Book of Mormon Commentary CofC - Odessa, Missouri Community ...

Book of Mormon Commentary
1 Nephi Chapter 3
1 Ne 3:145 And it came to pass that I looked and beheld many waters; and they divided the Gentiles
from the seed of my brethren.
3:145 The great Atlantic and Pacific oceans isolated the Lamanites for many years. Nephi did not
mention his own seed, for they had been killed off as a nation before this time. God's wrath was
poured out on the seed of his brethren (3:146).
GENTILES IN AMERICA SMITE LAMAN AND LEMUEL'S SEED, VER.146-155
1 Ne 3:147 And I looked and beheld a man among the Gentiles, who was separated from the seed of my
brethren by the many waters; and I beheld the Spirit of God, that it came down and wrought upon the
man; and he went forth upon the many waters, even unto the seed of my brethren, who were in the
promised land.
3:147 It is not difficult to interpret this vision as applying to Christopher Columbus in A.D. 1492.
It may be hard for some to accept the idea that he was directed by the Holy Spirit in this venture
"to find a back door to India." "In a letter to the king of Spain Columbus once declared, 'I came to
your majesty as the emissary of the Holy Ghost.' “
1 Ne 3:148 And it came to pass that I beheld the Spirit of God, that it wrought upon other Gentiles; and
they went forth out of captivity, upon the many waters.
1 Ne 3:149 And it came to pass that I beheld many multitudes of the Gentiles upon the land of promise;
3:148, 149 The term "Gentiles" as used by Nephi refers to all non-Hebrew peoples who came to
inhabit America. God permitted them to smite the Lamanites (3:150). Nephi saw that "they were
scattered before the Gentiles." According to one estimate there were 850,000 Indians in the United
States when Columbus came and only 340,541 in the 1930 census.
Some Christians find it difficult to conceive of God being angry and destroying large groups of
people, even nations. Perhaps it is just as accurate to say that he permitted the destroyers to
exercise the agency he gave man in the beginning. He might have to interfere with man's' freedom
of choice and action were he to keep people from their wars and fratricides.
Latter-day revelation helps our understandings at this point: “I, the Lord, am angry with the
wicked; I am holding my Spirit from the inhabitants of the earth. I have sworn in my wrath and
decreed wars upon the face of the earth, and the wicked shall slay the wicked, and fear shall come
upon every man, and the saints also shall hardly escape" (D. and C. 63:9; Mn. 2:6).
1 Ne 3:151 And I beheld the Spirit of the Lord, that it was upon the Gentiles; that they did prosper, and
obtain the land for their inheritance; and I beheld that they were white, and exceeding fair and beautiful,
like unto my people before they were slain.
3:151 The Gentiles were blessed upon this land. They had a struggle economically in the
pioneering days as compared with today, but conditions were not unfavorable as compared with
other lands or nations of that time. In the first place, the people had religious and political freedom
after the Constitution was adopted. Even when the Saints were suffering from mob action in
Jackson County, Missouri, in 1833, the Lord reminded them that he had a hand in establishing the