Lesson 5 - Hearken to the Truth, and Give Heed unto It

Purpose:

Help the reader understand Nephi and his sorrow for his people.

Identify whether God is a predictable God or an unpredictable God.

Understand how men forget God and His blessings.

Learn about the importance of the brass plates to Lehi and his seed.  

Mine Afflictions Were Great Above all

The theophany of Nephi had a great impact on him. All of his writings afterward were influenced by his great theophany. This especially includes Nephi’s Isaiah and the way he communicated the Doctrine of Christ at the end of his ministry. If you look at all of his writings afterward, they are all a product of what he saw in his vision.

Nephi saw the entire destruction of his people.

“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.” - 1 Nephi 15:5

The destruction of his people included this description:

“I beheld that the seed of my brethren did overpower the people of my seed.”

“I saw wars and rumors of wars…”

“Behold these shall dwindle in unbelief.”

“...dark, and loathsome, and a filthy people, full of idleness and all manner of abominations.” - 1 Nephi 12:19-23

The destruction of Nephi’s people happened 1,000 years after Nephi saw it. What could Nephi possibility to affect the outcome of his people?

There was very little Nephi could do alone to affect the outcome. He will die and be buried. Eventually, his words and revelations will be lost or corrupt. However, there is something he could do, he could receive a covenant.

A covenant with God reaches far beyond the grave. It spans generations, millenia, continents, estates, and lifetimes. God will write the covenant in the palms of his hands and will never forget it. Nephi received a covenant for his people.

“...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—

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 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?” - 1 Nephi 15:13-15

The only successful thing Nephi can do is to receive a covenant. A covenant can reach across time and eternity and will be fulfilled because God is not a liar.

Does man create covenants or does God create covenants?

How would we receive a covenant? What is involved?

The Unpredictable God

It is much easier to believe in a predictable God. A God that fits into a known format or pattern. A God who is obedient to man’s structure. A God who understands how man works and is gracious enough to not fall out of line from the “unwritten rule of things.”

Laman and Lemuel believe in the predictable God. A God that conforms to their own understanding of “the way it should be.”

“And thou art like unto our father, led away by the foolish imaginations of his heart; yea, he hath led us out of the land of Jerusalem, and we have wandered in the wilderness for these many years; and our women have toiled, being big with child; and they have borne children in the wilderness and suffered all things, save it were death; and it would have been better that they had died before they came out of Jerusalem than to have suffered these afflictions.

Behold, these many years we have suffered in the wilderness, which time we might have enjoyed our possessions and the land of our inheritance; yea, and we might have been happy.

And we know that the people who were in the land of Jerusalem were a righteous people; for they kept the statutes and judgments of the Lord, and all his commandments, according to the law of Moses; wherefore, we know that they are a righteous people; and our father hath judged them, and hath led us away because we would hearken unto his words; yea, and our brother is like unto him. And after this manner of language did my brethren murmur and complain against us.” - 1 Nephi 17: 20-22

According to Laman and Lemuel, Lehi and Nephi were foolish. The Jews at Jerusalem were a “righteous people”. They kept the law of Moses. And because they kept the law of Moses, they were just fine.

Laman and Lemuel believed in a predictable God. All the Jews needed to do was keep the law of Moses and they were fine.

Keep the law of Moses = Happy God

With the same breath, Laman and Lemuel aren’t that interested in asking God to find out what He truly thought.

“And I said unto them: Have ye inquired of the Lord? And they said unto me: We have not; for the Lord maketh no such thing known unto us.” - 1 Nephi 15: 8-9

To be fair to Laman and Lemuel, what would you need to ask God for if you already knew the answer? The Jews kept the Law of Moses, so of course God would be fine with them. The Jews had a leadership who would never lead them astray. Who God is not fine with, are those who are going against tradition and established leadership and authority.

“Wherefore it came to pass that my father, Lehi, as he went forth prayed unto the Lord, yea, even with all his heart, in behalf of his people.” - 1 Nephi 1:5

“And it came to pass that I, Nephi, being exceedingly young, nevertheless being large in stature, and having great desires to know the mysteries of God, wherefore, I did cry unto the Lord…” - 1 Nephi 2:16

The idea at man can approach God and get answers is a silly idea, right? Sounds like “foolish imaginations of [their] heart.”

Alternatively, a man should look at the predefined organizational chart, see who isn’t dead yet and at the top of the org chart and know without a shadow of a doubt that that person will never lead a them astray; thanking God that all is well in Zion.  

To clarify how God works, it is helpful to understand how God defines oracles.

"Where there is a prophet, a priest, or a righteous man unto whom God gives his oracles, there is the kingdom of God; and where the oracles are not, there the kingdom of God is not." (Documentary History of the Church, Volume V, pg 257)

An oracle is something God gives us. He gives his oracles to a prophet, a priest, or a righteous man. A prophet is one who has the testimony of Christ, a priest is someone with ecclesiastical authority and a righteous man (or woman) could include anyone else.

"And all they who receive the oracles of God, let them beware how they hold them lest they are accounted as a light thing, and are brought under condemnation thereby, and stumble and fall when the storms descend, and the winds blow, and the rains descend, and beat upon their house.” D&C 90:5

You can hold an oracle in your hand and at the same time make it a light thing. (I do not know if you could hold a physical person in your hand.)

Perhaps this has something to do with what Christ told Peter that the church would be build on.

“And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock [the rock of revelation] I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” - Matthew 16:18

So, God is going to work through delivering oracles to man. Oracles are revelation. Those who have the oracles, or in other words revelation, will have the Kingdom of God. It is the revelation that is important.

Remember, the word is given from the Father to the Son to true messengers. It is the word that is the iron rod. It is the word or the message/oracle/revelation that is important.

Good thing for Laman and Lemuel that the message/oracle/revelation will always come down through the approved, predictable channels, right? God is predictable, correct? He is going to use the “unwritten rule of things” every time he has a message. This is why Laman and Lemuel could immediately discredit their father Lehi and say it was “imaginations of his heart” instead of true revelation.

Forgetting God

There are a number of times Lehi and his family, or a portion of his family, forget God. I believe there is a misnomer concerning forgetting God. Forgetting God does not include a memory gap. They didn’t forget God, as if they didn’t remember who God was. Forgetting God includes forgetting to have faith in Him. In order to have faith in God man must 1) believe in God, 2) know God’s character, perfections and attributes, and 3) know the course of life you are pursuing is according to His will. Each time we forget God, or Nephi’s family forgets God, one of these items are missing.

“And it came to pass that Laman and Lemuel and the sons of Ishmael did begin to murmur exceedingly, because of their sufferings and afflictions in the wilderness; and also my father began to murmur against the Lord his God; yea, and they were all exceedingly sorrowful, even that they did murmur against the Lord.” 1 Nephi 16:20

Would God lead Lehi, Ishmael and their families out of Jerusalem and leave them to starve and die? Sounds like they might be forgetting God’s character, perfections and attributes.

“And after we had been driven forth before the wind for the space of many days, behold, my brethren and the sons of Ishmael and also their wives began to make themselves merry, insomuch that they began to dance, and to sing, and to speak with much rudeness, yea, even that they did forget by what power they had been brought thither; yea, they were lifted up unto exceeding rudeness.” - 1 Nephi 18:9

The record doesn’t go into specific detail about what they were doing. We know that it must have offended the Spirit. Sounds like their course in life wasn’t according to God’s will.

Forgetting God simply is to forget what actions are required for salvational faith. Once we act outside of the the three requirements for salvational faith, we forget God.

Knowledge of Christ - Brass Plates

The brass plates contained many revelations concerning Christ. It is highly likely that Laban inherited the brass plates from his fathers. His ancestry and Lehi’s ancestry were probably the same.

“And it came to pass that my father, Lehi, also found upon the plates of brass a genealogy of his fathers; wherefore he knew that he was a descendant of Joseph; yea, even that Joseph who was the son of Jacob, who was sold into Egypt, and who was preserved by the hand of the Lord, that he might preserve his father, Jacob, and all his household from perishing with famine.

And thus my father, Lehi, did discover the genealogy of his fathers. And Laban also was a descendant of Joseph, wherefore he and his fathers had kept the records.”

• 1 Nephi 5: 14, 16

The brass plates where a record of the descendants of Joseph of Egypt. These include Ephraim and Manasseh and prophets who were within this lineage including: Zenock, Zenos, and Neum. These prophets had a great understanding of Christ.

“...to be lifted up, according to the words of Zenock, and to be crucified, according to the words of Neum, and to be buried in a sepulchre, according to the words of Zenos, which he spake concerning the three days of darkness, which should be a sign given of his death unto those who should inhabit the isles of the sea, more especially given unto those who are of the house of Israel.” - 1 Nephi 19:10

This book of scripture had a detailed description of the covenants, promises and outcome of Joseph of Egypt’s seed. This included revelations which described:

• Three days of darkness for those on the isles of the sea (1 Nephi 19:10)
• God will visit with his voice and with destruction to the people on the isles of the sea (1 Nephi 19:11)
• Great destruction to the isles of the sea at the time of Christ’s death (1 Nephi 19:12)
• God will “gather in” the isles of the sea (1 Nephi 19:16; Jacob 5)
• God’s promise to Joseph of raising up a righteous branch (2 Nephi 3:5)
• God will fulfill his covenants of Joseph in the latter day (2 Nephi 3:5)
• God will raise up a choice seer among Joseph’s seed (2 Nephi 3:7)
• The seer will be for the seed of Joseph (2 Nephi 3:11)

Note: People on the isles of the sea = Lehi’s seed (or at least include them)

The brass plates included books from the Bible (1 Nephi 5:11), but it also contained the prophecies of Ephraim and Manasseh’s seed which are not included in our Bible today. These prophecies were “of great worth” unto Lehi because they were specifically prophesies of him and his seed (1 Nephi 5:21).

Talk about Lehi self-selecting himself. There is a mountain of revelation from Joseph of Egypt, Zenos, Zenock and Neum related to a breaking off of a branch of Israel, which will be a righteous branch, that will be found upon the isles of the sea.

Lehi, independent from a program, manual or church leader asks to know truth. He receives a theophany and a covenant. That covenant is a fulfillment of prophecies from former prophets. Those former prophets didn’t control, direct or coarse Lehi into fulfilling their prophecy. Lehi did it all on his own. He self-selected himself by asking God in faith to know truth.

God is constrained in His actions to one important thing - he can only persuade. He cannot force anyone to act. This is why there are always restorations and apostasies. When a people become caught up in their tradition and culture, they don’t fight against the struggle for authentic truth. Why seek truth if you already have it? This is why an outsider is typically the vehicle God uses to restore truth. God can persuade an outside. A lifetime participant in the tradition and culture typically isn’t looking for truth.

God can only persuade and open the door when someone knocks. If no one is knocking, he is unable to open. Lehi was a conduit for the fulfillment of prophecy because he knocked and God opened the door for him.  

Summary:

Nephi sorrowed for his people because he saw their utter destruction. Nephi received a covenant from God which promised the latter-day recovery of the remnant of Lehi’s seed.

God is not a predictable God. He uses whatever means he chooses to fulfill his work.

Man forgets God when they go against the fundamentals of faith. This halts the progression of the person and incurs the displeasure of God.

The brass plates were valuable to Lehi because they talked about him and his seed.

Lesson 4 - The Things Which I Saw While I Was Carried Away in the Spirit

Purpose:

Help the reader understand the last stage of Nephi’s ascent.

Identify times when we worship an allegory verse the real event.  

Understand who the gentiles and remnant are and the eventual outcome for each.

Identify ways the Saints stumble over plain and precious truth.

Nephi’s Ascent Part 2

After the retelling of his father’s dream, Nephi desired to experience the theophany himself. The last requirement as he approached the veil was his own knock. Nephi must approach God in faith and request further instruction.

“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.” 1 Nephi 10: 17-19

Nephi has come to the pinnacle of his faith. He has been tested and tried based on the witnesses he received earlier (1 Nephi 2:16, 1 Nephi 3:29, 1 Nephi 4:31). He has found out through his own experiences that the witnesses can be trusted. As a result, he proved that he would be true and faithful by first acting on the small light he received and that then also being true to the greater light he later received. Now, he was in a position to confidently request a more sure witness of the truth.  

Nephi also knew this was the path that had been taken before “as well in times of old”. This is why he had confidence his request will be answered. The brass plates provided a number of examples for Nephi including:

• Adam (D&C 107:39)
• Seth, Enos, Mehalaleel, Jared, Methuselah (D&C107: 54)
• Enoch (Moses 6:31)
• Noah, Shem, Ham, Japheth (Moses 8:19, 27)
• Melkezedek (Alma 13:18)
• Abraham (Genesis 12:17)
• Isaac (Genesis 26:2)
• Jacob (Genesis 28:12-13)
• Moses (Exodus 33:11)
• Isaiah (Isaiah 6:1)
• Zenock (1 Nephi 19:10)
• Neum (1 Nephi 19:10)
• Zenos (1 Nephi 19:10)
• Jeremiah (Jeremiah 1:9)
• Lehi (1 Nephi 1:8)

From the great evidence that Nephi had in front of him in the brass plates, and from his father’s experience and from his own experience, he had unshakable confidence that he could approach God and receive an answer. Nephi’s confidence, because of his understanding of God, was similar to Joseph Smith’s:  

“In consequence of these things, I often felt condemned for my weakness and imperfections; when, on the evening of the above-mentioned twenty-first of September, after I had retired to my bed for the night, I betook myself to prayer and supplication to Almighty God for forgiveness of all my sins and follies, and also for a manifestation to me, that I might know of my state and standing before him; for I had full confidence in obtaining a divine manifestation, as I previously had one.” - JSH 1:29

After Nephi knocked on the veil of heaven with his request to know the mysteries of God, he is taken to “an exceedingly high mountain” to be tested.

“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.

And the Spirit said unto me: Behold, what desirest thou?

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

And the Spirit said unto me: Believest thou that thy father saw the tree of which he hath spoken? (Test at the veil.)

And I said: Yea, thou knowest that I believe all the words of my father.” 1 Nephi 11:1-5

After Nephi’s test at the veil, he was given a theophany which included being brought back into the presence of God and a vision of the history of the world all they way to the end. This event completes Nephi’s ascent that began with being true to the first witness he received (1 Nephi 2:16).

What does it take to be prepared to knock at the veil of heaven, like Nephi?

Why do you think Nephi was asking for more knowledge when his brothers we not?

Allegory vs Actual Events

Lehi’s vision and Nephi’s vision are the same thing. Lehi did see what Nephi saw.

What Lehi saw:

• The Messiah (1 Nephi 10:4)
• John the Baptist (1 Nephi 10:7)
• Death and Resurrection of Christ (1 Nephi 10:11)
• Gospel going to the gentiles (1 Nephi 10:11)
• Lehi’s seeding going to the promise land (1 Nephi 10:13)
• Gentiles receiving the fullness of the gospel (1 Nephi 10:14)
• Lehi’s seed coming to the knowledge of the truth from the gentiles (1 Nephi 10:14)
• Lehi told of the ending events but told to not write them down (1 Nephi 10:15)

What Nephi saw:

• The Messiah (1 Nephi 11:21)
• John the Baptist (1 Nephi 11:27)
• Death and Resurrection of Christ (1 Nephi 11:33)
• Gospel going to the gentiles (1 Nephi 13)
• Lehi’s seed on the promise land (1 Nephi 12)
• Gentiles receiving the fullness of the gospel (1 Nephi 13:38)
• Lehi’s seed receives the knowledge of the truth through the gentiles (1 Nephi 13:38)
• Nephi told of the ending events but told not to write them down (1 Nephi 14:26)

There is this idea that Lehi and Nephi were shown two different visions. Lehi’s vision was an allegory and Nephi’s vision was the actual events. I do not believe that is correct. Lehi saw the vision and the allegory. He received both. And I believe he received both so that he could communicate the allegory to his children and everyone else, so everyone’s faith could be challenged.

What happens when we don’t understand the full meaning of an allegory?

How can an allegory blind even the saints?

The definition of an allegory is:

“A popular form of literature in which a story points to a hidden or symbolic parallel meaning. Certain elements, such as people, things, and happenings in the story, point to corresponding elements in another realm or level of meaning. The closer the resemblances between the two realms, the more detailed is the allegory.” - Bible Study Tools

Lamen and Lemuel were stumped by the allegory. Nephi, on the other hand, understood the meaning and went seeking to experience the theophany himself.

I was reading an ex-mormon blog post earlier this week when I ran into this quote about Peter, James and John in the temple endowment:

“Never mind the disastrous timeline problems with how Peter, James and John are able to physically interact with Adam if they have not been born, yet, etc.”

When I read this statement, I had to sigh. Too many mormons do not see the real events inside the endowment allegory. What would the temple experience be like if we all understood the meaning of the endowment presentation? That we are all Adam and Eve. And it is our ascent that is getting presented.

Would we focus on the emotional state of Eve when she partook of the fruit? Would we care if there were multiple cast members with different portrayals of the characters and garden scene?  Would the special effects of the creation be important? Would we now find the emotional background music distracting from the overall purpose?

Would we find the missing minster in today’s endowment a loss? Would be find the missing penalties important? Would we find the missing fellowship at the veil concerning?

Would be focus on our own path from innocence into accountability? Would we now focus on our own ascent? Would we think more deeply how satan tempts us? Would we try to understand the signs and tokens given to us in the real world (like Nephi’s)? Would we gain confidence that we could knock at the veil of heaven, like Nephi?

Why do Saints in every age get blinded by allegories and/or rituals?

Why do Saints in every age end up worshiping the allegory and/or ritual?

Gentiles vs Remnant

In Nephi’s vision we learn that there is a distinction between gentiles and remnant. The gentiles are not the remnant and the remnant are not gentiles. This is important to know, because the covenants are centered around the remnant. And this helps clarify who the gentiles are in the Book of Mormon.

“And it came to pass that the angel of the Lord spake unto me, saying: Behold, saith the Lamb of God, after I have visited the remnant of the house of Israel—and this remnant of whom I speak is the seed of thy father—wherefore, after I have visited them in judgment, and smitten them by the hand of the Gentiles, and after the Gentiles do stumble exceedingly, because of the most plain and precious parts of the gospel of the Lamb which have been kept back by that abominable church, which is the mother of harlots, saith the Lamb—I will be merciful unto the Gentiles in that day, insomuch that I will bring forth unto them, in mine own power, much of my gospel, which shall be plain and precious, saith the Lamb.

For, behold, saith the Lamb: I will manifest myself unto thy seed, that they shall write many things which I shall minister unto them, which shall be plain and precious; and after thy seed shall be destroyed, and dwindle in unbelief, and also the seed of thy brethren, behold, these thing shall be hid up, to come forth unto the Gentiles, by the gift and power of the Lamb.

This is very important. The gentiles are those who will have “much of my gospel” given and they will deliver the gospel to the remnant of Lehi’s seed. However, the gospel doesn’t stay with the gentiles.

“And the time cometh that he shall manifest himself unto all nations, both unto the Jews and also unto the Gentiles; and after he has manifested himself unto the Jews and also unto the Gentiles, then he shall manifest himself unto the Gentiles and also unto the Jews, and the last shall be first, and the first shall be last.” - 1 Nephi 13:42

Jews - Gentiles - Gentiles - Jews

This rings true with the words of the Savior:

“And thus commandeth the Father that I should say unto you: At that day when the Gentiles shall sin against my gospel, and shall reject the fulness of my gospel, and shall be lifted up in the pride of their hearts above all nations, and above all the people of the whole earth, and shall be filled with all manner of lyings, and of deceits, and of mischiefs, and all manner of hypocrisy, and murders, and priestcrafts, and whoredoms, and of secret abominations; and if they shall do all those things, and shall reject the fulness of my gospel, behold, saith the Father, I will bring the fulness of my gospel from among them.” 3 Nephi 16:10

Remember, Jews - Gentiles - Gentiles - Jews

The Jews will be given back the gospel and the right to build up Zion is the right of the Remnant. The idea that the gospel will never be taken from the gentiles is an idea that is not supported by the Book of Mormon.

How do the gentiles reject the fullness of the gospel?

In what ways do you see the rejection happening today?

Stumbling Blocks

When an apostasy happens two main tactics are used by the adversary 1) remove information and 2) corrupt information. These two tactics can take on a few different forms. For example, information can be removed physically, by deleting it out of the scriptures (or ritual/ordnance), or the information can be removed through omission and then ignorance.

Corrupting information follows the same path. You can corrupt information maliciously by changing the words and meaning or you can corrupt information through omission and then ignorance. The outcome is the same, the philosophies of men become mingled with scripture, and the truth is lost.

“...because of the most plain and precious parts of the gospel of the Lamb which have been kept back by that abominable church, which is the mother of harlots, saith the Lamb—I will be merciful unto the Gentiles in that day, insomuch that I will bring forth unto them, in mine own power, much of my gospel, which shall be plain and precious, saith the Lamb.” - 1 Nephi 13:34

Remember, the “abominable church” is not an institution (not even the Catholic Church, Elder McConkie). It is the pride of the entire world. When the world decides that it does not require “the rock” of revelation to determine its course of action, then it is the abominable church or the pride of the world that makes the decision.

This includes creeds, tradition, handbooks, doctrine, policy, rituals, etc.

Even Joseph Smith lamented the frustration he had trying to get the Saints to learn something that was outside their tradition.  

“There has been a great difficulty in getting anything into the heads of this generation. It has been like splitting hemlock knots with a corn-dodger for a wedge, and a pumpkin for a beetle. Even the Saints are slow to understand.” DHC vol 6, pg 184

The Saints, after the first generation AD, fell into a decline and apostasy because plain and precious parts of the gospel where lost. They were lost because of corruption and ignorance. The stumbling block of the first gentile opportunity, is the same stumbling block of the second gentile opportunity. It is the same stumbling block of very gospel opportunity (remember the Deuteronomists).

What stumbling blocks do we have today?

Why do stumbling blocks exist in every age of the gospel?

Summary:

Nephi was true and faithful to all the witnesses he received. As such, he confidently approached the veil and asked to be shown all his father saw.

Saints focus on allegories and are blinded by the real events they can experience and be apart of.

The gospel will go from Jew to Gentile to Gentile to Jew. The Gentile will have the fullness of the gospel taken away from them.  

Stumbling blocks that lead to apostasy come from changing or forgetting truth. What is adding in its stead is philosophies of man mingled with scripture.