The Remnant of Jacob, the Young Lion Among the Gentiles

Who is this remnant of Jacob that shall be among the Gentiles like a young lion? As I was studying this subject I found various scriptures that shed some light on the matter. My take off verses are 3 Nephi 20:15-16 "And I say unto you, that if the Gentiles do not repent after the blessing which they shall receive, after they have scattered my people - Then shall ye, who are a remnant of the house of Jacob, go forth among them; and ye shall be in the midst of them who shall be many; and ye shall be among them as a lion among the beasts of the forest, and as a young lion among the flocks of sheep, who, if he goeth through both treadeth down and teareth in pieces, and none can deliver."

The Gentiles that the Lord is referring to are the people that scatter the Lord's people on the American continent. They receive a great blessing from Lord: the gospel and a free land. This great blessing causes these Gentiles to become the greatest nation on earth. But, this blessing comes with a price: serve the God of the land even Jesus Christ. If the Gentiles don't, destruction comes. The Lord says. "Then shall ye..." - talking to the Nephites, calling them a remnant of the house of Jacob, -"... be as a young lion among a flock of sheep..." There is nothing the Gentiles can do. They are tread down and torn in pieces. I once found the neighbor’s dog in our chicken coup. It was a young dog. When I got to the coup it had broken the neck of every bird in the coup. It was just standing as innocent as can be looking at me as though it had just done the best job ever. If there were a hundred chickens the dog would have killed all one hundred all for the fun it. I imagine a young lion doing about the same thing among sheep.

In 3 Nephi 21:11-21 Jesus give more detail regarding what this remnant of Jacob will do to the unrepentant Gentiles. He quotes and amplifies Micah 5:7-15.

General Mormon, with imminent destruction of the Nephite people apparent, warns the Gentiles of their destruction if they don't repent. He refers to the metaphor of the lion. After the Gentiles scatter the house of Israel in America (Mormon 5:20-21), the Lord will remember his covenant with the house of Israel and the prayers of the righteous. Mormon5:22-24 tells us that these Gentiles are in the hands of God.  If we they continue in their unrepentant ways a remnant of the seed of Jacob will tear them into pieces.  Mormon is seeing the future and giving us a warning, probably because the gradual decline, the current immence, and our myopic vision will make it very difficult to believe and see our fate. 

Isaiah refers to young lions who lay hold of their prey and none can deliver. In 2 Nephi 15:25-30, Nephi quotes Isaiah.  This young lion seems be coming from an external source instead of from within.  Perhaps this is a different young lion.

DC 87 talks of remnants marshaled vexing the Gentiles with a sore vexation. This may or may not be referring to the same remnant of Jacob or the young lion. But, I do find it interesting that those who stand in holy places will not be moved. The righteous are also protected from the young lion.  See DC 87:5-8.

In 3 Nephi 16, the Lord seems to be saying the same thing as 3 Nephi 20 and 21. But, He doesn't refer to the the young lion. In verse 14 the Lord says that He will 'suffer his people, who are of the house of Israel, to go through among them, and tread them down.' Perhaps there are multiple ways in which the Gentiles are destroyed (such as attack from other nations). The Gentiles who repent are numbered among the House of Israel. The rest are tread down. They have rejected the gospel of Jesus Christ. The nation no longer esteems moral, good behavior as important.  See 3 Nephi 16:11-15.


The remnant of Jacob, young lion prophecies are not generally discussed in Sunday School, probably because of they are disturbing and not very optimistic.  But, its good to search the scriptures to be forewarned, to be prepared, having done our part so the Spirit of the Lord can bring these things to our memory.

What is Wickedness According to Alma?

As I read the Book of Mormon over and over again, I come up with new insights. Today, I was reading Alma 6. Here, in verse 3, we are told that those who did not repent of their wickedness were blotted out and not numbered among the righteous. Here's the verse in full:

And it also came to pass that whosoever did belong to the church that did not
repent of their wickedness and humble themselves before God—I mean those who
were lifted up in the pride of their hearts—the same were rejected, and their
names were blotted out, that their names were not numbered among those of the
righteous.

I asked myself, how does Alma define wickedness? What is his criteria? I went back a chapter and found where Alma was using the word 'wicked' or 'wickedness'.  Alma tells the people in Alma 5:56-57 the following:

And finally, all ye that will persist in your wickedness, I say unto you that these are they who shall be hewn down and cast into the fire except they speedily repent.

And now I say unto you, all you that are desirous to follow the voice of the good shepherd, come ye out from the wicked, and be ye separate, and touch not their unclean things; and behold, their names shall be blotted out, that the names of the wicked shall not be numbered among the names of the righteous, that the word of God may be fulfilled, which saith: The names of the wicked shall not be mingled with the names of my people;

This particular group of members of the church in Zarahemla were behaving so bad that Alma chose to use the above words!  What in particular were some of these members doing that Alma called wicked? Do the scriptures actually say anything specific? I went back a few verses in Alma 5 to find out. Alma does get specific! Here's verses 53 - 55:

And now my beloved brethren, I say unto you, can ye withstand these sayings; yea, can ye lay aside these things, and trample the Holy One under your feet; yea, can ye be puffed up in the pride of your hearts; yea, will ye still persist in the wearing of costly apparel and setting your hearts upon the vain things of the world, upon your riches?

Yea, will ye persist in supposing that ye are better one than another; yea, will ye persist in the persecution of your brethren, who humble themselves and do walk after the holy order of God, wherewith they have been brought into this church, having been sanctified by the Holy Spirit, and they do bring forth works which are meet for repentance—

Yea, and will you persist in turning your backs upon the poor, and the needy, and in withholding your substance from them?

In verse 53, Alma asks the members whether they, after explaining their sins, will continue to avoid the issues at hand. As they 'lay aside these things', they 'trample the Holy One under their feet'. This must mean that there are certain things that a believer cannot do - things that are so contrary to true discipleship, that if you do them it's as if you trample the Holy One under your feet!  He then outlines what trampling the Holy One means:

1. Puffed up in the pride of your hearts
2. Wearing costly apparel
3. Setting their hearts on the vain things of the world
4. Setting their hearts on their riches
5. Supposing that they are better one than another
6. Persecuting their brethren (who humble themselves and walk after the holy order of God).

In item 6 of the outline above, Alma introduces another group of members.  The contrast is stark and real. This other group of members are bringing forth works which are meet for repentance.  They have been sanctified by the Holy Spirit.  They have caught the vision of what it means to be a saint.  The 'wicked' group can't grasp this happiness.  It looks foolish to them and they fight against it (persecute their brethren).

7. Turning their backs upon the poor, the needy and withholding their substance from them.

Alma calls these things 'persisting in your wickedness' in verse 56.  Is there a message for our day as members of Christ's true church.  I'll let you decide.

I changed my mind.  The message is obviously the same for our day.  One problem (that is really hard for us to see) is that when we are puffed up in pride we don't think we are (see Alma 26:21).  When we can afford really nice things (costly apparel being the metaphor), we don't think twice about how it effects our discipleship.  Are we laying aside the temporal doctrine of Christ?  When our goal is to obtain riches and get the things of the world, do we do it for the right reasons (see Jacob 2:19)?  If we have riches, do we quietly or not so quietly believe that somehow we are better than those who are struggling?  When these things are brought to our attention do we resist, discounting the person telling us of the doctrinal inconsistency that we might be living?  The resisters of the past would say 'away with him!  He has a devil!'  Do we inadvertently withhold our substance the poor and needy by having so much debt that we can barely give or by diverting our funds into whatever (investments or toys) so it's as if we are turning our backs upon them, walking by them and noticing them not (see Mormon 8:39)?  Could we be mocking the poor just by 'adorning ourselves with costly apparel (again, a metaphor)'?  As we 'lay these things aside' do we 'trample' the Savior under our feet?  To 'lay these things aside' means to not want to think about them.  It means to avoid these weightier matters and focus on other lighter things.

These are questions I have mostly for myself.  It takes time for me to shift my thinking to Book of Mormon thinking.  It feels like I am going against everything I was modeled and taught.   I remind myself that the ways of God are considered foolish to the natural man (see Alma 26:21)  and that gives me courage to persist in practicing my discipleship. The promise is happiness (see 2 Nephi 9:42-43).