Lessons on the Book of Mormon 2020
Lesson No. Nine

The Works of Darkness and the Works of Light

The Book of Mormon prophecies in considerable detail about the latter days – Nephi 26-30 contrasts the great and marvelous work of the Lord in the latter days to Satan’s works of darkness.

Satan’s “works of darkness” in the latter days include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • “Many churches” are “built up which cause envyings, and strifes, and malice” (2 Nephi 26:21).  Much of the misery, pain, and destruction in the modern world is caused by various religions fighting against each other. 

  • “And there are also many secret combinations…according to the combinations of the devil, for he is the founder of all these things; yea, the founder of murder, and works of darkness” (2 Nephi 26:22).  Modern secret combinations and conspiracies include but are not limited to: White collar and financial crime, organized crime/gangs, government corruption, purveyors of pornography, and promoters of drugs, alcohol, and tobacco.

  • “There is no God today, for the Lord and Redeemer hath done his work.” The attitude that “God is dead”…and therefore “he hath given his power unto men” is widespread.  (See 2 Nephi 28:5)

  • “Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die; and it shall be well with us” (2 Nephi 28:7) because “God will justify in committing a little sin…and if it so be that we are guilty, God will beat us with a few stripes, and at last we will be saved in the kingdom of God” (2 Nephi 28:8).  These are all “false and vain and foolish doctrines” (2 Nephi 28:9) then as well as they are now.

  • In the latter days the devil “shall rage in the hearts of the children of men, and stir them up to anger against that which is good” (2 Nephi 28:20).  In our day, like Isaiah prophesied, there are many who “call evil good, and good evil, that put darkness for light, and light for darkness, that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter” (2 Nephi 15:20).

  • “And others…will say:  All is well in Zion; yea, Zion prospereth, all is well – and thus the devil cheateth their souls, and leadeth them away carefully down to hell” (2 Nephi 28:21).

  • “And behold, others he flattereth away, and telleth them there is no hell; and he saith unto them:  I am no devil, for there is none – and thus he whispereth in their ears until he grasps them with his awful chains, from whence there is no deliverance” (2 Nephi 28:22).  It follows that if there is no God in heaven, there is no devil in hell.

  • And others will say “A Bible!  A Bible! We have got a Bible, and there cannot be any more Bible” (2 Nephi 29:3).  This is an argument that is used against the Book of Mormon, but the Lord gives the answer:  “Wherefore murmur ye, because that ye shall receive more of my word?” (2 Nephi 29:8).

  • “For the time speedily cometh that the Lord God shall cause a great division among the people, and the wicked will he destroy; and he will spare his people” (2 Nephi 30:10).  In many ways the divide and contrast between the righteous and the wicked is becoming greater and greater.

The Lord’s great and marvelous work in the latter days include, but are not limited to, the following:

Eight Witnesses View the Book of Mormon Plates by Dale Kilbourn

  • “He manifesteth himself unto all those who believe in him, by the power of the Holy Ghost; yea, unto every nation, kindred, tongue, and people, working mighty miracles, signs and wonders among the children of men according to their faith” (2 Nephi 26:13).  This is now happening worldwide.

  • The Book of Mormon plates came forth out of the earth and were translated in the familiar language of the Bible “The words of the righteous shall be written… and their voice shall be as one that hath a familiar spirit… and their speech shall whisper out of the dust, (2 Nephi 26:15-17).  The plates of the Book of Mormon came out of the ground and were delivered to Joseph Smith on September 21-22, 1827.

  • “For the Lord doeth that which is good among the children of men…and he inviteth them all to come unto him and partake of his goodness; and he denieth none that come unto him, black and white, bond and free, male and female; and he remembereth the heathen; and all are alike unto God, both Jew and Gentile” (2 Nephi 26:33).  This is the belief and practice of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

  • The Lord will raise up many witnesses of the Book of Mormon – The plates of the Book of Mormon “shall be hid from the eyes of the world…save it be three witness that shall behold it by the power of God…And there is none other which shall view it…And there is none other which shall view it, save it be a few (8 witness) according to the will of God….Wherefore, the Lord God will proceed to bring forth the words of the book; and in the mouth of as many witness as seemeth him good will he establish his word” (2 Nephi 27:12-14, emphasis added).  Anyone with a testimony of the Book of Mormon can be one of these many witnesses.  I desire to be one of them.

  • The Lord “will proceed to do a marvelous work among this people, yea, a marvelous work and a wonder” (2 Nephi 27:26).  “At the center of that work would be a book – a book that speaks from the dust, that exposes Satan’s lies, and that gathers the righteous like a standard.  That book is the Book of Mormon, the marvelous work is the work of the Lord’s Church in the latter days, and the wonder is that He invites all of us, in spite of our weakness to participate” (Come Follow Me manual).

  • “I will be merciful unto [the Gentiles], saith the Lord God, if they will repent and come unto me; for mine arm is lengthened out all the day long, saith the Lord God of Hosts” (2 Nephi 27:32).  This invitation is open to all people who have faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and will repent.

  • The Lord will remember the covenants He has made unto the children of men, and he will set His hand the second time to recover His people, who are of the house of Israel.  (See 2 Nephi 29:1, 14)  The restored Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was organized on April 6, 1830 by six people.  Today with millions of members, it is a light to the world and a city on a hill that cannot be hid.  (See Matthew 5:14)

  • “As many of the Gentiles as will repent are the covenant people of the Lord…for the Lord covenanteth with none save it be with them that repent and believe in his Son, who is the Holy One of Israel” (2 Nephi 30:3).  Many people worldwide are accepting the restored gospel Jesus Christ and are becoming the covenant people of the Lord.

  • “And it shall come to pass that the Lord God shall commence his work among all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people, to bring about the restoration of his people upon the earth” (2 Nephi 30:8).  We are now celebrating the Bicentennial of the commencement of the Lord’s work of restoration which began in the Spring of 1820 with the First Vision where the Father and the Son appeared to the Prophet Joseph Smith.

My testimony of the Lord’s great work of restoration in the latter days – “The Standard of Truth has been erected; no unhallowed hand can stop the work from progressing; persecutions may rage, mobs may combine, armies may assemble, calumny may defame, but the truth of God will go forth boldly, nobly, and independent, till it has penetrated every continent, visited every clime, swept every country, and sounded in every ear, till the purposes of God shall be accomplished, and the Great Jehovah shall say the work is done” (Joseph Smith).