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God in 1 Nephi 11

God • Holy Ghost • Lamb •  Lamb of God • The Lord • a Man

Most High God • Redeemer • Son of God • Son of the Eternal Father

Son of the Everlasting God  •  Son of the Most High God

the Spirit •  Spirit of the Lord

1 Nephi 11:29

The Twelve follow Jesus

And I also beheld twelve others following him.

And it came to pass that they were carried away in the Spirit from before my face, and I saw them not.

What detail Nephi gives us in his vision!  As though recording a dramatic production, he tells us that this scene has ended.

Both Lehi and Nephi were shown the twelve others following Him.  In Lehi’s narrative, emphasis is on the twelve descending from the worshippers in heaven, pointing to the divine origin of Jesus.  Nephi views the scene from the opposite direction: Jesus is rejected on earth, but He does have twelve following him.

We do not worship prophets or apostles, but we respect them.  These accounts indicate their importance in God’s eyes.  At the end of His earthly ministry Jesus called them His friends.  Their companionship, although never a smooth journey, was doubtless important to Him.  He seems not to have anticipated their sleepy abandon during his greatest suffering in Gethsemane.  Although He valued their friendship, ultimately He did “tread the winepress alone” (Isaiah 63:3).

In addition to being His personal companions and friends, the twelve are commissioned to bear His message to the world.  He alone wrought the atonement, but He always uses others to spread His gospel.  His story would not be known if they had not written it and shared it, and thus they are an important part of His story.  

Latter-day Saints, in speaking of the twelve, generally call them “apostles,” stressing their authority, because they have been sent.  Lehi’s and Nephi’s accounts emphasize their discipleship – those who follow.  They can only lead because they follow. If your children sing “Follow the Prophet,” (who is the chief apostle), teach them that it’s really a respectful euphemism, like the “Melchizedek” Priesthood (see Doctrine & Covenants 107:2-4).  We follow Jesus.  When we sing, “Follow the prophet . . he knows the way,” we mean he knows the Way, the Truth, and the Light.  We mean “Follow Jesus, He is the Way.”  

The apostles are on earth, visibly following Him.  He has chosen them to be the leaders of the group, but we are all walking and working together to follow Him.

OK, we are not all walking and following together.  The previous verse pointed out that He was rejected of most, and the same is true today.  There are always two stories simultaneously being played out, and interacting with each other:  the rejecting crowd and the following crowd.  Even those who follow Jesus often become caught up watching what the rejecting crowd is doing, and, although continuing to follow, they lose sight of the goal and fall into despair.

In this verse the twelve are literal men, but they may also represent all those who follow Jesus.  For those plodding along behind Him, following by rote and commitment, but watching the other group and their growing evil: Take time to smell the roses on your own path.  Notice all those around you who are following, too.  Watch the progress and projects of the apostolic leaders, and discover a more exact path to follow, rather than wandering in the general direction.  And focus on the One who you truly want to follow, who, in speaking of the worst scenes in our coming history, always says, “Be of good cheer!”

1 Nephi 11:31

Healed by the power of the Lamb of God

The Book of Mormon teaches that Jesus, the Lamb of God, heals people

And he spake unto me again, saying: Look!

And I looked, and I beheld the Lamb of God going forth among the children of men. And I beheld multitudes of people who were sick,

and who were afflicted with all manner of diseases,

and with devils and unclean spirits;

and the angel spake and showed all these things unto me.

And they were healed by the power of the Lamb of God;

and the devils and the unclean spirits were cast out.

It was the Lamb of God who would eventually take upon Himself our griefs and our sorrows, our transgressions and our iniquities, who, through His own power, brought healing to the sick and who cast out the devils and unclean spirits.

1 Nephi 11:32

The Lamb of God was judged of the world

The Book of Mormon teaches

that the Son of the Everlasting God was taken and judged by mortal men

And it came to pass that the angel spake unto me again, saying: Look!

And I looked and beheld the Lamb of God, that he was taken by the people;

yea, the Son of the everlasting God was judged of the world;

and I saw and bear record.

The Lamb of God – the only innocent person ever to walk on this planet – was judged of the world.  Nephi’s words dispassionately present a scene of horror.  The Son of the Everlasting God – the very one from whom we learn about justice and who epitomizes justice – is judged of the world.  

We would like to believe – perhaps we pretend – that the “justice” departments and organizations of the world have some sort of basis in reality, some sort of authority.  Is this act of taking and judging the Lamb of God a fluke in the system, or does it demonstrate their absolute corruption?

Actually, Nephi doesn’t say He was judged by the Jewish Sanhedrin, or the Roman consulate, or the court system.  He says he was taken by “the people” and judged by “the world.”  This is a span of actors – from individual humans to the whole world.  Nephi does not give them any institutional immunity.  The people – each person – was responsible for his acts in regard to the Lamb of God.  And what is “the world”?  Is “the world” the majority?  Is “the world” whatever is not part of “the kingdom”?  Whatever “the world” is, it appears to be a group to be wary of, to stay away from, and not to take one’s opinions from.

One thing about “the world:” It believes itself to be all-sufficient.  It gives no regard to the advice to be part of something greater than yourself, because it is the greatest thing – beside it there is no other.  It recognizes neither a universe full of sentient beings nor the Creator and just Ruler of that universe.

At this point Nephi “bears record.”  The Spirit had initially told him that he was to bear record, and here is where he first chose to officially do so.  Surely this does not bode well for the world who passed rash judgement on the Son of God.  There will be a future judgement, and Nephi is prepared to stand as a witness.

1 Nephi 11:33

He was lifted up upon the cross

The Book of Mormon teaches

that Jesus was slain on the cross for the sins of the world

And I, Nephi, saw

that he was lifted up upon the cross and slain for the sins of the world.

The central moment in earth’s history, and the defining recognition for every Christian.

1 Nephi 11:34

They fight against the apostles of the Lamb

The Book of Mormon teaches that the world fights against God’s messengers

And after he was slain I saw the multitudes of the earth,

that they were gathered together to fight against the apostles of the Lamb;

for thus were the twelve called by the angel of the Lord.

The horror continues, with the “multitudes of the earth” now going after those whom Jesus has sent into the world to teach and lead them.

They thought when they killed Jesus that would be the end of the life and message of Jesus of Nazareth.  His astonishing resurrection proved otherwise.  Though they killed His apostles and other followers, His message sounded through the ages and changed all of history.  His message changes the lives of those who read the record today.

They thought when they killed Abinadi that would be the end of his message and testimony.  But Alma carried the message to a small group of people who were subsequently persecuted and oppressed, yet from there it spread through the whole Nephite nation, and to us through the Book of Mormon.

They thought when they killed William Tyndale, one of many martyrs during that era, that would be the end of his message and work.  But the English translation of the Bible had been unleashed on the world, and his dying prayer, “Lord, open the eyes of the king,” were fulfilled when King Henry VIII authorized the Great Bible in England, opening the door for reformation there and throughout the British Empire.

They thought when they killed Joseph Smith that would be the end of his message of truth and restoration.  Though they exiled the Latter-day Saints from their homes into a wilderness not yet even a State in the “Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave,” the Book of Mormon is flooding the earth, the Spirit cannot be quenched, and all who read The Book of Mormon with a sincere heart and real intent will know of its truthfulness.

1 Nephi 11:35

They gather together to fight against the twelve apostles of the Lamb

In the Book of Mormon,

the wisdom of the world is symbolized by a large and spacious building

And the multitude of the earth was gathered together;

and I beheld that they were in a large and spacious building,

like unto the building which my father saw.

And the angel of the Lord spake unto me again, saying:

Behold the world and the wisdom thereof;

yea, behold the house of Israel hath gathered together

to fight against the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

Nephi speaks of “multitudes” and “the world,” but finally the persecuting group is resolved down to simply “the House of Israel,” a small, in many ways insignificant, and subjugated people.  “The world” is people who gather together for strength in numbers, and who, through their wisdom and joined power, seek to destroy the work of God.  This “gathering together to fight against” may be as bullies, as a mob, or even as a State passing legislation and edicts.  Their wisdom will give them reasons for their fight, justification in the eyes of onlookers, and the color of legality.

The angel gives Nephi the interpretation of the Large and Spacious Building.  First he generalizes it as the world and its wisdom; then he specifies, for purposes of continuity in the vision that Nephi is seeing, that in this case it’s the House of Israel, who, having killed the Son of God, now seek to kill those whom He has sent to lead others to Him.

1 Nephi 11:36

Those who fight against the Lamb’s apostles will be destroyed

The Book of Mormon teaches that the pride of the world will fall

And it came to pass that I saw and bear record,

that the great and spacious building was the pride of the world;

and it fell, and the fall thereof was exceedingly great.

And the angel of the Lord spake unto me again, saying:

Thus shall be the destruction of all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people,

that shall fight against the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

Nephi expands the interpretation of the Great and Spacious Building to be the pride of the World.  Surely this pride encompasses their wisdom and learning, their organization and self-sufficiency, their need for no God.  But as Nephi’s brother Jacob will later say, “Their wisdom is foolishness, and it profiteth them naught, and they shall perish” (2 Nephi 9:28).

This fall of the Great and Spacious Building is not the apocalyptic end of the world.  Nephi’s vision is progressing in an orderly and chronological fashion, and the event described is the destruction of Jerusalem.  Nephi sees only the symbol of this destruction in the fall of a Building.  He does not see the actual siege and misery and depravity of the fall of Jerusalem in A.D. 70, perhaps so that he will be able to view the rest of the vision.

How will the end of all those who fight against the Twelve be like the destruction of Jerusalem?  Is “exceedingly great” the key description – they will not be destroyed until they are “ripe” for destruction, until they have grown fat and bloated, and will have a great fall?  Or should we look at the gruesome details of Jerusalem’s fall – the fierce in-fighting of the Jewish factions until the much-delayed unity was insufficient to meet the built-up forces of the invaders; the manic blood-lust of the soldiers, and their hope for some of the rich gold booty of the temple.  “More horrifying than the din were the sufferings.  The Temple Mount, everywhere enveloped in flames, seemed to be boiling over from its base; yet the blood seemed more abundant than the flames and the numbers of the slain greater than those of the slayers. The soldiers climbed over heaps of bodies as they chased the fugitives.” – Flavius Josephus.

The Jews’ temple and faith had been given by God, but they had rejected the additional light and Savior and apostles that He sent them, and consequently lost what they had already received, although it in itself was good.

The Jews were destroyed by the very powers which they themselves had used to kill their Messiah.

Chapter 11 Summary – the Scenes of the Vision, as demarcated by “Look!”

1.  Introductory discussion with the Spirit. 1-7

2.  The Tree.  8-11

3. The meaning of the Tree:  The virgin in Nazareth, the condescension of God. 12-19

4. The Child = the Lamb of God = the Son of the Eternal Father, the love of God. 20-23

5. Many worship the Son of God, the iron rod = the word of God, the Tree of Life and the Fountain of Living Waters = the love of God.  24-25

6. The condescension of God, baptism of the Lamb of God, his powerful and glorious ministry, many listen, most cast Him out, twelve follow him.  26-29

7. Angels minister unto many. 30

8. The Lamb heals the sick and casts out devils and unclean spirits. 31

9. Jesus crucified, World fights against apostles, the Great and Spacious Building = the World and its wisdom and pride; Great and Spacious Building falls.  32-36

God in 1 Nephi 11 By the Numbers

36 verses

God is mentioned by name:  23 verses = 64%

God is mentioned by pronoun:  6 verses = 17%

Verses about God:  29 verses = 81%

God:  7

Holy Ghost:  1

Lamb:  3

Lamb of God:  5

A Man:  1

Most High God:  1

Redeemer: 1

Son of God: 3

Son of the Eternal Father: 1

Son of the Everlasting God: 1

Son of the Most High God: 1

Spirit: 8

Spirit of the Lord: 2

The Lord: 5