For it came to pass that after I had desired to know the things that my father had seen, and believing that the Lord was able to make them known unto me; wherefore, as I sat pondering in mine heart, I was caught away in the spirit of the Lord, yea, into an exceeding high mountain, which I never had before seen, and upon which I never had before sat my foot.
And the spirit saith unto me, Behold, what desirest thou?
And I saith, I desire to behold the things which my father saw.
And the spirit saith unto me, Believest thou that thy father saw the tree of which he hath spoken?
And I said yea; thou knowest that I believe all the words of my father.
And when I had spoken these words, the spirit cried with a loud voice, saying: Hosanna to the Lord, the most high God; for he is God over all the earth, yea, even above all; and blessed art thou, Nephi, because thou believest in the Son of the Most High God; wherefore, thou shalt behold the things which thou hast desired.
And behold, this thing shall be given unto thee for a sign: that after thou hast beheld the tree which bore the fruit which thy father tasted, thou shalt also behold a man descending out of Heaven, and him shall ye witness; and after that ye have witnessed him, ye shall bear record that it is the Son of God.
And it came to pass that the spirit saith unto me, look! and I looked and beheld a tree; and it was like unto the tree which my father had seen; and the beauty thereof was far beyond, yea, exceeding of all beauty; and the whiteness thereof, did exceed the whiteness of the driven snow.
And it came to pass that after that I had seen the tree, I said unto the spirit, I behold thou hast shewn unto me the tree which is precious above all.
And he saith unto me, What desirest thou?
And I said unto him, to know the interpretation thereof; for I spake unto him as a man speaketh; for I beheld that he was in the form of a man; yet, nevertheless, I knew that it was the spirit of the Lord; and he spake unto me as a man speaketh with another.
And it came to pass that he said unto me, look: And I looked as if to look upon him, and I saw him not; for he had gone from before my presence.
And it came to pass that I looked and beheld the great city Jerusalem, and also other cities. And I beheld the city of Nazareth; and in the city of Nazareth I beheld a virgin, and she was exceeding fair and white.
And it came to pass that I saw the Heavens open; and an angel came down and stood before me; and he saith unto me, Nephi, what beholdest thou?
And I saith unto him, a virgin, most beautiful and fair above all other virgins.
And he saith unto me, Knowest thou the condescention of God?
And I said unto him, I know that he loveth his children; nevertheless, I do not know the meaning of all things.
And he said unto me, Behold, the virgin which thou seest, is the mother of God, after the manner of the flesh.
And it came to pass that I beheld that she was carried away in the spirit; and after that she had been carried away in the spirit for the space of a time, the angel spake unto me, saying, look!
And I looked and beheld the virgin again, bearing a chid in her arms.
And the angel said unto me, behold the Lamb of God, yea, even the Eternal Father! Knowest thou the meaning of the tree which thy father saw?
And I answered him, saying: Yea, it is the love of God, which sheddeth itself abroad in the hearts of the children of men; wherefore, it is the most desirable above all things.
And he spake unto me, saying, Yea, and the most joyous to the soul.
And after that he had said these words, he said unto me, look! And I looked, and I beheld the Son of God going forth among the children of men; and I saw many fall down at his feet and worship him.
And it came to pass that I beheld that the rod of iron which my father had seen, was the word of God, which led to the fountain of living waters, or to the tree of life; which waters are a representation of the love of God; and I also beheld that the tree of life was a representation of the love of God.
And the angel said unto me again, Look and behold the condescention of God!
And I looked and beheld the Redeemer of the world, of which my father had spoken; and I also beheld the prophet, which should prepare the way before him. And the Lamb of God went forth, and was baptised of him; and after that he was baptised, I beheld the Heavens open, and the Holy Ghost come down out of Heaven and abode upon him in the form of a dove.
And I beheld that he went forth ministering unto the people, in power and great glory; and the multitudes were gathered together to hear him; and I beheld that they cast him out from among them.
And I also beheld twelve others following him. And it came to pass that they were carried away in the spirit, from before my face, that I saw them not.
And it came to pass that the angel spake unto me again, saying, look! And I looked, and I beheld the Heavens open again, and I saw angels descending upon the children of men; and they did minister unto them.
And he spake unto me again, saying, look! And I looked, and I beheld the Lamb of God going forth among the children of men. And I beheld multitudes of people which were sick, and which were afflicted of all manner of diseases, and with devils, and unclean spirits; and the angel spake, and shewed all these things unto me. And they were healed by the power of the Lamb of God; and the devils and the unclean spirits were cast out.
And it came to pass that the angel spake unto me again, saying, look! And I looked and beheld the Lamb of God, that he was taken by the people; yea, the Everlasting God, was judged of the world; and I saw and bear record.
And I, Nephi, saw that he was lifted up upon the cross, and slain for the sins of the world.
And after that he was slain, I saw the multitudes of the earth, that they were gathered together to fight against the apostles of the Lamb; for thus were the twelve called by the angel of the Lord.
And the multitude of the earth was gathered together; and I beheld that they were in a large and spacious building, like unto the building which my father saw. And the angel of the Lord spake unto me again, saying, Behold the world and the wisdom thereof; yea, behold, the House of Israel hath gathered together, to fight against the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
And it came to pass that I saw and bear record, that the great and spacious building was the pride of the world; and it fell; and the fall thereof was exceeding great. And the angel of the Lord spake unto me again, saying: Thus shall be the destruction of all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people, that shall fight against the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
Influences
- 11:1 — Acts 8:39 (KJV)And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing.
- 11:1 — Matthew 4:8 (KJV)Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them;
- 11:6 — Mark 5:7 (KJV)And cried with a loud voice, and said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of the most high God? I adjure thee by God, that thou torment me not.
- 11:7 — Revelation 21:10 (KJV)And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God,
- 11:13 — Acts 7:20 (KJV)In which time Moses was born, and was exceeding fair, and nourished up in his father's house three months:
- 11:21 — Revelation 17:7 (KJV)And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns.
- 11:21 — John 1:29 (KJV)The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.
- 11:22 — Romans 5:5 (KJV)And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.
- 11:22 — Romans 5:5 (KJV)And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.
- 11:27 — John 1:29 (KJV)The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.
- 11:27 — Luke 3:22 (KJV)And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased.
- 11:28 — Matthew 13:2 (KJV)And great multitudes were gathered together unto him, so that he went into a ship, and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore.
- 11:30 — John 1:51 (KJV)And he saith unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man.
- 11:31 — Matthew 4:23 (KJV)And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people.
- 11:31 — Luke 4:36 (KJV)And they were all amazed, and spake among themselves, saying, What a word is this! for with authority and power he commandeth the unclean spirits, and they come out.
- 11:33 — John 19:31 (KJV)The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation, that the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the sabbath day, (for that sabbath day was an high day,) besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away.
- 11:33 — 1 John 2:2 (KJV)And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.
- 11:34 — Revelation 19:19 (KJV)And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army.
- 11:35 — Revelation 21:14 (KJV)And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
- 11:36 — Matthew 7:27 (KJV)And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.
- 11:36 — Revelation 14:6 (KJV)And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people,
- 11:36 — Revelation 21:14 (KJV)And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
Notes
- 11:1-36
Both Joseph Smith’s father and Nephi’s father are described as having multiple dreams. In her book, Lucy Mack Smith recounts several of her husband’s visions, which were likely shared often within the family. One of these dreams is dated sixteen years before Joseph Smith obtained the plates:
"In 1811, we moved... to the town of Lebanon, New Hampshire. Soon after arriving here, my husband received another very singular vision, which I will relate..."
Readers have noted similarities between this account and the dream of Lehi in the Book of Mormon.
The following outlines parallels between Joseph Smith Sr.’s dream, as recorded in Lucy Smith's Biographical Sketches of Joseph Smith the Prophet and His Progenitors for Many Generations, and Lehi’s dream in 1 Nephi 8, along with Nephi’s expanded description of the same vision in 1 Nephi 11-14.
- Both Joseph Smith's father and Lehi state they were traveling (1 Nephi 8:8; Smith, p. 58).
- Both mention a field (1 Nephi 8:4,9; Smith, p. 58).
- Both dreams compare the field to a world (1 Nephi 8:20; Smith, p. 58).
- Both Joseph Smith Sr. and Lehi have a guide (1 Nephi 8:5-6; Smith, p. 58).
- Both mention a broad road or roads (1 Nephi 12:17; Smith, p. 58).
- Both mention a narrow path (1 Nephi 8:20; Smith, p. 58).
- Both mention a stream of water (1 Nephi 8:13; Smith, p. 58).
- Both mention something extending along the bank of the stream (1 Nephi 8:19; Smith, p. 58).
- Both mention a tree (1 Nephi 8:10; Smith, p. 58).
- Both mention the beauty of the tree (1 Nephi 11:8; Smith, p. 58).
- Both trees bore fruit (1 Nephi 8:10; Smith, p. 58).
- Both compared the whiteness of the fruit to snow (1 Nephi 11:8; Smith, p. 58).
- Both Joseph Smith Sr. and Lehi ate of the fruit (1 Nephi 8:11; Smith, p. 58).
- Both found the fruit to be delicious (1 Nephi 8:11; Smith, p. 58).
- Both wanted their families to partake of the fruit (1 Nephi 8:12; Smith, p. 58).
- Both families came and partook of the fruit (1 Nephi 8:16; Smith, p. 58).
- After eating the fruit both experienced great joy (1 Nephi 8:12; Smith, pp. 58-59).
- Both mention a spacious building (1 Nephi 8:26; Smith, p. 59).
- Both indicate the building reached high into the air (1 Nephi 8:26; Smith, p. 59).
- Both buildings were filled with people (1 Nephi 8:27; Smith, p. 59).
- In both buildings the people were finely dressed (1 Nephi 8:27; Smith, p. 59).
- In both cases the people in the building pointed the finger of scorn at those partaking of the fruit (1 Nephi 8:33; Smith, p. 59).
- Both state they ignored the people in the building (1 Nephi 8:33; Smith, p. 59).
- Both state the meaning of the fruit is the pure love of God (1 Nephi 11:21-22; Smith, p. 59).
- Both state two members of the family are not present (1 Nephi 8:17; Smith, p. 59).
- Both mention the fall of the building (1 Nephi 11:36; Smith, p. 59)
- Both imply that pride was connected with the building or its inhabitants (1 Nephi 11:36; Smith, p. 59).
For a full treatment of this subject, including a side-by-side comparison of the above references, see Jerald Tanner and Sandra Tanner, Joseph Smith's Plagiarism of the Bible in the Book of Mormon, pp. 161–163.
- 11:18
After the 1830 edition of the Book of Mormon was published, editors—presumably led by Joseph Smith—made several notable revisions that appear to reflect a developing theological understanding of the Godhead.
For example, in the 1830 edition of 1 Nephi 11:18 the text reads, “Behold, the virgin which thou seest, is the mother of God….” In the 1837 edition, however, the wording was changed to: “Behold, the virgin whom thou seest is the mother of the Son of God….”
A similar revision appears in 1 Nephi 11:21. The 1830 edition reads, “behold the Lamb of God, yea even the Eternal Father!” In the 1837 edition, this was changed to: “Behold the Lamb of God, yea, even the Son of the Eternal Father!”
The same pattern appears in 1 Nephi 11:32. The 1830 text reads, “yea, the Everlasting God,” while the 1837 edition changes the phrase to “yea, the Son of the everlasting God.”
Likewise, 1 Nephi 13:40 in the 1830 edition states, “the Lamb of God is the Eternal Father and the Saviour of the world….” In the 1837 edition, this was revised to read, “the Lamb of God is the Son of the Eternal Father, and the Savior of the world….”
Not every passage identifying Jesus as the “Eternal Father” was revised. For example, Mosiah 16:15 still retains this language. Nevertheless, the changes that were made raise several questions. Why were these particular passages altered? Were the revisions the result of new revelation? If not, who had the authority to modify the text? And if they were indeed revelatory corrections, this could raise further questions about the translation process described by the witnesses, as well as about the necessity of the golden plates themselves.
For those who believe that Joseph Smith’s theology evolved significantly—enough to prompt revisions to the Book of Mormon—there is an additional line of evidence worth considering. In Joseph Smith’s revision of the Bible, commonly known as the Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible (JST), he altered the wording of Gospel of Luke 10:22. In the King James Version the verse reads:
“All things are delivered to me of my Father: and no man knoweth who the Son is, but the Father; and who the Father is, but the Son, and he to whom the Son will reveal him.”
In the JST, however, Smith changed the passage to read:
“All things are delivered to me of my Father; and no man knoweth that the Son is the Father, and the Father is the Son, but him to whom the Son will reveal it.”
Because Joseph Smith began his revisions to the King James Bible in 1830, this reading of Luke 10 aligns chronologically with the 1830 passages in the Book of Mormon that appear to identify Jesus more directly with the Father.
By 1844, however, Joseph Smith seems to have moved away from this earlier formulation. In his famous "Sermon in the Grove," Smith taught:
“I will preach on the plurality of Gods. I have selected this text for that express purpose. I wish to declare I have always, and in all congregations, when I have preached on the subject of the Deity, it has been the plurality of Gods… I have always declared God to be a distinct personage; Jesus Christ a separate and distinct personage from God the Father; and that the Holy Ghost was a distinct personage and a Spirit; and these three constitute three distinct personages and three Gods….” -History of the Church, vol. 6, pp. 473–479).
Taken together, these developments illustrate a significant shift in Joseph Smith’s later teaching about the nature of the Godhead.
- 11:21
After the 1830 edition of the Book of Mormon was published, editors—presumably led by Joseph Smith—made several notable revisions that appear to reflect a developing theological understanding of the Godhead.
See 1 Nephi 11:18 for full annotation note.
- 11:32
After the 1830 edition of the Book of Mormon was published, editors—presumably led by Joseph Smith—made several notable revisions that appear to reflect a developing theological understanding of the Godhead.
See 1 Nephi 11:18 for full annotation note.