1 Nephi

Chapter 12

23 verses

1

The angel said to me, “Look at your descendants and also the descendants of your brothers. ” I looked and saw the promised land, and I saw large groups of people, as numerous as the sand on the seashore.

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And it came to pass that the angel said unto me: Look, and behold thy seed, and also the seed of thy brethren. And I looked and beheld the land of promise; and I beheld multitudes of people, yea, even as it were in number as many as the sand of the sea.

2

I saw large groups of people gathered to fight against each other; I saw wars, rumors of wars, and great killings with the sword among my people.

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And it came to pass that I beheld multitudes gathered together to battle, one against the other; and I beheld wars, and rumors of wars, and great slaughters with the sword among my people.

3

I saw many generations pass away, marked by wars and conflicts in the land; and I saw many cities—so many that I could not count them.

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And it came to pass that I beheld many generations pass away, after the manner of wars and contentions in the land; and I beheld many cities, yea, even that I did not number them.

4

I saw a mist of darkness over the land of promise. I saw lightning, heard thunder, earthquakes, and all kinds of loud noises. I saw the earth and rocks split apart, mountains breaking into pieces, plains breaking up, many cities sinking, many burned with fire, and many collapsing to the ground because of the earthquakes.

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And it came to pass that I saw a mist of darkness on the face of the land of promise; and I saw lightnings, and I heard thunderings, and earthquakes, and all manner of tumultuous noises; and I saw the earth and the rocks, that they rent; and I saw mountains tumbling into pieces; and I saw the plains of the earth, that they were broken up; and I saw many cities that they were sunk; and I saw many that they were burned with fire; and I saw many that did tumble to the earth, because of the quaking thereof.

5

After I saw these things, I saw the vapor of darkness pass from the face of the earth; and I saw multitudes who had not fallen because of the great and terrible judgments of the Lord.

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And it came to pass after I saw these things, I saw the vapor of darkness, that it passed from off the face of the earth; and behold, I saw multitudes who had not fallen because of the great and terrible judgments of the Lord.

6

I saw the heavens open, and the Lamb of God came down from heaven and showed himself to them.

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And I saw the heavens open, and the Lamb of God descending out of heaven; and he came down and showed himself unto them.

7

I also saw and testify that the Holy Ghost came upon twelve others; they were ordained and chosen by God.

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And I also saw and bear record that the Holy Ghost fell upon twelve others; and they were ordained of God, and chosen.

8

The angel spoke to me, saying: These are the twelve disciples of the Lamb, who are chosen to minister to your descendants.

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And the angel spake unto me, saying: Behold the twelve disciples of the Lamb, who are chosen to minister unto thy seed.

9

He said to me, “Do you remember the twelve apostles of the Lamb? They are the ones who will judge the twelve tribes of Israel. So, the twelve ministers from your descendants will be judged by them, because you are part of the house of Israel. ”

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And he said unto me: Thou rememberest the twelve apostles of the Lamb? Behold they are they who shall judge the twelve tribes of Israel; wherefore, the twelve ministers of thy seed shall be judged of them; for ye are of the house of Israel.

10

These twelve ministers you see will judge your descendants. They are righteous forever; because of their faith in the Lamb of God, their garments are made white in his blood.

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And these twelve ministers whom thou beholdest shall judge thy seed. And, behold, they are righteous forever; for because of their faith in the Lamb of God their garments are made white in his blood.

11

The angel said to me, "Look. " I looked and saw three generations pass away in righteousness, and their garments were as white as the Lamb of God. The angel said to me, "These have been made white in the blood of the Lamb because of their faith in him.

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And the angel said unto me: Look! And I looked, and beheld three generations pass away in righteousness; and their garments were white even like unto the Lamb of God. And the angel said unto me: These are made white in the blood of the Lamb, because of their faith in him.

12

I, Nephi, also saw that many people of the fourth generation died faithfully.

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And I, Nephi, also saw many of the fourth generation who passed away in righteousness.

13

I saw the multitudes of the earth gathered together.

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And it came to pass that I saw the multitudes of the earth gathered together.

14

The angel said to me, “Look at your descendants and also the descendants of your brothers. ”

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And the angel said unto me: Behold thy seed, and also the seed of thy brethren.

15

I saw the people who came from me gathered in large groups against the descendants of my brothers, and they were assembled for battle.

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And it came to pass that I looked and beheld the people of my seed gathered together in multitudes against the seed of my brethren; and they were gathered together to battle.

16

The angel spoke to me, saying: The fountain of filthy water your father saw, and the river he talked about, represent the depths of hell.

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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.

17

The mists of darkness are the temptations of the devil, which blind the eyes and harden the hearts of the children of men, and lead them away into broad roads, so that they perish and are lost.

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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.

18

The large and spacious building your father saw represents vain imaginations and the pride of humanity. A great and terrible gulf separates them—the word of the justice of the Eternal God, and the Messiah who is the Lamb of God, whom the Holy Ghost has testified of from the beginning of the world until now, and from now on and forever.

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And the large and spacious building, which thy father saw, is vain imaginations and the pride of the children of men. And a great and a terrible gulf divideth them; yea, even the word of the justice of the Eternal God, and the Messiah who is the Lamb of God, of whom the Holy Ghost beareth record, from the beginning of the world until this time, and from this time henceforth and forever.

19

As the angel spoke these words, I saw that the descendants of my brothers fought against my descendants, just as the angel said. Because of the pride of my people and the temptations of the devil, I saw that my brothers’ descendants overpowered my people.

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And while the angel spake these words, I beheld and saw that the seed of my brethren did contend against my seed, according to the word of the angel; and because of the pride of my seed, and the temptations of the devil, I beheld that the seed of my brethren did overpower the people of my seed.

20

I saw that the descendants of my brothers had defeated my descendants, and they spread out in large numbers across the land.

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And it came to pass that I beheld, and saw the people of the seed of my brethren that they had overcome my seed; and they went forth in multitudes upon the face of the land.

21

I saw them gathered in large groups, and I saw wars and rumors of wars among them. Through these wars and rumors of wars, I watched many generations pass away.

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And I saw them gathered together in multitudes; and I saw wars and rumors of wars among them; and in wars and rumors of wars I saw many generations pass away.

22

The angel said to me, “These people will fall into unbelief. ”

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And the angel said unto me: Behold these shall dwindle in unbelief.

23

After they had dwindled in unbelief, they became a dark, loathsome, and filthy people, full of idleness and all kinds of abominations.

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And it came to pass that I beheld, after they had dwindled in unbelief they became a dark, and loathsome, and a filthy people, full of idleness and all manner of abominations.