Lesson
4
“The Things Which I Saw While I Was Carried Away in
the Spirit”
1 Nephi 12-14
by Taylor Halverson
Introduction
Nephi
provides the most remarkable visionary experience recorded in
scripture. In the short sweep of but four chapters he unveils
patterns of the plan of salvation woven into the threads of
world history. In the process he also elucidates four vital
gospel themes which appear throughout scripture and in the words
of living-day prophets. Essentially, a careful study of Nephi’s
grand vision of 1 Nephi 11-14 will prepare us to understand
the patterns of the plan of salvation and the gospel as they
are manifested in history and throughout the scriptures.
We
will explore this vision today using three perspectives. The
first two perspectives are “apocalyptic literature” and “salvation
history.” The last perspective involves four key themes present
in Nephi’s vision, which are also found repeatedly throughout
the Book of Mormon. When we understand these four key themes
we have made significant inroads to understanding patterns and
themes throughout the Book of Mormon, other scripture, and history.
In preparation to carefully investigate Nephi’s vision let us
study each of the three perspectives introduced here: apocalyptic
literature, salvation history, and the four gospel themes.
Perspective 1—Apocalyptic Literature
One
way to enhance our understanding of 1 Nephi 11-14 is to read
it from a literary perspective; that is, to see the literary
features which constitute it. Literary features help us and
guide us in interpreting a text. No one who reads the phrase,
“Once upon a time,” would dare think that they were reading
a business report or a thank-you card.
Literary
features come in many forms. Some are epistolary, such as those
of the Pauline letters which have formulaic greetings and salutations
marking the introduction and conclusion of the epistle. Other
literary features are hortatory (exhortation, counsel, commandment)
in style, often couched in command forms such as the famous
President Kimball dictum, “Do it!” The Book of James in the
New Testament is a lucid example of hortatory style; over ½
the book is written in command form. Most of us are familiar
with the literary style of chiasmus that generously adorns the
structure of the Book of Mormon text. Another literary style
that is relatively unknown is that of “apocalyptic.” We are
familiar with the Book of Daniel and the Book of Revelation.
Both these books are written in the literary genre of “apocalyptic.”
So too is 1 Nephi 11-14. Recognizing the literary genre of
“apocalyptic” is one way to help us generate meaning from this
Book of Mormon text. The most salient features of apocalyptic
literature are noted below.
- A prophetic figure (such as Daniel, John, or Nephi,
etc.)
- Visions & Revelation
- disclosed by an angel or heavenly being
- occurs on a high mountain or on a heavenly journey
- Divine interpretations
- of history
- often in a chronological, salvation history format,
where the events of history are interpreted as leading
up to the triumph of God over evil when a new era of peace
is inaugurated
- of symbols
- sometimes bizarre and strange such as in the
Book of Revelation
- animal imagery
- Lamb = Christ
- Dragon/Snake = Satan
- Prophesy or predictions of the future
- Beginning with the time of prophet and progressing
into the future until the end of one era and the inauguration
of a new era
- Particular focus on end times, or the times in
history when an era of oppression ends and a new era of
peace prevails
Likely
as you read this outline you recognized that the literary style
1 Nephi 11-14 shares these apocalyptic features. That is good
to recognize this. To be able to see the scriptures from multiple
perspectives enlarges our understanding.
Perspective 2—Salvation History
There
are many ways to understand history. If this was not the case,
history departments across the world would quickly close down.
Among the many tools available for understanding history, which
in the original Greek refers to a thorough inquiry and examination
for the purpose of learning, there is one that is highly appropriate
for our study of the Book of Mormon, an approach much neglected
by the rest of the world. It is the approach of “salvation
history,” that is to say, reading history from the perspective
that there is a plan of salvation for the inhabitants of this
world and that the events here can best be understood and interpreted
with that perspective. This “salvation history” or “plan of
salvation” perspective is particularly helpful for understanding
the Book of Mormon, both on a macro and micro level. When we
are buried in the stories and details of Book of Mormon events
we can always step back and place things in their broader “plan
of salvation” perspective. This approach will help us navigate
one of the most remarkable revelations ever recorded: 1 Nephi
11-14. Incidentally, the four key themes detailed below are
components of the perspective “salvation history.”
Perspective 3—Themes in Nephi’s Vision and the Book
of Mormon
One
of the reasons why Nephi’s vision is so valuable to read and
understand is because it traces four major groups of doctrinal
themes, which are successively repeated throughout the pages
of the Book of Mormon and in the words of modern-day prophets.
Theme 1 includes the topics of the birth, ministry, and atonement
of Jesus Christ, which is the focus of 1 Nephi 11.
Theme 2 features the divisions,
pride, and strife among the families of the earth which occur
because of humanity’s fallen condition, successive apostasies,
and the persecution of the righteous. 1 Nephi 12 focuses mainly
on this theme.
Theme 3 speaks of divine
messengers (such as Christ or an angel) visiting the inhabitants
of the earth to share the gospel message. This gospel preaching
leads to the preparation for and fulfillment of successive restorations
of the gospel. These restorations culminate in the final and
last restoration/dispensation of the fullness of times, which
is presently occurring in our day. This theme prevails in 1
Nephi 13.
Theme 4 describes the cataclysmic
events at the turning of an era, God’s victory over the forces
of evil, the salvation of the righteous, and the ushering in
of a new age of peace and righteousness. Patterns of this theme
dominate 1 Nephi 14.
The
three perspectives described above, including the four major
gospel themes, will be tied together in this lesson to inform
our overall understanding of 1 Nephi 12-14. So my approach
will be to show these ideas playing out in the text, while offering
commentary on various verses of Nephi’s vision.
I
pause on one final note before we delve into Nephi’s vision.
I wish to review the powerful yet simple approach Nephi employed
to received this most awesome and stunning revelation. In Nephi’s
own words he explains,
For it came to pass after I had desired to know the things
that my father had seen [in a vision], and believing that the
Lord was able to make them known unto me, as I sat pondering
in mine heart I was caught away in the Spirit of the Lord, yea,
into an exceedingly high mountain, which I never had before
seen, and upon which I never had before set my foot. 1 Nephi
11:1
This
verse presents us with key principles for receiving revelation.
- I desired to know
- I believed that the Lord was able to make known unto me
- I pondered
As
we study the scriptures let us faithfully follow Nephi’s example.
Wickedness and Apostasy—1 Nephi 12
1 Nephi 12:1-3
In
these verses Nephi sees much of the history of his descendants
and the descendants of his brothers Laman and Lemuel between
his day and the coming of Christ. Unfortunately, it was marked
with contention, strife, and wickedness. These verses are representative
of theme two listed above.
1 Nephi 12:4-5
These
two verses are marked with the cataclysmic events indicative
of a change from one era to the next when the wicked are wiped
away and the righteous are granted a time of peace. Specifically
in these verses, Nephi sees the destruction that would take
place on the Promised Land among his people at the death of
Jesus Christ (see 3 Nephi 8). These patterns are representative
of theme four.
1 Nephi 12:6-12
Nephi
sees terrible destructions and calamities but all of this is
preparatory for the advent of Christ on the earth among his
own people. The gospel message was once again spread abroad
through disciples chosen of Christ (see 3 Nephi 11, 19). An
age of wickedness and apostasy passed away, marked by a restoration
and a new age of peace and righteousness, indicative of themes
three and four (see 4 Nephi). We learn in these verses that
at the final judgment the twelve disciples chosen by Christ
on the American continent will be judges over the people of
Nephi. Furthermore, these disciples have been purged of all
staining sin through faith, repentance, and the power of the
atonement. The use of the word “Lamb” in this chapter (a sacrificial
symbol of purity, innocence, and meekness) refers to Jesus Christ
just as it does in the apocalyptic Book of Revelation.
1 Nephi 12:13-23
The
final verses of these chapters are representative again of theme
two (pride, disunity, apostasy, and wickedness). It is a common
pattern in history that after a people have been long blessed
with prosperity, peace, and righteousness they eventually turn
to pride and wickedness. After hundreds of years of righteous
peace inaugurated by the visit of Christ, Nephi saw that future
generations of his descendants would fall into this wickedness
and apostasy (see Mormon 1-6). The angel explains this portion
of history as a time of darkness and abomination.
We
also receive in these verses through Nephi’s angelic tour guide
divine interpretation concerning Lehi’s dream and how this describes
the history of Lehi’s descendants (vv. 16-18): the mists of
darkness are the temptations of the devil, the river is representative
of hell, and the large and spacious building is representative
of pride, the same type of pride that brought the mighty Nephite
nation down low into the dust of death.
Restoration Preparation—1 Nephi 13
1 Nephi 13:1-11
The
opening eleven verses of chapter 13 continue the same ideas
of theme two. The angelic informant shows Nephi the history
of the world after the time of Christ. Many nations and kingdoms
arise, often warring against each other, most walking in the
ways of apostasy. Representative of this apostasy was the formation
of a great and abominable church that promoted pride, promiscuity,
and wickedness, symbolized in this vision by silks, scarlet,
gold, and harlots (vv. 6-9). Moving forward to 1 Nephi 14:10
momentarily, the angel explains more clearly how to identify
this church (lest we seek to label any one denomination as “the
Great and Abominable Church”):
Behold there are save two churches only; the one is the church
of the Lamb of God, and the other is the church of the devil;
wherefore, whoso belongeth not to the church of the Lamb of
God belongeth to that great church, which is the mother of abominations;
and she is the whore of all the earth. (1 Nephi 14:10)
This
abominable church warred against and persecuted the saints and,
as Nephi learned later in chapter 13, corrupted the precious
word of God.
1 Nephi 13:12-19
At
this point in his vision Nephi has seen over two thousands of
years of world history (roughly from 600 BC – 1500 AD). The
angel now focuses Nephi’s attention on one man among the Gentiles who
was wrought upon by the Holy Spirit to cross the waters from
the Old World to the New World. This is the man Christopher
Columbus. How fitting that his name is Christopher for the
Latin root means “bearer of Christ.” The history of salvation
as seen in Nephi’s vision now highlights the role that Gentiles
would and do play in the restoration of the gospel and the gathering
in of the scattered tribes of Israel to Zion. These verses
cover the discovering and colonization of the Americas, the
Revolutionary war, and the establishment of the United States
of America.
1 Nephi 13:20-29
In
these verses the angel explains to Nephi the history and transmission
of the Biblical record. It is called a book that proceeds forth
from the mouth of a Jew (vs. 24), not literally meaning that
one Jew wrote the entire Bible, but rather those who composed
the Biblical texts are to be identified as members of the house
of Israel and Judah. The angel explains that the Bible had
originally been full of pure doctrine and truth, but that over
the years as it was transmitted corruptions were introduced
to the point that many of the plain and precious truths were
smudged with misunderstanding or were deleted altogether. Because
of these textual imperfections, many of the Gentiles had erroneous
beliefs, ideas, and lifestyles, even to the point that they
were still under the influence of the adversary. Verses 26-30
are examples of the pattern of apostasy found in theme two.
1 Nephi 13:30-42
These
final verses of the chapter again focus on theme three. Nephi
sees that even though God had raised up the Gentiles to prepare
the way for the restoration of all things, he did not grant
them power to completely destroy other covenant people (i.e.
the descendants of the Lamanites who still lived throughout
the Americas). In explaining the history of salvation, the
angel declares to Nephi that God will do his work to save the
ancient covenant people, as well as the stumbling and blind
Gentiles, who were blinded because of Biblical imperfections.
God’s promise was to bring forth the precious parts of the gospel
after the Gentiles had persecuted and hunted the ancient covenant
people.
As
the vision continues Nephi sees that many books of scripture,
proclaiming the pure doctrine of Christ, come forward in the
latter-days as companions to the book which proceeded forth
from the mouth of a Jew (the Bible). By means of these records,
truth will be established, error dissolved, and doctrines clarified.
Nephi learns that the central message of these scriptures is
“that the Lamb of God is the Son of the Eternal Father, and
the Savior of the world; and that all men must come unto him,
or they cannot be saved” (1 Nephi 13:40). A promise yet to
be fulfilled is that Christ will manifest himself to all people
in the latter-days, both Jew and Gentile alike.
Righteous Triumphant—1 Nephi 14
We
have noted that the three chapters of this vision progressively
focus on apostasy, restoration, and the eventual establishment
of God’s kingdom of righteousness on the earth. Chapter 14
speaks almost exclusively in terms of theme four: God’s victory
over the forces of evil, salvation of the righteous, and the
ushering in of a new age of peace and righteousness.
1 Nephi 14:1-2
The
theme of restoration and gospel preaching to the Gentiles continues
through verse two of this chapter. God promises Nephi through
the voice of the angelic guide that at some point in history
the Gentiles will have their stumbling block removed (i.e. the
false ideas, prejudices, and erroneous life-styles). When the
truth is offered to them and when they gladly receive it, they
will be numbered among the house of Israel and will no longer
be called strangers and foreigners, but children of the King.
This is our day, the day of the Gentiles, when the fullness
of the truth is being promulgated and we have the opportunity
to put aside our fears and false beliefs and instead accept
with full humility the saving truths of pure love.
1 Nephi 14:3-10
Beginning
in verse three we see the mighty acts of God at work to destroy
the forces and structures of evil in preparation for his kingdom
to spread across the earth; the wicked will be ensnared by their
own devices. Nevertheless, those who choose darkness over light,
who refuse to heed the warning voice and see the light of accumulating
revelation of truth, will be grouped with the great and abominable
church, whose founder is the devil himself, and whose members
are comprised of all those who refused the loving charity of
their God and Father.
1 Nephi 14:11-17
As
the last-days proceed before the visionary view of Nephi, he
witnesses that both the Church of God and the abominable church
spread throughout the earth, but because of the craft of the
devil, the saints of God are but a minority population. Wrath
and war from God will be poured out upon the wicked, the righteous
will be armed with the strength of God, and it is at this moment
that the promises and covenants of the ages will be fulfilled.
Nephi witnessed that God will do his marvelous work among the
children of men. And this is our day.
1 Nephi 14:18-30
Nephi
concludes his revelatory vision with a description of John the
Apostle who was commission by the Lord to write many things
concerning the Last days and the end of the world. Nephi too
saw these things but was forbidden from recording them. Instead
he ends his account standing as a second witness to the things
his father saw in a dream and reaffirming the veracity of his
own recorded visionary experience.
Conclusion
In
a nutshell, the apocalyptic vision of Nephi presented in 1 Nephi
11-14 contains the principal parts of the restored gospel.
In chapter 11 the atoning mission of Jesus Christ is set forth.
Chapter 12 details the historically repeated cycle of apostasy
and wickedness. Then in chapter 13 we see one grand example
of how the Lord prepares the earth to receive the truth, focusing
specifically on the events that lead to the restoration in the
last days and the dispensation of the fullness of times. And
chapter 14 concludes with the desire of the ages, namely the
Lord’s 2nd coming, the ushering in of millennial
peace, when wickedness and oppression are terminated, and the
righteous are saved into the everlasting rest of the Lord.
These are some of the most important themes and doctrines of
the gospel. We find them throughout the Book of Mormon, other
scriptures, and in the testimonies of living-day prophets.
That we can access these truths by means of this marvelous yet
compact vision is a wonder indeed.
