The Multitudes Who Had Not Fallen

 1 Nephi 12:1 - 6, NC 1 Nephi 3 par. 15

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. 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 burnt with fire, and I saw many that did tumble to the earth because of the quaking thereof. And it came to pass after I saw these things, I saw the vapor of darkness, that it passed from off the face of the earth. And behold, I saw the multitudes who had not fallen because of the great and terrible judgments of the Lord. And I saw the Heavens open and the Lamb of God descending out of Heaven, and he came down and he shewed himself unto them.

The Stick of Joseph in the Hand of Ephraim 1 Nefi 3 par. 15

And it came to pass that the angel said unto me, Look and behold your seed, and also the seed of your brothers. And I looked and beheld the land of promise; and I beheld multitudes of people, yes, 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, yes, even that I did not number them. 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 split, 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 burnt with fire, and I saw many that did tumble to the earth because of the quaking thereof. And it came to pass after I saw these things, I saw the vapor of darkness, that it passed from off the face of the earth. And behold, I saw the multitudes who had not fallen because of the great and terrible judgments of yhwh. And I saw the Heavens open and the Lamb of Elohim descending out of Heaven, and he came down and he showed himself unto them.

I know that this is backtracking to the previous paragraph in the Book of Mormon but I would like to look at the statement made by Nephi about the multitudes who had not fallen because of the great and terrible judgments of the Lord.

Continuing with the idea that the Lord did not command Nephi to write anything that could not bring greater understanding of His ways, what could be learned of the ways of God from Nephi seeing multitudes who were not swept off during the great period of destruction at the time of the death of the Lord?

If we go to the account we read the Lord's words to these people Nephi sees here.

And it came to pass that there was a voice heard among all the inhabitants of the earth upon all the face of this land, crying, Woe, woe, woe unto this people. Woe unto the inhabitants of the whole earth except they shall repent, for the Devil laugheth and his angels rejoice because of the slain of the fair sons and daughters of my people; and it is because of their iniquity and abominations that they are fallen. Behold, that great city Zarahemla have I burned with fire, and the inhabitants thereof. And behold, that great city Moroni have I caused to be sunk in the depths of the sea, and the inhabitants thereof to be drowned. And behold, that great city Moronihah have I covered with earth, and the inhabitants thereof, to hide their iniquities and their abominations from before my face, that the blood of the prophets and the saints shall not come up anymore unto me against them. And behold, the city of Gilgal have I caused to be sunk, and the inhabitants thereof, to be buried up in the depths of the earth; yea, and the city Onihah and the inhabitants thereof, and the city of Mocum and the inhabitants thereof, and the city of Jerusalem and the inhabitants thereof. And waters have I caused to come up in the stead thereof, to hide their wickedness and abominations from before my face, that the blood of the prophets and the saints shall not come up anymore unto me against them. And behold, the city of Gadiandi, and the city of Gadiomnah, and the city of Jacob, and the city Gimgimno — all these have I caused to be sunk, and made hills and valleys in the places thereof; and the inhabitants thereof have I buried up in the depths of the earth, to hide their wickedness and abominations from before my face, that the blood of the prophets and the saints should not come up anymore unto me against them. And behold, that great city Jacob-ugath, which was inhabited by the people of king Jacob, have I caused to be burned with fire because of their sins and their wickedness, which was above all the wickedness of the whole earth because of their secret murders and combinations, for it was they that did destroy the peace of my people and the government of the land. Therefore, I did cause them to be burned to destroy them from before my face, that the blood of the prophets and the saints should not come up unto me anymore against them. And behold, the city of Laman, and the city of Josh, and the city of Gad, and the city of Kishcumen have I caused to be burned with fire, and the inhabitants thereof, because of their wickedness in casting out the prophets and stoning them whom I did send to declare unto them concerning their wickedness and their abominations. And because they did cast them all out, that there were none righteous among them, I did send down fire and destroy them, that their wickedness and abominations might be hid from before my face, that the blood of the prophets and the saints whom I sent among them might not cry unto me from the ground against them. And many great destructions have I caused to come upon this land and upon this people because of their wickedness and their abominations.  O all ye that are spared because ye were more righteous than they, will ye not now return unto me, and repent of your sins, and be converted, that I may heal you? Yea, verily I say unto you, if ye will come unto me, ye shall have eternal life. Behold, mine arm of mercy is extended towards you, and whosoever will come, him will I receive; and blessed are those who come unto me. Behold, I am Jesus Christ, the Son of God. I created the heavens and the earth, and all things that in them are. I was with the Father from the beginning. I am in the Father and the Father in me, and in me hath the Father glorified his name. I came unto my own and my own received me not. And the scriptures concerning my coming are fulfilled. And as many as have received me, to them have I given to become the sons of God; and even so will I to as many as shall believe on my name. For behold, by me redemption cometh, and in me is the law of Moses fulfilled. I am the light and the life of the world. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. And ye shall offer up unto me no more the shedding of blood, yea, your sacrifices and your burnt offerings shall be done away, for I will accept none of your sacrifices and your burnt offerings; and ye shall offer for a sacrifice unto me a broken heart and a contrite spirit. And whoso cometh unto me with a broken heart and a contrite spirit, him will I baptize with fire and with the holy ghost, even as the Lamanites, because of their faith in me at the time of their conversion, were baptized with fire and with the holy ghost and they knew it not. Behold, I have come unto the world to bring redemption unto the world, to save the world from sin. Therefore, whoso repenteth and cometh unto me as a little child, him will I receive, for of such is the kingdom of God. Behold, for such I have laid down my life and have taken it up again; therefore, repent and come unto me ye ends of the earth and be saved. (3 Nephi 9, NC 3 Nephi 4 pars. 6 - 7)

One thing that jumps out at me concerning the Lord's words to the people left on the land is that those cities He burned and buried and sunk into the sea were destroyed so that the blood of the prophets and the saints would not come up to Him against them any more.

Was that another way that the Lord declared this? "...because of their wickedness in casting out the prophets and stoning them whom I did send to declare unto them concerning their wickedness and their abominations. And because they did cast them all out, that there were none righteous among them, I did send down fire and destroy them, that their wickedness and abominations might be hid from before my face, that the blood of the prophets and the saints whom I sent among them might not cry unto me from the ground against them."

Is it when a people cast out all of the prophets and stone those who are sent to declare unto them their wickedness that the blood of the prophets and the righteous saints cries from the earth unto the Lord against that people? 

The Glossary of Terms in the Teachings and Commandments states the following concerning the phrase the Lord uses of blood crying from the ground.

Blood “crying from the ground” is not the same thing as a person crying out for vengeance. Keep the context in mind. It is the blood that was shed upon the earth which cries out for vengeance, fairness, or retribution. Something unfair has occurred, and the cry of the blood “upon the ground” is a reminder of the injustice of it all. The ground is a reference to the earth, which has a spirit, intelligence, and is able to communicate (if a person were capable of listening). The earth is a female spirit, and she regards herself as “the mother of men.” This earth is offended when the men who are upon her kill one another or engage in any form of wickedness upon her surface. As she beheld the disorder and murder caused by that generation upon whom the flood was unleashed, she lamented: Woe, woe is me, the mother of men. I am pained; I am weary because of the wickedness of my children. When shall I rest and be cleansed from the filthiness which is gone forth out of me? When will my Creator sanctify me, that I may rest, and righteousness for a season abide upon my face? (Genesis 4:20). Even if the person whose blood was shed departed this earth forgiving those who made offense against him, yet would “the ground” cry out for vengeance because the earth has become filthy by reason of the killing that took place upon her. She, as the “mother of men,” regards the killing of men upon her as an abomination. She cries out. She is offended. She wants righteousness to appear on her, as has happened before. She longs that it be brought about again. When, instead of Zion, she has the murder of men upon her face, it is so great a lamentation by her spirit that “the ground cries out for vengeance” because of the atrocity. (Teachings and Commandments, Glossary of Terms, Blood Crying for Vengeance)

The Lord declared that there were none righteous among the people of the cities that were destroyed.

Do we have other examples of this type of event?

What about Sodom and Gomorrah?

When Abraham was pleading with the Lord for the people of Sodom and Gomorrah how many righteous people were required by the Lord to reside in the cities in order for the Lord to spare the entire populace of the area?

Once the angels had removed Lot and his family could it be said of the people of the area that there were no righteous among them?

What about the city of Amonihah among the Nephites?

Was their destruction caused for the same reason as the destruction of the listed Nephite cities following the death of the Lord?

Had the people of Amonihah cast out all of the prophets and the righteous from among them before they were destroyed?

Was there blood crying from the ground for vengeance upon the inhabitants of Amonihah?

And it came to pass that there came a voice again unto the people, and all the people did hear and did witness of it, saying, O ye people of these great cities which have fallen, who are descendants of Jacob, yea, who are of the house of Israel, O ye people of the house of Israel, how oft have I gathered you as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and have nourished you! And again, how oft would I have gathered you as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, yea, O ye people of the house of Israel who have fallen! Yea, O ye people of the house of Israel, ye that dwell at Jerusalem as ye that have fallen, yea, how oft would I have gathered you as a hen gathereth her chickens, and ye would not! O ye house of Israel whom I have spared, how oft will I gather you as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings if ye will repent and return unto me with full purpose of heart! But if not, O house of Israel, the places of your dwellings shall become desolate until the time of the fulfilling of the covenant to your fathers.  And now it came to pass that after the people had heard these words, behold, they began to weep and howl again because of the loss of their kindred and friends. And it came to pass that thus did the three days pass away. And it was in the morning and the darkness dispersed from off the face of the land, and the earth did cease to tremble, and the rocks did cease to rend, and the dreadful groanings did cease, and all the tumultuous noises did pass away, and the earth did cleave together again that it stood, and the mourning and the weeping and the wailing of the people who were spared alive did cease. And their mourning was turned into joy, and their lamentations into the praise and the thanksgiving unto the Lord Jesus Christ, their Redeemer. And thus far were the scriptures fulfilled which had been spoken by the prophets. And it was the more righteous part of the people who were saved, and it was they who received the prophets and stoned them not, and it was they who had not shed the blood of the saints, who were spared. And they were spared, and were not sunk and buried up in the earth, and they were not drowned in the depths of the sea, and they were not burned by fire, neither were they fallen upon and crushed to death; and they were not carried away in the whirlwind, neither were they overpowered by the vapor of smoke and of darkness. (3 Nephi 10:3 - 13, NC 3 Nephi 4 pars. 9 - 10 )

Here we see in the Book of Mormon the delineating factor for those who survived the judgments. 

"And it was the more righteous part of the people who were saved, and it was they who received the prophets and stoned them not, and it was they who had not shed the blood of the saints, who were spared. And they were spared, and were not sunk and buried up in the earth, and they were not drowned in the depths of the sea, and they were not burned by fire, neither were they fallen upon and crushed to death; and they were not carried away in the whirlwind, neither were they overpowered by the vapor of smoke and of darkness."

What things qualified these people to be labeled by the Lord as the more righteous part of the people?

They received the prophets and didn't stone them.

They did not shed the blood of the saints.

It doesn't say that they were exceptional folks.

Didn't the Lord in fact call these survivors to repentance?

O all ye that are spared because ye were more righteous than they, will ye not now return unto me, and repent of your sins, and be converted, that I may heal you?

If the Book of Mormon was written for us then what am I to learn from this?

Is this event, the destruction of the wicked here in the Americas at the time of the death of the Lord, an example of what Moroni declared as he was abridging the account of the Jaredites?

And now we can behold the decrees of God concerning this land, that it is a land of promise, and whatsoever nation shall possess it shall serve God or they shall be swept off when the fullness of his wrath shall come upon them. And the fullness of his wrath cometh upon them when they are ripened in iniquity. For behold, this is a land which is choice above all other lands. Wherefore, he that doth possess it shall serve God or shall be swept off, for it is the everlasting decree of God. And it is not until the fullness of iniquity among the children of the land that they are swept off. And this cometh unto you, O ye gentiles, that ye may know the decrees of God, that ye may repent and not continue in your iniquities until the fullness be come, that ye may not bring down the fullness of the wrath of God upon you as the inhabitants of the land hath hitherto done. Behold, this is a choice land; and whatsoever nation shall possess it shall be free from bondage, and from captivity, and from all other nations under Heaven if they will but serve the God of the land, who is Jesus Christ, who has been manifested by the things which we have written. (Ether 2:9 - 12, NC Ether 1 par. 7)

If the above commentary of Moroni is related and the destruction that occurred was a result of the people here being ripened in iniquity then are shedding the blood of the saints and casting out the prophets God has sent and stoning them signs that a people are ripe for destruction?

Who are saints?

Could saints be considered to be those who are innocent before God?

Would killing the innocent fit with the meaning of injustice being committed on the earth and the earth mourning because of the injustice?

Is it possible in our present nation that blood cries out from the earth for vengeance because of the exceeding multitude of murders and atrocities committed against the unborn and innocent in this nation?

If I support policies and/or laws that uphold the shedding of the blood of the innocent unborn or I support rulers who advance policies and/or laws that promote the shedding of the blood of the innocent unborn am I complicit in the shedding of the blood of the saints? 

Would I be considered one of the more righteous if I am complicit in the shedding of the blood of the innocent unborn?

Who are the prophets?

Didn't the Lord mention multiple prophets sent to the various cities to declare repentance unto them?

Do we have the names of all of those prophets?

I don't believe so.

Were the prophets who were sent to warn the various cities to repent independent from an institution?

What about Samuel the Lamanite; was he independently sent by the Lord, as a prophet, to declare repentance?

How about Abinadi?

Is there a pattern here?

How would I know who would be a true prophet sent from God to declare repentance?

Would the message of repentance from a true prophet of God cause warm fuzzy feelings inside of me or would the message cause me to squirm and be uncomfortable?

Is repentance a comfortable thing?

Does a message of repentance cause positive or negative emotions?

Can I declare that a message does not come from God because it is a negative message or because it causes negative emotions inside of me?

In my opinion, there are a lot of questions that ought to be considered with respect to what the Lord has declared concerning His judgments upon a nation or a people.

I believe that I ought to seriously consider the many questions arising from the Lord's declarations of His judgments if I am to personally avoid being a part of shedding the blood of the innocent and casting out and stoning the prophets.

If I desire in any instance to at very least belong to a group of people that the Lord would declare are a more righteous part and worthy of being spared even though they must repent wouldn't I be wise to consider these matters?

What about secret combinations?

Is the thriving of these abominable combinations in a nation also a sign of a people who are ripe for destruction?

Don't the scriptures tell us that these combinations commit secret acts of murder and seek to destroy the righteous and to kill the innocent?

If I support any laws, policy, etc. that upholds secret combinations or that gives them more power over the people am I complicit in the atrocities that they commit?

I believe that these are very important questions to ask myself.

Continuing on with the consideration of this event I would ask, how was the Lord able to sweep the wicked off of the land without killing the more righteous part of the people with His tremendous judgment?

I would invite you to read the following.

I agree with this statement.

I was asked about all the destruction associated with the end time and how do I cope with that. Look, I saw the sequence of events that will take place. After I was shown that, I went to the Doctrine and Covenants and it was really remarkable because the sequence of events appear, in what I saw, in exactly the same order as they are listed in the Doctrine and Covenants. And it struck me that Joseph may have seen exactly the same thing, because it happened in the same sequence. The destruction may seem random, but from what I saw it was extraordinarily targeted, extraordinarily aimed to accomplish the destruction of the wicked and the preservation of the righteous. In 3rd Nephi the account of the destruction there confirms it was the more wicked who were destroyed. On June 6th of 1944, the invasion of D-Day was launched. Two men who were significantly older than the average G.I. that hit the beaches of Normandy on that day where my father, who landed on Omaha Beach, and Hugh Nibley, who landed on Utah Beach. Utah Beach was a cakewalk compared to what happened on Omaha. My father’s job was as a combat engineer to blow up the tank traps so that the expected tanks could clear the beach and assist in over taking the pill boxes. There wasn’t a single tank that made it to Omaha Beach that day, because the weather was so rough that the tanks sank and they didn’t make it ashore. The tank traps were literally the only thing that blocked the incoming fire. Therefore to blow up the tank traps would  have been to blow up the cover and kill your fellow GIs. The soldiers were grateful for the tank traps they hid behind them. My father instead used the Bangalore mines to blow up some obstructions so they could get up the hills, and neutralize those who were killing them. My father didn’t suffer any injury on Omaha Beach. Everyone in his company was a casualty, but he on June 7th of 1844 formed up with a new company and went on to fight through France. Ultimately he fought in the Battle of the Bulge as well. On Utah Beach, Hugh Nibley, who was a well-educated man at the time and was an intelligence officer, didn’t have to come in with a gun. He came in riding on a Jeep with a bunch of books. His purpose was to interrogate captured enemy as an intelligence officer. And as he came onto the beach in a jeep, a round fell on the beach in front of him, blew a hole in the beach and his Jeep went down and up and bounced through the crater. Reflecting on that moment he recalled that the one thing that came through his mind at the time was, “the Book of Mormon is true.” In the midst of all this violence, you can see how wars and the way that men treat one another, really does result in selective destruction, even though there is chaos. Later on in the war, he noted that one of the villages he had visited as a missionary which had been very hard-hearted and very unwilling to receive anything, who treated missionaries poorly, was a place where there was a lot of destruction. He reflected upon how the more wicked element were killed, just like the Book of Mormon. The coming destruction is no different. You want to be protected? It’s in the cavern of the rock, which is Christ. Literally, a hand grenade can land in the middle of the crowd and if the Lord has a righteous man among them, he can save that person if He chooses. The things that I have seen suggest that it’s not destruction we should fear, nor violence, it is our own unworthiness. Our greatest fear should be our sins. (Denver Snuffer, Boise Q&A transcript, Boise General Conference, September 2016) 

I do not presently believe that If I become righteous or that if I am found in the camp of the more righteous that I would necessarily pass through the coming destructions having my life spared or be unharmed.

The prophet Joseph taught the following concerning the judgments to come.

I explained concerning the coming of the Son of Man; also that it is a false idea that the Saints
will escape all the judgments, whilst the wicked suffer; for all flesh is subject to suffer, and “the
righteous shall hardly escape;” still many of the Saints will escape, for the just shall live by faith;
yet many of the righteous shall fall a prey to disease, to pestilence, etc., by reason of the weakness
of the flesh, and yet be saved in the Kingdom of God. So that it is an unhallowed principle to say
that such and such have transgressed because they have been preyed upon by disease or death, for
all flesh is subject to death; and the Savior has said, “Judge not, lest ye be judged.” (September 29, 1839.) DHC 4:11. (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, pgs. 162 - 163)

Remember what Alma declared to Amulek in Amonihah as the righteous wives and children were being burned alive in front of them?

And it came to pass that they took Alma and Amulek and carried them forth to the place of martyrdom, that they might witness the destruction of those who were consumed by fire. And when Amulek saw the pains of the women and children who were consuming in the fire, he was also pained, and he said unto Alma, How can we witness this awful scene? Therefore, let us stretch forth our hands and exercise the power of God which is in us, and save them from the flames. But Alma said unto him, The spirit constraineth me that I must not stretch forth mine hand. For behold, the Lord receiveth them up unto himself in glory. And he doth suffer that they may do this thing, or that the people may do this thing unto them according to the hardness of their hearts, that the judgments which he shall exercise upon them in his wrath may be just. And the blood of the innocent shall stand as a witness against them, yea, and cry mightily against them at the last day. Now Amulek said unto Alma, Behold, perhaps they will burn us also. And Alma said, Be it according to the will of the Lord. But behold, our work is not finished; therefore, they burn us not. (Alma 14:9 - 13, NC Alma 10 par. 7)

Is it possible that those who were allowed to perished in Amonihah were in the same condition as those Lamanites who were slain when they allowed their enemies to come upon them and they resisted not?

And it came to pass that the people of God were joined that day by more than the number who had been slain; and those who had been slain were righteous people, therefore we have no reason to doubt but what they are saved. And there was not a wicked man slain among them, but there were more than a thousand brought to the knowledge of the truth; thus we see that the Lord worketh in many ways to the salvation of his people. (Alma 24:26 - 30, NC Alma 14 par. 12)

Are these examples in the Book of Mormon proof of what the Prophet Joseph declared that, " many of the righteous shall fall a prey to disease, to pestilence, etc., by reason of the weakness of the flesh, and yet be saved in the Kingdom of God."?

If I can live so that I find myself in the camp of the more righteous or I would hope the camp of the righteous would it matter if physically I am called home during the winding up scenes here?

If I were to find myself in the same position as the Lamanites who prostrated themselves before their enemies would I have anything to fear with death?

Would I be able to find myself in the same position as the three Hebrew youths and be able to declare as they did to Nebuchadnezzar, "If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto you, O king, that we will not serve your gods, nor worship the golden image which you have set up." (Daniel 3:13 - 18, OC Daniel 3 par. 3)?

My present understanding of how God works with respect to destruction and wickedness and righteousness is in alignment with this following statement.

This is the reason why, before the Flood, it was necessary to remove Zion. God cannot destroy the righteous. The wicked can destroy the wicked, and the wicked can destroy the righteous. But when Zion is here, the wicked cannot destroy Zion because it is God’s government. And because the wicked cannot destroy Zion, and God will not do so, Zion necessarily was taken up into heaven. The same thing happened with Melchizedek's city. ("Zion Will Come", Denver Snuffer 4-10-16 Moab, Utah, pg. 12)

What Nephi shares here in his vision concerning the multitudes who had not fallen, in my opinion, is very important for me to consider because I believe that the judgments of God are falling and will continue to fall upon this nation and upon all nations.

I also believe that God is working a work to gather all who will be gathered under their wing.

There is a new covenant God has established again and invited all to come and take part that they may abide the day of the Lord's coming in judgment upon the earth and not be swept off of this nation beforehand.

The following is a prophecy given during the first offering of this new covenant September 3 2017.

Those who have entered faithfully into the covenant this day are going to notice somethings. The spirit of God is withdrawing from the world. Men are increasingly more angry without good cause. The hearts of men are waxing cold. There is increasing anger and resentment of gentiles. In political terms, it’s rejection of white privilege. Language of scriptures gives a description of the events now underway and calls it the end of the times of the gentiles. This process with the spirit withdrawing, will end on this continent, as it did with two prior civilization in fratricidal and genocidal warfare. For the rest of the world, it will be as in the days of Noah in which, as that light becomes eclipsed, the coldness of men’s hearts is going to result in a constant scene of violence and bloodshed. The wicked will destroy the wicked. The covenant, if it is kept, will prevent you from losing light and warmth of heart as the spirit now steadily recedes from the world. The time will come when you will be astonished at the gulf between the light and truth you will comprehend and the darkness of mind of the world. Be charitable and patient and labor to reach others. They will judge you harshly, but nevertheless be kind to them. They are going to grow to fear you, but that’s only part of how darkness responds to light. Give them no reason to fear you. The time will come for us to gather, but between now and then, be leaven. Preserve the world. Be salt. Preserve the world, even if it hates you. (ClosingRemarks Covenant of Christ Conference, Egyptian Theater, Boise, Idaho, September 3, 2017, Denver Snuffer, Jr., pg 1)

I see this prophecy moving towards fulfillment.

It saddens me greatly but I know that the word of God must be fulfilled.

I hope for myself to become one of the righteous who faithfully keep this covenant I have entered into.  

I hope to be a leaven for the world around me and to be kind to all who are in my sphere of influence. 

Then I can trust in the promises of God that I will either be preserved or I will die with the sure knowledge that I am clean, through Christ, before God. 

Righteous Forever, Garments made White

1 Nephi 12:7 - 10, NC 1 Nephi 3 par. 16

 And I also saw and bear record that the holy ghost fell upon twelve others, and they were ordained of God and chosen. And the angel spake unto me, saying, Behold the twelve disciples of the Lamb, who were chosen to minister unto thy seed. And he said unto me, Thou remembereth the twelve apostles of the Lamb. Behold, they are they who shall judge the twelve tribes of Israel. Wherefore, the twelve ministers of thy seed shall be judged of them, for ye are of the house of Israel; and these twelve ministers whom thou beholdest shall judge thy seed. And behold, they are righteous for ever, for because of their faith in the Lamb of God, their garments are made white in his blood.

The Stick of Joseph in the Hand of Ephraim 1 Nefi 3 par. 16

And I also saw and bear record that the Ruach HaKodesh fell upon twelve others, and they were ordained of Elohim and chosen. And the angel spoke unto me, saying, Behold the twelve talmidim of the Lamb, who were chosen to minister unto your seed. And he said unto me, You remember the twelve emissaries of the Lamb. Behold, they are they who shall judge the twelve tribes of Isra’el. Wherefore, the twelve servants of your seed shall be judged of them, for you are of the house of Isra’el; and these twelve servants whom you behold shall judge your seed. And behold, they are righteous for ever, for because of their faith in the Lamb of Elohim, their garments are made white in his blood.

I have always been blind to things that have been right in front of my face and I believe what Nephi is leaving here in this description is a help to me concerning something that I have had right in front of my face in the Book of Mormon but have never connected the dots.

For this I am exceedingly grateful to Nephi.

Also, I am learning little by little that I have for soooo long compartmentalized teachings contained in the separate books of scriptures instead of viewing them all together which makes them understandable.

As an example of what I am talking about please consider the following.

And I have given unto you another law and commandment, wherefore teach it unto your children: that all men everywhere must repent or they can by no means inherit the kingdom of God; for no unclean thing can dwell there or dwell in his presence, for in the language of Adam, Man of Holiness is his name. And the name of his Only Begotten is the Son Ahman, a righteous judge who shall come in the meridian of time. Therefore, I give unto you a commandment to teach these things freely unto your children, saying that by reason of transgression comes the Fall, which fall brings death. And inasmuch as you were born into the world by water, and blood, and the spirit whom I have made, and so became of dust a living soul, even so, you must be born again into the kingdom of Heaven of water, and of the spirit, and be cleansed by blood, even the blood of my Only Begotten, that you may be sanctified from all sin and enjoy the words of eternal life in this world, and eternal life in the world to come, even immortal glory. For by the water you keep the commandment, by the spirit you are justified, and by the blood you are sanctified... (Moses 6:56 - 63, OC Genesis 4 par. 9)

I had considered that I understood what it meant that all need to be born of water and the spirit in order to be born again into the kingdom of Heaven but I had confusion as to what it meant to be cleansed by the blood of the Only Begotten.

What would that look like?  

What is entailed in that?

I believe that my confusion stemmed from the fact that I considered this principle of being cleansed by the blood of the Only Begotten taught here alone and apart from what the other scriptures said about the matter.

I did not realize until I began to take the Book of Mormon more seriously than I have in the past that the Book of Mormon has a tremendous amount to teach on one being cleansed by the blood of Christ.

Since the Book of Mormon contains a fulness of the gospel of Jesus Christ, is it any wonder that Nephi would take the opportunity here to point to an event that clearly demonstrates what the Lord was declaring to Adam from the beginning; an event that clearly demonstrates the Doctrine of Christ as well as the end result of the baptism of fire and of the Holy Ghost?

And it came to pass that on the morrow, when the multitude was gathered together, behold, Nephi and his brother whom he had raised from the dead, whose name was Timothy, and also his son whose name was Jonas, and also Mathoni, and Mathonihah his brother, and Kumen, and Kumenonhi, and Jeremiah, and Shemnon, and Jonas, and Zedekiah, and Isaiah — now these were the names of the disciples whom Jesus had chosen — and it came to pass that they went forth and stood in the midst of the multitude. And behold, the multitude was so great that they did cause that they should be separated into twelve bodies, and the twelve did teach the multitude. And behold, they did cause that the multitude should kneel down upon the face of the earth and should pray unto the Father in the name of Jesus. And the disciples did pray unto the Father also in the name of Jesus. And it came to pass that they arose and ministered unto the people. And when they had ministered them same words which Jesus had spoken, nothing varying from the words which Jesus had spoken, behold, they knelt again and prayed to the Father in the name of Jesus; and they did pray for that which they most desired. And they desired that the holy ghost should be given unto them. And when they had thus prayed, they went down unto the water’s edge, and the multitude followed them. And it came to pass that Nephi went down into the water and was baptized. And he came up out of the water and began to baptize, and he baptized all those whom Jesus had chosen. And it came to pass when they were all baptized and had come up out of the water, the holy ghost did fall upon them, and they were filled with the holy ghost and with fire. And behold, they were encircled about as if it were fire, and it came down from Heaven, and the multitude did witness it and do bear record. And angels did come down out of Heaven and did minister unto them. And it came to pass that while the angels were ministering unto the disciples, behold, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and ministered unto them. And it came to pass that he spake unto the multitude and commanded them that they should kneel down again upon the earth, and also that his disciples should kneel down upon the earth. And it came to pass that when they had all knelt down upon the earth, he commanded his disciples that they should pray. And behold, they began to pray, and they did pray unto Jesus, calling him their Lord and their God.(3 Nephi 19:4 - 18, NC 3 Nephi 9 par. 2)

In this account we can clearly see two parts of what God described to Adam happening to the twelve Nephi saw in vision here; being born of water and of the spirit.

Is this the part of the vision Nephi saw when he declared, "I also saw and bear record that the holy ghost fell upon twelve others,"?

The account continues

And it came to pass that when Jesus had thus prayed unto the Father, he came unto his disciples, and behold, they did still continue without ceasing to pray unto him. And they did not multiply many words, for it was given unto them what they should pray, and they were filled with desire. And it came to pass that Jesus blessed them as they did pray unto him, and his countenance did smile upon them, and the light of his countenance did shine upon them. And behold, they were as white as the countenance and also the garments of Jesus. And behold, the whiteness thereof did exceed all whiteness, yea, even there could be nothing upon earth so white as the whiteness thereof. And Jesus said unto them, Pray on. Nevertheless, they did not cease to pray. And he turned from them again and went a little way off, and bowed himself to the earth, and he prayed again unto the Father, saying, Father, I thank thee that thou hast purified these whom I have chosen because of their faith; and I pray for them, and also for them who shall believe on their words, that they may be purified in me through faith on their words, even as they are purified in me. Father, I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given unto me out of the world because of their faith, that they may be purified in me, that I may be in them as thou, Father, art in me, that we may be one, that I may be glorified in them. And when Jesus had spoken these words, he came again unto his disciples, and behold, they did pray steadfastly without ceasing unto him; and he did smile upon them again, and behold, they were white, even as Jesus. (3 Nephi 19:24 - 30, NC 3 Nephi 9 par. 4)

Do we see here in this event the twelve disciples chosen by the Lord being cleansed by the blood of the Only Begotten after having been born anew of water and of the spirit?

Is this what Nephi saw and the angel described when the angel declared to Nephi, "And behold, they are righteous for ever, for because of their faith in the Lamb of God, their garments are made white in his blood."?

The Lord Himself declared to His Father here, "Father, I thank thee that thou hast purified these whom I have chosen because of their faith."

Is this event similar to what Moses experienced as witnessed by those who saw him after descending from the mount?

And it came to pass when Moses came down from Mount Sinai, with the two tablets of testimony in Moses’ hand when he came down from the mount, that Moses knew not that the skin of his face shone while he talked with him. And when Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone, and they were afraid to come near him. And Moses called unto them. And Aaron and all the rulers of the congregation returned unto him, and Moses talked with them. And afterward, all the children of Israel came near, and he gave them in commandment all that the Lord had spoken with him in Mount Sinai. And until Moses was done speaking with them, he put a veil on his face. But when Moses went in before the Lord to speak with him, he took the veil off until he came out. And he came out and spoke unto the children of Israel that which he was commanded. And the children of Israel saw the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses’ face shone. And Moses put the veil upon his face again until he went in to speak with the Lord.(Exodus 34:29 - 35, OC Exodus 19 par. 1)

When Moses descended and the skin of his face shown could it be said concerning Moses that the countenance of the Lord had smiled upon him and that because of his faith in the Only Begotten he was purified?

Was this event with Moses in like manner of the Nephite disciples the washing of Moses' garments in the blood of the Only Begotten making him righteous forever?

Is any of this related to the parable the Lord delivered while sojourning here in mortality?

And Jesus answered the people again, and spoke unto them in parables, and said, The kingdom of Heaven is like unto a certain king who made a marriage for his son. And when the marriage was ready, he sent forth his servants to call them that were bid to the wedding; and they would not come. Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them that are bid, Behold, I have prepared my oxen, and my fatlings have been killed, and my dinner is ready, and all things are prepared; therefore, come unto the marriage. But they made light of the servants and went their ways — one to his farm, and another to his merchandise. And the remnant took his servants, and treated them spitefully, and slew them. But when the king heard that his servants were dead, he was angry. And he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city. Then said he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they who were bid were not worthy. Go therefore into the highways, and as many as you shall find, bid to the marriage. So those servants went out into the highways and gathered together all, as many as they found, both bad and good, and the wedding was furnished with guests. But when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man who had not on a wedding garment. And he said unto him, Friend, how did you come in here not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless. Then said the king unto his servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take and cast him away into outer darkness. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, for many are called, but few chosen; wherefore, all do not have on the wedding garment. (Matthew 22:1 - 14, NC Matthew 10 pars. 17 - 19)

As we look at this parable what does it mean that both bad and good were ultimately invited to attend the wedding?

Who are the servants bidding the bad and the good to come?

How would I recognize a "servant" bidding me to come from the highway to the prepared wedding?

Are the "servants" going into the highways bidding both the bad and good to come to the wedding related to what the Lord declared to His Father while He was among the Nephites?

I pray for them, and also for them who shall believe on their words, that they may be purified in me through faith on their words, even as they are purified in me. Father, I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given unto me out of the world because of their faith, that they may be purified in me, that I may be in them as thou, Father, art in me, that we may be one, that I may be glorified in them.

When an individual is purified, when the countenance of the Lord has smiled upon them, is it their job to go out to the highways and invite all, the bad and the good, to come to the wedding feast?

Is that how I might recognize one of the servants because they have been sanctified by Christ?

What does it mean to be sanctified?

What was it that was happening to the twelve Nephite disciples Nephi saw in vision?

In the Teachings and Commandments glossary of terms referring to "sanctification" we read the following.

Sanctification

The baptism of fire and the holy ghost is for sanctification. It is done upon the body and the Spirit within each person. The work of this “baptism of fire” is always sanctification. It brings the recipient into greater contact with God. The end of that increasing contact is to receive the Son, through whose blood all can be sanctified (see Genesis 4:9). Once sanctified, one is prepared for the presence of the Father (see Alma 21:3; 1 Nephi 3:5). It is the companionship of the Spirit that makes one justified by leading him or her to do what is right. It is the resulting application of Christ’s blood on one’s behalf that sanctifies (see Genesis 4:9). One cannot receive sanctification without first receiving baptism and then also the holy ghost. “In effect, you receive holiness through the sanctifying power of the Holy Spirit. This in turn makes your own spirit holy.” Man is unworthy to enter into God’s presence and, therefore, requires a power higher than his own from which to borrow purity. This purifying agent is the holy ghost (see 3 Nephi 9:3–4). Christ will administer the final rites and confer the final blessings only upon the pure (see 3 Nephi 9:4–5). The reference to “blood” as sanctifying is a reference to the Lord (see Genesis 4:9). He alone sanctifies. Christ sanctifies mankind; they don’t sanctify themselves. “To be purified, to be sanctified by the Lamb — removing from you, and taking upon Himself the responsibility to answer for whatever failings you have — this is not ritual purity. This is purity in fact. To be sanctified is to be qualified to stand in the presence of God without sin, clean of all blood and sin — righteous forever. He is Christ’s, and Christ is the Father’s, and all that each of them will be is the same; for we shall see Him as He is, because we will be like Him. To be like Him is to be sanctified.” (Teachings and Commandments, Glossary of Terms, Sanctification)

Were the 12 Nephite disciples described as being like unto Christ during this event?

At the feast where do the guests get a wedding garment?

Who gives them a wedding garment to wear before the King?

Is the act of receiving a wedding garment the action of being purified or sanctified through faith on the Only Begotten?

Would this action be preceded by baptism of both water and the spirit?

Is being baptized the manner in which those on the highways respond to the invitation to come to the wedding?

Would such a course follow the pattern given to Adam in the beginning which was then demonstrated by the twelve disciples at the coming of the Lord to the Nephites who Nephi saw in vision?

Are these things part of the original religion of the Fathers?

Is this why the Prophet Joseph taught the following?

You might as well baptize a bag of sand as a man, if not done in view of the remission of sins and getting of the Holy Ghost. Baptism by water is but half a baptism, and is good for nothing without the other half—that is, the baptism of the Holy Ghost.  The Savior says, “Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, pg. 314)

If we look again at the steps the twelve disciples of the Lord among the Nephites took didn't they follow this pattern with the intent of receiving the Holy Ghost?

Is this what allowed the purification or the washing of their garments to take place?

Why is Nephi so specific to point out this event to us in his vision? 

Is it important that we study and understand this important event and see what the Lord intends to perform upon all who truly exercise faith in Him unto salvation?

When Alma was speaking to the church in Zarahemla he taught the following.

And now behold, I ask of you, my brethren of the church, have ye spiritually been born of God? Have ye received his image in your own countenances? Have ye experienced this mighty change in your hearts? Do ye exercise faith in the redemption of him who created you? Do you look forward with an eye of faith and view this mortal body raised in immortality, and this corruption raised in incorruption? To stand before God to be judged according to the deeds which have been done in the mortal body? I say unto you, can you imagine to yourselves that ye hear the voice of the Lord saying unto you in that day, Come unto me, ye blessed, for behold, your works have been the works of righteousness upon the face of the earth — or do ye imagine to yourselves that ye can lie unto the Lord at that day and say, Lord, our works have been righteous works upon the face of the earth — and that he will save you? Or otherwise, can ye imagine yourselves brought before the tribunal of God with your souls filled with guilt and remorse, having a remembrance of all your guilt, yea, a perfect remembrance of all your wickedness, yea, a remembrance that ye have set at defiance the commandments of God? I say unto you, can ye look up to God at that day with a pure heart and clean hands? I say unto you, can you look up, having the image of God engraven upon your countenances? I say unto you, can ye think of being saved when you have yielded yourselves to become subjects to the Devil? I say unto you, ye will know at that day that ye cannot be saved; for there can no man be saved except his garments are washed white. Yea, his garments must be purified until they are cleansed from all stain through the blood of him of whom it has been spoken by our fathers, who should come to redeem his people from their sins. (Alma 5:14 - 21, NC Alma 3 par. 3)

Didn't Alma use the same terms and phrases that Nephi used and the Lord; garments washed white, purified from all stain through the blood of him of whom it has been spoken by our fathers, who should come to redeem his people?

Is what Alma taught here equivalent to Nephi's words "they are righteous for ever, for because of their faith in the Lamb of God, their garments are made white in his blood."

The Glossary of Terms in the Teachings and Commandments speaks of  "white garments".

White Garments

To have the blood and sins of one’s generation removed from him; to be purified; to be sanctified by the Lamb — removing from the individual and taking upon Himself the responsibility to answer for whatever failings he has. This is not ritual purity. This is purity in fact. Therefore, they were called after this Holy Order and were sanctified, and their garments were washed white through the blood of the Lamb. Now they, after being sanctified by the holy ghost, having their garments made white, being pure and spotless before God, could not look upon sin save it were with abhorrence. And there were many, an exceeding great many, who were made pure and entered into the rest of the Lord their God (Alma 10:1). This describes those who are qualified to stand in the presence of God without sin; they are clean of all blood and sin — righteous for ever. “He is Christ’s, and Christ is the Father’s, and all that each of them will be is the same; for we shall see Him as He is, because we will be like Him. To be like Him is to be sanctified.” These people are sanctified by the holy ghost as a result of having their garments made white. They are pure and spotless before God. This is the reason they can enter His presence. He has accepted them because, just like Him, they are without sin. They were not perfected by their own acts. The earlier reference to their repentance makes that clear. They become pure and spotless before God because they have done what was asked of them to become clean. They have repented. “Christ sanctifies us, we don’t sanctify ourselves. Our ‘righteousness’ is borrowed from Him. It can be symbolized in this way. He provides a white robe, we put it on, and then He looks upon the whiteness and purity of the robe we received from Him and treats us as if the borrowed robe is our condition. We owe Him for that. He is willing to proceed with us as if we merited the robe.(Teachings and Commandments, Glossary of Terms, White Garments)

If we are to take the words of Alma seriously then do we need to consider that in order for us to be saved we must have the same type of cleansing that happened to the Nephite disciples happen to us; to have our garments washed white through the blood of the Lamb of God?

Is such a course even possible for most individuals or is it reserved for a select few?

Does the fact that the Lord declared in the parable that the "servants" called to both the bad and the good mean that such things are possible for all?

What does Alma have to say on the matter?

Now as I said concerning the Holy Order, or this High Priesthood, there were many who were ordained and became high priests of God. And it was on account of their exceeding faith and repentance, and their righteousness before God, they choosing to repent and work righteousness rather than to perish. Therefore, they were called after this Holy Order and were sanctified, and their garments were washed white through the blood of the Lamb. Now they, after being sanctified by the holy ghost, having their garments made white, being pure and spotless before God, could not look upon sin save it were with abhorrence. And there were many, an exceeding great many, who were made pure and entered into the rest of the Lord their God. And now, my brethren, I would that ye should humble yourselves before God and bring forth fruit meet for repentance, that ye may also enter into that rest. Yea, humble yourselves even as the people in the days of Melchizedek, who was also a high priest after this same Order which I have spoken, who also took upon him the High Priesthood for ever. And it was this same Melchizedek to whom Abraham paid tithes — yea, even our father Abraham paid tithes of one-tenth part of all he possessed. Now these ordinances were given after this manner, that thereby the people might look forward on the Son of God, it being a type of his Order, or it being his Order, and this that they might look forward to him for a remission of their sins, that they might enter into the rest of the Lord. (Alma 13:10 - 16, NC Alma 10 par. 1)

Does the fact that Alma declared that there were many, an exceedingly great many, who were made pure and entered into the rest of the Lord their God, give us confidence that even though we may be the bad who are bid to come from the highway to the wedding that we too can receive a wedding garment?

On a side note,

Is this related to "priesthood"?

When we talk of the Holy Order are we talking about "priesthood"?

If we are talking about "priesthood" when we are talking about the Holy Order, then if one has not experienced their garments being washed white because of their faith in the Only Begotten can they truthfully say that they are part of the Holy Order or that they possess that "priesthood"?

Does this make "priesthood" appear to be more like an association with the Lord and God than some kind of control or office?

Would that mean that men women and children, if they are made pure and enter into the rest of the Lord, can all possess "priesthood"? 

Back to the post.

There are prophecies of a future time when a New Jerusalem will be built up and the Old Jerusalem as well.

Ether prophesied something important about those who will inhabit those blessed places.

Wherefore, the remnant of the house of Joseph shall be built up upon this land, and it shall be a land of their inheritance. And they shall build up a holy city unto the Lord like unto the Jerusalem of old. And they shall no more be confounded until the end come, when the earth shall pass away. And there shall be a new heaven and a new earth. And they shall be like unto the old, save the old have passed away and all things have become new. And then cometh the New Jerusalem; and blessed are they who dwell therein, for it is they whose garments are white through the blood of the Lamb; and they are they who are numbered among the remnant of the seed of Joseph, who were of the house of Israel. And then also cometh the Jerusalem of old and the inhabitants thereof; blessed are they, for they have been washed in the blood of the Lamb. And they are they who were scattered, and gathered in from the four quarters of the earth and from the north countries, and are partakers of the fulfilling of the covenant which God made with their father, Abraham. And when these things come, bringeth to pass the scripture which saith, There are they who were first who shall be last, and there are they who were last who shall be first.(Ether 13:8 - 12, NC Ether 6 par. 3)

What did Ether prophesy concerning the inhabitants?

And then cometh the New Jerusalem; and blessed are they who dwell therein, for it is they whose garments are white through the blood of the Lamb; and they are they who are numbered among the remnant of the seed of Joseph, who were of the house of Israel. And then also cometh the Jerusalem of old and the inhabitants thereof; blessed are they, for they have been washed in the blood of the Lamb.

If all the inhabitants of both the old and new Jerusalem have their garments washed white then would that mean that the countenance of the Lord smiles down upon each and every inhabitant of those two places?

Would that fulfill this prophecy of Jeremiah?

Behold, the days come, says the Lord, that I will sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the seed of man and with the seed of beast. And it shall come to pass that as I have watched over them to pluck up, and to break down, and to throw down, and to destroy, and to afflict, so will I watch over them to build and to plant, says the Lord. In those days, they shall say no more, The fathers have eaten a sour grape, and the children’s teeth are set on edge — but everyone shall die for his own iniquity. Every man that eats the sour grape, his teeth shall be set on edge. Behold, the days come, says the Lord, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah — not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt (which my covenant they broke, although I was a husband unto them, says the Lord), but this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel: after those days, says the Lord, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts, and will be their God and they shall be my people. And they shall teach no more every man his neighbor and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord — for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, says the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity and I will remember their sin no more. (Jeremiah31:27 -34, Jeremiah 12 par. 9)

If all who dwell in the old and new Jerusalem's have their garments white through the blood of the Lamb and are able to stand in God's presence wouldn't that mean that they all had entered into the rest of the Lord or in other words they know the Lord personally from the least to the greatest?

On the side note, if to be part of the Holy Order is to possess priesthood then wouldn't all the inhabitants of the two Jerusalems possess priesthood from the least to the greatest?

This is a significant thing that Nephi is sharing here.

 

The Lamb of God Descending out of Heaven

1 Nephi 12:1 - 6, NC 1 Nephi 3 par. 15


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. 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 burnt with fire, and I saw many that did tumble to the earth because of the quaking thereof. And it came to pass after I saw these things, I saw the vapor of darkness, that it passed from off the face of the earth. And behold, I saw the multitudes who had not fallen because of the great and terrible judgments of the Lord. And I saw the Heavens open and the Lamb of God descending out of Heaven, and he came down and he shewed himself unto them.

The Stick of Joseph in the Hand of Ephraim 1 Nefi 3 par. 15

And it came to pass that the angel said unto me, Look and behold your seed, and also the seed of your brothers. And I looked and beheld the land of promise; and I beheld multitudes of people, yes, 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, yes, even that I did not number them. 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 split, 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 burnt with fire, and I saw many that did tumble to the earth because of the quaking thereof. And it came to pass after I saw these things, I saw the vapor of darkness, that it passed from off the face of the earth. And behold, I saw the multitudes who had not fallen because of the great and terrible judgments of yhwh. And I saw the Heavens open and the Lamb of Elohim descending out of Heaven, and he came down and he showed himself unto them.

Isn't it interesting that at this point Nephi, who I believe saw everything concerning the future of his posterity including King Benjamin, and Mosiah, and Alma, and the sons of Mosiah, and Abinadi, etc. etc., summarizes all of those experiences into beholding wars and rumors of wars among his seed and the seed of his brethren?

Why pass over the high points of the Nephite history without even touching on it even briefly to only state that I beheld many generations pass away after the manner of wars and contentions in the land?

Our little Book of Mormon study group believes that Nephi is recording this vision by the power of the Holy Ghost after he has had forty years to ponder and consider this vision.

We believe that Nephi is including in the vision what is most critical at this point for us, a gentile audience, as well as a near future Jewish and Native American audience to read and understand.

Notice how the majority of what Nephi describes at this point in the vision has to do with the time immediately preceeding and then during the advent of the Savior to the people of Nephi here on the American continent.

Why?

All of prophecy is essentially focused on two events. You can always find an acception to this because there are all kinds of intermediate events that get covered. But essentially the burden of prophecy focuses upon two and only two events. The first one is the looking forward to the coming of the Lord in the flesh in His mortal ministry. And the second one is looking forward to the coming of the Lord in glory to judge the world. Those are the two primary events that are the burden of prophecy, the burden of scripture, and you’re living on the cusp of the fulfillment of the second of those two events. And therefore, you would be well served to learn as much as you can about those two events. (Podcast #48, "Prophecy", Denver Snuffer Podcast)

If Nephi is following the pattern of the burden of prophecy then what are we to learn concerning what Nephi recorded about the Lord's advent to the Nephites in the promised land?

Is it possible that Nephi focusing attention on the coming of the Lord relates to What Lehi saw concerning the covenants that God made with the Fathers from the beginning?

When Nephi began this event speaking with the spirit of the Lord this was their conversation together.

...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? And I said, Yea, thou knowest that I believe all the words of my father. And when I had spoken these words, the spirit cried with a loud voice, saying, Hosanna to the Lord, the Most High God, for he is God over all the earth, yea, even above all! And blessed art thou, Nephi, because thou believest in the Son of the Most High God; wherefore, thou shalt behold the things which thou hast desired... (1 Nephi 11:1 - 7, NC 1 Nephi 3 par. 6)

As I have mentioned in an earlier post, I believe that Lehi saw everything just like Nephi.

Why do I believe this?

1) Nephi's statement above that he desired to behold the things which his father saw.

2)Lehi's teachings to his sons which were what caused Nephi to ponder upon his father's words.

For behold, it came to pass after my father had made an end of speaking the words of his dream, and also of exhorting them to all diligence, he spake unto them concerning the Jews, that after they should be destroyed — even that great city Jerusalem — and many be carried away captive into Babylon, according to the own due time of the Lord, they should return again, yea, even should be brought back out of captivity. And after that they should be brought back out of captivity, they should possess again their land of inheritance. Yea, even six hundred years from the time that my father left Jerusalem, a prophet would the Lord God raise up among the Jews, even a messiah, or in other words, a savior of the world. And he also spake concerning the prophets, how great a number had testified of these things concerning this Messiah of whom he had spoken, or this Redeemer of the world. Wherefore, all mankind were in a lost and in a fallen state, and ever would be save they should rely on this Redeemer.  And he spake also concerning a prophet who should come before the Messiah to prepare the way of the Lord. Yea, even he should go forth and cry in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord and make his paths straight! For there standeth one among you whom ye know not; and he is mightier than I, whose shoe’s latchet I am not worthy to unloose. And much spake my father concerning this thing. And my father said he should baptize in Bethabara beyond Jordan; and he also said he should baptize with water, even that he should baptize the Messiah with water. And after he had baptized the Messiah with water, he should behold and bear record that he had baptized the Lamb of God, who should take away the sins of the world.  And it came to pass, after my father had spoken these words, he spake unto my brethren concerning the gospel which should be preached among the Jews, and also concerning the dwindling of the Jews in unbelief. And after they had slain the Messiah who should come, and after he had been slain, he should rise from the dead and should make himself manifest by the holy ghost unto the gentiles. Yea, even my father spake much concerning the gentiles, and also concerning the house of Israel, that they should be compared like unto an olive tree whose branches should be broken off and should be scattered upon all the face of the earth. Wherefore, he said it must needs be that we should be led with one accord into the land of promise, unto the fulfilling of the word of the Lord that we should be scattered upon all the face of the earth. And after the house of Israel should be scattered, they should be gathered together again, or in fine, after the gentiles had received the fullness of the gospel, the natural branches of the olive tree — or the remnants of the house of Israel — should be grafted in, or come to the knowledge of the true Messiah, their Lord and their Redeemer. And after this manner of language did my father prophesy and speak unto my brethren, and also many more things which I do not write in this book; for I have written as many of them as were expedient for me in mine other book. And all these things of which I have spoken were done as my father dwelt in a tent in the valley of Lemuel. ( 1 Nephi 10:2 - 16, NC 1 Nephi 3 pars. 2 - 4)

I believe that as Lehi was teaching his sons concerning the house of Israel being scattered and comparing them to an olive tree who's branches were scattered Lehi was using as a scaffolding to his words the allegory of Zenos because he saw the events all unfold.

We touched on the Zenos' Allegory in an earlier post.

If I am correct in my thinking in this matter, then I believe that Lehi was interested in his sons coming to an understanding of the the covenants that God had made with the original Fathers, starting with Adam, to restore His house or family to the earth in the end just as it was in the beginning.

I intend to address what Nephi spoke of concerning the destruction that occurred among the Nephites and Lamanites at the time of the Lord's crucifixion later on.

Right now I would like to focus on the Lamb of God descending out of heaven among the Nephites who were left.

I believe that Nephi, as well as his father Lehi, was interested in our attention being drawn to those very same promises and so he recorded his vision in a manner that we would focus on what he was shown that would occur through history for God to fulfill His intended purposes of vindicating His original promises.

If we study this event that Nephi is describing can we see anything that the Lord taught or promised to the surviving Nephites that has to do with God's promises to the original Fathers?

Following His instructions to the Nephites concerning His doctrine and His law (the Sermon on the Mount repeated at Bountiful), the Lord began to prophesy concerning the house of Israel which He had scattered.

And now it came to pass that when Jesus had spoken these words, he said unto those twelve whom he had chosen, Ye are my disciples, and ye are a light unto this people, who are a remnant of the house of Joseph. And behold, this is the land of your inheritance, and the Father hath given it unto you. And not at any time hath the Father given me commandment that I should tell it unto your brethren at Jerusalem; neither at any time hath the Father given me commandment that I should tell unto them concerning the other tribes of the house of Israel whom the Father hath led away out of the land. This much did the Father command me that I should tell unto them, that other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice, and there shall be one fold and one shepherd. And now because of stiffneckedness and unbelief, they understood not my word; therefore, I was commanded to say no more, of the Father, concerning this thing unto them. But verily I say unto you that the Father hath commanded me, and I tell it unto you, that ye were separated from among them because of their iniquity; therefore, it is because of their iniquity that they know not of you. And verily I say unto you again that the other tribes hath the Father separated from them, and it is because of their iniquity that they know not of them. And verily I say unto you that ye are they of whom I said, Other sheep I have, which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice, and there shall be one fold and one shepherd. And they understood me not, for they supposed it had been the gentiles; for they understood not that the gentiles should be converted through their preaching. And they understood me not, that I said, They shall hear my voice, and they understood me not that the gentiles should not at that time hear my voice, that I should not manifest myself unto them save it were by the holy ghost. But behold, ye have both heard my voice and seen me, and ye are my sheep, and ye are numbered among those whom the Father hath given me. And verily, verily I say unto you that I have other sheep which are not of this land, neither of the land of Jerusalem, neither in any parts of that land round about whither I have been to minister. For they of whom I speak are they who have not as yet heard my voice, neither have I at any time manifested myself unto them. But I have received a commandment of the Father that I shall go unto them, and that they shall hear my voice and shall be numbered among my sheep, that there may be one fold and one shepherd; therefore, I go to shew myself unto them.
And I command you that ye shall write these sayings after I am gone, that if it so be that my people at Jerusalem — they who have seen me and been with me in my ministry — do not ask the Father in my name that they may receive a knowledge of you by the holy ghost, and also of the other tribes whom they know not of, that these sayings which ye shall write shall be kept and shall be manifested unto the gentiles; that through the fullness of the gentiles, the remnant of their seed, who shall be scattered forth upon the face of the earth because of their unbelief, may be brought in, or may be brought to a knowledge of me, their Redeemer. And then will I gather them in from the four quarters of the earth, and then will I fulfill the covenant which the Father hath made unto all the people of the house of Israel. And blessed are the gentiles because of their belief in me, in and of the holy ghost, which witness unto them of me and of the Father. Behold, because of their belief in me, saith the Father, and because of the unbelief of you, O house of Israel, in the latter day shall the truth come unto the gentiles, that the fullness of these things shall be made known unto them. (3 Nephi 15:11 - 24, 16:1 - 7, NC 3 Nephi 7 pars. 3 - 4)

As a cultural gentile what should I take away from this?

Who did the Father give this land of America to specifically?

What does that mean for me, a gentile? (this is a huge important subject)

Are the Nephites the only branch of the house of Israel who were separated from the main body?

I would recommend a paper "Other Sheep Indeed" that addresses this topic.  It can be found for free in the downloads section of denversnuffer.com

If I am going to hear the voice of Christ by what power will He manifest Himself to me?

What does that mean and what would that entail for Christ to manifest Himself to me by the power of the holy ghost?

Why did Christ command the Nephites to record His sayings here so they could be manifest to the gentiles?

What is the fullness of the gentiles?

How is it that the Lord will use the fullness of the gentiles to bring those parts of the house of Israel who have been scattered back in to a knowledge of their Redeemer Jesus Christ?

What does that look like?

What if these events are unfolding in a way that is completely different than what we have culturally been taught?

Would we be able to recognize what is going on?

Christ calls these believing gentiles blessed.

What does it mean to be a believing gentile?

When Christ speaks of a fullness of "these things" being made known to the believing gentiles what are "these things" that Christ is talking about?

Are "these things" related to what the Lord said a little later during His visit?

And verily I say unto you, I give unto you a sign, that ye may know the time when these things shall be about to take place, that I shall gather in from their long dispersion my people, O house of Israel, and shall establish again among them my Zion. And behold, this is the thing which I will give unto you for a sign: for verily I say unto you that when these things which I declare unto you — and which I shall declare unto you hereafter of myself and by the power of the holy ghost, which shall be given unto you of the Father — shall be made known unto the gentiles, that they may know concerning this people who are a remnant of the house of Jacob, and concerning this my people who shall be scattered by them, verily, verily I say unto you, when these things shall be made known unto them of the Father and shall come forth of the Father from them unto you — for it is wisdom in the Father that they should be established in this land and be set up as a free people by the power of the Father, that these things might come forth from them unto a remnant of your seed, that the covenant of the Father may be fulfilled which he hath covenanted with his people, O house of Israel — therefore, when these works and the works which shall be wrought among you hereafter shall come forth from the gentiles unto your seed which shall dwindle in unbelief because of iniquity — for thus it behooveth the Father that it should come forth from the gentiles, that he may shew forth his power unto the gentiles for this cause, that the gentiles, if they will not harden their hearts, that they may repent, and come unto me, and be baptized in my name, and know of the true points of my doctrine, that they may be numbered among my people, O house of Israel — and when these things come to pass, that thy seed shall begin to know these things, it shall be a sign unto them that they may know that the work of the Father hath already commenced unto the fulfilling of the covenant which he hath made unto the people who are of the house of Israel. And when that day shall come, it shall come to pass that kings shall shut their mouths, for that which had not been told them shall they see, and that which they had not heard shall they consider. (3 Nephi 21:1 - 8, NC 3 Nephi 9 par. 11)

What were the things that Christ declared unto the Nephites here and what did He declare "hereafter" during His visit among them?

Do the things He declared include those things that are unlawful to be written that He declared unto them and that He prayed for them?

What were the works wrought among the Nephites at this time?

Did they include the ministry of angels and manifestations and things that pertain to the other side of the veil?

Christ declares that it is by "these things" that the scattered remnant of the house of Israel will recognize that what the believing gentiles are bringing to them come from Him.

If I look around me do I see the works that Christ performed among the Nephites occurring in my worship tradition?

Do I receive all the words that Christ declared among the Nephites in my worship tradition?

What are the true points of Christ's doctrine? He declared it.

In my worship tradition are the true points of Christ's doctrine observed or is there more or less than the true points of Christ's doctrine taught?

Am I a "believing gentile" if these things are not part of my worship tradition?

Why is this important?

What is the reason for these things coming to believing gentiles?

What is driving everything the Lord is speaking of here?

We have talked about it before. What are the covenants the Father has made with the house of Israel?

How does He intend to use believing gentiles to vindicate these covenants?

The Lord continues.

But if they will repent, and hearken unto my words, and harden not their hearts, I will establish my church among them, and they shall come in unto the covenant and be numbered among this the remnant of Jacob, unto whom I have given this land for their inheritance. And they shall assist my people, the remnant of Jacob, and also as many of the house of Israel as shall come, that they may build a city which shall be called the New Jerusalem. And then shall they assist my people, that they may be gathered in, who are scattered upon all the face of the land, in unto the New Jerusalem. And then shall the Powers of Heaven come down among them, and I also will be in the midst. And then shall the work of the Father commence at that day, even when this gospel shall be preached among the remnant of this people. Verily I say unto you, at that day shall the work of the Father commence among all the dispersed of my people, yea, even the tribes which have been lost, which the Father hath led away out of Jerusalem. Yea, the work shall commence among all the dispersed of my people, with the Father to prepare the way whereby they may come unto me, that they may call on the Father in my name. Yea, and then shall the work commence with the Father among all nations, in preparing the way whereby his people may be gathered home to the land of their inheritance. And they shall go out from all nations, and they shall not go out in haste nor go by flight, for I will go before them, saith the Father, and I will be their rearward. (3 Nephi 21:22 - 29, NC 3 Nephi 10 par. 1)

The Lord declared that if the gentiles repent.  Repent of what? (This is a huge and important subject in and of itself. I would recommend reading and studying the entire 40 years in Mormonism series you can find for free in the downloads section of www.denversnuffer.com to address this question. )

What is the Lord's church that will be established among a group of believing gentiles?

Here's how the Lord defined His "church".

Behold, this is my doctrine: whosoever repents and comes unto me, the same is my church. Whosoever declares more or less than this, the same is not of me, but is against me. Therefore, he is not of my church. (D&C 10:67 - 68, T&C 1, Joseph Smith History, part 10 par. 19)

Does this sound like an institution or organization?

Could this "church" exist among people who belong to many different religious denominations?

The Lord declares that this group of believing gentiles comes in unto the covenant.

What does that look like?

How do these believing gentiles receive a covenant from God?

Now the Lord declares that they are no longer gentiles but that they have now transitioned to be numbered among the remnant of Jacob.

So, you can change your identity. You can change your identity from being a Nephite into becoming a Lamanite. You can change your identity from being a Lamanite to being a Nephite. But more importantly, you can change your identity from being a Gentile into being of the house of Israel. (Podcast #123, "Numbered Among", Denver Snuffer Podcast, www.denversnuffer.com)

There is a podcast that was just recently released which sheds such great light on this matter.  I plead with you to listen to it again and again and ponder what is being taught.

The podcast is Podcast #123 "Numbered Among" on the Denver Snuffer Podcast at www.denversnuffer.com.

It is through changing believing gentiles into the house of Israel so that they become the remnant of Jacob and are made part of the house of Joseph that the Lord uses them to take the fullness of His gospel, with His works, to the scattered remnants of Israel all over the earth to bring them back in to His fold.

The Lord uses this group, now adopted into the house of Israel, to build the New Jerusalem and a temple that He will commission that He will come to in order to restore what has been lost, which is necessary to redeem all the house of Israel.

My understanding is that the believing gentiles are benefiting because of the Father's desire to vindicate His promises to the original Fathers that He would bring about all of these above events.

The gentiles cannot drive the show.  It is the promises and only the promises that are driving the show.  The believing gentiles are blessed and adopted into the house of Israel as they work cooperatively with God to accomplish His work.  They cannot be on their own errand.

I give great thanks to God for showing these things to Nephi for my benefit as well as for the benefit of everyone.

I give great thanks that Nephi's vision is given to focus my attention on this event where the Savior prophesied concerning the gentiles and the house of Israel so that I can find my bearings and hopefully be true to the covenant He God has now extended to believing gentiles.

If you want to know concerning this covenant you can read everything about it in sections 156, 157, and 158 in the Teachings and Commandments found for free at scriptures.info.

Please, as you read the scriptures let them inform you.  Do not read traditions and cultures into the book.

Until six years ago I read my traditions and culture into the Book of Mormon.

Since ceasing to do so I have learned soo much.  The Book of Mormon is a book I had never really read before.

I still know nothing.  I am seeking after truth and so I consider that what I presently understand may change even in the next little bit of time.

What God has given and is willing to give is so vast and so glorious.

It's such a shame that anyone outside our little Book of Mormon study group only sees what little I can share on this blog.

God is working a work right now among a small number of believing gentiles, as unlikely as it may seem.  This work is a direct fulfillment of the prophesies of Christ here among the Nephites.

As we continue to view the rest of what Nephi recorded from his vision I suspect that we will see in everything Nephi recorded a pattern of Nephi showing how the Lord intends to work among the gentiles to vindicate His promises to restore His house or in other words His family again upon the earth as it was in the beginning.