1 Nephi 11 through 2 Nephi 11

1 Nephi 11
Nephi wanted to see the things his father, Lehi, had seen. He sat pondering those things and was caught away to a mountain top by the Spirit of the Lord—I assume either the Holy Ghost or Jehovah. The Spirit showed him the Tree which Lehi had seen. The Tree was Jesus. The Spirit showed Nephi the Tree’s mother, Mary. He showed him that Mary was beautiful and was a virgin. He showed him that Mary was caught away by the Spirit and conceived the Tree by way of the Father. God the Father is the father of Jesus; Mary is his mother. I believe this vision to be true. Jesus was given mortality and the ability to die from his mother. He was given immortality and the power to perform the Atonement from God the Father. He was privileged to see the Savior’s mortal ministry, his apostles, his healings. He was shown the sufferings of Christ on the cross.
1 Nephi 12
Nephi saw the land of promise. He saw that he had made it there safely. He saw his family down through time to the coming of the Savior among them. He saw the apostasy take place here in the Americas. When I first read that Christ had come to America, it changed my life forever. I was comforted at the start of my mission. With the knowledge that Christ had come here, I was able to go forth with confidence among the Children of Lehi teaching them about the gospel of Christ that he had preached while visiting the Native Americans.
1 Nephi 13
Nephi saw the history of the Bible, how it came from the Jews. He also saw the history of the Book of Mormon and other books of scripture coming forth in the last days. He saw Gentiles coming to the Americas and the great wars upon this continent. He saw Christopher Columbus. He saw that the gospel would come forth in the latter-days first to the Gentiles and then the Jews. Nephi was a prophet and a seer.
1 Nephi 14
Nephi is promised that millions of Gentiles will come to the Promised Land. Those who join the church will be adopted into the family of Lehi. What a huge role for Manasseh to play in the latter-days. A marvelous work will be done in the latter-days. The Spirit, who is revealing things to Nephi, frequently refers to the Savior as “the Lamb of God.” Nephi, himself, does it too. This is because Christ would be the sacrificial lamb of this world, vicariously dying for all of us so that we might live forever if we will repent. Nephi has all things revealed to him down to the end of the world but is forbidden to write all of these things. It is revealed to him that John was given that privilege. Other accounts would be sealed for now.



1 Nephi 15
Nephi asks the following question: Have ye inquired of the Lord?” I want to be diligent in calling upon my Father in Heaven. Nephi’s pattern for receiving answers is: (1) Don’t harden your heart, (2) ask the Lord in faith, (3) believe you will receive an answer, and (4) diligently keep the commandments. Notice how little Nephi tells his brothers when they ask the meaning of the dream. He has had a panoramic view of the world including the ministry of Christ and the latter-days. Yet, he gives very simple, concrete answers to his brothers. And, even with these very simple answers they can’t handle it. They don’t think the Lord will tell them anything so why ask. It makes me wonder what I could learn through revelation if I was willing to knock and seek.
1 Nephi 16
Laman was lazy and immoral. That is my opinion. Otherwise, why does he take Nephi’s admonitions as being so difficult? With the Spirit, life is hard enough; without it everything seems hard. Lehi receives the Liahona from the Lord. I have wondered: did Lehi or Nephi need a Liahona? I don’t think so. It was given to the family so Laman and Lemuel could have a more concrete, hands on experience: something to see and touch. It was a remarkable instrument. It had a pointer and a place where the Lord could text them with messages. It had no batteries: it ran off of the Spirit according to their faith. Breaking his bow, Nephi and his family were put through a severe test. Even Lehi murmured this time. But Nephi remained true. The lesson here is when you break down, don’t just sit there, do something to correct the situation asking for the Lord’s help as you go. “Nephi broke his bow,” are the words I heard from the Spirit when the moving van I was driving broke down just out of Mesquite, Nevada, when I was attempting to move our stuff to Las Vegas. I had to get off my duff and run up the hill and beg some motorists to help me by calling a tow truck when they came to the next town. Of course, there were no cell phones in those days and I didn’t have my Liahona handy. This is the only time I remember being given such a direct instruction. Usually the Spirit speaks to me in my feelings.
1 Nephi 17
I wish Nephi would have told us a little more detail about his 8 years in the desert. I think it would have been fascinating. However, he did not. He uses the words “nourish, “strengthen,” and “provide means” to describe what happened as they kept the Lord’s commandments. He does describe how happy they were to arrive at the beach; at a place they called “Bountiful.” Here are some more words from this chapter: “construct a ship,” “find ore,” “bellows,” “tools.” Laman and Lemuel thought Nephi was a fool.
He told them not to touch him or they would wither up. The Lord had him “shake” and “shock” them. They were humbled for a few days, long enough to get the ship built.
I loved this one liner: “He loveth those who will have him to be their God.” I want to be one of those. I am one of those.

1 Nephi 18
“Work the timbers” is an interesting way of describing the process of building a ship. Nephi tells us that he went about building the ship as he was shown by the Lord. He went to the mountain to pray and receive revelation. When his brothers saw that he was succeeding, they helped out.
When they finished the ship they packed it with goods including honey. They entered the ship and were assigned their places and responsibilities. Think of it! Having never sailed before, they were now going to do it based on instructions from the Lord, trial and error, practice and patience. How thrilling it must have been to be upon the ocean sailing toward a far off land. They went by way of the Indian Ocean, around Australia and the through the islands of the Pacific landing somewhere on the west coast of the Americas, perhaps somewhere in Central America.
But the trip was not without its severe challenges. Nephi records being tied to the mast of the ship for four days by his brothers while they and their wives danced and partied. When Nephi confronted them about their “rudeness” they left him tied up. Not even Lehi or Sariah could convince them to free Nephi. Their tears and those of Nephi’s wife and children didn’t sway them. But a storm came upon them and they had to release Nephi or be drowned in the ocean. The Liahona had stopped working but resumed functioning when Nephi was released and the storm abated. He was then able to steer the ship to the Promised Land.
Nephi’s ability to pray and receive the needed revelation to build a ship gives me faith that I can learn to pray with faith and receive instructions from the Lord. The mountain where he prayed makes me think of the temple. I can receive needed revelation when I am there.
1 Nephi 19
Nephi explains the difference between “these” and “those” plates: “these plates” are the small plates which contain the sacred writing and “those plates” are the large plates that contain the history. But later writers included the sacred with the secular in their writing so that when Mormon did his editing, he chose to include a great deal of sacred material even though he was abridging the large plates.
Nephi also explains that he wants his people (and us) to liken the scriptures unto ourselves that we will obtain a hope in Christ. Don’t miss the reference to hope in verse 24. This is also the reason Nephi included so much of Isaiah’s writings in the small plates.
1 Nephi 20
Isaiah tells us that we have been chosen in the “furnace of affliction.” He points to Christ, the “Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.” He says if we will keep the commandments we will have peace like a river and righteousness as the waves of the sea.



1 Nephi 21
“Behold, I have engraven thee upon the palms of my hands.” Christ will never forget us. V.16
1 Nephi 22
The church will come out of obscurity and out of darkness; and they shall know that the Lord is their Savior and their Redeemer, the Mighty One of Israel.
2 Nephi 1
One of the main behavioral objectives of the Book of Mormon is stated by Nephi: “Wherefore, if ye shall be obedient to the commandments, and endure to the end, ye shall be saved at the last day.” Zoram was a true friend to Nephi. My wife, Jean, is my true friend.
2 Nephi 2
This chapter is full of meat. Jesus is the Christ. There must be opposition in all things. Satan is real. The Fall occurred when Adam and Eve transgressed the law of the Garden. Their fall allowed them to have children. If not, they would have stayed in the Garden and we would not have come to Earth. Christ redeemed all men and women from the Fall. We are free according to the Agency of God to choose between God or Satan, happiness or sadness, good or evil, eternal life or captivity.
2 Nephi 3
Lehi gives a blessing to Joseph, his youngest child, who was born “in the days of my greatest sorrow.” Lehi reads from the book of Joseph that was found in the Brass Plates (missing from our Bible). Joseph prophesies of a choice seer who would be raised up in the latter days to lead the church. This is Joseph Smith. He also says this seer’s father would be named Joseph. The name Joseph is especially sacred to members of the Church today. Joseph also prophesied of Moses and said Joseph Smith would be like him. He said Joseph Smith would write the inspired words written by the ancient prophets into a book. Lehi’s son is promised his seed will not be destroyed.
2 Nephi 4
Before he passes away, Lehi blesses and warns Laman, Lemuel , their children, and the sons of Ismael. But “not many days after” they are angry with Nephi because of the things he said. Boneheads. Nephi, no doubt pondering on their boneheadedness, laments in what is called “Nephi’s Psalm.” I love this moment of humanness that Nephi discloses to us. He captures the essence of the struggles of this life. We want to rejoice, but often we feel “wretched” because of our weakness. Nephi moves through his feelings of self doubt saying, “I know in whom I have trusted.” Then he cries out: “Awake my soul!”… “Do not anger”…”Do not slacken”…”Rejoice.” Then he resolves to trust in God forever, and cry unto the “rock of righteousness.”
2 Nephi 5
Nephi leads his people up into the mountains to place his family calls “Nephi.” There they build a temple and become prosperous. Nephi says, “And it came to pass that we lived after the manner of happiness.” Separation from his wicked brethren must have brought some relief, although it was temporary as Nephi tells us it isn’t long before they are at war with each other. It makes me wonder if Nephi had to actually defend his life to the death against Laman or Lemuel. I hope is that my own children and grand children will be united. The Lord cursed Laman and Lemuel with a skin of blackness. It could have actually been a change of skin color. Having lost the Spirit and the Priesthood would have been the true curse. Perhaps they put a colored mark on themselves (or God did it) to distinguish them from the Nephites when they went to battle.
2 Nephi 6
Juxtaposed to the Lamanite wickedness is Jacob and Nephi’s righteousness including their being called “after the manner of his holy order.” Priesthood authority gave the Nephites access to the ordinances and thus access to the Atonement of Christ. Priesthood holders are to be protectors: someone to be counted upon for safety. Jacob is speaking to his people regarding the scriptures from Adam down unto his time. He turns his focus to Isaiah because Isaiah’s words center on Christ and the House of Israel. For me and my family, Isaiah’s prophecy of the restoration of the Gospel to the people living in the Americas (Gentiles) is especially important because it is about Joseph Smith and the restoration in these the latter days. In our day, we are waiting for the coming of the Messiah. “He will manifest himself unto them in power and great glory….” Christ, in this prophesy, calls himself “…thy Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.”
2 Nephi 7
One line stands out in 50th chapter of Isaiah, quoted here by Jacob: 2 Nephi 7:6: “I gave my back to the smiter, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair. I hid not my face from shame and spitting.” In this verse we hear the voice of Jehovah (through Isaiah) speaking of future events where he is given false and mocking trials by the Jewish and Roman leaders. We know of Christ being spit upon and coming under the cruel strokes of the lash, but we discover here in Isaiah’s words that Christ had the hair of his beard yanked out most likely by the Jewish leaders prior to Christ’s crucifixion.
2 Nephi 8
I was struck by the phrases “ye that follow after righteousness” and “ye that know righteousness” in verses one and seven. This is a message from God to his faithful followers and everyone else better look out! I felt that God has my back! So when God says “awake, awake” he is not reprehending, rather, he is encouraging: like a mother inviting her children wake up to a beautiful summer morning. (See verses 9, 17, and 24) As for the “two sons” mentioned in vs. 19, they are the warm up act in Jerusalem, setting the stage for Christ to come and deliver the Jews from their enemies. The “two sons” are most likely modern day apostles.
2 Nephi 9
Jacob, brother of Nephi, teaches of the fall of Adam and our complete dependence upon the “great Creator.” He speaks of His “infinite atonement” whereby we can overcome death and hell both of the body and the spirit. The resurrection is the glorious gift of the merciful Christ. Our “joy shall be full forever.” Our God is “holy” and “he knoweth all things.” Our job is to repent, be baptized in his name, and have perfect faith in “the Holy One of Israel.” S.M.I.L.E. (vs. 39) to be “spiritually minded is life eternal. “To be learned is good” if we “hearken unto the counsels of God.” “Shake of the chains of him that would bind you fast; come unto God who is the rock of your salvation.” “Pray unto him continually by day, and give thanks unto his holy name by night. Let your hearts rejoice.”
2 Nephi 10
The Americas are a choice land. God wants everyone who lives here to worship him. God has prepared this land as a place for the gospel to flourish in the latter-days. The gathering of Israel will begin here; God has covenanted with Israel that he will bless them and cause them to prosper if they will have him to be their God. I want to be patriotic in my heart and actions. I am proud to be an American citizen. God bless this great country. Greater things are ahead. I am optimistic.
2 Nephi 11
Nephi loved Isaiah. He shared with the prophet, Isaiah, his father, Lehi, and his brother, Jacob, the experience of seeing the Savior in person. Nephi loves the fact that “all things which have been given of God from the beginning of the world, unto man, are the typifying of him.” He also loves the covenants the Lord made to his people. He loves the Lord’s grace, his justice, his power, his mercy, and the plan of deliverance from death. He bears witness of the reality of the Living Christ, that without him all of us would perish both physically and spiritually. He tells us the words of Isaiah so we can rejoice with this same knowledge and testimony.