Lessons on the Plan of Salvation
Lesson No. Thirty-Seven

The Plan of Redemption and the Cunning Plan of the Evil One - 2 Nephi 9

In 2 Nephi 9:1–27 the Book of Mormon prophet Jacob gives a great doctrinal sermon on the atonement of Christ, which the Book of Mormon often refers to as the plan of redemption: 

The prophet Jacob writing on the Book of Mormon plates

  • Vs 5 – Jesus was born into mortality with a duel nature.  He was both man and God, human and divine.  He inherited from his Eternal Father the power of immortality or power over death.  From his mother Mary he inherited mortality or the capacity to die.  He voluntarily chose to die and was the first to be resurrected.   Because he was resurrected everyone else will be resurrected and judged according to their deeds and desires. 
  • Vs 6 – Death is part of “the merciful plan of the great Creator.”  If there was no death there would be no resurrection. We would be permanently shut out from the presence of God. 
  • Vs 7 – “An infinite atonement” was accomplished by one who Himself was infinite.  It is also an “infinite atonement” because it applies to every person who ever lived in mortality.  Every human being is unique, but if there were no atonement and resurrection of Christ our body would return to the earth and its individual identity would be lost. 
  • Vs 8 – 9 – “O the wisdom of God, his mercy and grace!”  The atonement of Christ unconditionally and universally over comes physical death, and all will be resurrected.  If there was no resurrection our spirits would be held captive by and be like Satan. 
  • Vs 10 – 12 – “O how great the goodness of our God” because by “the power of the resurrection of the Holy One of Israel” our body and spirit will be restored one to the other.
  • V 13 – 16 – “O how great the plan of our God!”  The plan of restoration provides that “they who are righteous shall be righteous still, and they who are filthy shall be filthy still.”   
  • V 17 – 18 – “O the greatness and the justice of our God!”  All those who repent will be justified through the atonement of Christ and will inherit eternal life.   
  • Vs 19 – 27 – “O the greatness of the mercy of our God, the Holy One of Israel!  For he delivereth his saints from that awful monster the devil, and death, and hell...O how great the holiness of our God!  For he knoweth all things, and there is not anything save he knows it.”  To “be saved in the kingdom of God” all men must “repent and believe in his name, and be baptized…and endure to the end…for the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, has spoken it.”

Jacob also warns against “that cunning plan of the evil one” (2 Nephi 9:28) – The basic doctrine of Satan’s plan is pride, and this is opposite to the plan of salvation.  We should be aware of the two kinds of pride.  (See 2 Nephi 9:28-48)    

The pride of comparison often afflicts the rich.  The gospel antidote for the pride of comparison is love.  We should not compete with, or envy, or covet what others have.  Instead, as Jesus taught, we are to “have love one to another” (John 13:35). 

The pride of intellectualism often afflicts the learned.  The gospel antidote for the pride of intellectualism is humility.  “The learned who are puffed up because of their learning, and their wisdom, and their riches – yea, they are they whom he despiseth; and save they shall cast these things away, and consider themselves fools before God, and come down in the depths of humility, he will not open unto them” (2 Nephi 9:42).

I adopt Jacob’s concluding words of testimony and invitation as my testimony and invitation to come unto Christ –  “Come unto the Holy One of Israel” and “pray unto him continually by day, and give thanks unto his holy name by night.  Let your hearts rejoice.

“And behold how great the covenants of the Lord, and how great his condescensions unto the children of men; and his greatness, and his grace and mercy” (2 Nephi 9:51-53).