1 Nephi 10:6

6 Wherefore, all mankind were in a lost and in a fallen state, and ever would be save they should rely on this Redeemer.

In terms of Lehi’s Tree of Life dream, the lost would be anybody who did not come to and stay at the Tree. Due to the Fall of Adam and Eve, all mankind are separated from God, both physically and spiritually. That is what is meant by the phrase, “a lost and fallen stat.” Because we are all subject to sin, none of us is worthy to return to God’s presence, for no unclean thing can endure that. This is where the Atonement comes in. We are not capable of cleansing and purifying ourselves. Only Christ, who is clean and pure, can do that; and He can do it for everyone. However, He has conditions. We must repent. Only if we rely on Christ and His conditions will we be able to be clean again and return to Heavenly Father. This is both just and merciful. Just, because we weren’t responsible for being in this fallen state. That was Adam, so through Christ’s resurrection, we overcome that part of the Fall. The other part of the Fall, being lost, is due to our own decisions. This is where the mercy kicks in. We have the opportunity to undo our bad decisions.

• 1 Corinthians 15:21–22
• 1 John 1:8–10

1 Nephi 10:5

5 And he also spake concerning the prophets, how great a number had testified of these things, concerning this Messiah, of whom he had spoken, or this Redeemer of the world.

Lehi talks about the great number of prophets who have testified of Christ down through the ages. Other references go further and say that all prophets have prophesied of Christ (see Jacob 7:11; Mosiah 13:33). This is what a prophet of God does; he testifies of Him. Revelation 19:10 says that “the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” If you are a prophet, by definition, you testify of Christ. The rest of us who have a testimony may have the spirit of prophecy, but if you are a called prophet of God, you are obligated to testify. It’s what you do.

• Revelation 19:10
• Jacob 7:11
• Mosiah 13:33
• Helaman 8:24 (19–24)
• 3 Nephi 20:24 (23–24)

1 Nephi 10:4

4 Yea, even six hundred years from the time that my father left Jerusalem, a prophet would the Lord God raise up among the Jews—even a Messiah, or, in other words, a Savior of the world.

Maybe not a main point of this scripture, but it’s interesting that Lehi and Nephi knew that Christ would come 600 years from when they left Jerusalem. That knowledge came not only from their own revelation, but apparently it was derived from the brass plates as well (see 2 Nephi 25:19). About 500 years later, Alma seems to have no clue as to the time frame of the Lord’s coming (Alma 13:25). I wonder why. I suspect it probably wasn’t talked about too much, and so it was forgotten. Mormon found this small record of Nephi as if he didn’t know he had it. So maybe it had been “lost” among all the other records, and nobody read it until Mormon found it. Certainly the revelations about Christ were very clear at this time. Lehi and his family understood the purpose of their laws and their form of worship. They understood them to be a type and shadow leading them to Christ. Later on that knowledge seems to have been lost, or thought of as not being significant, or something. At least in Jerusalem the Jews seemed to not understand.

• 1 Nephi 19:8(8–14)
• 2 Nephi 25:19

1 Nephi 10:3

3 That after they should be destroyed, even that great city Jerusalem, and many be carried away captive into Babylon, according to the own due time of the Lord, they should return again, yea, even be brought back out of captivity; and after they should be brought back out of captivity they should possess again the land of their inheritance.

Of course, the events that Lehi prophesied of here are a matter of history now. But I’m sure that at the time, Laman and Lemuel probably thought Lehi was crazy to think that Jerusalem, as strong a city as it was, and with so much history of successful warfare, could fall to anybody. It seems that worldly people can never acknowledge the hand of the Lord, or even the role of righteousness and wickedness in the fate of nations and history in general. Or, as is probably the case with Laman and Lemuel, they think that because the Lord has fought their battles in the past that He will always do so, regardless of whether the people are righteous or not. Nevertheless, a prophet’s job is to warn. Our job is to listen and repent when necessary.

1 Nephi 10:1–2

1 And now I, Nephi, proceed to give an account upon these plates of my proceedings, and my reign and ministry; wherefore, to proceed with mine account, I must speak somewhat of the things of my father, and also of my brethren.

2 For behold, it came to pass after my father had made an end of speaking the words of his dream, and also of exhorting them to all diligence, he spake unto them concerning the Jews—

These are introductory verses to explain why he is proceeding with his father’s account. If Nephi doesn’t include this chapter, the next few chapters seem out of context.

1 Nephi Chapter 10 Overview

Lehi predicts the Babylonian captivity—He tells of the coming among the Jews of a Messiah, a Savior, a Redeemer—He tells also of the coming of the one who should baptize the Lamb of God—Lehi tells of the death and resurrection of the Messiah—He compares the scattering and gathering of Israel to an olive tree—Nephi speaks of the Son of God, of the gift of the Holy Ghost, and of the need for righteousness. Between 600 and 592 B.C.

After telling us in chapter nine that he was not going to spend much time with Lehi’s ministry, Nephi once again launches immediately into a synopsis of his father’s prophecy. He tells us this time that he includes the history, or proceedings of his father and brothers to give context to his proceedings. In this case, the next several chapters are responding to Lehi’s vision and his preaching as a result of the vision.

1 Nephi 9:6

6 But the Lord knoweth all things from the beginning; wherefore, he prepareth a way to accomplish all his works among the children of men; for behold, he hath all power unto the fulfilling of all his words. And thus it is. Amen.

The scriptures tell us that all things are present to the Lord (Moses 1:6). I think this must be something unique with God and gods. That’s how, for example, He is able to keep two records against the eventuality of Joseph Smith losing one record. Satan must not have that ability, or he would have at least gotten suspicious about the other record and changed his plans. It’s a great advantage to have that foreknowledge. Sometimes this war we are in, and have been since the Great War in Heaven, seems very much like a game of chess. Only God is not only the master of strategy, but also knows His opponents’ thoughts and schemes. So He can counter before Satan even knows that he needs to be countered.

Doctrine and Covenants 130:6–8 says that God and angels live in a place that is a great urim and thumim. This would explain why God knows everything and Satan doesn’t. It’s not just that He is eternal that gives God this ability; otherwise Satan would have the same power. It’s where He resides. Satan remembers the pre-existence, but he can’t see the next life. God, because of where He is, in part, sees the beginning and the end. All things are known to Him.

• 1 Nephi 3:7 — Nephi’s testimony that the Lord makes it possible to accomplish all the things He commands us to do.
• D&C 130:6–8 — where we see that God’s very dwelling place is a great Urim and Thummim, where all things past, present, and future, “are continually before the Lord.”

1 Nephi 9:5

5 Wherefore, the Lord hath commanded me to make these plates for a wise purpose in him, which purpose I know not.

Obviously the Lord doesn’t reveal everything to His prophets. This is one example of that. Nephi is told to keep two separate records, but he isn’t told why. Alma (and most if not all the rest of the prophets) is told to preserve both records (Alma 37:2, 12, 14). Mormon is told to put bother records into his abridgement, and he wasn’t told why (W of M 1:7). At least not specifically why. They just accept on faith that it is for a wise purpose. I suppose, in hindsight, this is at least partially for the purpose of keeping the purpose away from Satan, who, if privy to this knowledge, could then change events so that a second record wouldn’t matter. But Satan is doomed to failure and he knows it. God is in control and will not allow Lucifer to deter or thwart His purposes.