1 Nephi 11

[color-box]For comparison purposes, the original Book of Mormon text is supplied (italicized and indented) after each Modern Book of Mormon verse.[/color-box] Nephi sees many of the things that his father saw in the tree of life vision. He also sees Christ’s earthly ministry and subsequent murder.

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1 I knew that the Lord could show me the things my father had seen. As I sat thinking about all of this, I was carried by the Spirit onto the top of a high mountain that I had never been on or seen.

1 For it came to pass 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, as I sat pondering in mine heart I was caught away in the Spirit of the Lord, yea, into an exceedingly high mountain, which I never had before seen, and upon which I never had before set my foot.

2 And the Spirit asked me, What do you want?

2 And the Spirit said unto me: Behold, what desirest thou?

3 And I said, I want to see the things that my father?

3 And I said: I desire to behold the things which my father saw.

4 And the Spirit asked me, Do you believe that your father saw the tree he talked about?

4 And the Spirit said unto me: Believest thou that thy father saw the tree of which he hath spoken?

5 And I said, Yes, you know that I believe everything my father says.

5 And I said: Yea, thou knowest that I believe all the words of my father.

6 When I said this, the Spirit proclaimed, Praise the Lord, the Almighty God. He is God over everything. You are blessed, Nephi, because you believe in the Son of the Almighty God, and you will see the things that you have wanted to see.

6 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.

7 This will be given to you as a sign: After you have seen the tree with the fruit your father tasted, you will also see a man descending out of heaven. After you have seen him, you will attest that it is the Son of God.

7 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 ye have witnessed him ye shall bear record that it is the Son of God.

8 The Spirit told me to look, and I looked. I saw a tree like the one my father saw. It was more beautiful than anything I had ever seen and  whiter ever than snow.

8 And it came to pass that the Spirit said 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.

9 After I saw the tree, I said to the Spirit, I understand that you have shown me the tree that is more important than anything else.

9 And it came to pass after I had seen the tree, I said unto the Spirit: I behold thou hast shown unto me the tree which is precious above all.

10 And he said to me, What would you like?

10 And he said unto me: What desirest thou?

11 I replied, I want to know what the tree means. I talked to him like I was talking to a person, but I still knew that it was the Spirit of the Lord that I was talking to, and he talked to me just like one man talks to another.

11 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.

12 He told me to look, and turned around to look at him, but he had disappeared.

12 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.

13 I saw Jerusalem and other cities. I saw Nazarath, and in Nazareth I saw a virgin who was very beautiful and pure.

13 And it came to pass that I looked and beheld the great city of 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 exceedingly fair and white.

14 I saw the sky open up and an angel come down and stand in front of me. He said, Nephi, what do you see?

14 And it came to pass that I saw the heavens open; and an angel came down and stood before me; and he said unto me: Nephi, what beholdest thou?

15 And I said, A virgin, more beautiful and pure than any other virgin.

15 And I said unto him: A virgin, most beautiful and fair above all other virgins.

16 And he said, Do you know about God’s  voluntary descent to earth?

16 And he said unto me: Knowest thou the condescension of God?

17 And I said, I know that God loves his children, but I don’t know everything.

17 And I said unto him: I know that he loveth his children; nevertheless, I do not know the meaning of all things.

18 He said to me, The virgin that you see is the Son of God’s earthly mother.

18 And he said unto me: Behold, the virgin whom thou seest is the mother of the Son of God, after the manner of the flesh.

19 I saw that she was carried away by the Spirit, and the angel told me to look.

19 And it came to pass that I beheld that she was carried away in the Spirit; and after she had been carried away in the Spirit for the space of a time the angel spake unto me, saying: Look!

20 I looked and saw the virgin again, this time holding a child.

20 And I looked and beheld the virgin again, bearing a child in her arms.

21 The angel said, This is the Lamb of God, the Son of the Eternal Father. Do you know what the tree that your father saw means?

21 And the angel said unto me: Behold the Lamb of God, yea, even the Son of the Eternal Father! Knowest thou the meaning of the tree which thy father saw?

22 And I said, Yes. It is God’s love, and it touches the hearts of everyone. It’s the thing we should want more than anything else.

22 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.

23 And he said to me, Yes, and it brings more joy to the soul than anything else.

23 And he spake unto me, saying: Yea, and the most joyous to the soul.

24 He then told me to look, and I looked and saw the Son of God with people. I saw many people fall down at his feet and worship him.

24 And after 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.

25 And I saw that the iron railing that my father saw was the word of God, which led to the source of living water or the tree of life. I also saw that both the tree of life and the living water represented the love of God.

25 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.

26 And the angel said again, Look at the voluntary descent of God!

26 And the angel said unto me again: Look and behold the condescension of God!

27 I looked and saw the Redeemer of the world (who my father had talked about) and the prophet that was going to prepare the way before him. The Lamb of God went and was baptized by him, and after he was baptized, the Holy Ghost came down to him out of heaven in the form of a dove.

27 And I looked and beheld the Redeemer of the world, of whom my father had spoken; and I also beheld the prophet who should prepare the way before him. And the Lamb of God went forth and was baptized of him; and after he was baptized, I beheld the heavens open, and the Holy Ghost come down out of heaven and abide upon him in the form of a dove.

28 He went and ministered to the people with power and glory, and people gathered together to hear him preach. I then saw that they threw him out of their presence.

28 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.

29 And I saw twelve others follow him. Then the Spirit came and took them out of my sight.

29 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, and I saw them not.

30 The angel told me to look, and I looked. The sky opened up again and I saw angels come down to mankind and minster to them.

30 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.

31 Again he told me to look, and I looked and saw the Lamb of God going out among the people. I saw large numbers of people that were sick and had all different kinds of diseases, demons, and evil spirits. Then I saw that the people were healed by the Lamb of God’s power, and that the demons and evil spirits had been expelled.

31 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 who were sick, and who were afflicted with all manner of diseases, and with devils and unclean spirits; and the angel spake and showed 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.

32 The angel again told me to look, and I looked and saw the Lamb of God taken by the people. The Son of the eternal God was judged by the world. I witnessed it.

32 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 Son of the everlasting God was judged of the world; and I saw and bear record.

33 And I, Nephi, saw that he was lifted up onto a cross and killed for the sins of the world.

33 And I, Nephi, saw that he was lifted up upon the cross and slain for the sins of the world.

34 After he was killed, I saw crowds of people gathered together to fight against the apostles (that’s what the angel called the twelve).

34 And after 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.

35 I saw that the crowds of people were gathered together in huge building like the one my father saw. The angel said to me, That is the world and the world’s wisdom. The house of Israel has gotten together to fight against the twelve apostles.

35 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.

36 I saw and testified that the huge building was the pride of the world, and it fell, and the destruction was massive. The angel said to me, That will be the destruction of all nations, families, languages, and people that fight against the twelve apostles of the Lamb of God.

36 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 exceedingly 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.