This paper was written because of an LDS Institute teacher. I asked in class who the Gentiles were, because I thought we were. He told me to go read the Bible Dictionary(which I have since found out that the Bible Dictionary was written by a christian, but no one knows who) under Gentiles, and to read an Ensign article written by an Elder Ludlow. I decided to take it upon myself to study it out and learn for myself what was true. After reading those two things, I still didn't feel good about what I was being told about the Gentiles. So I studied the Book of Mormon on the subject, and this is what I came up with...
I'd like to start out by saying that I truly believe that God knew who would be reading the Book of Mormon and so He wrote it specifically to those people. He knew the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints would be some of the only people to read and believe the Book of Mormon. So, when He (or His servants) are talking straight to someone, shouldn't that someone be us--those who are reading the Book of Mormon? I do not believe that God would be talking to people, and warning them in this precious book, that would never read it. That would give members of the church a reason to feel like we are special and get puffed up because God is telling other people to repent and not us.That's my personal opinion.
So the best place to start is always the beginning, right? Here is what it says on the title page of the Book of Mormon written by Moroni:
" Wherefore, it is an abridgment of the record of the people of Nephi, and also of the Lamanites—Written to the Lamanites, who are a remnant of the house of Israel; and also to Jew and Gentile—Written by way of commandment, and also by the spirit of prophecy and of revelation—Written and sealed up, and hid up unto the Lord, that they might not be destroyed—To come forth by the gift and power of God unto the interpretation thereof—Sealed by the hand of Moroni, and hid up unto the Lord, to come forth in due time by way of the Gentile—The interpretation thereof by the gift of God."
It is interesting that Moroni says this book was written to the Lamanites and also to the Jew and Gentile. It does not say to the House of Israel except for those remnants that are the posterity of the Lamanites. Also that it is to "come forth in due time by way of the Gentile."
Here are scriptures that back this up: (All-Capitals added by me)
-1 Nephi 13
34 And it came to pass that the angel of the Lord spake unto me, saying: Behold, saith the Lamb of God, after I have visited the remnant of the house of Israel—and this remnant of whom I speak is the seed of thy father—wherefore, after I have visited them in judgment, and smitten them by the hand of the Gentiles, and after the Gentiles do stumble exceedingly, because of the most plain and precious parts of the gospel of the Lamb which have been kept back by that abominable church, which is the mother of harlots, saith the Lamb—I WILL BE MERCIFUL UNTO THE GENTILES in that day, insomuch that I WILL BRING FORTH UNTO THEM, in mine own power, MUCH OF MY GOSPEL, which shall be plain and precious, saith the Lamb.
35 For, behold, saith the Lamb: I will manifest myself unto thy seed, that they shall write many things which I shall minister unto them, which shall be plain and precious; and after thy seed shall be destroyed, and dwindle in unbelief, and also the seed of thy brethren, behold, THESE THINGS SHALL BE HID UP, TO COME FORTH UNTO THE GENTILES, BY THE GIFT AND POWER OF THE LAMB.
38 And it came to pass that I beheld the remnant of the seed of my brethren, and also the book of the Lamb of God, which had proceeded forth from the mouth of the Jew, that IT CAME FORTH FROM THE GENTILES unto the remnant of the seed of my brethren.
39 And after it had come forth unto them I beheld other books, which came forth by the power of the Lamb, FROM THE GENTILES UNTO THEM, UNTO THE CONVINCING OF THE GENTILES and the remnant of the seed of my brethren, and also the Jews who were scattered upon all the face of the earth, that the records of the prophets and of the twelve apostles of the Lamb are true.
40 And the angel spake unto me, saying: These last records, which thou hast seen AMONG THE GENTILES, shall establish the truth of the first, which are of the twelve apostles of the Lamb, and shall make known the plain and precious things which have been taken away from them; and shall make known to all kindreds, tongues, and people, that the Lamb of God is the Son of the Eternal Father, and the Savior of the world; and that all men must come unto him, or they cannot be saved.
This shows that there are three groups of people that God talks about in the Book of Mormon. 1) The remnant of Lehi's seed, 2) the Gentiles that came and destroyed the seed of Lehi that was here(or the Europeans), and 3) the Jews who are scattered all over the earth.
-3 Nephi 21
2 And behold, this is the thing which I will give unto you for a sign—for verily I say unto you that when these things which I declare unto you, and which I shall declare unto you hereafter of myself, and by the power of the Holy Ghost which shall be given unto you of the Father, shall be made known UNTO THE GENTILES that they may know concerning this people who are a remnant of the house of Jacob, and concerning this my people who shall be scattered by them;
3 Verily, verily, I say unto you, when these things shall be made known unto them of the Father, and shall come forth of the Father, from them unto you;
4 For it is wisdom in the Father that they should be established in this land, and be set up as a free people by the power of the Father, that these things might come forth from them unto a remnant of your seed, that the covenant of the Father may be fulfilled which he hath covenanted with his people, O house of Israel;
I'm going to interject just for a moment here and then keep going in this chapter. So the Gentiles will be set up in a land that has been set up by God to be free. It sounds to me like this must be the United States. What other land was set up by God to be a free land? None that I know of. Also, that the people that get this free land, will know of the things that took place when Christ came and visited those that where on that same land years and years before.
5 Therefore, when these works and the works which shall be wrought among you hereafter shall come forth FROM THE GENTILES, unto your seed which shall dwindle in unbelief because of iniquity;
6 For thus it behooveth the Father that it should come forth FROM THE GENTILES, that he may show forth his power UNTO THE GENTILES, for this cause that the Gentiles, if they will not harden their hearts, that they may repent and come unto me and be baptized in my name and know of the true points of my doctrine, that they may be numbered among my people.
The Gentiles will know of God and have an opportunity to repent.
-1 Nephi 15
13 And now, the thing which our father meaneth concerning the grafting in of the natural branches through the fulness of the Gentiles, is, that in the latter days, when our seed shall have dwindled in unbelief, yea, for the space of many years, and many generations after the Messiah shall be manifested in body unto the children of men, then shall the fulness of the gospel of the Messiah COME UNTO THE GENTILES, and FROM THE GENTILES unto the remnant of our seed.
17 And this is what our father meaneth; and he meaneth that it will not come to pass until after they are scattered by the Gentiles; and he meaneth that it shall come BY WAY OF THE GENTILES, that the Lord may show his power UNTO THE GENTILES, for the very cause that he shall be rejected of the Jews, or of the house of Israel.
God is giving the Gentiles(or those of this nation) a chance to do a special work and bring the knowledge of the truth to others. That can only mean that the Gospel is given to the Gentiles first.
And here is a scripture where Joseph Smith actually tells us what we are called in the Book of Mormon:
-D&C 109
60 Now these words, O Lord, we have spoken before thee, concerning the revelations and commandments which thou hast given unto us, WHO ARE IDENTIFIED WITH THE GENTILES.
(footnote to gentiles is 1 Nephi 15:13 which we just read)
Here's another great scripture to show who the Gentiles are:
-1 Nephi 22
6 Nevertheless, after they shall be nursed by the Gentiles, and the Lord has lifted up his hand UPON THE GENTILES AND SET THEM UP FOR A STANDARD, and their children have been carried in their arms, and their daughters have been carried upon their shoulders, behold these things of which are spoken are temporal; for thus are the covenants of the Lord with our fathers; and it meaneth us in the days to come, and also all our brethren who are of the house of Israel.
7 And it meaneth that the time cometh that after all the house of Israel have been scattered and confounded, that THE LORD GOD WILL RAISE UP A MIGHTY NATION AMONG THE GENTILES, yea, even upon the face of this land; and by them shall our seed be scattered.
8 And after our seed is scattered THE LORD GOD WELL PROCEED TO DO A MARVELOUS WORK AMONG THE GENTILES, which shall be of great worth unto our seed; wherefore, it is likened unto their being nourished by the Gentiles and being carried in their arms and upon their shoulders.
9 And it shall also be of worth unto the Gentiles; and not only unto the Gentiles but unto all the house of Israel, unto the making known of the covenants of the Father of heaven unto Abraham, saying: In thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed.
This is so clear that God is talking about a group of people that will be given the Gospel and will take it to other people. But, Nephi does not say that this group of people called Gentiles will be given the Gospel and then be called the House of Israel once they receive it.
-2 Nephi 6
12 And BLESSED ARE THE GENTILES, they of whom the prophet has written; for behold, if it so be that they shall repent and fight not against Zion, and do not unite themselves to that great and abominable church, they shall be saved; for the Lord God will fulfil his covenants which he has made unto his children; and for this cause the prophet has written these things.
-2 Nephi 30
2 For behold, I say unto you that AS MANY OF THE GENTILES AS WILL REPENT ARE THE COVENANT PEOPLE OF THE LORD; and as many of the Jews as will not repent shall be cast off; 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.
3 And now, I would prophesy somewhat more concerning the Jews and the Gentiles. For after the book of which I have spoken shall come forth, and BE WRITTEN UNTO THE GENTILES, and sealed up again unto the Lord, there shall be many which shall believe the words which are written; and they shall carry them forth unto the remnant of our seed.
"As many of the Gentiles as will repent are the covenant people of the Lord." God still calls them Gentiles, but they are His people.
-3 Nephi 16:6-9
6 And BLESSED ARE THE GENTILES, BECAUSE OF THEIR BELIEF IN ME, in and of the Holy Ghost, which witnesses unto them of me and of the Father.
7 BEHOLD, BECAUSE OF THEIR BELIEF IN ME, SAITH THE FATHER, AND BECAUSE OF THE UNBELIEF OF YOU, O HOUSE OF ISRAEL, IN THE LATTER DAY SHALL THE TRUTH COME UNTO THE GENTILES, THAT THE FULNESS OF THESE THINGS SHALL BE MADE KNOWN UNTO THEM.
8 But wo, saith the Father, unto the unbelieving of the Gentiles—for notwithstanding they have come forth upon the face of this land, and have scattered my people who are of the house of Israel; and my people who are of the house of Israel have been cast out from among them, and have been trodden under feet by them;
9 And because of the mercies of the Father UNTO THE GENTILES, and also the judgments of the Father upon my people who are of the house of Israel, verily, verily, I say unto you, that after all this, and I have caused my people who are of the house of Israel to be smitten, and to be afflicted, and to be slain, and to be cast out from among them, and to become hated by them, and to become a hiss and a byword among them.
Sounds to me like God has a new people that He calls Gentiles and He is going to be working with them for a time, and they are not called the House of Israel.
-3 Nephi 20
27 And after that ye were blessed then fulfilleth the Father the covenant which he made with Abraham, saying: In thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed—unto the pouring out of the Holy Ghost through me UPON THE GENTILES, WHICH BLESSING UPON THE GENTILES SHALL MAKE THEM MIGHTY ABOVE ALL, unto the scattering of my people, O house of Israel.
I love these verses in 3 Nephi, because we know that Christ was actually there and speaking to the people on this, the American continent. He was telling these people what was going to happen to their posterity in the future.
-3 Nephi 26
6 And now there cannot be written in this book even a hundredth part of the things which Jesus did truly teach unto the people;
7 But behold the plates of Nephi do contain the more part of the things which he taught the people.
8 And these things have I written, which are a lesser part of the things which he taught the people; and I have written them to the intent that they may be brought again unto this people, FROM THE GENTILES, according to the words which Jesus hath spoken.
9 And when they shall have received this, which is expedient that they should have first, to try their faith, and if it shall so be that they shall believe these things then shall the greater things be made manifest unto them.
10 And if it so be that they will not believe these things, then shall the greater things be withheld from them, unto their condemnation.
11 Behold, I was about to write them, all which were engraven upon the plates of Nephi, but the Lord forbade it, saying: I will try the faith of my people.
Doesn't that sound like there is so much more the Lord is willing to give to us Gentiles, if we just put our trust in Him and have faith? Once we gain a real relationship with our Heavenly Father and know who He is talking to in the Book of Mormon, He will give us more. I am just so sad that many people do not realize what the Book of Mormon is saying and who it is really talking to.
Another great scripture.
-Mormon 5
15 And also that the seed of this people may more fully believe his gospel, which shall go forth unto them FROM THE GENTILES; for this people shall be scattered, and shall become a dark, a filthy, and a loathsome people, beyond the description of that which ever hath been amongst us, yea, even that which hath been among the Lamanites, and this because of their unbelief and idolatry.
19 And behold, the Lord hath reserved their blessings, which they might have received in the land, for the Gentiles who shall possess the land.
Because the people in the Book of Mormon did not rely upon God and come unto Him, they lost there right to this land. We, the Gentiles, are now in control of this land, but if we do not heed the words of the Book of Mormon, we will end up being destroyed just like the Nephites. The Book of Mormon warns us over and over.
-Mormon 5
22 And then, O ye Gentiles, how can ye stand before the power of God, except ye shall repent and turn from your evil ways?
23 Know ye not that he hath all power, and at his great command the earth shall be rolled together as a scroll?
24 Therefore, repent ye, and humble yourselves before him, lest he shall come out in justice against you--lest a remnant of the seed of Jacob shall go forth among you as a lion, and tear you in pieces, and there is none to deliver.
As hard as it may be, we all need to realize that there is so much evil in the world today and we must go to God in order to be on the right side. So many are deceived because of our pride and ignorance to truth. We should all find out for ourselves who Christ is talking about in the Book of Mormon. Once you do, 2 Nephi 28 will mean something completely different to you.
-2 Nephi 28
20 For behold, at that day shall he(Satan) rage in the hearts of the children of men, and stir them up to anger against that which is good.
21 And others will he pacify, and lull them away into carnal security, that they 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.
24 Therefore, wo be unto him that is at ease in Zion!
25 Wo be unto him that crieth: All is well!
After I did a lot of studying about this subject, I prayed and asked God directly what was true and He told me. The gentiles are us, the members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. This doesn't mean that we don't have Israelite blood in us (I believe that I do), but Christ is talking about the members of the church when He says "gentiles" in the Book of Mormon. So whenever anyone in the Book of Mormon is talking about the gentiles or talking to the gentiles, they are talking about church members and to church members. It doesn't make sense that Nephi and others would spend so much time etching letters in gold plates talking to people that would never read or believe the Book of Mormon. God is trying to warn and teach those of us that have the gospel.
The more I read the Book of Mormon with this knowledge, the more they are opening up to me. I enjoy it so much! I wish and hope that all will be able to read the Book of Mormon with these new eyes! I hope that anyone who reads this will understand that I do not mean to sound like I am above anybody. I have just found out for myself what is true and I want all to know the truth too!
I know that God answered my prayers on this subject. God wants all of us to know truth directly from Him. In this next verse, Christ had been talking to the people in America and said this:
-3 Nephi
3 Therefore, go ye unto your homes, and ponder upon the things which I have said, and ask of the Father, in my name, that ye may understand.
Even if Christ appeared unto us and taught us, He wants us to know from the Father that what He is saying is what is right!
I truly believe that no matter who is speaking to us in the Book of Mormon, it is important to gain confirmation from God the Father about what is true, that we may have understanding. So, I encourage you to pray and ask with an open mind who Christ is talking about when He says "gentiles" in the Book of Mormon that you may gain confirmation from Father also, if you have not already done so. I know that as you have a soft and sincere heart, God will make the truth of it known to you.
