1 Ne 11:1-5
From Feast upon the Word (http://feastupontheword.org). Copyright, Feast upon the Word.
The Book of Mormon > First Nephi > Chapter 11
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Contents |
Questions
Verse 1
- Is the personage who responds to Nephi's desire here the same being who responded to Lehi in 1 Ne 1:5-6?
- How does Nephi's desire to know what his father had seen (see 1 Ne 10:17), presumably a desire expressed in prayer, differ from his prayer in 1 Ne 2:16?
- What is the difference in the faith expressed by someone who believes that the Lord can do something versus one who believes the Lord will do something? When is each appropriate?
- Why does this vision occur on a high mountain?
- What might Nephi have been pondering in his heart?
- How is Nephi's experience like that of others? What significance do you see in those parallels?
- Can the "exceedingly high mountain" be compared to a temple experience? If so, what parallells are there between modern and Jewish temple rites and the tree of life vision? Is Nephi and Lehi's vision an endowment for their dispensation?
Verses 2, 4
- The Spirit already knows the answers to the questions that he asks Nephi, so why does he ask?
Verse 3
- Why didn't Nephi say that he wanted to know the things that his father had learned from his vision?
Verse 5
- In what tone of voice did Nephi say this?
Lexical notes
Verse 1
- "Had desired" shows that the action was completed in the past.
- The root of the word "ponder" is "to weigh."
- In the Old Testament, the heart stands for the person as a whole. It probably has the same meaning here.
Exegesis
At the end of the last chapter Nephi tells us that the mysteries of God would be unfolded to him "that diligently seeketh" 1 Ne 10:19. Then in the last verse of that chapter Nephi tells us that he has authority from the Holy Ghost to make that promise. Now, with the first word of this verse, for, Nephi connects his upcoming description of his vision with that claim to authority. This description of his vision is justification for his claim to authority to make that promise. Specifically Nephi will show us that the Lord does unfold the mysteries of God to the person who diligently seeks.
If the central reason for Nephi to tell us about his vision is to show us that the Lord fulfills his promise, then part of the point of the next part of verse one is to explain what we must do to have the mysteries of God unfolded to us. Like Nephi, we must 1) have a desire to know and 2) have faith.
Nephi's faith was a belief that "the Lord was able to make" the things his father had seen known to him rather than a belief that the Lord would make them known to him. It may be that Nephi lacked confidence that the Lord would make these things known to him. Compare this with his brothers. Similarly, they desired to understand the words of their father. But, their belief that their questions to the Lord would not be answered prevented them from even asking 1 Ne 15:9. Nephi may not have had confidence that the Lord would make the things his father had seen known to him, but he did have faith that the Lord could do so. And clearly Nephi's faith was sufficient, for while he is pondering he is taken away in vision.
Nephi's vision seems to parallel the modern and ancient temple rituals, with progression from one location to others, possible washing at the fountain of living waters, the tree comparision to the Celestial room, the woman and her child legends in the temple of Solomon, having one's family together at the end of the journey, midsts of darkness and testing and adherence to the word of God, the mocking or teachings of man often mixed with scripture, having a testimony of the living prophet prior to induction, teaching of Christ and the Atonement, the pre-eminence of the original Tweleve Apostles, and other things which Nephi is forbidden to write, etc.
Related links
- Compare Nephi's 'formula' for having the mysteries of God unfolded to Alma's formula for nourishing a seed of faith in Alma 32:41: (1) have desire, (2) nourish this desire with faith, diligence and patience.
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