12:1And it came to pass that the angel
said unto me: Look, and behold thy seed, and also the seed of thy brethren. And I looked
and beheld the land of promise; and I beheld multitudes of people, yea, even as it were in
number as many as the sand of the sea.
In the last chapter, an angel showed Nephi all the shit his dad saw and much, much more. Nephi saw dad's magic tree, iron rod,
large and spacious building, the exceedingly white virgin Mary, Jesus, John the Baptist, the twelve apostles -- pretty much everything
that Joseph Smith the angel could think of at the time.
(12:1) Now, in this chapter, the angel shows Nephi his seed. He'll have
tons of seed, as many as the sand of the sea.
"And it came to pass that the angel said unto me: Look, and behold thy seed, and also the seed of thy brethren. And I looked and
beheld the land of promise; and I beheld multitudes of people, yea, even as it were in number as many as the sand of the sea."
(12:3) Nephi sees "many cities" settled by the Nephites in the
New World. Yet no evidence of them has ever been found. [Although there were Mayan cities in Mesoamerica at the time the Nephites
supposedly occupied the Americas, the Mayan culture does not resemble that of the Nephites (or Lamanites) as described in the Book
of Mormon.]
"I beheld many cities, yea, even that I did not number them."
(12:3-10)
(12:3) Nephi's seed will live in many cities, more cities than can be counted.
"And it came to pass that ... I beheld many cities, yea, even that I did not number them."
(12:4) But bad times are coming. Mountains will disintegrate and
cities sink and burn.
"I saw mountains tumbling into pieces; and I saw the plains of the earth, that they were broken up; and I saw many cities
that they were sunk; and I saw many that they were burned with fire; and I saw many that did tumble to the earth, because of the
quaking thereof."
(12:6-10) Then the heavens will open up and Jesus, the Holy Ghost, and the
apostles (with their robes made white from being washed in Jesus' blood) will come down to minster to Nephi's seed.
"And I saw the heavens open, and the Lamb of God descending out of heaven; and he came down and showed himself unto them.
And I also saw ... the Holy Ghost fell upon twelve others ... And these twelve ministers whom thou beholdest shall judge thy seed. And,
behold, ... their garments are made white in his blood."
(12:9) ...and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. --
Rev.21:14
(12:10)
...and have washed their robes, and made them white in
the blood of the Lamb. -- Rev.7:14
(12:18) ...and Jesus Christ, which is the Lamb of God... --
1830 Book of Mormon
(This was changed to avoid contradicting
2 Nephi 10:3, which first reveals to Nephi the
name of Christ.)
(12:19-20) But Nephi's seed will fight his brethren's seed. And it will be
awful to look at. Seed fighting seed everywhere. I doubt if there has been so much contending seed in a single paragraph since time began.
"I beheld ... that the seed of my brethren did contend against my seed ... because of the pride of my seed,
and the temptations of the devil, I beheld that the seed of my brethren
did overpower the people of my seed. And it came to pass that I beheld ... the people of the seed of my brethren that they had
overcome my seed; and they went forth in multitudes upon the face of the land."
(12:22-23) Finally, the chapter comes to a thrilling conclusion with the
angel showing Nephi what will happen to the seed of his brethren that dwindle in unbelief: they will become a dark, loathsome, filthy,
idle, and abominable people. (Which, according to the BoM, is the origin of the Native Americans.)
"And the angel said unto me: Behold these shall dwindle in unbelief. And it came to pass that ... after they had dwindled in
unbelief they became a dark, and loathsome, and a filthy people, full of idleness and all manner of abominations."
12:2And it came to pass that I beheld
multitudes gathered together to battle, one against the other; and I beheld
wars, and
rumors of wars, and great slaughters with the sword among my people.
12:3And it came to pass that I beheld
many generations pass away, after the manner of wars and contentions in the land; and
I beheld many cities, yea, even that I did not number them.
12:4And it came to pass that I saw a
mist of darkness on the face of the land of promise; and I saw lightnings, and I heard
thunderings, and earthquakes, and all manner of tumultuous noises; and I saw the earth and
the rocks, that they rent; and I saw mountains tumbling into pieces; and I saw the plains
of the earth, that they were broken up; and I saw many cities that they were sunk; and I
saw many that they were burned with fire; and I saw many that did tumble to the earth,
because of the quaking thereof.
12:5And it came to pass after I saw
these things, I saw the vapor of darkness, that it passed from off the face of the earth;
and behold, I saw multitudes who had not fallen because of the great and
terrible judgments of the Lord.
12:6And I saw the heavens open, and the Lamb of God descending
out of heaven; and he came down and showed himself unto them.
12:7And I also saw and bear record that the Holy Ghost fell
upon twelve others; and they were ordained of God, and chosen.
12:8 And the angel spake unto me, saying: Behold the twelve
disciples of the Lamb, who are chosen to minister unto thy seed.
12:9 And he said unto me: Thou rememberest the twelve apostles
of the Lamb? Behold they are they who shall judge the twelve tribes of Israel; wherefore,
the twelve ministers of thy seed shall be judged of them; for ye are of the house of
Israel.
12:10And these twelve ministers whom thou beholdest shall
judge thy seed. And, behold, they are righteous forever; for because of their faith in
the Lamb of God their garments are made white in his blood.
12:11 And the angel said unto me: Look! And I looked, and
beheld three generations pass away in righteousness; and their garments were white even
like unto the Lamb of God. And the angel said unto me: These are made white in the blood
of the Lamb, because of their faith in him.
12:12 And I, Nephi, also saw many of the fourth generation who
passed away in righteousness.
12:13And it came to pass that I saw the
multitudes of the earth gathered together.
12:14 And the angel said unto me: Behold thy seed, and also the
seed of thy brethren.
12:15And it came to pass that I looked
and beheld the people of my seed gathered together in multitudes against the seed of my
brethren; and they were gathered together to battle.
12:16 And the angel spake unto me, saying: Behold the fountain
of filthy water which thy father saw; yea, even the river of which he spake; and the depths
thereof are the depths of hell.
12:17 And the mists of darkness are the temptations of the devil,
which blindeth the eyes, and hardeneth the hearts of the children of men, and leadeth them
away into broad roads, that they perish and are lost.
12:18 And the large and spacious building, which thy father
saw, is vain imaginations and the pride of the children of men. And a great and a terrible
gulf divideth them; yea, even the word of the justice of the Eternal God,
and the Messiah who is the Lamb of God, of whom the Holy Ghost beareth record, from the beginning of the world
until this time, and from this time henceforth and forever.
12:19 And while the angel spake these words, I beheld and saw
that the seed of my brethren did contend against my seed, according to the word of the
angel; and because of the pride of my seed, and the temptations of the devil, I beheld
that the seed of my brethren did overpower the people of my seed.
12:20And it came to passthat I beheld,
and saw the people of the seed of my brethren that they had overcome my seed; and they went
forth in multitudes upon the face of the land.
12:21 And I saw them gathered together in multitudes; and I saw
wars and rumors of wars among them; and in wars and rumors of wars I saw many generations
pass away.
12:22And the angel said unto me:Behold these shall dwindle in unbelief.
12:23And it came to pass that I
beheld, after they had dwindled in
unbelief they became a dark, and loathsome, and a
filthy people, full of idleness and all manner of abominations.
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