Adam Awake
A Deep Dive into Jacob 2:30 · Part 1.1

Wresting the Scriptures

by Lucas Jackson · · Revised · 7 min read
Painting of a group of young men arguing over an open scroll

While studying the scriptures we should be asking lots of questions. Why are we getting this sermon? What have the Nephites done or what are they being warned not to do? Why have they fallen into error? What are the consequences of their errors? How does this apply to me?

The main reason the Nephites have gotten into this situation is that they misunderstood the scriptures, and as we will see, that leads to destruction. They used the record of David and Solomon to excuse taking more wives, and I believe we have done the same thing with Jacob 2:30.

But the word of God burdens me because of your grosser crimes. For behold, thus saith the Lord: This people begin to wax in iniquity; they understand not the scriptures, for they seek to excuse themselves in committing whoredoms, because of the things which were written concerning David, and Solomon his son.

Wherefore, I the Lord God will not suffer that this people shall do like unto them of old.1

They would have had the record of these two kings etched on the plates of brass, and they were justifying their actions by wresting the scriptures on those plates.2

For they shall not lead away captive the daughters of my people because of their tenderness, save I shall visit them with a sore curse, even unto destruction; for they shall not commit whoredoms, like unto them of old, saith the Lord of Hosts.3

Now I need not rehearse the matter; what I have said may suffice. Behold, the scriptures are before you; if ye will wrest them it shall be to your own destruction.4

And now, my son, I have somewhat to say concerning the restoration of which has been spoken; for behold, some have wrested the scriptures, and have gone far astray because of this thing. And I perceive that thy mind has been worried also concerning this thing. But behold, I will explain it unto thee.5

And this I do that I may establish my gospel, that there may not be so much contention; yea, Satan doth stir up the hearts of the people to contention concerning the points of my doctrine; and in these things they do err, for they do wrest the scriptures and do not understand them.6

The concept of not understanding the scriptures, or wresting them, is tied to going astray and being destroyed. We will explore this topic in further detail as we go through Jacob.7

We can’t claim ignorance; we have to get this right. “It is impossible for a man to be saved in ignorance.”8 Joseph Smith’s restoration seems to emphasize the idea of moving from ignorance, or darkness, into knowledge9 or light and truth,10 or in other words, intelligence.11 We are invited to talk to the Lord and seek further light and knowledge.12 If we’ve misunderstood this verse, have we condemned ourselves?

34 And now behold, my brethren, ye know that these commandments were given to our father, Lehi; wherefore, ye have known them before; and ye have come unto great condemnation; for ye have done these things which ye ought not to have done.13

We should already understand that we’ve been under condemnation for treating the Book of Mormon lightly. Could our neglect of the most correct book contribute to wresting Jacob 2:30 and justifying a religious practice that God calls an abomination?14

And your minds in times past have been darkened because of unbelief, and because you have treated lightly the things you have received— Which vanity and unbelief have brought the whole church under condemnation. And this condemnation resteth upon the children of Zion, even all. And they shall remain under this condemnation until they repent and remember the new covenant, even the Book of Mormon and the former commandments which I have given them, not only to say, but to do according to that which I have written.15

President Ezra Taft Benson spoke on this condemnation six times from 1984 to 1988. I’m sure many in the current generation have never considered it, since the General Authorities have rarely spoken about our condemnation in the last 30 years. Elder Dallin H. Oaks spoke on it at BYU in 1993,16 and Russell M. Nelson briefly mentioned it in a 1999 talk,17 but I haven’t found it mentioned since.

President Benson’s Talks

I recommend listening to all of these talks by President Benson. Listen to them as if you were hearing them today in general conference. Do modern talks sound like this? If not, what has changed?

I have to add a note about President Benson. He was the first President of the church that I remember as a child. Later, in 2007, I was troubled by the direction of our country and felt the desire to be part of those who would rise up and save the Constitution. This, of course, led me back to President Benson and his message to take the Book of Mormon seriously. I have so much gratitude for the words he delivers in these talks. They have changed my life forever for the better. Thank you, President Benson. God bless you and your posterity.

President Benson’s warning and Jacob’s warning are the same warning: when we treat the scriptures lightly, we will misread them, and misreading them leads us astray.

The Nephites wrested the record of David and Solomon to excuse what the Lord called abominable. If we have treated the Book of Mormon lightly, we should ask whether we have done the same with Jacob 2:30. With that question in mind, let’s look at what our common interpretation is, and then where it came from.

Notes

  1. Jacob 2:23, 26 ↩
  2. WREST, verb transitive | 3. To distort; to turn from truth or twist from its natural meaning by violence; to pervert. wrest | Online Etymology Dictionary Wrest | A Glossary of Gospel Terms see also, Topical Guide: Wrest ↩
  3. Jacob 2:33 ↩
  4. Alma 13:20 ↩
  5. Alma 41:1 ↩
  6. D&C 10:57–63 ↩
  7. It should be pondered why the word of God is associated with focusing on Christ and not perishing or avoiding destruction. “And I said unto them that it was the word of God; and whoso would hearken unto the word of God, and would hold fast unto it, they would never perish; neither could the temptations and the fiery darts of the adversary overpower them unto blindness, to lead them away to destruction.” 1 Nephi 15:24 ↩
  8. D&C 131:6 ↩
  9. “Knowledge saves a man; and in the world of spirits no man can be exalted but by knowledge.” – Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 357 “A man is saved no faster than he gets knowledge, for if he does not get knowledge, he will be brought into captivity by some evil power in the other world.” Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 217 “I advise all to go on to perfection, and search deeper and deeper into the mysteries of Godliness.” Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 364 “And truth is knowledge of things as they are, and as they were, and as they are to come;” – D&C 93:24 ↩
  10. “For the word of the Lord is truth, and whatsoever is truth is light, and whatsoever is light is Spirit, even the Spirit of Jesus Christ.” – D&C 84:45 ↩
  11. “The glory of God is intelligence, or, in other words, light and truth.” – D&C 93:36 ↩
  12. Nephi seems to understand this concept and he’s encouraging us to talk to the Lord, “Wherefore, now after I have spoken these words, if ye cannot understand them it will be because ye ask not, neither do ye knock; wherefore, ye are not brought into the light, but must perish in the dark.” – 2 Nephi 32:4 ↩
  13. Jacob 2:34 ↩
  14. “Behold, David and Solomon truly had many wives and concubines, which thing was abominable before me, saith the Lord.” Jacob 2:24 Abomination: “The use of religion to suppress truth or impose a false form of truth. It involves the religious justification of wrongdoing. That is, something becomes abominable when it is motivated out of a false form of religious observance or is justified because of religious error.” ↩
  15. D&C 84:54–57 ↩
  16. “Along with other General Authorities, I have a clear recollection of the General Authority temple meeting on March 5, 1987. For a year President Benson had been stressing the reading of the Book of Mormon. Repeatedly he had quoted these verses from the Doctrine and Covenants, including the Lord’s statement that the Saints’ conduct had “brought the whole church under condemnation” (D&C 84:55). In that temple meeting, President Benson reread those statements and declared, “This condemnation has not been lifted, nor will it be until we repent” – Another Testament of Jesus Christ, Dallin H. Oaks, June 6, 1993 ↩
  17. “Not long after my call to serve as one of the Twelve Apostles, I was summoned to the office of the President of our Quorum, President Ezra Taft Benson. He expressed deep concern that members of the Church did not fully appreciate the value of the Book of Mormon. With emotion in his voice, he read to me from the 84th section of the Doctrine and Covenants” – A Testimony of the Book of Mormon, Russell M. Nelson, October 1999 ↩

2 comments

Gwendolyn Wyne · Dec 15, 2024

I am so grateful for your work and this series! This is so well thought out and I appreciate the structure.

So much of our separation and ultimate destruction lies in our unwillingness to seek out and embrace *true knowledge*. Reminds me of Hosea 4:

"The Lord hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land...My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge; because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children."

Lucas Jackson · Jan 13, 2025

Thank you Gwendolyn, it's been on my mind for several years and now I'm just trying to write it out to share with those I love. Hopefully it make some sense and causes other to think deeper about this important topic.