Holy Order in the Book of Mormon

The Book of Mormon follows the father-to-son pattern of the Holy Order that was instituted in the beginning. Lehi was the first Patriarch father of that scattered branch (1 Nephi 3:4). Nephi was Lehi's next oldest and righteous son to occupy that position after him. And so on.

But do you notice that the next person to inherit this position after Nephi isn't any of Nephi's children? Instead, it went to Nephi's younger brother, Jacob. Why didn't it continue in the father-to-son Order? Did Nephi not have a righteous son?

It went to Nephi's brother instead of any of his children because as long as Lehi had righteous sons who were alive, the father-to-son Order would continue to follow his line, not Nephi's. Jacob was the oldest, righteous, living son of Lehi after Nephi. 

Yet, Nephi tells us that his "seed" are the ones who will write on the plates:

"Wherefore, the things which are pleasing unto the world I do not write, but the things which are pleasing unto God and unto those who are not of the world. Wherefore, I shall give commandment unto my seed that they shall not occupy these plates with things which are not of worth unto the children of men." (1 Nephi 2:1)

What does that mean?

How are the future authors of the plates Nephi's "seed" if his literal seed obviously did not occupy the plates?

It may have followed the father-to-son Order after all - but through adoption. 

This isn't the first time this has happened. 

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