1 Ne 1:5-15

From Feast upon the Word (http://feastupontheword.org). Copyright, Feast upon the Word.
Revision as of 19:05, 26 December 2015 by KurtElieson (Talk | contribs)

Jump to: navigation, search

Home > The Book of Mormon > First Nephi > Chapters 1-2 > Verses 1:5-15
Previous page: Verses 1:1-4                      Next page: Verses 1:16-20


This page would ideally always be under construction. You are invited to contribute.


Summary

This heading should be very brief. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

The relationship of verses 5-15 to the rest of Chapter 1 is discussed at Chapter 1.

Discussion

This section is for detailed discussion such as the meaning of a symbol, how a doctrinal point is developed throughout a passage, or insights that can be further developed in the future. Contributions may range from polished paragraphs down to a single bullet point. The focus, however, should always be on understanding the scriptural text consistent with LDS doctrine. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

  • 1 Ne 1:4-18: The Book of Mormon begins with open heavens. The Book of Mormon story begins (after three verses of introduction about the record) with an account of many prophets preaching how to avoid destruction, of Lehi receiving two visions, and of Lehi joining those other prophets in preaching. Thus, among the first messages taught by the Book of Mormon are the reality of revelation and of the need for revelation to address the circumstances of the day.
The heavens remain open throughout the Book of Mormon. Ainadom's statement that he is unaware of any revelation in his day is widely seen as an indication of widespread apostasy at a low point in Nephite history in the days before king Mosiah I flees from the land of Nephi to Zarahemla. (Omni 1:11). Moroni concludes the Book of Mormon with a strong statement that revelation will never cease so long as there is faith among mankind. (Moro 7:36-37).
  • 1 Ne 1:4-5, 18: Lehi's example in responding to prophets. Lehi's belief in the message of the prophets is shown by his reaction in praying with all his heart in behalf of his people (1 Ne 1:5) and then joining the prophets in preaching that message. (1 Ne 1:18). Nephi does not record that the prophets called upon the people of Jerusalem to join them in preaching, but only called upon them to repent. (1 Ne 1:4). Lehi, however, goes beyond a minimum requirement of personal repentance by praying to the Lord with all his heart on behalf of his people and by actively seeking to cause his people to repent by joining the prophets in preaching. This can serve as an example for how we respond today to the preaching of inspired church leaders.
  • 1 Ne 1:5-6: Lehi's prayer on behalf of his people with all his heart. Nephi makes it clear that Lehi's prayer on behalf of his people is not perfunctory, but is offered "with all his heart." This phrase is often used in the scriptures to indicate great sincerity inn following or approaching God. (See, 2 Kgs 23:25; D&C 42:25). It is while praying "with all his heart" that Lehi receives his first vision. (1 Ne 1:5-6). Nephi also records that at the conclusion of Lehi's second vision "his whole heart was filled." (1 Ne 1:15).
  • 1 Ne 1:4-6: Revelation pattern. In these verses we see the first instance of a pattern for revelation that is repeated in the Book of Mormon: (1) A prophetic message is heard (1 Ne 1:4); (2) a prayer of faith is offered (1 Ne 1:5); (3) revelation important to the individual's success and survival is given (1 Ne 1:6-15); and (4) the relevant portion of the message is delivered to others. (1 Ne 1:18).
This pattern is repeated when Nephi likewise: (1) hears the message of Lehi's vision of the tree of life (1 Ne 8:2; 1 Ne 10:17); (2) Nephi ponders the message in faith (1 Ne 11:1; also 1 Ne 15:6-8); (3) receives revelation (1 Ne 11:2-6); and (4) shares the message with others (1 Ne 15:21ff).
This pattern is also repeated when Enos likewise: (1) was taught a message by his father Jacob (Enos 1:3); (2) cried in mighty prayer (Enos 1:4); (3) received revelation about the safety of his own soul (Enos 1:5-8); and (4) then received revelation for welfare of others and delivered that revelation. (Enos 1:9-19).
  • 1 Ne 1:8: Council of the heavens. Lehi's second vision opens with a theme absolutely fundamental to the Book of Mormon (see 2 Ne 31:13, Mosiah 2:28, Alma 36:22, etc.): the council of the heavens. Such a vision might be understood to legitimize Lehi's prophetic activity, as Amos 3:7 suggests that all prophetic activity begins with a vision of the council (Hebrew sod--"secret"--would be best translated as "council"). Significantly, Lehi witnesses God at the center of a scene of worship, of praise. The scene is familiar, as in Rev 4-5. Central to Lehi's understanding of the heavens, perhaps to the understanding of the scriptural propehts, is a sacramental act of praise, a gathering together in song and dance in a sort of great, celestial prayer circle ("concourses," literally, "complete circles").
But, besides universal concerns, Nephi makes explicit mention of these details in this very particular text. It is clear that this vision plays an important role in the broader structure of the Nephi's text. While it begins here with a vision of this council from below (messengers must descend to Nephi), his text ends with a promise that those who read and follow may join that very council and "shout praises to the Holy One of Israel" (2 Ne 31:13). Nephi's text might be read as inviting readers to a sort of progression from the vision of the heavenly council to eventual participation in it. Nephi thereafter says explicitly that he is not allowed to describe what would follow (2 Ne 32:7). (This last point may imply that the Nephites were not prepared in Nephi's day to be taught of "celestial work," of what happens beyond joining the choirs of praise. Perhaps it might be suggested that what Latter-day Saints call "exaltation" comes by invitation to those who join the council of the heavens by passing through the veil, in other words, that the sealing room follows the celestial room.)
  • 1 Ne 1:9: One descending out of heaven; luster. The description of the "One" whose luster is "above that of the sun at noon-day" and the capitalization of the word One making it a title strongly suggest this is the Savior (see General Conference talk below).
Definitions of "luster" include brightness or splendor. Webster's 1828 Dictionary includes the phrase "as the luster of the sun or stars" to illustrate the meaning of this word. In modern times luster can also mean "a glow of reflected light." But the numerous references to Christ being the light of the world suggest that, when referring to Christ in a glorified condition, that luster would be a light from within rather than a reflected light. (John 1:4-9; John 8:12; D&C 88:6-13).
  • 1 Ne 1:12: Filled with the Spirit of the Lord. This description of the relationship between Lehi and the Spirit is a dramatic shift from verses 7-8, where he was "overcome with the Spirit." Two major changes have taken place: overcome has been replaced by filled, and Spirit has been replaced by Spirit of the Lord. Firstly, are we to read into this change that Lehi is having experiences with two types of spirits here? If so, does that mean that at this point in Lehi's vision he is both still overcome with the Spirit and simultaneously filled with the Spirit of the Lord? That seems a bit unlikely, as Lehi is "carried away" in his vision (and on his bed, so he is probably asleep), which means as likely as not he is not experiencing the normal physical sensations (and the spiritual overcoming in 7-8 appears on the whole to be a mostly physical phenomenon).
It is also interesting that the act of reading itself is what fills Lehi with the Spirit of the Lord. Perhaps not too surprising, given that the book and its message is the focal point of Lehi's entire vision, but the act of reading itself is what textually marks the point at which Lehi goes from being "overcome" with some unspecified Spirit to being "filled" with the Spirit of the Lord. Why might this be? On top of all this, both spiritual encounters are a result specifically of things that Lehi has seen. Nephi is careful to make this point clear; even though in verse 7 Lehi quakes and trembles because of what he has "seen and heard," hearing is subtracted in verse 8, and being overcome is left only as a result of sight.
  • 1 Ne 1:13-15: Destruction and mercy. Verse 13 speaks of the abominations and destruction of Jerusalem. Then in verses 14-15, Lehi rejoices in God's mercy. This juxtaposition may seem strange. But: (1) verse 14 mentions many other great and marvelous things that Lehi saw that we are not told; and (2) verses 9-12 describe (presumably) the Savior and disciples preaching the gospel and thus providing a way for the inhabitants of the earth to not perish. Whatever the motivation for Lehi's praise of God, it is clearly motivated by God's mercy. "And, because thou art merciful, thou wilt not suffer those who come unto thee that they shall perish!" (1 Ne 1:14).

Unanswered questions

This section is for questions along the lines of "I still don't understand ..." Please do not be shy. The point of these questions is to identify things that still need to be addressed on this page. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for life application

This section is for prompts that suggest ways in which a passage can influence a person's life. Prompts may be appropriate either for private self reflection or for a class discussion. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

  • 1 Ne 1:4-5, 18: Responding to instruction from church leaders. Lehi responded to the message of prophets in his day by praying to the Lord with all his heart on behalf of his people and by joining the prophets in sharing their message. How do we respond to instruction from church leaders today?

Prompts for further study

This section is for prompts that invite us to think about a passage more deeply or in a new way. These are not necessarily questions that beg for answers, but rather prompts along the lines of "Have you ever thought about ..." Prompts are most helpful when they are developed individually, thoughtfully, and with enough background information to clearly indicate a particular direction for further study or thought. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

  • 1 Ne 1:5: "Lehi ... prayed unto the Lord." How did Lehi react after hearing the prophets' message? What can we learn from Lehi's reaction?
  • 1 Ne 1:5: "went forth." Where was Lehi headed? Is Nephi saying Lehi was one of the prophets, mentioned in the previous verse, who went to Jerusalem and preached repentance unto its inhabitants? Or was Lehi following their example and providing a second round of repentence preaching?
  • 1 Ne 1:5: "prayed." Why did Lehi pray after he had "went forth"? Why didn't he pray beforehand? At what point in his travels did he stop to pray?
  • 1 Ne 1:5: "all his heart." If Lehi was commanded to love the Lord with "all his heart" (see Deut 6:5), and love his neighbor as himself (see Lev 19:18), then why is this phrase used to describe his prayer for the people?
  • 1 Ne 1:5: "in behalf of." What is to be made of this phrase? Was Lehi simply asking the Lord to forgive "his people"? Or was he perhaps praying as, or in the place of, as proxy for, his people?
  • 1 Ne 1:5: "his people." Who was Lehi praying for? The Jews at Jerusalem? Or perhaps his fellow members of the Tribe of Joseph? Members of the Tribe of Joseph already scattered or carried away into captivity?
  • 1 Ne 1:5: Number of Visions. Did Lehi have one or two visions? Did the second begin with him seeing “God sitting upon his throne” (verse 8)? Or was the second vision really just a continuation of the first vision? If the pillar of fire in the first vision is connected to Christ's second coming (see D&C 29:12), and the second vision portrays a heavenly being descending from heaven to earth, then are the two visions actually two pieces of the same thing? Do these verses provide no details about the content of the first vision, and then several details about the content of the second vision, because the two visions were really one vision and the details of the second were just a continuation of what was seen in the first?
  • 1 Ne 1:5: Did this vision signal Lehi's call as a prophet? Or was he already serving as one? Had he left his house to pray for the people because he was a prophet? Or was he seeking the Lord's will and finding out that the Lord wanted him to serve as a prophet? Why does the verse say Lehi was "carried away" if this language is not used elsewhere in the scriptures to describe visions? Or is this usage comparable to Nephi's discussion of being "carried away in the Spirit" (see 1 Ne 11:19, 1 Ne 11:29, 1 Ne 14:30, and 1 Ne 15:1) or to descriptions of people who fell into trance-like states and were "carried away in God" (see Alma 19:6)? Is this a foreshadowing of what will happen to the inhabitants of Jerusalem if they reject the message Lehi is about to receive in his vision (see 2 Ne 25:10-11)?
  • 1 Ne 1:5: Parallels with Moses. If the Lord appeared to Moses in a burning bush (Ex 3:2), then was something similar happening with Lehi as he beheld the fire upon the rock? If the Lord used the burning bush as an occasion to call Moses to a great work, then was a similar prophetic calling being extended to Lehi at this time? If Moses fel overwhelmed at the thought of battling Pharaoh for the freedom of the Israelites (see Ex 3:11), then was Lehi experiencing similar feelings when "he did quake and tremble exceedingly"?
  • 1 Ne 1:5: In verses 9-11, Christ appears to Lehi and gives him a book to read. Is it significant that this revelation occurs by means of a revealed book rather than by Christ speaking to Lehi or in some other way? (Compare Ezek 2:9, Rev 5:1-5, and Rev 10:2, and 8-10.)
  • 1 Ne 1:6: "pillar of fire." What is this thing that Lehi saw (verse 6)? Did Lehi connect it with the pillar of fire that accompanied the Israelites on their march out of Egypt? Was this the Lord's way of teaching Lehi that he is embarking on an exodus? Is the connection of a fire from heaven with a rock a hint that Lehi was in the process of offering a sacrifice upon an altar (see Judg 6:21)?
  • 1 Ne 1:6: "quake and tremble." Was Lehi suddenly feeling this way because the vision left him with an acute awareness of his sins (compare to 1 Ne 22:23 and Isa 6:5)? Or is this what naturally happens to mortals when the Lord looks upon them (see Mosiah 27:31) and addresses them in his all-powerful voice (see Hel 12:9)? Or was Lehi experiencing, as a consequence of his mighty prayer on behalf of the people, something akin to what the sons of Mosiah felt, who "were desirous that salvation should be declared to every creature, for they could not bear that any human soul should perish; yea, even the very thoughts that any soul should endure endless torment did cause them to quake and tremble" (Mosiah 28:3)?
  • 1 Ne 1:7: "returned to his own house." Where was Lehi before he went back home? Why did he feel the need to leave home in order to offer a prayer?
  • 1 Ne 1:7: "returned to his own house at Jerusalem." In verse 5 we learn Lehi prayed "as he went forth." Here we are told once again that Lehi's house is "at Jerusalem." Why tell the reader where Lehi's house is, when we were already told in verse 5 that Lehi "dwelt at Jerusalem" all of his days? did Lehi go forth to some land beyond Jerusalem? If so, did he go to some place beyond the borders of Jerusalem to pray? Also, did Lehi go forth with the intent to pray, or did he go forth and only at some point in his travels (perhaps during the normal course of his business), after reflecting on the echoes of the prophets back in Jerusalem, feel to pray? Of course, wherever he went, it was close enough to make the trip home in the same day.
  • 1 Ne 1:7: "cast himself upon his bed." If the pillar of fire was a night-time experience for the Israelites as they escaped from captivity (see Ex 13:21), then is it likely that Lehi witnessed the pillar of fire at night and ready to retire to bed when the pillar vanished? Is the verb "cast" in this verse transitive or intransitive? If it was intransitive, then is it possible that Lehi was selecting himself to participate in the production that was about to unfold?
  • 1 Ne 1:7: "saw and heard." If this phrase does not appear in the Old Testament, then what influenced Nephi to use it? Was there no such thing as silent visions in Old Testament times? What is this significance of this phrase, given that all but one instance of it in scriptures occur in the Book of Mormon?
  • 1 Ne 1:8: Impact of the Vision upon Lehi. If Lehi was physically shaken by what he "saw and heard," (verse 6) then why was he soon after "overcome" by the things he had seen, and not by the things he had heard? Does this mean the things Lehi heard in his vision had more of a lasting impact upon him than the things he saw? Or is it possible the vision was primarily oral and the only visual component was the dazzling pillar of fire that danced upon the rock? Is Brant Gardner right that Lehi's experience was "enervating," just like Joseph Smith's early experiences with visions, or did Lehi "cast himself upon his bed" less out of exhaustion and more out of a desire to commence dreaming and continue receiving visions?
  • 1 Ne 1:8: "he saw the heavens open." Where did Lehi learn to describe his view of the heavens as a curtain or window being opened? Had Isaiah given him the mental image of a God who "stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain" (Isa 40:22)? Was he influenced by Ezekiel who said "the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God" (Ezek 1:1)? What impact did Elisha's conversation with a nobleman about "windows in heaven" (2 Kgs 7:2) have on Lehi? Was Lehi already aware of the promise that Malachi would later record, that when a person paid their tithing the Lord would open "windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it" (Mal 3:10)? Did Nephi use this language to describe Lehi's vision because he considered his father's wealth a blessing for paying tithing? Was Nephi also making a connection between the heavens opening and the infinite blessings of the atonement that would result from the Savior's condescension to earth?
  • 1 Ne 1:8: "he thought he saw God." Is Nephi helping to preserve his father's humility with this choice of words? Was the question on Lehi's mind whether he saw God with his physical eyes or his spiritual eyes? Was Lehi's encounter with God similar to apostles and disciples who could not tell whether their experiences with divine beings were "in the body" or "out of the body" (see 2 Cor 12:2-3 and 3 Ne 28:15)? Alternatively, was Lehi uncertain that the being he saw was actually God?
  • 1 Ne 1:8: "God sitting upon his throne." If John W. Welch is right that, throughout the Old Testament, indivdiuals received a vision of the heavens, including God and his council, when they were called as a prophet, then who were the audiences that needed to see Lehi portrayed within this same literary formula? Was it people living during Old Testament times that needed to hear about Lehi being called as a prophet in the same manner as other Old Testmanet prophets, or was it principally people in modern times that needed to recognize the pattern in Lehi's calling as a prophet? Why does Lehi see the Celestial Kingdom in this way, as a place of praise rather than as a place of celestial work? Did Lehi and Nephi acquire a mental image of this scene from their reading of 2 Kgs 9:5 and 2 Chr 18:18?
  • 1 Ne 1:10: Lehi sees twelve others following God. Are these the twelve apostles that were alive at the time of Jesus, or some other twelve?
  • 1 Ne 1:11: What is the book (see verse 11) that is given to Lehi?

Resources

This section is for listing links and print resources, including those that are also cited elsewhere on this page. A short comment about the particular strengths of a resource can be helpful. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Incoming Cross-References Not Listed in The Footnotes for These Verses.

External resources.

Notes

Footnotes are not required but are encouraged for factual assertions that average readers cannot easily evaluate for themselves (such as the date of King Solomon’s death or the nuanced definition of a Greek word). In contrast, insights rarely benefit from footnoting, and the focus of this page should always remain on the scriptures themselves rather than what someone has said about them. Links are actively encouraged on all sections of this page, and links to authoritative sources (such as Strong's Bible Concordance or the Joseph Smith Papers) are preferable to footnotes.


Previous page: Verses 1:1-4                      Next page: Verses 1:16-20

Retrieved from "http://feastupontheword.org/index.php?title=1_Ne_1:5-15&oldid=157514"