1 Nephi 21: 23

 23 And kings shall be thy nursing fathers, and their queens thy nursing mothers; they shall bow down to thee with their face towards the earth, and lick up the dust of thy feet; and thou shalt know that I am the Lord; for they shall not be ashamed that wait for me.

This verse has a couple of themes related to each other. I’ll take one at a time, and see where it leads. Kings and queens being their nursing fathers and mothers must have something to do with teaching the gospel to Israel. I suppose this could be taken as a temporal interpretation, such as when Britain sponsored the return of the Jews to Palestine in 1948 (see Ridges, Isaiah Made Easier, p. 134). However, I am more interested in the spiritual aspect of this. In Art, when you see something that is out of place or out of the ordinary it is often a visual clue to the viewer that there is some symbolic meaning beyond the literal image. If that’s the case in scripture as well, this verse is more than what it appears. What’s out of place here? “Nursing Fathers.” The cross reference provided at the bottom of the page (Isaiah 60: 16) goes further. It says, speaking to Israel, that they “shalt suck the breast of kings.” Why kings and not queens? (Actually the verse I am commenting on here includes nursing queens, but that doesn’t seem as out of place.) I believe this has to do with the life-giving saving ordinances that can only be administered by one holding the royal priesthood of God. (And for that matter, in the temple these ordinances are administered to women by other women—nursing queens.) Men can’t provide life-giving nourishment through their breasts, but they can provide spiritual life-giving nourishment by administering ordinances through proper priesthood authority. Even more specifically, this royal status of king and queen only comes to those who enter into the new and everlasting covenant of marriage (see D&C 131: 2 (1–4), and D&C 132: 19). So I believe these are the kings and queens who shall be the nursing fathers and nursing mothers to Israel.

And they will do it with all respect to the original covenants made with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Otherwise, why would these kings and queens “bow down” and “lick up the dust of [Israel’s] feet?” I doubt this is literal, but it means that those in the covenant will serve Israel. Sharing the gospel is the greatest service, but there is no shame in serving anyone in any manner. When we serve one another, we are serving God (see Mosiah 2: 17). The cross reference provided to the word “wait” indicates that this waiting for the Lord has to do with being faithful in covenants, etc. Surely those who wait for the Lord in that sense will not be ashamed.

• Isaiah 60: 16 (14–16)
• 2 Nephi 6: 13
• D&C 133: 11 (10–11, 45)

1 Nephi 21: 22

22 Thus saith the Lord God: Behold, I will lift up mine hand to the Gentiles, and set up my standard to the people; and they shall bring thy sons in their arms, and thy daughters shall be carried upon their shoulders.

The Lord answers the question Israel asked in verse 21. This verse tells Israel that all these children that made things so crowded, as described in verses 20 and 21 have been gathered in large part by the efforts of the Gentiles. The cross-references in the footnotes indicate to me that this gathering of Israel will be a spiritual gathering more than physical. In other words, this will be a conversion to the restored covenants that the house of Israel had anciently. Of course, that restoration is found in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Here is where the standard, or Ensign to the nations has been set up. Through the missionary efforts of the Church, the Gentiles will “bring [Israel’s] sons in their arms, and [their] daughters shall be carried upon their shoulders.”

I think the Lord delights in showing that He will accept anyone willing to covenant with Him. He is no respecter of persons in this matter, and the covenant is more important than the bloodlines. So the irony of this gathering is that it is made possible through the efforts of the Gentiles, who Israel (and especially the Jews) has always kind of discounted. Gentiles have been unclean in their eyes since ancient times. But in the latter days the covenant (again, more critical than bloodlines) is in the Church, which is Israel more by adoption than by inheritance. So Israel is depending on “unclean” Gentiles to make them clean again, or restore them to their former place of honor as a covenant people.

• Isaiah 11: 12 (10–12)
• Isaiah 66: 19 (18–20)
• 2 Nephi 6: 6–7
• 2 Nephi 10: 8 (8–9)

1 Nephi 21: 21

21 Then shalt thou say in thine heart: Who hath begotten me these, seeing I have lost my children, and am desolate, a captive, and removing to and fro? And who hath brought up these? Behold, I was left alone; these, where have they been?

The scattering and gathering of Israel is one of the most prominent prophecies of the Old Testament, and it is referred to many, many times throughout scripture, both ancient and modern. Surely it is a prophecy that the Jews (as the last identifiable tribe of Israel) have and believe in. And yet this verse makes it sound like when Israel is finally gathered that they will be surprised that there are so many other Israelites. That is evidence to me that this is a spiritual gathering even more than a physical gathering. I wonder what Jews think when they find out that members of the Lord’s restored church are all part of the house of Israel, mostly from the tribe of Ephraim. My guess is that they don’t believe it; they may think it’s cute that these gentiles are pretending to be Israelites, or they are offended by it. But I think they are so focused on a physical gathering to the land of Jerusalem that the spiritual gathering catches them by surprise, as they are converted. So of course they wonder where all these Israelites came from. They may have believed the prophecies about the Gathering, but they didn’t understand them.

• Isaiah 54: 1
• Galatians 4: 27

1 Nephi 21: 20

20 The children whom thou shalt have, after thou hast lost the first, shall again in thine ears say: The place is too strait for me; give place to me that I may dwell.

This is a continuation of the thought from verse 19, where it says the land is too narrow by reason of the inhabitants. Here are those inhabitants complaining, or at least stating that there is no room for them: “give place for me that I may dwell.” In other words, move over, make room for me. Again, this has reference to the part of covenant Israel that shall be gathered. In the last days I think the name of Israel will have at least as much to do with covenants as it does blood lineage, maybe more.

1 Nephi 21: 19

19 For thy waste and thy desolate places, and the land of thy destruction, shall even now be too narrow by reason of the inhabitants; and they that swallowed thee up shall be far away.

It seems to me that this verse has to do with the gathering of Israel. It’s a rare exception in chapters 20 and 21 in that it is identical to the corresponding verse in the book of Isaiah. It is also identical in that neither verse has cross-references to help understand it. But it reminds me of a kid who’s been facing bullies. When the kid is surrounded by lots of friends who could help him fight back, the bullies leave and don’t bother the kid anymore. The Jews have been that kid for thousands of years, getting beat up by lots of bullies during that time. But with the Gathering, the bullies find out that the Jews have more friends than they thought. In fact, those friends that come and make the “land of [their] destruction” seem crowded actually come from the bullies’ nations. That’s where the gathered Israel will come from. So the bullies run away and their friends switch allegiance.

In terms of the spiritual gathering of Covenant Israel (which would include those in the Restored Church), as membership grows, and the Church becomes stronger, even claiming converts from those who persecute it, the persecutors will back off and “be far away.” As the Kingdom of God rolls forth and fills the earth, it will gain friends. That is what will end the persecution.

1 Nephi 21: 18

18 Lift up thine eyes round about and behold; all these gather themselves together, and they shall come to thee. And as I live, saith the Lord, thou shalt surely clothe thee with them all, as with an ornament, and bind them on even as a bride.

Here is an interesting difference between the Book of Mormon and the Bible versions of this verse. The Bible version (Isaiah 49: 18) does have some minor differences from The Book of Mormon version, but the cross references indicate related but different meanings. The footnote to the word “gather” in 1 Nephi is a cross reference to Micah 4: 11 (11–13). These verses very definitely refer to “many nations…gathered against thee (Israel).” It also says that those who are gathered against Zion shall be gathered “as the sheaves into the floor,” and that Zion shall “thresh” and “beat in pieces many people.” This sounds like a violent gathering of Israel. The Bible’s version of Isaiah’s prophecy has the footnote to the word “gather” as a reference to the Topical Guide, “Israel, Gathering of,” which does not include a reference to Micah 4: 11. So the same verse in two different places has different footnotes, which lead to somewhat different meanings.

One interpretation of this verse might be seen if I render it in more modern language, something like this: “Look around and notice all the people who are gathering themselves and aligning themselves to you, Israel. (I think this reference must be to scattered Israel and converted Gentiles) As surely as I live, says the Lord, you will accept these into the house of Israel, and they will be a blessing to you.” If we take the last phrase to mean the “bride” of their Redeemer, the “Bridegroom” (imagery used often throughout the scriptures), then this gathered Israel could be the means through which the Jews are finally converted. This is also indicated in the allegory of the olive tree in Jacob chapter 5. The fruit was not good until all the scattered branches were grafted back in to the main tree.