30:1-2 - "...as many of the Gentiles as will repent are the covenant people of the Lord; and as many of the Jews as will not repent shall be cast off..."
Being the "chosen" people of the Lord is not necessarily a matter of lineage, but rather a matter of choice (Romans 2:28-29, Alma 43:4, D&C 121:34-36).
We choose if we will be a part of the chosen people or not. It's our choice.
God is willing and wanting to bless us, but we need to keep the commandments to have the enabling grace bless our lives. It becomes easier to recognize the more we have the Spirit with us. As we tend towards humbleness and righteousness, we choose God even more, which helps us to be even more humble and righteous...and thus the cycle continues.
30:3 - "...there shall be many which shall believe the words which are written; and they shall carry them forth unto the remnant of our seed..."
This must have been one of the many tender mercies that the Lord gave to Nephi, because earlier, Nephi saw the destruction of his people in vision, which I am sure was a tough experience (1 Nephi 15:4-5). To see that ray of hope for many of the remnant of his seed was probably a great experience. The Lord does not like us to fail or be unhappy...we need to learn from our experiences and grow from them, not wallow in self-pity, etc.
30:11 - "...and righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins..."
In Ephesians 6:14,16, it says, "...having your loins girt about with truth, and having the breastplate of righteousness...shield of faith..."
These all work together...faithfulness, righteousness, and truth. As we work on our faith, we increase in righteousness and truth. The more righteous we are, the more faith we develop as we see the blessings of following the commandments come into our lives.
Melchizedek was called the King of Righteousness, so often when we see "righteousness" in the scriptures, it's also referring to the Melchizedek Priesthood. So as we work to honor and use our priesthood, it helps us learn truth and develop faith. It's a great circle, and following it will help us have the Spirit more.
30:17-18 - "...Satan shall have power over the hearts of the children of men no more, for a long time..."
Elsewhere, it has been said that Satan will be bound during the Millennium, and as I read this, it appears that being "bound" is less of a physical attribute and more of a spiritual condition that is a result of the people just not listening to him.
If we will keep the commandments and help all those around us to do the same, we will be able to "bind" Satan, at least partially, right now. This will help us come closer to God.
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