Tag: 1 Nephi

I sometimes overlook the fact that Nephi saw his brothers disputing with each other and he still took time to rest and regain strength before he went to address their disputes. That’s a reminder that we need to take care of our basic needs (do not run faster than you have strength) and that the…

I have argued that the great and abominabile church has operated through the Catholic Church (as opposed to being the Catholic Church as some have believed) among many other organizations—because it seeks to infiltrate any organization with power and abuse that power—I feel confident that the formation of that great and abominabile church came when…

When Nephi describes Mary as exceedingly fair and white it is ready to think he is speaking about skin color. Likewise, when he describes his people after generations of wickedness as dark and loathsome and filthy we can conclude that he is speaking about the color of their skin but in both cases the light…

As Nephi explains about keeping two separate records I wonder about the timing of the explanation. Immediately after he explains this in the small plates (which are focused on the ministry) Nephi records what seems to be the most spiritually significant vision of his father. Had he not recorded that the first time around when…

We know that those who did not hold fast to the rod of iron would wander off the path that leads to eternal life when the mists of darkness come but I’ve never thought of the implications of people who wander onto the path without first finding the iron rod. It does happen. Without any…

The readers know that the Lord told Nephi that he would be a leader over his brothers and Nephi knew that but Laman and Lemuel didn’t know that and we can see how that role came to Nephi naturally. He didn’t start insisting on leading. When they went to Laban it was Laman who got…

There is a difference between writing simply to have a record—in case anyone ever wants to read it—and writing with the intent of having people read what is written. Editorial writing such as where Nephi declares the purpose of the plates makes it clear that his record was meant to be read as well as…

Being led to a land of promise doesn’t necessarily mean being led to a land without other people. The fact that the Lord had them go to get a family for the boys to have wives was a clue that the land they were going to was not already populated.