1. DOCTRINES AND PRINCIPLES IN THIS LESSON:
•The Atonement ransomed all people from the Fall and prepared the
way for the righteous to inherit the kingdom of God (see 2 Nephi 9:5–
21, 41, 46).
•Our attitudes and actions determine whether we receive the full
blessings of the Atonement (see 2 Nephi 9:21–54).
•When members of the house of Israel believe in Jesus Christ, they are
gathered in as His covenant people (see 2 Nephi 10).
Chapter 9
2 Nephi 9-10

2. The Atonement ransomed all people from the Fall and prepared
the way for the righteous to inherit the kingdom of God.
2 Nephi 9:5-21, 41, 46
2 Nephi 9 is one of the most descriptive chapters on
the Atonement in all the scriptures. By studying this
chapter, you can gain a deeper knowledge of the
doctrine of the Atonement.
CHAPTER HEADING:
•Jacob explains that the Jews will be gathered in all
their lands of promise
•The Atonement ransoms man from the Fall
•The bodies of the dead will come forth from the
grave, and their spirits from hell and from paradise
•They will be judged
•The Atonement saves from death, hell, the devil, and
endless torment
•The righteous are to be saved in the kingdom of God
•Penalties for sins are set forth
•The Holy One of Israel is the keeper of the gate.
(About 559–545 B.C.)

3. 2 Nephi 9:7-13, 19
If there were no Atonement, what would happen to our bodies? What would happen to our spirits?
v.7 “…And if so, this flesh
must have laid down to rot
and to crumble to its mother
earth, to rise no more.”
v.8 “…if the flesh should rise
no more our spirits must
become subject to that angel
who fell from before the
presence of the Eternal God,
and became the devil, to rise
no more.”
v.9 “…our spirits must have
become like unto him, and
we become devils, angels to
a devil, to be shut out from
the presence of our God, and
to remain with the father of
lies, in misery, like unto
himself…”
What does it mean to become as Satan, to be an angel to a devil? Again the
scriptures tell us of several unpalatable consequences:
•We would have remained in a lost and fallen state (Mosiah 16:4)
•We would remain with the father of lies, in misery (v. 9)
•Like the sons of perdition, we would be cast into the lake of fire, or the second
death (Rev 20:14)
•We would return again to [our] own place (to live in the kingdom of Satan) (DC
88:32)
•We must remain filthy (DC 88:35)
•We would have a perfect recollection of all our guilt (Alma 11:43)
•Our words, works, and thoughts will condemn us (Alma 12:14)
•We will not dare to look up to our God (Alma 12:14)
•We would be shut out of the presence of God (v. 9)
•We would be forced, by the justice of God, to suffer as Christ did (DC 19:17-20)
Because of Christ's great love for us, He partook and finished [His]
preparations unto the children of men (DC 19:19) For behold, I,
God, have suffered these things for all, that thy might not suffer if
they would repent (DC 19:16) Because of His great sacrifice, we do
not need to worry about whether the flesh will rise no more. It will-
for every person who ever lived on the earth.
gospeldoctrine.com

4. What is physical death? What is spiritual death?
v.10 “…this awful monster;
yea, that monster, death and
hell, which I call the death of
the body, and also the death
of the spirit.”
v.11 “……this death, of which
I have spoken, which is the
temporal, shall deliver up its
dead; which death is the
grave.”
v.12 “…this death of which I
have spoken, which is the
spiritual death, shall deliver
up its dead; which spiritual
death is hell…
”
Death and hell came into the world through the fall of
Adam. "Death" refers to physical death, or the
separation of the body from the spirit; "hell" refers to
spiritual death, or being cast out of the presence of
God.
[Why do you think Jacob called physical and spiritual
death an “awful monster”?] Both death and hell would
have force upon our souls for eternity if it were not for
the atonement of Jesus Christ. That is why the Book of
Revelation explains that the Savior held the keys of
death and hell, I am he that liveth, and was dead; and
behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the
keys of hell and of death (Rev 1:18).
gospeldoctrine.com

5. How does the Atonement help us overcome physical death and spiritual death?
v.12 “…death and hell must
deliver up their dead, and hell
must deliver up its captive
spirits, and the grave must
deliver up its captive bodies,
and the bodies and the spirits
of men will be restored one to
the other; and it is by the
power of the resurrection of
the Holy One of Israel.”
v.11 “…the paradise of God
must deliver up the spirits of
the righteous, and the grave
deliver up the body of the
righteous; and the spirit and
the body is restored to itself
again…”
Through the atonement death and hell are overcome. Death is
overcome for all who live on the earth. Hell is overcome for all but the
sons of perdition (DC 76:43-44). Even those of the telestial kingdom will
be redeemed in the due time of the Lord (DC 76:31-44). They also are
blessed with the ministration of the Holy Ghost and are therefore not
cast out of God's presence forever (DC 76:86). For the sons of perdition,
it is a different story. They are cast out of the presence of God to rule
with the devil and his angels in eternity (DC 76:44).
So, for all but the most wicked-because they were not willing to enjoy
that which they might have received (DC 88:32)-mankind is saved from
the grips of that awful monster.
gospeldoctrine.com

6. 2 Nephi 9:12-16, 41, 46
Who will make the final judgment on us? (See also John 5:22.)
v.41 “…the keeper of the gate
is the Holy One of Israel; and
he employeth no servant
there; and there is none
other way save it be by the
gate; for he cannot be
deceived, for the Lord God is
his name.”
gospeldoctrine.com
There is no way into the celestial kingdom except through
gate made available by the atonement of Jesus Christ. He is
the keeper of the gate. He will only open the gate to those
who knock, And whoso knocketh, to him will he open (v. 42).
Brigham Young
"Let me give you a definition in brief. Your endowment is, to
receive all those ordinances in the house of the Lord, which
are necessary for you, after you have departed this life, to
enable you to walk back to the presence of the Father,
passing the angels who stand as sentinels, being enabled to
give them the key words, the signs and tokens, pertaining to
the holy Priesthood, and gain your eternal exaltation in spite
of earth and hell." (Discourses of Brigham Young, compiled by
John A. Widstoe, p. 416)

7. How will the wicked respond when they are judged?
v.46 “…that ye may not shrink
with awful fear; that ye may
not remember your awful
guilt in perfectness, and be
constrained to exclaim: Holy,
holy are thy judgments, O
Lord God Almighty—but I
know my guilt; I transgressed
thy law, and my
transgressions are mine; and
the devil hath obtained me,
that I am a prey to his awful
misery.”
Jacob taught that in a sense we will also judge ourselves,
for at the judgment, “we shall have a perfect knowledge of
all our guilt, and our uncleanness, and our nakedness; and
the righteous shall have a perfect knowledge of their
enjoyment, and their righteousness, being clothed with
purity, yea, even with the robe of righteousness” (2 Ne.
9:14). He further explained that because we will have such
knowledge at the judgment bar, we will know what our
reward or punishment should be, and accept it as just: [2
Ne 9:46]
Apparently none of us will be taken away from the
judgment bar protesting, “It’s unfair! I demand a retrial! I
want to appeal!” There will be no such nonsense. Rather,
“every nation, kindred, tongue, and people shall see eye to
eye and shall confess before God that his judgments are
just” (Mosiah 16:1).
The Final Judgment, Terry B. Ball, https://rsc.byu.edu/

8. 2 Nephi 9:5-7
How are death and resurrection essential elements of God’s plan?
v.5 “…it behooveth the great
Creator that he suffereth
himself to become subject unto
man in the flesh, and die for all
men, that all men might
become subject unto him.”
v.6 “For as death hath passed
upon all men, to fulfil the
merciful plan of the great
Creator, there must needs be a
power of resurrection, and the
resurrection must needs come
unto man by reason of the fall;
and the fall came by reason of
transgression; and because
man became fallen they were
cut off from the presence of
the Lord.”
gospeldoctrine.com
2 Ne 9:5 he suffereth himself to become subject unto man...that all men might
become subject unto him
It is amazing to Jacob and Nephi that the being they know as Jehovah, the creator
of the heavens and the earth, will be subject to Jewish and Roman political
authority. There is a tone of incredulity in Nephi's statement, The Son of the
everlasting god was judged of the world; and I saw and bear record (1 Ne 11:32).
The events near the end of the Savior's life reflect the fact that He had power over
those who became his judges in mortality. He said to Pilate, Thou couldest have no
power at all against me, except it were given thee from above (Jn 19:11). Of his
power over death, Christ said, I lay down my life, that I might take it again. No man
taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I
have power to take it again (Jn 10:18). Therefore, the Jewish and Roman authorities
would have had no power to take the life of Jesus Christ unless he allowed them to.
He was the One who was to lay his own life down, that all men might become
subject unto him.
Only by submitting to the powers of demons and death and hell could he, in the
resurrection, serve as our exemplar of a saved being, one who had placed all things beneath
his feet. 'I am Alpha and Omega,' he said, 'Christ the Lord; yea, even I am he, the beginning
and the end, the Redeemer of the world. I, having accomplished and finished the will of him
whose I am, even the Father, concerning me-having done this that I might subdue all things
unto myself-retaining all power, even to the destroying of Satan and his works at the end of
the world, and the last great day of judgment.' (D&C 19:1-2.)" (McConkie and Millet,
Doctrinal Commentary on the Book of Mormon, vol. 1, p. 234)

9. What is the “first judgment”? How does the
Atonement overcome its effects?
2 Nephi 9:7 Wherefore, it must needs be an infinite
atonement—save it should be an infinite atonement
this corruption could not put on incorruption.
Wherefore, the first judgment which came upon man
must needs have remained to an endless duration. And
if so, this flesh must have laid down to rot and to
crumble to its mother earth, to rise no more.
The fall of Adam brought death into the world. The atonement must be infinite in that it must conquer death for
all of Adam's children. In a more profound sense, it must pay the price for those sins which are committed by
the followers of Christ. Those that exercise faith in him are given the promise of forgiveness of sins. How can one
count the number of those sins? The infinite atonement means that no matter how many sins need forgiving, no
matter how many people turn to the Lord as their Savior, no matter how many mistakes we make, there will
never come a point when the redemptive power of the atonement runs out. There is no limit to the power of
the atonement to save souls. There is no limit to the number of souls who can receive eternal life through the
name of the Only-Begotten. There is no limit to the number of sins a person commits before the Lord says, "I'm
sorry, that is one too many!"
This concept is one of the unfathomable truths of God's merciful plan. A mortal trying to fully comprehend the
power of the atonement is like a mortal trying to comprehend the concept of eternity, the concept of an infinite
amount of matter, in an infinite expanse of space, with an infinite number of kingdoms. Someday maybe we will
be able to comprehend in full.
The phrase “the first judgment which came upon man” refers to the consequences of the Fall of Adam and
Eve. The term corruption refers to the mortal body because it is imperfect and will eventually die. The term
incorruption refers to the resurrected body, which will live forever.
gospeldoctrine.com
Book of Mormon Study Guide for Home-Study Seminary Students, (2012), 55–58

10. 2 Nephi 9:16-21
What are some of the blessings promised to the righteous through the Atonement?
v.18 “…they shall inherit the
kingdom of God, which was
prepared for them from the
foundation of the world, and
their joy shall be full forever.”
Elder Neal A. Maxwell (1926–2004) of the Quorum of the Twelve
Apostles suggested a meaning for the word crosses:
“What are the ‘crosses of the world’? We cannot be sure, but
the imagery suggests the bearing of a cross placed upon us by
the world, as Jesus did; there may be persecutors and unhelpful
onlookers, and the Church member is set apart (if not set upon), yet he does not
flinch when accused and scoffed at by those who would make him ashamed, for
he has no real reason to be ashamed” (Wherefore, Ye Must Press Forward *1977+,
110).
“…the righteous, the saints of the Holy One of Israel, they who
have believed in the Holy One of Israel, they who have endured
the crosses of the world, and despised the shame of it”
Jacob taught that Jesus Christ suffered the pains of all people. How does this truth affect your
feelings about the Savior? How has this truth influenced your life?

11. Our attitudes and actions determine whether we receive
the full blessings of the Atonement. 2 Nephi 9:21-54
Jacob’s teachings in 2 Nephi 9 help us understand how our attitudes and actions affect our ability to
receive all the blessings of the Atonement. Some attitudes and actions help us come unto Christ,
while others prevent us from coming unto Him.
ACTIVITY
PAIRS
Read 2 Nephi 9:21-54
Fold your papers in half. On one half of the paper, have write
Distancing Ourselves from Christ. On the other half, have
them write Coming unto Christ. List the attitudes and actions
from those verses that fall into these two categories

12. 2 Nephi 9
23 And he commandeth all men that
they must repent, and be baptized in his
name, having perfect faith in the Holy
One of Israel, or they cannot be saved in
the kingdom of God.
24 And if they will not repent and
believe in his name, and be baptized in
his name, and endure to the end, they
must be damned; for the Lord God, the
Holy One of Israel, has spoken it.
27 But wo unto him that has the law
given, yea, that has all the
commandments of God, like unto us,
and that transgresseth them, and that
wasteth the days of his probation, for
awful is his state!
How do the principles and
ordinances relate to our
ability to receive the
blessings of the Atonement?
What do you think it means
to waste the days of our
probation?

13. 2 Nephi 9
28 O that cunning plan of the evil one! O
the vainness, and the frailties, and the
foolishness of men! When they are learned
they think they are wise, and theyhearken
not unto the counsel of God, for they set it
aside, supposing they know of themselves,
wherefore, their wisdom is foolishness and
it profiteth them not. And they shall perish.
29 But to be learned is good if they
hearken unto the counsels of God.
30 But wo unto the rich, who are rich as to
the things of the world. For because they
are rich they despise the poor, and they
persecute the meek, and their hearts are
upon their treasures; wherefore, their
treasure is their god. And behold, their
treasure shall perish with them also.
How can we apply the
counsel in verses 28–29 as
we seek to learn and gain an
education?
How can we apply the
counsel in verse 30 as we
seek to support ourselves and
our families?

14. 2 Nephi 9
42 And whoso knocketh, to him will he
open; and the wise, and the learned, and
they that are rich, 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.
43 But the things of the wise and the
prudent shall be hid from them forever—
yea, that happiness which is prepared for
the saints.
31 And wo unto the deaf that will not hear;
for they shall perish.
32 Wo unto the blind that will not see; for
they shall perish also.
Why do we need to see
ourselves as “fools before
God”?
What do you think it means
to be deaf or blind? What can
we do to open our spiritual
ears and eyes?

15. 2 Nephi 9
37 Yea, wo unto those that worship
idols, for the devil of all devils
delighteth in them.
39 O, my beloved brethren,
remember the awfulness in
transgressing against that Holy God,
and also the awfulness of yielding to
the enticings of that cunning one.
Remember, to be carnally-minded is
death, and to be spiritually-minded
is life eternal.
What are some modern
examples of idol worship?
Why do you think the devil
“delighteth” in idol worship?
What do you think it means
to be “carnally-minded”?
How does this attitude
prevent us from coming unto
Christ? What do you think it
means to be “spiritually-
minded”? How does this
attitude help us come unto
Him?

16. 2 Nephi 9
50 Come, my brethren, every one
that thirsteth, come ye to the
waters; and he that hath no money,
come buy and eat; yea, come buy
wine and milk without money and
without price.
51 Wherefore, do not spend money
for that which is of no worth, nor
your labor for that which cannot
satisfy. Hearken diligently unto me,
and remember the words which I
have spoken; and come unto the
Holy One of Israel, and feast upon
that which perisheth not, neither
can be corrupted, and let your soul
delight in fatness.
How do these words relate to
our efforts to come unto
Christ?

17. When members of the house of Israel believe in Jesus Christ,
they are gathered in as His covenant people. 2 Nephi 10
Having taught about personal, individual redemption (see 2 Nephi 9), Jacob concluded his sermon.
He told the people that he would “declare unto *them+ the remainder of *his+ words” the next day
(2 Nephi 9:54). When he taught the people again, he returned to the subject he had taught at the
beginning of his first sermon: the redemption of the house of Israel. He spoke of the future of the
Jews in Jerusalem, of his people, and of the Gentiles who would live in the Americas. This chapter
also helps introduce the writings of Isaiah contained in 2 Nephi 12–24.
Jacob made it clear that iniquity led to the scattering of the Jews (see 2 Nephi 10:6). Similarly, he emphasized the order of
the gathering. The Jews, he declared, will be gathered “when the day cometh that they shall believe in *Christ+” (verse 7;
italics added). Elder Bruce R. McConkie clarified the reasons the scattering and gathering of all the tribes of Israel are first
spiritual and second physical:
“Why was Israel scattered? The answer is clear; it is plain; of it there is no doubt. Our Israelite forebears were scattered
because they rejected the gospel, defiled the priesthood, forsook the church, and departed from the kingdom. They were
scattered because they turned from the Lord, worshipped false gods, and walked in all the ways of the heathen nations.
They were scattered because they forsook the Abrahamic covenant, trampled under their feet the holy ordinances, and
rejected the Lord Jehovah, who is the Lord Jesus, of whom all their prophets testified. Israel was scattered for apostasy. …
“What, then, is involved in the gathering of Israel? The gathering of Israel consists in believing and accepting and living in
harmony with all that the Lord once offered his ancient chosen people. It consists of having faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, of
repenting, of being baptized and receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and of keeping the commandments of God. It consists
of believing the gospel, joining the Church, and coming into the kingdom. … And it may also consist of assembling to an
appointed place or land of worship” (A New Witness for the Articles of Faith *1985+, 515).

18. 2 Nephi 10
3 Wherefore, as I said unto you, it must needs be expedient that Christ—for in the
last night the angel spake unto me that this should be his name—should come
among the Jews, among those who are the more wicked part of the world; and they
shall crucify him—for thus it behooveth our God, and there is none other nation on
earth that would crucify their God.
4 For should the mighty miracles be wrought among other nations they would
repent, and know that he be their God.
5 But because of priestcrafts and iniquities, they at Jerusalem will stiffen their
necks against him, that he be crucified.
6 Wherefore, because of their iniquities, destructions, famines, pestilences, and
bloodshed shall come upon them; and they who shall not be destroyed shall be
scattered among all nations.
What would lead to the scattering of Israel after the
Savior’s ministry?

19. 2 Nephi 10
7 But behold, thus saith the Lord God: When the day cometh that they shall
believe in me, that I am Christ, then have I covenanted with their fathers that they
shall be restored in the flesh, upon the earth, unto the lands of their inheritance.
8 And it shall come to pass that they shall be gathered in from their long
dispersion, from the isles of the sea, and from the four parts of the earth; and the
nations of the Gentiles shall be great in the eyes of me, saith God, in carrying
them forth to the lands of their inheritance.
What must happen among the members of the house of Israel before
they will be able to return to the lands of their inheritance?
What role do full-time missionaries play in gathering Israel?
What can we do to help gather Israel?

20. Jacob continued to describe many events that would surround the latter-day gathering of Israel.
ACTIVITY
PAIRS
Read each reference from 2 Nephi 10 individually and summarize Jacob’s teachings in YOUR
OWN WORDS. Hindi copy-paste, okey?
PAIR #1: verse 8
PAIR #2: verse 9
PAIR #3: verses 10–12
PAIR #4: verses 13–16
PAIR #5: verse 17
PAIR #6: verses 18–19
PAIR #7: verses 20–22

21. “The sufferings of Israel have been but necessary chastening by a grieved yet loving Father, who
planned by these effective means to purify His sin-stained children. …Though smitten of men, a large
part of them gone from a knowledge of the world, Israel are not lost unto their God. He knows
whither they have been led or driven; toward them His heart still yearns with paternal love; and
surely will He bring them forth, in due time and by appointed means, into a condition of blessing
and influence befitting His covenant people. In spite of their sin and notwithstanding the
tribulations that they were bringing upon themselves, the Lord said: ‘And yet for all that, when they
be in the land of their enemies, I will not cast them away, neither will I abhor them, to destroy them
utterly, and to break my covenant with them: I am the Lord their God.’ As complete as was the
scattering, so shall be the gathering of Israel” (Talmage, Articles of Faith, 328–29).

22. 2 Nephi 10
22 For behold, the Lord God has led away from time to time from the house
of Israel, according to his will and pleasure. And now behold, the Lord
remembereth all them who have been broken off, wherefore he
remembereth us also.
23 Therefore, cheer up your hearts, and remember that ye are free to act
for yourselves—to choose the way of everlasting death or the way of
eternal life.
24 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, reconcile yourselves to the will of
God, and not to the will of the devil and the flesh; and remember, after ye
are reconciled unto God, that it is only in and through the grace of God that
ye are saved.
25 Wherefore, may God raise you from death by the power of the
resurrection, and also from everlasting death by the power of the
atonement, that ye may be received into the eternal kingdom of God, that
ye may praise him through grace divine. Amen.