Alison’s
Notes on Book of Mormon Lesson #4 1 Nephi 12–14
1 Nephi 12
This is Nephi’s call to be a
prophet, Pres. Kimball said, “The first prophet Nephi was great like Moses and
Brigham Young. His vision of the immeasurable future was comparable to the one
received by Moses, Enoch, and Joseph Smith. He saw the promised land, the
population of Lehi's seed as numerous as the sands of the sea. He saw war,
slaughter, cities destroyed. In his vision he saw the birth, life, and ministry
of the Christ, his coming to the Western Hemisphere and organizing his Church
here. He saw three generations of righteousness and then centuries of
unrighteousness, with battles culminating in the destruction of millions,
followed by centuries of degradation, scattering, persecution, and suffering.
He saw nations grow out of the Eastern empires, and the kingdoms of the
Gentiles arise. He saw Columbus and other explorers cross the deep, and the
puritans and pilgrims settle a new country. He envisioned the Revolutionary
War, the total subjugation of the descendants of Lehi, the coming of the Bible,
the restoration of the gospel, the organization of the Church, the coming forth
of the Book of Mormon—and the balance of his vision was not written.”[1]
1 Nephi 13
Regarding Columbus, Wilford Woodruff
said, “The commencement of Columbus' project was certainly unpopular, but the
result has proved it true. And so in all cases, whenever men have been inspired
to receive truth, or to promulgate any principle, which would be a benefit to
the human family, they have generally been unpopular.”[2]
On 17 Jan 2016, the Anglican Church issued this statement, “The traditional
doctrine of the church in view of the teaching of Scripture, upholds marriage
as between a man and a woman in faithful, lifelong union. The majority of those
gathered reaffirm this teaching.” And in doing so basically disenfranchised the
Episcopal Church for its acceptance of non-traditional marriage.[3]
This will cause a huge backlash against the Church of England.
1 Nephi 14
The indomitable Brigham Young was
unequivocal in his views of right and wrong. Here he is on 1 Nephi 14:10, “This
book, that we call the Bible, the Christian world profess to believe in. Let me
tell them that they must either acknowledge, openly and frankly, that the
Latter-day Saints have the Gospel taught by Christ and his Apostles or they
will go to the wall as infidels; it cannot be otherwise. There are but two
parties on the earth, one for God and the other for the world or the evil one.
No matter how many names the Christian or heathen world bear, or how many sects
and creeds may exist, there are but two parties, one for heaven and God, and
the other will go to some other kingdom than the celestial kingdom of God.”[4]
Regarding 1 Nephi 14:12, Elder
Maxwell said, “The Church would grow much faster now, numerically and
spiritually, if it were not for the wickedness of the world (see 1 Ne. 14:12).
It would also grow much faster if you and I were better by taking up the Christian cross daily
(see Luke
9:23). Part of taking up the cross is denying ourselves the lusts and
appetites of the flesh. “For it is better,” the resurrected Jesus said, ‘that
ye should deny yourselves of these things, wherein ye will take up your cross’
(3 Ne.
12:30). Thus, the daily taking up of the cross means daily
denying ourselves the appetites of the flesh. By emulating the Master, who
endured temptations but ‘gave no heed unto them,’ we, too, can live in a world
filled with temptations ‘such as [are] common to man’ (1 Cor. 10:13).
Of course Jesus noticed the tremendous temptations that came to him, but He did
not process and reprocess them. Instead, He rejected them promptly. If we
entertain temptations, soon they begin entertaining us! Turning these unwanted
lodgers away at the doorstep of the mind is one way of giving ‘no heed.’
Besides, these would-be lodgers are actually barbarians who, if admitted, can
be evicted only with great trauma.”[5]
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