Nephi's Last Message to His Brothers

There is an interesting sense of urgency in Nephi’s message to his brothers in 1 Nephi 22.  These are the last words that we have from Nephi to his brothers, and he answered their question about the words of Isaiah that he had quoted to them.  He spoke of the scattering and gathering of Israel, emphasizing the importance of the events related to their gathering which would come to pass in future days.  Several verses speak of the fact that these prophecies would be fulfilled soon.  For example, he stated, “For behold, saith the prophet, the time cometh speedily that Satan shall have no more power over the hearts of the children of men; for the day soon cometh that all the proud and they who do wickedly shall be as stubble; and the day cometh that they must be burned” (v15).  He may have been referring to the time in 4 Nephi 1 when Satan had no power of the hearts of the Nephites, but it seems more likely that it refers to the Millennium when Satan we know will be physically bound.  Either way, why would Nephi tell his brothers that the time “cometh speedily” when it was hundreds or thousands of years away?  

               Nephi used similar language in other passages in the same chapter.  Speaking, it would seem, of the last days, he said, “For the time soon cometh that the fulness of the wrath of God shall be poured out upon all the children of men; for he will not suffer that the wicked shall destroy the righteous” (v16).  Here the phrase he used was “soon cometh,” again suggesting something happening shortly thereafter.  He emphasized again a couple verses later, “Behold, my brethren, I say unto you, that these things must shortly come; yea, even blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke must come; and it must needs be upon the face of this earth; and it cometh unto men according to the flesh if it so be that they will harden their hearts against the Holy One of Israel” (v18).  This might refer to the time when the Savior died or it could refer to the last days, but either way it was far off from the time Nephi was speeking to Laman and Lemuel.  Nephi spoke again of the future punishment of the wicked, saying, “For the time speedily shall come that all churches which are built up to get gain… and to do all manner of iniquity; yea, in fine, all those who belong to the kingdom of the devil are they who need fear, and tremble, and quake” (v23).  Again here he used the word “speedily” to describe events that, it would seem, were thousands of years away.  And in a passage generally understood to speak of the Millennium, Nephi wrote of its imminence again: “And the time cometh speedily that the righteous must be led up as calves of the stall, and the Holy One of Israel must reign in dominion, and might, and power, and great glory” (v24). 

            “Cometh speedily”, “soon cometh”, “shortly come”, “speedily shall come”—these were descriptions of the great future events of the last days, the destruction of the wicked, and the Millennium from Nephi to his brothers.  Perhaps the real message of Nephi to his brothers was this: your time is short.  Their chances were about up to repent and turn to the Lord.  Soon thereafter they would be cut off from the Lord: “Inasmuch as they will not hearken unto thy words they shall be cut off from the presence of the Lord. And behold, they were cut off from his presence” (2 Nephi 5:20).  While these events Nephi spoke of directly in 1 Nephi 22 may have been very far off, the time certainly was coming speedily for Laman and Lemuel when they would be separated and rejected.  It was indeed their own “last days,” and Nephi’s message to them was to repent before it was too late: “Wherefore, if ye shall be obedient to the commandments, and endure to the end, ye shall be saved at the last day” (1 Nephi 22:31)