2 Nephi 32 | |
1 1 This verse highly resembles Luke 2:19. There are 6 variations of "ponder" in the KJV bible. In the Old Testament only Proverbs 21:2 and Proverbs 24:12 mention "pondering the heart(s)", but it is the Lord that is doing the pondering and it is not "in his heart" but rather pondering other people's hearts. So what remains is the New Testament verse. Both 2 Nephi 32:1 and Luke 2:19 contain "But" and "these things" being pondered in a person's heart. | |
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7 And now I, Nephi, cannot say more; the Spirit stoppeth mine utterance, and I am left to mourn because of the unbelief, and the wickedness, and the ignorance, and the stiffneckedness of men; for they will not search knowledge, nor understand great knowledge, when it is given unto them in plainness, even as plain as word can be. | 7 1 Yeah, my thoughts and feelings exactly. Why are people scared of the truth? |
8 And now, my beloved brethren, I perceive that ye ponder still in your hearts; and it grieveth me that I must speak concerning this thing. For if ye would hearken unto the Spirit which teacheth a man to pray ye would know that ye must pray; for the evil spirit teacheth not a man to pray, but teacheth him that he must not pray. | 8 1 I would reword this as: 8 For if ye would hearken unto reason and evidence which teacheth a man to question and prove, ye would know that ye must question and prove for deceivers teacheth not a man to question and prove, but teacheth him that he must not. 9 But behold, I say unto you that ye must question and prove always, and not faint I think this is justified in these references:
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9 But behold, I say unto you that ye must pray always, and not faint; that ye must not perform any thing unto the Lord save in the first place ye shall pray unto the Father in the name of Christ, that he will consecrate thy performance unto thee, that thy performance may be for the welfare of thy soul. | 9 1 2 Ne 32:8-9
I would reword this as:
8 For if ye would hearken **unto reason and evidence** which teacheth a man to **question and prove**, ye would know that ye must **question and prove** for **deceivers** teacheth not a man to **question and prove**, but teacheth him that he must not.
9 But behold, I say unto you that ye must **question and prove** always, and not faint
I think this is justified in these references:
- 1 Thessalonians 5:21, “Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.”
- 2 Ne 11:4, 6-7 - Nephi’s “soul delighteth in proving unto [his] people the truth.”
- Helaman 5:50 - Prisoners see sons of Helaman, Nephi and Lehi, encircled as if by fire; see angels; and hear voices. When the prisoners told the Lamanites about this, “the more part of the Lamanites were convinced of them, because of the greatness of the evidences.” |