1 Nephi 12:22 - 13:3
1 Nephi 12:22 And the angel said unto me: Behold these shall dwindle in unbelief.
The angel points out that this condition is because of their losing their knowledge of their roots and the gospel. This degenerated condition is always the result of the gospel being missing from our lives. The angel wants us to know that as well Nephi to know that.
1 Nephi 12:23 And it came to pass that I beheld, after they had dwindled in unbelief they became a dark, and loathsome, and a filthy people, full of idleness and all manner of abominations.
There state is further pointed out by their physical appearance. They are dark skinned, probably because of continuous going about without clothes for many years. They are also idle because they live off the land, form no real attachment to a place and worship gods that are suppose to help them with various aspects of their lives. A god for weather, one for crops, etc. They also create traditions about marriage, raising children, who are their leaders, etc. All those cultural items that coming into place by man being left to his own imagination and devises.
1 Nephi 13:1 And it came to pass that the angel spake unto me, saying: Look! And I looked and beheld many nations and kingdoms.
The depth of his father’s vision continues. Nephi is now shown other parts of the world and the people and cultures that exist there. Must have been a real show to him to see into the future and what man had devised in the way of cultures and traditions as different from his own.
1 Nephi 13:2 And the angel said unto me: What beholdest thou? And I said: I behold many nations and kingdoms.
The angel asked him what does he see? The teaching technique of showing someone or having someone read something and then ask what they got out of what they saw or read. Again, making a person articulate what they see in words. That is important so that we do more than just have a fuzzy conception but put into words. Putting into words is a great learning aid it really forces us to see applications and what the experience means to us personally. Often we look but we don’t see. When I tell others what I see or what experience I just had I see more than at first the encounter. Writing down also is a great help. Could be that Nephi learned more again when he recorded his experience then when he experienced at first even with the help of an angel.
1 Nephi 13:3 And he said unto me: These are the nations and kingdoms of the Gentiles.
Nephi responds to the angel’s question by indicating he sees various nations and kingdoms. He probably doesn’t have a clue as to who these people are so may not even know what time period he is looking at, whether it be past or present or future.
