1 Nephi 15

Meanwhile, back at the camp...

Nephi returns from his long and extraordinary vision (I wonder how long the whole thing took? Hours? Days?) and finds his brothers arguing about Lehi's original vision, the same one that Nephi had just reviewed and expanded upon for the last few chapters. What an unbelievable narrative coincidence! His brothers (Laman and Lemuel, presumably) told Nephi that they couldn't understand the symbolism in the dream.

Nephi: Did you, like, ask God?
L & L: Duhhhhh ... No.
Nephi: *rolls eyes*

In all fairness, I can be just as dense sometimes. Also, I think another reason why I'm siding with Laman and Lemuel in my head here is that I REALLY don't like Nephi's tone in these first few verses. Observe:

2 And it came to pass that I beheld my brethren, and they were disputing one with another concerning the things which my father had spoken unto them.

3 For he truly spake many great things unto them, which were hard to be ^aunderstood, save a man should inquire of the Lord; and they being hard in their hearts, therefore they did not look unto the Lord as they ought.

4 And now I, Nephi, was grieved because of the hardness of their hearts, and also, because of the things which I had seen, and knew they must unavoidably come to pass because of the great wickedness of the children of men.

5 And it came to pass that I was overcome because of my afflictions, for I considered that mine ^aafflictions were great above all, because of the ^bdestruction of my people, for I had beheld their fall.

Is it just me, or does he sound a little high and mighty here? Also slightly whiny. Bless his heart. I do like Nephi, but I definitely don't identify with him at all, is all I'm saying.

One sort of confusing/revealing thing that Laman and Lemuel say to Nephi, which is worth mentioning, is when Nephi asks if they have asked God about the meaning of the vision, they say, "No we haven't [asked], because God makes no such thing known unto us." This has several possible meanings. One, that they are extraordinarily dense concerning the standard method of receiving an answer to a question: Step one, ask. Step two, receive answer. Maybe they were dyslexic? Or maybe they realized on some level that God wouldn't answer their questions because of their wickedness? Food for thought. Or perhaps, that they recognized, at least on some level, that their lives weren't quite right with God and they weren't worthy of some of the blessings they had seen.

Next, Nephi gives an abbreviated explanation of the olive tree analogy: that their family is a branch of the house of Israel, and someday after Christ has come, their descendants will realize who they really are and who they need to believe in--that after the gospel is brought to the Gentiles, it will be delivered to the remaining Nephites and Lamanites who have dwindled in unbelief. Hence the being grafted onto the olive tree, because they were a part of the olive tree to begin with. Fact: this would all make a lot more sense if I knew more about landscaping. The olive tree allegory is one of my favorites, partly because of its obvious academe tone, and partly because it shows God's willingness to work with and accept and hand over multiple chances to His children. It's so parental, so awesome.*

Finally, Nephi quotes some Isaiah and does some more convincing, and L&L are prepared to hear the interpretation of the vision. Nephi explains it to them briefly and simply, which was kind of him. However, once he gets to the part about the awful Hell God has in store for the wicked and what happens to those who die in wickedness, Nephi lays on the gritty details. Was this because he had already seen in a vision that his brothers were going to end up wicked? Did he, actually? He knew that they were going to bear seed that would be wicked and destroy his seed, but did he know the outcome of his brothers' lives? I kind of hope not. That would be too awful a secret to have, even if one is a prophet, and it might make him give up. Nephi doesn't give up on them for at least a few more chapters, I reckon.

*Awesome in the traditional sense of the word.

1 Nephi 14

I don't know if I'm dumb or just slow, but this time through the Book of Mormon is the first time that I've really remembered throughout this entire span of chapters that Nephi is talking about the vision he had of the future as shown by his angel spirit guide. I suppose in past readings I tended to take each chapter on its own instead of noting its part in the larger picture. Anyway, this chapter is the last chapter of the aforementioned vision, unless Nephi concludes it twice. For this reason the chapter reads a bit like a summary, or at least a re-statement with some new information thrown in.

Fact: two of my favorite gospel subjects are equality and repentance. I really like any scripture stories that focus on Christ's concern for all people regardless of their past (the calling of Matthew the Publican; Christ's forgiveness of the woman who washes His feet with her hair) or ethnic background (the woman at the well) or gender (ibid). I have noticed that stories about these two subjects often seem few and far between in the Bible, which is a pity, particularly because I would theorize the biblical lack of such stories is quite possibly what leads so many Christians to see God as unfeeling and overly revenge-driven.

Nephi lays out two potential fates for the Gentiles in this chapter. One, that when Christ manifests Himself to them and removes their "stumbling blocks" (I'm not sure if he is referring to anything specific or just to stumbling blocks in general) that they will accept Him and be blessed, free and awesome. Alternative: that they will harden their hearts against Christ and be thrown into the PITS OF HELL! Which were dug (tense?), naturally, by the Great and Abominable Church, the Whore of All the Earth. The way the angel spirit guide puts it, this is one of the incredible acts of the universe: that everyone will have the opportunity to choose good and be happy, or choose evil and be miserable. They make it sound so easy. Maybe it is .... or will be once one is more spiritually mature? Scratch that. When I am more spiritually mature.

Not sure yet. I'll let you know.

Here's another thing I'm curious about, which I mentioned before. I truly, honestly believe that the line between the wicked and the righteous is not so much a matter of church membership as loyalty/obedience/compassion/other assorted virtues. However, these verses would seem to make a case against this notion:

10 And he said unto me: Behold there are save ^atwo churches only; the one is the church of the Lamb of God, and the ^bother is the church of the ^cdevil; wherefore, ^dwhoso belongeth not to the church of the Lamb of God belongeth to that great church, which is the mother of abominations; and she is the ^ewhore of all the earth.

11 And it came to pass that I looked and beheld the whore of all the earth, and she sat upon many ^awaters; and she had dominion over ^ball the earth, among all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people.

12 And it came to pass that I beheld the church of the Lamb of God, and its numbers were ^afew, because of the wickedness and abominations of the whore who sat upon many waters; nevertheless, I beheld that the church of the Lamb, who were the saints of God, were also upon ^ball the face of the earth; and their dominions upon the face of the earth were small, because of the wickedness of the great whore whom I saw.

This DOES seem to be referring to two specific churches, doesn't it? However, it is possible that once again the "churches" are just metaphors for the wicked and the righteous. I'm really not sure. I plan to stick to my interpretation unless I find more evidence against it, though.

Finally, we have a reference to John the Beloved, the man behind Revelation, which apparently used to be easy to understand. What I wouldn't do to get my hands on of those editions. Unfortunately, I will probably have to die in order to do so. I can wait! I can wait!