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Book of Mormon: 2 Nephi

Chapter 28

Large Structure

2 Nephi - Global Theme: Wo, Wo, Wo

A [28:2-6] Gentiles Deny the Power of God and Teach the Precepts of Men

B [28:7-8] Men Justify Their Actions

C [28:9-15] Men Led Away by Wickedness and Abominations

D [28:15] Woes Pronounced

C’ [28:16-20] Men Can Be Saved If They Repent of Wickedness and Abominations

B’ [28:21-25] Men Are Pacified and Led Away by the Devil

A’ [28:26-32] Woes to Those Who Rely on Men’s Precepts

Small Structure

2 Nephi 28:7-8 - Eat, Drink, and Be Merry

A Yea, and there shall be many which shall say, eat, drink, and be merry

B for to-morrow we die; and it shall be well with us

A’ And there shall also be many which shall say, eat, drink, and be merry; nevertheless, fear God, he will justify in committing a little sin; yea, lie a little, take the advantage of one because of his words, dig a pit for thy neighbor; there is no harm in this. 

B’ And do all these things, for to-morrow we die; and if it so be that we are guilty, God will beat us with a few stripes, and at last we shall be saved in the Kingdom of God.

2 Nephi 28:9-15 - They Rob the Poor

A Yea, and there shall be many which shall teach after this manner, false, and vain, and foolish doctrines

B and shall be puffed up in their hearts, and shall seek deep to hide their counsels from the Lord; and their works shall be in the dark; 

C and the blood of the Saints shall cry from the ground against them. 

D Yea, they have all gone out of the way; they have become corrupted. 

E Because of pride, and because of false teachers, and false doctrine, their churches have become corrupted; 

F and their churches are lifted up; because of pride, they are puffed up

G They rob the poor, because of their fine sanctuaries; they rob the poor, because of their fine clothing; and they persecute the meek, and the poor in heart; 

F’ because of their pride, they are puffed up

E’ They wear stiff necks, and high heads; yea, and because of pride

D’ and wickedness, and abominations, and whoredoms, they have all gone astray

C’ save it be a few, which are humble followers of Christ; nevertheless, they are led, that in many instances they do err, because they are taught by the precepts of men. 

B’ O the wise and the learned, and the rich, that are puffed up in pride of their hearts

A’ and all they that preach false doctrines, and all they that commit whoredoms, and pervert the right way of the Lord;

2 Nephi 28:16-20 - Great Shall Be the Fall Thereof

A Wo unto them that turn aside the just for a thing of nought, and revile against that which is good, and say that it is no worth: 

B for the day shall come that the Lord God will speedily visit the inhabitants of the earth; and in that day that they are fully ripe in iniquity, they shall perish

C But behold, if the inhabitants of the earth shall repent of their wickedness and abominations, they shall not be destroyed, saith the Lord of Hosts. 

D But behold, that great and abominable church, the whore of all the earth, must tumble to the earth

E and great must be the fall thereof: 

D’ for the kingdom of the Devil must shake

C’ and they which belong to it must needs be stirred up unto repentance

B’ or the Devil will grasp them with his everlasting chains, and they be stirred up to anger and perish

A’ for behold, at that day shall he rage in the hearts of the children of men, and stir them up to anger against that which is good;

2 Nephi 28:21-25 - All Is Well in Zion

A And others will he pacify, and lull them away into carnal security, that they will say, All is well in Zion

B yea, Zion prospereth, all is well; and thus the Devil cheateth their souls, and leadeth them away carefully down to hell. 

C And behold, others he flattereth away, and telleth them there is no hell; and he saith unto the, I am no Devil, for there is none: 

D and thus he whispereth in their ears, until he grasps them with his awful chains

E from whence there is no deliverance

D’ Yea, they are grasped with death and hell

C’ and death, and hell, and the Devil, and all that have been seized therewith, must stand before the Throne of God, and be judged according to their works, from whence they must go into the place prepared for them, even a lake of fire and brimstone, which is endless torment. 

B’ Therefore, wo be unto him that is at ease in Zion

A’ Wo be unto him that crieth, All is well

2 Nephi 28:26-31 - We Have Enough

A yea, wo be unto him that hearkeneth unto the precepts of men, and denieth the power of God and the gift of the Holy Ghost. 

B Yea, wo be unto him that saith, We have received, and we need no more

C And in fine, wo unto all they that tremble, and are angry because of the truth of God. For behold, he that is built upon the rock, receiveth it with gladness; and he that is built upon a sandy foundation, trembleth, lest he shall fall. 

D Wo be unto him that shall say, We have received the word of God, and we need no more of the word of God, 

D’ for we have enough

C’ For behold, thus saith the Lord God: I will give unto the children of men line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little there a little; and blessed are they that hearken unto my precepts, and lend an ear unto my counsel, for they shall learn wisdom: for unto him that receiveth, I will give more

B’ and them that shall say, We have enough, from them shall be taken away even that which they have. 

A’ Cursed is he that putteth his trust in man, or maketh flesh his arm, or shall hearken unto the precepts of men, save their precepts shall be given by the power of the Holy Ghost.