1 Nephi 20

The mercy of the Lord stands out to me:

"Nevertheless, for my name’s sake will I defer mine anger, and for my praise will I refrain from thee, that I cut thee not off.

For, behold, I have refined thee, I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction.

For mine own sake, yea, for mine own sake will I do this, for I will not suffer my name to be polluted, and I will not give my glory unto another." (1 Ne. 20:10-12)

The furnace of affliction.  I think that most of us have felt the heat of that furnace to some degree in our lives.  It is my understanding that the heat will only intensify.  But the furnace is a blessing.  It refines us.  It burns away the dross.  This reminds me of a favorite hymn:

"When through fiery trials thy pathway shall lie,
My grace, all sufficient, shall be thy supply.
The flame shall not hurt thee; I only design
Thy dross to consume, thy dross to consume,
Thy dross to consume and thy gold to refine." (How Firm a Foundation, verse 5, Robert Keen)

As children of God, we are golden.  When trials and afflictions burn, when the flame intensifies, we can be grateful, for the Lord is consuming our dross, purifying us, and refining the gold within us.

1 Nephi 19

Nephi prophesies of the coming of Christ, His crucifixion, and the scattering and scourging of the Jews.  The Lord bears scourging, smiting, spitting, and suffering because of his loving-kindness and long-suffering towards the children of men.  Nephi's desire is to persuade  his people to remember the Lord their Redeemer, but he also speaks unto all the house of Israel.

Why does Nephi use the verb "speak" instead of "write"?  These words speak from the dust.  The words of prophets whose records we don't yet have access to: Zenos, Zenock, Neum.  Nephi teaches his brothers from the plates.  He teaches them of the doings of the Lord among people of old.  He teaches them from the books of Moses.  Remember verses 23 and 24:

"And I did read many things unto them which were written in the books of Moses; but that I might more fully persuade them to believe in the Lord their Redeemer I did read unto them that which was written by the prophet Isaiah; for I did liken all scriptures unto us, that it might be for our profit and learning.

Wherefore I spake unto them, saying: Hear ye the words of the prophet, ye who are a remnant of the house of Israel, a branch who have been broken off; hear ye the words of the prophet, which were written unto all the house of Israel, and liken them unto yourselves, that ye may have hope as well as your brethren from whom ye have been broken off; for after this manner has the prophet written." (1 Ne. 19:23-24)

"And I, Jesus Christ, your Lord and your God, have spoken it.

These words are not of men nor of man, but of me; wherefore, you shall testify they are of me and not of man;

For it is my voice which speaketh them unto you; for they are given by my Spirit unto you, and by my power you can read them one to another; and save it were by my power you could not have them;

Wherefore, you can testify that you have heard my voice, and know my words." (D&C 18:33-36)

1 Nephi 18

Three verses stood out to me:

3 And I, Nephi, did go into the mount oft, and I did pray oft unto the Lord; wherefore the Lord showed unto me great things.

16 Nevertheless, I did look unto my God, and I did praise him all the day long; and I did not murmur against the Lord because of mine afflictions.

21 And it came to pass after they had loosed me, behold, I took the compass, and it did work whither I desired it. And it came to pass that I prayed unto the Lord; and after I had prayed the winds did cease, and the storm did cease, and there was a great calm.

Do we want the Lord to show us great things?  Do we want to praise God?  Do we want the winds and the storm to cease, and to have great calm?  If so, Nephi shows us a great pattern for obtaining these blessings.  Attend the temple.  Pray.  Look unto the Lord.  Be grateful and praise God.  Pray again.

1 Nephi 17

What a great chapter.  One verse in particular struck me:

"And I will also be your light in the wilderness; and I will prepare the way before you, if it so be that ye shall keep my commandments; wherefore, inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments ye shall be led towards the promised land; and ye shall know that it is by me that ye are led." (1 Ne. 17:13)

The Lord is the light of the world.  He leads us to the promised land, and promised blessings.

1 Nephi 16

A couple of thoughts.  Why is it that Laman and Lemuel are continually rebelling, murmuring, and then humbling themselves before the Lord while Nephi does not murmur, rebel or complain?  This is Nephi's record, but there is a consistent pattern or theme with his brothers, and in this chapter, even with his dad.  They harden their hearts and murmur, but then they are humbled, as Nephi writes, they are humbled before the Lord.  The Lord chastens them continually, and Nephi suffers with them.  But Nephi understands the dealings of the Lord, and therefore does not murmur.

But Lehi understands the dealings of the Lord, so why does he murmur?  I don't think that there is any mortal who at one point or another has not murmured because of afflictions.  Afflictions are not fun.  They hurt.  I imagine that Lehi was murmuring more because of his sons' murmurings than because of their lack of food.

Another interesting thing.  When Nephi and his brothers marry the daughters of Ishmael, Nephi writes that thus his father had fulfilled all the commandments of the Lord, and that he had been exceedingly blessed.  In 1 Nephi 5:20 we read that "thus far" Nephi and his father had kept the commandments of the Lord.  But when Nephi and his brothers and Zoram marry, it is Lehi fulfilling of the commandments of the Lord.

When I read this chapter I wonder: could Joseph Smith have come up with these things on his own?  Words like Zoram, Shazer, Nahom?  A round ball?  Who talks like that?  A straight stick?  Who writes like that?

In any case, Nephi was exceedingly blessed of the Lord.  

1 Nephi 15

Nephi shows us a pattern of revelation.  Nephi received his own testimony through the Spirit and by a vision that his father spoke the truth, but Nephi's brothers did not understand the vision.  Because their hearts were hard, and because they had not asked of the Lord, they did not understand, and because they did not understand, they disputed with each other.  Nephi was grieved because of their wickedness, because he loved them and wanted them to enjoy the same blessings of revelation that he had received.  His question: Have ye inquired of the Lord? is a poignant one.  When his brothers answer in the negative, Nephi is more grieved, and he begins to teach and testify to them of the truth. How is it?  Do you not remember? Are we not a branch of the house of Israel?  Nephi explains the meaning of their father's vision because his brothers did not know the meaning for themselves.

But one interesting thing is the nature of Nephi's brothers' questions.  At first they are curious to know the meaning of the natural branches of the olive-tree and the Gentiles.  They are disputing about these symbols.  What do they mean?  It is important to understand what Lehi's dream symbolizes, but these symbols are not the central focus of Lehi's dream or vision.  In other words, Laman and Lemuel are squabbling over insubstantial things because of the hardened condition of their hearts, and their refusal to inquire of the Lord.  But as Nephi teaches them, and testifies to them, their hearts are softened, and they become more subdued.  At least, this is how Nephi describes these events.  If we had Laman and Lemuel's records, we might see a different picture.  In any event, Nephi explains the meaning of the different symbols in Lehi's dream, and he teaches and testifies to his brothers.  He rehearses unto them the words of Isaiah.  The words of Isaiah are powerful.  Nephi's words are spoken with such energy of heart and love that his brothers are "pacified" and "humble themselves before the Lord."

At this point, their questions change.  When they are humble they no longer dispute about inconsequential, ancillary ideas.  They begin to ask real, sincere, searching questions.  They want to know what the tree is all about.  They want to understand what the rod of iron is all about.  When they are humble, their focus shifts to things that matter most.  It is Nephi's love, and the Spirit of the Lord that moves upon them and softens their hearts.  Unlike Nephi who prayed for the Lord to soften his own heart so that he could believe, the softening of Laman and Lemuel's hearts came from exterior influences.  But it still came.  This shows that through faith in Christ, the Lord can soften our own hearts and the hearts of those around us.  Furthermore, it proves that the way in which we ask questions matters.  Nephi didn't just seek the truth.  He sought with lowliness of heart and sincerity.  As soon as Laman and Lemuel were humble enough to ask the right questions, the Lord enabled Nephi to answer their questions.  What is the meaning of the tree?  What is the meaning of the rod of iron?  These beautiful and powerful verses are a response to their good questions:

"And it came to pass that they did speak unto me again, saying: What meaneth this thing which our father saw in a dream? What meaneth the tree which he saw?

And I said unto them: It was a representation of the tree of life.
And they said unto me: What meaneth the rod of iron which our father saw, that led to the tree?

And I said unto them that it was the word of God; and whoso would hearken unto the word of God, and would hold fast unto it, they would never perish; neither could the temptations and the fiery darts of the adversary overpower them unto blindness, to lead them away to destruction." (1 Ne. 15:21-24)

As Nephi's brothers humbled themselves, asked the right questions, and received an answer through the Spirit, Nephi then extended an invitation to them to act:

"Wherefore, I, Nephi, did exhort them to give heed unto the word of the Lord; yea, I did exhort them with all the energies of my soul, and with all the faculty which I possessed, that they would give heed to the word of God and remember to keep his commandments always in all things." (1 Ne. 15:25)

There is a lot more that could be written about this chapter, and verse 24 is only one of many verses worth ponderizing.

1 Nephi 14

Two things.  The first thing that stood out to me is that the numbers of the church of the Lamb of God are few.  Few.  Many are called, but few are chosen.  (D&C 121)

"Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it." (Matt. 7:14)

"Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it." (3 Ne. 14:14)

"And it came to pass that the Lord of the vineyard sent his servant; and the servant went and did as the Lord had commanded him, and brought other servants; and they were few." (Jacob 5:70)

"And yet, notwithstanding his mighty works, and miracles, and proclamation of the truth, in great power and authority, there were but few who hearkened to his voice, and rejoiced in his presence, and received salvation at his hands." (D&C 138:26)

Why were the numbers few?  Because of the wickedness and abominations of the whore who sat upon the many waters.  The dominions of the Church of the Lamb of God are small.

The second thing that caught my attention was that the angel told Nephi to look, and he beheld a man in a white robe, namely John the Beloved.  This reminds me of the man in the white robe who stood before Nephi's father Lehi.