1 Nephi
36 verses
After I, Nephi, had been carried away in the Spirit and seen all these things, I returned to my father's tent.
And it came to pass that after I, Nephi, had been carried away in the spirit, and seen all these things, I returned to the tent of my father.
I saw my brothers, and they were arguing with each other about the things my father had told them.
And it came to pass that I beheld my brethren, and they were disputing one with another concerning the things my father had spoken unto them.
He really spoke many great things to them that were hard to understand unless someone asked the Lord; and because their hearts were hard, they didn’t turn to the Lord as they should have.
For he truly spake many great things unto them, which were hard to be understood, save a man should inquire of the Lord; and they being hard in their hearts, therefore they did not look unto the Lord as they ought.
I, Nephi, was saddened because of how hard their hearts were, and also because of the things I had seen and knew must happen because of the great wickedness of the children of men.
And now I, Nephi, was grieved because of the hardness of their hearts, and also, because of the things which I had seen, and knew they must unavoidably come to pass because of the great wickedness of the children of men.
I was overwhelmed by my suffering, because I felt my afflictions were greater than any others, since my people had been destroyed and I had seen their downfall.
And it came to pass that I was overcome because of my afflictions, for I considered that mine afflictions were great above all, because of the destruction of my people, for I had beheld their fall.
After I regained my strength, I spoke to my brothers, wanting to know why they were arguing.
And it came to pass that after I had received strength I spake unto my brethren, desiring to know of them the cause of their disputations.
They said, “We can’t understand the words our father has spoken about the natural branches of the olive tree, or about the Gentiles. ”
And they said: Behold, we cannot understand the words which our father hath spoken concerning the natural branches of the olive-tree, and also concerning the Gentiles.
And I said to them, "Have you asked the Lord?
And I said unto them: Have ye inquired of the Lord?
They answered me, "We haven't, because the Lord hasn't made anything like that known to us.
And they said unto me: We have not; for the Lord maketh no such thing known unto us.
I said to them, “How is it that you do not keep the commandments of the Lord? How is it that you will perish because of the hardness of your hearts? ”
Behold, I said unto them: How is it that ye do not keep the commandments of the Lord? How is it that ye will perish, because of the hardness of your hearts?
Don’t you remember what the Lord has said? If you don’t harden your hearts and ask me in faith, believing that you will receive, and are diligent in keeping my commandments, these things will be made known to you.
Do ye not remember the things which the Lord hath said?—If ye will not harden your hearts, and ask me in faith, believing that ye shall receive, with diligence in keeping my commandments, surely these things shall be made known unto you.
I tell you, the house of Israel was compared to an olive tree by the Spirit of the Lord that was in our father. Aren’t we broken off from the house of Israel, and aren’t we a branch of the house of Israel?
Behold, I say unto you, that the house of Israel was compared unto an olive-tree, by the Spirit of the Lord which was in our father; and behold are we not broken off from the house of Israel, and are we not a branch of the house of Israel?
What our father means about grafting in the natural branches through the fullness of the Gentiles is that in the last days, after our descendants have fallen into unbelief for many years and generations following the Messiah being revealed in the flesh to humanity, then the fullness of the Messiah’s gospel will come to the Gentiles, and from the Gentiles to the remnant of our descendants—
And now, the thing which our father meaneth concerning the grafting in of the natural branches through the fulness of the Gentiles, is, that in the latter days, when our seed shall have dwindled in unbelief, yea, for the space of many years, and many generations after the Messiah shall be manifested in body unto the children of men, then shall the fulness of the gospel of the Messiah come unto the Gentiles, and from the Gentiles unto the remnant of our seed—
At that time, the remnant of our descendants will know that they are part of the house of Israel and that they are the Lord’s covenant people. Then they will come to understand their ancestors and also learn about the gospel of their Redeemer, which he taught to their fathers. They will come to know their Redeemer and the key points of his teachings, so they will know how to come to him and be saved.
And at that day shall the remnant of our seed know that they are of the house of Israel, and that they are the covenant people of the Lord; and then shall they know and come to the knowledge of their forefathers, and also to the knowledge of the gospel of their Redeemer, which was ministered unto their fathers by him; wherefore, they shall come to the knowledge of their Redeemer and the very points of his doctrine, that they may know how to come unto him and be saved.
And on that day, won’t they rejoice and praise their everlasting God, their rock and their salvation? On that day, won’t they receive strength and nourishment from the true vine? Won’t they come to the true fold of God?
And then at that day will they not rejoice and give praise unto their everlasting God, their rock and their salvation? Yea, at that day, will they not receive the strength and nourishment from the true vine? Yea, will they not come unto the true fold of God?
I tell you, yes, they will be remembered again among the house of Israel; they will be grafted in, being a natural branch of the olive tree, into the true olive tree.
Behold, I say unto you, Yea; they shall be remembered again among the house of Israel; they shall be grafted in, being a natural branch of the olive-tree, into the true olive-tree.
This is what our father means: it won’t happen until after they are scattered by the Gentiles. He means it will come through the Gentiles so the Lord can show his power to them, because he will be rejected by the Jews, or the house of Israel.
And this is what our father meaneth; and he meaneth that it will not come to pass until after they are scattered by the Gentiles; and he meaneth that it shall come by way of the Gentiles, that the Lord may show his power unto the Gentiles, for the very cause that he shall be rejected of the Jews, or of the house of Israel.
Our father has not spoken only about our descendants, but also about all the house of Israel, referring to the covenant that will be fulfilled in the last days—the covenant the Lord made with our father Abraham, saying, “In your descendants all the families of the earth will be blessed. ”
Wherefore, our father hath not spoken of our seed alone, but also of all the house of Israel, pointing to the covenant which should be fulfilled in the latter days; which covenant the Lord made to our father Abraham, saying: In thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed.
I, Nephi, talked to them a lot about these things. I spoke to them about the restoration of the Jews in the last days.
And it came to pass that I, Nephi, spake much unto them concerning these things; yea, I spake unto them concerning the restoration of the Jews in the latter days.
I repeated to them the words of Isaiah, who spoke about the restoration of the Jews, or the house of Israel; and after they were restored, they would no longer be confused or scattered again. I spoke many words to my brothers, and they were calmed and humbled themselves before the Lord.
And I did rehearse unto them the words of Isaiah, who spake concerning the restoration of the Jews, or of the house of Israel; and after they were restored they should no more be confounded, neither should they be scattered again. And it came to pass that I did speak many words unto my brethren, that they were pacified and did humble themselves before the Lord.
They spoke to me again and asked, “What does this thing our father saw in a dream mean? What does the tree he saw mean? ”
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?
I told them it was a symbol of the tree of life.
And I said unto them: It was a representation of the tree of life.
They asked me, “What does the rod of iron that our father saw, which led to the tree, mean? ”
And they said unto me: What meaneth the rod of iron which our father saw, that led to the tree?
I told them that it was the word of God, and that whoever listens to the word of God and holds tightly to it will never perish; the temptations and fiery darts of the adversary cannot overpower them or blind them to lead them to destruction.
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.
I, Nephi, urged them to pay attention to the word of the Lord. I encouraged them with all the energy of my soul and with all the ability I had, that they would listen to the word of God and remember to always keep his commandments in everything.
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.
And they said to me, "What does the river of water that our father saw mean?
And they said unto me: What meaneth the river of water which our father saw?
I told them that the water my father saw was filthy, and his mind was so focused on other things that he didn’t notice how dirty the water was.
And I said unto them that the water which my father saw was filthiness; and so much was his mind swallowed up in other things that he beheld not the filthiness of the water.
I told them that it was a terrible gulf that separated the wicked from the tree of life, and also from the saints of God.
And I said unto them that it was an awful gulf, which separated the wicked from the tree of life, and also from the saints of God.
I told them that it was a symbol of that terrible hell, which the angel told me was prepared for the wicked.
And I said unto them that it was a representation of that awful hell, which the angel said unto me was prepared for the wicked.
I told them that our father also saw that God's justice separates the wicked from the righteous. Its brightness was like a flaming fire that rises up to God forever and never ends.
And I said unto them that our father also saw that the justice of God did also divide the wicked from the righteous; and the brightness thereof was like unto the brightness of a flaming fire, which ascendeth up unto God forever and ever, and hath no end.
And they said to me, “Does this mean the torment of the body during our time of testing, or does it mean the final state of the soul after the death of the physical body, or is it talking about things that are physical? ”
And they said unto me: Doth this thing mean the torment of the body in the days of probation, or doth it mean the final state of the soul after the death of the temporal body, or doth it speak of the things which are temporal?
I told them that it was a symbol of things both physical and spiritual, because the day will come when they must be judged for their actions, even the things they did in their physical bodies during their time of testing.
And it came to pass that I said unto them that it was a representation of things both temporal and spiritual; for the day should come that they must be judged of their works, yea, even the works which were done by the temporal body in their days of probation.
If they die in their wickedness, they must also be cut off from spiritual things related to righteousness. They will have to stand before God to be judged for their works; and if their works have been filthy, they will be filthy. If they are filthy, they cannot live in the kingdom of God, because if they could, the kingdom of God would be filthy too.
Wherefore, if they should die in their wickedness they must be cast off also, as to the things which are spiritual, which are pertaining to righteousness; wherefore, they must be brought to stand before God, to be judged of their works; and if their works have been filthiness they must needs be filthy; and if they be filthy it must needs be that they cannot dwell in the kingdom of God; if so, the kingdom of God must be filthy also.
I tell you, the kingdom of God is not filthy, and no unclean thing can enter it; so there must be a place of filthiness prepared for what is filthy.
But behold, I say unto you, the kingdom of God is not filthy, and there cannot any unclean thing enter into the kingdom of God; wherefore there must needs be a place of filthiness prepared for that which is filthy.
There is a place prepared, that awful hell I have spoken about, and the devil is the one who prepared it. The final state of the souls of men is either to live in the kingdom of God or to be cast out because of the justice I have mentioned.
And there is a place prepared, yea, even that awful hell of which I have spoken, and the devil is the preparator of it; wherefore the final state of the souls of men is to dwell in the kingdom of God, or to be cast out because of that justice of which I have spoken.
The wicked are separated from the righteous and from the tree of life, whose fruit is the most precious and most desirable above all other fruits. It is the greatest of all the gifts of God. I spoke these things to my brothers. Amen.
Wherefore, the wicked are rejected from the righteous, and also from that tree of life, whose fruit is most precious and most desirable above all other fruits; yea, and it is the greatest of all the gifts of God. And thus I spake unto my brethren. Amen.