1 Nephi 11

Just thinking. I always loved 3 Nephi 11, because that's the record of when Christ comes to the Nephiites. But in 1 Nephi 11, that's when Nephi has a vision of the Saviour, his ministry and his death. Random thoughts by me.

But really my reason to be typing on this Wednesday morning. I ended up flipping through my scriptures today to find where I wanted to start and saw a note, written boldly. "READ OUT LOUD." Why Amanda, what could you be talking about (I said to myself) so I stopped to see.

Ah, yes. This is when Nephi is shown the vision of the tree of life. Good chapter, I think to myself. Someone had mentioned this at conference. The "Look, and I looked." What did he see? So I decided to read this one today, to see what he saw. And at my own request, I read it out loud.

I again realized that the tree of life was the love of God. After this weekend of conference and Elder Hollands address, he made so many brilliant remarks, but there was one that stuck out to me this morning while going over my notes. The first commandment of God was to love God. The first truth is that God loves us. I am again reminded of a loving Father in Heaven that wants the best for his children. I am reminded of my own dad, who loved me beyond measure, and I love him. And it is because of this, that on some small earthly scale, I can understand the love of my Heavenly Father. So as Nephi discusses the tree of life and how it is the most desirable thing, I understand, on my Amanda-scale, what that means. And that the iron rod, the word of God, leads to this most desirable, most sought over love.

As anyone might know, I am a fan of story. Others and my own. I have teachers voices in the back of my head talking about characters and their voices coming through. Now, I know that Nephi was a real person, but I feel like his personality happens to be seeped through these pages. His curiosity, his wonder, his defeat. So as I read this chapter out loud, I looked as he looked and saw what he saw and wondered at what he beheld. Because it's there. And it's beautiful. And as he discusses the glimpses he sees of the birth and ministry of the Saviour, the miracles and healing... And then it utter anguish he recounts:
"And it came to pass that the angel spake unto me again, saying Look! And I looked and beheld the Lamb of God, the he was taken by the people; yea, the Son of the everlasting God was judged of the world..." This emphasis here just shows his disgust that the Son of God would be judged of the world. That He was taken. And in despair, Nephi simply states, "and I saw and bear record." And to finish off his anguish, "And I, Nephi, saw that he was lifted up upon the cross and slain for the sins of the world." Simply said, bearing witness of this atrocity.