1 Nephi 13

There is so much in this chapter. The great and abominable church, Columbus, the Bible, the Book of Mormon, Zion. Nephi's vision is remarkable. It is a revelation that spans far into the future. There are a lot of interesting verses that might give hints about Book of Mormon geography, and there are other interesting subjects that Nephi writes about. But this morning I was most inspired by verse 37. Through an angel, the Lord speaks directly to Nephi and to us, with a promise that He will manifest Himself to Nephi's seed. He promises to minister "plain and precious" things that will be recorded, hid up, and brought forth. Thus Nephi sees the coming forth of the Book of Mormon and other books that will contain the Gospel of Jesus Christ, His rock and His salvation. Verse 37 describes a blessing that is still in effect:

"And blessed are they who shall seek to bring forth my Zion at that day, for they shall have the gift and the power of the Holy Ghost; and if they endure unto the end they shall be lifted up at the last day, and shall be saved in the everlasting kingdom of the Lamb; and whoso shall publish peace, yea, tidings of great joy, how beautiful upon the mountains shall they be." (1 Ne. 13:37)

I love this verse.  It also reminds me of a tribute that Elder Holland recently paid to President Thomas S. Monson:

"In that regard, I pay a personal tribute to President Thomas Spencer Monson. I have been blessed by an association with this man for 47 years now, and the image of him I will cherish until I die is of him flying home from then–economically devastated East Germany in his house slippers because he had given away not only his second suit and his extra shirts but the very shoes from off his feet. “How beautiful upon the mountains [and shuffling through an airline terminal] are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace.”20 More than any man I know, President Monson has “done all he could” for the widow and the fatherless, the poor and the oppressed."

I love the Book of Mormon.  It is a true testament of Jesus Christ.  I am grateful for a living prophet, Thomas S. Monson, who has exemplified so well what it means to bring good tidings, and to publish peace.  

1 Nephi 12

Nephi's vision continues.  Again Nephi writes the phrase "And I saw the heavens open."  These chapters are deserving of more careful study, but in today's reading verses 16 and 17 stood out to me.

"And the angel spake unto me, saying: Behold the fountain of filthy water which thy father saw; yea, even the river of which he spake; and the depths thereof are the depths of hell.

And the mists of darkness are the temptations of the devil, which blindeth the eyes, and hardeneth the hearts of the children of men, and leadeth them away into broad roads, that they perish and are lost." (1 Ne. 12:16-17)

Nephi is shown in vision the things that his father saw in vision, but there are significant differences, either in what was shown or in what was reported.  Perhaps each was shown essentially the same vision but each noticed different things.  Nephi was Lehi's son, but he was still a different and a unique individual.

The angel teaches Nephi that his father saw "the fountain of filthy water."  The way that Nephi describes his father's vision and his own vision causes me to wonder if the tree of life, which is a fountain of living waters, and is pure at the source, is polluted down stream.  In other words, there are two different kinds of waters that are described, one water that is pure and clean, and another that is filthy.  By the way, who would write the phrase "a river of water"?  Doesn't that sound redundant?  What else can rivers be made of, if not water?  

In these visions there are descriptions of rivers and fountains.  In Lehi's vision, he sees people who feel their way toward the great and spacious building, and he sees people who are drowned in the depths of the fountain.  (1 Ne. 8:32)  This is the river of which Lehi spoke, but his mind was swallowed up in other things, so he did not notice the filthiness of the river.  (1 Ne. 16:26-29)  Lehi's mind was swallowed up in the vision of the tree of life.  He was focused on the tree of life, which is also like a fountain: 

"And it came to pass that I beheld that the rod of iron, which my father had seen, was the word of God, which led to the fountain of living waters, or to the tree of life; which waters are a representation of the love of God; and I also beheld that the tree of life was a representation of the love of God." (1 Ne. 11:25)

It seems to be that there are two fountains, one of pure water, or living water, and one of filthy water.  In Nephi's account of his father's vision, Lehi notices that Sariah, Sam and Nephi stood at the head of the river that was near the tree of life.  Nephi seems to write of the river and the fountain interchangeably, but Laman and Lemuel are not standing at the head of the river as are Sariah, Sam and Nephi.  The symbolism of the tree of life and the fountain of pure water seem to be connected with Sariah, who is the mother of Sam and Nephi.  Sam and Nephi are standing close to their mother, the source of their life, whereas Laman and Lemuel are not.  In any case, the fountain of filthy water that Lehi saw was representative of the depths of hell.  Whether it was a different river or the same river that was polluted down stream, I do not know.  The important thing is that the fountain of living waters is a representation of the love of God, and it is the most desirable above all things.

Someday we'll be able to read the text in the original reformed Egyptian, and we'll have Lehi's own account of his vision.  Until then, these are a few of the things that gave pause for reflection in this chapter.

1 Nephi 11

What is most joyous to the soul?

"And I answered him, saying: Yea, it is the love of God, which sheddeth itself abroad in the hearts of the children of men; wherefore, it is the most desirable above all things.

And he spake unto me, saying: Yea, and the most joyous to the soul." (1 Ne. 11:22-23)

This chapter, like chapter 8 of First Nephi, is rich with the Spirit and with plain and precious truths.  I can't possibly do justice to this chapter, let alone any chapter in the Book of Mormon, but I can remember that certain key phrases stand out to me or give me pause for reflection.  Of the many beautiful things in this chapter, it was impressed upon my mind that Nephi saw the heavens open.  He records three times that he saw the heavens open.  

This reminded me of the blessings of paying tithing:

"Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it." (Malachi 3:10)

Nephi had the windows of heaven opened unto him.  He saw the heavens open.  These are blessings that are available to everyone, not just Nephi.

1 Nephi 10

I really like this chapter. It is true. Nephi was immersed in the history of the Jews, and both he and his father prophesied of the coming of the Messiah. Nephi learned a lot from his righteous father, but he reached a point in his life when he wanted to know for himself, by the power of the Holy Ghost, the truth concerning God, Jesus Christ, and the vision of his father. I have always liked verse 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 word "unfolded" strikes me as significant.  Revelation is not something that can be forced or demanded according to our own whims or time tables.  As we prepare ourselves spiritually, seek diligently, and keep the commandments, the Lord can unfold his mysteries to us.  While visions and dreams are more rare, revelation through the power of the Holy Ghost can be a daily experience.  God has not changed, and He does not cease to reveal truth to those who sincerely and diligently seek it, as the following chapters of Nephi's account attest.

1 Nephi 9

Nephi's faith in Christ is so strong that he deliberately trusts whatever it is that the Lord desires of him.  He doesn't question it, even when he doesn't know exactly why he is doing certain things.  He knew that he was commanded to engrave other plates for the purpose of the ministry, but he also knew that the Lord had greater purposes that were understood only to Him.  However, Nephi makes explicit the commandment that an account be engraved of the ministry of his people.  That is the phrase that caught my attention this morning: "the ministry of my people."  Nephi wasn't just engraving a record of his father's ministry, or even of his own ministry.  He was preparing a record of the ministry of his people throughout succeeding generations.  The difference between the large and the small plates of Nephi isn't just a difference between sacred and secular accounts.  The account of the reign of the kings also contained much that is of spiritual worth.  But this record is special.  Nephi knew that the Lord knows what He is doing.  All we really need to know is that God knows everything.  He is omniscient and He loves and blesses all of His children.

1 Nephi 8

Lehi partakes of the most desirable fruit and is filled with joy

This chapter deserves much more time, perhaps even a life time of study, but this morning a few things stood out to me.  First thing: if you find yourself in a dark and dreary wilderness, and you decide to pray, and a man dressed in a white robe appears to you and bids you to follow him, I can't help but suppose that it would be a good thing to do as he says.  There are probably a lot of speculations about who this man in a white robe was that appeared to Lehi.  I wonder if it was the Lord.  I wonder if it was the pre-mortal future author of the Book of Revelation.  Whoever it was, he asked Lehi to follow him, and Lehi obeyed.  Curiously, however, Lehi wasn't immediately led to something better after he prayed.  He was led, even with all of the tender mercies of the Lord, first to a dark and dreary waste.  Then after he prayed, he was led to a large and spacious field, after which he beheld a tree.  Answers to our prayers don't always come immediately.

If it was the Lord that led Lehi to the tree of life, it is an interesting parallel to Nephi's later vision in which the Spirit of the Lord leads Nephi for a time, and then delegates the rest of the vision to an angel.  The man in a white robe (think of Lehi's earlier vision of the twelve and the One), leads Lehi to the field (the world), and shows him the tree.  But then where is the man in the white robe?  Is this similar to Nephi's vision?  Once Lehi sees the tree, as far as I can tell, we read no more about the man in the white robe.  Maybe there is a reason for this.

Whatever the case, the tree, and the fruit thereof, are spectacularly white and beautiful.  The fruit is exceedingly delicious.  It is the most desirable fruit.

There is just too much in this vision, in this chapter.  Maybe I'll spend another day on it, or another couple of days.  Or a week.  It's just too good.

1 Nephi 7

Nephi and his brothers speak the words of the Lord to Ishmael and his family

Once again, the thing that stood out to me in this reading of 1 Nephi 7 is that Lehi and his family were quick to offer thanks unto the Lord.  In spite of all of their hardships, they were a grateful people.

Many have pointed out how Laman and Lemuel did not murmur this time on their way to Jerusalem, because they were going to get wives.  Getting them to leave Jerusalem was a chore, persuading them to go back to Jerusalem to get the plates was like pulling teeth, but as soon as they found out that they were to return again to Jerusalem for the women folk, they apparently had no problem with that.  They did have a problem on their return journey, however, because they began to wonder if it might not have been better to return to Jerusalem for good.  They had quickly forgotten everything that Lehi and Nephi had shown them.  Lehi and Nephi knew that Jerusalem was on the brink of destruction, and they did everything in their power to persuade their rebellious family members to hearken unto the Lord, and to high-tail it out of the wicked city of Jerusalem.  Once Ishmael and his family were ready, it was time to skedaddle, but Laman and Lemuel incited a rebellion because they thought they knew better than the prophet Lehi.  Or, perhaps, they just missed the comfortable living that they had enjoyed.  The Lord was trying to reveal unto them a better way, a promised land, and to save them from destruction, but they kept looking back on what they thought would make them happy.

But the thing that stood out most to me in this reading was the differences in conditions of the heart.  Nephi's heart was soft, pliable, receptive to the Lord's instructions.  The Lord softened the heart of Ishmael, so that he too was receptive to the Spirit.  Contrary to the mistranslation of the story of Pharaoh in the Old Testament, the Lord never hardens hearts.  He softens them.  He softens them with   gentleness, meekness, love unfeigned, and with his Spirit.  He softens the hearts of those who seek a change of heart through the Atonement of Jesus Christ.  This is one of the greatest miracles of the Gospel.

Lehi and Sariah had softened hearts as well, which is what led them to continually offer thanks for their blessings and to offer sacrifices unto the Lord.  Nephi's heart was soft, which enabled him to quickly and frankly forgive his offending brethren.  His soft heart is what enabled his faith to grow ever stronger.

This entire chapter gives example after example of how the Lord softens peoples hearts.  I like that.

When the link to the Patheos discussion of the same chapter appears, I will post it too.  Here it is.