rely on this redeemer

Now that Nephi is in the present tense, he gives a little intro saying that the rest will be about his ministry and reign. Immediately he tells of Lehi preaching about the coming of Christ. Lehi says that after Jerusalem is destroyed and captured, they will be a captive people for 600 years, and then the redeemer will be born. And he describes a prophet to prepare the way who will say "he is mightier than I, whose shoe's latchet I am not worthy to unloose" who baptizes the Savior in Bethabara beyond the river Jordan... ie, Lehi has told his family (and Ishmaels) about John the Baptist and Jesus Christ. And he also tells them that they are a part of the scattering of Israel, and that there is a land of promise for them they are being led to and that one day when all Israel is gathered together again, they, like the olive branch that has been broken off, will be re-grafted onto the original tree. Now Lehi is talking to an audience familiar with olive branches, and also probably familiar with the prophesies about the parable of the olive branch. They would understand that they and their posterity were being set to grow in a new place so that they would one day be able to restore purity to the whole tree.

Nephi begins to get a little more curious here. I think he grows a little beyond the "I will go and do" idea and says, I want to know too. Isn't that a normal progression of a loving a child? First you believe and obey because you trust them, but there comes a time when you need more in order to really grow in the faith. So Nephi decides to ask, and as he does he testifies about what he already knows. He testifies that he believes that the Holy Ghost will reveal the truth to him, that God is constant particularly in loving and answering his children's questions, and that we should be sincere because we will be held accountable for what we know and we will be judged on our intent. And then he asks.

The Spirit of the Lord takes him to the mountain top to talk with him and asks, what do you desire? Nephi wants the vision for himself, and the Spirit questions him, Do you believe your father? It is kind of funny. Almost as if the Spirit is testing him. Nephi basically replies you know I do. It almost reads like Nephi has a little bit of attitude, or in the very least, is not going to be intimidated by the Spirit. And the spirit says to him, not only am I going to show you the things your father told you about, I am going to show you the Son of God, and you will be a witness of it. So he shows him the tree et al, and Nephi know it is beautiful, but he doesn't fully understand what the tree is or what he is seeing, so he asks what it means. And the Spirit shows Nephi the time when Gabriel tells Mary she will give birth to the Son of God, and says "knowest thou the condescension of God?" Nephi, who we have to remember is probably a teenager, basically says Ummmmmmm- I don't know what you mean. So the Spirit shows Nephi the birth of the Savior. When Nephi sees the scene of the Mary the mother holding her newborn son, then Nephi starts to get it. He understands that the Son of God will actually come to the earth as a man and preach the gospel and he gets the interpretation of all the parts of Lehi's dreams and visions about John the Baptist and Jesus Christ. Nephi witnesses the Savior healing and teaching, and being judged and slain. And he sees the persecution of the apostles and the church. He witnesses the final destruction of those that fight against God. He witnesses what will happen with his own descendents and how they will be so numerous, but how they will also have wars and destructions. He sees that the Savior will visit them as well, but that after a time, they will forget and "dwindle in unbelief".

Over the next couple of chapters, he pretty much sees the history of the whole world, the rise of European powers, and the settlement of europeans in the Americas, the founding of the new American nations, the bringing forth of his record to these people, and how the record of the Jews will lose some of the plain truths over all this time, and why more than one record is needed. And he is promised that his descendents will not be wiped away, and that his record will be used to confirm the truths of the first record and will lead to the salvation of his seed.

I kind of have to stop here and wonder what Nephi must have been feeling and thinking during all of this vision. He is young. He is just getting confident enough to ask to know for himself, and as soon as he does, so much is revealed to him. I would be soo overwhelmed at this point. Is he fascinated and drinking it all in? Is he getting scared knowing that he will be responsible for so much? Is he feeling the burden of it? Maybe this is why he tells us "this is the record of my ministry" and goes on to describe that it begins when he asks a question and all that is at stake is revealed to him. How much does Nephi age during this vision? I get the impression that he is a young and somewhat naive man when he asks the question, and none of that is left to him at the end. He will never be in a position to deny anything ever again. I feel for him and his burden. Lately I have been wondering about things I want to ask, but part is me is afraid to know. There is such a responsibility to knowing.