The word hated in Hebrew means to be loved less than someone else, not to be disliked with bitter hostility (compare Genesis 29:31). The plates of Laban could not have contained them. The Nephites, therefore, could not have obtained the words of Malachi except from the Lord. Lehi and his family left Jerusalem in 600 B.C., nearly two hundred years before the time of Malachi. The book was probably written about four hundred years before the birth of Christ. Malachi lived after the prophets Haggai and Zechariah and is believed to have been a contemporary of Nehemiah. Who Was Malachi and When Did He Live?Īs with so many of the prophets, little is known of the life of Malachi, apart from what can be learned in his book. Notes and Commentary on Malachi (34-2) Malachi 1:1. (Individual-study students should complete all of this section.) Use Notes and Commentary below to help you as you read and study the book of Malachi.Ĭomplete Points to Ponder as directed by your teacher. If so, what is that significance for modern Latter-day Saints? In studying this book, consider whether it is significant that the Old Testament closes with Malachi’s statement that Elijah would be sent. In calling the people of Judah to repentance, Malachi uttered prophecies of great significance for this day and time. What were these promises, and to which “fathers” were they made? What does it mean to be left with “neither root nor branch”? What did Elijah reveal by the priesthood-what keys and to whom? Why would the whole earth be “utterly wasted at his coming” if Elijah were not sent? How does Elijah’s coming help to turn the hearts of the children to their fathers? What does that mean? For example, Moroni spoke of “promises made to the fathers,” whereas the King James Version does not. There is more than just passing significance in these changes. When the passages Moroni quoted are compared with their counterparts in the King James Version of the Bible, it is evident that many changes were made. Joseph Smith recorded that he quoted from Malachi (see JS-H 1:36–39). After telling Joseph about the sacred plates buried in the Hill Cumorah, Moroni began quoting prophecies from the Old Testament. The Lord’s reply came in the person of a heavenly messenger, Moroni, who told the young man of important events soon to transpire on the earth. On the evening of 21 September 1823, Joseph Smith sought the Lord in prayer for a remission of his sins.

Bible study elijah and the cloud