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.