1 Nephi 15:13 - 15:17
1 Nephi 15:13 And now, the thing which our father meaneth concerning the grafting in of the natural branches through the fulness of the Gentiles, is, that in the latter days, when our seed shall have dwindled in unbelief, yea, for the space of many years, and many generations after the Messiah shall be manifested in body unto the children of men, then shall the fulness of the gospel of the Messiah come unto the Gentiles, and from the Gentiles unto the remnant of our seed—
The boys now thinking maybe Nephi can answer their questions without them having to go through the effort to asked the Lord continue with more questions. They want to know what is meant by the grafting in of the natural branches.
Nephi explains that the returning of the natural branches to the mother olive tree is like unto the restoration of the knowledge of the true God to Jacob’s descendents. This restoration will come by way of the Gentiles. The Gentiles will come to know about the Gospel and will restore it to the descendents of Jacob no matter where they live. And as they except the gospel they will again become part of the house of Israel through learning about their true identity and their relationship to God.
These events will take place many years after the appearance of the Messiah on the earth. This knowledge will come to Lehi’s descendents in the promise land via this means.
1 Nephi 15:14 And at that day shall the remnant of our seed know that they are of the house of Israel, and that they are the covenant people of the Lord; and then shall they know and come to the knowledge of their forefathers, and also to the knowledge of the gospel of their Redeemer, which was ministered unto their fathers by him; wherefore, they shall come to the knowledge of their Redeemer and the very points of his doctrine, that they may know how to come unto him and be saved.
Their descendents, will now know they are descendents of Jacob or Israel and are entitled to the promises given to him and Isaac and Abraham. In addition they will come to know about the gospel of the Redeemer which Abraham, Isaac and Jacob knew about. And all the points of the gospel will be given the Lehi’s descendent and they will know that salvation will come to them only through the Redeemer.
1 Nephi 15:15 And then at that day will they not rejoice and give praise unto their everlasting God, their rock and their salvation? Yea, at that day, will they not receive the strength and nourishment from the true vine? Yea, will they not come unto the true fold of God?
Even though things will not be very good before the knowledge of the gospel will be given to their descendents, they will, however, be grateful when it does come to them. They will rejoice at that restoration of knowledge to them of their roots and look to the Redeemer for what they need to know to be saved. They will recognize the truth and embrace it with and seek for all the knowledge it has to offer them
1 Nephi 15:16 Behold, I say unto you, Yea; they shall be remembered again among the house of Israel; they shall be grafted in, being a natural branch of the olive tree, into the true olive tree.
They will be told they are descendents of Jacob and will become airs of the promises made to him. It will be like the natural branches of an olive tree that were grafted in trees in other vineyards and then removed and returned to the tree from whence they were removed.
1 Nephi 15:17 And this is what our father meaneth; and he meaneth that it will not come to pass until after they are scattered by the Gentiles; and he meaneth that it shall come by way of the Gentiles, that the Lord may show his power unto the Gentiles, for the very cause that he shall be rejected of the Jews, or of the house of Israel.
So Nephi tell his brothers that that is what their father meant by liking the house of Israel to an olive tree. The gospel will come to their descendents via the gentiles because the Jews will reject not only the Savior but the gospel he brings the them. Since they will not embrace it so it can be shared with the rest of the world, God will give to the Gentiles who will embrace it and they will give to the world.
