# 1 Nephi 13

*Paraphrase*

### A Vision of the Nations

The angel told me to look. I saw nations and kingdoms spread out before me. “What do you see?” the angel asked. “I see nations and kingdoms,” I answered. “These are the nations of the Gentiles,” he explained.

### The Corrupt Church

Among these nations I watched a massive church begin to form. The angel said: “Look—this church is more corrupt than any other. It kills God’s holy people. It tortures them, chains them with iron, and drags them into slavery.” I saw this terrible church, and I saw that the devil himself had built it. I saw gold and silver, expensive silks and scarlet cloth, fine linen and fancy clothes—and prostitutes everywhere. The angel explained: “All this wealth—the gold, silver, silk, scarlet, fine linen, expensive clothes, and prostitutes—these are what this corrupt church craves. They destroy God’s people and enslave them just to win the world’s approval.”

### The Discovery of America

I looked and saw vast oceans separating the Gentiles from my brothers” descendants. The angel said: “God’s anger burns against your brothers” descendants!” I saw a man among the Gentiles, separated from my brothers” descendants by the ocean. God’s Spirit moved him powerfully, and he sailed across the waters to reach my brothers” descendants in the promised land. God’s Spirit moved other Gentiles too. They escaped from captivity and crossed the ocean. I watched huge crowds of Gentiles fill the promised land. God’s anger fell on my brothers” descendants—they were scattered and struck down by the Gentiles. But God’s Spirit rested on the Gentiles. They thrived and took the land as their own. They were white, strikingly fair and beautiful—just like my people had been before they were killed.

I, Nephi, watched these Gentiles who had escaped captivity humble themselves before God. His power stayed with them. Their mother nations gathered armies on land and sea to attack them. But God’s power protected them. His anger fell on all the nations that gathered to fight them. I watched as God’s power freed these escaped Gentiles from every other nation.

### The Bible Among the Gentiles

They flourished in the land. I saw a book being carried among them. “Do you understand what this book means?” the angel asked. “No,” I said. “It came from a Jew,” he explained. “This book you’re seeing is the Jewish record. It contains God’s promises to Israel and many prophecies from the holy prophets. It’s like what’s written on the brass plates, though not as complete. Still, it holds God’s promises to Israel—priceless for the Gentiles.”

The angel continued: “When this book first came from the Jew, it contained the clear, simple gospel of the Lord—the same gospel the twelve apostles testified about. They testified the truth about the Lamb of God. These teachings went from the Jews to the Gentiles pure and true, just as God gave them. After the twelve apostles carried it from the Jews to the Gentiles, that corrupt church formed—the worst of all churches. They ripped out many parts that were clear and precious. They removed many of God’s promises. They did this to twist God’s truth and blind people’s eyes, to make their hearts hard. So after this corrupt church got their hands on the book, many clear and precious truths were gone from the book of the Lamb of God. With these truths missing, the book spread to every Gentile nation—even across the ocean to those Gentiles who escaped captivity. Because so many clear truths were removed—truths that anyone could understand—countless people stumble. Satan gained tremendous power over them.”

### God’s Mercy to All Nations

“But look—those Gentiles who escaped captivity have been lifted by God’s power above every other nation on earth. They live in the choicest land—the land God promised your father for his descendants” inheritance. So God won’t let the Gentiles completely destroy your descendants living among your brothers. He won’t let them destroy your brothers” descendants either. And God won’t leave the Gentiles forever wounded and lost because that corrupt church hid the most precious parts of the Lamb’s gospel. The Lamb of God says: “I will show mercy to the Gentiles when I bring powerful judgment on the remnant of Israel.””

The angel continued: “The Lamb says: “After I judge the remnant of Israel—your father’s descendants—after the Gentiles strike them down, after the Gentiles stumble terribly because that corrupt church of prostitutes hid the clearest truths of my gospel, then I will show the Gentiles mercy. ’I will reveal myself to your descendants. They will write what I teach them—clear and precious truths. After your descendants are destroyed and fall into unbelief, along with your brothers” descendants, these writings will be hidden away. Then they’ll come to the Gentiles through my gift and power.” ’These writings will contain my gospel,” says the Lamb, “my foundation and my salvation.” ’Blessed are those who work to build my Zion in that day! They’ll have the gift and power of the Holy Ghost. If they endure to the end, they’ll be raised up on the last day and saved in the Lamb’s eternal kingdom. Those who proclaim peace and announce great joy—how beautiful they’ll be on the mountains!””

### The Restoration of Truth

I watched my brothers” descendants receive the book of the Lamb of God—the one that came from the Jew. The Gentiles brought it to them. After that, I saw other books come through the Lamb’s power from the Gentiles. These books convinced the Gentiles, my brothers” descendants, and the scattered Jews everywhere that the prophets” records and the testimonies of the Lamb’s twelve apostles are true.

The angel said: “These later records you see among the Gentiles will confirm the first records from the twelve apostles. They’ll restore the clear, precious truths that were removed. They’ll show every nation, language, and people that the Lamb of God is the Eternal Father and the world’s Savior. Everyone must come to him or they can’t be saved. They must come according to the Lamb’s words. These words will be revealed in your descendants” records and in the twelve apostles” records. The two will become one—because there is one God and one Shepherd over all the earth. The time will come when he reveals himself to everyone—Jews and Gentiles alike. After he reveals himself to the Jews and Gentiles, he’ll reveal himself to the Gentiles and then the Jews again. The last will be first, and the first will be last.”

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*Source: [The Book of Mormon](https://bookofmormon.com/paraphrase/1-nephi/13)*
