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1 Nephi 22


Chapter 22

Israel will be scattered upon all the face of the earth—The Gentiles will nurse and nourish Israel with the gospel in the last days—Israel will be gathered and saved, and the wicked will burn as stubble—The kingdom of the devil will be destroyed, and Satan will be bound. About 588–570 B.C.

And now it came to pass that after I, Nephi, had read these things which were engraven upon the plates of brass, my brethren came unto me and said unto me: What meaneth these things which ye have read? Behold, are they to be understood according to things which are spiritual, which shall come to pass according to the spirit and not the flesh?

And I, Nephi, said unto them: Behold they were manifest unto the prophet by the voice of the Spirit; for by the Spirit are all things made known unto the prophets, which shall come upon the children of men according to the flesh.

Wherefore, the things of which I have read are things pertaining to things both temporal and spiritual; for it appears that the house of Israel, sooner or later, will be scattered upon all the face of the earth, and also among all nations.

And behold, there are many who are already lost from the knowledge of those who are at Jerusalem. Yea, the more part of all the tribes have been led away; and they are scattered to and fro upon the isles of the sea; and whither they are none of us knoweth, save that we know that they have been led away.

And since they have been led away, these things have been prophesied concerning them, and also concerning all those who shall hereafter be scattered and be confounded, because of the Holy One of Israel; for against him will they harden their hearts; wherefore, they shall be scattered among all nations and shall be hated of all men.

Nevertheless, after they shall be nursed by the Gentiles, and the Lord has lifted up his hand upon the Gentiles and set them up for a standard, and their children have been carried in their arms, and their daughters have been carried upon their shoulders, behold these things of which are spoken are temporal; for thus are the covenants of the Lord with our fathers; and it meaneth us in the days to come, and also all our brethren who are of the house of Israel.

And it meaneth that the time cometh that after all the house of Israel have been scattered and confounded, that the Lord God will raise up a mighty nation among the Gentiles, yea, even upon the face of this land; and by them shall our seed be scattered.

And after our seed is scattered the Lord God will proceed to do a marvelous work among the Gentiles, which shall be of great worth unto our seed; wherefore, it is likened unto their being nourished by the Gentiles and being carried in their arms and upon their shoulders.

And it shall also be of worth unto the Gentiles; and not only unto the Gentiles but unto all the house of Israel, unto the making known of the covenants of the Father of heaven unto Abraham, saying: In thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed.

10 And I would, my brethren, that ye should know that all the kindreds of the earth cannot be blessed unless he shall make bare his arm in the eyes of the nations.

11 Wherefore, the Lord God will proceed to make bare his arm in the eyes of all the nations, in bringing about his covenants and his gospel unto those who are of the house of Israel.

12 Wherefore, he will bring them again out of captivity, and they shall be gathered together to the lands of their inheritance; and they shall be brought out of obscurity and out of darkness; and they shall know that the Lord is their Savior and their Redeemer, the Mighty One of Israel.

13 And the blood of that great and abominable church, which is the whore of all the earth, shall turn upon their own heads; for they shall war among themselves, and the sword of their own hands shall fall upon their own heads, and they shall be drunken with their own blood.

14 And every nation which shall war against thee, O house of Israel, shall be turned one against another, and they shall fall into the pit which they digged to ensnare the people of the Lord. And all that fight against Zion shall be destroyed, and that great whore, who hath perverted the right ways of the Lord, yea, that great and abominable church, shall tumble to the dust and great shall be the fall of it.

15 For behold, saith the prophet, the time cometh speedily that Satan shall have no more power over the hearts of the children of men; for the day soon cometh that all the proud and they who do wickedly shall be as stubble; and the day cometh that they must be burned.

16 For the time soon cometh that the fulness of the wrath of God shall be poured out upon all the children of men; for he will not suffer that the wicked shall destroy the righteous.

17 Wherefore, he will preserve the righteous by his power, even if it so be that the fulness of his wrath must come, and the righteous be preserved, even unto the destruction of their enemies by fire. Wherefore, the righteous need not fear; for thus saith the prophet, they shall be saved, even if it so be as by fire.

18 Behold, my brethren, I say unto you, that these things must shortly come; yea, even blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke must come; and it must needs be upon the face of this earth; and it cometh unto men according to the flesh if it so be that they will harden their hearts against the Holy One of Israel.

19 For behold, the righteous shall not perish; for the time surely must come that all they who fight against Zion shall be cut off.

20 And the Lord will surely prepare a way for his people, unto the fulfilling of the words of Moses, which he spake, saying: A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you. And it shall come to pass that all those who will not hear that prophet shall be cut off from among the people.

21 And now I, Nephi, declare unto you, that this prophet of whom Moses spake was the Holy One of Israel; wherefore, he shall execute judgment in righteousness.

22 And the righteous need not fear, for they are those who shall not be confounded. But it is the kingdom of the devil, which shall be built up among the children of men, which kingdom is established among them which are in the flesh

23 For the time speedily shall come that all churches which are built up to get gain, and all those who are built up to get power over the flesh, and those who are built up to become popular in the eyes of the world, and those who seek the lusts of the flesh and the things of the world, and to do all manner of iniquity; yea, in fine, all those who belong to the kingdom of the devil are they who need fear, and tremble, and quake; they are those who must be brought low in the dust; they are those who must be consumed as stubble; and this is according to the words of the prophet.

24 And the time cometh speedily that the righteous must be led up as calves of the stall, and the Holy One of Israel must reign in dominion, and might, and power, and great glory.

25 And he gathereth his children from the four quarters of the earth; and he numbereth his sheep, and they know him; and there shall be one fold and one shepherd; and he shall feed his sheep, and in him they shall find pasture.

26 And because of the righteousness of his people, Satan has no power; wherefore, he cannot be loosed for the space of many years; for he hath no power over the hearts of the people, for they dwell in righteousness, and the Holy One of Israel reigneth.

27 And now behold, I, Nephi, say unto you that all these things must come according to the flesh.

28 But, behold, all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people shall dwell safely in the Holy One of Israel if it so be that they will repent.

29 And now I, Nephi, make an end; for I durst not speak further as yet concerning these things.

30 Wherefore, my brethren, I would that ye should consider that the things which have been written upon the plates of brass are true; and they testify that a man must be obedient to the commandments of God.

31 Wherefore, ye need not suppose that I and my father are the only ones that have testified, and also taught them. Wherefore, if ye shall be obedient to the commandments, and endure to the end, ye shall be saved at the last day. And thus it is. Amen.

      • according to (preposition)

        In a way that agrees with.

      • according to (adverb)

        Concerning; with respect to.

      • all manner of (adjective phrase)

        Every kind of.

      • amen (interjection)

        Let it be so! Often said at the end of religious speeches and prayers.

      • as (adverb)

        Like.

      • B.C. (noun)

        Before the birth of Christ.

      • be blessed (verb phrase)

        Receive help, protection, favors, or gifts from God.

      • because of (conjunction)

        By reason of; through.

      • behold (interjection, archaic)

        Look! See! In fact.

      • blood (noun)

        Guilt; responsibility for sins.

      • plates of brass (noun)

        An ancient record, similar to the Bible, kept on metal plates.

      • brethren (noun)

        Brothers.

      • captivity (noun)

        Being a prisoner or slave.

      • children of men (noun)

        All people.

      • church (noun)

        Organization; gathering. (In Nephi’s vision this is not limited to religious organizations.)

      • it came to pass (verb phrase)

        It happened; it took place.

      • cometh (verb, archaic)

        Comes.

      • commandment (noun)

        Law; order; binding instruction (especially from God).

      • concerning (preposition)

        About.

      • confound (verb)

        To defeat; to overcome; to frustrate the hopes of; to humiliate.

      • covenant (noun)

        A promise God makes to a person or group if they will obey Him.

      • cut off (verb)

        Exiled; separated from God.

      • day (noun)

        Period; time.

      • latter days; last days (noun)

        Modern times; the period before the Second Coming of Jesus Christ (sometimes also called the “end times”).

      • declare (verb)

        To announce; to state energetically.

      • destroy (verb)

        To kill; to thwart.

      • destroy (verb)

        To ruin something; to cause something to cease to exist.

      • destruction (noun)

        The tearing down or complete ruin of something.

      • durst not (verb, archaic)

        Did not dare.

      • dwell (verb)

        To live; to reside.

      • endure to the end (verb phrase)

        Remain faithful until the end of one’s life.

      • engraven (adjective)

        Written or inscribed on metal.

      • even if it so be (phrase)

        Even if it is.

      • even (adverb)

        In fact.

      • even unto (adverb)

        To the point of; up until.

      • fathers (noun)

        Ancestors (one’s parents, their parents, theirs, and so on).

      • flesh (noun)

        The mortal body.

      • the flesh (noun)

        Mortal life; conditions of mortality.

      • for behold (conjunction)

        Therefore; so you see.

      • for (conjunction)

        Because.

      • for (conjunction)

        Because.

      • for (conjunction)

        Because; because you see.

      • for (preposition)

        As; to be.

      • Gentile (proper noun)

        Member of a nation or tribe other than Israel.

      • God (proper noun)

        God the Father or His Son, Jesus Christ. God the Father rules all things with perfect justice, mercy, and love. Jesus Christ often speaks and acts for His Father. He suffered so that we could be forgiven of our sins and be resurrected. The Father and Son are separate individuals but are united in purpose.

      • gospel (noun)

        God’s plan for saving His children from death and the effects of sin and bringing them back to His presence.

      • great (adjective)

        Big; signficant.

      • harden one’s heart (verb phrase)

        Make or become stubborn, wicked, or resistant to good influences.

      • hath (verb, archaic)

        Has.

      • heart (noun)

        A person’s thoughts, desires, and feelings.

      • heaven (noun)

        The place where God lives.

      • Holy One of Israel (or Jacob) (proper noun)

        A title of Jesus Christ. (Israel and Jacob are names for God’s ancient covenant people, as described in the Bible.)

      • if it so be that (phrase)

        If.

      • in him (prepositional phrase)

        With Him; because of His power and blessings; in following Him.

      • in the flesh (prepositional phrase)

        On earth; alive; among mortal people.

      • in fine (prepositional phrase)

        To sum up.

      • iniquity (noun)

        Wickedness; evil.

      • house of Israel (proper noun)

        God’s ancient covenant people, as described in the Bible (house means a nation or tribe); members of God’s Church.

      • Jerusalem (proper noun)

        Capital of the ancient kingdom of Judah, located in modern Israel; site of key events of the Bible.

      • kindred (noun)

        A group of people who are related to each other.

      • kingdom of the devil (noun)

        The dwelling place of Satan and the wicked in the spirit world; all that is under the devil’s influence or that serves his purposes.

      • knoweth (verb, archaic)

        Knows.

      • the last day (noun)

        The Final Judgment, in which Jesus Christ will judge every human being for their acts during this life.

      • Lord God (noun)

        A term of respect for God the Father or Jesus Christ.

      • Lord (noun)

        A term of respect for God the Father or Jesus Christ.

      • make known (verb)

        To teach; to tell; to reveal.

      • make an end (verb phrase)

        Finish; stop.

      • men (noun)

        People; humanity.

      • man (noun)

        Human beings.

      • manifest (verb)

        To show; to reveal.

      • marvelous (adjective)

        Wonderful; astonishing.

      • Mighty One of Israel (or Jacob) (proper noun)

        A title of Jesus Christ. (Mighty means “powerful.” Israel and Jacob are names for God’s ancient covenant people, as described in the Bible.)

      • mighty (adjective)

        Strong; powerful.

      • Moses (proper noun)

        Prophet who led the children of Israel out of slavery in Egypt to the land of Israel, as recounted in the first part of the Bible.

      • must needs (verb)

        To must.

      • nation (noun)

        A large group of people who are related to each other or who have the same language, history, or government; the country where they live.

      • need not (verb phrase)

        Have no need.

      • Nephi (proper noun)

        A prophet, fourth son of Lehi; author of the first two books of the Book of Mormon.

      • nevertheless (adverb)

        But still; in spite of this.

      • none (pronoun)

        No one.

      • nourish (verb)

        To feed; to care for (physically or spiritually).

      • O (interjection, archaic)

        A word placed before the name of someone being addressed, often to show strong feeling.

      • obedient (adjective)

        Following or complying with commands or instructions.

      • one against another (adverb)

        Against each other.

      • one (pronoun)

        Someone.

      • over (preposition)

        Above in authority or power; having responsibility for.

      • perish (verb)

        To die or be killed; to be lost spiritually.

      • prepare (verb)

        To provide.

      • prophesy (verb)

        To deliver a message or predict future events by inspiration from God.

      • prophet (noun)

        A person sent by God to speak for Him.

      • quake (verb)

        To shake.

      • Redeemer (proper noun)

        A title of Jesus Christ. A redeemer is someone who saves another person. Christ rescues us from death and the consequences of sin.

      • reign (verb)

        To control; to rule.

      • repent (verb)

        To feel sorrow for one’s sins, ask to be forgiven, and change one’s life.

      • righteousness (noun)

        Goodness; morality; obedience to God’s commandments.

      • safely (adverb)

        Securely; without danger.

      • save (preposition)

        Except; unless.

      • save (verb)

        To rescue from death and sin.

      • Savior (adjective)

        A title for Jesus Christ (who saves us from death and sin).

      • seed (noun)

        Posterity; descendants.

      • seek, sought (verb)

        To strive for; to try to obtain or make happen.

      • shall, should (verb)

        Will, would.

      • shall be obedient (verb)

        Are obedient.

      • it shall came to pass (verb phrase)

        It will happened.

      • for the space of (adverb phrase)

        During; for the period of time of.

      • spake (verb, archaic)

        Said.

      • spake (verb, archaic)

        Spoke.

      • speedily (adverb)

        Quickly.

      • Spirit (noun)

        The Holy Ghost, also known as the Spirit of the Lord. He is a divine spirit, one in purpose with God the Father and Jesus Christ. He speaks to our hearts and testifies of truth.

      • spiritual (adjective)

        Having to do with God or the Holy Ghost.

      • suffer (verb, archaic)

        To allow; to permit.

      • suppose (verb)

        To believe.

      • surely (adverb)

        Definitely.

      • sword (noun)

        A weapon with a long blade, similar to but longer than a knife.

      • testify (verb)

        To state that something is true.

      • that (conjunction)

        Who.

      • thee (pronoun, archaic)

        You.

      • things of the world (noun)

        Money and property.

      • thus (adverb)

        In this way.

      • thy (pronoun, archaic)

        Your.

      • tongue (noun)

        A group of people who speak the same language.

      • tremble (verb)

        To shiver or shake.

      • twelve tribes of Jacob or Israel (proper noun)

        Descendants of Jacob (also called Israel), God’s ancient covenant people, as described in the Bible. Jacob’ descendants are divided into twelve tribes, one for each of his sons. The tribes of Israel also means members of God’s Church.

      • unto (preposition)

        To.

      • unto (preposition)

        To.

      • unto (preposition)

        To.

      • unto (preposition)

        For; to.

      • unto (preposition)

        Sufficient for; resulting in.

      • unto (preposition)

        To; with.

      • like unto (preposition)

        Like; the same as.

      • mist of darkness, vapor of smoke or darkness (noun phrase)

        A cloud of water vapor, dust, or smoke that hides the light of day.

      • wherefore (adverb)

        So you see; therefore.

      • wherefore (adverb)

        So.

      • wicked (noun)

        A person who does evil or bad things in an ongoing way.

      • would (verb)

        Desire; hope; wish.

      • with (preposition)

        Through; by means of.

      • works (noun)

        Actions; deeds.

      • world (noun)

        The people of the world.

      • would that ye should (verb)

        Want you to.

      • ye (pronoun, archaic)

        You.

      • yea (interjection, archaic)

        Indeed; yes. This is pronounced “yay.”

      • Zion (proper noun)

        The kingdom of God on earth.