1 Nephi 1 – Lehi’s Vision

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In the first chapter of the Book of Mormon, Nephi (1) pays tribute to his parents, (2) describes a vision experienced by his father and the antagonism of other people in response to that vision, and (3) assures us that God’s tender mercies will accompany those who have faith in Him.

Chapter Outline

  1. Introduction and reason for writing (v. 1-3)
  2. Lehi’s vision and psalm (v. 4-15)
  3. Lehi preaches and is persecuted (v. 16-20)
  4. Nephi testifies of God’s tender mercies (v. 20)

My Takeaways

  1. Goodly parents are committed to the growth and development of their children.
  2. Revelation may come in stages. It’s good to ask, “Is there more?”
  3. God frequently sends gifts which we will only see if we are watching for them.

Featured Blog Posts

❖ Introduction – 1 Nephi 1:1

What Are “Goodly Parents?”

The first Book of Mormon prophet, Nephi, opens his record by telling us that he was “born of goodly parents.” What did he mean by “goodly?” In the next phrase, he provides some context: “Therefore,” he says, “I was taught somewhat in all the learning of my father” (1 Nephi 1:1). So he attributes his…

Highly Favored of the Lord – 1 Nephi 1:1

1 I, Nephi, having been born of goodly parents, therefore I was taught somewhat in all the learning of my father; and having seen many afflictions in the course of my days, nevertheless, having been highly favored of the Lord in all my days; yea, having had a great knowledge of the goodness and the…

“A Record of My Proceedings” – 1 Nephi 1:1

Nephi opens his record by explaining why he is writing it: I, Nephi, having been born of goodly parents, therefore I was taught somewhat in all the learning of my father; and having seen many afflictions in the course of my days, nevertheless, having been highly favored of the Lord in all my days; yea, having had a great knowledge of the goodness…

❖ The Vision – 1 Nephi 1:4-15

“Being Thus Overcome”—Lehi’s Multipart Vision

Lehi saw a vision in two stages: one as he prayed outdoors beside a rock, and one as he lay in bed afterward in his home. Richard G. Scott and Neill F. Marriott both taught that we can invite revelation with the simple question, “Is there more?”

“As He Read, He Was Filled with the Spirit of the Lord”

The Book of Mormon opens with a vision. As the prophet Lehi prayed on behalf of his people, a “pillar of fire” appeared before him, “and he saw and heard much.” Returning to his home, while lying on his bed, the vision continued. He saw “God sitting upon his throne, surrounded with numberless concourses of…

“Great and Marvelous” – 1 Nephi 1:14

The Book of Mormon opens with a vision experienced by Lehi. We don’t know much about what he saw, but we do know that he saw a personage who shone brighter than the sun, with twelve others following Him, a clear reference to the Savior. We also know that he read from a book that…

❖ Tender Mercies – 1 Nephi 1:20

What Are the “Tender Mercies of the Lord?”

In the first chapter of the Book of Mormon, Nephi describes a series of revelations which his father Lehi received. Lehi learns that his city, Jerusalem will be destroyed, and he attempts to warn the people of the city. In response, they mock him, threaten him, and try to kill him. Nephi ends the chapter…

Old Testament Foundations

The Throne of God

Isaiah, Lehi, and John all saw God sitting on a throne, surrounded by heavenly beings who were praising Him. These visions can help us worship more reverently. We can be grateful for His supremacy and for His empowering influence in our lives.

If With All Your Hearts

God will answer your prayers. Jesus promised that in the Sermon on the Mount: “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you” (Matthew 7:7, 3 Nephi 14:7). Moses taught the same principle to the children of Israel. After prophesying that they would one day turn away from…

The Book of Psalms and the Book of Mormon

The brass plates which Lehi and his family carried from Jerusalem contained a lot of content which overlaps with the Old Testament. Nephi describes three categories of writings, which correspond with three of the four groupings of books in the Old Testament: “The five books of Moses” – The Law (Genesis through Deuteronomy) “A record…

New Testament Parallels

Highly Favoured

Gabriel told Mary she was “highly favoured.” Nephi recognized that he had been “highly favored” as he looked back on his life. That sense of receiving God’s enabling power can sustain us through the difficulties and discouragements of life.

Out of Much Affliction

Three principles from Paul about suffering: 1. God loves us and will comfort us when we suffer. 2. Suffering can result in growth and progression with God’s help. 3. We can find joy when we suffer, particularly when we maintain an eternal perspective.

Church History Connections

Record-keeping

The first sentence in the Book of Mormon is about the importance of keeping records. Nephi tells us that, because the Lord had blessed him with “goodly parents,” who taught him, and because he had been “highly favored of the Lord” in spite of enduring many afflictions, “therefore I make a record of my proceedings…

Knowledge

Education is very important. Nephi opens the Book of Mormon by expressing gratitude that he had been “taught somewhat in all the learning of [his] father” (1 Nephi 1:1). Jacob tells us that it is good to be learned, as long as we remain humble and follow the commandments of God (2 Nephi 9:29). Alma…

Innumerable

There are lots of good people in this world. That’s one message I get from Joseph F. Smith’s Vision of the Redemption of the Dead. Although the question which prompted this revelation was a logistical one—how could the Savior preach to so many disobedient spirits during the brief period between His death and His resurrection—another…

All Posts Referencing 1 Nephi 1

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