![]() ![]() Instead of trying to identify the exact identity of every person, place, or organization in the vision, the reader is asked to instead see the grand themes of the plan of salvation. When Nephi’s writings are examined through this lens, the vision becomes involved in themes and becomes a work of apocalyptic literature, similar to the book of Revelation. ![]() Typology, on the other hand, refers to the symbolic principles of the vision. Several events such as the ministry of the Savior in the Old and New worlds, the destruction of the Nephites, the discovery and settlement of America, and others are clear examples of historical events that Nephi saw. Prophecy is sometimes referred to as history in reverse, and Nephi describes in clear detail the flow of history from his time into our own. There can be no doubt as to the historical nature of Nephi’s vision. Saying that the vision is historical in nature means that Nephi was describing actual future events. Robinson, in his exposition on the great and abominable church of Nephi’s vision, notes that the vision often shifts from a historical explanation of the events to a typological exposition on the battles between good and evil in the last days. Is his description literal or figurative? Depending on which lens we choose to examine the passage, different interpretations may emerge. These brief words offer a remarkable vision of the organization of God’s followers during the end times.īefore diving into Nephi’s description of the church of the Lamb of God, however, some fundamental questions must be asked. While details are scattered throughout Nephi’s vision, the main body of his description of the church of the Lamb of God is contained mainly in three verses:Īnd it came to pass that I beheld the church of the Lamb of God, and its numbers were few, because of the wickedness and abominations of the whore who sat upon many waters nevertheless, I beheld that the church of the Lamb, who were the saints of God, were also upon all the face of the earth and their dominions upon the face of the earth were small, because of the wickedness of the great whore whom I saw.Īnd it came to pass that I beheld that the great mother of abominations did gather together multitudes upon the face of all the earth, among all the nations of the Gentiles, to fight against the Lamb of God.Īnd it came to pass that I, Nephi, beheld the power of the Lamb of God, that it descended upon the saints of the church of the Lamb, and upon the covenant people of the Lord, who were scattered upon all the face of the earth and they were armed with righteousness and with the power of God in great glory. The phrase does not appear in any other book of scripture. The phrase “church of the Lamb of God” never appears in the Book of Mormon outside of 1 Nephi 14:10. Understanding Nephi’s vision of this church can help readers understand the role and place of the followers of Christ in the tumultuous events of the last days and provide them with a hope that the righteous, with the Lord’s help, will eventually overcome the power of the adversary. Just as instructive, however, can be an examination of the brief but powerful glimpse Nephi gives us of the role of the church of the Lamb in the latter days. This is a worthy pursuit, because prophets have stressed that one of the main purposes of the Book of Mormon is to expose the enemies of Christ. Thus far, almost all modern commentary on this portion of the vision has sought to discover the identity of the church of the devil. This view of things was also favored by the Lord and his messengers, who in the final portion of Nephi’s vision presented him with a stark contrast: “There are save two churches only the one is the church of the Lamb of God, and the other is the church of the devil wherefore, whoso belongeth not to the church of the Lamb of God belongeth to that great church, which is the mother of abominations” (1 Nephi 14:10). ![]() Casey Paul Griffiths was a teacher at Jordan Seminary in Sandy, Utah, when this was published.Īs one who gloried in plainness (see 2 Nephi 33:6), Nephi loved to paint his revelations in black and white, using contrasts to teach principles. ![]()
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