Book of Mormon, 1 Nephi, Chapter 14-15

 chapter 14 summary
Nephi's vision continues. He sees the church of the devil persecuting the Church of Jesus Christ.

stand-out scripture

14:3 And that great pit, which hath been digged for them by that great and abominable church, which was founded by the devil and his children, that he might lead away the souls of men down to hell—yea, that great pit which hath been digged for the destruction of men shall be filled by those who digged it, unto their utter destruction, saith the Lamb of God; not the destruction of the soul, save it be the casting of it into that hell which hath no end.

The angel promises Nephi in this vision that if the Gentiles (us) follow Christ and "harden not their hearts" they/we will be blessed with: 1.) inclusion in the House of Israel, 2.) a promised land forever, and 3.) deliverance from the "great and abominable church" which will persecute them/us.

14:14 And it came to pass that I, Nephi, beheld the power of the Lamb of God, that it descended upon the saints of the church of the Lamb, and upon the covenant people of the Lord, who were scattered upon all the face of the earth; and they were armed with righteousness and with the power of God in great glory.

As Latter-day Saints we can be blessed with the power and protection of Christ.

"To be armed with righteousness is to be armed with the power of God and to be worthy of the Lord's protecting care. The Lord has made it clear that those who will be safe in the last days are those who have 'received the truth, and have taken the Holy Spirit for their guide' (D&C 45:57)" (Book of Mormon Student Manual, 14).

chapter 15 summary
Nephi returns from the vision and goes unto his brothers. They are quarreling over Lehi's dream because they don't understand it. Nephi is sorrowed because they have not asked the Lord for guidance and understanding. Nephi explains the dream to his brothers and answers many questions.

stand-out scripture

15:3, 8-11  3 For he truly spake many great things unto them, which were hard to be understood, save a man should inquire of the Lord; and they being hard in their hearts, therefore they did not look unto the Lord as they ought.  ...  8 And I said unto them: Have ye inquired of the Lord?  9 And they said unto me: We have not; for the Lord maketh no such thing known unto us. 10 Behold, I said unto them: How is it that ye do not keep the commandments of the Lord? How is it that ye will perish, because of the hardness of your hearts? 11 Do ye not remember the things which the Lord hath said?—If ye will not harden your hearts, and ask me in faith, believing that ye shall receive, with diligence in keeping my commandments, surely these things shall be made known unto you.

Nephi has just seen in vision that his brother's seed, the Lamanites, will turn to wickedness and turn their back on Jesus Christ. When he finds that his brothers are sitting arguing and have not inquired of the Lord, it is to much to bear. Right in front of him he sees the causes of their imminent downfall. He knows they are lacking in faith and do not remember to heed the Lord's commandments. He tries to bolster their faith and give them knowledge by explaining their Father's dream. How disheartening it must have been for Nephi to see his brothers already on the path to apostasy.

Elder Boyd K. Packer taught:

"Everyone may receive spiritual guidance in the same way as an Apostle if they will diligently seek the Lord, ask with faith, and obey his commandments...
Young people, carry a prayer in your heart always. Let sleep come every night with your mind centered in prayer...
Stay away from places and things that common sense tells you will interfere with inspiration. Develop your spiritual capacities. Learn to tune out the static and the interference. Avoid substitutes and counterfeits! Learn to be inspired and directed by the Holy Ghost" (Conference Report, Oct. 1979, p. 30).

(one man truly inspired by the Holy Ghost was General Washington--as well as our Founding Fathers.)