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.
No comments:
Post a Comment