The Book of Mormon
1st Nephi 15-22
Chapter 15
vs 1-20 Nephi goes to see his father and he sees his brothers arguing about Lehi's visions. Nephi talks about how the work of the Lord is hard to understand if you have a hard heart and you don't inquire and find out from God. The brothers are arguing about the parable of the olive tree. They don't understand what it means to be grafted into the olive tree. Nephi tells them that the house of Israel is the olive tree Lehi was talking about. He talks about how their family are a branch that has broken off from the house of Israel. That someday in the future they will be brought back to the knowledge of the Lord and they will be united with the church of the Lord, this is what to be grafted back in means. The Gentiles will scatter their people but then the Gentiles will also bring to them the word of the Lord. All of the house of Israel will be gathered at the last days so the olive tree will be whole. (all of the descendants of the house of Jacob)
vs 20-36 Laman and Lemuel ask Nephi about the tree in their father Lehi's visions. Nephi tells them that this is the tree of life and that the rod that leads to the tree is the word of God or his holy scriptures. Nephi begs his brothers to listen and keep the commandments of God. They ask Nephi about the river that their father saw. Nephi tells them that the water is the filthiness of the world that tries to take people away from God. Nephi tells his brothers about heaven and hell and the final judgement of God if people will not listen to him or his servants. He talks about how the greatest gifts of God are to have his love and that God's love is represented by the fruit of the tree of life.
Chapter 16
vs 1-6 Laman and Lemuel do not like what Nephi has told them. Nephi tells them that the wicked will think the truth is harsh to hear. Nephi says, "the guilty taketh the truth to be hard, for it cutteth them to the very center." He explains when you are righteous and hear the truth, you are justified instead of offended. He said if they would listen to the truth then they wouldn't complain (murmur) and think that their brother is just saying things to hurt them. Nephi again asks his brothers to listen and to obey the commandments. The brothers started to listen and to be humble. It gave Nephi great hope to think his brothers would become righteous.
vs 7-19 The boys take the daughters of Ishmael to become their wives. The Lord tells Lehi to again start moving farther from Jerusalem and that it's time to go. The next morning Lehi finds a compass type ball that is a gift from the Lord and it tells them the direction they should go. They started traveling South, South-East away from the city. They traveled for many days and gathered and hunted for food. Nephi ends up breaking his bow to hunt food. His family is tired and hungry and angry with Nephi for breaking his bow. vs 20-23 Even Lehi starts to complain for how rough the journey is and how hungry they are. vs 23-28 Nephi makes a new bow out of wood and then goes to his dad out of respect and following him as a prophet and asks his father where the Lord would have him go to hunt food. Lehi repents of his complaining against the Lord and asks him where they can go to get food. vs 29-33 The compass that the Lord gave Lehi only works when they are being faithful and it also has other writing that changes from time to time giving them instructions. Some of the writings on the compass chasten Lehi and his family. Nephi is given direction on where to hunt for food to keep the family alive in the wilderness. He returned to his family with food and his family was grateful and gave thanks unto the Lord. They start to travel again.
vs 34-37 Ismael dies and his daugters are grief stricken. They start to complain for all of the trials that they have had in the wilderness. They now want to go home to Jerusalem along with Laman, Lemuel and the sons of Ishmael. vs 38-39 Laman becomes angry and thinks Nephi just wants his brothers to be his servants and that he is leading them away from home to be their King. The voice of the Lord chastens or scolds them and the brothers again repent.
Chapter 17
vs 1-8 They start to journey again but this time they go East. They have been on the journey so long that they are starting to have babies in the wilderness. Everyone is strong and healthy and blessed of the Lord. Nephi testifies that if people listen to God he will provide a way to do hard things and they will become strong. They reach the ocean and camp beside it and they Lord tells Nephi that he needs to build a ship to cross the ocean. vs 9-18 Nephi asks the Lord where to go to get the ore to make tools. The Lord has been their guide in the wilderness and now he tells them he will lead them to the promised land. Nephi's brothers start to make fun of him for trying to build a boat. They didn't want to help him make a boat, they didn't believe the Lord would teach their brother how to build a ship. vs 19- 21 The brothers continue to make fun of Nephi and that makes Nephi sad. When the brothers see they are getting to Nephi they mock him more and talk about how they knew that Nephi couldn't build a boat because it was too tough. They then start making fun of their father Lehi for leading them away from Jerusalem. They wish that they were able to stay in the city and enjoy their lands and riches and inheritance.
vs 22-34 Laman and Lemuel then talk about how their city was not going to be destroyed because they were a righteous place. They think their father was just being super judgmental and Nephi is the same way. Nephi reminds them about Moses and leading the people away from Egypt. He reminds them that their ancestors were slaves and if they hadn't left they would be slaves too. vs 35-44 God loves all of his people but if they fail to listen and obey commandments, he will not bless them. God will bless righteous nations and destroy wicked ones. He will try and teach his people like he did with Moses and the serpents but those who will not look to him and live will perish. vs 45-47 Nephi reminds his brothers that they are slow to remember God and that they have seen an angel themselves. vs 48-54 Laman and Lemuel are again angry with Nephi and try to kill him yet again. Nephi commands them not to touch him or the power of God will strike them dead. He tells them he will build a ship with God's help and that if God commanded them to do all things he would do all things. The brothers were afraid to touch Nephi but the Lord tells Nephi to stretch out his hand and shock them. Nephi does as he is commanded and shocks his brothers.
vs 55 The brothers now believe Nephi and they know that the Lord has shocked them. They repent and want to worship Nephi. He tells them to worship God and to listen to their father Lehi.
Chapter 18
vs 1-8 The family helps build the boat and it gets finished. Nephi builds the boat in the way he is instructed by the Lord, it's done in a way he has never seen before. He prays to the Lord often for instructions. They load provisions and their families on to the boat, including Lehi's two new sons that were born in the wilderness named Jacob and Joseph. vs 9 After they are at sea for a long time the brothers become bored and become drunk and disorderly. They forget to be humble and they start to dance, party and be rude to the rest of the family. vs 10-14 Nephi becomes concerned that the Lord will not guide the boat because of the general attitude on the boat. He goes with his concerns to his brothers but they just think Nephi is trying to boss them around. Laman and Lemuel take Nephi and tied him up because they didn't want to listen to him. The compass that the Lord gave them stops working and no one knew where to steer the boat. A large storm arises and they are tossed about on the waves but the brothers would not let him be untied. It takes the brothers four days to realize that they should untie Nephi or else the Lord would continue to try and humble them by the storm.
vs 15-20 Nephi's wrists and ankles are bruised, swollen and sore. He thanks the Lord for helping him get released. Lehi and his wife are very ill and are sick in bed on the ship, they thought they would die at sea. The brother Jacob is young and is also falling ill because of the trials. Nephi finds out that his wife and children had tried to soften the hearts of Laman and Lemuel to release him but nothing would work except the fear that they would drown because of the terrible storm. vs 21-23 Nephi prays to the Lord and the compass starts to work again. They are able to again point the ship in the right direction twords the land they have been promised. They finally arrive.
vs 24-25 They begin to plant seeds and the seeds began to flourish and provide food. They find all manner of animals and ore to use.
Chapter 19
vs 1-9 Nephi is told to record his history using ore to make plates where he can engrave his record. He tells all of these visions and their journey so far. He is also told to make another record on more plates. The plates that he is writing here is more spiritual things and the other plates are more of the history and of the wars. He only writes down things he finds sacred. He worries because people often don't listen to the prophets and apostles, and someday they would even reject Jesus himself. vs 10-20 He talks about how Christ will be crucified and buried and that he will again come to life after three days of terrible darkness. He talks about how the Jews will come to be hated of the world, how people will use their names as a curse and to mock them because of what they did to the Savior. When the Jews will again come unto Christ in the last days and acknowledge that he is their Savior, they will be gathered together and they will be blessed. vs 21-24 The prophets of old were shown all things that were to happen before the Lord will return in the last days, much of these writings are on the plates of brass that Nephi was commanded to take from the house of Laban. Nephi again talks about how they are of the house of Israel and that someday again they will be a branch that is no longer broken off.
Chapter 20
vs 1-22 Nephi talks about the destruction of Jerusalem and how it is going to be put through the fire to clean and refine it. (similar to Isaiah chapter 48) He gives warning to those who do not listen to the words of the Lord through his prophets. He said that there will be no peace for the wicked.
Chapter 21
vs 1-13 The Messiah will redeem his people and all of Isreal will be reunited together. The gathering will be done through the Gentiles to redeem the twelve tribes and bring them into the knowledge of their Savior. He will free prisoners and save those without hope. vs 14-21 The Lord will not forget his people, he compares it with a mother forgetting her child. He says that Jesus has carved them into his hands and feet and he will not forget them because they are continually in front of him as a reminder. vs 22-26 He will teach the Gentiles what his standard is so that others may follow. He will make them the example so that the kings and queens of the world will bow down before the Lord and know that he is God. God will free the oppressed and all will know he is the Lord their God.
Chapter 22
vs 1-10 Nephi's brothers ask if the things that are written in the scriptures are spiritual or physical things that will happen. Nephi tells them that they will be both physical and spiritual. He talks about how all the tribes of Israel will be scattered and they will be separated from the knowledge of God until they will be re-taught in the last days. He talks about the nourishment mentioned in the scriptures and it means bringing the Bible and these records to all the world. (the Book of Mormon) vs 11-14 the Lord wants all the world to know of the promises and covenants he has made to his people and how to repent and come unto him. The Gentiles will be bringing these covenants to the whole world. There will be a great war and everyone who fights against the house of Israel be in battle and the great church of the devil will fall. vs 15-22 The Lord will not suffer that evil destroy the righteous. He will use his power to preserve those who follow him, the wicked will be destroyed by fire. The Lord will provide a way much like with Moses for the righteous to escape the fire prepared for the wicked. The righteous need not to fear.
vs 23-25 Churches who are started to get money and popularity in the world will need to fear. They will be brought down to the dust and consumed in fire. The righteous will be led up "like calves of the stall" and will be lead out of danger. God's people will be gathered from all the four quarters of the earth and they will be of one people. vs 26-31 Because the wicked people will be destroyed and the good people will be righteous, the Devil will have no power over the hearts of the people. They will only listen to the Lord and he will personally dwell with them. All of this will be done in the flesh, these things are what will happen among the people of the world if they repent and come unto Christ. Nephi testifies that what he has read and seen is true, he tells his family to obey the commandments of the Lord.
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