1 Nephi Chapter 13 - May 13, 2017

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Discuss

[Sunday21]

This chapter emphasizes to me how important scriptures are to God. He planned carefully to ensure that we would have these scriptures...so we need to read them and ponder them.

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In verse 12 it mentions a man among the Gentiles.  Who was this man?  Christopher Columbus.

Ezra Taft Benson said:

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 “God inspired ‘a man among the Gentiles’ (1 Nephi 13:12) who, by the Spirit of God was led to rediscover the land of America and bring this rich new land to the attention of the people in Europe. That man, of course, was Christopher Columbus, who testified that he was inspired in what he did.

We also see in this chapter the Lord's hand in establishing The United States of America.  

Joseph F. Smith said:

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“This great American nation the Almighty raised up by the power of his omnipotent hand, that it might be possible in the latter days for the kingdom of God to be established in the earth. If the Lord had not prepared the way by laying the foundations of this glorious nation, it would have been impossible (under the stringent laws and bigotry of the monarchical governments of the world) to have laid the foundations for the coming of his great kingdom. The Lord has done this” 

There is so much in this chapter that foresaw much of the history of the U.S. it's amazing.

As far as the great and abominable church which was is and was founded by the devil himself, Bruce R. McConkie had this to say:

 

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"Nephi saw the 'church which is most abominable above all other churches' in vision. He 'saw the devil that he was the foundation of it'; and also the murders, wealth, harlotry, persecutions, and evil desires that are part of this organization (1 Ne 13:1-10)

"He saw that this church took away from the gospel of the Lamb many covenants and many plain and precious parts; that it perverted the right ways of the Lord; that it deleted many teachings from the Bible; that it was 'the mother of harlots'; and finally that the Lord would again restore the gospel of salvation. (1 Ne. 13:24-42.)

 

Excellent chapter.