The Book of Mormon
~600–592 BC

1 Nephi 14

The angel has shown Nephi how an abominable church removes truths from the Bible and how other records will restore them. Only two churches exist: the church of the Lamb and the church of the Devil. Nephi sees a final conflict and learns that the apostle John will write of the end times. He concludes his vision account.

The Choice Before the Gentiles

I, Nephi, saw what will happen: If the Gentiles listen to the Lamb of God when he reveals himself to them—in word and in real power—and he removes everything that trips them up, and if they don’t close their hearts to the Lamb—then they’ll be counted with your father’s family line. They’ll belong to the House of Israel. They’ll be blessed on this promised land forever, never again taken captive. The House of Israel will never again be scattered and confused. The deep pit that the great evil church dug to trap people—the Devil and his children founded it to drag souls down to hell—that pit will swallow the very ones who dug it. The Lamb of God says they’ll be completely destroyed. Not their souls destroyed, but cast into that endless hell. This follows the Devil’s way of enslaving people. It also follows God’s perfect justice against everyone who does evil and disgusting things in his sight.

The angel then said to me: 'Nephi, you’ve seen that things will go well for the Gentiles if they repent. You know about the Lord’s promises to the House of Israel. And you’ve heard that anyone who doesn’t repent will die. So disaster awaits the Gentiles if they harden their hearts against the Lamb of God. 'The time is coming,' says the Lamb of God, 'when I’ll do an incredible, lasting work among humanity. It will push everyone one way or the other—either convincing them to find peace and eternal life, or leaving them to their hard hearts and blind minds, enslaved and destroyed, both physically and spiritually. That’s the Devil’s captivity I’ve been describing.'

Two Churches in the World

After the angel said this, he asked me: 'Do you remember the Father’s promises to the House of Israel?' I said: 'Yes.' He said: 'Look at that great evil church, the mother of all corruption. The Devil laid its foundation.' He continued: 'Listen, there are really only two churches: the church of the Lamb of God, and the church of the Devil. If you don’t belong to the Lamb’s church, you belong to that great church—the mother of all corruption. She’s the prostitute of the whole earth.'

I looked and saw the prostitute of all the earth. She sat on many waters. She ruled over the whole earth—every nation, family group, language, and people. Then I saw the church of the Lamb of God. Its members were few because the prostitute who sat on many waters was so wicked and corrupt. Still, I saw the Lamb’s church—God’s holy people—scattered across the whole earth. But their influence was small because of the great prostitute’s wickedness.

The Final Battle

I watched as this great mother of corruption gathered massive armies from every Gentile nation on earth to fight against the Lamb of God. Then I saw the Lamb of God’s power descend on his church’s holy people and on the Lord’s covenant people scattered everywhere on earth. They were armed with righteousness and God’s power in brilliant glory.

I saw God’s anger pour out on that great evil church. Wars and threats of war broke out among every nation and family group on earth. As wars and threats of war erupted among all the nations belonging to the mother of corruption, the angel said: 'Look! God’s anger burns against the mother of prostitutes. You’re seeing it all!' 'When the day comes that God pours out his anger on the mother of prostitutes—the great evil church of all the earth that the Devil founded—on that day the Father will start preparing the way to fulfill his promises to his people of the House of Israel.'

John the Apostle Will Write More

The angel said to me: 'Look!' I looked and saw a man dressed in a white robe. The angel said: 'That’s one of the Lamb’s twelve apostles!'

'He’ll see and write the rest of these things, plus many things that have already happened.' 'He’ll also write about the end of the world.' 'Everything he writes will be right and true. Look, it’s all written in that book you saw coming from the Jew’s mouth. When it first came from the Jew’s mouth—when the book first appeared—everything written in it was clear, pure, extremely valuable, and easy for everyone to understand.'

'This apostle of the Lamb will write many things you’ve already seen. You’ll see the rest too.' 'But don’t write what you’ll see next. The Lord God has chosen the apostle of the Lamb to write those things.' 'He’s shown everything to others too, and they’ve written it all down. Their writings are sealed up to come out pure and true, just as the Lamb gave them, at the Lord’s chosen time for the House of Israel.'

I heard and testify that the angel told me the apostle of the Lamb was named John. I’m forbidden to write the rest of what I saw and heard. What I have written is enough for me—though it’s only a small part of what I saw.

I testify that I saw the same things my father saw. The angel of the Lord showed them to me. Now I’ll stop describing what I saw while the Spirit carried me away. Even though I haven’t written everything I saw, what I have written is true. That’s how it is. Amen.

Influences

  • 14:3 — 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.
  • 14:8 — John 18:1 (KJV)
    When Jesus had spoken these words, he went forth with his disciples over the brook Cedron, where was a garden, into the which he entered, and his disciples.
  • 14:10 — Acts 2:47 (KJV)
    Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.
  • 14:10 — Revelation 17:5 (KJV)
    And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.
  • 14:11 — Revelation 17:1 (KJV)
    And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters:
  • 14:11 — 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,
  • 14:14 — Matthew 22:29 (KJV)
    Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God.
  • 14:15 — Revelation 16:1 (KJV)
    And I heard a great voice out of the temple saying to the seven angels, Go your ways, and pour out the vials of the wrath of God upon the earth.
  • 14:15 — Matthew 24:6 (KJV)
    And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.
  • 14:16 — Revelation 17:5 (KJV)
    And upon her forehead was a name written, Mystery, Babylon The Great, The Mother Of Harlots And Abominations Of The Earth.
  • 14:20 — 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.
  • 14:23 — Revelation 15:3 (KJV)
    And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints.
  • 14:24 — 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.
  • 14:24 — Revelation 1:19 (KJV)
    Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter;
  • 14:25 — 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.
  • 14:27 — 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.
  • 14:30 — Revelation 17:3 (KJV)
    So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.

Notes

  • 14:1-30

    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.

    1. Both Joseph Smith's father and Lehi state they were traveling (1 Nephi 8:8; Smith, p. 58).
    2. Both mention a field (1 Nephi 8:4,9; Smith, p. 58).
    3. Both dreams compare the field to a world (1 Nephi 8:20; Smith, p. 58).
    4. Both Joseph Smith Sr. and Lehi have a guide (1 Nephi 8:5-6; Smith, p. 58).
    5. Both mention a broad road or roads (1 Nephi 12:17; Smith, p. 58).
    6. Both mention a narrow path (1 Nephi 8:20; Smith, p. 58).
    7. Both mention a stream of water (1 Nephi 8:13; Smith, p. 58).
    8. Both mention something extending along the bank of the stream (1 Nephi 8:19; Smith, p. 58).
    9. Both mention a tree (1 Nephi 8:10; Smith, p. 58).
    10. Both mention the beauty of the tree (1 Nephi 11:8; Smith, p. 58).
    11. Both trees bore fruit (1 Nephi 8:10; Smith, p. 58).
    12. Both compared the whiteness of the fruit to snow (1 Nephi 11:8; Smith, p. 58).
    13. Both Joseph Smith Sr. and Lehi ate of the fruit (1 Nephi 8:11; Smith, p. 58).
    14. Both found the fruit to be delicious (1 Nephi 8:11; Smith, p. 58).
    15. Both wanted their families to partake of the fruit (1 Nephi 8:12; Smith, p. 58).
    16. Both families came and partook of the fruit (1 Nephi 8:16; Smith, p. 58).
    17. After eating the fruit both experienced great joy (1 Nephi 8:12; Smith, pp. 58-59).
    18. Both mention a spacious building (1 Nephi 8:26; Smith, p. 59).
    19. Both indicate the building reached high into the air (1 Nephi 8:26; Smith, p. 59).
    20. Both buildings were filled with people (1 Nephi 8:27; Smith, p. 59).
    21. In both buildings the people were finely dressed (1 Nephi 8:27; Smith, p. 59).
    22. 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).
    23. Both state they ignored the people in the building (1 Nephi 8:33; Smith, p. 59).
    24. Both state the meaning of the fruit is the pure love of God (1 Nephi 11:21-22; Smith, p. 59).
    25. Both state two members of the family are not present (1 Nephi 8:17; Smith, p. 59).
    26. Both mention the fall of the building (1 Nephi 11:36; Smith, p. 59)
    27. 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.

  • 14:10

    According to FAIR (Faithful Answers, Informed Responses), the “great and abominable church” described in the Book of Mormon should not be understood as any single historical denomination. Rather, it represents all systems or influences that lead people away from God. FAIR notes that while some early Latter-day Saint leaders offered more specific identifications, such views were later corrected or abandoned and do not reflect official Church doctrine.

    However, a review of historical statements from prominent LDS authorities demonstrates that earlier leaders did, at times, explicitly apply these terms to identifiable religious groups. For example, George Q. Cannon described those who organized persecution against the Church—including religious and political opponents—as belonging to the “mother of abominations” and the “whore of all the earth” (Journal of Discourses, Vol. 25, p. 128). Orson Pratt, writing in The Seer, went further by teaching that the Roman Catholic Church was founded by the devil and that its authority derived from satanic origins (The Seer, p. 205). This line of interpretation reached a particularly explicit form in the writings of Bruce R. McConkie, who stated in the 1958 first edition of Mormon Doctrine that the Catholic Church was “the great and abominable church” described by Nephi (p. 130).

    This explicit identification was removed in later editions. In the 1966 second edition of Mormon Doctrine, McConkie instead defined the “church of the devil” in broad, non-denominational terms as any organization—religious or otherwise—that leads people away from God (pp. 137–138). This shift reflects a clear movement within LDS thought away from earlier, more specific polemical interpretations toward a more generalized and symbolic understanding of the concept.

1 Nephi 131 Nephi 15