1 I looked and beheld many nations and kingdoms, It stands to reason that Nephi would see a vision of the Savior and his ministry (ch 11). But why the rest of the vision (ch 12-14)? Because Nephi needed to know why he had to keep a record. The central idea of the vision is that while his people, the Jews, would keep a record—the Book of Lamb of God (or the Bible, 13:28), that record would be stripped of plain and precious truths, severely impairing his apostate descendants, and all those in the latter days, to learn the gospel of Jesus Christ—just as the mists of darkness prevented the people from getting to the Tree. But another book would be written (13:38-44), that Nephi would start, that would “make known the plain and precious things” and restore all Israel to their Messiah. Nephi would begin the book after the arrived at he Promised Land—what would become the Book of Mormon. The Book of Mormon IS the iron rod!
4-9 I saw…the formation of a church…and I saw the devil that he was the founder of it, an interpretation of the great and spacious building. What Nephi sees, however, is not a church as we would define it, but the kingdom of the devil—his organization—which finds its tentacles in all churches and institutions, in all nations, and in all individuals and families.
8 are the desires of this great and abominable church, and we could add all sorts of other desires that draw us away from the Lord. The question we should ask then is not whether I am in the devil’s church, but what part of the devil’s church is in me. By what other characteristics can the church of the devil be identified in me? See 2 Ne 28; Morm 8:28-38; D&C 10:56.
12 I beheld the Spirit of God, that it came down and wrought upon the man: and he went forth upon the many waters, often interpreted as Columbus, but he was not the only explorer who came to America. Still, Columbus remarkably wrote in his journal that, “With a hand that could be felt, the Lord opened my mind to the fact that it would be possible to sail from here to the Indies. . . This was a fire that burned within me, and who can doubt that this fire was not merely mine, but also of the Holy Spirit.” (Christopher Columbus, Arnold K. Garr RSC 1992).
the Gentiles, a note here about the word ‘Gentiles.’ The word has a dual meaning in scripture—the first lineal and the second spiritual. Initially, lineal Gentiles were all those not of the House of Israel (see Gen 10:2-5). But that initial use became problematic post scattering because the blood of Israel was everywhere. Spiritual Gentiles, then, are those who simply don’t have the gospel, even though they may have Israelite blood. This is how the term is used most in the Book of Mormon (see BD “Gentiles”).
14 the seed of my brethren…were scattered before the Gentiles and were smitten, The Lord is not blind to the terrible realities of bringing conquest, disease, and forced conversion to the native populations of America. This is descriptive, not prescriptive. As to whether Columbus or any of the explorers were good or evil in their time is not the issue we are dealing with here, only the effects of their actions, which are destruction, death, and darkness. Nephi is shown these things to motivate him to write the Book of Mormon because it will be the instrument, along with the Book of the Jews, that restores them to prosperity, life, and light.
15 the Gentiles…were white, and exceedingly fair and beautiful, at best this is textually problematic. In any event, we must read Nephi’s vision as metaphoric and referring primarily, and maybe even exclusively, to socioeconomic prosperity and perhaps some measure of Christian values held by the Europeans (or better yet the pilgrims who were, I think it’s safe to say, the better part of Europeans).
17-19 their mother Gentiles were gathered together…to battle against them, the Revolutionary War of course.
20-25 I beheld a book…out of the mouth of a Jew, the Bible of course. I have too much to say about these verses and always so little time, so I’ll say no more. As they stand, they are clear enough. One point, though—the Bible as we know it was likely put together by Ezra, who restored the Jewish scriptures after their return from Babylon (Neh 8-9), so as Columbus typifies “the man” in v12, so Ezra typifies “a Jew” here.
26-9 taken away from the gospel of the Lamb many parts which are plain and precious; and also many covenants…taken away from the book, note that while truths are taken from the book, they are first taken from the “gospel,” that is, it would be as much a problem of taking away understanding from the text as taking away text itself. Could the following be some of the plain and precious truths that were taken away?
- Three degrees of glory (DC 76)
- Spirit World (DC 138)
- Anthropomorphism of God/Son/HG (D&C 130)
- Melchizedek (JST Gen 14:25-20; DC 84:14)
- Secret Combinations (Moses 5:29-31, 49-51; 6:15; Hel 2:8; 6:17-30; Morm 8:27,40; Eth 8:18; 10:33; 11:15)
- Premortality (DC 93:29; Abr 3:22-23)
- Origin of Satan (Mos 4:1-4; Abr 3:27-28)
- Enoch/Zion (Moses 6-7)
- New & Everlasting Covenant (DC 131-132)
- Baptism (2 Ne 11:22-26; DC 13:1)
- Baptism for Dead (DC 127-128)
- Sealing (DC 138:48)
- Prophecies of Zenock, Zenos, Neum (1 Ne 19:10; Alma 33:3-17).
30 choice above all other lands, for my part, we need to read this in context and be careful not to become too nationalistic, which has happened (a lot) in LDS thought.
31-33 neither will he suffer that the Gentiles shall destroy the seed of thy brethren, this is an important verse because it makes clear God does not condone what the Gentiles do to the natives. It’s almost as if he says that it is in part because they do not have many plain and precious truths that they treat the natives this way (and I would include the perpetuation of slavery in the mix of how the Gentiles “stumble, yea, insomuch that Satan hath great power of them,” v29, 34). Ironically, the Christian world has seen the conquest as divinely inspired, but what Nephi sees is that the conquest is in part because of Gentile wickedness, and the Lord will have to intervene to stop that wickedness and prevent the total annihilation of Nephi’s seed.
34 I will bring forth unto them, in mine own power, much of my gospel, which shall be plain and precious, i.e. through the Book of Mormon, which Nephi will write.
35-36 I will manifest myself unto thy seed, etc. This is how it will all be done—Christ will visit the Nephites (both in vision to their prophets and in person to the people in 3 Ne 11) and he will teach his gospel, which gospel will be recorded on metal plates that will ultimately yield the Book of Mormon.
37-41 (40) These last records…shall make known the plain and precious things…that the Lamb of God is the Son of the Eternal Father, and the Savior of the world, primary purpose of the Book of Mormon. Too much to say here. These verses ought to be read and read, over and over, to grasp their import, including vs 37 and the notion of how blessed are those who seek to share the Book of Mormon to bring others to Christ!
41-42 there is one God… he shall manifest himself unto all nations, it may be this one truth that separates the message of the Book of Mormon from that of the Bible—while the Bible teaches the idea of a covenant, chosen people, the Book of Mormon emphasizes that God is the “Shepherd over all the earth,’”and if there were formerly a chosen people who were “first” and others who were “last,” it will all be made right in the end when that is reversed.
Holy Envy 