What have Church leaders said about 1 Nephi 11-15?

This week’s “Come, Follow Me” study guide covers 1 Nephi 11-15, which incorporates Nephi’s vision and his interpretation of Lehi’s dream.

Church News searched the archives of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to learn what leaders have said about these chapters.

1 Nephi 11

“What has Jesus Christ done for every of us? He has done all the pieces that is crucial for our journey through mortality toward the destiny outlined within the plan of our Heavenly Father. … His Only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ, is the central figure. Motivating all of that is ‘the love of God, which sheddeth itself abroad within the hearts of the kids of men; wherefore, it’s probably the most desirable above all things’ (1 Nephi 11:22).”

— President Dallin H. Oaks, April 2021 general conference, “What Has Our Savior Done for Us?”

“The valiant amongst us keep moving forward anyway, because they know the Lord loves them, even once they ‘have no idea the meaning of all things’ (1 Nephi 11:17). As you and I observe the valiant cope successfully with severe and relentless trials, we applaud and have fun their emerging strength and goodness. Yet the remaining of us tremble at the tutoring required for the shaping of such sterling character, while hoping we’d not falter should similar circumstances come to us!”

— Elder Neal A. Maxwell, April 2001 general conference, “‘Plow in Hope’”

“Doubt not, but imagine that it was He who was born to earth in a manger when there was no room within the inn. Well did an angel ask a prophet who had foreseen these items in vision: ‘Knowest thou the condescension of God?’ (1 Nephi 11:16) I suppose none of us can fully understand that — how the good Jehovah should come amongst men, His birth in a manger, amongst a hated people, in a vassal state. But at His birth there was an angelic chorus that sang of His glory. There were shepherds who worshiped Him. There was a latest star within the east. There were sensible men who traveled far to bring tribute of gold, frankincense and myrrh. One can surmise they touched those tiny hands in wonder and awe as they presented their gifts to the newborn king.”

— Then-Elder Gordon B. Hinckley, April 1978 general conference, “‘Be Not Faithless’”

“As I even have read the scriptures, I even have been challenged by the word ‘ponder,’ so incessantly utilized in the Book of Mormon. The dictionary says that ‘ponder’ means ‘to weigh mentally, think deeply about, deliberate, meditate.’ …

“Pondering is, in my feeling, a type of prayer. It has, at the least, been an approach to the Spirit of the Lord on many occasions. Nephi tells us of 1 such occasion:

“‘For it got here to pass,’ he wrote, ‘after I had desired to know the things that my father had seen, and believing that the Lord was in a position to make them known unto me, as I sat pondering in mine heart I used to be caught away within the Spirit of the Lord, yea, into an exceeding high mountain’ (1 Nephi 11:1).

“Then follows Nephi’s account of the good vision he was given by the Spirit of the Lord, because he believed the words of his prophet father and had such a fantastic desire to know more that he pondered and prayed about them.”

— President Marion G. Romney, April 1973 general conference, “Magnifying One’s Calling within the Priesthood”

1 Nephi 12

“In the Book of Mormon, Nephi explains the results of yielding to temptation: ‘The temptations of the devil… blindeth the eyes, and hardeneth the hearts of the kids of men, and leadeth them away into broad roads, that they perish and are lost’ (1 Nephi 12:17).

“To blind the eyes shouldn’t be to see or acknowledge the results of our actions. To harden the guts is to disregard or not be willing to just accept counsel. To be led into the broad roads is to present in to worldly enticements and lose the influence of the Holy Spirit in our lives. …

“Temptation is sort of a magnetic force which holds a metal object in its power. It loses its magnetic force and power once you turn away from it. So we must turn away from temptation; then it is going to lose its power.”

— Elder Rulon G. Craven, April 1996 general conference, “Temptation”

1 Nephi 13

“One of the things I learned on this most up-to-date reading of the Book of Mormon was how much God loves all of His children in every nation. … Again and again the Book of Mormon teaches that the gospel of Jesus Christ is universal in its promise and effect, reaching out to all who ever live to tell the tale the earth. …

“The Book of Mormon is a fantastic witness that the Lord loves all people all over the place. It declares that ‘he shall manifest himself unto all nations’ (1 Nephi 13:42). ‘Know ye not that there are more nations than one?’ the Lord said through the prophet Nephi.”

— Then-Elder Dallin H. Oaks, April 2006 general conference, “All Men Everywhere”

“[Only] once does the word ‘atonement’ appear within the English New Testament. ‘Atonement,’ of all words! It was not an unknown word, for it had been used much within the Old Testament in reference to the law of Moses, once only within the New Testament. I find that to be remarkable.

I do know of just one explanation. For that we turn to the Book of Mormon.

“Nephi testified that the Bible once ‘contained the fulness of the gospel of the Lord, of whom the twelve apostles bear record’ (1 Nephi 13:24) and that ‘After [the words] go forth by the hand of the twelve apostles of the Lamb, from the Jews unto the Gentiles, thou seest the formation of that great and abominable church, which is most abominable above all other churches; for behold, they’ve taken away from the gospel of the Lamb many parts that are plain and most precious; and in addition many covenants of the Lord have they taken away’ (1 Nephi 13:26). …

“Nephi said, ‘Because of the numerous plain and precious things which have been taken out of the book … an exceedingly great many do stumble, yea, insomuch that Satan hath great power over them’ (1 Nephi 13:29).

“He then prophesied that the dear things could be restored (see 1 Nephi 13:34-35).

“And they were restored. In the Book of Mormon the word ‘atone’ in form and tense appears 55 times. …

“Only once within the New Testament — 55 times within the Book of Mormon. What higher witness that the Book of Mormon is indeed one other testament of Jesus Christ?”

— Then-Elder Boyd K. Packer, April 1988 general conference, “Atonement, Agency, Accountability”

1 Nephi 14

“The prophet Nephi beheld in vision that within the last days, the ability of the Lamb of God would descend ‘upon the covenant people of the Lord’ and they might be ‘armed with righteousness and with the ability of God in great glory’ (1 Nephi 14:14).

“Every considered one of us, and our families, might be armed with the ability of God as a defense if we are going to but remain true to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and let the Spirit be our guide. Trials may come, and we may not understand all the pieces that happens to us or around us. But if we humbly, quietly trust within the Lord, He will give us strength and guidance in every challenge we face. When our only desire is to please Him, we can be blessed with a deep inner peace.”

— Elder Bruce D. Porter, April 2013 general conference, “Beautiful Mornings”

1 Nephi 15

“[Book of Mormon] prophets foretold that many multitudes of Gentiles would eventually come to this land of promise and the wrath of God could be upon the Lamanites and they might be scattered, smitten and nearly destroyed…

“My great-grandfather Echo Hawk, a Pawnee Indian, was born within the mid-1800s in what’s now called Nebraska. When he was 19 years of age, the Pawnee people were forced to present up their 23-million-acre homeland to make room for settlers. In 1874 the Pawnee people were marched several hundred miles south to a small reservation positioned within the Oklahoma Indian Territory. The population of Pawnee people had declined from over 12,000 to lower than 700 upon their arrival in Oklahoma. The Pawnee, like other tribes, had been scattered, smitten and nearly destroyed.

“The Book of Mormon has a special message for descendants of the Lamanites, a remnant of the home of Israel. Nephi expressed this message while interpreting his father’s vision of those latter days: ‘And at that day shall the remnant of our seed know that they’re of the home of Israel, and that they’re the covenant people of the Lord; after which shall they know and are available to the knowledge of their forefathers, and in addition to the knowledge of the gospel of their Redeemer, which was ministered unto their fathers by him; wherefore, they shall come to the knowledge of their Redeemer and the very points of his doctrine, that they could know the best way to come unto him and be saved’ (1 Nephi 15:14).”

— Elder Larry Echo Hawk, October 2012 general conference, “‘Come unto Me, O Ye House of Israel’”

“The prophet Nephi describes the Final Judgment when it comes to what we now have turn into: ‘And if their works have been filthiness they need to needs be filthy; and in the event that they be filthy it must needs be that they can not dwell in the dominion of God’ (1 Nephi 15:33). …

“From such teachings we conclude that the Final Judgment shouldn’t be just an evaluation of a sum total of fine and evil acts — what we now have done. It is an acknowledgment of the ultimate effect of our acts and thoughts — what we now have turn into. It shouldn’t be enough for anyone simply to undergo the motions. The commandments, ordinances and covenants of the gospel usually are not an inventory of deposits required to be made in some heavenly account. The gospel of Jesus Christ is a plan that shows us the best way to turn into what our Heavenly Father desires us to turn into.”

— Then-Elder Dallin H. Oaks, October 2000 general conference, “The Challenge to Become”

“In considered one of those difficult times that the faithful and dedicated young Nephi had together with his rebellious brothers, he reminded them of the next guide to obtaining a sworn statement. The Lord declared, ‘If ye is not going to harden your hearts, and ask me in faith, believing that ye shall receive, with diligence in keeping my commandments, surely these items shall be made known unto you’ (1 Nephi 15:11). Now, we will review the steps Nephi described.

“First, don’t harden your heart. Seek to know. In other words, have an intense, consuming desire to know. …

“Second, ask in faith. In your study of the scriptures, have you ever noted how persistently the phrase ‘believing that ye shall receive’ accompanies the commandment of praying and asking? …

“Third, keep the commandments. I believe that the words of the Book of Mormon indicate the blessings that we will obtain if we abound in good works. …

“There is yet a very powerful help available that can provide us confirmation and absolute assurance, and it’s your right once you live worthy to receive the companionship of the Holy Ghost. … The Holy Ghost has the ability to bring light and understanding to our lives, but we must pay the value to hunt and win His companionship.”

— Elder Angel Abrea, April 2000 general conference, “Your Own Personal Testimony”