1 Nephi 10:10 - 10:14

1 Nephi 10:10 And after he had baptized the Messiah with water, he should behold and bear record that he had baptized the Lamb of God, who should take away the sins of the world.

Lehi says that this John will tell everyone about Jesus’ baptism and the reason for it. He was to reveal that through this ordinance He would take our sins from us.

Here a linkage is made between taking away our guilt and baptism. Baptism is a symbol of be washed clean from our sins and to be remembered frequently. This is reinforced at the Sacrament Table each Sunday. A physical act is far more memorable than merely saying that we are sorry and will try to be better from now on. Who can forget going under water? But we can all forget when we said we want to change even if it was to another person.

1 Nephi 10:11 And it came to pass after my father had spoken these words he spake unto my brethren concerning the gospel which should be preached among the Jews, and also concerning the dwindling of the Jews in unbelief. And after they had slain the Messiah, who should come, and after he had been slain he should rise from the dead, and should make himself manifest, by the Holy Ghost, unto the Gentiles.

Lehi now speaks to Nephi’s older brothers about the Jews. Laman and Lemuel thought they were good people and not in need of repenting. As we will see further in the text, they did not think there was anything wrong with the folks back home. Lehi prophecies to them that things are not ok and what would be their fate in the future.

He speaks of the Jews becoming worse and worse off as far as living as they should. That in 600 years, they would kill their own God they were so degenerated. Further, that this Messiah would rise from the dead and begin to manifest Himself in various ways to the non-Jews of the world. The Jews had lost the opportunity to have the Gospel in their lives and it would now go to the Gentiles. That must not have made the boys happy to hear that since they felt there was nothing wrong with the Jews to begin with.

This manifestation would take place through the Holy Ghost. It would not be a personal visitation like it would be to others of the House of Israel, but through the workings of the Spirit on the hearts and minds of the Gentiles. I would assume that it would manifest itself through such means of the reformers, individuals seeking religious freedom, etc. And it would be the Gentiles that would keep the knowledge of Jesus Christ alive to the world even thought they would not have the Gospel in its fullness in their mist.

This is one of the great manifestations of our Heavenly Father's power. To keep alive a concept of a Messiah and the gospel in spite such things as political intrigue, personal egos biding for power and charismatic individuals promoting other philosophies. In addition to keep the memory of Jesus along with preserving the scriptures for over 1600 years when only parts of the gospel was had among the peoples of the middle east. It took dedicated and inspired folks and to do these things even with limited knowledge. I am always taken with how the knowledge of the gospel was preserved even if in a limited form through the dark ages and history in general.

1 Nephi 10:12 Yea, even my father spake much concerning the Gentiles, and also concerning the house of Israel, that they should be compared like unto an olive tree, whose branches should be broken off and should be scattered upon all the face of the earth.

Lehi talks extensively on the roll of the Gentiles in relation to the salvation of the house of Israel. That the house of Israel should be scattered by the Gentiles all over the world.

1 Nephi 10:13 Wherefore, he said it must needs be that we should be led with one accord into the land of promise, unto the fulfilling of the word of the Lord, that we should be scattered upon all the face of the earth.

This group will be particularly affected by being led to a land of promise. This be removed from Jerusalem would be part of the fulfillment of the prophecy of the house of Israel being scattered upon ALL the face of the earth.

1 Nephi 10:14 And after the house of Israel should be scattered they should be gathered together again; or, in fine, after the Gentiles had received the fullness of the Gospel, the natural branches of the olive tree, or the remnants of the house of Israel, should be grafted in, or come to the knowledge of the true Messiah, their Lord and their Redeemer.

After the bed news of the scattering of Israel, Lehi reveals that they will be gathered together in the future. But it will not happen until after the Gentiles have had a chance to receive the Gospel. The House of Israel were first to get it in times past, now they will be last to have a chance to except it in the future. Shows that our Heavenly Father does not show favorites to anyone just because of their birth, only to those who love him and want to receive his words.

All this history is compared to the care of olive trees. As Israel scattering is compared to taking the natural branches of an olive tree and grafting them into other trees in other and maybe distant olive trees, so the gathering is likened to bring these natural branches back to the trees they originated from.

And this returning of the branches is likened to their coming to a knowledge of the Messiah. It therefore appears that the return grafting will not take place until they learn and except their true Redeemer Jesus Christ which at this point does not seem foreseeable in the near future. In fact it seems to me from what I have read over the years, that it will not happen until after the Savior’s second coming and the building of the Temple in Jerusalem whenever that might be.