1 Nephi 11

(All of my own thoughts are in blue  red 4/20 Green 1/21 Orange 4/22 Brown 2023)

 

CHAPTER 11

Nephi sees the Spirit of the Lord I don't know that I have read of someone seeing the "spirit" of the Lord before...is this the Lord? the Holy Ghost? and is shown in vision the tree of life—He sees the mother of the Son of God and learns of the condescension of God—He sees the baptism, ministry, and crucifixion of the Lamb of God—He sees also the call and ministry of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. Between 600 and 592 B.C.

  1 For it came to pass after I had desired to know the things that my father had seen, and believing that the Lord was able to make them known unto me, Nephi and his quintessential (defined: pure and concentrated in nature; a perfect example of a quality) faith! He is teaching us that desire is not the same as faith. An oft repeated phrase I hear is, "I know the Lord can, I just don't know if he will...for me." To me it sounds like he said "can" and "will". This is the same faith Joseph Smith had when he went into the grove to pray. as I sat ^apondering He knew what he wanted; he believed he could have it; and he waited for it…expected it…thought about it... in mine heart I was ^bcaught away in the Spirit of the Lord, so far he hasn't said he has seen the Lord, just that he's been "caught away" IN the Spirit of the Lord. Is this the Holy Ghost conversing with him in his thoughts? To be "caught away" sounds like he was transported "in spirit" to another place. Assuming his physical body remained where it was, but his mind or spirit was taken elsewhere. yea, into an exceedingly high ^cmountain, mountains are symbolic of temples. You can go there to be "caught away in the Spirit of the Lord" and to receive answers to your prayers as well. which I never had before seen, and upon which I never had before set my foot.

  2 And the Spirit said unto me: Behold, what ^adesirest thou? I think it is significant that the Spirit asks him to say what he wants, when surely, the Spirit must already know what he desires. Nephi could think, "but I have asked already when I prayed. But he is being asked to say it again. There is something important that happens when we can verbally express our desire in words; plead our case. As a mom, I always made my little children ask for what they wanted with their words. They couldn't just cry; they couldn't just point; they had to "say" it. And then, depending on their ability, I might refuse to do it for them when they were capable of doing themselves. But I would encourage, and support them as they acted for themselves. Why would our perfect Father in Heaven do less?  Also wondering if only God hears our unspoken prayers/thoughts, and if He sends a "messenger", then perhaps that messenger needs to hear it from our lips...(3 Nephi 14:7; also in Matthew and Luke) ^aAsk, and it shall be given unto you; ^bseek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.

8 For every one that asketh, receiveth; and he that seeketh, findeth; and to him that knocketh, it shall be opened.

9 Or what man is there of you, who, if his son ask bread, will give him a stone?

10 Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent?

11 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father who is in heaven give good things to them that ask him? The promise is ASK, and ye shall find, not DESIRE it and ye shall find. Desire is just the beginning. Is this sequential or 3 ways of saying the same thing? Oilver Cowdrey was chastised because he only "asked" and didn't "seek" (study). Maybe after we have done the first two we can "knock" again and have the door opened.

  3 And I said: I desire to behold to see, not just understand or know of...the things which my father ^asaw. Is he asking for his own born again experience? to know for himself what his father knows? 

  4 And the Spirit said unto me: ^aBelievest thou that thy father saw the ^btree of which he hath spoken? Is this asking if he believes his father saw Christ (which the tree represents) Or just to "taste"/experience the "love of God"?

  5 And I said: Yea, thou knowest that I ^abelieve all the words of my father. Does he say this because Nephi understands that the Lord knows all the thoughts of our hearts?

  6 And when I had spoken these words, the Spirit cried with a loud voice, saying: Hosanna to the Lord, the most high God; for he is God over all the ^aearth, yea, even above all. And blessed art thou, Nephi, because thou ^bbelievest in the Son of the most high God; faith preceeds the miracle… specifically faith in the Savior, Jesus Christ. All blessings follow this foundational belief. Once you know who he is and what that means, you can believe that in His strength you can do/have/experience all things! wherefore, thou shalt behold the things which thou hast desired.

  7 And behold this thing shall be given unto thee for a ^asign, that after thou hast beheld the tree which bore the fruit which thy father tasted, thou shalt also behold a man descending out of heaven, and him shall ye witness; to “witness” is to see something, but it also means to “testify” of something and after ye have witnessed him ye shall ^bbear record testify that it is the Son of God. With great privilege comes great responsibility… So far, it doesn't sound like the Spirit talking here is Jesus Christ. This may be his official "call" to be a prophet.

  8 And it came to pass that the Spirit said unto me: Look! When the Spirit gives you a direction...do it! And I looked and beheld a tree; and it was like unto the ^atree which my father had seen; and the ^bbeauty thereof was far beyond, yea, exceeding of all beauty; and the ^cwhiteness thereof did exceed the whiteness of the driven snow. Does Nephi know what snow is? Does it snow in Jerusalem? Answer:Yes

  9 And it came to pass after I had seen the tree, I said unto the Spirit: I behold thou hast shown unto me the tree which is ^aprecious above all.

 10 And he said unto me: What desirest thou? He only asked initially to “see” (behold vs 3) what his father saw. Perhaps the Spirit is asking him to think again. "Nephi...what do you really want? To just "see" what your Father saw?" Nephi thinks some more and says....

 11 And I said unto him: To know the ^ainterpretation thereof—for I spake unto him as a man speaketh; for I beheld that he was in the ^bform of a man; yet nevertheless, I knew that it was the Spirit of the Lord; Could it have been the Holy Ghost? and he spake unto me as a man speaketh with another.

 12 And it came to pass that he said unto me: Look! And I looked as if to look upon him, and I saw him not; for he had gone from before my presence. I would be like, "don't leave me!"
 13 And it came to pass that I looked and beheld the great city of Jerusalem, and also other cities. And I beheld the city of Nazareth; and in the city of ^aNazareth I beheld a ^bvirgin, and she was exceedingly fair and white. as in skin color... or purity?

 14 And it came to pass that I saw the ^aheavens open; and an angel came down and stood before me; and he said unto me: Nephi, what beholdest thou? So is this someone else? An angel now? If so, why someone new? Again, he is begin asked to verbalize what he sees. Makes me think this is one of the reasons we are asked to keep a journal; it forces us to verbalize with words our experiences. Something must happen to us, for good, when we do that.

 15 And I said unto him: A virgin, most beautiful and fair above all other virgins.

 16 And he said unto me: Knowest thou the ^acondescension of God?

 17 And I said unto him: I know that he loveth his children; nevertheless, I do not know the meaning of all things. Sometimes, our knowledge that God loves us is all we have to cling to.  We do not know the meaning of all things, but we can always learn more than we now know if we ask.

 18 And he said unto me: Behold, the ^avirgin whom thou seest is the ^bmother of the Son of God, after the manner of the flesh. Maybe referring to the fact He has a mother in heaven "after the manner of the spirit"?

 19 And it came to pass that I beheld that she was carried away in the Spirit; This is the same expression Nephi used in verse 1 except he says "caught" away instead of "carried" away. Is there a difference? We know, for Mary, her being "caught away" resulted in something to her physical body. So when one is "caught or carried away" is it literal? Are they physically transported? and after she had been carried away in the ^aSpirit for the space of a time the angel spake unto me, saying: Look!

 20 And I looked and beheld the virgin again, bearing a ^achild in her arms.
 21 And the angel said unto me: Behold the ^aLamb of God, yea, even the ^bSon of the Eternal ^cFather! He just explained the "condescension" of God - God, the Son, voluntarily descending below his God status to take on mortality. Knowest thou the meaning of the ^dtree which thy father saw?

 22 And I answered him, saying: Yea, it is the ^alove of God, which ^bsheddeth itself abroad in the hearts of the children of men; In answer to his question, "what is the meaning of the tree" he was shown the Son of God coming to earth, born of a mortal mother. That he understood the love of the Father, that he would send his Son; and that the love of God and light of Christ are given to every man, was either revealed to him by the Spirit of revelation or something his father taught him. wherefore, it is the ^cmost desirable above all things. I desire a lot of things in this life. Do I desire to feel the love of God above all things? And it's not just "feeling" the love of God, but receiving it fully through following and worshiping His Son. I think "experiencing" the love of God is more than just "feeling" it...I think it's the "born again" experience.

 23 And he spake unto me, saying: Yea, and the most ^ajoyous to the soul. "Men are that they might have joy" and that "joy" comes from understanding God's love for you as manifest through the atonement of His Son, Jesus Christ, who died that you might have eternal life! To be born again is to experience this "joy" to your soul

 24 And after he had said these words, he said unto me: Look! And I looked, and I beheld the Son of God ^agoing forth among the children of men; and I saw many fall down at his feet and worship him.

 25 And it came to pass that I beheld that the ^arod of iron, which my father had seen, was the ^bword of God, the word of God is the scriptures, the words of living prophets (when moved upon by the Holy Ghost), and personal revelation. We must hold fast to ALL three "in the beginning was the "word" and the "word" was with God and the "word" WAS God. So maybe the iron rod is Jesus Christ Himself! which ^cled to the fountain of ^dliving waters, or to the ^etree of life; The tree may also be Christ. Does that mean only Christ can lead you to Him...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. How did he “see” this; that the tree was a representation of the love of God?  Did it look different? Or does "see" mean "Understand" So both the water and the tree represented the love of God

 26 And the angel said unto me again: Look and behold the ^acondescension of God!

 27 And I looked and ^abeheld the Redeemer of the world, of whom my father had spoken; I hope my children will have moments in their life when they say, "oh, my mother spoke of that"...and I also beheld the ^bprophet who should prepare the way before him. And the Lamb of God went forth and was ^cbaptized of him; and after he was baptized, I beheld the heavens open, and the Holy Ghost come down out of heaven and abide upon him in the form of a ^ddove. Just as his father had told him he had seen…

 28 And I beheld that he went forth ministering unto the people, in ^apower and great glory; and the multitudes were gathered together to hear him; and I beheld that they cast him out from among them. Why did some not hear Him in spite of His preaching "in power and great glory"? 

 29 And I also beheld ^atwelve others following him. And it came to pass that they were ^bcarried away in the Spirit from before my face, and I saw them not.

 30 And it came to pass that the angel spake unto me again, saying: Look! And I looked, and I beheld the heavens open again, and I saw ^aangels descending upon the children of men; and they did minister unto them. When was this? It is inserted between the calling of the twelve apostles and Christ's ministry, but is this a specific event? A specific place, time or people? Hmmm...the footnote only takes you to the topical guide "angels". Was this account removed from the Bible? Can angels minister to us and we not be aware of it? 

 31 And he spake unto me again, saying: Look! And I looked, and I beheld the Lamb of God going forth among the children of men. And I beheld multitudes of people who were ^asick, and who were afflicted means "tormented" with all manner of diseases, and with ^bdevils and ^cunclean spirits; what does it mean to be tormented with devils and unclean spirits? Are they two different things; a devil and an unclean spirit? Is this unrelated to sinning? Found this interesting blog that explores this subject. uncleanspirits.blogspot.com and the angel spake and showed all these things unto me. And they were ^dhealed by the power of the Lamb of God; and the devils and the unclean spirits were cast out. This leads me to believe, even more, that being afflicted with devils and unclean spirits was not about sinning. If it were, then the way for relief is repentance. But the Savior "cast them out". My thinking now is that we are afflicted by devils (spirits cast to the earth with Satan) and unclean spirits (those who once lived on the earth, but are in Satan's power in the spirit world) in the form of temptation. When we yield to temptation, they are "in" us. They have to be cast out so we can be left to our own agency again to fully repent. Brigham Young said,"You never felt a pain and ache, or felt disagreeable, or uncomfortable in your bodies and minds, but what an evil spirit was present causing it. Do you realize that the ague, the fevers, the chills, the severe pain in the head, the plurisy, or any pain in the system, from the crown of the head to the soles of the feet, is put there by the devil? You do not realize this, do you? I say but little about this matter, because I do not want you to realize it. When you have the rheumatism, do you realize that the devil put that upon you? No, but you say, “I got wet, caught cold, and thereby got the rheumatism.” The spirits that afflict us and plant disease in our bodies, pain in the system, and finally death, have control over us so far as the flesh is concerned. But when the spirit is unlocked from the body it is free from the power of death and Satan; and when that body comes up again, it also, with the spirit, will gain the victory over death, hell, and the grave. … When we have done with the flesh, and have departed to the spirit world, you will find that we are independent of those evil spirits. But while you are in the flesh you will suffer by them, and cannot control them, only by your faith in the name of Jesus Christ and by the keys of the eternal Priesthood.¹   How does this teaching fit in with the scripture that says, "for that same spirit which doth possess your bodies at the time that ye go out of this life, will have power to possess your body in that eternal world."(Alma 34:34)? What "spirit" is being referred to here. Our own? An evil spirit?
 32 And it came to pass that the angel spake unto me again, saying: Look! And I looked and beheld the Lamb of God, that he was ^ataken by the people; yea, the Son of the everlasting God was ^bjudged of the world; and I saw and bear record. By writing it down?

 33 And I, Nephi, saw that he was ^alifted up upon the cross and ^bslain for the sins of the world.  

 34 And after he was slain I saw the multitudes of the earth, that they were gathered together to ^afight against the apostles of the Lamb; for thus were the twelve called by the angel of the Lord. The apostasy and/or the last days?

 35 And the multitude of the earth was gathered together; and I beheld that they
were in a large and spacious ^abuilding, like unto the building which my father saw. And the angel of the Lord spake unto me again, saying: Behold the world and the wisdom thereof; yea, behold the house of Israel hath gathered together to ^bfight against the twelve apostles of the Lamb. So the house of Israel was in the building?

 36 And it came to pass that I saw and bear record, that the great and spacious building was the ^apride of the world; and it ^bfell, and the fall thereof was exceedingly great. Stay away from the pride of the world. It is doomed to fall! 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. Remember, this was written for our day. This is a modern day warning! If you are guilty of the "pride of the world" you are fighting against God. If you ignore the words of his "watchmen on the tower" you are fighting against God and you will not stand!

1 Nephi 10

(All of my own thoughts are in blue type.red font 4/20 Green 1/21 Orange 4/22 Brown 2023 )

CHAPTER 10

Lehi predicts Is this different than to "prophesy"? He knows Jerusalem will be destroyed, but maybe he wasn't told how? This is his best guess?...the Babylonian captivity—He tells of the coming among the Jews of a Messiah, a Savior, a Redeemer—He tells also of the coming of the one who should baptize the Lamb of God—Lehi tells of the death and resurrection of the Messiah—He compares the scattering and gathering of Israel to an olive tree—Nephi speaks of the Son of God, of the gift of the Holy Ghost, and of the need for righteousness. Between 600 and 592 B.C.

  1 And now I, Nephi, proceed to give an account upon these plates of my proceedings, and my reign This is "king" language and ministry; service wherefore, to proceed with mine account, I must speak somewhat of the things of my father, and also of my brethren. Nephi starts out by emphasizing that this record is an account of his proceedings, and ministry, but spends the entire chapter relating what his father said (his father’s ministry).  But he says he must, in order to proceed with his account. Maybe he needs us to understand that his ministry is founded on what his father had been told or that his testimony is a second witness...

 2 For behold, it came to pass after my father had made an end of speaking the words of his ^adream, and also of exhorting them to all diligence, don’t just “hear” me...apply it, do it...consistently...” he spake unto them concerning the Jews—It was a dream that brought them out of Jerusalem. Lehi is still having dreams that are instructive. This is truly a special gift from God.

  3 That after they should be destroyed, even that great city ^aJerusalem, and many be ^bcarried away captive into ^cBabylon, according to the own due time of the Lord, This is how the Lord does everything... they should ^dreturn again, yea, even be brought back out of captivity; and after they should be brought back out of captivity they should possess again the land of their inheritance. I'm remembering that the “Jews” are just one tribe of Israel, from just one son of Jacob – Judah.  Is it the sons of Judah that fight to possess Palestine? Or the other sons of Jacob? Or does it go back further than that? Here's a great explanation(http://www.focusonjerusalem.com/TheRootsoftheIsraeli-ArabConflict.htm) Basically it says the Muslim nation comes through Ishmael, the firstborn son to Abraham through Hagar, his handmaid, and the Jewish nation comes through Isaac, the firstborn of Sariah. Both nations claim that Abraham was told to offer "their" claimed first-born, and that the birthright and inheritance goes through "their" first-born. The sibling rivalry that began with Lucifer towards Jehovah continues through various siblings throughout the earth's history.

  4 Yea, even ^asix hundred years  why did they get a specific time table for his first coming, but not his second? from the time that my father left Jerusalem, a ^bprophet would the Lord God raise up among the ^cJews—even a ^dMessiah, or, in other words, a Savior of the world.

  5 And he also spake concerning the prophets, how great a number the Lord gives us multiple chances… had ^atestified of these things, concerning this Messiah, of whom he had spoken, or this Redeemer of the world. The Jews don't believe that any Old Testament prophets spoke of Jesus. I guess they believe a Messiah was spoken of, but they are still looking for him?...

  6 Wherefore, all mankind were in a ^alost and in a ^bfallen state, and ever would be save they should rely on this Redeemer. Somehow we must understand the full weight of this statement…What does it mean to truly "rely" on the Redeemer? Before Christ's atonement, all mankind were literally lost. After His Atonement, they are still lost unless they "rely" on His atonement and come unto Him and repent, and covenant to follow Him. I am learning that the true Doctrine of Christ teaches that we must be "born again" and redeemed by the Savior Himself after we come to Him with a truly broken heart and contrite spirit. He is the only one that knows when we have truly offered that. We are totally reliant upon Him to save us and give us a remission of sins. I don't think most 8 year olds are "born again"

  7 And he spake also concerning a ^aprophet who should come before the Messiah, to prepare the way of the Lord— John the Baptist What prophet will prepare the way for His Second Coming? John the Revelator? The Davidic Servant? Joseph Smith? A new prophet? Vague memory of a dream last night where I was singing a song about Joseph and him returning... 

  8 Yea, even he should go forth and cry in the wilderness: ^aPrepare ye the way of the Lord, and make his paths straight; for there standeth one among you whom ye know not; and he is mightier than I, whose shoe’s latchet I am not worthy to unloose. And much spake my father concerning this thing. I don’t think we have much more in the New Testament than what is said here.  I wonder what Lehi added? and why? What is significant about "one who standeth among you whom ye know not."? I know that was Jesus, but is there one among us now we know not? Have we seen John and the 3 Nephites ever and known them not?

  9 And my father said he should baptize in ^aBethabara, beyond Jordan; and he also said he should ^bbaptize with water; even that he should baptize the Messiah with water.

 10 And after he had baptized the Messiah with water, he should behold and bear record that he had baptized the ^aLamb of God, who should take away the sins of the world. Another testimony of Jesus Christ.

 11 And it came to pass after my father had spoken these words he spake unto my brethren concerning the gospel which should be preached among the Jews, and also concerning the ^adwindling of the Jews in ^bunbelief. And after they had ^cslain the Messiah, who should come, and after he had been slain he should ^drise from the dead, and should make himself ^emanifest, by the Holy Ghost, unto the Gentiles.   I believe this is the term for everyone who is not a Jew...Notice the Jews had the gospel preached to them by Jesus personally. The Gentiles (as a whole) were not preached to until after His death, so he is manifest to them by the Holy Ghost.

 12 Yea, even my father spake much concerning the Gentiles, and also concerning the house of Israel, that they should be compared like unto an ^aolive-tree,  whose ^bbranches should be broken off and should be ^cscattered upon all the face of the earth. Here is an example of the Book of Mormon providing a second witness of the Bible…

 13 Wherefore, he said it must needs be that we should be led with one accord we need to agree, be in harmony as we move forward… into the ^aland of promise, unto the fulfilling of the word of the Lord, that we should be scattered upon all the face of the earth. How can they be scattered if no one leaves Jerusalem? Lehi wanted them to understand that they were participating in fulfilling prophecy; to embrace it.

 14 And after the house of ^aIsrael should be scattered they should be ^bgathered together again; or, in fine, after the ^cGentiles had received the fulness of the ^dGospel, the natural branches of the ^eolive-tree, or the ^fremnants of the house of ^gIsrael, should be grafted in, or ^hcome to the knowledge of the true Messiah, their Lord and their Redeemer. What defines a "fulness"? We hear the expression that the Restoration brought the fulness of the Gospel. But we also hear that the restoration is ongoing, which makes it sound like we have not received all yet, so how can we be "full"? Maybe it's just a fulness of the authority and ordinances necessary for salvation...If it is literal, then it is future and after the fulness the 10 tribes will return? Is it when we are "born again" that we come to a "true knowledge" of the Messiah?

 15 And after this manner of language did my father prophesy and speak unto my brethren, and also many more things which I do not write in this book; Sounds like they had just experienced their own "General Conference" weekend! for I have written as many of them as were expedient for me in mine ^aother book. So was Lehi not keeping his own record? Or is Nephi’s record of what he said a “second witness”? I also think we need to remember that all that is written here had not happened yet, but that as we read them, we know that they have happened. I think we are being shown that prophesy is always fulfilled. What things have been prophesied in our day, that have not come to pass yet? The greatest parallel prophesy is that the Messiah will come again. We need to believe that and look forward to that day and all that must transpire before that...and be prepared, with oil in our lamps (particularly and figuratively..."olive" oil...and all that symbolizes)

 16 And all these things, of which I have spoken, were done as my father dwelt in a ^atent, So, is that about the third time we are told Lehi dwelt in a tent?... in the valley of Lemuel.

 17 And it came to pass after I, Nephi, having heard all the ^awords of my father, concerning the things which he saw in a ^bvision, 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 ^cMessiah who should come—I, Nephi, was ^ddesirous also that I might see, and hear, and know of these things, by the power of the ^eHoly Ghost, Nephi already had the witness by the Spirit that what his father said was true.  Why did he seek a further witness?  Why did he need/want to see/hear/know for himself? Is this something we should be doing also? I went back and looked at chapter 2 vs. 14, 15, 16 where a similar sequence took place. Lehi spoke by the power of the Spirit; as he dwelt in a tent; and Nephi goes to the Lord for a witness. I believe we are all told to "make our calling and election sure" which means we should be "seeking the face of the Lord" to have a personal witness of Him (deserves LOTS of study...read "Following the Light of Christ", "The Triumph of Zion" and "Journey to the Veil" by John Pontius. These have had a PROFOUND impact on my understanding!) which is the ^fgift of God unto ^gall those who diligently seek him, as well in times of ^hold as in the time that he should manifest himself unto the children of men. This is his faith…what his father saw was a gift of God, to be sure, but it is available to ALL who diligently seek God. That means YOU and ME! To be clear...I don't think he was saying that it was the Gift of the Holy Ghost that is available to all,(which it eventually is) but rather, that ALL may see, and hear, and know of these things by the power of the Holy Ghost, if you diligently seek him. It is so important to really believe this! So what does it mean to "diligently" seek him?

 18 For he is the ^asame yesterday, to-day, and forever; and the way is prepared for all alludes to Nephi’s unshakable testimony that the Lord prepares a way for us to accomplish all that he requires men from the foundation of the world, if it so be that they repent and come unto him. these are the two conditions for having “the way” opened up to you. And repenting and coming unto him are not one time events. Or is this a reference to being "born again" and receiving a remission of sins?

 19 For he that diligently ^aseeketh Do you really know how to “diligently seek" It means CONSTANT effort... shall find; and the ^bmysteries of God shall be unfolded unto them, by the power of the ^cHoly Ghost, this seems to be the formula for Nephi.  If I repent and approach the Lord, and diligently seek….I WILL find, and the mysteries of God WILL be unfolded to me. And all is done by the power of the Holy Ghost. I think it is important to remember that the Holy Ghost is part of the Godhead. He is a God. That is ALOT of power and love and knowledge and influence. It seems like everything we experience in this life from Heavenly Father and Jesus comes through the power of the Holy Ghost. Is he somehow the "buffer" of glory between mortal man and glorified beings? Does his not having a physical body allow him to be this kind of vehicle between the other two and us? I have heard it suggested that the Holy Ghost is an "office" and that different beings have officiated as "Holy Ghost". Another possibility is that the Holy Ghost could be "born" (to receive his body) during the Millennium since Christ will be here and there will be no temptation. Maybe we won't need that kind of being to witness things to us because we have Jesus. Another "mystery"...  as well in these times as in times of old, and as well in times of old as in times to come; wherefore, the ^dcourse of the Lord is one eternal round. He is trying to explain that this is not unique to him or Lehi, but show that this is how God deals with all men.

 20 Therefore remember another key word for Nephi, O man, for all thy doings thou shalt be brought into ^ajudgment.

 21 Wherefore, if ye have sought to do ^awickedly in the days of your ^bprobation, then ye are found ^cunclean before the judgment-seat of God; and no unclean thing can dwell with God; wherefore, ye must be cast off forever. Which brings this chapter full circle to the need for a Redeemer or Messiah to save us from being cast off forever because of our sins.

 22 And the Holy Ghost giveth ^aauthority that I should speak these things, and deny them not. In other words, “these are not MY words, but those given to me by the Holy Ghost with a charge TO speak them.”

1 Nephi 9

(All of my own thoughts are in blue type. red 4/20 Green 1/21 Orange 4/22 Brown 2023) 

CHAPTER NINE

Nephi makes two sets of records—Each is called the plates of Nephi—The larger plates contain a secular history; the smaller ones deal primarily with sacred things. Between 600 and 592 B.C.

  1 And all these things did my father see, and hear, and speak, he had visions, he heard the voice of the Lord, he shared what he was taught with his family as he dwelt he was “living” there, not just traveling in a tent, Knowing this phrase "dwelt in a tent" was given it's own verse earlier reinforces in my mind that the tent he dwelt in may have been a sacred tent apart from the one he slept in and that he spent much time in there with the Lord in the ^avalley of Lemuel, and also a great many more things, which cannot be written upon these plates. Makes me wonder what these things were….I also wonder what they did everyday. They only had each other to interact with. They weren't building homes, or businesses, or roads. We know they must have had to find food, prepare it, eat, wash clothes, mend things, feed/care for animals. But perhaps Lehi had a lot of time to write, and pray and ponder and "be still".
  2 And now, as I have spoken concerning these plates, behold they are not the plates upon which I make a full account of the history of my people; for the ^aplates upon which I make a full account of my people I have given the name of Nephi; wherefore, they are called the plates of Nephi, after mine own name; and these plates also are called the plates of Nephi.

  3 Nevertheless, I have received a commandment of the Lord that I should make these plates, for the special ^apurpose Okay...Joseph Smith and Martin Harris…right here…hundreds of years ago, God prepared a way out of your mistake of losing the 116 pages.  He knew you’d repent, and he did the ultimate “bait and switch”.  God can make all things right…he’s already prepared that for you. We should have confidence that God has seen our lives too; our decisions; our mistakes, and has prepared a way for us to repent also; that we may also fulfill our special purpose in life. God did that for me. He saw my "mistake" financially and knew that my heart would be sick about it because of what I internalized about debt when I was 8 years old. He then prepared me and my family for the "way" that would be prepared for my deliverance. He knew what I would do and what I would need and that I would sincerely repent and call upon Him for deliverance, and He did not disappoint! that there should be an account engraven of the ^bministry of my people. Perhaps there would be value in us keeping two kinds of journals as well? Is the purpose of keeping the kinds of record separate so they would be more searchable? Mormon abridged the Book of Mormon from many records...This year we are studying the Doctrine and Covenants. I am going to keep my own Book of Commandments where I record the revelations and promptings (small and large) and their fulfillment/impact/learning received. I did not do that.... I just now started a special notebook to try doing that again. Didn't do it so much last year...again. I've pulled it out once more and now I'm recording the things I'm putting on the alter each week to try to truly "repent"/change some little thing (or big) each week. "By small and simple things, great things come to pass!" The little things really do matter. The day to day "simple" and little things are really what make up the bulk of our lives!

  4 Upon the other plates should be engraven an account of the reign of the kings, and the wars and contentions of my people; wherefore these plates are for the more part of the ministry; and the ^aother plates are for the more part of the reign of the kings and the wars and contentions of my people. What is the value in recording the wars and contentions of a people? To establish fault, accountability, or to learn from the past what causes the contentions? To see the fulfillment of prophecy?

  5 Wherefore, the Lord hath commanded me to make these plates for a ^awise purpose in him, which purpose I know not. Considering how difficult is was to make/engrave on metal plates, Nephi may have wondered why and if he asked, the Lord never told him, but he did it anyway.  If Mormon abridged the record, he could have drawn out the ministry information to include, but it would certainly have been time-consuming.  Perhaps it would help our posterity to know what was “of most worth” to us, by separating out for them these things.

  6 But the Lord ^aknoweth all things from the beginning; He knows…He prepares….wherefore, he prepareth a way to accomplish all his works among the children of men This is Nephi’s great testimony! ; for behold, he hath all ^bpower unto the fulfilling of all his words. And thus it is End of discussion…no murmuring…no questioning.  Truth is truth, fact is fact!. Amen. This is timely for today, April 16, 2020 as the world is experiencing a pandemic that has economies shut down. We must trust that the Lord knows all things - even this - from it's beginning to its end. He has already prepared a way to accomplish all his works among us. He has all power to fulfill his words, no matter what scientists, politicians, the media, or YouTubers say. And thus it is. Amen! Here we are almost a year later (Jan 2021) The pandemic continues with mask wearing, social distancing, limited numbers at church and large gatherings. Lots of government control. A stolen presidential election. Extreme censorship and control in social media and on TV. We're headed right for the anti-christ, but also for Zion. Praying that I can survive it all and be guided through it all! Now it is April 2022. The pandemic is all but over, though it seems to be continuing in China but without worldwide panic or attention this time. A war has broken out as Russia has attacked the Ukraine (end of February) and millions have fled for refuge. The war on gender is raging and making great headway, but people are starting to stand up against it. Food shortages, water shortages and an economic collapse are staring us in the face. Now it is February 2023. The attention on Covid is still being pushed by the mainstream narrative, but more and more attention is being given to the injuries and issues it is causing. My own brother, Scott, had a "mysterious" brain bleed that caused him to stroke while he was skiing. He had just had a physical and was in perfect health. Clotting is more common with the Vax but I can't help but think it had something to do with it, since "unknown" is the major cause of death right now and "all cause" mortality is through the roof for the the younger demographics. The corrupt CDC just added the Vax to the childhood immunization schedule, bringing the total vaccines to 72 from birth to 18! So wrong! It's hurting our children, not helping them! Russia is still warring with Ukraine. Turkey just had a 7.8 earthquake and tens of thousands of lives have been lost. Biden (or his imposter) is still in the Whitehouse wreaking havoc on our country. What has God prepared for what He has seen in our day? Is the answer in Isaiah and Revelations? Daniel? Jeremiah? What has he prepared for the escape of the righteous? Will it be like the children of Israel's exodus? Still looking for the Savior's return! I have included an account of Joseph Smith's experience with the lost manuscript. Considering the depth of his sorrow and grief and guilt over that, how comforting it must have been when he translated this chapter of the Book of Mormon! To hear that hundreds and hundreds of years earlier, God had seen him and this very moment in his life and had made a way for "all things to work together for his good." How grateful he must have felt for Nephi's willingness to obey this request from the Lord, without even knowing why, even though it may have been inconvenient or difficult. It is such a testimony to me that God truly is "in the details of our lives", as Pres. Monson has taught us! 

From the Life of Joseph Smith

On June 14, 1828, Martin Harris left Harmony, Pennsylvania, taking the first 116 manuscript pages translated from the gold plates to show to some of his family members in Palmyra, New York. The very next day, Joseph and Emma’s first child was born, a son they named Alvin. The baby died that same day, and Emma’s health declined until she was near death herself. The Prophet’s mother later wrote: “For some time, [Emma] seemed to tremble upon the verge of the silent home of her infant. So uncertain seemed her fate for a season that in the space of two weeks her husband never slept one hour in undisturbed quiet. At the end of this time, his anxiety became so great about the manuscript that he determined, as his wife was now some better, that as soon as she had gained a little more strength he would make a trip to New York and see after the same.”¹

In July, at Emma’s suggestion, the Prophet left Emma in her mother’s care and traveled by stagecoach to his parents’ home in Manchester Township, New York. The Prophet’s trip covered about 125 miles and took two or three days to complete. Distraught about the loss of his firstborn son, worried about his wife, and gravely concerned about the manuscript, Joseph neither ate nor slept during the entire trip. A fellow traveler, the only other passenger on the stagecoach, observed the Prophet’s weakened state and insisted on accompanying him for the 20-mile walk from the stagecoach station to the Smith home. For the last four miles of the walk, recalled the Prophet’s mother, “the stranger was under the necessity of leading Joseph by his arm, for nature was too much exhausted to support him any longer and he would fall asleep as he stood upon his feet.”² Immediately upon reaching his parents’ home, the Prophet sent for Martin Harris.

Martin arrived at the Smith home in the early afternoon, downcast and forlorn. He did not have the manuscript, he said, and did not know where it was. Hearing this, Joseph exclaimed, “Oh! My God, my God. … All is lost, is lost. What shall I do? I have sinned. It is I that tempted the wrath of God by asking him for that which I had no right to ask. … How shall I appear before the Lord? Of what rebuke am I not worthy from the angel of the Most High?”

As the day wore on, the Prophet paced back and forth in his parents’ home in great distress, “weeping and grieving.” The next day he left to return to Harmony, where, he said, “I commenced humbling myself in mighty prayer before the Lord … that if possible I might obtain mercy at his hands and be forgiven of all that I had done which was contrary to his will.”³

The Lord severely chastised the Prophet for fearing man more than God, but assured him he could be forgiven. “Thou art Joseph,” the Lord said, “and thou wast chosen to do the work of the Lord, but because of transgression, if thou art not aware thou wilt fall. But remember, God is merciful; therefore, repent of that which thou hast done which is contrary to the commandment which I gave you, and thou art still chosen, and art again called to the work” (D&C 3:9–10).

For a time, the Lord took the Urim and Thummim and the plates from Joseph. But these things were soon restored to him. “The angel was rejoiced when he gave me back the Urim and Thummim,” the Prophet recalled, “and said that God was pleased with my faithfulness and humility, and loved me for my penitence and diligence in prayer, in the which I had performed my duty so well as to … be able to enter upon the work of translation again.”⁴ As Joseph moved forward in the great work before him, he was now fortified by the sweet feelings of receiving the Lord’s forgiveness and a renewed determination to do His will.