1 Nephi 11

Yesterday's post was about Nephi turning to the Lord and asking for understanding and knowledge about Lehi's dream, which was in another post from a few days ago. I feel like I can just copy and paste that table into this post and be done. The entirety of chapter 11 is giving us the meaning of the dream Lehi had.

In verse 1, Nephi desired to know the things his father saw, had faith that the Lord could make them known to him, and pondered in his heart before he received his answer.

When Nephi was given the interpretation of Lehi's dream, it was taught through seeing the Savior's life. From the birth of the Savior to the virgin Mary, being worshipped by many (1 Nephi 11:12-24). He saw John the Baptist prepare the way for the Savior and then baptise Him (25-27). Nephi saw the Savior going forth to teach the people with his 12 disciples with angels ministring unto men (28-30). Nephi saw the Savior healing the sick (31). He then saw the Savior be judged by the world and slain upon the cross, slain for the sins of the world (32-33). He saw the people of the world gather together against the 12 apostles, just like those in the great and spacious building, then saw it fall, an "exceedingly great" fall (34-36). It was explain that those who fight against the 12 apostles will have a great fall. With that wording, I imagine a fall of great destruction, a fall that is almost indescribable. A fall that wasn't only great in its personal destruction by also by how much they fell. Thinking they were on top of the world, then falling to below it.

There are many lessons to be learned from this chapter. But I really love that Nephi learned the meaning of the dream through seeing the perfect life Jesus lived. There is so much that we can learn through simply studying the life of Jesus Christ. 

Elder Gerald N. Lund said:

Here was Jesus—a member of the Godhead, the Firstborn of the Father, the Creator, Jehovah of the Old Testament—now leaving His divine and holy station; divesting Himself of all that glory and majesty and entering the body of a tiny infant; helpless, completely dependent on His mother and earthly father. That He should not come to the finest of earthly palaces and be . . . showered with jewels but should come to a lowly stable is astonishing. Little wonder that the angel should say to Nephi, ‘Behold the condescension of God!’ (Jesus Christ, Key to the Plan of Salvation [1991], 16).