The main theme of the Book of Mormon is Christ. If I remember the numbers correctly Christ is mentioned about every 1.7 verses throughout the Book of Mormon. His teachings as the God of Israel, his teachings and life on earth, and his teachings after his death and resurrection are all therein. His visit to the Americas after his death and resurrection is beautifully told in 3 Nephi 11, and this is one of the greatest Easter stories that one could read.
However, today I would like to focus on one small verse in chapter 33 of 2 Nephi. It is a verse that, if read in sequence with the verses around it, can be easily missed. It flows so simply and beautifully that it can gracefully pass right through ones attention. It is verse six:
“I glory in plainness; I glory in truth; I glory in my Jesus, for he hath redeemed my soul from hell.”
Nephi, knowing that these are some of the last words he will ever write, struggles very diligently to say what is most important to him – and what he feels will most benefit man. Of all the things he could put in this simple list he decides to tell us that he “glories in”: plainness, truth, and Jesus. The question is “Why these three”, and I will give here one reason.
Nephi has worked hard to teach all that he can to those who would read his words, to give them history in the context of the gospel, prophecies, and in depth doctrinal discussions. But in the end, it is the plain truth, the simple part of the gospel, that gives him joy and that plain truth is: “Jesus, for he hath redeemed my soul from hell.”
For a moment forget the law, forget the prophecies of the future, forget the doctrine that eludes scholars, clear your mind and listen to those simple words: “I glory in Jesus, for he hath redeemed my soul from hell.”
What a beautiful line, plain and full of truth. Hell, in its several forms, is real. Weather we suffer a hell in our mortal life or we suffer, in the next life, for the lessons we did not learn in this life, either way – Jesus hath redeemed our soul. His work is done. The gift sits, as it were, on a table in front of us. All that we must do is reach and partake of the gift. We all need redeemed, for one reason or another, and Christ has paid that price – so let us partake of the glorious atonement that we celebrate on Easter, let us receive that most precious gift.
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