1 Nephi 22
People in this chapter
Nephi has just read two chapters of Isaiah to his brothers, and they do what many readers do. They ask, in effect, What does this mean? Is it all symbolic, according to the spirit and not the flesh, or is it about real events (v. 1)? Nephi's answer is both. These prophecies are things both temporal and spiritual (v. 3). Israel really will be scattered, really will be gathered, and the gathering will be to Christ.
Tap any highlighted phrase to jump to the commentary that unpacks it.
1 Nephi 22:1-5Things Both Temporal and Spiritual
1And now it came to pass that after I, Nephi, had read these things which were engraven upon the plates of brass, my brethren came unto me and said unto me: What meaneth these things which ye have read? Behold, are they to be understood according to things which are spiritual, which shall come to pass according to the spirit and not the flesh? 2And I, Nephi, said unto them: Behold they were manifest unto the prophet by the voice of the Spirit; for by the Spirit are all things made known unto the prophets, which shall come upon the children of men according to the flesh. 3Wherefore, the things of which I have read are things pertaining to things both temporal and spiritual; for it appears that the house of Israel, sooner or later, will be scattered upon all the face of the earth, and also among all nations.
This time the brothers ask a real question: What meaneth these things? Nephi answers that the prophet learned them by the Spirit.
Is Isaiah literal or spiritual? Nephi says both. Israel will really be scattered and really gathered, and the gathering is spiritual too.
4And behold, there are many who are already lost from the knowledge of those who are at Jerusalem. Yea, the more part of all the tribes have been led away; and they are scattered to and fro upon the isles of the sea; and whither they are none of us knoweth, save that we know that they have been led away. 5And since they have been led away, these things have been prophesied concerning them, and also concerning all those who shall hereafter be scattered and be confounded, because of the Holy One of Israel; for against him will they harden their hearts; wherefore, they shall be scattered among all nations and shall be hated of all men.
Many tribes of Israel were already lost. Nephi does not know where they went. He knows why Israel is scattered: hearts hardened against the Holy One of Israel.
1 Nephi 22:6-12A Marvelous Work among the Gentiles
6Nevertheless, after they shall be nursed by the Gentiles, and the Lord has lifted up his hand upon the Gentiles and set them up for a standard, and their children have been carried in their arms, and their daughters have been carried upon their shoulders, behold these things of which are spoken are temporal; for thus are the covenants of the Lord with our fathers; and it meaneth us in the days to come, and also all our brethren who are of the house of Israel. 7And it meaneth that the time cometh that after all the house of Israel have been scattered and confounded, that the Lord God will raise up a mighty nation among the Gentiles, yea, even upon the face of this land; and by them shall our seed be scattered. 8And after our seed is scattered the Lord God will proceed to do a marvelous work among the Gentiles, which shall be of great worth unto our seed; wherefore, it is likened unto their being nourished by the Gentiles and being carried in their arms and upon their shoulders.
Nephi explains Isaiah's picture of Gentiles carrying Israel's children: the Lord will raise up a mighty nation among the Gentiles on this land, and through them bless Lehi's descendants.
Then the Lord will do a marvelous work among the Gentiles that will bless Lehi's descendants. That marvelous work is the Restoration and the Book of Mormon.
9And it shall also be of worth unto the Gentiles; and not only unto the Gentiles but unto all the house of Israel, unto the making known of the covenants of the Father of heaven unto Abraham, saying: In thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed. 10And I would, my brethren, that ye should know that all the kindreds of the earth cannot be blessed unless he shall make bare his arm in the eyes of the nations. 11Wherefore, the Lord God will proceed to make bare his arm in the eyes of all the nations, in bringing about his covenants and his gospel unto those who are of the house of Israel.
The marvelous work fulfills God's covenant with Abraham: In thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed. The gathering of Israel is meant to bless everyone.
To make bare his arm means the Lord rolls up His sleeve and shows His power openly, to bring His covenants and gospel to Israel.
12Wherefore, he will bring them again out of captivity, and they shall be gathered together to the lands of their inheritance; and they shall be brought out of obscurity and out of darkness; and they shall know that the Lord is their Savior and their Redeemer, the Mighty One of Israel.
Israel will be gathered out of obscurity and out of darkness, and the heart of the gathering is this: they shall know that the Lord is their Savior and their Redeemer.
1 Nephi 22:13-19The Righteous Need Not Fear
13And the blood of that great and abominable church, which is the whore of all the earth, shall turn upon their own heads; for they shall war among themselves, and the sword of their own hands shall fall upon their own heads, and they shall be drunken with their own blood. 14And every nation which shall war against thee, O house of Israel, shall be turned one against another, and they shall fall into the pit which they digged to ensnare the people of the Lord. And all that fight against Zion shall be destroyed, and that great whore, who hath perverted the right ways of the Lord, yea, that great and abominable church, shall tumble to the dust and great shall be the fall of it.
Those who fight against Zion will turn on each other and fall. Nephi defines the great and abominable church by what it does, not by any one name.
15For behold, saith the prophet, the time cometh speedily that Satan shall have no more power over the hearts of the children of men; for the day soon cometh that all the proud and they who do wickedly shall be as stubble; and the day cometh that they must be burned. 16For the time soon cometh that the fulness of the wrath of God shall be poured out upon all the children of men; for he will not suffer that the wicked shall destroy the righteous. 17Wherefore, he will preserve the righteous by his power, even if it so be that the fulness of his wrath must come, and the righteous be preserved, even unto the destruction of their enemies by fire. Wherefore, the righteous need not fear; for thus saith the prophet, they shall be saved, even if it so be as by fire.
The Lord will not suffer that the wicked shall destroy the righteous. The righteous need not fear, even if they are saved as by fire.
18Behold, my brethren, I say unto you, that these things must shortly come; yea, even blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke must come; and it must needs be upon the face of this earth; and it cometh unto men according to the flesh if it so be that they will harden their hearts against the Holy One of Israel. 19For behold, the righteous shall not perish; for the time surely must come that all they who fight against Zion shall be cut off.
Nephi warns his brothers that blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke must come, upon those who harden their hearts. Again he repeats: the righteous shall not perish.
1 Nephi 22:20-23This Prophet of Whom Moses Spake
20And the Lord will surely prepare a way for his people, unto the fulfilling of the words of Moses, which he spake, saying: A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you. And it shall come to pass that all those who will not hear that prophet shall be cut off from among the people. 21And now I, Nephi, declare unto you, that this prophet of whom Moses spake was the Holy One of Israel; wherefore, he shall execute judgment in righteousness.
22And the righteous need not fear, for they are those who shall not be confounded. But it is the kingdom of the devil, which shall be built up among the children of men, which kingdom is established among them which are in the flesh— 23For the time speedily shall come that all churches which are built up to get gain, and all those who are built up to get power over the flesh, and those who are built up to become popular in the eyes of the world, and those who seek the lusts of the flesh and the things of the world, and to do all manner of iniquity; yea, in fine, all those who belong to the kingdom of the devil are they who need fear, and tremble, and quake; they are those who must be brought low in the dust; they are those who must be consumed as stubble; and this is according to the words of the prophet.
Nephi lists what belongs to the kingdom of the devil: anything built up for money, power, popularity, or lust. Those are the ones who need fear.
1 Nephi 22:24-31One Fold and One Shepherd
24And the time cometh speedily that the righteous must be led up as calves of the stall, and the Holy One of Israel must reign in dominion, and might, and power, and great glory. 25And he gathereth his children from the four quarters of the earth; and he numbereth his sheep, and they know him; and there shall be one fold and one shepherd; and he shall feed his sheep, and in him they shall find pasture.
The righteous will be led up as calves of the stall: well fed, safe, and free to grow, while the Holy One of Israel reigns.
26And because of the righteousness of his people, Satan has no power; wherefore, he cannot be loosed for the space of many years; for he hath no power over the hearts of the people, for they dwell in righteousness, and the Holy One of Israel reigneth. 27And now behold, I, Nephi, say unto you that all these things must come according to the flesh. 28But, behold, all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people shall dwell safely in the Holy One of Israel if it so be that they will repent.
Satan will be bound during the Millennium because of the righteousness of his people. Righteous people take away his power.
The invitation is open to everyone: all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people shall dwell safely in the Holy One of Israel if... they will repent.
29And now I, Nephi, make an end; for I durst not speak further as yet concerning these things. 30Wherefore, my brethren, I would that ye should consider that the things which have been written upon the plates of brass are true; and they testify that a man must be obedient to the commandments of God. 31Wherefore, ye need not suppose that I and my father are the only ones that have testified, and also taught them. Wherefore, if ye shall be obedient to the commandments, and endure to the end, ye shall be saved at the last day. And thus it is. Amen.
Nephi ends his first book simply: the scriptures are true, keep the commandments, endure to the end, and ye shall be saved at the last day.
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.
- Whom Did Nephi Quote in 1 Nephi 22?Nephi weaves short quotations and allusions to Isaiah and Zenos through this chapter. Scholars have counted around two dozen, each followed by his own prophetic application to his people.
- Robert E. Parsons, “The Prophecies of the Prophets”Shows how most of the points in Nephi's interpretation come straight from Isaiah 49, read as a prophecy about the covenants with scattered Israel.
- What Vision Guides Nephi’s Choice of Isaiah Chapters?Explains how Nephi's vision in 1 Nephi 11-14 gives the outline he uses here: scattering, the day of the Gentiles, and the restoration of Israel.
Where this echoes in Scripture
Things Both Temporal and Spiritual
- 1 Nephi 15:8-11Have ye inquired of the Lord?… Ask me in faith, believing that ye shall receive.Nephi's earlier counsel to the same brothers.
- 2 Kings 17:6The king of Assyria took Samaria, and carried Israel away into Assyria.
- 2 Peter 1:21Holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.
- 1 Nephi 10:12-14The house of Israel… should be compared like unto an olive tree, whose branches should be broken off.Lehi taught the same scattering and gathering.
A Marvelous Work among the Gentiles
- 1 Nephi 13:12-14I looked and beheld a man among the Gentiles, who was separated from the seed of my brethren by the many waters.Nephi's vision of the Gentiles on this land.
- Genesis 22:18In thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed.
- Abraham 2:9-11In thy seed after thee… shall all the families of the earth be blessed, even with the blessings of the Gospel.
- Isaiah 52:10The LORD hath made bare his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations.
- D&C 4:1Now behold, a marvelous work is about to come forth among the children of men.
The Righteous Need Not Fear
- 1 Nephi 14:10There are save two churches only; the one is the church of the Lamb of God, and the other is the church of the devil.
- Malachi 4:1All the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble.
- 1 Corinthians 3:15He himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.
- D&C 38:30If ye are prepared ye shall not fear.
- Acts 2:19Blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke.
This Prophet of Whom Moses Spake
- Deuteronomy 18:15The LORD thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee… like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken.
- Acts 3:22-26For Moses truly said unto the fathers, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you.Peter applies Moses' words to Jesus.
- 3 Nephi 20:23Behold, I am he of whom Moses spake.The Savior's own words to the Nephites.
- Mark 8:36For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?
One Fold and One Shepherd
- John 10:14-16I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep… and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.
- 3 Nephi 15:21Ye are they of whom I said: Other sheep I have which are not of this fold.
- Revelation 20:2-3He laid hold on the dragon… and bound him a thousand years.
- D&C 45:58Their children shall grow up without sin unto salvation.Life in the Millennium.
- 2 Nephi 31:20If ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end… ye shall have eternal life.