1 Nephi 14
People in this chapter
Nephi asked to see what his father saw, and the Lord showed him far more. He saw Mary and the birth of the Son of God, the Savior's ministry and death, his own descendants in a promised land, and the Gentiles carrying a Bible that had lost plain and precious things (1 Nephi 13:28). Chapter 14 is the end of that vision. It looks all the way to the last days.
Tap any highlighted phrase to jump to the commentary that unpacks it.
1 Nephi 14:1-7Numbered among the House of Israel
1And it shall come to pass, that if the Gentiles shall hearken unto the Lamb of God in that day that he shall manifest himself unto them in word, and also in power, in very deed, unto the taking away of their stumbling blocks— 2And harden not their hearts against the Lamb of God, they shall be numbered among the seed of thy father; yea, they shall be numbered among the house of Israel; and they shall be a blessed people upon the promised land forever; they shall be no more brought down into captivity; and the house of Israel shall no more be confounded.
In chapter 13 Nephi saw that plain and precious things would be taken from the Bible, and that many would stumble because of it. Here the Lord promises to take those stumbling blocks away.
Gentiles who follow the Lamb are numbered among the house of Israel. You don't have to be born into the covenant to belong to it. You can choose it.
3And that great pit, which hath been digged for them by that great and abominable church, which was founded by the devil and his children, that he might lead away the souls of men down to hell—yea, that great pit which hath been digged for the destruction of men shall be filled by those who digged it, unto their utter destruction, saith the Lamb of God; not the destruction of the soul, save it be the casting of it into that hell which hath no end. 4For behold, this is according to the captivity of the devil, and also according to the justice of God, upon all those who will work wickedness and abomination before him.
The devil's church digs a pit to destroy people, and in the end falls into it. Evil works against itself.
5And it came to pass that the angel spake unto me, Nephi, saying: Thou hast beheld that if the Gentiles repent it shall be well with them; and thou also knowest concerning the covenants of the Lord unto the house of Israel; and thou also hast heard that whoso repenteth not must perish. 6Therefore, wo be unto the Gentiles if it so be that they harden their hearts against the Lamb of God. 7For the time cometh, saith the Lamb of God, that I will work a great and a marvelous work among the children of men; a work which shall be everlasting, either on the one hand or on the other—either to the convincing of them unto peace and life eternal, or unto the deliverance of them to the hardness of their hearts and the blindness of their minds unto their being brought down into captivity, and also into destruction, both temporally and spiritually, according to the captivity of the devil, of which I have spoken.
The angel sums it up: if the Gentiles repent, it shall be well with them. Everything depends on whether they harden their hearts against the Lamb.
The Lord promises a great and a marvelous work in the last days. The same work brings some people to peace and life eternal and leaves others harder than before. It depends on how they receive it.
1 Nephi 14:8-17The Church of the Lamb of God
8And it came to pass that when the angel had spoken these words, he said unto me: Rememberest thou the covenants of the Father unto the house of Israel? I said unto him, Yea. 9And it came to pass that he said unto me: Look, and behold that great and abominable church, which is the mother of abominations, whose founder is the devil. 10And he said unto me: Behold there are save two churches only; the one is the church of the Lamb of God, and the other is the church of the devil; wherefore, whoso 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 whore of all the earth.
Before the angel shows Nephi the darkest part of the vision, he asks: Rememberest thou the covenants of the Father? Nephi says, Yea. The covenants come first.
The angel says there are only two churches: the Lamb's and the devil's. This isn't a list of denominations. It is a question of whom you follow.
11And it came to pass that I looked and beheld the whore of all the earth, and she sat upon many waters; and she had dominion over all the earth, among all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people. 12And it came to pass that I beheld the church of the Lamb of God, and its numbers were few, 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 all 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. 13And it came to pass that I beheld that the great mother of abominations did gather together multitudes upon the face of all the earth, among all the nations of the Gentiles, to fight against the Lamb of God.
The Lamb's church is few in number, but it is upon all the face of the earth. Small, but everywhere.
14And it came to pass that I, Nephi, beheld the power of the Lamb of God, that it descended upon the saints of the church of the Lamb, and upon the covenant people of the Lord, who were scattered upon all the face of the earth; and they were armed with righteousness and with the power of God in great glory.
The Lord's people are armed, but not with weapons. Their armor is righteousness and the power of God. Apostles teach that we receive that power by keeping our covenants.
15And it came to pass that I beheld that the wrath of God was poured out upon that great and abominable church, insomuch that there were wars and rumors of wars among all the nations and kindreds of the earth. 16And as there began to be wars and rumors of wars among all the nations which belonged to the mother of abominations, the angel spake unto me, saying: Behold, the wrath of God is upon the mother of harlots; and behold, thou seest all these things— 17And when the day cometh that the wrath of God is poured out upon the mother of harlots, which is the great and abominable church of all the earth, whose founder is the devil, then, at that day, the work of the Father shall commence, in preparing the way for the fulfilling of his covenants, which he hath made to his people who are of the house of Israel.
God's judgments fall on the great church, and wars and rumors of wars fill the earth. At the same time, the work of the Father begins: gathering Israel and keeping His covenants.
1 Nephi 14:18-30The Name of the Apostle Was John
18And it came to pass that the angel spake unto me, saying: Look! 19And I looked and beheld a man, and he was dressed in a white robe. 20And the angel said unto me: Behold one of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. 21Behold, he shall see and write the remainder of these things; yea, and also many things which have been. 22And he shall also write concerning the end of the world.
The angel shows Nephi one of the Twelve, dressed in white. This Apostle will see and write the remainder of these things. Verse 27 gives his name: John.
John will write about the end of the world. Nephi saw it too, but John was given the assignment to write it.
23Wherefore, the things which he shall write are just and true; and behold they are written in the book which thou beheld proceeding out of the mouth of the Jew; and at the time they proceeded out of the mouth of the Jew, or, at the time the book proceeded out of the mouth of the Jew, the things which were written were plain and pure, and most precious and easy to the understanding of all men. 24And behold, the things which this apostle of the Lamb shall write are many things which thou hast seen; and behold, the remainder shalt thou see. 25But the things which thou shalt see hereafter thou shalt not write; for the Lord God hath ordained the apostle of the Lamb of God that he should write them.
When John first wrote, his words were plain and pure, and most precious. The Book of Mormon helps restore that plainness.
Nephi saw the end of the world too, but he was told not to write it. That work had been given to John. The Lord gives each servant his own assignment.
26And also others who have been, to them hath he shown all things, and they have written them; and they are sealed up to come forth in their purity, according to the truth which is in the Lamb, in the own due time of the Lord, unto the house of Israel. 27And I, Nephi, heard and bear record, that the name of the apostle of the Lamb was John, according to the word of the angel.
Other prophets also saw all things, and their records are sealed up until the Lord's time. One of them is the brother of Jared, whose vision is sealed in the Book of Mormon plates.
28And behold, I, Nephi, am forbidden that I should write the remainder of the things which I saw and heard; wherefore the things which I have written sufficeth me; and I have written but a small part of the things which I saw. 29And I bear record that I saw the things which my father saw, and the angel of the Lord did make them known unto me. 30And now I make an end of speaking concerning the things which I saw while I was carried away in the Spirit; and if all the things which I saw are not written, the things which I have written are true. And thus it is. Amen.
Nephi wrote but a small part of what he saw. What he wrote is enough, and it is true.
Nephi ends with a witness: the things which I have written are true. And thus it is. Amen.
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.
- Are There Really Only Two Churches?Places verse 10 in the long scriptural pattern of "two ways": in the end the choice is whom you follow.
- What Nephi's Vision Teaches about the Bible and the Book of MormonA chapter from The Things Which My Father Saw on how chapters 13-14 describe the Bible, the plain and precious things lost from it, and the latter-day records that restore them.
Where this echoes in Scripture
Numbered among the House of Israel
- 1 Nephi 13:34I will be merciful unto the Gentiles in that day, insomuch that I will bring forth unto them, in mine own power, much of my gospel.The promise that chapter 14 begins to fulfill.
- Galatians 3:29If ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.Paul's version of verse 2.
- 2 Nephi 30:2As many of the Gentiles as will repent are the covenant people of the Lord.
- Isaiah 29:14I will proceed to do a marvellous work among this people, even a marvellous work and a wonder.The prophecy behind verse 7.
- Psalm 7:15He made a pit, and digged it, and is fallen into the ditch which he made.The image behind verse 3.
The Church of the Lamb of God
- Matthew 7:13-14Strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.Two ways, and the true one has few on it.
- Revelation 17:14-15These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them.John's account of the same vision.
- Ephesians 6:11-14Put on the whole armour of God… having on the breastplate of righteousness.Paul's picture of being armed with righteousness.
- D&C 109:22That thy servants may go forth from this house armed with thy power.Where Latter-day Saints receive that power.
- 3 Nephi 21:7That they may know that the work of the Father hath already commenced.The Savior's sign for when verse 17 begins.
The Name of the Apostle Was John
- Revelation 1:1-2His servant John: who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw.John's own opening to the record Nephi was told about.
- D&C 7:1-3Thou shalt tarry until I come in my glory.John's ministry continues until the Second Coming.
- D&C 77:14It was a mission, and an ordinance, for him to gather the tribes of Israel.John's part in the gathering.
- Ether 4:16Then shall my revelations which I have caused to be written by my servant John be unfolded in the eyes of all the people.The Lord promises John's record will be opened.
- 1 Nephi 13:40These last records… shall establish the truth of the first.How the Book of Mormon restores plainness to the Bible.