The Peaceful Reign (2 Nephi 12)

by | Aug 24, 2016 | Scripture Study | 0 comments

thumb_mountain_waterfall.jpg

“We believe in the fulfillment and ultimate establishment of the kingdom of God on the earth while men are still in the flesh. We refer to this period as the “Peaceful Reign.”
– From Article 23 of the Faith & Doctrine of The Church of Jesus Christ

Chapters 12 through 24 of 2 Nephi consist of the prophecies contained in Isaiah 2-14. Nephi included these prophecies in his record because he felt they were important for his people to know.

2 Nephi 12 (from Isaiah 2) includes a vivid description of a period of time (still in the future) that we refer to as the Peaceful Reign or Zion. The prophecy states that people “shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning-hooks – nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more” (2 Nephi 12:4).

Imagine a time when there is so little need for weapons that they will be redeployed as farm equipment! Military training will be a waste of time — why learn how to fight a war when none will be fought? No wonder this period of time is referred to as the Peaceful Reign!

Instead of focusing on fighting each other, many people, representing all nations, will make their way to the Lord’s house, which shall be established in the top of the mountains. “And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths; for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem” (2 Nephi 12:3).

Compared to today when so many find it challenging to get in their cars and drive a few minutes to church, how refreshing to think there will be a day when people will be willing to climb to the top of mountains in order to learn the ways of God and apply them in their lives.

We have two hymns about singing on the mountain of the Lord — this is the time period that is being referred to in the lyrics. Another hymn encourages you to run ‘til you reach the mountaintop, while another urges the sheep (the people) to taste the grass on the summit and breathe the pure mountain air. In another, a blind man waits around to ask one question: How tall will the mountains there be?

It’s difficult to even imagine the majesty of the city at the top of the mountains that will draw people from all nations, including the gathering of the tribes of Israel, to a place referred to as the Lord’s house. This is the Zion that we sing about and look forward to as a church, to occur at a period of time referred to as the Peaceful Reign.

“Keeping step, God’s beautiful children, marching to the Peaceful Reign” – “Songs of Zion” No. 103

This article has undergone ministry review and approval.

0 Comments

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Further Reading

Things Can Change Quickly and Dramatically

On the plates of Mormon, there is one short book with the title of "The Book of Nephi who is the son of Nephi — one of the disciples of Jesus Christ" (imagine trying to reference any verses by that name — or even remember it). In the 1830 edition of The Book of...

Read More

Life of Jesus Series (through year-end 2023)

As we are arriving at the end of 2023, and the Gospel Blog writing and audio teams are about to take a few weeks off, it’s a good time to look at where we are in the “Life of Jesus” series.  In case you weren’t with us at the beginning of the series (about...

Read More

Never Miss a New Article

Subscribe to Our Email List
Sign up and get every new blog post sent straight to your inbox so you always have the day’s devotional at your fingertips.

We never share your email address with anyone for any reason, and we use it only to send you Gospel Blog emails. Just articles, not ads!

Your Story for God’s Glory

Share Your Testimony on Miracle Monday

We devote Miracle Monday to sharing miracle stories. From finding a lost wedding ring to healing cancer on the spot, Jesus Christ has done it all, big and small.

And we want to hear about what He’s done for you.

The Gospel Blog Is Open for Submissions

We encourage devotional-style or scripture-based articles in the ballpark of 500 words. We are open to any topic that glorifies God and unites the Church.