1 Nephi 22: 15

15 For behold, saith the prophet, the time cometh speedily that Satan shall have no more power over the hearts of the children of men; for the day soon cometh that all the proud and they who do wickedly shall be as stubble; and the day cometh that they must be burned.

There are so many scriptures throughout the standard works that describe this cleansing of the earth by fire. The wicked will be as stubble in the field, etc. There is nothing that I can find to suggest this is not a physical cleanse. In other words, even if these verses mean something like the fire of a guilty conscience, etc., there is nothing to indicate that it is not also a physical destruction. In my finite comprehension I cannot see how the Lord will control the fire to consume the wicked and not the righteous. When the earth was cleansed by flood the Lord separated His people and removed them from the danger of the flood. Noah built the ark so that he and his family could rise above the flood that destroyed all the rest. Will the same kind of thing happen when the earth is cleansed by fire? How will the Lord separate His people this time, considering our understanding that they are unified not so much by location, but by singleness of heart? Whether the cleansing fire is a literal fire or something else, I just hope that when the whole closing scenes of this earth are played out that I am on the Lord’s side. According to what the Savior taught in Luke 17: 22–37 (including the JST for verses 36–40) the selection of who is spared and who is not will be quite precise. It will be interesting to see how it all comes about.

• Malachi 4: 1
• Luke 17: 22–37
• 2 Nephi 15: 24
• 2 Nephi 26: 6 (4–6)
• D&C 64: 24 (23–24)

1 Nephi 22: 14

14 And every nation which shall war against thee, O house of Israel, shall be turned one against another, and they shall fall into the pit which they digged to ensnare the people of the Lord. And all that fight against Zion shall be destroyed, and that great whore, who hath perverted the right ways of the Lord, yea, that great and abominable church, shall tumble to the dust and great shall be the fall of it.

This verse continues the theme of verse 13. In the end, we know who will win this war that started back in the pre-existence. It has never been an issue or in doubt as to who will ultimately win. Our task is to make sure we are on the right side. As it is so well stated in the Bible Dictionary, due to the nature of this conflict, there can be no neutral position. Everyone must choose a side.

That brings me to the statement in this verse, “all that fight against Zion shall be destroyed.” Modern revelation defines Zion as “the pure in heart” (D&C 97: 21). The term is used throughout the scriptures, often referring to a physical place, and that is usually a place reserved for the Lord’s people, or where they are located. That may be what Nephi meant when he used the term here: the place where the Lord’s people are, and by extension, the Lord’s people who dwell there could also be referred to as Zion. But it’s also possible that Nephi had the same understanding of the term as Joseph Smith: “the pure in heart.” With this definition of Zion anyone who tries to prevent the pure in heart from being, or showing their purity or righteousness would be the ones being destroyed. The other definition would indicate a more formal attack on the people of the Lord, including the organization of His Church itself. Either way, in the end those who are devoted to Him will win, and those against Him will lose. And everyone plays the game, so to speak. There are no spectators, and there are no benchwarmers. Even those who think they are just interested observers of a fascinating culture war are on one side or the other. Not to decide is to decide. Jesus on one occasion stated, “He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth no with me scattereth abroad” (Matthew 12: 30). It is time to choose a side. I choose the Lord’s side. One of my favorite statements in the scriptures is by Joshua: “choose you this day whom ye will serve…but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24: 15). I hope I always have the strength to serve the Lord, no matter what is going on around me.

• Psalm 7: 15
• Proverbs 26: 27
• Proverbs 28: 10
• Luke 21: 10
• 1 Nephi 14: 3
• 2 Nephi 10: 13
• 2 Nephi 28: 8
• Mormon 8: 41 (40–41)

1 Nephi 22: 13

13 And the blood of that great and abominable church, which is the whore of all the earth, shall turn upon their own heads; for they shall war among themselves, and the sword of their own hands shall fall upon their own heads, and they shall be drunken with their own blood.

Here is another example of a recurring theme, that the wicked shall punish the wicked. We have seen this stated several times, and the beauty of it is that the Lord doesn’t have to do the destroying. He can simply let it happen. The greed, the jealousy, the hunger for power will then take over. These people who belong to the church of the devil may think they have the common purpose of destroying the Church of God, but in the end it unravels because their “common purpose” is not a purpose, but a means to an end. And they all have a different end in mind: their own aggrandizement. As they begin to see that they really are each other’s enemy they fight among themselves to eliminate the competition.

• Revelation 17: 16 (16–17)
• 1 Nephi 14: 16 (3, 15–17)
• 1 Nephi 21: 26 (24–26)

1 Nephi 22: 12

12 Wherefore, he will bring them again out of captivity, and they shall be gathered together to the lands of their inheritance; and they shall be brought out of obscurity and out of darkness; and they shall know that the Lord is their Savior and their Redeemer, the Mighty One of Israel.

Verses 10, 11, and 12 really go together to show why the Lord is doing what he’s doing. And actually, as I look at it, this statement really begins in verse nine, where Nephi tells us that through the Abrahamic Covenant, “all the kindreds of the earth [shall] be blessed.” Verse ten says that cannot happen unless the Lord “shall make bare his arm in the eyes of all the nations.” Verse 11 tells us that in order to make bare his arm he needs to fulfill his covenant with the house of Israel. Verse 12 tells us that the gathering of Israel is evidence of the lord making bare his arm, or fulfilling His covenant to bless all the kindreds of the earth through Abraham’s seed. Then when you go back to verses seven and eight of this chapter, we learn the important role played by the gentiles in the Lord’s effort to keep the covenant. D&C 35: 25 makes it clear that this gathering will be led by those holding the priesthood keys, which is where the Restoration enters. The keys of the priesthood had been removed from the earth, so they had to be restored in order to ultimately bless all the kindreds of the earth. In essence, the covenant made between God and Abraham has shaped world history significantly. That thought drives home the notion that one man can really make a difference in the world. Abraham’s righteousness in keeping his side of the covenant has been significant. What role do I play in this covenant?

• Psalm 80: 19 (17–19)
• 1 Nephi 19: 15
• D&C 35: 25

1 Nephi 22: 11

11 Wherefore, the Lord God will proceed to make bare his arm in the eyes of all the nations, in bringing about his covenants and his gospel unto those who are of the house of Israel.

This verse confirms that the way the Lord will precede to make himself known, or reveal himself, is through fulfilling his covenants with Israel. The Restoration of the gospel is key to the Lord making bare his arm. Again, this was done through the gentiles in these latter days. And as the Restored Church, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints grows and rolls forth among all nations of the earth, His arm is being made bare. Unfortunately, not everyone sees it for what it is, but those who have eyes to see and ears to hear recognize the Lord’s “bare arm” in the growth and progress of this Church.

1 Nephi 22: 10

10 And I would, my brethren, that ye should know that all the kindreds of the earth cannot be blessed unless he shall make bare his arm in the eyes of the nations.

This verse makes total sense to me. This covenant of Abraham doesn’t give the Gentiles or anybody else any special powers to bless the kindreds of the earth alone. We make the blessings of God available to all mankind by making them aware of Him and his Atonement. The term, “make bare his arm,” reminds me of another saying we have. To “tip your hand” has to do with card playing, but refers to showing the cards you are holding, to share with others your position or your capabilities. When I think of the Lord making bare his arm I think He will reveal to the world his capabilities to save and redeem. He will finally reveal to all men that He has the power over all flesh to save them from both physical and spiritual death. The arm seems to be a symbol of the ability to do work, and the work that has been done is the Atonement. This is of great worth to all kindreds. The other thing this phrase brings to my mind is just rolling up our sleeves and getting the job done. That’s what the Lord has accomplished as well. He rolled up his sleeves (thus making bare his arms) and is working through the covenant to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man. This is the time in the history of the world when that work is being done. As his covenant people we need to roll up our sleeves, make bare our arms, and help the Savior accomplish his work and glory.