First Nephi 13:39

And after it had come forth unto them I beheld other books, which came forth by the power of the Lamb, from the Gentiles unto them, unto the convincing of the Gentiles and the remnant of the seed of my brethren, and also the Jews who were scattered upon all the face of the earth, that the records of the prophets and of the twelve apostles of the Lamb are true.

Even though the Bible has been altered by the great and abominable church, it still contains truth. It is still of great worth, even if it is not perfect. The Book of Mormon has been published to establish and witness to the truth of the Bible. God, however, has not stopped there. The words of the Bible and the Book of Mormon are the testimonies of Hebrew prophets and apostle dead for many centuries. Is God still able to speak today? And can He speak to others besides Hebrews? The answer is Yes, and the proof is yet more scripture, written by prophets in modern times. Nephi saw yet more books coming forth to support the truth of both the Bible and the Book of Mormon. These books we have today in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, namely, the Doctrine and Covenants and the Pearl of Great Price. And God is still not done speaking to modern man. Thus we have the Proclamation to the World about families, The Living Christ: the Testimony of the Twelve Apostles, and numerous other pronouncements, admonitions, statements, and testimonies by the prophets and apostles of our own day. And "we believe that [God] will yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to the Kingdom of God" (Pearl of Great Price, Article of Faith:9) What a marvelous day in which to live!

First Nephi 13:30

Nevertheless, thou beholdest that the Gentiles who have gone forth out of captivity, and have been lifted up by the power of God above all other nations, upon the face of the land which is choice above all other lands, which is the land that the Lord God hath covenanted with thy father that his seed should have for the land of their inheritance; wherefore, thou seest that the Lord God will not suffer that the Gentiles will utterly destroy the mixture of thy seed, which are among thy brethren.

This is our legacy. God has lifted up America as a beacon to the world of what can be accomplished by a free people who worship Christ. Today the American nation is squandering that legacy by denying God, ignoring His commandments, and losing our sense of wonder and gratitude for His blessings.

First Nephi 13:29

And after these plain and precious things were taken away it goeth forth unto all the nations of the Gentiles; and after it goeth forth unto all the nations of the Gentiles, yea, even across the many waters which thou hast seen with the Gentiles which have gone forth out of captivity, thou seest—because of the many plain and precious things which have been taken out of the book, which were plain unto the understanding of the children of men, according to the plainness which is in the Lamb of God—because of these things which are taken away out of the gospel of the Lamb, an exceedingly great many do stumble, yea, insomuch that Satan hath great power over them.

Nephi saw in vision that the bible was corrupted from the very beginning. What is clear is that the corruption is not the fault of accidental mis-copying by scribes or mis-translation by scholars. Changes were made deliberately and with malice of forethought by a secret combination with an agenda.

The Bible has been an enormous blessing to Christian believers, but also a stumbling block. People stumble when they are on the path and trying to make progress but then trip over something they do not see or understand. People have stumbled over the Bible for nearly two thousand years. It has brought Christianity to a significant portion of the world, which is obviously a good thing; but it has also been the source of theological and political divisions that have resulted in inquisitions, bigotry, wars, and genocide. How can a book of such holy truth produce such unholy consequences?

The Book of Mormon is the antidote to the poison laced by the great and abominable church between the lines of the beloved Bible. It shines a light into the darkness and makes the stumbling blocks visible. I love the Bible and the many devoted and courageous men and women who risked all and gave their lives to preserve and perpetuate it, as imperfect as it may have been, because it was all they had. I love the Book of Mormon because it upholds and illuminates the wonderful truths of the Bible while clearing away the stumbling blocks of mystery and philosophy. Together they are an unassailable witness for Jesus Christ as the Son of God.

First Nephi 13:26

And after they go forth by the hand of the twelve apostles of the Lamb, from the Jews unto the Gentiles, thou seest the formation of that great and abominable church, which is most abominable above all other churches; for behold, they have taken away from the gospel of the Lamb many parts which are plain and most precious; and also many covenants of the Lord have they taken away.

Recompiling of the Bible seems to be coincidental with the formation of the great and abominable church. The original aim of the great and abominable church seems to have been the perversion of the scriptures. What came forth from this mysterious period were the philosophies of men mingled with scripture. This book contained enough truth to make it compelling and plausible, but enough contradictions and mysteries to make it hard to understand.

The Book of Mormon is God's secret weapon against the great and abominable church. Written from original sources, uncorrupted, buried in the earth for fourteen hundred years, this record God held in reserve, to come forth in the last days to substantiate the truths of the Bible while sweeping away the sophistries and enigmas introduced by the great and abominable church of philosophical illusions.

First Nephi 13:20

And it came to pass that I, Nephi, beheld that they did prosper in the land; and I beheld a book, and it was carried forth among them.

A connection exists between prospering and the scriptures. Prosperity comes in many forms. We think of prosperity primarily as financial, but we can prosper in many ways. Spiritual prosperity is an obvious benefit of reading the scriptures. We also prosper in our families, our communities, and in our nations when we abide by the principles in the scriptures.

I think it is interesting that Nephi first commented on prosperity of the people and then mentioned the coming forth of the Bible. Prosperity in technology has made possible the ubiquitous presence of the Bible. Before Gutenberg, Bibles, and indeed all books, were hand-crafted works of art and extremely expensive. Literacy and knowledge were limited to the very rich and the very elite. Prosperity has brought the Bible into virtually every home that wants one. And with the inexpensive availability of the Bible has come a vast library of books. Public libraries in America and other countries make this knowledge available at virtually no cost to anyone who is willing to walk in. Indeed, the Bible has brought untold prosperity to people all over the world in many ways. It is phenomenal to think of what one book has done for mankind. The publishing of the Book of Mormon could not have happened without the Bible preceding it.

First Nephi 14:7

For the time cometh, saith the Lamb of God, that I will work a great and a marvelous work among the children of men; a work which shall be everlasting, either on the one hand or on the other—either to the convincing of them unto peace and life eternal, or unto the deliverance of them to the hardness of their hearts and the blindness of their minds unto their being brought down into captivity, and also into destruction, both temporally and spiritually, according to the captivity of the devil, of which I have spoken.

Agency is the key. We all have opportunity. What we do with it and how we react to it makes all the difference.

First Nephi 13:5

And the angel said unto me: Behold the formation of a church which is most abominable above all other churches, which slayeth the saints of God, yea, and tortureth them and bindeth them down, and yoketh them with a yoke of iron, and bringeth them down into captivity.

Apparently there are levels of abomination. Some false churches are more abominable than others, and the one that Nephi was being shown was the most abominable of all.

These abominable acts of the church of the devil may be both physical and spiritual. In the early history of Christ's church after He ascended to heaven, the apostles and believers were literally tortured and killed. In modern times, at least in Western society, the torture and murder of the saints are not so literal but nevertheless very real. The deceptions perpetrated by the great and abominable church may kill the faith even of the most elect of believers. It may cause them to torture themselves with guilt. It may bind them down with false superstitions and yoke them with heavy burdens of ritualism and tradition and make them captives of false teachings. These are the powers of darkness against Paul warned us: "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places" (Ephesians 6:12). We must be aware and vigilant.

First Nephi 13:4

And it came to pass that I saw among the nations of the Gentiles the formation of a great church.

Four times in four verses it is repeated that Nephi sees nations and kingdoms of the Gentiles. It is clear that this large church is an invention of the Gentiles that spans international boundaries. The great and abominable church is not a single church or a single nation. It is a shadowy congress of churches, systems of belief, governments, and other organizations that oppose and seek to destroy the true church of Christ and the gospel. Only two camps exist. "He that is not with me is against me," said Jesus (Matthew 12:30). We are either in the one church or the other, regardless of our denomination, culture or nationality.

First Nephi 12:4

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.

Nephi saw in perfect detail the great destruction that would occur in America at the time the Savior is crucified. It fascinates me that time is irrelevant to God. All things are present before Him in an instant. He sees the end from the beginning and all points in between. He is never surprised.

His knowledge does not violate our agency, however. The fact that He can see the consequences of our choices and actions does not take away from us the responsibility for them. I think one of the things we can learn from Nephi is that God will reveal to us the results of our choices and actions if we ask Him. I believe He is willing to tell us where the road leads that we are following, and we can use that knowledge to alter our course if we don't like the outcome. God will never force down a path, either for good or ill. We are always free to choose.

First Nephi 12:1-3

 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. 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. 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.

Nephi sees the future of his people. The Land of Promise is the land to which his little family is now headed. It is the American Continent. Many generations come and go, the people become very numerous, they built many cities. They become very wicked and have many wars. There is slaughter throughout the land.

This vision does two things for Nephi. First, it gives him hope. He and his family will cross the ocean safely, and his family will survive and thrive in the Promised Land. Second, the vision tells him things will not go smoothly for his family. The contention he has been living with among his own brothers will extend into the generations that follow. It is a warning that he has much work to do to set his family on a path that will avoid the disasters and wars that the Lord has shown him.

We all face choices, our actions have consequences, and what we do now can have great influence on the generations that follow us. God may know the end from the beginning, but that knowledge does not invalidate our agency. We must still make good choices and do our best to help our posterity choose wisely.

First Nephi 11:14

And it came to pass that I saw the heavens open; and an angel came down and stood before me; and he said unto me: Nephi, what beholdest thou?

It is interesting to me that one messenger departed in the middle of Nephi's vision and another came to deliver another part of the lesson. The Lord brings different people into our lives at different times to deliver messages and lessons to us. Perhaps it is the special relationship we create with a person that allows us to hear a message that we would ignore from anyone else. Maybe it is an experience that person had that makes the lesson more relevant to us. Or maybe it is just the right time in our lives.

On the other hand, we may be that special messenger whom the Lord has prepared to teach someone in a unique way that the other person is prepared to receive.

The point is that God uses many people to teach us, and He uses us to teach many people. It is the celestial version of the World Wide Web. We can all be a part of it if we are prepared, if we listen, and if we obey.

First Nephi 11:3

And I said: I desire to behold the things which my father saw.

My question is: why did Nephi want a replay of his father's vision? He said he believed his father. He didn't need a testimony. What he wanted was more knowledge. He knew that his father could not put all he had learned from his vision into words. Nephi wanted to know it all, and he knew the only way he could learn it all was to see it all.

When we want to know more than what the mere words of the scriptures can teach us, we can ask to see what the prophets saw.

First Nephi 11:1

 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, as I sat pondering in mine heart I was caught away in the Spirit of the Lord, yea, into an exceedingly high mountain, which I never had before seen, and upon which I never had before set my foot.

Nephi gives us a formula for revelation:

1. Desire to know
2. Belief or faith that we can know
3. Ponder and study

Alma taught, "If ye can no more than desire to believe, let that desire work in you" (Alma 32:27). The desire to believe and to learn is a gift. We then have to believe that God will answer the desire that He placed in us to begin with. Knowing that God is unchanging and no respecter of persons is essential to this belief. If He reveals a thing to others, we can have confidence He will reveal the same thing to us. Finally, we have to do our homework. We must exert our best efforts to understand what God has already revealed to others. We must extend our faculties to the limit, and then the Lord will open them the rest of the way. The Lord explained to a young Oliver Cowdery after he had failed to help Joseph Smith with translating the Book of Mormon, "you have supposed that I would give it unto you, when you took no thought save it was to ask me" (D&C 9:7). When we apply Nephi's formula for revelation, we can be assured that the Lord will reveal to us all that we need to know to come unto Him and serve Him. He will withhold nothing from us that is for our good.

First Nephi 10:17-19

And it came to pass after I, Nephi, having heard all the words of my father, concerning the things which he saw in a vision, 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 Messiah who should come—I, Nephi, was desirous also that I might see, and hear, and know of these things, by the power of the Holy Ghost, which is the gift of God unto all those who diligently seek him, as well in times of old as in the time that he should manifest himself unto the children of men. For he is the same yesterday, today, and forever; and the way is prepared for all men from the foundation of the world, if it so be that they repent and come unto him. For he that diligently seeketh shall find; and the mysteries of God shall be unfolded unto them, by the power of the Holy Ghost, as well in these times as in times of old, and as well in times of old as in times to come; wherefore, the course of the Lord is one eternal round.

God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. What a magnificent truth! God must be the same in all ages because He is supreme. No one else is better, and He cannot get any better. If He could be better, then He wouldn't be God. But He is God, He always has been and He always will be, and so He does not change.

Likewise, the world's need for God does not change. We have always needed Him, and we always will. Adam, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Moses -- they are their people needed God, and He was there for them. He spoke to them. The Jews needed God in 1 A.D. and John the Baptist was born, and God spoke to him. We need God in 2016 just as desperately as any people who have ever lived. If He spoke in the past, why does He not speak today?

I testify that He does speak today. He started speaking in 1820 to Joseph Smith. The Book of Mormon testifies that He will always speak when people of faith seek Him.

First Nephi 10:6

Wherefore, all mankind were in a lost and in a fallen state, and ever would be save they should rely on this Redeemer.

The Book of Mormon is a witness for Jesus Christ. It stands as a companion to the Bible as a second testament to the divine sonship of Jesus and his role as the Redeemer and Savior of the world. Statements like the one in this verse appear all throughout the book. President Ezra Taft Benson taught that the Book of Mormon is the keystone of the Latter-day Saint religion. This is because it teaches powerfully of the Chief Cornerstone, who is Jesus Christ. Just as the Cornerstone was a stumbling block to the Jews in 34 A.D., who were blinded by false expectations of the Messiah in their day, the keystone is a stumbling block to many in 2016 A.D. who are blinded by false expectations that God is silent in our day, He has done His work, left His mark, and now He watches the world grope about in the dim light of the philosophies of men mingled with scripture. To those, however, who are willing to approach God about the truth, the keystone of the Book of Mormon can become a steppingstone to a new understanding that God is not done with us, He still has something to say, He is still making His mark on honest and sincere hearts, and He does not watch us grope in darkness because He has offered us additional light. When we read the Book of Mormon, the light goes on and the darkness flees.

First Nephi 9:6

But the Lord knoweth all things from the beginning; wherefore, he prepareth a way to accomplish all his works among the children of men; for behold, he hath all power unto the fulfilling of all his words. And thus it is. Amen.

As God's children we should take great comfort in knowing of His omniscience and omnipotence. He has made a way for us to accomplish whatever He asks of us, and He has the power to bring His will to pass. We may have to struggle with our challenges and trials, but we need not fear defeat. God will never be defeated, and if we are on His side, neither shall we be defeated. Nephi can testify of these things because he has experienced God's knowledge and power in his own life. It is so plain to him that he sums up his expression of faith in four words of fact: "and thus it is."

First Nephi 8:33

And great was the multitude that did enter into that strange building. And after they did enter into that building they did point the finger of scorn at me and those that were partaking of the fruit also; but we heeded them not.

The secret to avoiding temptations – heed them not. That was Jesus’s formula. “He suffered temptations but gave no heed unto them” (D&C 20:22).

First Nephi 8:9

And it came to pass after I had prayed unto the Lord I beheld a large and spacious field.

Lehi's answer came immediately after he prayed. He did not have to beg and plead endlessly to receive mercy. The Lord was instant with his help. The spacious field of hope was practically in reach the whole time. Lehi just needed eyes to see it. The Lord did not miraculously make the field appear. He just enabled Lehi to see what had been his deliverance all along.

First Nephi 7:19, 21

And it came to pass that they were angry with me again, and sought to lay hands upon me; but behold, one of the daughters of Ishmael, yea, and also her mother, and one of the sons of Ishmael, did plead with my brethren, insomuch that they did soften their hearts; and they did cease striving to take away my life.
And it came to pass that I did frankly forgive them all that they had done, and I did exhort them that they would pray unto the Lord their God for forgiveness. And it came to pass that they did so. And after they had done praying unto the Lord we did again travel on our journey towards the tent of our father.

Nephi instantly forgave his brothers at the first sign of contrition. “Frankly” also describes how the Savior forgives us when we repent. When we are rebellious, he is slow to hear our cries; and sometimes he lets us toil through difficult storms until the fourth watch, but when we want to repent and return to him, he is like the father of the prodigal son. When we are yet a far way off, he will run to us, fall on our necks, and kiss us.

First Nephi 7:18

And it came to pass that when I had said these words, behold, the bands were loosed from off my hands and feet, and I stood before my brethren, and I spake unto them again.

Though Nephi prayed for strength to break the band's himself, ultimately it was God's strength that delivered him. God removed the bands. If we pray for strength to overcome whatever holds us down, God will answer that prayer with his own power.

First Nephi 8:8

And after I had traveled for the space of many hours in darkness, I began to pray unto the Lord that he would have mercy on me, according to the multitude of his tender mercies.

Why do we wander in darkness for a long time before thinking to pray? When we finally get weary of the darkness, we turn to the Lord. We don't have to wait that long.

First Nephi 8:3

And behold, because of the thing which I have seen, I have reason to rejoice in the Lord because of Nephi and also of Sam; for I have reason to suppose that they, and also many of their seed, will be saved.

The gathering of literal, physical seeds, which introduced this chapter, becomes an allegory for Lehi's vision of the future of his seed or posterity. Lehi receives a gift of knowledge about the future of his family. Alone in the wilderness, headed for an unknown promised land, reason suggests that this little band will not survive. Yet the Lord has big plans for this family, and he gives peace to Father Lehi’s heart by letting him know that his journey is not in vain. If we ask him, God will let each of us know that our journey in this life is not in vain.

First Nephi 8:2

And it came to pass that while my father tarried in the wilderness he spake unto us, saying: Behold, I have dreamed a dream; or, in other words, I have seen a vision.

God will send us messages of hope and intelligence in the wilderness. Indeed our wilderness experiences are designed at least in part to prepare us to receive greater light and knowledge.

First Nephi 8:1

And it came to pass that we had gathered together all manner of seeds of every kind, both of grain of every kind, and also of the seeds of fruit of every kind.

The introduction to this chapter is not a trivial detail. Nephi tells that that the family has been gathering seeds just before he reports on his father’s dream about about a tree and fruit and about gathering his family (his seed). The Lord has many ways to prepare us for messages he wants us to receive. Even the trivial and mundane things we do each day can have significance if we are listening and willing to receive instruction.

First Nephi 7:22

And it came to pass that we did come down unto the tent of our father. And after I and my brethren and all the house of Ishmael had come down unto the tent of my father, they did give thanks unto the Lord their God; and they did offer sacrifice and burnt offerings unto him.

An interesting literary turn of events occurs here. Nephi had been writing in the first person singular (“I”) and plural (“we”) up to this point. In this verse, however, he switches to third personal plural (“they”) in describing the celebration and sacrificial offerings at his father’s tent. Did he not participate in the thanksgiving ritual with his family? Or was this more of a ritual of repentance and atonement for his brothers and the family of Ishmael who had tried to kill him? Ultimately, we cannot repentant for another. We cannot change another's will or override their agency. We can teach and exhort, but each must "come to himself", as did the prodigal son. In the meantime, we pray, watch, and wait. Nephi had to let his brothers make their own burnt offerings. He could not do it for them.

First Nephi 7:17

But it came to pass that I prayed unto the Lord, saying: O Lord, according to my faith which is in thee, wilt thou deliver me from the hands of my brethren; yea, even give me strength that I may burst these bands with which I am bound.

Of all the things Nephi could have prayed for, he prayed for deliverance and strength. When we are weak and beset with trials, these are two things we can always pray for.