words to his brothers, “Wherefore, let us be faithful in keeping the commandments of the Lord” (1 Nephi 3:16). He also taught, “And thus we see that the commandments of God must be fulfilled” (1 Nephi 17:3). For him, as for the preacher, the whole duty of man was indeed to keep the commandments of the Lord.