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.
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