1 Nephi 12:23

23 And it came to pass that I beheld, after they had dwindled in unbelief they became a dark, and loathsome, and a filthy people, full of idleness and all manner of abominations.

True believers, true Christians, are not generally lazy and idle. It’s interesting to see that personified by the Lamanites. After they dwindled in unbelief is when they became dark, loathsome, filthy, and idle people full of “all manner of abominations.” This is not to say that all industrious people are Christian, or that all Christians are industrious. It’s just that generally speaking, truly converted Christians tend to be industrious.

1 Nephi 12:22

22 And the angel said unto me: Behold these shall dwindle in unbelief.

The Lamanites described here were generations, or at least years after the Lamanites beat the Nephites. These had dwindled in unbelief, but their forefathers, the ones who started the wars, “did [willfully] rebel against the gospel of Jesus Christ.” (4 Nephi 1:38) Those who rebelled taught their children to not believe, and so they dwindled in unbelief. It’s so important that we teach our children the right. As the scripture in the Doctrine and Covenants states so clearly, if we don’t teach our children right, the sin is ours. (D&C 68:25) Certainly, dwindling in unbelief is less serious than open rebellion.

• 4 Nephi 1:38

1 Nephi 12:21

21 And I saw them gathered together in multitudes; and I saw wars and rumors of wars among them; and in wars and rumors of wars I saw many generations pass away.

I have often thought that The Book of Mormon events are a kind of foreshadow of events surrounding Christ’s Second Coming. If that is the case, then this verse definitely applies to today’s world events. At the time of this writing (December 2003) the United States is leading a world war of sorts. It isn’t like the first two world wars, and nobody has yet officially declared this war on terrorism “World War III,” but the whole world is involved at some level. Nephi saw the end of his generations, and the continuation of the Lamanites. However, the Lamanites were at war one with another, and there was no peace. Is that what today’s world is in for? Once we are finished with our common enemy, will we turn on each other? Only time will tell.

• Mormon 8:8
• Moroni 1:2

1 Nephi 12:19–20

19 And while the angel spake these words, I beheld and saw that the seed of my brethren did contend against my seed, according to the word of the angel; and because of the pride of my seed, and the temptations of the devil, I beheld that the seed of my brethren did overpower the people of my seed.

20 And it came to pass that I beheld, and saw the people of the seed of my brethren that they had overcome my seed; and they went forth in multitudes upon the face of the land.

Certainly the writer of Proverbs was right when he said that pride precedes destruction. (Proverbs 16:18) It’s interesting to note that the Lamanites at the time this prophecy was fulfilled were really no more righteous than the Nephites. So how or what decided that the Lamanites would win and the Nephites would lose? A couple of things come to mind. First, the Lord often uses the wicked to punish the wicked (Mormon 4:5). So just because you win doesn’t guarantee that you’re the good guy. Second, the promises to these two nations were different. This is most easily seen in Enos’ prayer. He was told that the Nephites would be preserved according to their diligence and righteousness (Enos 1:10). The Lamanites didn’t have that condition put upon them. It was just promised that they would eventually have the chance to get the records and be converted (Enos 1:12–16) But, if the Nephites had humbled themselves and repented, the Lamanites would not have destroyed them. So I guess you could say that the Nephites were punished by the Lamanites, but they really destroyed themselves from the inside first. This fits very well with, and is quite consistent with every other scriptural account of a people being destroyed. (I suppose the same is true of historical civilizations outside the scriptures, but I haven’t studied them enough to know that conclusively.)

• Proverbs 13:10
• Proverbs 16:18
• Mormon 4:5

1 Nephi 12:18

18 And the large and spacious building, which thy father saw, is vain imaginations and the pride of the children of men. And a great and a terrible gulf divideth them; yea, even the word of the justice of the Eternal God, and the Messiah who is the Lamb of God, of whom the Holy Ghost beareth record, from the beginning of the world until this time, and from this time henceforth and forever.

Pride is such a key ingredient in the recipe of a fallen people or person. Satan uses it to lead men away from God in so many different ways. In this verse we read about “vain imaginations and the pride of the children of men.” This combination is a deadly combination, and trying to decide which comes first and leads to the other is kind of circular and takes you nowhere. When I think about vain imaginations, I think about some of the philosophies of men that make no sense to me. During my days in graduate school, several of my classes tried to put these ideas in my head. I argued many times with people who I considered to be more intelligent than I about things like whether truth exists or not, whether we really exist or not, if when we touch something do we really come into contact with it, etc. I couldn’t believe that I was seeing first hand such a display of the vain imaginations of men. It drives home to me the importance of knowing who we are.

• 1 Nephi 11:35 (35–36)
• Helaman 16:22 (15–22)

1 Nephi 12:17

17 And the mists of darkness are the temptations of the devil, which blindeth the eyes, and hardeneth the hearts of the children of men, and leadeth them away into broad roads, that they perish and are lost.

It’s unfortunate that people must suffer for their blindness. These mists of darkness, which are the temptations of the devil, are blinding. If someone is not raised in an environment that supports resisting temptation, they are in for a rough time, at least for awhile. Thank goodness for temples and the chance they offer people to receive the fullness of the gospel.

This reminds me of a time when we lived in San Jose, CA, and we went home to Pasco, WA for Thanksgiving. On the last leg of the journey we were driving through a very dense fog in the dark of early morning. I could not see much beyond the hood of my car, and it would have been very easy to lose my way and go off the road, but for one thing that saved us. The highway department paints a solid white line on the edge of the road called a fog line that I could just make out. That fog line was my rod of iron that kept me on the path home. I literally could not see anything else, but I could see the line reflecting in my headlights. Thank goodness the Lord has given us a fog line, an iron rod to hold to that helps us stay true, even in the blinding temptations of the day.

• Proverbs 21:18
• Matthew 7:13–14
• Alma 45:12 (10–12)
• Helaman 13:10 (5, 9–10)
• 3 Nephi 27:32–33
• 4 Nephi 1:14 (14–41)
• D&C 76:75

1 Nephi 12:16

16 And the angel spake unto me, saying: Behold the fountain of filthy water which thy father saw; yea, even the river of which he spake; and the depths thereof are the depths of hell.

It almost seems an irony to me (and most likely unrelated) that this river of filthy water brings spiritual death, while the Savior offers spiritual life through the living water He offers. As I ponder this image of filthy water, I am reminded of a few instances when water was an obstacle in the scriptures. Moses was able to divide the Red Sea through the power of God and His priesthood. This allowed the children of Israel to pass through the midst without being touched by it. Joshua did the same thing with the Jordan River, allowing them to cross on dry ground. There’s nothing to indicate that these waters were filthy, but they were obstacles to reaching the Promised Land, so they make a pretty good parallel. The Savior walked on water, overcoming the obstacle to His destination by staying above it (or putting it beneath Him), and Peter was able to do the same thing as long as he kept his eyes on the Lord. In each of these examples the water obstacle was overcome by relying on the Lord. This dream of Lehi’s is not really all that different. We stay out of the river of filthy water by holding to the rod of Iron, or relying on the word of God.

• 1 Nephi 15:27 (26–29)

1 Nephi 12:13–15

13 And it came to pass that I saw the multitudes of the earth gathered together.

14 And the angel said unto me: Behold thy seed, and also the seed of thy brethren.

15 And it came to pass that I looked and beheld the people of my seed gathered together in multitudes against the seed of my brethren; and they were gathered together to battle.

I’m sure it was nearly as painful for Nephi to see this huge scene of battle in vision as it was for Mormon, centuries later to witness it in person.

1 Nephi 12:11–12

11 And the angel said unto me: Look! And I looked, and beheld three generations pass away in righteousness; and their garments were white even like unto the Lamb of God. And the angel said unto me: These are made white in the blood of the Lamb, because of their faith in him.

12 And I, Nephi, also saw many of the fourth generation who passed away in righteousness.

All the prophecies about the Nephites’ destruction say that it will happen in the 4^th generation from Christ’s visit. And that is what happened, but that kind of complete destruction doesn’t happen overnight. And sure enough, as you read the account in 4 Nephi you see that by the end of the second generation the people were sowing the seeds of this destruction (see 4 Nephi 1:22–24). I wonder what was different this time? Always in the past the Nephites had been able to turn themselves around through preaching and through hardship. For some reason, it didn’t work that way for that 4^th generation. This must have been a difficult vision for Nephi to watch.

• 2 Nephi 26:9 (9–10)
• 3 Nephi 27:32 (30–32)

1 Nephi 12:10

10 And these twelve ministers whom thou beholdest shall judge thy seed. And, behold, they are righteous forever; for because of their faith in the Lamb of God their garments are made white in his blood.

The symbolism of a garment made white in the blood (which is red) of Christ is quite interesting. In terms of our day-to-day life, blood would stain a white garment red, not make it white. Obviously the white represents purity and spiritual cleanliness. The blood of Christ, again obviously, refers to the Atonement, which is nothing short of a miracle. This is something we cannot do for ourselves. We cannot make ourselves perfect, clean, and worthy to enter the Lord’s presence. Our blood stains. But through the miracle of the Savior’s intervention on our behalf, our stained garments are made white, our sins are cleansed, and we are made worthy to enter our Father’s presence. Just as it would take a miracle to make a garment white with blood, so it would also be a miracle to cleanse our souls of spot through another’s sacrifice. Both are miracles; both are acts of faith.

• Revelation 7:14
• Revelation 19:8
• Alma 5:21 (21–27)
• Alma 13:11 (11–13)
• 3 Nephi 27:19 (19–20)
• D&C 88:85

1 Nephi 12:9

9 And he said unto me: Thou rememberest the Twelve Apostles of the Lamb? Behold they are they who shall judge the twelve tribes of Israel; wherefore, the twelve ministers of thy seed shall be judged of them; for ye are of the house of Israel.

In the Institute manual (Student Manual: REL 121–122, 1979. p. 33) the comment on this verse and verse 10 raises the point of the term “judge” meaning to rule as well as to judge. That may very well be, but the cross references seem to emphasize the judging aspect. I think that the Church’s organization on earth reflects the eternal organization of the priesthood. In other words, the concept of presidency and council of twelve very well may extend beyond this earth. We have that organization on the stake level, again on the Church-wide level, why not extend that same organization into the eternities? I think the ultimate judge is Christ, but couldn’t there be a series of preliminary judgments by lesser judges such as bishop and stake councils do here on earth? I don’t know. I guess I can be dangerous while thinking with a pen in my hand.

• Luke 6:13
• Matthew 19:28
• Mormon 3:18–20

1 Nephi 12:7–8

7 And I also saw and bear record that the Holy Ghost fell upon twelve others; and they were ordained of God, and chosen.

8 And the angel spake unto me, saying: Behold the Twelve Disciples of the Lamb, who are chosen to minister unto thy seed.

The Book of Mormon never directly calls these twelve that are chosen among the Nephites “apostles,” unless Ether 12:41 is referring to these Nephite disciples. In essence that is what they were, even though they are usually referred to as “disciples,” even in the same sentence where the twelve in Jerusalem are called apostles. At any rate, there seems to be a definite difference in their authority, since verse 9 below will tell us that the Nephite disciples will be judged of the Jerusalem apostles. It’s as if the Church was a worldwide organization even then; they just had no communication with each other. Church headquarters was in Jerusalem with the apostles, while outlying areas, such as the Americas, were like stakes would be today, with a presidency and high council. Presumably this same organization was established everywhere the Lord visited after His resurrection. (3 Nephi 16:1–3) I’m reminded of the picture I took while on my mission to South Korea. It shows a Buddhist temple statue and the picture around on the wall next to the statue seemed to show this organization. The painting shows a central main Buddha figure flanked on each side by a priest with elaborate headgear, but not as elaborate as the main figure. These have “halos” around their heads. Twelve other figures surrounded them, also with halos, unlike the other figures that are also in the painting. Very interesting. We don’t yet have a record of Christ establishing His church in China or Korea, but this painting seems to indicate that if he didn’t, then Buddha must have come up with a similar organization on his own. The hierarchy is just too coincidental.

1 Nephi 12:6

6 And I saw the heavens open, and the Lamb of God descending out of heaven; and he came down and showed himself unto them.

The vision Nephi saw of the coming of the Lord seems to be pretty accurate as to what is recorded in 3 Nephi. That brings up another question to me, namely, what is a vision? Time is really strange to think about in terms of eternity, but it’s interesting to think about sometimes. For example, did Nephi see a possible future event? Did he witness the Savior’s coming as it was actually happening (remember that time is linear to us, but not to God)? If so, was he transported to the future, or was this future event projected back to him? Or is everything really happening at the same time, just in different spheres? I know these questions aren’t all that important right now, and they certainly are not the point of this verse. It is just something I wonder about sometimes. Here are some cross references that have more to do with the testimony of Christ’s appearance to the future generations of Lehi’s children, which is really closer to what the verse is about.

• 2 Nephi 32:6
• Alma 16:20

1 Nephi 12:5

5 And it came to pass after I saw these things, I saw the vapor of darkness, that it passed from off the face of the earth; and behold, I saw multitudes who had not fallen because of the great and terrible judgments of the Lord.

It must have been gratifying for Nephi to see that there were people left alive after all the destruction was done.

• 3 Nephi 8:20

1 Nephi 12:4

4 And it came to pass that I saw a mist of darkness on the face of the land of promise; and I saw lightnings, and I heard thunderings, and earthquakes, and all manner of tumultuous noises; and I saw the earth and the rocks, that they rent; and I saw mountains tumbling into pieces; and I saw the plains of the earth, that they were broken up; and I saw many cities that they were sunk; and I saw many that they were burned with fire; and I saw many that did tumble to the earth, because of the quaking thereof.

The destructions must have been an amazing sight to see in vision. If you are in the middle of the destructions, you see your little part of them, but in vision you can see the full scope of them at once. In reviewing the account of Christ’s death as recorded in the New Testament, it looks like the signs given to the rest of the world were greater than what was shown to the Jews in Jerusalem. They experienced the storms and earthquakes, but it doesn’t seem that they had them to the extent of those recorded in the Book of Mormon. I am especially interested in the veil of darkness that covered the land for three days while Christ, “the light of the world” (John 8:12), was literally gone from the world. I think that is a very graphic display or type teaching how dependant we are upon Christ for light and life. For the three days between His death and resurrection, Christ was away from this world organizing the missionary work in the spirit world (see D&C 138). All these signs were given that those who were left alive would have no excuse to not believe that Christ had died. They stand as a powerful witness of that death.

• 1 Nephi 19:10–12
• Helaman 14:20–28
• 3 Nephi 8–9
• 3 Nephi 8:14

1 Nephi 12:1–3

1 And it came to pass that the angel said unto me: Look, and behold thy seed, and also the seed of thy brethren. And I looked and beheld the land of promise; and I beheld multitudes of people, yea, even as it were in number as many as the sand of the sea.

2 And it came to pass that I beheld multitudes gathered together to battle, one against the other; and I beheld wars, and rumors of wars, and great slaughters with the sword among my people.

3 And it came to pass that I beheld many generations pass away, after the manner of wars and contentions in the land; and I beheld many cities, yea, even that I did not number them.

Nephi is shown the future of his posterity and that of his brothers. It’s interesting that he is not shown the times when there is great cooperation between the Nephites and Lamanites. Instead, he is shown the wars. Mormon 8:8 says the hand of the Lord is in all the bloodshed and wars. That’s because the Lord will punish the wicked by the wicked. (see Mormon 4:5) This is all prophesied in 1 Nephi 2:23–24. The Lord told Nephi that the Lamanites were there to stir the Nephites up to repentance.

I think this part of the Nephi’s vision probably saddened him, to know that after all that had been given and revealed to him and his seed, they would still, in the end, give in to wickedness, and fall. (see 1 Nephi 15:5)

• 1 Nephi 2:23–24
• Enos 1:24
• Mormon 8:7–8

1 Nephi 12 Overview

Nephi sees in vision: the land of promise; the righteousness, iniquity, and downfall of its inhabitants; the coming of the Lamb of God among them; how the twelve disciples and the twelve apostles shall judge Israel; the loathsome and filthy state of those who dwindle in unbelief. Between 600 and 592 B.C.

Nephi’s vision continues, along with the interpretation. Here Nephi sees the coming of the Lord, Jesus Christ, among his (Nephi’s) people, and from there he sees the destruction of his own posterity by that of his brothers’ posterity. This leads to the interpretation of another part of the vision of the Tree of Life. The rest of Nephi’s vision appears to basically be a chronology specifically about the American continent.