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.

God’s Promises to the Gentiles

If the Gentiles will listen to the Lamb of God when he shows himself to them in words and power, he will take away the things that make them stumble. If they do not make their hearts hard against the Lamb of God, they will be counted as your father’s descendants. They will be counted as part of the House of Israel. They will be blessed people in the promised land forever. They will never be made prisoners again. The House of Israel will never be confused again. That great evil church founded by the devil and his followers has dug a great pit to lead people’s souls to hell. The Lamb of God says that great pit dug to destroy people will be filled by those who dug it. They will be completely destroyed. But this does not mean the soul will be destroyed, except for being thrown into hell that has no end. This happens because of the devil’s power over them and also because of God’s justice on all those who choose to do wicked and evil things.

The angel said to me: 'You have seen that if the Gentiles repent, it will be good for them. You also know about God’s promises to the House of Israel. You have also heard that whoever does not repent must die.' So trouble will come to the Gentiles if they make their hearts hard against the Lamb of God.

The Great and Marvelous Work

The Lamb of God says: 'The time is coming when I will do a great and wonderful work among people. This work will last forever, one way or another. Either it will convince them to have peace and eternal life, or it will leave them with hard hearts and blind minds. They will be brought into captivity and destroyed, both in this life and spiritually, because of the devil’s power over them.' After the angel spoke these words, he asked me: 'Do you remember the Father’s promises to the House of Israel?' I said to him: 'Yes.'

Two Churches Only

He said to me: 'Look at that great and evil church, which is the mother of evil things. The devil started it.' He said to me: 'There are only two churches. One is the church of the Lamb of God, and the other is the church of the devil. So whoever does not belong to the church of the Lamb of God belongs to that great church, which is the mother of evil things. She is the prostitute of all the earth.' Then I looked and saw the prostitute of all the earth. She sat on many waters. She had power over all the earth, among all nations, families, languages, and people. Then I saw the church of the Lamb of God. There were only a few people in it because of the wickedness and evil things done by the prostitute who sat on many waters. But I saw that the church of the Lamb, who were God’s people, were also all over the earth. Their power on the earth was small because of the wickedness of the great prostitute I saw.

Then I saw that the great mother of evil things gathered crowds of people on the earth, from all the Gentile nations, to fight against the Lamb of God. I saw the power of the Lamb of God come down on God’s people in the church of the Lamb, and on the covenant people of the Lord who were scattered all over the earth. They were armed with righteousness and with God’s power in great glory.

The Battle Between Good and Evil

Then I saw that God’s anger was poured out on the great and evil church. There were wars and rumors of wars among all the nations and families of the earth. As wars and rumors of wars began among all the nations that belonged to the mother of evil things, the angel spoke to me and said: 'God’s anger is on the mother of prostitutes. You see all these things!' When the day comes that God’s anger is poured out on the mother of prostitutes, which is the great and evil church of all the earth whose founder is the devil, then the Father’s work will begin. He will prepare the way to fulfill his promises to his people who are of the House of Israel.

The Apostle John

Then the angel spoke to me and said: 'Look!' I looked and saw a man dressed in a white robe. The angel said to me: 'This is one of the twelve apostles of the Lamb!' He will see and write the rest of these things. He will also write many things that have already happened. He will also write about the end of the world. So the things he will write are right and true. They are written in the book you saw coming from the Jewish person. When they came from the Jewish person, the things that were written were clear and pure and very precious and easy for all people to understand.

The things this apostle of the Lamb will write are many things you have seen. You will see the rest. But the things you will see later, you must not write. The Lord God has chosen the apostle of the Lamb of God to write them. Also, others have seen all things, and they have written them. These things are sealed up to come out in their purity, according to the truth that is in the Lamb, at the right time the Lord chooses, for the House of Israel.

Nephi’s Final Words

I tell you that the name of the apostle of the Lamb was John, according to what the angel said. I am not allowed to write the rest of the things I saw and heard. So the things I have written are enough for me. I have written only a small part of the things I saw. I tell you that I saw the same things my father saw. The angel of the Lord made them known to me. Now I am finished talking about the things I saw while I was carried away in the Spirit. Even if I have not written all the things I saw, the things I have written are true. This is 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