1 Nephi 15:7

7 And they said: Behold, we cannot understand the words which our father hath spoken concerning the natural branches of the olive-tree, and also concerning the Gentiles.

This is interesting because it tells me that Laman and Lemuel were at least thinking about the preaching of their father, Lehi. They were arguing, trying to figure it out, which is the wrong approach for this, but at least they were thinking about it. I take that as a good sign. It also opens the door for Nephi to teach them (and us) about receiving revelation.

1 Nephi 15:6

6 And it came to pass that after I had received strength I spake unto my brethren, desiring to know of them the cause of their disputations.

Spiritual experiences can be exhausting. At least prolonged ones can be. Nephi, Moses (Moses 1:10), Joseph Smith (Joseph Smith-History 1:20) all had the same experience after seeing the Lord in vision. They were exhausted, or overcome physically with the experience. Moses and Joseph Smith went so far as to record that they essentially passed out from the experience, having no natural strength (see Moses 1:9–11; Joseph Smith-History 1:20). While Nephi doesn’t tell us that he passed out, we see in this verse he was weakened after being in a transfigured state that allowed him to see his great vision. I’ve had just a portion of that feeling at especially spiritual experiences, such as temple dedications. I just come away exhausted, and I have never seen the kind of vision that Nephi had, let alone see the Lord Himself, like Moses, Joseph Smith, or the brother of Jared. Here, Nephi, once he has the strength to deal with his murmuring brothers, goes to teach them and to referee their arguments.

• Moses 1:10
• JS-H 1:20, 48

1 Nephi 15:5

5 And it came to pass that I was overcome because of my afflictions, for I considered that mine afflictions were great above all, because of the destruction of my people, for I had beheld their fall.

Here, Nephi is overcome with sadness, or just overwhelmed with what he saw. He says it is because of the destruction of his people, but I think that it is more likely the reason for the destruction, which is wickedness. Death is a part of life, but destruction of a whole people, like what Nephi saw, only comes out of wickedness. And I’m sure Nephi knew that his people were protected as long as they remembered the Lord and kept His commandments. Enoch saw the destruction of all people except Noah’s family at the time of the flood, and “had bitterness of soul, … and said to the heavens: I will refuse to be comforted” (see Moses 7:41–47). He thought all was lost until he was shown Christ’s Atonement, at which time he rejoiced. The problem is not the physical destruction. The problem with what Nephi and Enoch saw, and why they were overcome with grief was the spiritual destruction that led to the physical destruction.

• Moses 7:44 (41–47)

1 Nephi 15:4

4 And now I, Nephi, was grieved because of the hardness of their hearts, and also, because of the things which I had seen, and knew they must unavoidably come to pass because of the great wickedness of the children of men.

One of the many profound statements made in the book of Ecclesiastes in the Old Testament says, “he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow” (ECL 1:18). Nephi is face to face with that concept in this verse. This is a telestial world filled with wickedness, and when it comes to wickedness, ignorance is bliss, as the saying goes. A person who is close to God knows there is wickedness in the world, of course, but it’s different when you put a face on it. When sin becomes personal instead of simply an understanding that it exists “out there,” when you know the person who is sinning and the nature of the sin, it hurts a lot more than when it is nameless and faceless. I think that comes from a genuine love for others. You can love a group of people, but that is different than the kind of personal experience you have when you love an individual. That person can hurt you much more than those people can. Nephi is grieved because of his love for his brothers. He is also grieved because he sees his own flesh and blood descendants destroyed because of their wickedness. And most likely, the wickedness hurts more than the destruction.

• Ecclesiastes 1:18

1 Nephi 15:3

3 For he truly spake many great things unto them, which were hard to be understood, save a man should inquire of the Lord; and they being hard in their hearts, therefore they did not look unto the Lord as they ought.

Ignorance and pride are a pretty tough combination. The scriptures are full of stories and references to hardheartedness. The problem with this combination is that it becomes a vicious cycle. If an ignorant person (not the same as a stupid person) is also proud, they may not recognize their ignorance, for one thing. In that case they would not ask for guidance, thinking that they need none. Another scenario is that they may recognize their ignorance on a certain matter, but believe they can “figure it out,” instead of looking to more reliable sources for answers. This is common in spiritual matters, and it is the case with Nephi’s brethren. Spiritual matters can only be understood by the Spirit (1 Corinthians 2:11), but to ask for spiritual answers requires humility and faith. It requires faith that Heavenly Father is there and will answer your question, and humility to actually turn to Him for the answers. This is what Nephi had; it is what his brethren lacked. Spiritually they were ignorant, and too proud to pray, to go to the source of spiritual knowledge. So they were doomed to stay ignorant and frustrated unless something changed.

• 1 Corinthians 2:11 (10–12)
• 2 Nephi 32:8

1 Nephi 15:2

2 And it came to pass that I beheld my brethren, and they were disputing one with another concerning the things which my father had spoken unto them.

It must have been pretty tough for Nephi to come home after such a great spiritual experience and see his brothers arguing about the very subject of his experience. How can two different responses come from the same experience? Of course, the answer is found in the spiritual preparation, or lack thereof. And a major part of that has to do with humility. Apparently Nephi didn’t understand Lehi’s vision, so he sought the Lord and got an answer. His brethren didn’t understand either, but they chose to argue and try to get it based on their own reasoning. You can only understand spiritual things by the Spirit.

• Proverbs 22:10
• Ether 4:8

1 Nephi 15:1

1 And it came to pass that after I, Nephi, had been carried away in the spirit, and seen all these things, I returned to the tent of my father.

It appears that Nephi may have been actually, physically carried away to another location. As far as I can tell, sometimes when the scriptures use the term “carried away in the spirit,” it can either mean a higher state of meditation, where visions are shown, or actually moving the recipient’s body to a different location, usually a mountain. 1 Nephi 11:1, the beginning of Nephi’s vision, states that he was “caught away in the Spirit of the Lord…into an exceeding high mountain,” which he had never seen or visited. He is apparently referring to this experience in 2 Nephi 4:25 when he says that his body had been “carried away upon exceedingly high mountains.” What a fascinating experience that would be, to be physically transported to another location in an instant. And yet, I think the transport itself would pale compared to the visions that were sure to follow.

• 1 Nephi 11:1
• 2 Nephi 4:25