Job Bautista: Context of 2 Nephi 9:8

Job Bautista of Iglesia Ni Cristo posted this in one of his comments, in which I for about a multiple times that it seems like he's misleading someone by overlooking on a passage without knowing what it meant.

Below was his comments and my response to his arrogant post. Let's dive in -

From a comment section (Name withheld)

Now, what was this actually all about? Is it true that LDS people will become a devil according to Job Bautista? So what's the Context was all about?

What was 2 Nephi 9:8 all about?

In 2 Nephi 9:8, Jacob, a prophet in the Book of Mormon, is teaching about the Atonement of Jesus Christ and its essential role for mankind. This verse explains that without the Atonement, our spirits would become subject to the devil, resulting in a spiritual death where we would be cut off from the presence of God forever. It emphasizes the necessity of Christ's sacrifice for our redemption and to bring us back into the presence of God. The Atonement offers us the opportunity to be saved from two deaths: a physical death and a spiritual death, giving us hope for a resurrection and eternal life. It's a powerful reminder of the love God has for us and the central role of Jesus Christ's sacrifice.

Does it said that every LDS will become a devil?

The reference to becoming subject to the devil, as mentioned in scriptures like 2 Nephi 9:8, refers to the consequence of sin without the Atonement of Jesus Christ. It means that without the redeeming power of Christ's sacrifice, we would be cut off from the presence of God because of our sins, not that we would literally become devils. The teachings of the Church emphasize the love of God for His children and His desire for all to return to Him through the grace and mercy offered by Jesus Christ.

Understanding scripture can be complex, and sometimes it's easy to misunderstand without the broader context.

To understand the whole context simple read back where the actual story. See below (words in highlighted could take you to the right context) -

2 That he has spoken unto the Jews, by the mouth of his holy prophets, even from the beginning down, from generation to generation, until the time comes that they shall be restored to the true church and fold of God; when they shall be gathered home to the lands of their inheritance, and shall be established in all their lands of promise.

3 Behold, my beloved brethren, I speak unto you these things that ye may rejoice, and lift up your heads forever, because of the blessings which the Lord God shall bestow upon your children.

4 For I know that ye have searched much, many of you, to know of things to come; wherefore I know that ye know that our flesh must waste away and die; nevertheless, in our bodies we shall see God.

5 Yea, I know that ye know that in the body he shall show himself unto those at Jerusalem, from whence we came; for it is expedient that it should be among them; for 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.

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.

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.

8 O the wisdom of God, his mercy and grace! For behold, 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.

9 And 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; yea, to that being who beguiled our first parents, who transformeth himself nigh unto an angel of light, and stirreth up the children of men unto secret combinations of murder and all manner of secret works of darkness.

Does 2 Nephi 9:8 has biblical relevance?

The teachings found in 2 Nephi 9:8, particularly about the Atonement of Jesus Christ and its significance for mankind's redemption, find parallels and support within the Bible as well. This verse talks about the crucial role of Christ’s Atonement in saving mankind from spiritual death and being forever cut off from the presence of God, due to sin.

For example, in the New Testament:

• Romans 6:23 teaches, “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” This verse underscores the idea that sin leads to death (spiritual separation from God), but through Jesus Christ, eternal life is offered—a principle echoed in 2 Nephi 9:8.

• 1 Corinthians 15:22 says, “For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.” This corresponds with the notion in 2 Nephi 9:8 that without the Atonement, we would be subject to death, but through Christ, we can attain spiritual life.

These biblical teachings and many others highlight the centrality of Jesus Christ’s Atonement in Christian doctrine, emphasizing the need for His sacrifice to overcome sin and death, thus providing a way back to the presence of God. The Book of Mormon and the Bible together offer a fuller understanding of the purpose and necessity of the Atonement of Jesus Christ.