1 Nephi 22

Questions About the Prophecies

After I finished reading what was written on the brass plates, my brothers came to me and asked, 'What does all this mean? Should we understand these prophecies spiritually, or are they about things that will actually happen?'

I told them, 'The Spirit revealed these things to the prophet. The Spirit shows prophets everything that’s coming for the human race.'

'So what I just read is about both physical and spiritual events. Israel will be scattered across the whole earth, among every nation.'

'Many are already lost—cut off from those in Jerusalem. Most of the tribes have been carried away and scattered across distant islands. We have no idea where they are now, only that they’ve been taken.'

'Since they were scattered, these prophecies have been about them—and about everyone else who will be scattered and confused in the future. Why? Because they’ll harden their hearts against the Holy One of Israel. That’s why they’ll be spread among all nations and hated everywhere.'

The Gentiles Will Help Scattered Israel

'But here’s what happens next. After the Gentiles care for them—when the Lord raises up the Gentiles as a banner, and Israel’s children are carried in their arms and on their shoulders—these prophecies will come true in real, physical ways. This is the promise the Lord made to our ancestors. It’s about us in the future, and about all our relatives in the house of Israel.'

'It means that after Israel is scattered and lost, the Lord will raise up a powerful nation among the Gentiles—right here on this land. And our descendants will be scattered by them.'

'After our descendants are scattered, the Lord will do something amazing among the Gentiles. It will be incredibly valuable to our people—that’s what the prophecy means about being nursed by the Gentiles, carried in their arms and on their shoulders.'

'And it won’t just benefit the Gentiles. It will bless all of Israel by fulfilling God’s promise to Abraham: 'Through your family line, all the peoples of the earth will be blessed.''

'Brothers, understand this: all the peoples of the earth can only be blessed if God reveals his power before the nations.'

'So the Lord will display his power before every nation as he fulfills his promises and spreads his good news to the house of Israel.'

'He’ll bring them out of captivity and gather them back to their homeland. They’ll be pulled out of obscurity and darkness. And they’ll finally know that the Lord is their Savior and Redeemer, the Mighty One of Israel.'

The Fall of Evil

'As for that corrupt and evil church—that corrupt system that has poisoned the whole earth—it will destroy itself. Its followers will turn on each other, killing themselves with their own swords. They’ll become drunk on their own blood.'

'Every nation that fights against you, Israel, will turn on each other and fall into the traps they set for God’s people. Everyone who attacks Zion will be destroyed. That corrupt system that twisted the Lord’s ways—that massive, evil organization—will crumble to dust. Its fall will be catastrophic.'

'The prophet says the time is coming soon when Satan will have no power over people’s hearts. Soon, all the proud and wicked will be like dry straw, and the day is coming when they’ll be burned up.'

'The time is near when God will pour out his full anger on the human race. He won’t let the wicked destroy the righteous.'

'He’ll protect the righteous by his power. Even if his full anger must come, the righteous will be preserved while their enemies are destroyed by fire. So the righteous have nothing to fear. As the prophet says, 'They’ll be saved, though it may be like passing through fire.''

'Brothers, these things will happen soon. Blood, fire, and clouds of smoke are coming to this earth. This will come in real, physical terms for those who harden their hearts against the Holy One of Israel.'

'But the righteous won’t be destroyed. The time must come when everyone who fights against Zion will be cut down.'

The Prophet Moses Foretold

'The Lord will make a way for his people to fulfill what Moses said: 'The Lord your God will raise up a prophet like me. Listen to everything he tells you. Anyone who refuses to listen to that prophet will be cut off from the people.''

'I’m telling you: the prophet Moses spoke about is the Holy One of Israel. He will judge with perfect righteousness.'

'The righteous have nothing to fear—they won’t be shamed. But the devil’s kingdom—the one built among people in this world—' 'the time is coming soon when every church built for profit, every organization built to control people, everything created to gain popularity or chase worldly desires and do evil—in short, everything that belongs to the devil’s kingdom—these are the ones who should fear and tremble and shake. These will be brought down to the dust and consumed like dry straw. This is what the prophet said.'

One Flock, One Shepherd

'The time is coming soon when the righteous will be led up like well-fed calves, and the Holy One of Israel will rule with absolute power and great glory.'

'He’ll gather his children from the four corners of the earth. He’ll count his sheep, and they’ll know him. There will be one flock and one shepherd. He’ll feed his sheep, and in him they’ll find everything they need.'

'Because his people live right, Satan will be powerless. He’ll be bound for many years with no control over people’s hearts. They’ll live in righteousness, and the Holy One of Israel will reign.'

'All these things will happen in real, physical ways.'

'But listen: all nations, families, languages, and peoples can live safely in the Holy One of Israel—if they’ll turn back to him.'

Final Words

'That’s all I’ll say for now. I don’t dare speak more about these things yet.'

'Brothers, I want you to understand that what’s written on the brass plates is true. They testify that you must obey God’s commands.'

'Don’t think my father and I are the only ones who’ve taught these things. If you obey the commandments and stay faithful to the end, you’ll be saved. That’s the truth.'