Book of Mormon (Plain English Version)/1 Nephi/Chapter 14

by Timothy B. Wilson

Nephi’s vision of the last days...
(compare 1 Nephi, chapter 14)

The angel continued, "And in those last days, if the Gentiles listen to the Lamb of God when He shows Himself to them in word, power and deed, and not turn their hearts from Him, then He will include them with the house of Israel, and they will be a blessed people upon the promised land forever.

Then the Gentiles will no longer be brought down as captives, and the house of Israel will no longer suffer in ignorance.

Note: The angel told Nephi about the Gentiles in the last days, who will no longer be brought down as captives, meaning they will be brought down as captives.

For the Lamb of God said,

‘That great pit, dug by the great, abominable church, founded by the devil and his children, and dug with the intent to destroy all people, will be filled by those who dug it as they are completely destroyed in the flesh.

Their spirits will not be destroyed, but will be thrown into an endless hell. For the devil's captivity is also God's justice upon all who hear His word, yet choose wickedness.”

The angel then said, "Nephi, you know of the Lord's covenants' that He made with the house of Israel--that those who do not repent will perish, and you realize that if the Gentiles repent, it will be well with them.

But great judgments will come upon the Gentiles if they reject the gospel and harden their hearts against the Lamb of God, for He says,

'The time will come when I will work a great, marvelous and everlasting work among the children of men--a work that will either convince people to seek for peace and eternal life, or a work that because of their pride, will allow the devil to justly capture them—to destroy them temporally and spiritually.’”

The angel then asked, "Do you remember the covenants the Lord made with the house of Israel?”

"Yes," I replied.

"Then look and see the great, abominable church--the mother of wickedness.

There are only two churches:

1) The church of the Lamb of God
2) The church of the devil

Anyone who does not belong to the church of the Lamb of God belongs to the church of the devil--that great church, the mother of all abominations, even the whore of all the earth."

I, Nephi, saw the devil's church. It dominated all nations, kindreds, tongues and people of the earth.

I also saw God's saints, who made up the church of the Lamb of God, spread over all the earth. Their numbers were few because of the wickedness of the devil's church.

Then I saw the devil's church gather multitudes in all the Gentile nations to fight against the Lamb of God.

I saw the power of the Lamb come down upon the saints of His church (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints), and also upon the Lord's covenant people (Lamanites, Jews and other tribes) who had been scattered all over the earth but were now gathering.

They were all armed with righteousness and with God's power in great glory!

Then God's anger was poured out upon that great, abominable church, and there were wars in every nation on earth.

When the wars first broke out among the Gentile nations, the angel said, "God's anger is upon the mother of harlots--the great, abominable church--the mother of abominations.

In the last days, when this vision comes to pass--when wars begin among all Gentile nations, then the Father's work will begin, preparing the way to fulfill the covenants He made with the house of Israel."

Then the angel said, "Look!" I looked and saw a man dressed in a white robe. "See John the Revelator, one of the Lamb's twelve apostles. John will see and write the rest of the events of the last days, and also many things which have happened from the beginning of the world.

He will also write about the end of the world. What he writes will be just and true. When he gives his writings to the Jews, they will be plain, pure, most precious and easy to understand.

John will describe what you have seen, Nephi, and he will also describe what you will yet see. But do not write about what you will yet see, for the Lord God has ordained John to do that.

There are others who have been ordained by the Lord to see all things concerning the earth, from the beginning to the end. These others will also write their records, which will be sealed up to come forth in purity to the house of Israel in the Lord's due time.”

Note: One of these "others", ordained to see and write all things, was Jared's brother. His record, located in the untranslated portion of Mormon's record, will come forth when the Gentiles, particularly LDS Gentiles, sanctify and humble themselves with sufficient faith (Ether 4:4-7).

It was truly John the Revelator who wrote about the end of the world.

I, Nephi, am forbidden to write what I later saw and heard. What I have written is enough, although it is only a small part of what I saw.

I bear record that the angel showed me everything my father saw. This is a partial record of what I saw and heard while I was carried away in the Spirit to that very high mountain.

I give my witness that everything I have written is true.