1 Nephi 15

• Nephi returns to the family camp to find his brothers arguing over what their father had share with them. (v1-2)
  • “For he truly spake many great things unto them, which were hard to be understood, save a man should inquire of the Lord; and they being hard in their hearts, therefore they did not look unto the Lord as they ought.” (v3)
  • Understanding would only come with the help of the Lord. Laman and Lemeul were hard hearted and wouldn’t ask the Lord for help.
  • Definition: Hard Hearted… not turning to or looking to or inquiring of or going to the Lord.
• After resting and receiving strength, Nephi tries to resolve the dispute among his brothers. He learns they haven’t asked the Lord for help and asks why. The brothers give a dumb excuse. Nephi replies:
  • “Do ye not remember the things which the Lord hath said?—If ye will not harden your hearts, and ask me in faith, believing that ye shall receive, with diligence in keeping my commandments, surely these things shall be made known unto you.” (v11)
    • Remember… go to the Lord, ask in faith, believe that you’ll get an answer, diligently keep the commandments, and understanding will be revealed to you.
• Nephi teaches Laman and Lemuel that the the House of Israel (including their people) will be scattered by the Gentiles and then eventually gathered. They will learn of Jesus Christ and the covenants that God made with their ancestors. Those convenants will be fulfilled in the latter days. (v12-19)
• Nephi taught those that listen and obey the word of God and are diligent would not be overpowered by the temptations of the devil that leads to destruction. (v24)
• Nephi warns that if done bad in this life we won’t be able to live with God. (v33)

1 Nephi 16

• Nephi finishes his talk with his brothers. The result was the brothers “did humble themselves before the Lord…” such that Nephi was optimistic that they would continue to be righteous. (v5)
• At this point, Lehi had “fulfilled all the commandments of the Lord which had been given unto him…” and Nephi felt extremely blessed. (v8)
• Lehi has a dream where the Lord tells him to “journey into the wilderness.” (v9) Then the next morning, the Lord provides “a round ball of curious workmanship…” that points “the way whither we should go into the wilderness.” (v10)
  • Lehi was asked directly to do something and the Lord provided a way for him to do it. In this case, the help was a physical object that was provided immediately. Remember the Lord is a deliverer.
• Lehi is obedient and the group leaves. (v12)
• Nephi’s bow breaks and many, even Lehi begin to “murmur against the Lord…” because they were so hungry. (v18-20)
  • While his brothers are hard-hearted and complaining, Nephi makes a new bow asks his father where to hunt? (v21-23)
  • Lehi, after humbling himself, prayed and the Lord said, “Look upon the ball, and behold the things which are written.” (v26)
    • Something is written on the ball that causes Lehi and others to “fear and tremble exceedingly…” (v27) It isn’t recorded what is written, but it must have been a strong warning.
    • Nephi and the family learns that “the pointers which were in the ball, that they did work according to the faith and diligence and heed which we did give unto them.” (v28) The ball only works if you have faith in and do what it tells you.
    • There was also writing on the pointers that changed from time to time “…which did give us understanding concerning the ways of the Lord;” (v29)
    • “And thus we see that by small means the Lord can bring about great things.” (v29)
  • Nephi obeys the message and and direction of the ball and is able to obtain food for his family. Everyone is humbled and gives thanks to the Lord. (v30-32)
• The death of Ishmael, triggers more murmuring such that Laman and Lemuel and many of Ishmael’s family contemplate killing Lehi and Nephi. (34-38)
  • The voice of the Lord spoke to everyone and chastened them. They all repented and the group was able to find food again. (39)
    • Why did the voice of the Lord come this time and last time the message/direction was on the ball? I don’t know and maybe the lesson is to be open to hear the voice of the Lord through any of the ways he speaks to us: scriptures, Holy Ghost, in person, etc.

• If the Gentiles in the Americas will accept the Jesus Christ they will be adopted into the House of Israel and blessed forever. (v1-2)
• Gentiles be warned that if you don’t accept Jesus Christ you’ll be subject to the devil and be “brought down into captivity, and also into destruction, both temporally and spiritually, according to the captivity of the devil…” (v7)
• There are two churches: “the church of the Lamb of God” and the “church of the devil…” If one doesn’t below to the church of Jesus Christ, he belongs to the other. (v10)
• Compared to the great and abominable church, the membership of the church of Jesus Christ will be small. (v12)
• There will come a time when the “wrath of God” is poured out upon the “mother of harlots.” That will be a sign that the “work of the Father” has commenced and that all the covenants He’s made with the House of Israel will soon be fulfilled. (v16-17)
• Nephi sees the end of the world, but is told not to write about it since John already would in the bible. Unfortunately, the plain and precious truths John wrote were messed up over time. There are also others that have seen and written about all things. Eventually, their writings will be brought forth too. (v18-26)

1 Nephi 11

• Nephi “desired to know the thing that [his] father had seen,” “and believing that the Lord was able to make them known unto [him],” “as [he] sat pondering in [his] heart…” “[he] was caught away in the Spirit of the Lord…” (v1)
  • Nephi desired to know
  • Nephi believed the Lord could tell him what he wanted to know
  • Nephi pondered the subject
  • Nephi was given a vision through the Holy Ghost
• The Holy Ghost first asks Nephi what he desires. (v2)
• Nephi believed the words of his father. (v5)
• Nephi is granted what he desires “because thou believest in the Son of the most high God…” (v6)
  • The vision is to be a sign to Nephi and he’ll also see the Lord Jesus Christ and be expected to witness of Him. (v7)
• The Holy Ghost shows Nephi the tree, what when asked what it means, the Holy Ghost leaves Nephi and a vision of the Christ’s birth. A new angle appears to guide Nephi through this vision. (v8-21)
• After the vision of Christ, Nephi knows that the tree of life “is the Love of God, which sheddeth itself abroad in the hearts of the children of men…” (v22)
  • “…it is the most desirable above all things.”
  • How does the vision of Christ’s birth result in a “love of God” interpretation of the fruit on the tree?
    • The vision represents the greatest example of love that Heavenly Father has given each one of us. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)
• Nephi learns the rod of iron is the word of God. (v25)
• Nephi learns the waters at the base of the tree also represent the love of God. (v25)
• Nephi witnesses some of the Lord’s ministry:
  • Ministering among the people. (v24)
  • Being baptized. (v27)
  • Healing the sick and casting out unclean spirits. (v31)
  • Wrongly accused, sentenced, and crucified. (v32-33)
• The great and spacious building “was the pride of the world; and it fell…” (v36)
• Any entity that fights against the Apostles of Jesus Christ will fail.
  • “And the angel of the Lord spake unto me again, saying: Thus shall be the destruction of all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people, that shall fight against the twelve apostles of the Lamb.” (v36)

1 Nephi 12

• Nephi’s vision continues with the angel. (v1)
• Nephi sees his people in the promised land fighting over generations. (v1-3)
• Nephi sees a “mist of darkness” over the promised land and the great destruction that comes due to the “great and terrible judgements of the Lord.” (v4-5)
• Nephi sees Jesus Christ visit those in America that were not destroyed. (v6-10)
  • Jesus Christ visits.
  • Twelve apostles are chosen and receive the Holy Ghost.
• Nephi sees the final battle between the Nephites & Lamanites. (v15)
• The account seems to quickly pivot to:
  • The “fountain of filthy water” or “river” being explained to be the “depths of hell.” (v16)
  • The “mists of darkness are the temptations of the devil…” (v17)
    • “blindeth the eyes”
    • “hardeneth the hearts”
    • “leadeth them away to broad roads”
    • resulting in “they perish and are lost.”
  • The “large and spacious building” is the “vain imaginations and the pride of the children of men.” (v18)
  • The “great and terrible gulf” that is between the tree and the building is “the word of justice of the Eternal God, and the Messiah who is the Lamb of God…” (v18)
• The account then pivots back to the great battle. (v19)
  • Nephi highlights that it’s the “pride of my seed” and the “temptations of the devil” that cause the Nephites to fall. (v19)

1 Nephi 13

• Nephi’s vision with the angle continues. (v1)
• Nephi sees a great church formed among the nations and kingdoms of the gentiles. (v1-4)
  • The church is “abominable above all other churches…” that was founded by the devil (v5-6)
• Nephi sees Gentile explorers, inspired by the Spirit of God, be led to the promised land. (v12-13)
  • “I beheld the wrath of God, that it was upon the seed of my brethren; and they were scattered before the Gentiles and were smitten.” (v14) The Lord used the Gentile explorers to punish the wicked Lamanites.
  • The Gentiles inherit the promised land and are blessed by the Lord. (v15-16)
  • Nephi sees the Gentiles in America win their freedom from the Gentiles from Europe. (v17-19)
• Nephi sees the Gentiles with the bible. (v20)
  • The book goes forth in purity from the Jews (containing the covenants of the Lord) to the Gentiles, but the great and abominable church “have taken away from the gospel of the Lamb many parts which are plain and most precious; and also many covenants of the Lord…” (v20-26)
  • The deletions were done on purpose. (v27)
  • Many “plain and precious things were taken away” from the bible as it went “through the hands of the great and abominable church” and the result has been that “an exceedingly great many do stumble, stumble, yea, insomuch that Satan hath great power over them.” (v28-29)
  • After some chastening, the Lord will be merciful to Lehi’s descendants and the Gentile and bring forth the Book of Mormon and restore the Church of Jesus Christ.
  • The Book of Mormon will “establish the truth of the [bible]… and shall make known the plain and precious things which have been taken away from them;” (v40)

Nephi talks about all the revelations his father is getting. Lehi talks about the coming Messiah (he knew it was about 600 years in the future), John the Baptist baptizing Him, and the scattering and gathering of Israel.

Nephi then states:

17 And it came to pass after I, Nephi, having heard all the words of my father, concerning the things which he saw in a vision, and also the things which he spake by the power of the Holy Ghost, which power he received by faith on the Son of God—and the Son of God was the Messiah who should come—I, Nephi, was desirous also that I might see, and hear, and know of these things, by the power of the Holy Ghost, which is the gift of God unto all those who diligently seek him, as well in times of old as in the time that he should manifest himself unto the children of men.
18 For he is the same yesterday, today, and forever; and the way is prepared for all men from the foundation of the world, if it so be that they repent and come unto him.
19 For he that diligently seeketh shall find; and the mysteries of God shall be unfolded unto them, by the power of the Holy Ghost, as well in these times as in times of old, and as well in times of old as in times to come; wherefore, the course of the Lord is one eternal round.

The bolded phrases of these verses always strikes me. I believe that Nephi is inviting each one of us to have the desire to see, hear, and know the thing Lehi experienced; and promises that if we diligently seek these mysteries, they will be revealed to us through the power of the Holy Ghost. I’ve expressed my desire to know these things. Now I must figure out how to adequately seek.