Actual scriptures:
CHAPTER 11
Nephi sees the Spirit of the Lord and is shown in vision the tree of life—He sees the mother of the Son of God and learns of the condescension of God—He sees the baptism, ministry, and crucifixion of the Lamb of God—He sees also the call and ministry of the Twelve Apostles of the Lamb. About 600–592 B.C.
1 For it came to pass after I had desired to know the things that my father had seen, and believing that the Lord was able to make them known unto me, as I sat apondering in mine heart I was bcaught away in the Spirit of the Lord, yea, into an exceedingly high cmountain, which I never had before seen, and upon which I never had before set my foot.
2 And the Spirit said unto me: Behold, what adesirest thou?
3 And I said: I desire to behold the things which my father asaw.
4 And the Spirit said unto me: aBelievest thou that thy father saw the btree of which he hath spoken?
5 And I said: Yea, thou knowest that I abelieve all the words of my father.
6 And when I had spoken these words, the Spirit cried with a loud voice, saying: Hosanna to the Lord, the most high God; for he is God over all the aearth, yea, even above all. And blessed art thou, Nephi, because thou bbelievest in the Son of the most high God; wherefore, thou shalt behold the things which thou hast desired.
7 And behold this thing shall be given unto thee for a asign, that after thou hast beheld the tree which bore the fruit which thy father tasted, thou shalt also behold a man descending out of heaven, and him shall ye witness; and after ye have witnessed him ye shall bbear record that it is the Son of God.
8 And it came to pass that the Spirit said unto me: Look! And I looked and beheld a tree; and it was like unto the atree which my father had seen; and the bbeauty thereof was far beyond, yea, exceeding of all beauty; and the cwhiteness thereof did exceed the whiteness of the driven snow.
9 And it came to pass after I had seen the tree, I said unto the Spirit: I behold thou hast shown unto me the tree which is aprecious above all.
10 And he said unto me: What desirest thou?
11 And I said unto him: To know the ainterpretation thereof—for I spake unto him as a man speaketh; for I beheld that he was in the bform of a man; yet nevertheless, I knew that it was the Spirit of the Lord; and he spake unto me as a man speaketh with another.
12 And it came to pass that he said unto me: Look! And I looked as if to look upon him, and I saw him not; for he had gone from before my presence.
13 And it came to pass that I looked and beheld the great city of Jerusalem, and also other cities. And I beheld the city of Nazareth; and in the city of aNazareth I beheld a bvirgin, and she was exceedingly fair and white.
14 And it came to pass that I saw the aheavens open; and an angel came down and stood before me; and he said unto me: Nephi, what beholdest thou?
15 And I said unto him: A virgin, most beautiful and fair above all other virgins.
16 And he said unto me: Knowest thou the acondescension of God?
17 And I said unto him: I know that he loveth his children; nevertheless, I do not know the meaning of all things.
18 And he said unto me: Behold, the avirgin whom thou seest is the bmother of the Son of God, after the manner of the flesh.
19 And it came to pass that I beheld that she was carried away in the Spirit; and after she had been carried away in the aSpirit for the space of a time the angel spake unto me, saying: Look!
20 And I looked and beheld the virgin again, bearing a achild in her arms.
21 And the angel said unto me: Behold the aLamb of God, yea, even the bSon of the Eternal cFather! Knowest thou the meaning of the dtree which thy father saw?
22 And I answered him, saying: Yea, it is the alove of God, which bsheddeth itself abroad in the hearts of the children of men; wherefore, it is the cmost desirable above all things.
23 And he spake unto me, saying: Yea, and the most ajoyous to the soul.
24 And after he had said these words, he said unto me: Look! And I looked, and I beheld the Son of God agoing forth among the children of men; and I saw many fall down at his feet and worship him.
25 And it came to pass that I beheld that the arod of iron, which my father had seen, was the bword of God, which cled to the fountain of dliving waters, or to the etree of life; which waters are a representation of the love of God; and I also beheld that the tree of life was a representation of the love of God.
26 And the angel said unto me again: Look and behold the acondescension of God!
27 And I looked and abeheld the Redeemer of the world, of whom my father had spoken; and I also beheld the bprophet who should prepare the way before him. And the Lamb of God went forth and was cbaptized of him; and after he was baptized, I beheld the heavens open, and the Holy Ghost come down out of heaven and abide upon him in the form of a ddove.
28 And I beheld that he went forth ministering unto the people, in apower and great glory; and the multitudes were gathered together to hear him; and I beheld that they cast him out from among them.
29 And I also beheld atwelve others following him. And it came to pass that they were bcarried away in the Spirit from before my face, and I saw them not.
30 And it came to pass that the angel spake unto me again, saying: Look! And I looked, and I beheld the heavens open again, and I saw aangels descending upon the children of men; and they did minister unto them.
31 And he spake unto me again, saying: Look! And I looked, and I beheld the Lamb of God going forth among the children of men. And I beheld multitudes of people who were asick, and who were afflicted with all manner of diseases, and with bdevils and cunclean spirits; and the angel spake and showed all these things unto me. And they were dhealed by the power of the Lamb of God; and the devils and the unclean spirits were cast out.
32 And it came to pass that the angel spake unto me again, saying: Look! And I looked and beheld the Lamb of God, that he was ataken by the people; yea, the Son of the everlasting God was bjudged of the world; and I saw and bear record.
34 And after he was slain I saw the multitudes of the earth, that they were gathered together to afight against the apostles of the Lamb; for thus were the twelve called by the angel of the Lord.
35 And the multitude of the earth was gathered together; and I beheld that they were in a large and spacious abuilding, like unto the building which my father saw. And the angel of the Lord spake unto me again, saying: Behold the world and the wisdom thereof; yea, behold the house of Israel hath gathered together to bfight against the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
36 And it came to pass that I saw and bear record, that the great and spacious building was the apride of the world; and it bfell, and the fall thereof was exceedingly great. And the angel of the Lord spake unto me again, saying: Thus shall be the destruction of all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people, that shall fight against the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
From the Come Follow Me Manual
God sent Jesus Christ as an expression of His love.
To help Nephi understand the meaning of the tree that his father had seen, an angel showed him “the Son of the Eternal Father” (1 Nephi 11:21). This led Nephi to conclude that the tree represents the love of God. But the vision wasn’t over yet. As you read and ponder 1 Nephi 11, what do you find that helps you understand why Jesus Christ is the ultimate expression of God’s love?
See also John 3:16.
For further study I'm copying sections from the Seminary and Institute Student Manuals which can also be found in the Gospel Library App or on the Church's website.
Seminary Manual
1 Nephi 11:7–36
Nephi witnesses the condescension of Jesus Christ
Nephi continued to ponder and seek divine guidance during his vision. Read the following statement from President Boyd K. Packer, President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and identify what he said was the main focus of Nephi’s vision:
“Prophecies concerning the Messiah appear in the Old Testament. But the Book of Mormon records a vision of that event which has no equal in the Old Testament.
“After the people of Lehi [left Jerusalem], Lehi had a vision of the tree of life. His son Nephi prayed to know its meaning. In answer, he was given a remarkable vision of Christ.
“In that vision he saw:
- A virgin bearing a child in her arms,
- One who should prepare the way—John the Baptist,
- The ministry of the Son of God,
- Twelve others following the Messiah,
- The heavens open and angels ministering to them,
- The multitudes blessed and healed,
- The crucifixion of the Christ,
- The wisdom and pride of the world opposing his work. (See 1 Ne. 11:14–36.)
“That vision is the central message of the Book of Mormon” (“The Things of My Soul,” Ensign, May 1986, 60–61).
An angel helped Nephi discover the interpretation of the tree of life and then asked, “Knowest thou the meaning of the tree which thy father saw?” (1 Nephi 11:21). Review the meaning of the tree by underlining the phrases Nephi and the angel used to describe the tree in 1 Nephi 11:21–24.
Read 1 Nephi 11:16 and underline an earlier question the angel had asked Nephi. You may wish to write in your scriptures that the word condescension means to willingly descend from a position of high status to help or bless others.
In 1 Nephi 11:17, identify Nephi’s answer to the angel’s question. What did Nephi know? What didn’t he know? After Nephi’s response, the angel showed him that the condescension of Jesus Christ demonstrates God’s love for us.
After you have learned the meaning of the word condescension, read 1 Nephi 11:13–21, and then read the following quotation from Elder Gerald N. Lund, who was then serving as a member of the Seventy, and ponder how the Savior’s birth shows His condescension and His love for us: “Here was Jesus—a member of the Godhead, the Firstborn of the Father, the Creator, Jehovah of the Old Testament—now leaving His divine and holy station; divesting Himself of all that glory and majesty and entering the body of a tiny infant; helpless, completely dependent on His mother and earthly father. That He should not come to the finest of earthly palaces and be swaddled in purple [a sign of royalty] and showered with jewels but should come to a lowly stable is astonishing. Little wonder that the angel should say to Nephi, ‘Behold the condescension of God!’” (Jesus Christ, Key to the Plan of Salvation [1991], 16).
- Write in your scripture study journal what it means to you that Jesus Christ “would descend from his throne divine” (“I Stand All Amazed,” Hymns, no. 193) and His glorious position in the premortal world to be born as a tiny infant.
Read 1 Nephi 11:27, and consider how the Savior’s baptism also shows His condescension. Though He had no sin, He was baptized to show His obedience to the laws of God. It also shows His love for us by giving us an example to follow.
Read 1 Nephi 11:28–31, and think about how Jesus Christ’s life of service to others shows His condescension. Notice who the Savior ministered to and healed.
- Write in your scripture study journal how what you read in 1 Nephi 11:28–31 shows the Savior’s love for His people. How do you feel this relates to His love for you today?
Read 1 Nephi 11:32–33, and ponder how the crucifixion of Jesus Christ shows His condescension. Read the following statement from Elder Earl C. Tingey, who was then serving as a member of the Presidency of the Seventy, and look for what he said about how the Savior’s Atonement shows His love and blesses you:
“As the one who was chosen to fulfill the requirements of the Atonement, Jesus Christ condescended … to be tempted, tried, mocked, judged, and crucified, even though He had power and authority to prevent such actions.
“President John Taylor described the condescension of Christ in these beautiful words: ‘It was further necessary that He should descend below all things, in order that He might raise others above all things …’ [The Mediation and Atonement (1882), 144].
“Christ’s suffering in the Garden of Gethsemane epitomizes the most magnificent of all the attributes of Christ, His perfect love. Here we see that He truly loved all of us. …
“The Atonement is an event that enables us to be reconciled to God. … In terms of family, it means to be reunited with one another and with God and His Son, Jesus Christ. It means sadness through separation will become happiness through reuniting” (“The Great Plan of Happiness,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2006, 73–74).
The Atonement of Jesus Christ was an essential part of His condescension and the greatest manifestation of His love for us.
- Write in your scripture study journal how knowing about the condescension of Jesus Christ affects your feelings and love for Him.
End today’s study by singing, listening to, or reading the words to the hymn “I Stand All Amazed” (Hymns, no. 193). Notice the phrases that testify of what you have studied today. Ponder why the blessings of the Atonement of Jesus Christ are “most desirable” and “most joyous” to you (see 1 Nephi 11:22–23). Like Nephi, as you diligently seek understanding through revelation, you will draw nearer to the Lord and feel the power of His sacrifice in your life and the joy it brings.
Institute Manual:
1 Nephi 11:16, 26. The Condescension of God
- Condescension means a voluntary descent from rank or dignity. Elder Gerald N. Lund, formerly of the Seventy, commented on how well this word describes the coming of the Savior into mortality: “Here was Jesus—a member of the Godhead, the Firstborn of the Father, the Creator, Jehovah of the Old Testament—now leaving His divine and holy station; divesting Himself of all that glory and majesty and entering the body of a tiny infant; helpless, completely dependent on His mother and earthly father. That He should not come to the finest of earthly palaces and be … showered with jewels but should come to a lowly stable is astonishing. Little wonder that the angel should say to Nephi, ‘Behold the condescension of God!’” (Jesus Christ, Key to the Plan of Salvation [1991], 16).
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