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God in 1 Nephi 14

Father • God • Lamb

Lamb of God • Lord

Lord God • Spirit

1 Nephi 14:8

The Covenants of the Father

The Book of Mormon teaches that God’s covenants to Israel are important to us

And 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.

Three verses ago, the angel declared that Nephi knew concerning “the covenants of the Lord unto the house of Israel.”  But now he asks Nephi if he remembers “the covenants of the Father unto the house of Israel.”  This is not gratuitous repetition, or even merely repetition for emphasis or literary purposes. There is a distinction between these covenants.  There is a distinction between the work of the Lord and the work of the Father, though they are both part of God’s defined work and glory, as there is a distinction between the Father and the Son.

The work of the Lord is to bring the children of God to righteousness, through their obedience to His higher laws, and ultimately through the cleansing, purifying, and exalting power of His sacrifice.  The work of the Father is to gather His righteous children in Zion, bringing them to unity.

The covenants of the Lord with the house of Israel are expressed throughout Deuteronomy, as well as in the baptismal and endowment covenants.  The covenants of the Father with the house of Israel are expressed in the Abrahamic covenant, as well as in the eternal marriage covenant.

The angel is no longer discussing the need for righteousness and repentance; in the chronology it has already been accepted as a goal and lifestyle by those who choose it, and rejected by those who don’t.  He is now turning the direction and focus of the vision toward the work of gathering Israel and building Zion.  This can, of course, only be achieved by a righteous people.

1 Nephi 14:10

The Church of the Lamb of God vs. the Church of the Devil

The Book of Mormon teaches

that those who do not follow the Lamb are following the devil

And 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.

This verse (and the previous one) give us more insight into the great and abominable church of the devil.  The angel wants Nephi (and us) to understand what he means by “church.”  He has already explained the behaviors and motivations of the great and abominable church.  Now he contrasts it with the church of the Lamb of God.  He cannot be talking about one individual church (of the devil) vs. all other churches (of the Lamb), because that leaves out the vast and growing majority of the people who do not align themselves with any church.  He cannot be saying that the Restored church stands in opposition to everyone else – all other churches plus all other non-churched individuals.  His view must be encompassing all of humanity.

His definition of “church” is an organization with power and influence, and a life philosophy and goal for people.  He already explained the philosophy and goals of the great and abominable church in 1 Nephi 13:4-9.  In contrast, those who belong to the church of the Lamb will believe in and follow Him.  Using the name “Lamb” reminds us of His sacrifice, and how, though the Son of God, He was not exempted from pain and suffering.  Those who belong to the church of the Lamb do not make rules for others to follow, and consider themselves above the rest of humanity.  They recognize that His sacrifice requires something in return from them.  Of course, the details of what He requires is not generally recognized, but certainly the broad outlines are.

The two churches are not individual churches, or even institutions; they are two different world views: one based on recognizing the need for redemption, and one based on personal pleasure.

Jesus said we cannot serve two masters (see Matthew 6:24).  Those in the church of the Lamb are not perfect, but they acknowledge and struggle against their evil propensities.  Those in the church of the devil do not struggle; their goal is to satisfy their own lusts.

Membership in these two churches is not like membership in an actual church.  One does not sign up or go through an initiation process (like baptism) and then have their membership secured.  It is a moment-by-moment membership, determined by moment-by-moment decisions, behaviors, and desires.  Jesus called Peter “Satan” (see Matthew 16:21-23).  Obviously Peter, the chief apostle who Jesus Himself had chosen, was not Satan, or even a generally bad person.  But in that moment he was aligning himself with desires for personal comfort above desires for the sacrifice required for God’s purposes.  

As dedicated Christians, we can each consider this verse not only in the larger context of the world (which is actually how it fits in the angel’s narrative), but in the micro-context of how we spend our time and attention.  We can feel secure and smug in the great historic perspective (OK, I’m on the right side, I’m in the right “church,” I’m set), but we should also be aware of it as a call to vigilance.  As Paul described, we should cast down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bring into subjection every thought to the obedience of Christ (see 2 Corinthians 10:5).

1 Nephi 14:12

More on the two churches

The Book of Mormon teaches

that God’s church will be small, but it will cover the earth

And 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.

This study is about God in the Book of Mormon; however, because of the content, we learn more than just about Him exclusively:  we learn about our relationship with Him, and we also learn about the opposition party.  Verses 11 and 12 continue to contrast the church of the devil with the church of the Lamb.

Plain-speaking Nephi uses a phrase later used by allegory-speaking John:  the whore sitting upon many waters.

A whore is indiscriminate in her choice of tricks.  The whore’s church caters to everyone all over the world.  A whore misuses and degrades something that is sacred, making it commonplace and available for her own monetary gain.  The whore’s church degrades all of humanity for their own power and profit.  It’s all about money.  The john loses his self-respect, his honor, and his money.  Lasting relationships are shattered, or are never made.  Only money triumphs as the eternal principle in this world of losers.

Nephi introduces a word which John the Revelator doesn’t use in his description:  dominion.  Literal churches do not have dominion, they only have influence.  That is, people may willingly submit to their authority, but there is no compulsion.  Only government can use compulsion.  Only government has dominion.  Only government is “an organization that has the legal privilege of using force on persons who have not harmed anyone.”  Only governments have the power to create laws, “rules for human conduct which are enforced by violence or threats of violence.”  Only in government – politics - do people “maneuver to acquire the privilege of using the police.”  (Richard Mayberry)  No wonder John had to speak in symbols, and even Nephi, in this instance, uses the euphemism “church.”  The book may appear on the surface to deal with strictly religious issues and organizations.  But the Lord says all things to Him are spiritual (Doctrine & Covenants 29:34).  All of His activity is focused on His work and glory.  Likewise, all the activities of the adversary are focused on his miserable goal.  Thus, governments, which have a pretty firm monopoly on dominion, can be great tools.  Because the Lord does not work with compulsion, which is part of the nature of earthly governments, they are ripe for corruption by the devil.

Nephi speaks of the church of the Lamb being the saints of God.  Latter-day Saints openly call themselves saints – people who are holy because their garments are washed white in the blood of the Lamb.  Catholics give the title “saint” to a select few, and protestants eschew the name.  The Lord seems to have a broader definition than any of them.

Sometimes people equate the word “dominions” with “holdings.”  Looking strictly at churches, it is easy to see that the Catholic Church – really the oldest organization in the world – is the wealthiest church, and they are roundly criticized for that.  Likewise the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, though quite a recent addition to “churches,” has vast holdings, for which it is condemned.  To be fair, these churches’ assets should be compared, not with other “churches,” but with governments.  The disparity becomes laughable.  If the verse is talking about money, that’s government’s major business – extracting it from the people who earn it, and creating it out of thin air, thus putting those same people into debt.  

We may view the two churches as two philosophical systems.  The dominion is freely given – to whom do you give your heart (see verse 10)?  

Both John and Nephi tell us the whore sat “upon many waters” (Revelation 17:1).  John explains exactly what this represents:  “The waters, which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues” (Revelation 17:15).  We may think that different peoples and cultures, nations and ethnic groups are diverse.  They certainly fight wars based on that idea.  But the whore sits on them all – she dominates them, and they are all united in joining with her philosophy and evil.  “The wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt” (Isaiah 57:20).  The saints of God likewise are “upon all the face of the earth.”  They, too, are among every people, in every nation, but they are not indicated has having dominion, just presence.

Whatever the precise meaning for the two churches, it’s a David and Goliath set-up, with God’s team being a minority.  A polarization is separating the groups.

In the United States, we can see a heightened disconnect, a polarization between Republicans and Democrats, liberals and conservatives.  Is this what Nephi is seeing, or is this merely a diversion, to take people’s minds off the real division, the real problems?  Nephi’s division is worldwide.

In this verse the tension is building.  It is moving toward something; it is not a stable, sustainable co-existence.  Reading this verse feels like listening to a 7 chord:  the longer it continues, the more the urge to finalize the musical piece, resolve the conflict.

1 Nephi 14:13

Evil fights against the Church of the Lamb of God

The Book of Mormon teaches

that the multitudes of the earth will fight against the Lord and His people.

And 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.

This verse presents a very graphic description.  I can visualize, in all the nations of earth, a blackness coalescing, like iron filings aligning around a pole.  

Though not mentioned in this verse, we can recall that the work of the Father has already commenced.  That means that the Latter-day Saints are gathering the Lord’s sheep into His family.  Now the devil works on his gathering.

Interestingly, the angel has been and continues talking about the nations of the Gentiles.  Of all countries on earth, the Middle Eastern countries, with Abraham’s Arab descendants, (where most persecution of Christians is currently happening) are the least Gentile nations.  

1 Nephi 14:14

Armed with righteousness and the power of God in great glory

The Book of Mormon teaches that in the midst of persecution

the Lord will send His power and glory among His people

And 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.

Wow, what a powerful and reassuring and uplifting verse!  To give it emphasis, Nephi repeats his own name, as though he is saying, “I saw this myself!”  He has seen powerful and ugly developments among the wicked, and a growing threat to the righteous.  Now he takes us to the other side to see what they are doing.

One of Nephi’s messages in his writing is that the Lord delivers His people.  Verse 14 shows us how aware the Lord is of His people’s situation, and that He is ready to step in to their aid.  Nephi’s description of the power of God “descending” upon the saints recalls Lehi’s first vision, where he saw “one” descending from God’s presence, that One being Jesus.  This power of the Lamb descended from the Lamb’s dwelling place, that glorious realm of worship and awareness that Lehi introduced us to.  

Nephi mentions two groups of people who receive this power.  First he mentions the saints, or sanctified ones, who he has already described as being the church of the Lamb because of their faith in His atonement.  Then he mentions another group, properly a subset of the saints of the church of the Lamb, but who exist as a separate group,who he says are the “covenant people of the Lord.”  The House of Israel has been known to be the covenant people of the Lord.  But, because of the way genetics and people groups works, most if not all the people on earth today are descended from Abraham.  Jesus Himself dismissed the idea of descendency from Abraham as paramount, saying that “God is able of these stones to raise up seed unto Abraham” (Matthew 3:9).  People are “covenant people” when they make and keep sacred covenants with God, covenants as defined by Himself. Obviously only the Latter-day Saints, those who follow the teachings of the Restored gospel, qualify.

It is not difficult to foresee approaching disasters, and many saints and covenant people prepare themselves with 2nd Amendment rights and food storage. These may be important protections, just as life insurance and car insurance are elements of wise planning.  But they are not the “weapons of our warfare” we need to win this epic fight.

Nephi paints a glorious picture, but it is with broad brush strokes.  We do see that righteousness, certainly a necessary quality for obtaining God’s blessing, is in itself a power.  Of the two weapons Nephi mentions, righteousness is one.  The other is simply the power of God in great glory.  We do not know what that means specifically.  We do not need to make the plan for what other weapons we need in this war – God will make that determination, and He will provide.

1 Nephi 14:15

The wrath of God – wars among all nations

The Book of Mormon teaches that

God will save His saints by sending His wrath upon those who persecute them

And 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.

The angel previously showed Nephi the wrath of God in terms of the European occupation of the American continent, with the concurrent displacement and destruction of the native Lamanite peoples (1 Nephi 13:11,14).  He then presented the wrath of God against the European countries, leaving America free and independent (1 Nephi 13:18).  Since both the saints of God and the abominable church are found in all nations of the earth, along with the coming wars and rumors of wars, it is difficult to reconcile verses 14 and 15.  Saints and covenant people experience the same horrors of war as nonbelievers.  However, in both previous cases, the wrath of God was manifested by using war as an instrument to make changes in occupation and dominion of the promised land.  As the great and abominable church has dominion over all the earth, these wars must be part of the cleansing process that will loosen that dominion.