1 Nephi 14:17-24 (01/31/15)

Scripture study participants:  Dad, mom, Brandon, Kenyon, Shaylee, Jaron, Maycee & George Michael


CLICK TO READ  1 Nephi 14:17-24

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

1 Nephi 14:17
Q:  What else will the Lord be doing when He is pouring His wrath upon the church of the devil? (Dad)
A:  "The Father will commence in preparing the way for Him to fulfill His covenants unto the House of Israel." (Shaylee)

1 Nephi 14:19-20
Q:  Who was the man that Nephi saw dressed in a white robe? (Dad)
A:   "It's one of the twelve apostles of Jesus."  (Kenyon)

1 Nephi 14:21-22

Q:  What did it say that the apostle would write about? (Dad)
A:  "The end of the world." (Shaylee)

1 Nephi 14:23

Q:   Where are the writings of this apostle found? (Dad)
A:   "From the Jews"  (Kenyon)  "Yes, what book did we get from the Jews."  (Dad)  "The Bible"  (Kenyon)  "Yes"  (Dad)

Q:  Do any of you kids know who this apostle is that wrote in the Bible about the end of the world? (Dad)
A:  "Saint John"  (Kenyon)  "John the beloved."  (Mom)  "Yes, they are one in the same. He is also known as John the revelator."  (Dad)  "He wrote Revelations."  (Mom) 

1 Nephi 14:24

Q:   What did Nephi see? (Dad)
A:   "The remainder he shall see." (Brandon)  "Yes, the remainder of the history of the world in the last days. So basically Nephi saw the same things that John the revelator saw."  (Dad)

1 Nephi 14:10-16 (01/30/15)

Scripture study participants:  Dad, mom, Brandon, Kenyon, Shaylee, Jaron & Maycee


CLICK TO READ  1 Nephi 14:10-16

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

1 Nephi 14:10
Q:  How many churches are there? (Dad)
A:   "Two. The church of the Lamb of God and the church of the devil." (Shaylee)

Q:  What does it mean since there's obviously thousands of different churches and religions? (Dad)
A:   "You're either following the iron rod or you're not. Those holding the iron rod are of the church of God." (Brandon)  "Yes, and those who are not holding to the iron rod but who are trying to find the tree of life are not trying to follow the devil, but he has some power over them because they lack the fulness of the gospel and its saving priesthood ordinances. So the way to look at it is that the Lord's church has access to the one and only straight and narrow path that will lead to eternal life. All other paths will cause people to stumble and get lost and be led away on the path to destruction. It doesn't mean everyone not on the straight and narrow path are wicked or bad people. There are many good people on it who are trying to follow the Lord and as they do so the Lord will lead them to the straight and narrow path. Then they will need to choose on whether to follow it or not."  (Dad)

1 Nephi 14:11

Q:  The whore it speaks of is the church of the devil. What does it say about it? (Dad)

A:   "It has dominion among all nations, kindreds, tongues and people." (Shaylee)  "Yes, the church of the devil has many followers everywhere on the earth."  (Dad)

1 Nephi 14:12

Q:  How is the Lord's church different than the great and abominable church? How is it similar? (Dad)
A:   "The numbers were few in the church." (Brandon)   "Yes, and since there's only two churches then the Lord's church is WAY outnumbered."  (Dad)

Q:  How is it similar? (Dad)
A:   "We both have followers in the nations of the gentiles." (Brandon)   "Upon all nations upon the earth. So even though we're few in number we can be found all over the earth, and this is the case today. There are members of the church in practically all nations on the earth."  (Dad)

1 Nephi 14:13

Q:  What is the focus of the great and abominable church? (Dad)
A:   "To gather all the multitudes of the earth to fight against the Lamb of God." (Shaylee) 

1 Nephi 14:14

Q:  Who do you think is going to win the fight? (Dad)
A:   "The righteous."  (Kenyon & Brandon)  "The Lamb of God." (Brandon)  "The people of the Lamb of God." (Shaylee)

Q:  Why? Those in the Lord's church are WAY outnumbered by those in the church of the devil. (Dad)
A:   "The power of the Lamb of God will descend upon the saints of the church." (Shaylee)  "Because we have God on our side. He is stronger than any man and any army."  (Kenyon)

1 Nephi 14:15-16

Q:  What else is going to help the church of God in this battle where we are outnumbered? (Dad)
A:   "The wrath of God would be poured out upon the evil, abominable church."  (Kenyon) 


Q:  What did it say the nations of the earth are going to be doing? (Dad)
A:  "They're having wars and rumors of wars."  (Kenyon)  "Yes, the wicked will turn on each other and go to war against each other."  (Dad)

1 Nephi 14:3-9 (01/29/15)

Scripture study participants:  Dad, mom, Brandon, Kenyon, Shaylee, Jaron & Maycee


CLICK TO READ  1 Nephi 14:3-9

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

1 Nephi 14:3
Q:  What does it say will happen to the wicked who dig pits or traps to catch others? (Dad)
A:  "Satan is going to dig a pit and catch them and lead away their souls to hell." (Brandon)  "Yes, except that Satan didn't dig the pit, but he inspired the wicked to dig it. And they will fall into their own pit."  (Dad)  "They will dig themselves into a deeper pit."  (Kenyon)

1 Nephi 14:5-6

Q:  Who did the angel say would perish? (Dad)

A:   "Any people who didn't repent."  (Kenyon)  

Q:  Will the gentiles be blessed or cursed? (Dad)
A:  "Cursed if they're wicked." (Shaylee)  "Blessed if they're righteous." (Brandon)  "Yes, it says if they repent it will be well with them but wo unto them if they harden their hearts against the Lord."  (Dad)

1 Nephi 14:7

Q:  What is the great and marvelous work the Lord will do in the last days? (Dad)
A:   "He's talking about the restoration of the fulness of the gospel and the church upon the earth."  (Dad)

Q:  What two things did it say this work will cause to happen to people? It's going to do either what or what? (Dad)
A:  "It's going to convince them of the truth or they won't be converted and believe it."  (Mom)  "It said that it's going to cause them to believe and receive everlasting life or harden their hearts against it, which will enable Satan to lead them to destruction and hell."  (Dad)

1 Nephi 13:39-42, 14:1-2 (01/28/15)

Scripture study participants:  Dad, mom, Brandon, Kenyon, Shaylee, Jaron & Maycee


CLICK TO READ  1 Nephi 13:39-42, 14:1-2

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

1 Nephi 13:39
Q:  What do you think were the other books that would go forth that would convince the gentiles and Lamanites that the Bible is true? (Dad)
A:   "I think that one of the books might be the Doctrine & Covenants." (Shaylee)  "The Book of Mormon, the Doctrine & Covenants and the Pearl of Great Price. There will be books that come in the future." (Brandon)  "Yes, and those books in the future will be the records of the lost tribes of Israel."  (Dad)

1 Nephi 13:40

Q:  What are some of the other purposes of these books to come forth? (Dad)

A:   "It will teach them of the plain and precious things taken from them, the gospel of the Lamb, which is the Bible." (Brandon)  "It will talk about Jesus in the books that all men must come unto Him or they cannot be saved." (Shaylee)  "Yes, and that Jesus is the son of God and the savior of the world."  (Dad)  

1 Nephi 13:41

Q:  How does it say that we must come unto Christ? (Dad)
A:  "They must come according to the words which shall be established by the mouth of the Lamb." (Shaylee)  "They're talking about the Book of Mormon."  (Mom)  "Yes, but it's more than that. It is the word of God or the iron rod, which includes the scriptures and the words of the living prophets and apostles as well. So in other words, we must follow the prophet. They will teach us what the Lord wants us to do."  (Dad)  

Q:  What does it say will happen to the Bible and Book of Mormon? (Dad)
A:  "They will be established as one. They will become one book." (Shaylee)  "Yes, they are one in our hand, literally when we hold our quad of the standard works. But it also means one in teaching the gospel of Christ."  (Dad) 

1 Nephi 13:42

Q:  What event is this verse talking about? (Dad)
A:   "The second coming."  (Kenyon)  "Yes, because is says that Christ will reveal Himself to all nations both Jew and gentile."  (Dad) 

Q:  What does it mean that the last shall be first and the first shall be last? Which people were the Lord sent to in His first coming? (Dad)
A:  "The Jews." (Shaylee)  "Yes, the Jews were the first to receive the gospel but even though many converted as a people they rejected the Lord and the gospel."  (Dad) 

Q:  If the Jews were the first who was the last? (Dad)
A:   "The gentiles." (Brandon)  "Yes, at Christ's first coming the gentiles were the last to receive the gospel. So in the last days the gentiles were the first ones to receive the Christ and His restored gospel in the last days and the Jews will be the last. They will finally recognize Him as savior at the second coming."  (Dad)

  

1 Nephi 14.1

Q:  What do the gentiles need to do to have the Lord take away the stumbling blocks of their misunderstandings of the gospel? (Dad)
A:  "If they hearken unto the Lamb of God in the last days." (Shaylee) 

1 Nephi 14:2

Q:  What will happen to the gentiles if they hearken unto the Lord's words and not harden their hearts? (Dad)
A:  "They will be numbered among the seed of thy brethren." (Shaylee)  "Yes, he's talking about being numbered among the House of Israel or the Lord's covenant people."  (Dad)

Q:  What does he say will happen to the gentiles when they become part of the House of Israel? (Dad)
A:  "They will no longer be in captivity." (Shaylee)  "Yes, they will be a free people, and it also says a prosperous or blessed people. The last thing it says it that they will no more be confounded meaning that they will no longer be confused or misunderstand the gospel because they now have it in its fulness."  (Dad)

1 Nephi 13:32-38 (01/27/15)

Scripture study participants:  Dad, mom, Brandon, Kenyon, Shaylee, Jaron & Maycee


CLICK TO READ  1 Nephi 13:32-38

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

1 Nephi 13:32
Q:  What does it mean that the Lord would not allow the gentiles to remain in an awful state of blindness? (Dad)
A:  "It means that He loves us and does not want us to go to hell. He wants to give everybody a chance to return to Him." (Brandon)  "That's true but the verse is saying something else." (Dad)

Q:  What is causing the gentiles to be blind? (Dad)
A:   "The plain and precious truths that were taken out of the Bible." (Dad)

1 Nephi 13:33-36

Q:  How will the Lord remove the blindness of the gentiles? Remember losing the plain and precious truths of the gospel is what caused their blindness. (Dad)

A:   "Get them back." (Shaylee)  

Q:  How will they get them back? (Dad)
A:   "The Book of Mormon."  (Mom)  "Exactly. That's why the Lord is telling Nephi that Lehi's seed will keep a record."  (Dad)

1 Nephi 13:37
Q:  What does the Lord say about those who restore His church and gospel in the last days? (Dad)
A:  "They shall have the power of the Holy Ghost, and they shall lifted up at the last day and be saved." (Shaylee)  "Yes. It says that blessed are they, and from the blessings Shaylee listed that is an understatement. It also says how beautiful they shall be, and it's not talking about physical beauty but spiritual. Our countenance will be like the Savior's."  (Dad)

1 Nephi 13:38

Q:  What did Nephi see in this verse? (Dad)
A:   "The remnant of the seed of his brethren."  (Mom)  "Yes, but more than that. He saw the record of the Jews go among them. So he saw that the Bible was spread throughout the Americas. We know this is true and the majority of the people in the Americas are Christian."  (Dad)

1 Nephi 13:25-31 (01/26/15)

Scripture study participants:  Dad, mom, Brandon, Kenyon, Shaylee, Jaron & Maycee


CLICK TO READ  1 Nephi 13:25-31

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

1 Nephi 13:25
"So when the Bible first came from the Jew to the gentile it was in its purity and contained the truth and the fulness of the gospel." (Dad)

1 Nephi 13:26

Q:  What happened after the Bible fell into the hands of the gentiles? (Dad)

A:  "They took away from the gospel." (Shaylee)  "The took away many plain and precious things of the gospel and many covenants of the Lord." (Brandon)  "Yes, this is why we say we believe the Bible to be the word of God so far as it is translated correctly. We believe it was the word of God as it was spoken and written by the original prophets and apostles. But there are parts that man has changed since, which have caused some of the plain and precious truths that were in the Bible to be lost or misunderstood. This is another reason why the Lord had the prophet in America keep their record of His dealings so that those truths could be restored in the Book of Mormon, which helps to confirm the truths of the Bible."  (Dad)

1 Nephi 13:27

Q:  So why did those who intentionally change the Bible do it? (Dad)
A:  "That they might pervert the right ways of the Lord." (Shaylee)  "They might blind the eyes and harden hearts of the children of men." (Brandon)  "Yes, people change the truth in order to gain power over others, to persuade them to do what they want. We see this all around us today, especially in politics where people will tell half-truths, take things out of context or tell flat out lies in order to get people to believe them and get their way."  (Dad)

1 Nephi 13:28

Q:  Who perverted the Bible?  (Dad)
A:  "Through the great and abominable church or the people of the world." (Brandon)  "The Bible for many, many centuries was controlled and kept by the Catholic church, which is why some people thought that the Catholic church was the great and abominable church. Yes, there were those in the Catholic church who were part of that great and abominable church because they were trying to change the word of God to gain power but there were also many other people in the church who were trying to follow God. So the great and abominable church is made up of people from all different religions, including our own, and from no religion of all. They are those who are trying to lead people away from the true gospel of Christ and to enter the large and spacious building."  (Brandon)

1 Nephi 13:29

Q:  What was the result of the changes that were made to the Bible? (Dad)
A:   "People are lost and confused and stumble, and Satan uses that weakness to take over." (Brandon)  "People no longer understood the fulness of the gospel. They still had many pieces of the true gospel, but they also lost other truths and introduced untruths, which caused the people to stumble and be led astray."  (Dad)

1 Nephi 13:30-31

Q:  What did God covenant regarding the Lamanites and Nephites who mixed in with them when the gentiles from Europe inherited the land of promise or the Americas? (Dad)
A:  "God will not allow the gentiles to destroy the mixture of their seed."  (Kenyon)  "Yes, as we read before God would allow the gentiles to scatter and kill many of them because of their wickedness and breaking their covenant with God, but God also promised that He would not allow the gentiles to wipe them all out."  (Dad)

1 Nephi 13:18-24 (01/25/15)

Scripture study participants:  Dad, mom, Brandon, Kenyon, Shaylee, Jaron & Maycee


CLICK TO READ  1 Nephi 13:18-24

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

1 Nephi 13:18
Q:  So who had the power of God on their side in the Revolutionary war? (Dad)
A:  "The righteous people." (Shaylee)  "Yes. It clearly states in the verse that the wrath of God was against those who came to battle against those in the promised land. The people who fled to America for religious freedom to worship God. It doesn't mean everyone in America was righteous, but that God intended our nation to be established as a free nation so that the church and gospel could be restored to the earth."  (Dad)

1 Nephi 13:19

Q:  What did Nephi see happen? (Dad)

A:  "That the gentiles who had come out of captivity were delivered by the power of God." (Shaylee)  ."  (Dad)

Q:  The British army and navy was the most powerful in the world at the time. So how were we able to win the Revolutionary war according to this verse? (Dad)

A:  "They were delivered by the power of God."  (Kenyon)  "Yes, we could not have won without God's help, and George Washington and other leaders in the war prayed and sought for divine help and guidance."  (Dad)

1 Nephi 13:20
Q:  What else did Nephi see? (Dad)
A:  "He saw that they were prospering, and that they had a book."  (Kenyon)

1 Nephi 13:21
Q:  The angel asked Nephi if he knew the meaning of the book. Does anybody have a guess on what this book was? (Dad)
A:  "The Book of Mormon?" (Brandon) "This was during the time around the Revolutionary war before the Book of Mormon came forth."  (Dad)  "The Bible?" (Brandon)  "Let's find out."  (Dad)

1 Nephi 13:23

Q:  So the book is a record of the Jews and contains the covenants of the Lord and many of the prophecies of the holy prophets. So what book do you think it is? (Dad)
A:  "The Bible." (Brandon)  "Does this sound like the Bible?"  (Dad)  "Yeah."  (Kenyon)

1 Nephi 13:24

Q:  Does the Bible contain the fulness of the gospel? (Dad)
A:  "Yeah, when the twelve apostles bore record." (Brandon)  "Yes, that's the key. At the time the apostles taught and wrote it originally it contained the fulness of the gospel."  (Dad)

1 Nephi 13:10-17 (01/24/15)

Scripture study participants:  Dad, Brandon, Kenyon, Shaylee, Jaron, Maycee, Elder Child & Elder Walker


CLICK TO READ  1 Nephi 13:10-17

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

1 Nephi 13:10
Q:  What were the many waters that separated the Nephites and Lamanites from the gentiles? (Dad)
A:  "The Pacific ocean."  (Kenyon)  "The Atlantic." (Brandon) 


1 Nephi 13:11

Q:  Who is the wrath of God against here? (Dad)

A:  "Laman and Lemuel." (Brandon)  "It said their seed so it meant the Lamanites."  (Dad)

1 Nephi 13:12

Q:  Who do you think the gentile man is who sailed across the ocean and discovered the Lamanites in the promised land? (Dad)
A:  "Columbus." (Brandon)  

1 Nephi 13:13

Q:  So what happened after Columbus discovered America in these verses? Who came out of captivity to America to be free? (Dad)
A:   "The pilgrims." (Brandon) "Yes, the pilgrims left Europe to come to America to be free and to have freedom of religion, which they didn't have over in Europe under the kings."  (Dad)

1 Nephi 13:14

Q:  What did it say that some of the gentiles did to the Lamanites after they came to the Americas? (Dad)
A:  "They were scattered and smitten." (Shaylee)

1 Nephi 13:15

Q:  How did he describe the other gentiles? (Dad)
A:   "They were fair and beautiful." (Shaylee)  "Yes, and he said they were white like his seed or the Nephites, and we know that the pilgrims and Europeans that came over were mostly white. So that's who he's talking about seeing. What else did he say about them?"  (Dad)  "They prospered."  (Kenyon)

1 Nephi 13:16

Q:  Were most of the gentiles righteous that came over? (Dad)
A:  "Yes." (Elder Child)

Q:  How do we know that? (Dad)
A:  "It said they humbled themselves before the Lord." (Elder Child)  "Yes, it doesn't mean they were perfect - nobody is. But they were trying to follow the Lord, and they humbled themselves before Him."  (Dad)

1 Nephi 13:17

Q:  Who do you think were the mother gentiles that came across to battle against those in America? (Dad)
A:  "The British in the Revolutionary war." (Brandon)  "Yes, we were a British colony, and England was called the mother land. And we know that they came over and battled us in the Revolutionary war when we wanted to break off from them. So Nephi is seeing a history of the world, specifically relating to the promised land."  (Dad)

1 Nephi 13:3-9 (01/23/15)

Scripture study participants:  Dad, mom, Brandon, Kenyon, Shaylee, Jaron & Maycee


CLICK TO READ  1 Nephi 13:3-9

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

1 Nephi 13:3
Q:  What did the Spirit show Nephi? (Dad)
A:  "The nations and kingdoms of the gentiles." (Shaylee)

1 Nephi 13:4

Q:  What did Nephi see get formed among the nations of the gentiles? (Dad)

A:  "A great church." (Brandon) 

1 Nephi 13:5

Q:  How did the Spirit describe this great church? (Dad)
A:  "Abominable."  (Kenyon)

Q:  Why was it abominable? (Dad)
A:  "It slayeth the saints of God and bringeth them down into captivity."  (Kenyon)  

1 Nephi 13:6

Q:  Who is the founder of the great and abominable church? (Dad)
A:  "The devil." (Shaylee)

1 Nephi 13:7-8

Q:  What did the Spirit say were some of the desires of this abominable church? (Dad)
A:  "Silks, scarlets, and fine-twined linen. Pretty much expensive, really nice textiles and clothing." (Brandon)  "It was also gold and silver." (Shaylee)  "Harlots are the same things are prostitutes."  (Dad)

1 Nephi 13:9

Q:  Why do they destroy the saints of God and put them in captivity? (Dad)
A:  "For the praise of the world. It means what mostly everyone is doing." (Shaylee)  

Q:  Which church do you think is the great and abominable church? (Dad)
A:  "It's not a church. It's the world."  (Mom)  "Yes, that's right and some people don't understand this."  (Dad)

Q:  It said that their motivation is the praise of the world. Who else fits that description in Lehi's vision? (Dad)
A:  "The large and spacious building." (Shaylee)  "Yes, that's the great and abominable church, the large and spacious building. But it's not an official church and religion like ours and others, but it's those in the world who seek to oppose God and those trying to follow him. The reason I think he calls it a church is because those people have a set of beliefs and values that they follow just like those who belong to a church do."  (Dad)