1 Nephi 12
People in this chapter
Nephi has just watched the life of the Savior in Jerusalem. Now the angel says, Look, and behold thy seed, and also the seed of thy brethren (v. 1). Nephi is about to see the future of his own family.
It is a hard thing to be shown. He sees his descendants become as many as the sand of the sea, and then he sees wars, generation after generation of them. He sees the land torn apart at the Savior's death. He sees the Lamb of God come down to his people, and generations of peace that follow. And then he sees his own descendants, because of their pride, destroyed by the descendants of his brothers.
Tap any highlighted phrase to jump to the commentary that unpacks it.
1 Nephi 12:1-5Wars, and Rumors of Wars
1And 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. 2And 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. 3And 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.
The angel shows Nephi his own descendants and his brothers'. They become as many as the sand of the sea, and they spend generations at war with each other.
4And 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 burned with fire; and I saw many that did tumble to the earth, because of the quaking thereof. 5And 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 multitudes who had not fallen because of the great and terrible judgments of the Lord.
Nephi sees storms, earthquakes, burning cities, and darkness. This is the destruction at the Savior's death recorded in 3 Nephi 8. When the darkness lifts, many people are still alive.
1 Nephi 12:6-12The Lamb of God Descending out of Heaven
6And I saw the heavens open, and the Lamb of God descending out of heaven; and he came down and showed himself unto them.
7And I also saw and bear record that the Holy Ghost fell upon twelve others; and they were ordained of God, and chosen. 8And the angel spake unto me, saying: Behold the twelve disciples of the Lamb, who are chosen to minister unto thy seed. 9And he said unto me: Thou rememberest 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.
The Savior chooses twelve disciples among Nephi's people, and the Holy Ghost falls on them. The Twelve Apostles in Jerusalem will judge the twelve tribes, and the Nephite Twelve will judge Nephi's people.
10And these twelve ministers whom thou beholdest shall judge thy seed. And, behold, they are righteous forever; for because of their faith in the Lamb of God their garments are made white in his blood. 11And the angel said unto me: Look! And I looked, and beheld three generations pass away in righteousness; and their garments were white even like unto the Lamb of God. And the angel said unto me: These are made white in the blood of the Lamb, because of their faith in him. 12And I, Nephi, also saw many of the fourth generation who passed away in righteousness.
After the Savior's visit, Nephi sees three generations live in righteousness, and many of the fourth. The book of 4 Nephi records that time of peace.
1 Nephi 12:13-18The Meaning of the River, the Mists, and the Building
13And it came to pass that I saw the multitudes of the earth gathered together. 14And the angel said unto me: Behold thy seed, and also the seed of thy brethren. 15And it came to pass that I looked and beheld the people of my seed gathered together in multitudes against the seed of my brethren; and they were gathered together to battle. 16And the angel spake unto me, saying: Behold the fountain of filthy water which thy father saw; yea, even the river of which he spake; and the depths thereof are the depths of hell.
The battles start again. In the middle of them, the angel explains Lehi's dream: the river of filthy water stands for the depths of hell.
17And the mists of darkness are the temptations of the devil, which blindeth the eyes, and hardeneth the hearts of the children of men, and leadeth them away into broad roads, that they perish and are lost.
The mists of darkness are the temptations of the devil. They blind eyes, harden hearts, and lead people off the path into broad roads.
18And the large and spacious building, which thy father saw, is vain imaginations and the pride of the children of men. And a great and a terrible gulf divideth them; yea, even the word of the justice of the Eternal God, and the Messiah who is the Lamb of God, of whom the Holy Ghost beareth record, from the beginning of the world until this time, and from this time henceforth and forever.
The great and spacious building is vain imaginations and the pride of the children of men. It looks impressive, but it is built on nothing.
A great gulf divides the building from the tree. The angel says that gulf is God's justice and the Messiah, the Lamb of God.
1 Nephi 12:19-23Because of the Pride of My Seed
19And while the angel spake these words, I beheld and saw that the seed of my brethren did contend against my seed, according to the word of the angel; and because of the pride of my seed, and the temptations of the devil, I beheld that the seed of my brethren did overpower the people of my seed. 20And it came to pass that I beheld, and saw the people of the seed of my brethren that they had overcome my seed; and they went forth in multitudes upon the face of the land. 21And I saw them gathered together in multitudes; and I saw wars and rumors of wars among them; and in wars and rumors of wars I saw many generations pass away.
Nephi sees his own descendants destroyed. He names the reason honestly: the pride of my seed, and the temptations of the devil.
22And the angel said unto me: Behold these shall dwindle in unbelief. 23And it came to pass that I beheld, after they had dwindled in unbelief they became a dark, and loathsome, and a filthy people, full of idleness and all manner of abominations.
The survivors, Nephi's brothers' descendants, dwindle in unbelief and fall into wickedness. The Book of Mormon is clear that God loves all people alike, and it promises they will be restored to the knowledge of Christ.
Research trail
Sources & further study
These references support the historical, linguistic, manuscript, and contextual notes in this chapter. Scripture remains the primary text; external sources are provided so readers can inspect the research directly.
- Why Did Mormon Say That Many Prophets Prophesied of the Destructions in 3 Nephi?Mormon asked readers to compare the destructions at Christ's death with earlier prophecies. This gathers those prophecies, including Nephi's in verses 4-5.
- Lamb of GodGathers the scriptures that call the Savior the Lamb of God, many of them from Nephi's vision, including the promise that the faithful are made white in His blood.
- Race and the PriesthoodThe Church's statement that God esteems all races equally and that it disavows past theories that dark skin is a sign of divine disfavor or curse. Important background for reading verse 23.
Where this echoes in Scripture
Wars, and Rumors of Wars
- Genesis 22:17I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore.The promise to Abraham, kept in Lehi's family.
- 3 Nephi 8:20-22They could feel the vapor of darkness… so great were the mists of darkness which were upon the face of the land.The fulfillment of verses 4-5.
- 3 Nephi 10:12It was the more righteous part of the people who were saved.Who the survivors were.
- Matthew 24:6Ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars.
The Lamb of God Descending out of Heaven
- 3 Nephi 11:8-10They saw a Man descending out of heaven… Behold, I am Jesus Christ.The fulfillment of verse 6.
- Matthew 19:28Ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
- Mormon 3:18-19Judged by the twelve whom Jesus chose in this land… by the other twelve whom Jesus chose in the land of Jerusalem.
- Revelation 7:14These are they which… have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
- 4 Nephi 1:2-3The people were all converted unto the Lord… there were no contentions and disputations among them.The generations of verse 11.
The Meaning of the River, the Mists, and the Building
- 1 Nephi 15:27-29The water which my father saw was filthiness… an awful gulf, which separated the wicked from the tree of life.Nephi explains the same symbols to his brothers.
- 1 Nephi 8:23-24They did press forward through the mist of darkness, clinging to the rod of iron.
- Matthew 7:13-14Broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction… narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life.
- Luke 16:26Between us and you there is a great gulf fixed.
- D&C 10:5Pray always, that you may come off conqueror; yea, that you may conquer Satan.
Because of the Pride of My Seed
- Moroni 8:27The pride of this nation, or the people of the Nephites, hath proven their destruction.Mormon, at the end, names the same cause.
- D&C 38:39Beware of pride, lest ye become as the Nephites of old.
- Jacob 3:5-7The Lamanites your brethren… are more righteous than you.
- 2 Nephi 26:33He denieth none that come unto him, black and white, bond and free… all are alike unto God.
- 2 Nephi 30:5They shall be restored unto the knowledge of their fathers, and also to the knowledge of Jesus Christ.The promise that follows the dwindling.