These verses come from chapters
of Isaiah that Nephi quotes.
13 Sanctify the Lord of Hosts himself, and let him be your fear, and let him be your dread.14 And he shall be for a sanctuary; but for a stone of stumbling, and for a rock of offense to both the houses of Israel, for a gin and a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem.15 And many among them shall stumble and fall, and be broken, and be snared, and be taken.16 Bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples. (2 Nephi 18:13-16)
The chapter heading makes it clear this is talking
about how Christ would be a stumbling block to Israel and Jerusalem. (He would
be a different kind of Messiah than what they were expecting.)
I also think the same principle is relevant in the
church today. If we aren’t careful, the words of the prophets and church
policies can become stumbling blocks to us. Church history has stories of
people who took issue with particular revelations and fell by the wayside—people
who didn’t move to Kirtland, people who didn’t fulfill their callings, people
who didn’t go west with the Saints, people who had troubles with this or that
doctrine.
Each time there is a change of some sort, it becomes a
test of discipleship to see if people will find sanctuary in the Lord or
whether they will feel trapped and stumble and leave. We have a promise
elsewhere that Christ will take away our stumbling blocks, but we each have to
make the commitment to do whatever it takes to stay true.
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